West Point Class of 1962 Mini-Reunion
September 10 – 13, 2009
Monterey, California
Activities and Pricing
ALL REGISTRATION AND ACTIVITY COSTS MUST BE PAID WHEN YOU SIGN UP. CANCELLATIONS MAY BE REFUNDED IF ALL COSTS ARE COVERED FOR THE ACTIVITY AFFECTED.
Thursday, Sept 10, 2009
1200 Registration Opens: A fee for the reunion, based on overhead and certain included activities described below: Cost: $300.00 per person.
1700 – 2000 Opening Reception. The reception will be held in the Monterey Marriott’s top floor Ferrante’s Bayview Room, with Full glass walls overlooking Monterey Bay and the City of Monterey. The reception will feature its heavy hors d’oeuvres and there will be a no-host bar available. Cost: Included in the Registration fee, plus whatever you drink.
Friday, Sept 11, 2009 (0630 Registration re-opens)
0630 – 0930 Continental Breakfast. Breakfast will be served in the mezzanine level San Carlos Room. The early start is based on early tee times for the golfers, but the rest of us can sleep in a bit. Cost: Included in Registration fee.
0700 - 0745 Golf: Friday’s golf will be at the lovely Laguna Seca Golf Course, in the hills between Monterey and Salinas, about 15 minutes from the hotel by car. We have early tee times arranged for 14 golfers starting at 0700 in case some golfers want to try to attend an afternoon event. The 18-hole "Laguna Seca" course at the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch facility in Monterey, California features 6,157 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. The course rating is 70.7 and it has a slope rating of 127 on Rye grass. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, ASGCA/Robert Trent Jones, Jr., ASGCA, the Laguna Seca Golf Course opened in 1970. Cost includes a cart. Transportation is on your own by car pool or whatever we can work out. Cost: $74.00 per golfer.
0900 – App. 1200 Kayaking on the Bay. This trip will explore the wonders of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary by sea! We will load into an ocean kayak that is safe and fun for people of all levels of experience. The day will start off with our being fitted for the necessary gear, paddling instruction and an orientation about marine wildlife. We will be in individual kayaks, unless you request to be in a double-seated kayak. Suggested Attire: Dress in layers to adjust for the weather (fleece, quick drying nylons, etc.). Avoid baggy sleeves, bulky jackets and sweats. Wear sneakers for sand or mud, hat for warmth, shade or rain, sunscreen, sunglasses, eyewear holders, change of clothing in case you get damp or muddy.
Cost: $79.00 per person.
0900 – App. 1230 Monterey Bay Aquarium visit. The marvels of our ocean planet come to life at the world-acclaimed Monterey Bay Aquarium. This trip goes inside the hidden world of Monterey Bay, a place of ever changing beauty at the heart of the largest marine sanctuary. We will have the opportunity to visit more than a hundred galleries and exhibits, which re-create the bay’s many habitats, from shallow tide pools to the vast open ocean. Other exhibits include a million-gallon indoor ocean viewed through the largest window on Earth, a towering three-story kelp forest, jewel-box exhibits that reveal the delicate beauty of smaller sea creatures and many more. Cost includes bus transportation to the Aquarium. We are scheduling an early return bus from the aquarium that will allow individuals to make the Peninsula tour at 1230 from the hotel. Others may want to eat lunch at the Aquarium or catch the later bus. Cost: $49.00 per person.
1200 – 1700 Tennis Tournament. While on a cruise, Gus Fishburne noted a lot of classmate interest in having a Tennis Tournament during the Monterey mini. If you want to participate in such an event (notwithstanding all the other wonderful things to do) please indicate so on the Registration Form, and we will try to put one together. If it works, those who want to participate will be contacted with the price after a facility is secured.
1230 – App. 1600 Monterey Peninsula Tour. “Full Circle Tour” We depart the hotel and begin this special tour that encompasses the entire Monterey Peninsula, which includes Carmel-by-The-Sea. Passing through the street that was made famous by John Steinbeck guests will learn more about Cannery Row and how it has evolved into one of the greatest locations for guests to visit on the Peninsula. As the coach passes the Monterey Bay Aquarium and enters the city of Pacific Grove, The Last Home Town, the Pacific Ocean will be on the right and Victorian homes on your left. This town was founded as a Methodist summer retreat location. Our guide has wonderful stories about the history of the area and will share them with your guests. The world famous 17 Mile Drive is next and it winds along the Peninsula’s dramatic coastline, through scenic Del Monte Forest, and past beautiful mansions and world-class golf courses. Stops are made at the Lone Cypress Tree, Bird and Seal rock and The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a jacket. A camera is a must! Cost: $63.00 per person, including lunch.
1700 Beach Party – LUAU. Monterey Beach Party, Inc., throws a real Hawaiian LUAU on Monterey Bay. In addition to food and drink, we’ll have a DJ with golden oldies, and Frank Caufield has promised his 58-foot yacht will be nearby for “visits”. It will be a really memorable evening, with leis and sunglasses for all, as well as a roaring good time to be had by all.
Cost: Included in Registration fee
Saturday, Sept 12, 2009
0630 – 0930 Continental Breakfast. As for Friday, at the Marriott’s San Carlos Room, with an early start for the golfers. Cost: Included in Registration fee.
0800 or earlier Golf. Today we are at the Old Del Monte Course, part of the Pebble
Beach Company’s group of courses, located in Monterey. This is the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi that has remained in continuous operation, and is the host course for the California State Amateur and the Pebble Beach Invitational. The course is part of a resort complex with excellent facilities. The semi-hilly terrain, with its tree-lined fairways and small, moderately undulating greens, provide for an excellent round of golf. Water does not come into play, but there are sixty-eight bunkers placed throughout the course. Two of the par 3's have the reputation of being the most difficult holes to play on the course. The signature hole is #18, a short par 4, with a strategically placed green that slopes from front to back. Cost includes golf cart. Transportation is on your own, by car pool or whatever we can work out. Cost: $95.00 per golfer.
0900 - App. 1200 Whale Watching. The California Coast offers a unique opportunity to observe whales and other wildlife close to shore all year round. We will experience the coast and the wildlife up close and personal. We board an exclusive chartered seventy-five foot boat that will take us out to the Monterey Bay to experience the a variety of whales. The boat stops 100 yards from the whales, allowing the whales to approach the boat and give us a close look at them. Humpback Whales and Blue Whales should be present as they make their way out of the Bay. We will also experience a chance to look at large pods of various types of dolphins and porpoises. These whales tend to become as curious about humans as we are about them and will frequently approach the boats, giving your guests the ultimate whale watching experience. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a jacket. A camera is a must! Cost: $38.00 per person.
0900 – App. 1200 Point Lobos State Reserve. Located three miles south of Carmel, the Point Lobos State Reserve has been called “the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world.” The crown jewel of California’s state parks system, Point Lobos offers scenic trails spread throughout 500-plus acres and a protected underwater park popular for scuba divers. We will enjoy a leisurely hike along its easy moderate coastal loops, which will include breathtaking views of Carmel Bay, Pebble Beach, and south to Big Sur. A professional guide will take guests through the highlights of the park. One guide will be assigned to every ten hikers so that everyone can get an intimate and in depth tour of this special state reserve. Cost: $48.00 per person.
1230 – App. 1630 Wine Tasting. We will experience one of the leading wine producing regions in the world, Monterey County. Monterey County grapes, state-of-the-art equipment and experienced Winemakers result in world-class wines. The day will begin at Chateau Julien Wine Estate located on 16 acres at the foot of the majestic Carmel Valley Mountains. Chateau Julien Wine Estate was started in 1982 and was built to create an old world atmosphere, which exudes warmth and hospitality. We will have the opportunity to taste a variety of their wines. Next, the group will head to Heller Estates, located in the in Carmel Valley. We will tour and do a tasting which is a truly rewarding experience. Not only will we enjoy the award winning tastes of this Estate, but they will also learn about the winemaking process from key players at the winery. A stroll through the exquisite sculpture gardens will complete the visit. The final stop of the day will be at Joullian Vineyards Tasting Room in Carmel Valley. This trip includes lunch.
Cost: $85.00 per person.
1300 – App. 1630 Shop Carmel Nestled in the lush forest and flowering gardens of Carmel-By-The-Sea, just blocks (uphill) from the Pacific Ocean, is Carmel Plaza. We will begin the tour at this Carmel Plaza, where plenty of shopping is available. The plaza includes stores such as Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Banana Republic and Talbotts. Some of the country’s most prestigious hotels, world-class shops and spectacularly beautiful vistas of land and sea are found in Carmel. We will have the opportunity to explore the city which has first class shopping and dining. We could stroll down to Carmel beach, for more truly exquisite views. (A word of warning – Carmel’s famous Ocean Avenue, lined with shops and boutiques, runs downhill to the beach, but then you have to come back uphill to get the bus.) The area includes many quaint restaurants where we might enjoy lunch on our own. Once the day is over and everyone’s shopping bags are full, we will gather back at the Plaza where the shuttle will return us to the hotel. Cost: $9.00 per person (not including shopping costs, of course).
1730 Cocktail Briefing. At the Monterey Marriott, special representatives of the Naval Postgraduate School will present the history of the Monterey Peninsula from a military perspective, and describe what may be happening in the future to the area. This will be a good opportunity to gather for the informal events of the evening. Cost: Included in the Registration fee with a no-host bar available.
Saturday Evening. At many previous reunions, we have heard that individuals would like some time “just to get together with roommates, company mates or any other –mates, so we decided to put time aside just for such an opportunity. The evening is free for Small Group Encounters for Dinner (by Company?). If the weather is as nice as our Septembers usually are, Frank Caufield will make his yacht available for an evening cruise. The hotel and reunion staff will have all kinds of ideas, and our hotel is only minutes by foot to Fisherman’s Wharf and other fine Monterey restaurants. This will be an ideal place to meet with whichever group you intend to spend Saturday evening. Cost: Your choice.
Sunday, Sept 13, 2009
0630 – 1100 Getaway Brunch. Once again in Ferrante’s Bayview of the Monterey Marriott, this will be a full brunch to keep us going for the day. The early start is because many flights from Monterey are early in the morning. Cost: $15.00 per person.
We look forward to seeing you all for a wonderful experience to determine just exactly why “Life’s a Beach in Monterey!!”
Please respond early, so we can make sure everyone can be accommodated.