Grand Canyon Rally, Moab Trip

[Curt]

Copied and pasted...hope you can read this...

See below letter from Birds of a Feather (BOF) Grand Canyon letter.

The letter is pretty much the same as the original letter. The payment dates
have changed. Near the end of page two (paragraph OCT 2nd, Sunday) is a short
note about a Moab, UT trip.

John Mace is the RV Site, Train Ride, and Finance guy for the Grand Canyon
rally. About March 1 John will send us the initial cost, when it's due and his
mailing address. I thank John for handling the tasks.

The campground has a pet resort with space for 28 dogs and if they're not too
big, you can put them in the same room. Cost $22 for the first and $15 for the
second in the same room. Make your own arrangements at the campground.

After many folks requested it; we have added a side trip to the Moab, Utah area.
During the next few weeks we will be working out those details. A large group of
the Grand Canyon Rally attendants have already decided on going. Details of this
fun side trip will follow later....and is totally optional.

There is no need to reply to this email/letter if you have already made us aware
of your Grand Canyon and Moab attendance. Otherwise, hit your reply button and
let us know your wish(s).


The Letter
Greetings Fellow Birders,
After the past October Albuquerque Balloon Rally, the group that put that on had
such a overwhelming positive response that many of the attendees asked us WHERE
WE WERE GOING NEXT? It was such a great group of people, many of whom have
become good friends, that the organizers met, discussed and decided to come up
with a new Bluebird RV Group! With that said, a name for this New Group was
selected. So we introduce:

"BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
and an upcoming Rally :
BIRDS OF A FEATHER - GRAND CANYON 2011
Which is just an excuse for us to... Flock Together

Date: Sept 26th to October 2nd, 2011 Put this on your calendar now.
Location: The Grand Canyon....actually in Williams, Arizona at the Grand Canyon
Railway RV Park, 601 W. Franklin Ave.
http://www.thetrain.com/grand-canyon-rai...-5738.html
Who: This will be open to any Bluebird Coach, and also any friends of theirs who
may want to come along.
Shortened Agenda:
- Take a train ride to the rim of the Grand Canyon.
- See and do lots of fun things while in the historic town of Williams.
- Drive your own vehicle (or ride with another birder) into the Grand Canyon.
- We will have several group dinner parties and a group breakfast with lots of
visiting time and tech time to talk about Birds. All while staying at a very
nice RV Park that is in town.
Early Bookkeeping details:
ASAP: Email Curt at: curtsprenger@... to let us know if you would like to
attend. We have
reserved 40 RV sites and anticipate filling all the spots. It will be first
come, first served.
THEN: You will receive a followup email with details on where to send your
payment and how much you need to pay to reserve your site at the RV Park and
details to reserve your seats on the Train. The RV Park group rate will be
approx $42.64 per coach per night and after August 1st will be non refundable.
The Train Ride to the Grand Canyon is approx $71 per person for a roundtrip
ticket. These prices may vary slightly pending the total number in our group and
local taxes.
By April 1st: We need half your money for the RV park and the Train Ride. To get
a group RV area and train seats reserved we have to pay in advance as a group.
To avoid the hassleʼs of dealing with cancellations which will affect our
pricing, a cutoff date of August 1st for refunds is set. You may sell your spot
and train tickets to another Bluebird Owner after that time, but it will be up
to you to arrange this.
By July 1st: We need the other half of your money.
August 1st: Last day to get a refund if you need to cancel
The Weather in this part of Arizona is very nice this time of year. Minimum
night temps in the high 40ʼs. Usual daytime temps 65-80, with lots of
sunshine. There are lots of interesting places nearby if you want to add some
side trips to your adventure. Places like a Meteor Crater near Flagstaff and
Sycamore Canyon which is like a mini Grand Canyon are just a few of the fun
places nearby to see. We will list lots of other places you might want to check
out in a later email.

Trip Details:
Sept 26th, Monday: Arrive at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, which has 50amp
sites, wifi, cable
and is all paved. There is a pool, hot tub, restaurant with an all day buffet
and a PUB. So get parked,
relax and later we will have a "Birds of a Feather" Welcome Party. We will be
camped in the historic town
of Williams which at one time was a huge mining town. It later became "The
Gateway to the Grand
Canyon" since most tourists to the Grand Canyon in the early days rode a special
train from Williams to
the rim of the canyon.
Sept 27th, Tuesday: Pancake potluck breakfast. More relaxing and visiting time
and trips into Williams to
see the sites of this historic town and for the gals, time to do some
"shopping." Evening get together.
Sept 28th, Wednesday: Train ride to the rim of the Grand Canyon. Pack your own
lunch and drinks for
the train ride. We will leave from the train station which is part of the RV
Park in the morning. We will all
be together in our own train car. The trip will be a nostalgic experience in
itself! The train ride first opened
in 1901 and still uses some of the original engines and cars. We will be
entertained on the train ride by
cowboyʼs, minstrelʼs and possibly a wild and crazy hostess. After
arriving at the rim of the Grand Canyon most will take a Bus ride along the
canyon edge to see the sights. PS Donʼt be late for the train ride back....
Sept 29th, Thursday: Relax and chill out day. Group potluck dinner and
Wine/Margarita Party. Private
helicopter rides from the RV park over the GC are a possibility for those brave
at heart. Also group plane
rides would be an awesome experience. Let Curt know if you want to do this, so
arrangements can be
made.
Sept 30th, Friday: Leave early in your own vehicle for a trip down into the
Grand Canyon. We will drive
about 75 miles to an Indian Reservation where we will pay and be directed to the
road which we take all
the way down to the River. This is a legal entry point maintained by a local
Indian Tribe. While 4 Wheel
drive is not required, higher than normal clearance vehicles are recommended.
Cost is $16 per person to
enter. Pack your own food, drinks and camera as we intend to have lunch on the
banks of the Colorado
River. If we have time on the way back, we might stop at the GC Caverns which
has tours into caves near
the Grand Canyon.
Oct 1st, Saturday: Relax and chill out day again. Lots of possibilities for fun
things to do during the day.
Evening get together with possibly a slide show of the weeks events.
Oct 2nd, Sunday: Some will be heading home, others heading off to visit more
points of interest while on
their own Bluebird road trip. But MANY of you are joining us on a road trip to
the Moab, Utah area,
home of Canyonlands Natʼl Park, Arches N.P., Natural Bridges N.P. and lots
of other cool sites.
Details of where we will be staying and some of our activities will follow. This
part of the Rally will
have a looser agenda, which again, we will let you know.

Weʼre hoping you had fun while we "Flocked Together", drive safe and
we hope to see you at our next rally!

Birds of a Feather Organizers: please feel free to contact any of us for further
info....
Fred H. - fhulse@... 928-231-1132 cell
John M. – jmace@... 405-205-0377 cell
Rick A. - gardendoc@... 817-929-3443 cell
Curt S. - curtsprenger@... 714-269-6187 cell