2010 Reunion?

2005, oh so long ago. Time to start planning/rumors for the next one.

Savannah, GA would be my pick!

Sean,

I agree Savannah, GA would be a great choice. Charleston, SC wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Split the difference and have the Reunion near Hilton Head and the two day trips could go north one day and south the next. Unfortunately there probably isn't a place close to Hilton Head large enough (and economical enough) to do this except for either Savannah or Charleston.

Dennis

I'm going to push for a Southern Reunion again. How about Jacksonville, FL. Large enough to have hotels to fill our requirements and you can go north on one day and south on the other. Close to Disney for an extended vacation and an international airport. Very reasonable costs for food and services plus beautiful weather in the late October time frame without tourist prices. I would be willing to do a lot of leg work and I betcha Daniel and Cathey would also pitch in. It's time you gave us Floridians a chance. We would just have to pick a weekend when the Jaquers are not having a home game.

.....and no hurricanes!!!

I'm for Florida!!! Either Jacksonville or Daytona Beach sound good.

If not Florida how about Atlantic City?

I like Sean's pick of Savannah, GA or the Northwest as in Seattle, WA..

Another option could be the San Francisco area.

I would be happy with any place just to know a reunion was in the works.

I love Charleston but would enjoy exploring Savannah. Jacksonville would be a good second choice.

PNW is nice but lets go South first.

Dan

I doubt that we could attend... but IF we could, I would very much vote with Lorie!
That side of the country is soooooo beautiful!

I think the Southeast whether it be the Carolinas, Georgia or Florida would be great.
An Alaska Inland Passage cruise would be a new and unique reunion.

I like that idea as well. There are a great many themed cruises- usually with musical artists and their fans.

I think a lighthouse Wacko themed Reunion Cruise would be a great idea- it could be done in the Caribbean or Bermuda as well.

Dennis

Florida sounds great to me. But Georgia or South Carolina would be great too.

Alaska would be great! So would the possibility of the Caribbean or Bermuda.

Just a thought -- do y'all have enought money? If so, can you give me some? (Notice that I didn't say lend.)

bobo

Well the Cruise idea is exciting but the truth is that I cant afford it and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's a reunion, a family gathering of sorts. Lets not make it so the expense makes it exclusive.

imho

I undertand your point- but to be honest there are many cruises that last a week that cost less than the last Reunion did for a weekend.

Also I'd be surprised if the cruise idea got any serious consideration for other reasons as well. It's just an exciting possibillity to consider - especially at this point in time.

Dennis

Actually, the cruise idea has been discussed. However, it would be very cost prohibitive. To do it right, you would have to use one of the small cruise ships in order to see the lights and to have control over the boat's track. Costs on the small ships can be up to $5000 per person.

Well, that ruins a great idea for sure.

Who says you have to get close to the lighthouses- oh yeah that's the whole point.

Never mind.

Roseanne Rosannadana

I think either Charleston or Savannah would be
great places for a Reunion. And of course I wouldn't turn down one in Florida.

How convenient that now I live close by. Bring it on to Savannah or Florida

I vote Fort Lauderdale then I can see all the big yachts too!

I too thought an Alaskan or Hawaiian cruise would be great but not at $5,000 per person!!

I'll vote for Charleston or Savannah for selfish reasons since I've seen all but three lights in Florida. Of course I would never turn down a HL Reunion regardless where it is held!

Let's get those reunion plans finalized so we can pencil in that date and start saving for it.

Judy

Boston has lots of cruises to non-land lighthouses.
Key West with additional tours to see all the Florida lighthouses.
The key is to be able to extend the Reunion for pre & post lighthousing.
Vancouver Island.

Bob

I agree with you, Bob. As long as we are in an area anyway, I think we should see as many lighthouses as we can, If we can do it all in one trip, that's great. And thanks Bob for all the work you did to make our Long Island trip a
success.

Charleston and Savannah are both great old towns that the Civil War didn't destroy. Charleston did have a "great" earthquake and seeing those long bolts that go all the way through the houses is interesting. Both have some of the tallest churches you'll find (used as day marks by some) and nicest houses. Both have lots of diversions, e.g., gardens, unique shopping, etc., that you can't find elsewhere. I'd love either one.

If it could be done on Mackinac Island I think something could be found between Hilton Head and Jekyll Island. These are pretty big resort areas. Start negotiating now and who knows what prices can be offered.

imho

Lots of good ideas! The west coast ideas that were mentioned (San Francisco or Seattle) would be nice choices. But I'm open to any area. Well, maybe not Maine.(We loved Maine but visited there in Oct 2006 and June 2007.) If Seattle is considered, I'd prefer the summer. We usually have good luck with weather in late June and in July when we have visited the San Juan Islands...maybe Darlene can speak on that.

The south sounds good to me, too, though I'd prefer it not be in the hot summer.

Whatever location is chosen, the sooner the dates are announced, the better. Also for those who are not close enough to drive, easy access (e.g., near a major airport) would be nice.

A trip around the San Juan Islands to see those lighthouses would be fun. Logistically it probably can't be done because of the cost of the ships. One time someone did advertise a tall ship/schooner type lighthouse tour but I have only seen it once. It probably would be too difficult anyway to handle so many people that attend the reunion.

I agree with Bob that there should be pre and post reunion tours. That really makes it worthwhile.

Judy

I don’t think the question is where the favorite place is for the reunion. Most of us would have to agree that an Alaskan cruise would probably be one of the top favorites but what good is that if few could afford to go. I feel the priority for picking a reunion site is one that is the desirable, interesting and affordable for those that has not had a chance to go. Obviously location is a main factor because of the expense of travel especially if you plan on taking a family. Well it is obviously that those that live within 300 to 500 miles of the reunion site would have a very minimal travel expense of less than $100 to $150 for fuel. Much further than that you would have to go by plane or start adding on extra days and motel cost for the trip. This extra expense in many cases is the dividing line of who can go and who cannot. Also some have to stay close to home because of health reasons, business or other maters. So to be fair, the reunion should be located each time at a different location to give each area of collectors a shot at going with minimal travel expense.

Well in theory this is a no-brainer. The reunion has already been at the west cost, northeast, mid Atlantic and the Great Lakes. So the only logical and fair location would be the southeast. I don’t know why anyone is even debating this. The only thing we should be talking about is where in the south to have the reunion.

Before we start discussing where in the south we should have the reunion, we need to get one obstacle out of the way. Hurricanes! I think this has always been the reason why the south has missed out on reunions. Yes the south has been having many of them lately. So many, that many insurance company’s will no longer write homeowner policies for Florida. But one thing we all need to realize is just because you are in Florida in late summer and early fall does not mean you have a high risk of hurricanes. Actually the coast from Daytona to Savanna is the least of Hurricane prone areas. The east Coast from south of Daytona to key west and from the west coast from Key West to Tampa is the high Hurricane prone areas, not counting The Texas to Louisiana area. A matter of fact of all the south East Coast Cities, Jacksonville is the probably the safest area from hurricanes. It has had only one direct hit since 1871 and that was Dora (a cat 2) in 1964. In 2004 we were effected by Francis and Jeanne but only by tropical force winds which did cause a lot of power outages given all the big trees in the area that were damaged. But the interesting thing about Jacksonville is that in the three hurricanes mentioned above none occur in October.

If we check other southeast coastal cities like Savanna we will also see that only four Hurricanes had a direct hit in the last 100 years and which none of them were any stronger than a Category 2. The latest Hurricane was in 1979 and was in early September.
I also checked Daytona and in the past 50 years Daytona only had three major Hurricanes, Donia, David and Charley and again all of them were in August or September.

What I am saying, yes there is a Hurricane risk in the South but whatever risk we have it is generally in August or September. And the least risk would be the Jacksonville /St Augustine area. If we picked the middle of October in the Jacksonville/St Augustine areas the highs are in the high 70’s to low 80’s and a Hurricane has not hit this area in October for at least a hundred years, maybe more. Even though the Hurricane season does not officially end until end of November the chances in October are substantially less than August and September.
Well since I am on the topic of Jacksonville. It has an international airport and plenty of hotels and convention stuff. October is also the lower rates for hotels.
It has four lighthouses in a half hour drive away. The best thing about Jacksonville is that it is not a tourist town so the hotel rates are reasonable but it is only 17 miles to the beach and a half hour drive on interstate 95 to St Augustine. St Augustine is rich with history and probably one of the most historic cities of Florida.

If it was in Jacksonville, people could also come down to Orlando to see Disney it they had addtional time and money.

Daniel,

First I agree that from a strictly fairness basis the Southeast is due for a Reunion.

That said your unerlying discussion about the threat of hirricanes is basically correct but is slightly flawed in that it does not take into account the effects of a near miss from a hurricane and the fact that in many cases the rain and wind from a tropical storm that is just below the huricane threshold can actually last longe than a hurricane that moves through an area quickly.

It is a very valid concern that this type of weather activity could wreck any tour plans, etc without an actualhurricane being involved.

The above being said I'd still say a Reunion based in FL, GA or SC would be a great idea in late September or early October. I am personally not a fan of extreme hot weather so the later in the year the better for a trip South for me.

Dennis

I'll second the last two posts.

JAX in OCT.

Dan

With all the above being said, and as I said in my first post, it is time that the south got a reunion and either Jacksonville or Charleston would be my 1st and 2nd choices. Jacksonville has the most 5o choose from with the lighthouses located up and down the east coast. Additionally, the west coast lighthouses are within easy driving distance, Orland has Disney, Universal Studios and numerous other attractions. Daytona and Jacksonville have georgous beaches with beautiful weather during the last part of October and the first part of November. And who says the reunion must be in the fall. Jacksonville have even nicer weather during the month of February and March. As Daniel says, the hotel rates are great during the fall and spring months(Embassy Suites runs $95 a night with military, AAA or corporate rates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday) as an example. No matter where you go you may run into bad weather but in October, November, February and March your chances are fantastic to have beautiful weather.

As much as I love Jacksonville, Rich, and that area, I would think that since there has been a Regional held in Jacksonville already, that it might lower it a notch or two from contention as the next Reunion site..

My favorite choice for the next Reunion would be Seattle but because it is such long way from everywhere but Seattle it probably won't be in contention..

I think therefore that the Charleston location by Sean is a good idea as it gives the Southeast a turn and there are plenty of lighthouses both North and South of the area for those going and coming to the Reunion..

Okay
I made a poll to pick the three favorite reunion sites for the South. I got the list from this Post. Plus I added Pensacola Florida.

Southern Reunion Poll

A Southeastern reunion, either Savannah, GA or Charleston, SC, would be terrific.

Also, a reunion in the Norhtwest, Seattle or Puget Sound areas of Washington, would give reunion attendees an opportunity of visiting quite a few lighthouses, with side trips before and after the reunion and possible trip to Vancouver Island area to see some of the Canadian lighthouses and beautiful country.

After the 2005 reunion on Mackinac Island, which was our first collectors reunion, we're very excited about going to the next one. Whenever and wherever it would be held.

Well said, Bruce and Judy. We agree!
Bill and Judy

Hey, Charleston, SC sounds good to me and here is a terrific site for the reunion
www.charlestonconvention.com
Don't know much about it but looks like there are lots of hotels near by in every price range! Just a little food for thought

It's 2008, anyone heard any updates?

No Reunion in 2008!! Is not a rumor but a fact...

Thanks Paul! Now don't start in about Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, etc. We can dream can't we?

As a matter of fact, Bob, Santa Claus is a city in Indiana!! And there were 7,460,000 hits on Yahoo when I typed in Tooth Fairy, so there has to be a Tooth Fairy, because if it's on the Internet 7,460,000 times it has to be true!!

only because Al Gore was kind enough to invent the internet can we substantiate the existence of the tooth fairy...

Time to schedule our own lighthouse tours then.

I just want to say that I have never been to a reunion and would love to attend one. I wanted to go to the one on Mackinac Island but it was held when we had reservations made for a vacation at the same time. Anyway,I just want to say that me and my bride are going to Tybee Island,GA Charleston,SC and Virginia Beach,VA in May. I have been to Virgina Beach but not to Tybee or Charleston. I plan on attending the reunion this year and it would be great if it were held in the southeast. I voted for Savanah as my first choice. Charleston as my second and Jacksonville as my third. Pensacola would have been my fourth choice. The last time I was in Pensacola was in 1962 when I was stationed at the Naval Air Base. The last time I was in Jacksonville was in 1963 when we came back from the cuban crisis. Even though I have never been to a reunion, I think it is time for one in the southeast. I would love to meet you people. I hope no one gets angry at me for what I voted on.
Walt

Reunions are announced at least a year out so that people are able to make plans and schedule around them. However, I also don't think you will see a reunion in 2009.

Care to elaborate, Dave?

I believe Harbour Lights has other priorities to work on first.

In reading the above posts, I hear the collectors wanting to have a VISION and goal of a reunion in the forseeable future-not just sometime. If put out ahead of us to 2010 ( HL 30th anniv. and the new owner's 5th) we can start planning and saving to fund it with attendee's monies and Dave's expertise as on Mackinaw Island. Just having something as important as a Collector's Reunion to look forward to can really help an organization pull together and attract new members and heighten interest in existing members as we have seen in lighthouse renovation and adoption groups.
A southern reunion location sounds like next on the possibility list.

Well, if we have to wait until 2010 lets go for the biggie---Hawaiian Islands or Alaskan Cruise. We have a few years to save up! The less costly route would still be Savannah or Charleston for us. The most important thing is to do one and give us lots and lots of lead time to save the dates (and dough!).
Judy

Savannah or Charleston - beautiful cities. We could go to St Simon's, Tybee Island, Hilton Head, etc. etc. Join the US Lighthouse Society if you can afford Alaskan Cruises. South Carolina or Georgia are much more affordable for many. There are more transportation opptions.

I've been with Rich on this one from the beginning. A reunion in Florida is long overdue. The St. Augustine area would be terrific! I have seen many of the Florida lights but you haven't seen the lights until you have seen them with the Wackos or HL Collectors Reunion. This is one where you definitely want a pre/post trip as we did in Michigan. There are so many lights to see (not like MI, of course) but in so many diverse areas - Pensacola, St. Mark's, etc. on the Gulf, the Gulf side of the peninsula such as Boca Grande, Sanibel, etc., and the Atlantic side with Capes Florida, Canaveral and others. St. Augustine is such a historic area - with loads of haunted places for those of us who are into that (right, Ladybug?) Then there are all the lights out on the water - the possibilities are endless.

Having said that, all I want is another reunion! They do have to be planned way ahead of time, but I thought one was in the works for 2009. It's disappointing to hear that it's not.

Out of pure speculation, but might the reunion become a 5-year thing, IF there is another? The last was 2005...the next few years were tied up with the ownership transfer. Every five years is a logical period for such a large undertaking.

If so, we'd look at 2010 for the next one. Fortunately, we do have the regionals in between.

This may be a stupid question, but for some time I've been wanting to ask it.

What is the differnce between a Regional and a Reunion?

Stan, the reunions have been multi-day events that were fairly complex operations. Your registration included pretty much everything - hotel, meals, lots of goodies.

Regionals have evolved - originally they were super signing events lasting about 3 hours. Over the past two years we have evolved the regionals some. While they still contain a signing component, they have grown to include wrap around lighthousing. Some still refer to them as "reunions" or "mini reunions" since they get to see lots of their collector friends.

The HL Reunions also involve lots of people. I can't quote you exact numbers (others here can) but, if I recall correctly, the last two involved 900+ participants in Baltimore and 400+ on Mackinac I. The latter seemed a lot more intimate, as a result. There are tons of activities (talks by lighthouse experts, photo contests, raffles, farewell breakfast auction, etc., etc.), opportunities to see lots of lighthouses, time to meet a lot of folks you know only by name, fantastic meals with great camaraderie and so on. I do hope that the regionals don't evolve to the point that the HL Reunions disappear - that rumor has circulated before, unfortunately! All collectors should have the opportunity to attend at least one REAL Reunion! It is an experience of a lifetime!

OK Beachcomber since I've seen most of the lights in Florida, I could go for some haunted places to visit. Who knows, we might run into the ghost of a lightkeeper. I understand there are several floating around.

Good Wednesday Morning!

Ok here is where we are at - I can assure you there will not be a Reunion in 2008 or 2009. 2010 remains a possibility.

However, there are a number of variables that would first have to be worked out;

1. Location: Florida is not practical. We would look to venture some place new and different

2. The Numbers: We would need to have collector participation of at least a minimum of 400. The Event needs to be self supporting. Mackinac was self supporting the precedent has been set

3. Capacity: We need a hotel with the facility to accomodate comfortably those in attendance. It is more than just rooms it is dining, meeting and transportation.

Honestly, the (4) Regionals, I have attended, have not had overwhelming attendance. Remember, we need to move these Events around the country, to open the venue to more and different Collectors.

I promise there would be at least a twelve month advance notice for a Reunion!

AJC

And I ask this question to you Tony for ALL the Florida collectors that belong to these Forums( I believe there are between 15-20 at this time) and that is: WHY NOT FLORIDA??? WHY IS IT NOT PRACTICAL??? There is plenty to do(lighthouse and non-lighthouse related). The hotels and facilities can host a Super Bowl, Spring Brake, Daytona 500, Disney World, etc. so why not 500 to 1000 Wackos? The weather is beautiful, with no hurricanes, November thru March with much more reasonable prices then the last reunion facility in the Great Lakes. Transportation is readily available with car rentals and airports. Disney World, Sea World, Beaches galore, Cape Canaveral and many many lighthouses for side trips. Convention Centers are huge, hotels are huge, food is cheap and the final reason to my argument is: We've never had one in the south(California, Great Lakes, New England and Maryland so far. And don't tell me that Baltimore is in the south because they don't even know how to serve iced tea and real open pit barbeque. I should know because I lived in that area for 8 years. So, I ask this question again: WHAT IS WRONG WITH FLORIDA OR CHARLESTON, OR SAVANNAH OR ANY PLACE SOUTH OF NORTH CAROLINA??????? When someone can give me an answer to my above questions I will stop asking, but, to date no one can answer these questions whith a definative reason. If Harbour Lights wants to attract more collectors, then hold the Reunion during the Lighthouse festivities in St. Augustine during March and advertise to all collectors. This should bring out the collectors from the snow belts and the Snow Birds that are raking in the sun and warm weather.

I'm with Rich, Florida sounds like a great place to combine a vacation and a HL reunion.

We were thinking about visiting relatives in the Orlando area next year. If I knew there was a reunion in 2010, in Florida, I would put off our visit to combine the two.

And March would be a great time of year.

I agree. Why not a southern reunion? It has been everywhere else!
Judy

I don't remember going to a reunion in the nothwest US or anywhere in the central US. Might be interesting to know what is problematic with the South or Southeast US ??

I totally agree with Rich.
The south has been avoided like the plague. As I have said in the past, 99% of Hurricanes are in August to Sept. Focus on spring, winter or late fall.
When I did my Poll for the favorite choice of cities for the South they were:
Charleston, South Carolina at first place.
Savannah, Georgia second choice.
And Jacksonville is third.

These are the Cities that HL should be looking at for a reunion. Jacksonville has not had a hurricane force winds since 1962. The coast line from St Augustine to Charleston, South Carolina is the least vulnerable when it comes to Hurricanes, Since these cites are tucked back in a cove they are usually missed by hurricanes. My personal opinion is that Charleston would be the ideal place to have a reunion, then Jacksonville.
Because of Charleston’s central location and it being a Historical City I feel that it would be one of the few cities that would attract enough people to satisfy the 400 quota.

Oh Ya
like Rich said central Florida has alot to offer too.

I want to add one more remark to my post this afternoon and that is: The one and only true Regional that was held in Jacksonville proper several years ago at North Florida Regional College was well attended as I remember(100 plus attendees as I remember) and everyone had a great time. There were side trips also but nothing like the "Dave planned Regionals" of today's standards. The "so called Regionals" at St. Augustine were really not regionals as much as they were tacked on to the Lighthouse event rather then stand alone Regionals. I want to clarify my statement from this afternoon and re-emphasis that the Reunion if held in conjunction with the St Augustine Lighthouse Festival should be a stand alone Reunion and not part of the festival. The Reunion could be held on a Thursday thru Friday and culminating with the St Augustine Festival on Saturday.

The only thing I can think of is that the lighthouses in the South, while probably some of the most impressive and most well-preserved in America, are too far apart to organise any kind of side trips with a reasonable centre. Just plugging some random lights into Streets and Trips, with use of the Lighthouse Friends map, here are the travel times between the major Atlantic Coast Florida lights:

Ameilia Island (Fernandina Beach) to Mayport Lights: ~1h
Mayport-St Auggie: ~1h
St Auggie-Ponce: ~1h15
Ponce-Cape Canaveral: ~1h15
Canaveral-Jupiter: ~2h
Jupter-Hillsboro: ~1h
Hillsboro-Cape Florida: ~1h

Then the Keys, which could be a boat trip except you can't really see them all in a day except by plane.

Then the Gulf coast...

Miami-Sanibel: ~3h
Sanibel-Boca Grande: ~1.5h
Boca Grande-potential Ancelote/Egmont boat trip: ~1h30
There-Cedar Key: ~2h30
Cedar Key-St Marks: ~2h30
St Marks-Crooked River: ~1h
Crooked River-St George new home: ~30m
St George-Cape San Blas: ~1h
Cape San Blas-St Joseph: ~1h15
St Joseph-Pensacola: ~2h15

So. Every lighthouse in Florida, save a precious few, is at least an hour from its neighbour. Thus, to do any sort of real-lighthouse based activity around the reunion (tours, cruises, etc.), you'd have no logical centre, unless MAYBE you did it in Miami, where you're a bit in the middle of a few lights. There's no way to balance the weekend with a good amount of lighthousing, while still having time to do the usual reunion presentations and dinners and such.


The rest of the South is much the same -- I only spent time on Florida because that's the most common one brought up. Charleston, while a place that I'm DYING to go to, has much of the same issue. Morris Island, Sullivans Island...a trip down to Hilton Head...and maybe conjure something together with Cape Romain and Georgetown, which again are far away. And then you've put a lot of time in for not a lot of lights.

Look at the past locations. Rhode Island, Mackniac, Baltimore. All places with serious concentrations of lighthouses, where a boat tour or bus tour could be easily chartered at a time and cost effect. Lights in those areas are within miles of each other, and you can easily see five or so with special opportunities and such in an eight hour period, with time for a Bill breakfast and a dinner. In most Southern points, you'll still be on the bus, or maybe JetBlue.

Now, I don't speak one bit for anyone from HL, I'm just figuring this from logic. But the last reunion showed that the physical lighthouse was more of a component in today's reunion. And with the south, Tony may very well be alluding to my rather drawn out point, when he says that Florida is not practical.

To paraphrase some movie I've forgotten (or perhaps made up), it's all about the distance.

Greg has a point about the distance. I would love Florida what great weather but the lights are too far apart. I would love to see the Keys, I know I will have a hard time getting to see those. If it was a weekend I would want to get in as many lighthouses as I can. So if Tony says no Florida what would be the next best place. Washington, Oregon, Northern California. I think New Jersey, Maryland and Long Island(NY) would not be a good choice because they have the challange. I guess in the long run it is not up to us but if it is a lighthouse to see I know I am there.

Greg
I totally disagree with you, it is not about the distance it is the about the quality of time. I have visited almost every Lighthouse from Florida to Delaware including the Chesapeake Bay lights and the most memorable lights were not where I could see one after another, but where the lighthouse had things around it that made it fascinating.

I have seen lighthouses where we have found it and there was nothing else to do but go home or look for another lighthouse. You have seen them, they just sit there, you cannot climb them, and many you can’t even touch. The south may have their lighthouses far apart but when you get to them many can keep you busy for hours with their nature trails and museums.

Southern lighthouses that come to mind are Tybee, St Augustine, St Simons, Jupiter, Ponce De Leon and Cape Florida. Any one of those Lighthouses could keep you busy a day or more with its museum, keeper’s quarters and the other historical things next to them, like forts, and other historical buildings.

One of my favorite lighthouses to visit was Sapelo Island lighthouse. We caught a boat out to the island, we then rode an old school bus out to the light. On the way we visited an old plantation and rode on many dirt paths thru the life oak woods. This took four hours to do. After it we were ready to go home feeling like we had a full day and enjoyed the whole excursion.

Another interesting one is Hilton head, even thought it does not have a museum or keeper house, it is next to a very neat boat dock and shops that can keep you busy for hours. The southern Lighthouses have been some of Harbour Lights most popular lights. And Greg why do you think that is so? It is because so many tourists have seen them and have had a very memorable moment inspiring them to buy a lighthouse model to remind them of their experience.

I could go on with many more southern lighthouses that are fulfilling but I need to go to bed now. If you need more examples let me know.

Let me start with the standard disclaimer: I do not speak for Harbour Lights. The thoughts expressed here are just that – thoughts and some reasoning. I have a little experience with this so I feel slightly qualified to offer these thoughts. I will probably upset some, and may end up on a number of hit lists. So be it….

The reunions have all occurred in the time frame of the last week of August thru the first week in October. Not a great time to visit the east coast, especially Florida.

Why the fall? I can't speak for why the first three were held when they were, but we picked the Mackinac date to get in before things started closing down for the winter and to help keep the cost a little lower. Miss the worst of the tourist season. I admit that the time frame does present some issues for bringing school kids and for school teachers though I know several who found a way to participate. In my specific case, Heather was able to schedule a college visit to coincide with Baltimore so it was not an absence. For Mackinac she worked with her college teachers to do any work before she missed school.

The November to mid April time frame is not a good one for most people. Rates can be good in what may be considered the off season, but this is often not a good time for people to travel. Holidays followed by holiday bills followed by taxes. So, I believe the May to early October time frame is the most practical for the most people.

Reunions have always been centered around lighthouses and trying to view them. I'm sure Disney has some lighthouses on its properties, but I don't think that would do much for people's lighthouse counts.... Ideally the location should allow for lighthousing from the water. This takes a boat capable of transporting 200-400 people depending on size of the reunion. Using busses for a group of 400 or more would be a nightmare, as HL found out in Providence. It would take a minimum of 8 very full busses to haul people around. Then you are dumping a large quantity of people at a lighthouse every 30 to 60 minutes. This would often challenge the lights being visited as they are not set up for crowds of that size. And, what do you do when someone strays and is not at the bus when it is supposed to leave, putting the entire tightly orchestrated trip off schedule. We have done incredibly well with one bus, but there is some flexibility when all you are concerned with is 50 people. In Chesapeake we even did well with two busses, sending them on opposing routes. However, trying to send 8 busses to lights would be inviting problems. Greg has also pointed out very well the distances between lights, which presents additional challenges.

A decision could be made to hold a reunion in a coastal city where only one or two lights were viewable from the water. However, I do feel that any reunion should be in a coastal city. Holding a reunion in conjunction with something like St. Augustine’s festival would be an incredibly bad decision. Holding the regional there a few years ago was a poor decision, and I said so then. The regional was absorbed into and overshadowed by the festival. However, it is a very good event for a signing as Harbour Lights has the opportunity to be viewed by many who might not be collectors (and this is a very important part of a signing event!)

Having a reunion in an area that is “rich” with lighthouses is great for the collector who wants to visit as many as possible. This happened on a massive scale around the Mackinac reunion. We were able to run a great bus trip that took 50 or so collectors to a great number of Michigan’s lower peninsula lights. I also helped a significant number of attendees plan their travel to the reunion so that they were able to include many, many lights along the way. A similar situation for a future reunion would be a real added bonus.

Florida has had more regional events than any other state; the state is not being picked on. Florida has also had more signing events even though there are larger collector populations in other states/areas. Of eight Bill events this year, two will be in Florida. Last year there were two Bill events and one with Harry. I don’t think this is Florida being shut out. The largest regional events have probably been in the Midwest. When the ICE was being held in Chicago many collectors from around the country would attend. We even were able to hold several non-HL sponsored collector gatherings that drew up to a hundred folks.

No matter when or where a future reunion might be held there will be happy collectors and upset collectors. A lot of thought will go into any decision. The important thing is for folks to be positive and keep your fingers crossed………

Daniel, you have made an outstanding case WHY NOT to hold a reunion event in the southeast. The very thing that makes a lighthouse a great place for a family or small group to visit make it a not-so-good place to try to run 400 people thru. Those wonderful museums can't handle 100 people exploring them every hour for half a day (or worse....) The gift shop could not keep up. (I can tell you that one from experience - gift shops are probably the single biggest cause for getting off schedule on a trip!)

My most memorable lighthouse visits have been to what I refer to as "destination lights". These are lights where the trip to get there is why you remember the trip and light. Point Reyes by itself is not an overly pretty light. However, when you add in the drive to get there, the 400 or so stairs down to the light and then the view from the light it is one hell of a place to visit. However, there is no way you could run 400 people to the light and back in a short time frame.

Miss one day, and we're possibly having a ReUnion in 2010?????
Mackinac was unique! The boats were a great people movers. The Island was outrageous! And the before and after options were awesome!
I don't know why you need 400 if it's self supporting?
Regionals need to be more than a 24 hour event to get better attendance besides local attendance.
Portland ME and Portsmouth VA did very well in 2006 because of the attached events.
We need a great location with lots of lighthouse options!
Bob

I think Point Reyes has 310 steps and if we had 400 people just think if you cant make it back up the 310 steps just have the people lift you over their heads and pass you all the way up.

I loved that light but for a reunion it would never be practical.

Just a side note. Disney of course has no real lighthouses, however, the one in front of Typhoon Lagoon, looks like a reef light and is actually lit at night.

I guess 400 the lower threshold where attendee payments can break the event even. Even though hotel/food costs are variable on the number of guests, room rentals and boat charters are not.

Everything else you said is totally true. I really regret missing the 2006 regionals (except for the fact that I didn't have the time and couldn't have gone alone). Those two had the major lighthousing component that would attract myself, and others who are not super-serious HL collectors, to join in the events more. NOLA and Lake Erie sound promising on this scale...we'll see what Dave has up his sleeve.

Serious lighthousing, on the Regional or Reunion scale, is the key to drawing in more people. A great gathering of HL collectors in a ballroom will draw those who are interested more in the HL component of lighthouses. Add in a few great boat trips and maybe a bus, and you'll bring in the more-"real thing" lovers too, and make the event.

As much as I would love a southeast reunion I totally agree with everything Dave said. Having been at all the reunions the best part is seeing the lighthouses whether before, during or after the reunion. The first reunion was great mainly because it was the first but only two lights. The last one was spectacular with all the lights we saw.

Having been on the extra trips whether planned by John or Dave I must say they are worth the extra time and dollars.

As long as Dave is planning or helping plan our next reunion I know from experience it will be worthwhile wherever it is.

I like what Tony said also that there will be at least 12 months notice. That way we can plan and save.

HL needs to see that there is excitement about these reunions and take advantage of it. We need to understand all the considerations that do go into planning a big event.

Judy

I'm at the point where I don't care where it's held as long as we have another reunion. I only attended the last two and we signed up a year ahead of time for those. That gave us lots of time to prepare and the installment plan made it affordable for many of us.

I'm not crazy about seeing the lights from the water. So John's side trips in Maryland and the pre,post reunion bus trip planned by Dave and led by the two Ron's in Michigan were what made lighthouse viewing on those trips memorable for me. In Maryland, the lights on the water were too far away. The boat trips in Michigan, however, were terrific because the boats took us up as close as they could get and we got spectacular pictures.

Regionals such as Tidewater and Maine are truly worth the trip because of the fabulous trips planned in conjunction with those. Otherwise, traveling across the country for a day or two of activities is just not worth the expense for many of us.

Wherever we go, Ladybug and I will make sure we stir up some spirits - yeah, both kinds!

As I said before:"If Dave builds it, we will come."

I changed the title of the thread to more accurately apply to what is reality...

Obviously Harbour Lights will give the next reunion some serious thought before giving the go ahead. The key to it becoming a reality is a chief leader/volunteer to handle the leg work and preparations. Will Dave do it again? I sure there are plenty of you that hope so.

As far as a location for a future reunion, I say let it be where the event can get the best response from the collectors. Figuring that out will take a lot of work and planning, and a little luck.

Bob

After all is said and done, and still not being convinced through any explanation that a Reunion on the Southeastern Coast wouldn't be highly successful, I flat give up the ghost of a chance of ever having one here.

Hi Rich,

The USLHS had a tour scheduled this year that they cancelled to SC, GA and FL. We were signed up and excited about this trip since we had not seen any SC and GA lights. Unfortunately Jeff Gales, who by the way is doing a great job with the Society, called and said that he had to cancel the tour because there were only about ten of us signed up. I am surprised there aren't more people interested in the southern lights.

I understand that HL will need to find a location where they will get the best response. In the meantime we can only hope that someday the southern lights will make a comeback!

Judy

The Chesapeake Chapter of the USLHS has a trip to SC and part of GA coming up in April. However, I believe the bus is full.

Thanks for the info. It looks like we'll just have to wait until next year if another southern tour comes up then.

Judy

So many good and interesting points have been made about the next (possibly) reunion. I would love to have one centered around Hilton Head or Charleston with lots of different side trips. It is a beautiful part of the country with much to offer.

How about Cape Cod as a site for a "rehunion" in October 2009 ? Beautiful weather, plenty of lighthouses on cape, off-season rates ( Bass River Lighthouse Inn), plenty more lighthouses to the north(lighthouse cruise out of Boston does 12 lighthouses, ie. Boston Harbor, Graves , Hospital Point, Marblehead, Eastern Point, Twin Lights at Thatcher's Island and more. Anyone interested and how would we proceed.

Sounds like a good idea to me, however, Dave is in process for a mahor trip to Nova Scosia in September. I believe there would be many in conflict as to which to got to. I know I couldn't do both. I think a better I dea would be for 2010. You also may find it takes at least a year to pull something like this together. I would suggest you contact Dave about this as he has done several in the past and could provide much information about the subject.

If they have one in Florida, I could most likely be a help. I am with the Florida Lighthouse Association (FLA) and the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation (FKRLF) and past board member of (Cape) St. George Lighthouse Association.

If you have it south of Orlando Hotel rates are higher during the winter/early spring months. If in Orlando or north of it, the Hotel rates are lower when school is in session. (Stay away from Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter/Spring break).

I wouldn't mind seeing a reunion in the Charleston area in either the spring or late fall time frame. That would eliminate the treat of hurricanes. My ultimate goal would be Daytona Beach in the late fall though except Dave seems to think that it wouldn't go over well because of all the previous activities in that area.

Still like Cape Cod in the Fall. Off-season rates and possible to see 20 to 30 lighthouses. Many lighthouse cruises available ie. out of Boston. Convenient to airports and major highways. Whaling Museum in New Bedford (1 hour).Newport, RI(1 1/2 hours). New London, CT in 2 hours. Lotsa Lighthouses and great seafood.

My vote still goes for north central Indiana!! There's lots and lots of Amish built faux lighthouses adorning the amazingly flat landscape.

I'm still hoping for the Central or Northern Florida/Southern Georgia area but would be completely satisfied with Charleston, SC.

I just want lots and lots of advance notice so we can block the dates out! Last time we had a reunion we had to cancel another lighthouse event.

Judy

I just re-discovered & reviewed these archived topics and thought some of you might find it interesting.

Reunion Memories
1997 Reunion - San Diego
http://archives.johnchidester.com/events/Reunion_97/index.htm

1998 Reunion - Providence
http://archives.johnchidester.com/events/Reunion_98/index.htm

2001 Reunion - Baltimore
http://archives.johnchidester.com/events/Reunion_2001/index.htm

Thank you for the memories.

Since this thread got reactivated, some may not know that Harbour Lights has announced a mid-June 2011 Reunion Cruise to Alaska out of Seattle.