Well, our first ever HL Reunion is over. When I made the reservations almost a year ago I was hesitant & not quite sure what to expect. We had potential child care problems and I had a husband who is definitely NOT a collector but who likes lighthousing but certainly not with my fervor.

We are both very glad we made the trip! My husband thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the Reunion, from the accomodations, food, activities and the people! Having him enjoy it so much made it even more special for me. We could not believe the way the Youngers made everyone feel so welcome. The goodies, the pictures, the HLs. No detail was overlooked.

Wayne & I had much fun at the Sunday brunch, auctions & drawings. We didn't have any luck but so enjoyed everyone else winning. An example of the way lighthouse people are was Friday night. There were five HLs as a centerpiece. Each of the ten people at the table was given a number & the five given away. As luck would have it, neither of us had a lucky number. However, one of the persons at our table that won the Point Allerton turned & asked if we had the piece (we didn't) and gave it to us! I couldn't believe it! It made us feel just as lucky as the Sunday winners!

If I had any regrets, it was that I didn't meet as many people from the Forums as I would have liked, even with the Connected Collector badges. I know there were people too, from our post card exchange that I would have loved to meet. But when you look at the room filled with 800+ people, you know that you will never see/talk to everyone.

The other regret is that we couldn't take any extra days to visit other lighthouses. Those separate trips sounded like a lot of fun. But with a teenager at home, we wanted to keep the days away from home to a minimum. Maybe next Reunion we could spend more time.

All in all, we BOTH had a super time and would do it again in a heartbeat. Many thanks to the wonderful Younger family and their dedicated staff! You made all of us feel special!

Donna & Wayne