Meet:  Outdoors at Garden Home Rec Center at 6 PM. We have a 45 minute show beginning around 6:30 pm.

Uniform:  Should be time for summer!  Informal Uniform: TBGO collared polo shirt, BLACK shorts, black belt (if you use a belt), white socks, white shoes, TBGO cap. See the Uniform page for more info about acceptable shorts and shoes

Music:

Bohemian Rhapsody

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

Bang Bang

Venus

We Like to Party

Time Warp

Confident

Sweet Caroline

Dancing in the Street

Shut Up and Dance

Happy

Band of Gold

Runaway Baby

Uptown Funk

Clark County is throwing a party all weekend long to educate and get the public excited about waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. The Procession of the Species asks folks to make costumes or masks of their favorite species and then parade through Esther Short Park. We'll lead the parade. Should be an interesting time!

Meet:  In Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver at 10:30 AM (map and directions). The parade through the park kicks off at 11 AM. This should be a relatively short event. Parking:  On-street parking may be tricky near the park. One alternative to consider is the Park 'n Go Garage on W 6th St near the park (see map at right). Uniform:   Informal Uniform: TBGO polo, TBGO hat, black shorts, white socks/shoes. If you'd like to decorate as "your favorite plant or animal species, or natural element", knock yourself out. Music: Dancing in the Street We Like to Party Band of Gold Fireball

Band Rehearsal:  Yes, we do have a rehearsal scheduled for 1:30 this same day. I hope you're willing to do play both the event AND the rehearsal since we need the rehearsal time to prep our patriotic tunes for Hood River.

 

ALL STAGING INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY (BASED ON PRIOR YEARS) There's no bus or other special transport to Hood River; self-drive for everyone! Please Read:  If you haven't perused it lately, take a look at How to March with The Beat Goes On Marching Band to help us look good for the Fourth! Uniform:  Informal Uniform: TBGO collared polo shirt, BLACK shorts, black belt (if you use a belt), white socks, white shoes, TBGO cap. See the Uniform page for more info about acceptable shorts and shoes. REMEMBER, THE INTENT IS TO LOOK ***UNIFORM***. Meet:  At 8:45 AM in the parking area behind the Columbia Gorge Family Medicine building (1750 12th Street, Hood River). There are bathrooms and water available inside the Columbia Gorge Family Medicine Building, and Dutch Bros. coffee is not far away if you need your fix (you can see it on the map). Directions:  From Portland, take I-84 East to Exit 62, which puts you on U.S. 30 / Cascade Ave (see map at right). Follow U.S. 30, then turn right on 13th St. After about 0.7 miles, 13th St merges with 12th St. Continue ahead on 12th St for another 0.1 mi, then turn right on College Way (Pacific Ave will be on your left, College Way on your right). Park behind the Columbia Gorge Family Medicine building 1750 12th Street. Click here for additional personalized directions. Alternatively, you can choose to park near Jackson Park and then make the 0.7 mile walk to the staging area (see parade route map below right, magenta line). Parade:  Parade steps off at 10 AM . The parade route (below right, blue line) runs north on 12th St and is about 0.7 miles long, ending at Jackson Park. Standstill:  Jackson Park (at the end of the parade route) has music, food, and other attractions until 3 PM. There will be a short ceremony immediately after the parade ends; normally the 234th Army Band will play The Star-Spangled Banner for the flag-raising and ceremonies, but we could be tapped if they are unavailable. The flag-raising ends around 12:30. If they army band is there, they will likely play a few other numbers following the ceremony. TBGO will follow with its 40-minute standstill show, probably beginning around 1 PM.

Click map to enlarge Click map to enlarge

Lunch:  In prior years the parade committee provided lunch for the band at the fire department food booths around Jackson Park. This never worked all that well since timing was tricky, the band created a loooong line at the booths, etc. This year we recommended that the parade committee should NOT provide lunch for the band and instead use that money to defray other parade expenses. Food booths will still be available, but you'll need to pay for it yourself this year if you want to eat there. There are also numerous other places to eat in Hood River following our show, so odds are good that you won't waste away <grin>. July 4 Evening:  There is a 10 PM fireworks show over the river if you'd like to stick around. The show runs 30 minutes and is quite spectacular! Parade Music: National Anthem March Band of Gold Veterans Salute - BE SURE YOU HAVE THE VERSION WITH SEMPER PARATUS!!! Venus Tribute to America Standstill Ceremony Music: I'd like us to bring these two pieces for the flag-raising "just in case"; sometimes things change on a moment's notice and I'd like to be "belt and suspenders". Star-Spangled Banner Veterans Salute Standstill Show Music: Bohemian Rhapsody Dancing in the Street Bang Bang Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Sweet Caroline We Like to Party Tribute to America Veterans Salute America the Beautiful Confident Shut Up and Dance Band of Gold Time Warp Uptown Funk

Optional Cruise Extension

The Basic Trip ends in Anchorage on July 24, and (conveniently!) Princess Cruises offers a 7-night cruise aboard Island Princess (ship registry Bermuda) departing Anchorage/Whittier that same day, finishing in Vancouver, BC on July 31. Here's one way you can extend your Alaska experience if you like.

Rather than try to reproduce all the information that Princess has already assembled, we'll refer you to their description of ports of call, onboard activities, shore excursions, stateroom descriptions, etc. But a few highlights are in order:

• Cruise Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America, renowned for wildlife including whales, harbor seals, otters, brown bears, moose, and seabirds.
• Marvel at some of the continent's most amazing scenery and wildness in Glacier Bay National Park. Watch for icebergs, calving glaciers, and wildlife while enjoying narration from a National Park Service ranger aboard ship.
• Learn about gold rush history in Skagway, gateway to the gold fields. Maybe take an optional excursion aboard the White Pass & Yukon Railroad to the summit of White Pass?
• Visit Juneau, Alaska's capital, with opportunities for glacier flightseeing, ziplining, and more!
• Walk the old red light district of Creek Street in Ketchikan, now home to local stores and galleries. Learn the stories of the totem poles at Totem Bight State Park or experience Tlingit culture at Saxman Native Village.
• Aboard ship, enjoy enrichment programs, culinary demonstrations, great food at all hours of the day and night, art auctions, ship's tours, dancing, or just relax in the spa or in the lounge with friends as some of the world's best scenery scrolls by the windows.
• And if there is a balanced TBGO band aboard ... we'll shoot for a performance at sea and/or a port of call!

Pricing for various stateroom options is listed below.

Performance Logistics Uniform:  TBD Parade Music: TBD Standstill Music:   TBD. Meeting Time:  For those making their own travel arrangements, we will announce a parade meeting time and specific location (near the Carlson Center) when we know details. Parade Details: Parade route shown at right (click to enlarge). Parade route is approx 2.0 miles long and is just across the river from our hotel (we could almost walk there!).

 

Early Booking Discount

There is no Early Booking Discount for this trip. However, we recommend reserving your trip as soon as possible since July is a popular time for Alaska travel and flights will fill quickly. In addition, the special promotion for the Optional Cruise Extension expires November 19, so it's in your interests to act soon if you wish to reserve the cruise.

Travel Packages - Options and Restrictions

The TBGO travel packages are offered as a streamlined way for Band Associates to participate in the Alaska trip. As always, you may elect to forego the packages and make all your own travel arrangements. Please be aware that if you choose to make all your own arrangements you are also responsible for your own ground transportation, including transportation to and from performances.

Because of the complexity of this trip, the land portion of the Basic Trip is offered as "all or nothing"; i.e., we will not subset or otherwise modify the land portion of the Basic Trip. However, if you wish to extend the trip on either end, Tom can likely help with additional arrangements.

Please Consider Your Health and Choose Wisely When Deciding Whether to Book This Trip

It's important that you are in reasonably good health to endeavor to handle and take on a trip as such as this .  You must be able to get on/off the motor coaches in reasonable fashion and there will be some walking including walking tours. Those not in good health can cause delays each day on the tour 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 as such is for you. Alternatively, you may need to bring along someone with you (family or caregiver) to insure you have someone who can assist you each and every day to avoid becoming a burden to other travelers.  Getting thru airports what with security, long distances to walk to immigration and flight gates is yet another area to be aware of.  Being aware of these expectations and your limitations, and then making thoughtful choices will ensure that we can provide a great experience for everyone. 

How to Compute Your Total Trip Cost

There are three components of the Alaska trip: the Basic Trip Land Package, the Optional Cruise Extension, and Airfare.

• If you are taking only the Basic Trip: Your total cost is the Basic Trip Land Package plus Airfare.
• If you are taking only the Basic Trip and are applying for a Travel Award: Your total cost is your Proposed Travel Budget for the Basic Land Package plus Airfare (more below).
• If you are adding the cruise: Your total cost is the Basic Trip Land Package plus Optional Cruise Extension plus Airfare.

Basic Trip Land Package

See Basic Land Package Inclusions / Exclusions for details on the contents of the Basic Trip Land Package.

Two prices for the Land Package are shown based on the total number of travelers we have. Our expectation is that we will have 96 to 120 travelers total, resulting in the (lower price) in column 2. Prices will be slightly higher (column 3) if we have 95 or fewer travelers because we have to allocate fixed costs like motor coach rental over fewer travelers.

Pricing Per Person for Alaska Basic Trip Land Package (does not include airfare)

Room Type	Land Package (96-120 travelers)	Land Package (95 or fewer travelers)	Payment
Single	$2872	$3024	$300 deposit at time of reservation; second deposit of $800 due by February 3, 2019; balance due by May 3, 2019.
Double	$1887	$1963	$300 deposit at time of reservation; second deposit of $800 due by February 3, 2019; balance due by May 3, 2019.
Triple*	$1610	$1635	$300 deposit at time of reservation; second deposit of $800 due by February 3, 2019; balance due by May 3, 2019.
Quad*	$1459	$1478	$300 deposit at time of reservation; second deposit of $800 due by February 3, 2019; balance due by May 3, 2019.
*See TBGO Rooming Policy

Band Associates who cannot otherwise afford the Basic Trip Land Package are eligible to apply for Travel Awards to help defray the cost. See details below.

ALL DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Optional Cruise Extension

Cruise prices are shown as a guideline and are subject to change. Cruise reservations will be booked at the prevailing price at time of reservation

IMPORTANT: If you book the Optional Cruise Extension, you must have a valid U.S. Passport (not a Passport Card). See the section on Passports for additional info.

Voyage of the Glaciers with Glacier Bay (Southbound) departs Wed July 24, 2019 from Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia aboard Island Princess (Princess Cruise Lines). Click here for stateroom details, ports, excursions, and other details.

Taxes, fees, and port expenses are required by Princess Cruises. The $24 per person transfer fee covers your transportation from the cruise terminal in Vancouver to the Vancouver Airport. (Princess Cruises offers a similar service at substantially higher cost, so TBGO booked its own transportation).

Pricing Per Person for Optional Cruise Extension (does not include airfare)

	Interior	Oceanview	Balcony	Mini-Suite	Suite
Stateroom	$1089	$1519	$2099	$2429	$3419
Taxes, fees, and port expenses	$220	$220	$220	$220	$220
Cruise terminal to airport transfer	$24	$24	$24	$24	$24
TOTAL	$1333	$1763	$2343	$2673	$3663

Single occupancy staterooms are available at 200% of the listed stateroom price.

Some Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony rooms are equipped with a Pullman bed to sleep a third person. Mini-Suites have a sofa bed that will sleep a third passenger. Suites have a sofa bed that will sleep a third and/or fourth passenger. Price per person for third and fourth passenger in room is shown below. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THREE OR FOUR PERSONS IN A ROOM FOR INTERIOR, OCEANVIEW, OR BALCONY STATEROOMS.

Pricing Per Person for Third and Fourth Person in Stateroom (does not include airfare)

	Interior	Oceanview	Balcony	Mini-Suite	Suite
Stateroom	$799	$799	$899	$899	$1649
Taxes, fees, and port expenses	$220	$220	$220	$220	$220
Cruise terminal to airport transfer	$24	$24	$24	$24	$24
TOTAL	$1043	$1043	$1143	$1143	$1893

"3 For Free" Promotion

***LATE-BREAKING PROMOTION UPDATE ***: "3 For Free" promotion will continue through December 3!

Princess Cruises is running a special "3 For Free" promotion for this sailing through November 19 December 3. The promotion gives you:

1. FREE Stateroom Location Upgrade. Book the stateroom location you wish to sail in for the price of the lowest category within that stateroom type during this promotion only. Offer is based on availability in like to like stateroom types (Interior to Interior, Oceanview to Oceanview, Balcony to Balcony). Excludes premium categories and suites.
2. FREE Gratuities. Princess Cruises will pre-pay your suggested cabin gratuities in the amount of $13.50 per guest per day for Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony staterooms, $14.50 per person per day for Mini-Suite staterooms, and $15.50 per person per day for Suites. This amount is paid on bahalf of all guests (up to 4) in a stateroom. Does not include gratuities added to bar charges, dining room wine accounts, etc.
3. FREE Onboard Spending Money. Each guest in a stateroom (up to 4) receives onboard spending money in the amount of $50 per person (Interior / Oceanview) or $100 per person (Balcony / Mini-Suite / Suite). Guests with single occupancy receive double these amounts. Must be used on the voyage, is not redeemable for cash, cannot be used in the casino.

Cruise Deposit

Deposit of 10% per person or 20% per cabin is required at time of cruise reservation. Deposit rates may be higher after the "3 For Free" promotion expires. Final Payments due by April 12, 2019.

***LATE-BREAKING DEPOSIT UPDATE***:
For cruises booked ONLY on November 26, the usual 10% per person deposit will be WAIVED. Instead, your cruise deposit will be just $1 PER PERSON and you still get all the "3 For Free" benefits listed above!!! This is a GREAT opportunity to "reserve now, pay later"! To take advantage of booking your cruise with a mere $1 deposit, you must reserve your cruise via the Sign-Up Survey no later than 10 AM PST ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24. This will give Steve enough time to wrangle the survey data and get it to Tom so *he* can get everything ready and spend most of November 26 on the phone booking our cruises. Note: If you have already signed up for the cruise, your cruise will also be booked so that you get the special $1 deposit rate. Second Note: You can still book your cruise after November 24, but you'll then need to pay the deposit in effect at that time.

Optional Cruise Extension is not available for travelers who apply for a Travel Award.

ALL DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Airfare

Airline prices are shown as a guideline and are subject to change at any time. Flights will be booked at the prevailing price at time of reservation.

• Those on the Basic Trip need air travel to Fairbanks and return air travel from Anchorage.
• Those electing the Optional Cruise Extension need air travel to Fairbanks and return air travel from Vancouver.

We are planning the following flights for air travel to Fairbanks:

Air Travel to Fairbanks

	Departure / Arrival	Flight Number	Departure / Arrival
July 18	PDX / ANC	Alaska #125	600 am - 843 am
$295.40	ANC / FAI	Alaska #189	943 am - 1041 am

All airfares are non-refundable/non-transferrable and subject to change.

We are planning the following flight for return air travel from Anchorage for those who do NOT elect the Optional Cruise Extension:

Air Travel from Anchorage - Basic Trip Only, NO Optional Cruise Extension

	Departure / Arrival	Flight Number	Departure / Arrival
July 24 $335.80	ANC / PDX	Alaska #140	319 pm - 755 pm (non-stop)

All airfares are non-refundable/non-transferrable and subject to change.

We are planning the following flights for return air travel from Vancouver for those who DO elect the Optional Cruise Extension.
Two flight options are shown since there are probably not enough seats available to get all of us on one flight

Air Travel from Vancouver -- WITH Optional Cruise Extension   Departure / Arrival Flight Number Departure / Arrival July 31 $227.02 YVR / PDX Air Canada #8125 135 pm - 247 pm (non-stop)
*** OR ***
Departure / Arrival Flight Number Departure / Arrival July 31 $171.47 YVR / SEA West Jet #6404 100 pm - 210 pm SEA / PDX West Jet #7452 315 pm - 416 pm

All airfares are non-refundable/non-transferrable and subject to change.

Be aware that you can reserve a Basic Trip Land Package and choose to make your own air travel arrangements. This allows you to use a preferred carrier; purchase tickets using mileage program miles; depart at a different time of day; search for other attractive pricing options, etc. We strongly recommend booking your air travel as soon as possible since July is a popular time for travel to Alaska. If you want to use TBGO's ground transportation to/from the airports during the trip, please be sure your flights arrive and depart at times consistent with the TBGO flights.

When you reserve your trip via the sign-up survey, you'll be asked whether you want Tom to book flights or whether you want to make your own air arrangements. If you ask Tom to book your flights during the sign-up survey, your air travel will be reserved and your credit card will be charged shortly after sign-up.

Baggage

One carry-on bag plus personal item are allowed FREE onboard.  1st and 2nd checked bags are $25 each. See Alaska Airlines website for size and weight limitations. From the Alaska website: "Small musical instruments may count as your one carry-on bag and may exceed the Standard carry-on dimensions, as long as they can be safely accommodated in a proper stowage compartment in the cabin of the aircraft."

Paying for Checked Baggage:  TBGO will reimburse band associates for the cost of oversize / overweight checked baggage necessary to the functioning of the band in performance. These charges must be pre-approved before we travel. Band associates are otherwise responsible for all baggage costs.

Frequent Flyer Number

If you have an Alaska Airlines frequent flyer number, please provide it during signup (there will be a slot for it). Ditto for Delta Airlines (in case you are on one of the West Jet return flights since they are affiliated with Delta).

Dietary Restrictions

Please note any dietary meal needs for your flights during signup.

Upgraded Seating

Please note any requests for upgraded seating (economy plus, first class) during signup. Upgraded seating is not available to Travel Award applicants.

Travel Awards

Band Associates who cannot otherwise afford the Basic Trip are eligible to apply for Travel Awards to help defray the cost of the trip.  Non-Performers (e.g., family members) are not eligible for Travel Awards. Travel Awards are not available for travelers electing the Optional Cruise Extension or other upgrades such as economy plus airline seating that may be offered. 

Prospective applicants are referred to the online Travel Assistance Program (TAP) Details for more information about the intent of TBGO’s TAP program and its selection process.  Since the Alaska trip is a costly major trip, we anticipate that a larger-than-usual number of TBGO Associates may apply for Travel Awards.

To apply for a Travel Award, please sign up via Survey Monkey using the normal signup survey link.  During the Survey Monkey signup, you will be asked if you wish to apply for a Travel Award. If yes, you'll be asked for your Proposed Land Package Travel Budget, which is the amount you propose to pay for the Land Package portion of your trip.

The minimum Proposed Land Package Travel Budget for this trip is $600, significantly less than the full price of $1887 (Double room).

IMPORTANT: Note that in addition to the the Land Package cost, you are also responsible for the Airfare portion of your trip, either purchased via Tom or purchased on your own (or using mileage or whatever).

Here are a few examples to clarify things. Note that these are just examples; your Proposed Land Package Travel Budget can be any amount as long as it's at least $600.

Proposed Travel Budget Examples

Item	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3	Example 4	Example 5
Your Proposed Land Package Travel Budget	$600	$750	$1000	$1250	$1400
Estimated Airfare (may be different if you purchase directly or acquire using air miles)	$630	$630	$630	$630	$630
Your Approximate Total Trip Cost	$1230	$1380	$1630	$1880	$2030

It is our goal to take as many Performers as possible to Alaska, and we expect to grant a significant number of Awards.  However, be aware that applying for a Travel Award does not guarantee that an Award will be granted.  Travel Award applicants will be notified of the status of their application shortly after the close of the signup period.  The status of each Travel Award application will be determined before the applicant’s travel deposit is charged (i.e., we will not charge the travel deposit or airfare to your credit card if the Travel Award is not granted).

Travel Award recipients may purchase Travel Insurance if desired.  Price of the insurance is based on the full cost of the trip (approx. $2500) and is paid by the Travel Award recipient.  If a Travel Award recipient incurs a Trip Cancellation event that results in an award from the insurance company, the Travel Award recipient is expected to reimburse TBGO for TBGO’s portion of the cost of the trip.

Performers who require a degree of financial assistance with the trip are urged to consider applying for a Travel Award; as we’ve said many times, it allows TBGO to field a better band and all of you have helped earn the money in the band’s travel fund. At the same time, the Board respectfully requests that you elect the highest Proposed Land Package Travel Budget that you can realistically afford given your financial situation; this will help us award Grants to the largest possible number of applicants. We also request that you evaluate your own health situation before applying for a Travel Award; it is counter-productive for the band to allocate Travel Awards to those who are unable to perform as expected.

DUE DATE FOR TRAVEL AWARD APPLICATIONS:  The due date to apply for a Travel Award is END OF DAY, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2018.

Basic Trip - Land Package Inclusions / Exclusions

Pricing for the Basic Trip Land Package is shown above. For any room type, a deposit of $200 is due at reservation (when you sign up). A second deposit of $800 is due February 4, 2019, with balance due by May 3, 2019.

Included:

• Accommodations including breakfast as listed above, subject to availability at time of deposit.
• Airport arrival transfer from Fairbanks Airport to our hotel (for those who arrive at or near our scheduled flight time).
• Ground transportation to and from parade.
• Ground transportation from Fairbanks to Denali National Park and on to Anchorage.
• Tour to Gold Dredge 8 via train and panning for gold and visit to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
• Excursion on the Chena River via Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery.
• Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park.
• Anchorage City Tour.
• Day trip to Portage Lake with 1-hour cruise aboard the M/V Ptarmigan to the face of Portage Glacier.
• Transfer from Anchorage hotel to airport (if you're on Basic Trip) or from Anchorage hotel to cruise ship in Whittier (if taking Optional Cruise Extension)
• Applicable taxes & fees in force at time of confirmation. Changes, including per person city taxes, coach permit fees, etc., taking effect after confirmation may result in a supplement added to your final prices.
• All gratuities for the motor coach drivers, escorts, and local guides are included.
  
• All rates quoted are in US Dollars.

Not Included:

• Airfare.
  
• Meals other than breakfast.
  
• Porterage of suitcases at hotels, airports, rail stations or cruise terminals.
• Supplements or optional tours other than as listed aabove.
  
• Visa, passport, and entry/exit fees.
  
• Travel Protection, please inquire for details.

ALL DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Travel Insurance

TBGO travel packages (like most 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. TBGO travelers may optionally elect to purchase the Worldwide Trip Protector policy from Travel Insured International when signing up for this trip.

Trip cancellations can happen at any age, though the likelihood of health problems increases as we age. Travel insurance also protects you should you need to change travel plans because a family member develops health issues. Your policy protects you against such things as Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Missed Connection, Itinerary Change, Travel Delay, Accident & Sickness Medical Ex pense, Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation (Air Ambulance), Travel Accident Protection, Baggage & Personal Effects and Delayed Baggage.

The premium for travel insurance varies by cost of trip and your age. This chart can give you a rough idea of your insurance premium; Tom can give you actual pricing Find the row of the chart that shows your trip cost, then slide across to the column with your age; the figure in the intersection is your cost to insure this trip. NOTE: Insurance pricing will vary as this is not the most current insurance table.

Many people do not understand the value of travel insurance until certain things happen, such as having to cancel their trip due to illness, injury or death type reasons to themselves or other family members that would prevent them from taking a trip they have planned on going.  Or, someone may need to cancel in the middle of their trip and come home early for similar reasons. You may believe that your home owner or other insurance may protect your investment if you are forced to cancel your trip, but typically it does not.  Please note that the cancellation and trip interruption protection of the plan priced in the travel insurance chart above covers only documented illness, injury, and death.  Those who desire expanded coverage (e.g., due to work related reasons, or for any reason whatever) can be insured using another policy type through Travel Insured International at additional cost; please contact Travel by Tom Higham with your needs.

To be sure you are fully covered, especially for pre-existing reasons, you must purchase your travel insurance within 21 days of your deposit (best to do it at the same 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.

Passports - IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ

Note that a valid U.S. Passport is required if you are taking the Optional Cruise Extension. You may NOT use a U.S. Passport Card, birth certificate, or similar documentation -- a Passport is required and the valid date must extend at least SIX MONTHS beyond your return date to the U.S. 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.

Need More Info? Book a Consultation with Tom

Tom is going to offer something he's never done for a TBGO trip. Tom says: The State of Alaska is a very unusual place to visit and it is not every day that folks say, "Hey, let's jump on the plane and take a trip to Alaska", just like that.  Alaska is very different than the Lower 48 or Hawaii for that matter. It may be hard for you to truly understand what the State of Alaska is about and maybe some folks have some pre-conceived ideas, too.  If you feel lost or have further questions about any aspect of this trip, you can arrange a phone appointment with me to discuss what is on your mind. Get a better feel for the trip, clarify the logistics, or travel arrangements -- whatever you need to be able to make an informed choice and commit to what will be another FABULOUS trip.

To take advantage of Tom's offer, send an email (tom@tbgo.org) with your phone number and a date and time range (either in the evening or during the day) when you're available. Tom will match that against his availability and will let you know when to expect him to call. Tom is out of pocket during Thanksgiving week (November 21-24), but he's available now through November 20 for a consult (note that earliest available time on Sunday November 18 is 4:30 pm because of church and TBGO rehearsal.) He'll be available again November 27 through December 1, but sooner is better -- strike while the iron is hot! Get answers to your questions concerning any area of the Alaska trip from the Basic Alaska Land Package to Air Travel to the Optional Cruise Extension.

To make this work, we need to be respectful of Tom's time (he's a busy guy with many clients other than TBGO!). Please do NOT call him without emailing to set up a phone appointment first, and don't expect him to be available on 10 minutes notice -- email with plenty of lead time, give him a range of options for your availability, and Tom will do his best to get back to you promptly.

Final word goes to Tom:  "LET'S GO NORTH TO ALASKA WITH TBGO!!!"

Sign Up for the 2019 "North to Alaska" Trip

Use the Survey Monkey link below to sign up for the trip. If you are making your own travel arrangements, please use the same link to let us know that you will be at the event so that we know who to expect at the performance events.

If you are reserving a Triple or Quad room, please be sure you have a verified rooming list BEFORE you sign up (see TBGO Rooming Policy).

Click here to sign up for the "North to Alaska" trip via Survey Monkey SIGNUP DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 21, 2018 DEADLINE FOR TRAVEL AWARD APPLICANTS IS NOVEMBER 15, 2018 Signups after December 21, 2018 will be accepted based on availability; pricing cannot be guaranteed and may be substantially higher.

Major Road Trips

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:

• Take account of the "recurring themes" we hear when talking to band associates about travel opportunities.
• Target events with "cool factor". If we only get to do one a year, it oughta count!
• Emphasize trips that center around existing events with large, enthusiastic crowds. It's more fun to play for lots of people, and it's a lot easier to draw a crowd when someone else has already done all the work.
• Have a reasonable belief that it's a trip/event we can successfully execute.
• Target locations that are likely to have broad appeal to members as "destinations" - there should be fun, exciting touristy things we can do while we are in the area.
• Try to keep major events 9-15 months apart.
• Work to keep each trip affordable to the best of our ability.
• "Start spreading the news" - work on bringing the band to each major area of the country (and beyond).
• In general, avoid duplicating major trips that we've done previously - we ain't gettin' any younger and there are LOTS of places to go!
• Look beyond one year to put a multi-year plan in place. We think that a roadmap makes it easier for both the band staff and band associates to plan ahead, and it can also act as a recruiting tool.

Regional Trips and Mini-Trips

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).

Active Travel Plan

In October 2018 the TBGO Board unveiled a new multi-year travel plan at the annual TBGO Birthday Party, including both regional and major national/international trips through 2024.

UPDATE:  Based on interest poll results, we have decided that we will NOT travel to Yakima Sunfair in September 2019. We are keeping this event on the list for possible travel in the future.

Click the grid at right for a one-page summary of the plan.
If you are on PC or Mac, click the cover slide at right to launch a self-running slide show with details of the plan and its trips. It may take a bit for the presentation to start running since it's large (48 MB). Once it launches, you can advance through it using mouse, space bar, enter key, arrow keys, etc.
If you are on a phone, tablet, or other such device, click on the PDF version at right. It loses the lovely animations and transitions, but at least you can see all the text!