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Collector
Forums |
Author |
Topic: What Did You Think of the Reunion? |
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JimJohnson Posts: 468 |
I just
got back home, unpacked the car, and had to check out the forums. The Reunion
was GREAT! Lots of surprises including a mini of Seven Foot Knoll at dinner
last night. There was a very spirited auction at Brunch this morning with
lots of money raised for charity. Younger and Associates treated us very well
for the entire event and Bill, Nancy, Kim, Harry, Maureen, KB and the entire
crew put on a wonderful event! What does everyone else think? |
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Bob
M Posts: 2472 |
Hi
everybody! ... I just got home from the reunion after eight hours on the
road. The reunion was a fabulous time! I'll have more to post tomorrow when
I'm not quite so tired. Early to bed (my own) tonight. I hope all the
attendees check in at this topic when they arrive home. Bob |
|
Larry Posts: 111 |
Those
of us who couldn't go have no idea what to think, since all we were fed was 3
little pictures from opening night. Even though we were promised daily
updates....oh well....we didn't miss you either! [This message has been edited by Larry (edited 10-07-2001).] |
|
Chesapeake
Bryan Posts: 343 |
Hi
everyone. I got home a little while ago. This is the first chance I've had to
check the forums since getting back. The reunion was a fun
time had by all. It was great to finally put faces to the names I have been
communicating with through the forums/ weekly chats. I'll post some more on the reunion tomorrow, it has been quite an exhausting day for me. |
|
bright
eyes Posts: 532 |
Herm and I just
arrived home after leaving the reunion at 11:30 am, on a flight from
Baltimore to Chicago, to Traverse City, Mi. and the 70 minutes drive home.
What a fabulous time we had at the reunion. Met many "connected
collectors", and renewed many friendships that we have made since
attending the first and second reunions! The whole Harbour Lights Crew put together
a first class event! Thank you to all! |
|
Laurie Posts: 17 |
I arrived at home just before 1PM, after a 35 minute drive home. This was my first reunion and I had a fabulous time. I went by myself, not knowing anyone and had some nervousness about how I would fit in. I needn't have worried. I met some wonderful people, and there were almost continuous activities. I had to make three trips to the car just to pack all the loot I received. Every time you turned around, the Harbour Lights folks were giving you something more. The inventory would fill a page. I couldn't believe my incredible luck when they called my name for the opportunity drawing this morning. And what I had lusted after was still available: a lighthouse bulb from the Cabo Busto Lighthouse in Spain that was brought back by Nancy Younger. It's huge, at least a foot long and very cool to own. At least I think so. Anyway, since this was my first reunion, I have nothing to compare against, but I think it was tops. |
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Torchbearer Posts: 1265 |
Hey
everyone! I'm so glad you are returning home safely and especially happy to
hear you had a great time. Of course, I had no doubt about that. I'm still in
NYC and expect to be here another week. I look forward to seeing some photos
from the activities, but also realize that time isn't exactly a luxury as you
have been kept very busy with all the great activities HL had scheduled.
Again, welcome home... you have been missed! Tim - Keeping the flame
lit... |
|
Bob
M Posts: 2472 |
Hi
Gang! ...I got up about two hours ago after enjoying a good-night's sleep in
our own bed. Lorna and I had a fabulous time at the reunion and met many new
friends. We got to talk with many of the reunion attendees during the various
events, dinners, and on the cruise on the Chesapeake, and that is a wonderful
thing. The Crew from HL worked
their "butts" off to provide such a memorable experience for their
collectors. I just can't imagine the preparation to accomplish such a world
class reunion. A tip of the Captain's hat and a salute is definitely owed to
the HL Crew. A very big "THANK YOU" is also owed to the many
collectors who assisted the HL Crew during the reunion. Their hearts are
bigger than any of us could imagine! I'm sure there will be
hundreds of posts about the reunion coming within the next few weeks. I feel
very privileged to have attended, and that is why I was willing to spend the
better part of a Saturday, many months ago, dialing the telephone over 700
times. Persistence does pay off. More info to be posted
later...and that's the word from the East Coast where my thermometer
registered a very cool 32 degrees under a pre-dawn clear sky. That's about 50
degrees cooler that the temps in Baltimore for the first few days there. Bob |
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Larry Posts: 111 |
I was
joking Paul (see the smileys?). I'm sure you all had a wonderful time. I know
the weather actually worked out well (living here, as I do). The board was
just a lonely place with everyone gone. Looking back at the
itenarary that was posted earlier, I know that no one had time to post
anything and I do thank you for the pics that you did post, especially your
trip to the reunion. I, for one, and I'm
sure others, look forward to this thread being a LONG one.....with lots of
pictures. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. That was not my intent. |
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cclighthousebuff Posts: 7 |
I'm
back on the Cape and my brother-in-law has returned to Arizona after a
wonderful reunion. Aside from the "crew's" attention to every
detail, I was amazed at the level of elegance! Almost 900 people treated as
if we were simply a party of four! It was unbelievable. The activities and gifts were "over the top". I am very appreciative...and as a member of the law enforcement community, humbled by your display of sincere appreciation for those lost and their families. |
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Harbor
Beacons Posts: 25 |
What an
awesome time we had! We arrived home at 10:00 p.m. totally exhausted. Today
I'm barely functioning in my classroom The Youngers went all out as usual. The cruise was
fantastic - games, prizes, excellent narrator, unbelievable lunch, music,
fellowship with collectors. Our Hooper Strait
reunion exclusive was over the top. Non-attendees will definitely want this
piece. What a surpise to lift off the styrofoam top to discover that our
Hooper Strait has a removable roof (where Bill put his signature) and tiny
little rooms inside the lighthouse with furniture. This tops all the other
lighthouses that Harbour Lights has produced. Thumbnails, minis,
Hooper Strait picture by Mark Sherman, keychain, duffle bag etc, etc. Another terrific
surpise, for those of us that have attended all three reunions, was the clock
we received at check in. We were greeted with a vocal "ding",
"ding", "ding" and presented with a wall clock with a
picture of Hooper Strait on it. And what about those
meals. We all left several pounds heavier! There is so much to
write about.... My lunch hour is over and the students are coming back in. |
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Henry Posts: 2 |
Hi All, we had a great time at the reunion, I never thought the Youngers could top the past two but they did! the past 4 days had been great untill I returned home to a horrific sight. one of the shelves on my dining room wall came down with 8 of my Harbour lights on it(YUP rubble all over the floor) only one survived without a scratch (Port Sanilac). The 7 lost were Boston Harbour (glow), Cockspur Island,Cold Spring Harbor, St.Simons Island (glow), Whaleback and Morris Island then and now. Now I have to try to replace all of these. Wish me luck in my hunt! The only good news is that now I have room for the lighthouses I brought home from the reunion. It was nice to have spent time with so many nice people, cant wait to do it a fourth time. |
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mombo Posts: 2678 |
So
sorry to read about your misfortune Henry. Sure hope you had them insured but
yes, in the mean time, you have those new Reunion pieces to fill the void. What a super event!
This was my first Reunion and only now can I appreciate how great they are. I
can't even begin to imagine the planning and effort that was required to make
this such an enjoyable time for all of us. Heartfelt thanks go out to
everyone involved - Bill, Nancy and the entire HL "Crew" - all
others who contributed their time and talents, many from right here in the
collector forums - those collector club members who manned their booths and
helped during registration and various activities. Many collectors gave up
much of their reunion time for the benefit of the rest. Saying thank you just
doesn't seem enough. While lots of folks
thought and still think that a Reunion on the Great Lakes would be way cool,
last weekend in Baltimore just couldn't be beat. (And yes it would have been
"way cool" last week-end in the GL, lol!) The Inner Harbor location
was so nice, especially for me as I'd never been there. Lots to see and do
and the hotel was super, the location fabulous and what a view from my room!
Sipping morning coffee while overlooking the harbor while it still slept was
marvelous. And the beds! Usually one can't wait to get home to one's own bed
but not this time. These were like sleeping on a cloud. Then after dark when
all the lights were twinkling and the stadium lights were on we could at
least observe from a distance what we could only watch on TV - a truly
historic event as Cal Ripkin completed his career. On Friday morning we
observed the U.S. Constellation as she left port for the first time in over
30 years to make the short journey to the Fells Point area. And a bit later
in the day we met the Coast Guard training ship Eagle as she passed our
Cruise boat heading for the Inner Harbor where she docked and opened for
tours. Of course the best part
of the Reunion was the opportunity to meet with each other. While not quite
being able to catch up with each and every one of the "Connected
Collectors" it wasn't for lack of trying! For those of you whom I
accosted more than once while grabbing your badge and asking, "Have I
met you yet?" I appologize! Hopefully
some of the non-connected will soon join our ranks - they were especially
impressed by Dave's classy badges! Leaving on Sunday was a
hectic, hurried affair as those heading out via the highways and skyways
jostled with those remaining who were to board the tour buses for yet another
lighthouse trip. During the shuttle ride to the airport we traveled through a
sea of Ravens fans as they anxiously awaited the beginning of their game.
Purple was everywhere. Yet one more piece of
history unfolded before this joyful weekend was to end. While waiting at a
lounge in the airport the news reached those present of the attacks on
Afghanistan. I had just sat down in the neighbooring Burger King which was
divided from the lounge by a mostly glass partition. The lounge was filling
quickly as those walking the hallway were each in turn drawn to the TV that
was tuned to CNN. As I observed the emotion on the many faces it was evident
what what happening. Taking my tray to the lounge my suspicions were
confirmed. While this was a sad ending to a wonderful weekend it was truly
heartening to observe that those who appeared most interested and concerned
were the young faces in the crowd. While everyone has been affected in some
way by the events of the past month and most have strong feelings regarding
them, this is no doubt a war of the new generation. After a half-hour delay due to a mechanical problem my flight finally took off at 5:30pm. Flying at 14,000 feet with the sun on my face and the fluffy white clouds at our feet I couldn't help but wonder at the beauty of the skys as I recalled the happier events of the weekend while remembering those on a certain four previous flights as their daydreams turned into tragedy. |
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Nana Posts: 1468 |
One
phrase comes to me as I try and express myself about the reunion. "I had
the time of my life, and I owe it all to Harbour Lights". Like Sue, this was my
first reunion. Having a great time was a given, as HL always strives and does
a "first-class" job. But, I had no idea just what a memorable week
it would truly be. A group of us began on
Sunday, Sept. 30th. Several from the Tampa HL club were gracious and met me
at the BWI airport. We traveled to Havre' de Grace for a tour of Concord
Point and then a great meal together. (See photo in Paul's journey's.) On
Monday, 6 of that group went out on the choppy Chesapeake and saw many
lights. Tuesday was a trip out to Cape Charles and a great climb up
Assateague. Arriving in Baltimore
and seeing friends from both Tampa and from these Forums was like going to a
"Family Reunion". Getting checked in was a bit worrisome, but the
hotel was a great place to be with lots and lots of room for all attending.
Sue, the beds were great! Harbour Lights planned
and presented us with a wonderful event from Thursday to Sunday. No detail
was left for us to worry with and we were lavished with great gifts and opportunities
to share our love of lighthouses. The total amount raised for restoration and
New York thru the opportunity drawing alone was stupendous. The auction that
brought in much more on Sunday was unbeliveable. The opportunity to
share with other collectors, the serious restoration work that our different
clubs are involved with was fun, educational, and profitable. So many
collectors who came by the Tampa booth, had no idea where Anclote Key was
located, but walked away commenting on our efforts and happy to see what the
club is trying to accomplish. Thankfully, most SWA
flights were leaving on time and I arrived home by 9:30. Memories of the week
were dancing in my head and my heart was full. Beautiful people having a
great time is always memorable. My body was exhausted, sleep came quickly.
But, you know what? I'm ready to go again. Harbour Lights
continues to amaze me! Thanks for everything Bill, Nancy, Kim, Maureen,
"KB", Harry, and all the crew that worked "your buns off"
to help the 830 attending to "have the time of their life". You
know that I love you all! Derith |
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CONESTOGA
EMT Posts: 11 |
My wife
and I had A great time. I only Wish that we could do this more often... It
was nice to meet new and old friends and to have such a wonderful time. see
you all at the next reunion!! GOD BELSS AMERICA.... THE HOME OF THE FREE AND THE BRAVE. |
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Rhonda Posts: 13 |
This
was also my first reunion. It was one of the best times in my life so
far!!!!Everything was better than first class and I'm still in awe. I think
the best part for me was how Bill & Nancy took the time to talk to each
and everyone every day I truly felt like I was at a family reunion. |
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Al Posts: 2 |
My wife
and I had a wonderful experience! Even having our flight home cancelled and
having to leave for home a day late did not |
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Rich Posts: 60 |
This was my first Reunion, also. I am now looking forward to the next one. The hospitality of the Youngers and the "Crew" was great. Everyone I met was so friendly and helpful. It was good to meet St. John and I throughly enjoyed Paul's seminar on Lighthouse Photography. Talking with all the club members at their booths was fun, too. It was a great experience and I will enjoy the memories again when I get all the pictures developed. THANKS HARBOUR LIGHTS! |
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DocJ44 Posts: 362 |
I had a
great time meeting other collectors and trying especially hard to connect
with people in my neck of the woods to discuss mustering up a collector's
club in the Pittsburgh area (I didn't get a chance to meet Barbara Kemple
though...but I will be emailing you). But its impossible to meet everyone. I
met a lot of supernice unconnected people on the cruise and at meals and
encouraged them to give the forums here a try. Personal highlights of
the Weekend: Winning a LLOM Point
Arena in a music trivia game on the cruise...and getting a "tattoo"
of Cape Hatteras on-the-move on my forehead. The Seahorse exhibit at
the Aquarium...weren't those Sea Dragons cool? The tension during the
auctions and drawings. (I was especially excited to see Laurie get the light
bulb and the Marsden's from MD win the Hooper Straight water color). But the best event of
all was the Delmarva lighthouse tour yesterday. The original plans had to be
altered but the replacements were outstanding. John (and he certainly more
than lived up to his saintly title) did a superb job in organizing the
tour...Mispillon was my favorite. A sad looking light in its current state
but with some fixing up it would be beautiful. If I find some time I need to
check into some details about that light. [This message has been edited by DocJ44 (edited 10-09-2001).] |
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DeDo Posts: 338 |
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 |
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Pat
PalmerBall Posts: 227 |
WOW!!!!
What a great time we all had. Starting with the Lighthouse Tours John planned
right through the Reunion itself. It was truly more than I had expected. This
entire trip was a surprise to my husband Hunt and after it was all over he
told me that more surprises like this would be wonderful. KYKEEPER - Pat |
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rscroope Posts: 1619 |
WOW!
Thank you! Tired. Head still spinning! |
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AZlightkeeper Posts: 25 |
Awesome, simply Awesome!!! It was incredible. Bill, Nancy, Kim and the rest of the Harbour Lights crew deserve a round of applause. The food and activities were great, and Baltimore was beautiful!! I just want to say thanks for an incredible time!!! |
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Gravedigger Posts: 863 |
Truly a
GREAT time as mentioned over and over above, better than I ever imagined. I
really don't have a favorite memory, it was ALL fantastic. It was wondeful
seeing old friends and meeting many new ones. I just wish I would have had
more time to spend visiting with everyone, I didn't know if I was coming or
going the entire weekend! I wanted to try to say goodbye to everyone but that
was just impossible with the rush to get out. Anyways, thanks everyone for
all the nice compliments and encouragement it really meant the world to me.
In the rush to leave I even forgot to grab the sign that was above my
display. I really wanted that to hang on my wall as a momento. It sure was nice to get out of that Baltimore traffic around the stadium. I even made a wrong turn and ended up driving down railroad tracks (that explains the lack of traffic) until several very angry officers "gently whispered" to me where to get my car. And also the wrong turn, right into the stadium entrance!!! A quick u-turn, more gentle words from police and finally on my way out of the city! What a HOOT!! |
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thebigtuna Posts: 58 |
Hello, |
|
Suzanne
Murphy Posts: 365 |
I am
not home yet, I am in Washington D.C. Yesterday, October 9th, Gail and I
visited Fort Washington Light and Jones Point Light on the Potomic River. We
even ran into a couple from the Harbour Lights reunion at Fort Washington!
The reunion was great and so were the bus trips! Suzanne |
|
LADYBUG Posts: 229 |
We had
a very good time at the reunion and I enjoyed meeting many of you face to
face. The "goodies" were excellent, probably the best of the three
reunions. It was nice to be recognized as a 3 time attendee with a special
gift. Sure glad I had the extra suitcase with me. The hotel staff we dealt
with was very warm, friendly and helpful. The meals though left something to
be desired. Buffet breakfasts were okay but no fruit; Sunday's breakfast was
questionnable--no alternative for those who don't eat eggs, my potatoes were
"hashwhites" and undercooked...lots of poultry at lunches and
dinners...we had to ask for our meals on Friday evening--rubbery spaghetti
noodles, cold chicken. The dinner at McCormicks and Schmidt though was excellent
and the people we ate with at all our meals were wonderful. As for the boat
cruise there was no comparison to the one in Providence where we got close
enough to get some very good photos. I guess we got spoiled there. Did see
off in a distance the channel lights which were new for me, only wished we
were close enough to get photos. Thanks Joan and Larry for the use of your
binoculars. Was glad to see the painting and sculpting activities again.
While these can be frustrating, it is fun to try your hand at creating a
special lighthouse. It gives you a new appreciation for the detail that is in
every Harbour Lights piece. Overall the reunion was a lot of fun. I look
forward to "chatting" with you all in the future and will be
attending the next reunion wherever it may be. |
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Randy
Kremer Posts: 607 |
What
can be said that hasn't been said already! Excellent job Harbour Lights!
Mombo said it best - What could be better than going somewhere you have never
been before and seeing so many people you know! It was great to meet people
from the forums and see faces from past events! I have to agree that the boat
trip in Providence was much better, but other things made up for that. The
view of the lighthouse from our room on the eighteen floor was spectacular! One change for future
reunions that I would like to see is having a children's menu for the little
ones. It was next to impossible to get our six year old something that he
would eat on the adult menu. Overall, this was the best one yet! After going to all three, how can they top this one!! |
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TD Posts: 155 |
Harbour Lights does one fine job of putting on a reunion. Since this was my third reunion I do have some things that I was disappointed about. The cruise was disappointing. I would have liked to have seen more lighthouses on Friday. Even if that meant that we would have needed to go by bus I would have much rather done that than the boat cruise. I preferred Providence to Baltimore. Also, I was expecting to see some previews of new HL's, fresnel lens, or Anchor Bay. When's the next reunion! |
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MrsTLC Posts: 377 |
It's
true...there is not much more to say on how great this trip was...This was
our first reunion and we couldn't have been more pleased...so many great
moments...so many great friendships renewed and new ones made...It was
especially great to be able to meet all the "connected collectors"
on Thursday night after the dinner...A great big "THANKS" to the
Younger Family and Staff for putting on such a great reunion...I also want to
thank St. John for setting up the wonderful bus tours that also made this
trip so great...I can't stop the thanks there...I must add a great big thanks
also to Paul & Sue Brady and Sean & Liz Thompson for being leaders on
the tours...Another big thanks goes out to Darlene (Ladybug) and Judy
(Sunshine) for working so dilligently on the scrapbook that was presented to
the Younger Family, it turned out fantastic!! And again thanks to Paul for
putting on the photo seminar, it must have done your heart good Paul to watch
all these people going out and trying to get better photos, I saw people in
positions I've never seen before All
in all this was a fantastic trip for me and Terry. |
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champoeg Posts: 14 |
My daughter Hannah and I had a wonderful time and the reunion. Hannah couldn't contain her enthusiasm and even offered a $50 bid on a crushed coin. Surprised the heck out of me, I may have to start giving her an allowance. I would like to give a special thanks to Mark and Michelle Wagner. Hannah and I were the only couple at our table not to win one of the centerpiece lighthouses so they gave us the Eddystone Light, which is a personal favorite. I heard Kim say emphatically that there would be no more reunions. I hope she just meant for the next two years, because I really want to make it four in a row. |
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lightbear Posts: 61 |
This
was also the first reunion for Rich & I and we can't thank Harbour Lights
enough for the tremendous effort it must have taken to put something like
this together for such a large group of people. Both of us enjoyed the
activities, the lighthouses and, best of all, the people. It was nice to walk
around the hotel and the streets, knowing that all of the dogtags were part
of the HL extended family. Rich & Marilyn |
|
Mark
Wagner Posts: 623 |
First
some raw numbers about my reunion trip: We Left home Friday
September 28th, drove first to Liberty Park in New Jersey to see the Statue
of Liberty, then visited and viewed lighthouses down to Cape May back up the
Delaware river all the way to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, then back
down the other side of the Delaware river all the way to Assateague Island, then
over to the Chesapeake Maritime museum to see Hooper Strait and on in to
Baltimore for the reunion. As we went to register I spotted Fred Kuhlman (I
recognized him from his Fighting Lightkeepers baseball card) searching for
the registration location, as was I. After getting checked in I ran in to Bob
Mckeon and his lovely wife Lorna, Lorna didn't make it to the providence
reunion because that was the weekend that Bob had her scheduled to scrape the
barnacles from his much talked about boat "It's Only Money" Friday morning, buffet
style breakfast (so-so), afterwards a little mingling as we have a little
time to kill as we are on the second boat (Blue battalion is first Red is
second) Blue boat loading, photo from my room, the Rich Little suite
on the 78th floor, after the blue battalion finally gets under way red
quickly loads and is under way, Many famous and connected collectors on
board, as we are heading downbound we spot the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, what
a beautiful sight that was. By the time we reached Sandy Point Lighthouse we
caught and passed the blue boat, rumor had it that team blue was forcing many
of the passengers to shovel coal into the boilers and that low endurance was
slowing them down (that's what I heard) As we arrived back we were dropped
off right at the Baltimore Aquarium, Very nice, I believe it was an entirely
salt water aquarium Saturday morning,
breakfast (better than yesterday) then Red battalion has the morning 9-noon
to visit Seven foot knoll, the US submarine Torsk, USCGC Taney, and the
lightship Chesapeake. Turns out all these things don't open until 10:00am -
OOP'S, it cold and raining so we walk 2 blocks to the Port Discovery Kids
Museum, Kids love it (cost way too much though - $39.00 for the four of us)
McDonalds is next door, kids like that too. A box Lunch is served outside Seven Foot Knoll, Back to
the hotel to Paint a lighthouse, sculpt a piece. Saturday night is Dinner at the lighthouse, actually McCormick and
Schmidt's, A mini Seven Foot Knoll (different from the Little light 7 footer)
waits at each place setting along with thumbnail #3, The appetizers are
fantastic, they just kept bring more, could have made a meal just out of
them, Dinner was even better, Desert was better yet. I get back to our room
to catch the last few innings of Cal Ripken Jr's last game, out the window we
can see the ballpark and the nearly continuous flashes of cameras and also
from some of the buildings downtown too. As a tribute the Legg Mason building had the upper floors
lighted to form the number 8 - Cal's number and then a short fireworks
show after the game and fanfare. Sunday morning,
breakfast (so-so) 4th thumbnail at the table, after breakfast the fun starts,
first an auction to benefit Cape Hatteras, first item up and inspired by the
fun Hannah Hetzler bids up the item to $50.00 - a surprise to her dad, but
she is soon outbid. After the Cape Hatteras auction, comes the big money HL
rarities auction. It was loads of fun watching the show (and a half) Then
came the opportunity drawings - more great stuff, about halfway thru the
drawing my daughter Hannah won her choice of the goodies, I went to help her
choose but after about 5 seconds she saw Diggers beautiful Cape Hatteras
painting and took it down without a second thought, As it turns out I have
given her the sense to recognize the finer things and didn't need to guide
her choice. It hangs in the living room now. After some goodbyes we
packed up the family truckster and drove 2 blocks east to end up in a drive
thru flea market, after getting thru that we headed for Concord and then
Turkey point. While waiting in line to climb Concord someone in front of us
heard Hannah telling someone behind us about the painting she just won, and
from the front of the line we heard "you must be Hannah" and then
while walking the 13 miles (seemed like it) to Turkey Point someone else
walking the other way said "hey there's Hannah" After 6 years of collecting
and going to events and reunions…. everyone remembers Hannah My compliments to
Harbour Lights and all there staff/family, it was a very well done, high
class reunion, my money was well spent and I look foreword to another reunion
if they choose to do so, Thank You Harbour
Lights and my fellow collectors for making it a great time !! To paraphrase a joke JC told on the bus - "So who's the bald guy in the picture with Hannah?" LOL |
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Bob
M Posts: 2472 |
Thanks
you for sharing that with us, Mark. You put together a wonderful
presentation. Bob |
|
tarbaby Thanks Mark, I couldn`t make it,but you made me feel like I was there. terry |
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JChidester Posts: 4443 |
Great
job of reporting Mark. Thanks for wrapping it up so well. I don't think you could
see the look on Hannah's face when she spotted Digger's painting. It was
priceless! Her eye's just went wide and you could tell everything left on the
tables now meant nothing to her if she could have that painting!
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mombo Posts: 2678 |
As Bill H. would say, Wow! That is a great account along with some truly fine photos! Even though many of us were there we each have our own memories and photos which can be quite different. Thanks for sharing yours with us Mark! |
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2beacons Posts: 186 |
Well
2beacons had made it back to the home port. 3284 miles after we left, 17
rolls of film used and a lifetime of memories made. Since Jeff and I had
never been to a reunion we didn't know what to expect, needless to say we
were overwhelmed. We can't believe the hard work that went into putting this
on by the whole Younger organization. It was a wonderful event that we
throughly enjoyed. It was great to renew
friendships that we made at the Chicago event this year and to make a bunch
of new ones. We left Baltimore in just the nick of time as far as meals were
concerned. If we were there much longer we would have gained enough weight
that we would have need larger clothes. Thanks to everyone who
put in a lot of hard work to make this reunion a memorable event for all of
those who were there. Mary and Jeff
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Mark
Wagner Posts: 623 |
A
couple more thoughts, I remembered more goodies that I forgot to put in the
pictures, reunion luggage tags, a 60" red and white lighthouse wind
sock, and the 2002 HL/Mark Sherman calendar, pictured but in the background.
And a reunion schedule and phone and e-mail directory of reunion guests. There is probably still
a few goodies that I have forgotten still Also when Hannah got
back to the table with her painting her first words were "see Momma this
is what I was telling you about" Another thought, Nancy
was on our boat trip with us, you don't think she met a ........... ah never
mind |
You mean a g...hey shouldn`t this be up in the rumor thread !? LOL |
Al
and Kathy Posts: 250 |
Thanks,
HL, for giving us a year to prepare for this reunion both for time and
financial reasons. We were finally able to work it out and thoroughly enjoyed
our first reunion. I don't even want to think about the work all of you did
to prepare for this or the work you did during the reunion. With your sense
of "family," you made each of us feel special. We just returned home
last night from our combined vacation and reunion. We went from Assateague to
Portland Head in Maine. Loved every minute. Everyone has used all the phrases
that could possibly be used to describe the reunion. Thanks again, HL. Kathy and Al |
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oseabee Posts: 598 |
What I missed most by not being able to go is the camaradery and being able to meet face to face the many people I have been meeting on the forums thus far who have been a bunch of great friends in the last few months. Bill O'Brien |
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Cana
Fan Posts: 183 |
We had
a great time at the Reunion. Met so many nice people, just sorry it went by
so fast. The only complaint I had was the music at dinner was just to loud.
Made it hard to talk to anybody. The only regrets were it was so big I didn't
get to meet that many Connected Collectors, and Derith didn't get to hold the
baby. Next time we see you for sure Derith! Mike |
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mombo Posts: 2678 |
Overall
it was a great time. Yes there were a few clitches. The music was too loud.
During one of the meals our table could hear but not understand what was
being said, speaker problem. Some of the meals were not stellar but hey, when
you are dealing with such a large amount of people it is next to impossible
to expect no problems, complaints, etc. One couple I met (non-connected) were
expessing their dislike over one of the meals but were having a "great
time". If you want haute cuisine you don't go to such a large event for
it. Anything I don't have to cook is fine by me! It was hard also to
meet every "Connected Collector". I know I missed a few but once
again given the numbers....coupled with the fact that I managed to miss the
intro portion of the Friday night coffee/scrapbook/social hour graciously
arranged for us it was in part my own fault. This is one reason why attending some of the other events is so rewarding, Collector Shows, Regionals, etc. Smaller groups make it much easier to meet and socialize with fellow Wackos! |
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Dick
Johnson Posts: 39 |
Overall
I thought that the reunion was a wonderful time. I really liked the seating
arrangements at meals, that allowed us to get to know the others at the
table, but didn't get to the uncomfortable stage meeting new people. I found
it interesting that most people were more willing to talk about themselves
and their lighthouse experiences, than about their personal HL collections.
This gave me a chance to find out more about people who collected and enjoyed
lighthouses, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Also it was nice to be
able to put faces to people. I really appreciated the large detailed forum
tags that many wore that identified the person and their personal information
more easily. Although I liked the Hooper Straight pins, I found the large
tags more informative and easier to read. Maybe HL should look at that type
of tag for the next forum. My only regret in the area of meeting people, is
that we were a little shy and didn't take the opportunity to strike up more
conversations. We will attempt to better at the next reunion. Finally I want to thank
the HL gang for putting together a truely memorable experience. I thought the
food was wonderful, the tours were great, the prizes and gifts were
overwhelming, and the personal interaction of the HL staff put the concept of
"reunion" in the whole event. They made you feel like a member of a
family. My only regret for the final day, is that I did not win the Old Point
Loma piece which, I thought was great and would have fit into our collection
perfectly. This was not only a memorable experience that will last for the
rest of our lives, but it gave us a vacation that allowed us to view 32 new
lighthouses and reenforce our love for lighthouses and the people who enjoy
them as well. Thanks to all at the reunion for a great time. Dick & Bev |
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Mark
Wagner Posts: 623 |
I got
my photo's back today and I also got them on Kodak picture CD (well worth the
money) large hi res scans Seven Foot Knoll, early morning Fireworks after Cal Ripken Jr's last game Blue boat leaning as everybody gets a picture of Sandy Point
Shoal A great Blue Herron at Assateague Island The Baltimore Waterfront Marriot from the boat tour Legg Mason building in tribute to Cal Ripken Jr's last game USS Constellation being towed out Friday morning, jumbo
picture (I forgot to reduce it) I hope you enjoy them |
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JChidester Posts: 4443 |
Excellent
images, Mark. I've added a few to the Reunion Report (Saturday) and to the
Lighthouses of the USA page (Seven Foot Knoll) |
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MrsTLC Posts: 377 |
Nice
pictures Mark...thanks for sharing them... We sure had a great time in
Baltimore... |
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Bob
M Posts: 2472 |
Thanks
for sharing the photos with us, Mark. I hope you will be posting more. Photos
at the forum are a great addition to the knowledge shared here. They
certainly are popular with the forum members. Keep up the great work! Bob |
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mombo Posts: 2678 |
Nice
shots Mark, thanks. The last one is the USS Constellation. |
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JimJohnson Posts: 468 |
I am
closing this topic at 50 posts. Look here to continue: http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum13/HTML/000158.html
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