THPRD Party in the Park 2010

Uniform:  OLD (white) T-shirt and hat, tan shorts, white shoes/socks.

Meet at 1:30 PM in the north parking lot of the Howard M. Terpenning Sports Complex, corner of 158th Ave and Walker Rd in Beaverton. This parking lot is reached by turning from 158th Avenue onto Blueridge Drive (circled in brown on the THPRD map) and then bearing to the right at the "Y". The parking lot is marked with a green star on the map of the THPRD facilities.

Parade Music: We will use these charts for our mini-parade from the north parking lot to our play location.

Standstill Music:  Here's our standstill show after we arrive at our play location.

Click map to enlarge and get a printable version

Astoria Grand Land Parade 2010

Most logistics still TBD but we are taking bus reservations for the trip NOW. Click here to see details on cost and approximate itinerary, and to reserve your seat on the coach. Travel cost is $20 per person.

Pendleton Round-Up 2010

The Pendleton-Round Up has been held during the second week of September since 1910, which means that GAL's first visit to the Round-Up will help celebrate its 100th anniversary. The event brings over 50,000 people to Pendleton each year, and I'd guess that the century crowd will be larger than ever. Our hotel is located near downtown Pendleton, with many places to visit that are all walkable. Pendleton was once a wild frontier town where anything could happen and often did. Indians, explorers, cowboys, settlers, immigrants. They all have a story to tell about their time in Pendleton. Yippee-ki-yi-yay!

SIGN-UPS ARE OPEN! We're still working through some details for the event since it's a couple months out, but the major logistics and pricing are set. Please sign up ASAP (would appreciate it no later than July 21) so that we know where we stand on bus and hotel rooms. IF YOU ARE DRIVING YOURSELF to Pendleton but want a hotel room, you can use the form to reserve your hotel room. IF YOU ARE DRIVING YOURSELF AND STAYING ON OUR OWN, you can sign up for that as well. Logistics info is below and on the signup form.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE TRIP.

Uniform:  Standard summer uniform (GAL "fishing guy" T-shirt, tan shorts, old "green swoosh" GAL hat, white socks/shoes). Since this is a "western" parade, you may want to consider decorating appropriately (bandanna or other Western look, heaven knows what else you guys will dream up). I believe Bob is looking into the possibility of inexpensive cowboy hats to outfit the band.

Music:  TBD. We are working on Desperado for the standstill.

Parade:  The Dress-Up Parade steps off at 9 AM on Saturday Sept 11and is approximately 2 miles long. The step-off is one hour earlier than the parade usually starts because of the size of the 100th anniversary parade (record number of units, largest in history). Parade staging area and route are still TBD for the same reason.

NEW PICKUP AREAS:  Since this is an overnight trip, we cannot depart from Tri-Met commuter lots (since all our cars would be ticketed/towed because of the overnight stay). We've received permission to use two alternate areas for parking and band pick-up -- many thanks! Please note that our hosts are not responsible for loss, theft or damage of your car or goods (same as when parking anywhere).

WEST SIDE PICKUP		EAST SIDE PICKUP
SW Bible Church, 14605 SW Weir Rd, Beaverton. (Directions)		Furniture Connexion, 18188 NE Wilkes Rd, Portland (Directions)
Park in the SW area/corner of large parking lot nearest to SW Weir Rd.		From I-84, exit south on 181st Ave; you'll need to U-Turn to return to Furniture Connexion entrance. Park away from building and tent, ask Tony (owner) when you arrive.
ARRIVE BY 7:30 AM; BUS DEPARTS AT 8:00 AM		ARRIVE BY 8:00 AM; BUS DEPARTS AT 8:30 AM
(click to enlarge)		(click to enlarge)

Itinerary:  There may still be adjustments to the itinerary, but here's a rough layout of the weekend.

Hotel:  Our "home away from home" is Americas Best Value Inn, 201 SW Court Ave, Pendleton. Phone (541) 276-1400. Click here for 360 degree virtual tour of the hotel room, exterior, and lobby. The hotel is located along the Umatilla River (the river walk is behind the hotel). Start your day with a fresh complimentary continental breakfast. All rooms are non-smoking and furnished with complimentary hi-speed wireless internet access, micro-fridge, coffeemakers, cable TV, hairdryer, alarm clock, iron, ironing board, complimentary local calls, and wakeup service. Finish your day with a relaxing swim in the outdoor pool. Walking distance to many attractions: Pendleton Woolen Mills 0.12 mi; Underground Tours, Center for the Arts, Chinese Railroad Museum, etc 0.25 mi; Visitor & Information Center 0.35 mi; etc.

Pricing:  Trip includes one (1) night hotel with tax and continental breakfast plus round-trip motor coach transportation. Price listed here assumes that we fill the 52-seat coach. If the coach fails to fill up, we may require an additional $5-10 per person. As always TRIP COST IS NON-REFUNDABLE.

Room Type	Full Package (Hotel + Motor Coach) Price Per Person
Single	$104
Double	$73
Triple	$64
Quad	$58
Hotel Only (No Bus)	Subtract $30 from prices listed above

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE TRIP.

Payment:  MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO TRAVEL BY TOM HIGHAM and mail to Tom at the address listed below (or click link). Please note that Tom has a new mailing address (as of July 15, 2010).

Friday Night Entertainment Option:  If you'd like, board our chartered motor coach on Friday evening for a fun time at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino (dinner on your own) which is owned and
operated by the Umatilla Confederated Tribes. Set time to return to the hotel; those desiring to stay longer can take the free shuttle back to the hotel. Departure time from hotel still TBD.

More Things to Do:

Puyallup Fair

We missed this gig in 2009 when the Fair ran short of cash, but had a great time in 2008. This year should be even better!

We know this is early planning, but the Puyallup folks need the information since they're budgeting for the event right now. Here's the way it works:

• Bus fare will be $20 per person (same for band members and family members).
• Band members will receive a $20 food voucher for use at the Fair; family members will not. (This is why Puyallup needs a travel estimate from us; they need to know how many vouchers to budget for.)

You can, of course, choose to drive on your own -- but hey, I-5 is boring, Seattle traffic is a mess, we'll be traveling late at night, and it'll be a LOT more fun to hang out on the bus with your buddies and let the driver do the work. Either way, you can choose the appropriate response below. IF YOU PLAN TO DRIVE TO PUYALLUP ON YOUR OWN, please sign up below so that can ensure that we have the right number of food vouchers.

Family Members

Family members who are working as roadies (banner, flags, water, etc) are absolutely welcome. Family members who will NOT be working are also welcome to travel on the coach with us as long it doesn't overflow us into an extra motorcoach. Just sign up below!

Approximate Itinerary

Itinerary is still squishy, but here's what we're thinking. We'll depart from Sunset Transit Center around 7:00 AM (sorry!) and make a second pickup about 7:50 AM at Salmon Creek Park & Ride. We can also make a pickup stop at the Red Lion in Kelso if needed. We'll expect to arrive in Puyallup around 10:30 AM. First performance is at 11:30 AM. We'll play 5-6 different times and locations throughout the day (including a few on-stage performances), then head for home around 7 or 7:30 PM. Expect arrival back at Sunset TC around 11 PM after dropping off people along the way.

Sign Up Form

Click here for the Puyallup sign-up form.

New Orleans Mardi Gras

First Deposit Due by June 21; see below

At the April 11 rehearsal we announced that we have been talking to one of the Krewes that stage the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. We have been invited to participate in the parade hosted by the Knights of Sparta Krewe on February 26. L'aisser les bon temps rouler!!!

High-Level Itinerary

Lodging and Ground Transportation Deposit Due by June 21

New Orleans lodging is extremely full during Mardi Gras, so we need to make room and motorcoach reservations well in advance (like right now!). Initial deposit of $160 per person is due by June 21 to hold your place. Please note that any sign-ups you did earlier were only preliminary; you MUST remit your deposit to hold your New Orleans reservation. If you did not previously send in an RSVP (e.g., because you are new to the band) but would like to make the trip, please remit your deposit using the form below -- I believe Tom is still able to accommodate a few newcomers up to the June 21 deadline.

IMPORTANT: History has shown that we often have a few people who sit on the fence until the last minute before making a decision on whether to participate in a road trip. Please be aware we will likely NOT be able to accommodate latecomers this time since there is NO guarantee that we will be able to obtain ANY additional rooms once we start locking them down. In the past, Tom has been able to finagle one or two extra rooms for latecomers but we doubt that will work for the New Orleans trip since almost all the hotels book up early. If you want to make the trip, make sure you remit your deposit to reserve a place!

See below for information on Pricing.

Mardi Gras Parades

If you're not very familiar with Mardi Gras, you may not be aware that it doesn't consist of one parade. In fact, it consists of MANY parades (about 30) that take place over the course of two weekends through different parts of the city, sometimes with parades rolling back-to-back down the same parade route. The second weekend (the one right before Mardi Gras, which is a Tuesday) is when the truly gigantic influx of tourists happens; the first weekend is a bit quieter, with fewer tourists but still lots of participations by the locals. We are looking at a parade on the first weekend.

Each parade is organized by a Krewe, which is a combination of a social club and civic organization, and the Krewe owns pretty much everything about their parade. The head honcho for each Krewe is called its Captain.

We have been invited to Mardi Gras by the Captain of the Krewe of the Knights of Sparta. Sparta is an all-male organization (Krewes can be all-male, all-female, or mixed gender), so all of their floats are staffed by men -- but both guys and girls are welcome in the bands (whew!). Sparta has been around since 1951, so it's got quite a bit of history! Information I've seen online indicates that the Sparta parade is well-respected, and in fact is pointed to as the premier parade of the first weekend and the parade the opens the St. Charles parade route (which runs along St. Charles, through the heart of downtown, up and down Canal Street, and ends near the Convention Center. The total route is close to 4 miles; the good news is that it's flat. Click here for route map and info on the 2011 parade. This is an evening parade, stepping off at 6 PM on Saturday evening.

Besides being the first parade down the St. Charles route, Sparta is also the first parade of the season with flambeaux. "Big deal", I hear you say, "we've seen that in San Antonio". Au contraire, mes amis (see how I'm slipping into French already?). We're not talkin' Boy Scouts with lighted sticks. These are thirty-pound iron torches gravity-fed by kerosene, wielded by (almost always) strong black men who dance and party their way down the route. To quote my friend Bob Pulido: "Yikes!"

As another nice piece of news, the Mardi Gras parades actually pay their bands a nice stipend. Probably not enough to make much a difference in cost of the trip, but it'll help keep the band running.

The Sparta captain suggested that we can consider doing a second parade while we're in town, both as a way to get the "full NoLa experience" and to raise some extra cash. The parade we briefly discussed is run by the Krewe of Carrollton. This is the third oldest parading Krewe in the city and the parade runs along pretty much the same route. It would run the next day (Sunday) starting at 11 AM -- the idea would be to have both a night parade and a day parade. PLEASE NOTE that this would be 4-mile parades on back to back days. We discussed this in the April 11 rehearsal and almost everyone said they're up for it ... but we're still holding this under advisement. We're strongly leaning toward pursuing a standstill opportunity for Sunday (e.g., around Jackson Square or over at the French Market) as an alternative.

Click here for the full 2011 parade schedule, photos from the 2010 parades, and much much more. Another good site with Mardi Gras tips, information on the Krewes, parade throws, FAQs, and traditions can be found here.

Weather

New Orleans weather in the month of February is quite reasonable -- average high for these dates is 68 degrees, average low 49 degrees. Could be damp; average precipitation is 0.17 in. On the whole, this should be MUCH more pleasant than the hot, humid Gasparilla parade in Tampa (that one hurt!).

Hotel

We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn French Quarter/CBD (Central Business District), 821 Gravier Street. This hotel is not in the heart of the noisy French Quarter, but close enough for folks to walk to all the great events, sights and restaurants in the area. It is near the bus line and streetcar, and we have included a 5-day transit pass in the package.

Hotel's rooftop swimming pool	Hotel location

Air Travel

Air transportation will be to and from New Orleans airport. Because of the number of travelers, we will be using multiple flights on multiple different airlines. Pricing below includes current airfare. Tom is hopeful that if he watches airfare closely, he may be able to swoop in later this year and get a still better deal for us. We will probably have to ticket our plane flights when that occurs; at that time, we'll come back to you for additional deposit money to reserve your air flights.

Price of the Trip

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE ***

Full Package includes:

• Round Trip Airfare Portland/New Orleans
  
• Airport/Hotel round trip motor coach transportation via Hotard Coaches
  
• Hotel to parade event/stand still concert and return for February 26 & 27 via Hotard Coaches
  
• Hilton Garden Inn/French Quarter/CBD - 4 Nights with tax
  
• New Orleans Regional Transit Authority 5-Day Visitour Pass for streetcars & bus

Travelers making their own air reservations (including travelers who are not flying out of PDX) will reserve the Hotel+Ground Package.
The Hotel+Ground Package includes:

• Airport/Hotel round trip motor coach transportation via Hotard Coaches
  
• Hotel to parade event/stand still concert and return for February 26 & 27 via Hotard Coaches
  
• Hilton Garden Inn/French Quarter/CBD - 4 Nights with tax
  
• New Orleans Regional Transit Authority 5-Day Visitour Pass for streetcars & bus

Useful Links

New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau

Antoine's Restaurant - a real class act since the 1800's

Brennan's Restaurant - Breakfast at Brennan's is a scrumptious dining experience not to be missed (but bring your wallet!)

Preservation Hall Jazz Band - the rattiest music hall (and best traditional music) in New Orleans

Other Trips in 2011

Some folks ask the (entirely reasonable) question "What other major trips are we planning in 2011?" Answer: We currently do not have any other 2011 trips that we are working on, and if this trip comes together we will NOT plan any other major trips. (It's always possible that we could accept something late in 2011 if it fell in our laps and was truly wonderful, but we are trying to be mindful of the state of people's finances.)

Tom Higham Contact Info