Event Information for Band MembersClick the event name for information on staging time and location, uniform of the day, maps, etc. Events
that have already passed or for which
we do not yet have staging info
are not listed here.
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Date | Event |
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March 17, 2024/td> | |
May 24-26, 2024 | |
Long-Term Travel Plans | |
Click event names to jump
to info for that event. |
Northeast Portland is throwing its 35th annual St Patrick's Day Parade (read the story of this quirky event here). It's a small but growing parade, we've enjoyed it, and they REALLY want us back. Besides, it's a good chance to practice our marching and warm up for the summer season.
Uniform: DRESS uniform: TBGO polo shirt, TBGO hat, black pants/belt, black socks, black shoes. You may augment or substitute appropriate St Patrick's headgear for the TBGO hat. The weather is likely to be unpredictable. Rainy? Warm? Cool? Who knows! It makes choosing the correct jacket tricky, so ... you can choose! Any of these is fine:
NOTE: If you wear a jacket, please wear your shirt TUCKED-IN.
Additional garb and decorations: This is a St Patrick's Day parade, so please do add green and shamrocks. You may augment or substitute appropriate St Patrick's headgear for the TBGO hat. Please don't alter other parts of the uniform (no kilts, bagpipes, sporrans, leprechaun shoes, etc).
Meet: At Noon at Beverly Cleary School, NE 33rd Ave and NE Hancock St. (See map; click here for printable PDF). (Click here for Google map and directions.) We will stage in the blacktop area behind the school.
Parking: Parking is primarily on-street and not difficult; see map for options. the CVS Pharmacy has often okayed the use of their parking lot. (Wouldn't hurt to throw them a little business ...)
Parade Route: Parade steps off at 1 PM heading west on Hancock St, turns north on 17th Ave, then returns to the school on Tillamook St. Parade route is about 1.6 mi long. Expect parts of the route to be narrow (kinda like Multnomah Village).
Parade Music:
Our first road trip of 2024 comes up sooner than you think! In May we'll be off to New Westminster, BC (suburb of Vancouver) for the Hyack Festival. The Festival has been a community event for over 50 years and they are delighted we're coming. We are already signed up for the 1.5 mile parade and a post-parade standstill.
This is a motor coach trip departing Fri May 24 and returning Sun May 26 (2 night stay). Our hotel is the lovely Element Hotel in Burnaby, BC. There's a group dinner at Trattoria Italian Kitchen on Fri evening (included); rest of day is free.
Saturday is parade day. After breakfast at the hotel (included), we leave at 9:15 am. Parade steps off at 11. We have a post-parade standstill in the park, then back to our hotel early afternoon. In mid-afternoon we've added a motor coach tour of Vancouver sights; afterward stay downtown for dinner if you like or ride back to the hotel and have dinner nearby.
Sunday is breakfast at the hotel (included) and departure for home at 9am. Should be back home around 5:45 pm.
As always, you can choose to make your own travel arrangements and join up with the band at performances.
Click any photo for larger version
Our hotel is the Element Vancouver Metrotown, 4535 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 0E5, Canada (map). The sleeping rooms are all studios with either a King bed for 1 or 2 people or studio with 2-queen beds for 2 – 4 people. All rooms have refrigerators and kitchenettes in the room. Full fitness room, indoor pool, jacuzzi and sauna on the 5th floor. Breakfast is included, and Tom has ordered a different breakfast for each morning.
For additional cost, there are a limited number of larger 1-bedroom units with King bed along with a full kitchen, living room, and balcony for 1 or 2 people.
We depart from Lyft Fitness Gym in Gresham for Canada via motor coach at 7:45 am (see Departure Day Details for map and directions). After breakfast and lunch stops, we arrive at the Element Hotel in Burnaby, BC around 4:40 pm. Click here for detailed travel timing.
At 5:30 it's time to enjoy a group dinner at Trattoria Italian Kitchen (included) just beyond our hotel entrance.
The rest of the evening is free to enjoy the area. There are 3 shopping malls within 1 – 2 blocks of our hotel. Enjoy one of the 3 Tim Horton Donuts near and around the Metropolis Mall about 2 blocks away. Or jump on the SkyTrain (just a 3½ block walk from our hotel) and for the 15 minute ride into downtown Vancouver on your own.
Parade day!!! Breakfast at our hotel on the 5th floor from 630 am – 900 am
The parade and festival take place in nearby New Westminster. We depart our hotel for the 18-minute drive at 915 am and arrive at the staging area near Moody Park at the intersection of 8th Avenue & 8th Street. The parade steps off at 1100 am with a simple parade route of just over 1½ miles ending at/near Queens Park where our motor coaches will be waiting for us. Final parade route TBA in early April by the Hyack Festival. TBGO will be towards the front of the parade -- yay!!!
Following the parade our coaches will take us a few short blocks to Tipperary Park. This is where the rest of the "Festival in the Park" takes place and is the location of our standstill. Standstill details still TBD.
We head back to our hotel in Burnaby after the standstill. But wait!!! There's more!!! We are now confirmed for a motorcoach sightseeing tour of Vancouver with a professional step-on guide for each motorcoach. This will be a (3) hour tour departing the hotel around 2:45 or 3:00 pm that takes in the City Center, Canada Place (cruise ship terminal), Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park, Prospect Point, Brockton Point Totem Poles, Granville Island Public Market, and finishes with a visit to Queen Elizabeth Park.
Those who would like to stay in the city and have dinner can come back to our hotel via SkyTrain or Uber/taxi, and those who prefer to come back to our hotel after completion of the tour can do so.
Full breakfast at hotel.
Depart for home on our motor coaches at 9 am. We arrive at the border around 10am. Lunch is at the Alderwood Mall in Lynwood, WA (12:15 to 1:15 pm). There's a 45 minute rest stop in Napavine, and we arrive back in Gresham at 5:45 pm.
It is in TBGO's best interests to field a large, balanced band at major events. The Board also believes that being able to participate in major events is an important positive part of the "TBGO experience". To enable us to field a large band and reduce the total cost of travel for band associates to more affordable levels, the band will partially subsidize travel costs via the band fund as subsequently detailed.
An Early Booking Discount (EBD) of $150.00 is available to all TBGO band associates (musicians, auxiliary unit members, and support staff) who sign up for the Hyack trip by March 10, 2024. EBD of $75.00 is available for signups between March 11 and March 31. The EBD will be applied at the time of your final trip payment.
The Early Booking Discount is not available to friends and family traveling with the band.
TBGO is not offering Travel Assistance Program (TAP) awards for this trip. You can learn more about the Travel Assistance Program here.
Hyack Travel Package - Cost Per Person | |||
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Room Type | Sign Up by March 10 | Sign Up Mar 11 - Mar 31 | Sign Up Apr 1 - Apr 13 |
Single | $782.00 | $857.00 | $932.00 |
Double/Twin Share | $533.00 | $608.00 | $683.00 |
Triple (3) People Sharing Room | $451.00 | $526.00 | $601.00 |
Quad (4) People Sharing Room | $411.00 | $486.00 | $561.00 |
Single - Special Room with Balcony | $888.00 | $963.00 | $1038.00 |
Double - Special Room with Balcony | $620.00 | $695.00 | $770.00 |
$200 Deposit Per Person Due at Signup; Balance Due April 16 |
$200 non-refundable deposit per person due at signup.
Balance due by April 16.
A VALID U.S. PASSPORT OR U.S. PASSPORT CARD is required for travel. You may NOT use a birth certificate, driver's license, or similar documentation -- a Passport or Passport Card is required. We strongly advise that your passport expiration date should be at least SIX MONTHS beyond the end date of the trip. If you do not hold a passport or your passport is not up to date, you should acquire one or renew it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to avoid issues later on. See the TBGO Passport Information page for detailed information on applying for a first passport or renewing an expiring passport.
Remember to KEEP YOUR PASSPORT WITH YOU WHEN YOU BOARD THE MOTOR COACH -- DON'T PACK IT IN YOUR LUGGAGE!!!
IF YOU ARE USING A PASSPORT FROM A COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE U.S.A please let Tom know as soon as possible so he can provide you with correct information to enter Canada.
It's important that you be in reasonably good health to handle the demands of this trip. We are marching a 1.5 mile parade and it will be difficult to reconnect with you if you drop out part way through the route. You must be able to get on/off motor coaches in reasonable fashion and there will be some walking. Those not in good health can cause delays and hold things up for the rest of the tour participants. Should you fall in this category you may need to strongly re-evaluate if a trip such as this is for you. Being aware of these expectations and your limitations, and then making thoughtful choices will ensure that we can provide a great experience for everyone.
The Hyack Travel Package is "all or nothing" and will not be altered except as described in Boarding Alternatives immediately below. As always, you are welcome to make your own travel arrangements and join the band at performances.
Boarding Alternatives: Those living North of Portland/Vancouver area may board at Napavine at Love's Travel Stop, but you will most likely need to have someone drop you off. If you live in the Greater Tacoma/Seattle area you can board at the Alderwood Mall, but you will need to sort out parking on your own or have someone drive you to the location as you cannot just park at a Mall without permission. See Departure Day Details below for arrival / departure times at these locations.
Pricing is the same for a pick-up at Napavine or the Alderwood Mall. No other deviations for this trip will be offered.
TBGO travel packages (like so many travel packages everywhere) are non-refundable. To protect yourself in case of problems that prevent or interrupt your travel, you may wish to consider purchasing travel insurance.
Travel insurance can help protect you if you must cancel or modify your trip due to illness, injury, or death to yourself or immediate family members. It may also help if you incur medical costs while away from home. (Note that standard Medicare does not cover you outside the USA, including traveling to Canada or Mexico or taking a cruise.) Click here for a more in-depth explanation of the benefits of travel insurance.
Your premium is based on your age (younger = lower premium) and cost of the trip (lower trip cost = lower premium). For example, for the typical Hyack travel costs of $533 - $782 at age 65, the premium is about $100. Insurance rates will be lower for those under 50 and higher for those above age 70 Tom will be happy to get you a customized quote for your situation.
IMPORTANT: To be sure you are fully covered, especially for pre-existing conditions, you must purchase your travel insurance within 21 days of your travel deposit (best to do it at the time you are making your trip deposit so that way you know you have it handled). You will be offered an opportunity to purchase travel insurance when filling out the Survey Monkey sign-up for the trip.
Use the link below to sign up for the Hyack trip. If you are making your own travel arrangements, there is an option in the sign-up for you (we appreciate knowing that you're coming). If you are purchasing the Hyack Travel Package, signing up commits you to making the trip. ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.
You will need to know the following:
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE
HYACK TRIP
ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Here's the bill of fare for our Friday group dinner at Trattoria Italian Kitchen. A few notes:
After you have signed up for the trip, please select your entree using the link below.
Trattoria Italian Kitchen Menu
ANTIPASTI
Caesar Salad
signature dressing, parmigiano-reggiano, herb croutons
PRINCIPALI
Spaghetti and Signature Meatballs
with herbed ricotta
or
Mushroom Arancini (vegetarian)
risotto ball stuffed with fior di latte
on basil tomato sauce
or
Chicken Parmesan
breaded, topped with tomato sauce & fior di latte
served with warm calabrese potato salad
red onion & chili, sauteed broccolini
or
Pasta Primavera (vegan)
tomato sauce & vegetablesDOLCE
Tiramisu
mascarpone mousse, espresso soaked ladyfingers, biscotti
Meet (Departure Day): Arrive 7:00 - 7:15 AM at Lyft Fitness Gym (23500 SE Stark St, Gresham) (thanks Tom McCann!). Map and directions. Please PARK IN THE FAR SOUTH END of the parking lot. Restrooms are available after the gym opens at 7 AM. Motor coach arrives at 7:00 AM and we depart at 7:45 AM.
Boarding Alternatives: Those living North of Portland/Vancouver area may board at Napavine at Love's Travel Stop, but you will most likely need to have someone drop you off. If you live in the Greater Tacoma/Seattle area you can board at the Alderwood Mall, but you will need to sort out parking on your own or have someone drive you to the location as you cannot just park at a Mall without permission. See below for arrival / departure times at these locations. Pricing is the same for a pick-up at Napavine or the Alderwood Mall.
7:00 - 7:15 am | Band arrives at Lyft Fitness Gym (see above for map and directions). |
7:00 am | Coaches arrive at Lyft Fitness Gym (see above for map and directions). |
7:45 am | Coaches depart for Canada. |
9:20 am | Arrive at Love's Travel Stop at Napavine, WA for rest stop / breakfast. This truck stop has plenty of restrooms! There is a Jack In the Box on premise that offers breakfast and more when we arrive, The store side offers many food options including breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, cold sandwiches, fresh fruit in a cup, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, cold cereal with mild, Danish rolls, cinnamon rolls, donuts, mixed nuts, yogurt and hot and cold drinks, most of which is self-serve. |
10:10 am | Depart rest stop. |
12:20 pm | Arrive at the Alderwood Mall at Lynnwood, WA for lunch. |
1:20 pm | Coaches depart Alderwood Mall. |
3:05 pm | Arrive at the USA/Canada Border Truck/Bus Crossing at Blaine, WA. |
4:40 pm | Arrive and check in at the Element Hotel at Burnaby, BC, Canada. |
5:30 pm | Group dinner at Trattoria Italian Kitchen (adjacent to our hotel; come downstairs and walk next door) . |
Uniform: TBD.
Meet (Parade Day): If you are traveling with the group, be in the hotel lobby in uniform with your instrument no later than 9 am for a 9:15 departure. If you are making your own travel arrangements, meet the band in the staging area (see parade route map) at 9:45 am. More detailed location will be posted as we get it.
Parade Route: Parade steps off at 11 AM heading southeast on Sixth St, turns left on Queens Ave, left again on First St, then disbands at Queens Park. Parade route is about 1.5 mi long.
Parade Music:
TBD
The Board talks with members informally to get travel ideas, and there's no shortage of fun things to do. We've built a long-term travel plan using these criteria:
Besides our annual "big road trip", we make a conscious effort to broaden our reach in regional events. This will certainly include day trips, but we'd also love to add one or two "mini-trips" each year if the band can support it. In general, we'd try to space mini-trips so that they don't fall right on top of a major trip (i.e., we'll try to create "breathing room" between trips as much as we can.) A mini-trip would typically be closer to home, include a 1-2 night hotel stay, and have lower cost. Examples of mini-trips that we've done include the Autumn Leaf Festival in Leavenworth (WA), Wenatchee Appleblossom Festival, Pendleton Round-Up, Medford Pear Blossom Festival, White Rock (BC) Sea Festival, and Rogers Santa Claus Parade (Vancouver, BC).
In March 2023 the TBGO Board unveiled a new multi-year travel plan at a Zoom meeting, including both regional and major national/international trips through 2028. Here are several options for viewing the plan.
Many of you have worked with Tom Higham, who handles TBGO's overnight travel (and personal travel for many of us).
Mailing Address: |
Tom Higham |
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Cell: | (503) 484-8842 | |
Fax: |
(503) 336-0868 |
|
EMail: |