REUNION??????
WHY NOT BOTH?
VACATION?????
The 2009 USS
Shelton, DD790 reunion should be a fun-packed affair with lots of activities to
attend. The reunion starts, Thursday
Sept. 10, and runs until Sunday, Sept. 13, but people are welcome to come early
and/or stay later.
We will be
staying at the Best Western Rio Grande Inn at 1015 Rio
Grande Inn NW,
Albuquerque, NM, 87104. The phone number is 505-217-1630 but reservations may call 1-800-959-4726. Rooms will
be $88/ night plus tax for one to four adults.
The location was chosen, because the hotel is right next to Old
Town and in a strategic
location. The hotel has a free shuttle
service to and from the airport. Please
make your own room reservations. Many of
us will be staying at the hotel Wednesday evening and we can eat out together
if you are there.
Thursday is
registration day. Someone will in the
hospitality room all day once we are open.
We will try and open at 10AM
if the room is available by then. You
can spend the day shooting the breeze and eating snacks and drinking beer,
water, or soda. Or, if you are inclined,
you can sightsee and places in Albuquerque
that we haven’t placed on the agenda.
Anchors Away, 6PM Thursday
For the first
time we have a planned activity for Thursday evening. We will be eating at the Church Street Café
in Old Town
at 6PM. It will be an American-Mexican buffet and at 7:30 we will be met at the restaurant for a
Ghost Tour of Old Town. The total cost
for the buffet and tour will be $35. And
the café has promised to have some mild chili.
We will then take
a gentle walking tour that will include handicap facilities and last about one
and a half hours.
Legend, folklore
and history come to life as we embark on an intriguing excursion through 300
years of haunted history. Old
Town was founded in 1706, and for
over three centuries people have lived and died around the Old
Town Plaza. The historic buildings and dark alleys
conceal the long-forgotten secrets of battles, murders, hangings, and hidden
cemeteries. Our professional guide will
escort you on a 90-minute, lantern-lit adventure. We will search for the lost souls of early residents,
Civil War phantoms, wandering apparitions and over one dozen ghosts who have
made Old Town
their eternal home. Come with an open
mind and bring your digital camera.
Jemez Mountain Trail-Los Alamos
Friday morning we board a deluxe coach
at 8:30AM
for a ride along one of Southwest’s most spectacular routes—the Jemez Mountain
Trail, declared a National Scenic and Historic Byway in 1998. The first stop will be the Walatowa
Visitors Center
at Jemez Pueblo, one of the 19 Native American Pueblos of New Mexico, situated
against the deep red rocks of the Jemez
Mountains. The Center provides visitor info about the Pueblo
and displays a selection of arts and crafts created by Jemez artisans.
We then continue
along the Jemez River
as it cuts through canyons whose colors change dramatically from brown to
brilliant red and orange. Climbing east
out of Jemez Canyon
we enter Valle Grande and the Valles
Caldera National Preserve. Situated
at 8,500 feet above sea level this is one of the largest volcanic craters in
the world. Although 14 miles across,
only part of the caldera can be seen because the view is obscured by the great
dome of Redondo Peak,
all that remains of a volcano. There
will be a stop at the scenic overlook before proceeding to Los
Alamos.
We arrive in Los
Alamos, selected by the Fed. Govt. in 1942 as the site of the top
secret Manhattan Project, to visit the Bradbury Science Museum. At
the museum one learns how scientists are using the latest technologies to deal
with the complex challenges of today’s world, including issues of national
security, energy, transportation, and commercial applications of military
technology. There are science
demonstrations, a laser we can play with, and exhibits on DNA fingerprinting.
Travel north to
the historic village of Chimayo, which dates from the 17th
century. Its most famous landmark is a
venerable religious shrine, the Santuario de Chimayo. Don Bernardo de Abeyta erected this beautiful
adobe chapel with twin bell towers in 1816 over sand that is said to have
miraculous healing qualities. The
weavers of Chimayo have produced the colorful and decorative Rio
Grande textiles for centuries. We will visit Ortega’s workshop and see the
weavers at work. Enjoy lunch at the landmark Rancho de Chimayo
restaurant.
The total cost
for this tour is $74.00 This includes bus, tour guide, Walatowa
Visitors Center, Bradbury Science Museum, lunch, bottled water on coach, driver
gratuity, and all taxes. We get back
about 5:30PM.
Friday Evening We Relax in Hospitality Room
You are free to
eat on your own Friday evening. Some of
us might eat at the Melting Pot or Antiquity, but we will all end up later in
the hospitality room for relaxation. Of
course people can also go out on the town.
Saturday, A Shorter Trip on the Bus
We board the bus
at 9AM and head to the New Mexico Veteran’s Memorial. The Veteran’s Memorial, amphitheater, and
newly opened museum evoke memories for all veterans—from the moment of their
decision to serve until their return home.
Honor those who help protect our nation amidst the inspiring beauty of Mexico. You have a private tour of the facility with
their docents.
From the memorial
we take a driving tour of the Duke City,
including Route 66 landmarks, from the historic Nob
Hill business district to downtown and more.
Your guide will tell you stories of old Albuquerque
and point out the sites and neighborhoods that are part of the history and
local color of this region.
Continue to Old
Town and a brief walking tour of
the historic Plaza area. Old
Town, the original center of Albuquerque,
includes San Felipe de Neri church and many historic
buildings that form an architectural record of this city’s
unique past. There will be time to have
lunch on your own and explore hidden courtyards and stroll under covered
portals and shops. The tour will end
about
2PM or shortly afterwards.
This gives you plenty of time to revive before the Saturday night
banquet. This tour costs $38.00
Banquet is Saturday Night
We haven’t set a
time yet with the hotel, but it should be about 6:30PM. The menu will be Filet Tournedos of Beef which includes Seasonal Mixed Greens with
Ranch and Italian Dressings, Tender Black Angus Filets served with a Bordelaise
Sauce, Sautéed Vegetables, Potatoes au Gratin, Dinner Rolls, Coffee, Iced Tea,
and Chef’s choice of dessert. For those
who notify me, we will switch the beef with Stuffed Flounder. I believe
it will be stuffed with crab. The cost
of the banquet is $32 and that includes
the gratuity and taxes.
We have business
and plenty of stories. The banquets
always turn out to be a highlight of the reunions.
The Magic Number is Thirty
Last year at Milwaukee
we had 21 people for the tours and 25 at the banquet. Because we did not have 30 people stay in the
hotel, we had to pay for the hospitality room.
We had to cancel a room held for us for the Friday night dinner at a
seafood restaurant.
The 25 of us had
a blast. We really enjoyed the submarine
museum in Manitowoc, Miller
Brewery, Pabst Mansion,
Harley-Davidson, and a Milwaukee River
excursion. It took its toll on me. If we cannot get thirty people to attend,
then maybe we should not try and have reunions every year. I think they are fun, but they are not easy
to plan. Maybe last year was
unusual. We had a lot of sickness, and
other sadness. And for those of you who
attend regularly, you have a right to miss a reunion. For those of you, who have not attended a
reunion, you should try one. They are
special, and there has been a lot of planning into this one.
Maryland is Site for
2010.
The shipmates voted to hold the 2010 reunion
in Maryland. The original plans are for a tour of both Annapolis
and the Pentagon. We will probably add a
day to this reunion.
The following
year, 2011, is scheduled for the Pacific Time Zone. Bring your suggestions, and consider the
possibility that I might need a replacement.
Dick
Petrowich
2009 dues of $10.00 are
now payable to: USS Shelton Dues, send to: Dick Petrowich, 308 S. Jackson, New Athens, IL 62264.
USS SHELTON REUNION
SEPTEMBER, 10-13, 2009
RESERVATIONS FORM
Please send to:
DICK PETROWICH
308 S. JACKSON
NEW ATHENS,
IL 62264
Phone: 618-475-3248
No. Total Cost
Registration fee
$15.00/ person
Dues (if not
already paid) $10.00/ sailor
Thursday evening
tour & dinner $35.00/ person
Friday tour $74.00/
person
Includes
bus, tour guide, Walatowa Visitors
Center, Bradbury Science Museum,
lunch
bottled
water on coach, driver gratuity & all taxes
Saturday, short
trip on bus $38.00
Includes
bus, tour guide, & New Mexico
Veteran’s
Memorial
Saturday evening
Banquet $32.00/ person
(includes tax and
service charge)
Please choose entrée and how many of each
Filet
tournedos of Beef (Tender Black Angus
Filets
served with Bordelaise Sauce)
or
Stuffed
Flounder (I believe it will be stuffed
with crab)
Both served with
Seasoned Mixed Greens with Ranch and Italian
Dressings, Sautéed Vegetables,
Potatoes Au Gratin, Dinner Rolls, Coffee, Iced
Tea and Chef’s choice of dessert
Grand total (tours and meals) $
* Sunday, Sept. 14
will be planned on Friday, Sept. 12, with those who can stay over.
* You might want to
make a copy of this to keep for yourself.
* * Remember to
make your hotel reservations with the Best Western Rio Grande Inn
Hotel phone # is 1-505-217-1630, but
reservations may call 1-800-959-4726. $88.00/ night for
one to four adults.