At last week's Board meeting, Tom was walking us through the pieces of next year's Netherlands/Europe (both the Basic and Extended trips) and I finally said "You know, this is good stuff and I think LOTS of people would appreciate hearing it."  So we've pulled together opportunities for you to learn more about what's planned for the trip and to ask some questions. The PRIMARY session is on Tuesday night (details below). If you cannot come on Tuesday, we have a second smaller "overflow" session scheduled for Wednesday night. We only have about 24 chairs for this second session, so PLEASE COME TO THE PRIMARY SESSION ON TUESDAY if you can.  The Wednesday session is intended only as an overflow session for folks who can't be there on Tuesday.

PRIMARY MEETING (COME TO THIS ONE IF POSSIBLE!)

Date:	Tuesday July 25
Time:	Gather beginning at 6:00 pm, meeting begins at 6:30 and ends at or before 8:30
Location:	SW Bible Church, 14605 SW Weir Rd, Beaverton (map and directions)       (https://www.swbible.org/)
Parking:	Park in the SW area of the parking lot (where we're parked for band trips) and enter through doors at SW end of building
Once Inside:	Meet on the ground floor in the far SW corner – the Coffee Corner area
No-no's:	Please do NOT bring food Please do NOT bring children with you

 

OVERFLOW MEETING

Date:	Wednesday July 26
Time:	Gather beginning at 6:30 pm, meeting begins at 6:45and ends at or before 8:45
Location:	Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Station #60, 8585 NW Johnson St  (map and directions) This is the station right next to the French American International School, so we should be good at finding it now!
Parking:	In the lot at the TVF&R station
Once Inside:	Community Room (you can't miss it)
No-no's:	Please do NOT bring food Please do NOT bring children with you

 

MEETING NOTES:  If you can't be there either time, we'll make sure somebody takes notes and we'll publish them to everyone.

It'll be fun to hear about all the things that "Tommy Talker" has planned for the trip based on his 40 years of globetrotting experience.  We were getting pretty jazzed about things as he talked to the Board – it's a lot more interesting than just reading the stuff we've posted on the website so far.  Oh, and we should also have additional info to share since more pieces are starting to fall into place.

Anyway, we'll walk you through the trip(s) and give you all the data we currently have.  You'll be able to ask questions, although please realize that we're still working "big picture" and won't be prepared to deal with all the smaller stuff yet.  But I think you'll get a good idea of what's planned – and it should get your juices flowing!!!

Hope you can join us; as Rick Monger recently said to me, "Hey, soon it'll be 3 continents down, 4 to go!"

Remember, please come on TUESDAY if at all possible since our capacity is limited for Wednesday. 

More info on event logistics later, but here are the parade tunes for Multnomah Village. OUR GOAL IS TO DO THIS AS A "NO MUSIC" PARADE - EVERYONE WORK ON MEMORIZING THESE 4 TUNES FOR THIS PARADE. Let's see how close we can get!

Parade Tunes:

1. Wooly Bully
2. Fireball
3. I'm Shipping Up to Boston
4. Poker Face

Go South, Young Band Associate!!!  It's time for TBGO to head to a corner of our state that we don't visit often. It's a long weekend swing down the bea-Utiful Oregon Coast. We'll get the chance to play in towns that haven't seen us before AND are excited that we're coming, and we'll be hooking up with local area bands, too. Close to home and good times -- what's not to like, so let's head south!
(click any photo to enlarge) Old Town Florence	Trip Overview Friday September 15 - Depart Beaverton promptly at 800 am and head south on I-5. (Our exact departure point isn't settled yet since Beaverton is develWe'll stop in Eugene for our morning rest stop and coffee break, then turn west on Hwy # 126 to reach Florence on the Oregon Coast. Nestled along the Siuslaw River, Historic Old Town Florence offers lovely, unique, fun shopping and dining to locals and tourists. It’s all blended with colorful and creative art galleries, the quaint path through Gazebo Park to the river, and the Siuslaw River Bridge Interpretive Center, where you'll have time for lunch on your own at riverside tables while you listen to the call of the sea gulls flying over the fishing boats as they pass under famous Siuslaw Bridge. After lunch it's time for our first performance of the trip. Florence will be the 21st Oregon city in which TBGO has performed and it should be a fun one! We've arranged a joint standstill concert in the heart of Old Town with local area bands from Siuslaw High School (Vikings) and Mapleton High School (Sailors), so it'll be quite an event.	Siuslaw River Bridge
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area	Following the show it's onward on Highway 101south. We're headed for Coos Bay, but along the way we've got a rest stop at Honeyman State Park, where we getan opportunity to visit the famous sand dunes of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The Oregon Dunes are a unique area of windswept sand that is the result of millions of years of wind and rain erosion on the Oregon Coast.  Stretching some 40 miles from the Siuslaw River at Florence to the Coos River in North Bend, this is part of the Siuslaw National Forest and is administered by the United States Forest Service. We'll have time to walk around and climb the dunes (and maybe go running down a dune yelling like a nut) before continuing on to Coos Bay.	Footprints in the Sands of, er, Sand ...
Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge, Coos Bay Small Bites at Whitecaps	We arrive at The Mill Hotel and Casino, our home away from home (more about our hotel below). You have the rest of the day/evening on your own to enjoy.  If you're a gambler, perhaps enjoy some time at the Casino. If you're an eater (wait! that's all of us!), there are five restaurants to choose from on the Casino/Hotel grounds. The Plank House, a bayside restaurant, includes an in-house bakery. On Friday and Saturday nights you can enjoy a buffet dinner in The Saw Blade from 400 pm – 900 pm with prime rib, salmon, lasagna, chicken and much more for $16.95 a person. At Warehouse 101, a sports bar / nightclub mashup lets you choose from 20 craft brews, enjoy live music and dancing, and try what's billed as "the popular Oregon Coast Frog Dog" (not EVEN gonna ask ...).  Plus Whitecaps, a small intimate martini style bar, and the quick grab n’ go style Timbers Café.  Or boogie the night away at the Rotary Cruz Dance Party (Free, 21 and older) featuring Timberwolf in the Salmon Room right at our Casino/Hotel.                          If you prefer, there is a shuttle service that will take you to many restaurants in the area in North Bend and Coos Bay.  The shuttles can transport up to 14 passengers at a time. Grab some dinner, and if you like check out what's happening at the Fun Festival.	Coos Bay by Night Saw Blade Buffet
Prefontaine Run Busy time at the Fun Festival	On Saturday morning, a hot breakfast starts at 700 am in our own private dining area.   We load coaches at 830 am to head for our standstill concert for the Steve Prefontaine Memorial 10K Run and Fun Walk that kicks off at 945 am near Marshfield High School. Now in its 38th year, the popular run got its start when a group of Coos Bay citizens decided it was time that Steve Prefontaine's hometown did something to honor its favorite son. Coos Bay will be city #22 on our all-time Oregon list!  Following the show there's time to forage for lunch on your own in the downtown area of Coos Bay before the 1.1 mile “Fun Festival Parade” steps off at 100 pm through downtown Coos Bay. A joint standstill concert with both Marshfield High School and North Bend High School is being worked on for either pre or post parade.   We should be returning to our hotel by 400 pm. There are all kinds of events and activities that take place in town and on the waterfront, including an evening Cruz-In. Not just a static car show -- they'll be cruising the streets of Coos Bay from 6 to 8 pm. Yeah, not sure this is what I'd have name it ...	Let's have a parade! Geez, don't bite his head off! The Cruz-In hits the streets
Azales in Bloom at Shore Acres State Park Ocean view from Shore Acres	On Sunday morning, breakfast begins at 730 am. Why so early? Why, we've got things to do before we head home! We depart near 900 am for beautiful Sunset Beach and Shore Acres State Park & Gardens, just outside of Coos Bay and situated right on the Pacific Ocean. You will have plenty of time to appreciate the beauty of the botanical garden and the incredible landscapes and scenic views.  Note: We originally thought we'd get to play a show here as well, but it turns out that the pavilion and surrounding areas are booked for a wedding this day, so no dice. But it'll still be gorgeous! From here we head up the Oregon Coast Hwy # 101 north to Florence for our lunch stop.   After lunch we continue on Hwy. # 126 to Eugene for our rest stop and coffee break.  We continue north on the I-5 with return to Beaverton near 530 pm. Three days, four performances, two brand new Oregon cities for us. Good times!	Cape Arago lighthouse near Shore Acres State Park     Spectacular waves at Shore Acres

 

The Mill Hotel & Casino Room with King Bed

Hotel The Mill Hotel & Casino 3201 Tremont Avenue North Bend, OR 97459 Phone (541) 756-8800 (map) Our room at the hotel are split between the Lodge and the Tower. All rooms feature refrigerators, complimentary WiFi, Red Wagon Organic Coffee, and luxurious pillow top beds. There's a relaxing indoor pool with two outdoor spas. Near the pool you can find the Arcade, featuring a variety of classic games such as air hockey, pinball, and claw machines. There's a full-service business center and a fitness room with cardio equipment, free weights, and an expansive ocean view. Nice, huh? We'll be staying for 2 nights, with cooked breakfast each morning (our buffet breakfasts will be in a conference room reserved for us).

Room with Two Queen Beds

Trip Options and Pricing

Increasing hotel and motor coach prices make this trip a bit more expensive than we'd hoped, but it still fits into our "mini-trip" price range. In addition, we are offering an Early Booking Discount (see details below) to help ease the sting.

We are not offering a hotel-only option for this trip because we snapped up all the available rooms at the Mill Hotel & Casino and we have only enough to cover those arriving on the bus. You are still welcome to drive to the event on your own, but you will be responsible for making your own hotel arrangements as well.

Adults family members are welcome to join the trip (sorry, no children).

In accordance with the TBGO Rooming Policy, you MUST submit a VERIFIED rooming list with the names of all roommates if you choose a Triple or Quad room. "Verified" means that you need to make sure that your proposed roommates agree with the list; you don't get to just list random people and hope for the best! Please see the TBGO Rooming Policy for details on the policy, including information about adding your name to, or seeking roommates from, the Available Roommate List.

Pricing shown is per-person for various rooming configurations. THE SOUTHERN OREGON SWING TOUR TRIP IS NON-REFUNDABLE.

Pricing for Southern Oregon Swing Tour Trip

Room Type	Trip Package Cost (per person)
Single	$611.00
Double	$437.00
Triple*	$387.00
Quad*	$361.00
*See TBGO Rooming Policy

Trip Package includes:

• Round trip motor coach Beaverton/Coos Bay with tip to our drivers
• 2-Nights at The Mill Hotel w/tax and full cooked breakfast each morning

THE SOUTHERN OREGON SWING TOUR TRIP IS NON-REFUNDABLE. You may wish to consider purchasing Travel Insurance to protect yourself in case of accident, illness, or other factors that preclude you from completing the trip; see details below.

Payments to Reserve Your Travel Package

TO RESERVE THE SOUTHERN OREGON SWING TOUR PACKAGE:  Non-refundable deposit of $150 per person is due at signup. You may supply credit card information as part of your signup via Survey Monkey, or provide payment or credit card information directly to Travel by Tom Higham. A second non-refundable deposit of $100 is due by July 7, with final balance of trip cost due by August 11.

Late signups after June 1, 2017 will be accepted based on availability and are subject to price changes. As of July 11, we still have some hotel space available so grab it while it's hot!!!

Early Booking Discount

The TBGO Board is pleased to announce an Early Booking Discount (EBD) of $25 for all TBGO band associates who have been an ongoing part of the TBGO performance team, including musicians, auxiliary unit members, banner carriers, flag carriers, hydration (water) team, and other regular support staff. You must sign up for the trip by Sunday May 14, 2017 to receive the Early Booking Discount. Early Booking Discount is not available for family members who do not perform with the band or band associates who have not performed with the band by May 20, 2017. (If you not previously performed with TBGO but sign up during the EBD period and perform with the band at the Keizer Iris Festival, you are eligible for the discount.) The Early Booking Discount lowers the prices in the Trip Pricing section above by $25 and will be applied at the time of final payment for your trip.

>>> DEADLINE FOR EBD HAS PASSED -- BUT YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP FOR THE TRIP! <<<

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 Expense, Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation (Air Ambulance), Travel Accident Protection, Baggage & Personal Effects and Delayed Baggage. Additional coverage details are available at this link.

The premium for travel insurance varies by cost of trip and your age. Use this chart to estimate your insurance premium. 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 may vary slightly 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.

Travel Assistance Program Awards

Awards under the TBGO Travel Assistance Program are not available for this trip. However, an Early Booking Discount is available as detailed above.

Sign Up for the 2017 Southern Oregon Swing Tour Trip

Use the Survey Monkey link below to sign up for the trip. If you are planning to make 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 performances.

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 via Survey Monkey WE STILL HAVE TRANSPORTATATION AND ROOMS AVAILABLE! JOIN US ON THIS GREAT "BARNSTORMING TOUR" OF SOUTHERN OREGON!!!

UPDATED: July 6, 2017

As announced in earlier email and at rehearsal, we are planning that our “big trip” for 2018 will be to the Netherlands.  Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is a huge flower parade taking place every spring in the Netherlands, not far from Amsterdam.  The parade features elaborate floats decorated with bulb flowers (tulips, daffodils, etc.) and is a major event.  Check out this video to get a peek at the festivities.  The parade winds 24 miles through several towns over the course of the weekend in segments that are mostly in the 2.5 to 3 mile range. The first parade segment (Friday evening) is illuminated; the remaining segments take place throughout the day on Saturday. Our understanding is that each of the Saturday segments has about 4 bands participating. (We don't know if there are bands in the Friday illuminated segment.) We've had enough of a conversation with the Bollenstreek board of directors to know that we are indeed welcome to attend.

We have a working itinerary for the week-long Basic Trip, shown below. It may be the Basic Trip, but there's nothing Basic about it -- it ought to be another fabulous TBGO adventure! In addition to marching one of the parade segments, we'd like to arrange 1-2 additional performances (with some ideas shown below). We've got castles and gardens and museums and medieval cities and a cruise along Amsterdam's famous canals. There's ample time for sightseeing, both with the group and on your own. Please understand that the itinerary is still VERY MUCH up in the air as the Bollenstreek board has only begun corresponding with us. The Basic Trip would run from April 18 through April 25. Tom has already been working on air travel options and we think we've found a good choice of hotel. So far, estimated pricing remains in the range of $1900-$2000 per person double occupancy. A land-only Base Trip package (price TBD) will be available for those who want to make their own flight arrangements.

In the survey we took back in the spring, we learned that nearly 110 of you would be Likely or Almost Certain to attend this event at price points ranging from $1000 to $2000. That would be a terrific band, and taking that band to the Netherlands is our goal. Due to the special nature of this trip and our desire to reach that goal, we anticipate offering a greater-than-usual number of awards via the Travel Assistance Program (TAP) for Band Associates who said they are Likely to attend but not at the full $2000 cost. (Click here to learn more if you're unfamiliar with the TBGO Travel Assistance Program.) Non-performers are (as always) welcome to travel with the band, but are responsible for their own travel costs (i.e., travel costs for non-performers will not be partially subsidized by TBGO).

Many of you have suggested that you'd like to extend the Basic Trip with a longer "TBGO Group European Tour". We are working on an itinerary for such a tour; a draft version appears below. The Extended Trip is expected to run an ADDITIONAL $2300-$2500 per person double occupancy above the cost of the Base Trip. A land-only Extended Trip package (price TBD) will be available for those who want to make their own flight arrangements. As we did with the China trip in 2014, the Extended Trip will not be available to travelers who receive TAP awards. Upgraded air travel or other upgrades will not be available to travelers who receive TAP awards.

When Do You Need Money?

Expect to pay deposits to hold air travel and hotel by end of July (estimating $300), with balance due around January.

What Else is Available?

Before you start asking: yes, there will be reasonable options available for things like upgraded air travel, just as we usually do. We probably CAN'T do an infinite number of variations because of the complexity of the trip (again, like China), so no we can't add a 3-day mountain-climbing extension for you in the Urals <grin>. You're welcome to ask questions in the section at the end of the preliminary signup (below).

Draft Itinerary for Basic Trip

To get your juices flowing, here's a DRAFT itinerary that gives you a pretty good idea of how we'd like to see the Basic Trip go. Note that performances other than the Bloemencorso parade are still wishes, not commitments! All dates shown are 2018.

Wed April 18:  Fly from U.S. to Amsterdam

Thu April 19:  Arrive Amsterdam and transfer to hotel. We are currently targeting the Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport, a new four-star property located about 12-15 miles from the parade route with attractive rates, daily hot breakfast, and great connectivity to both Schiphol Airport and the heart of Amsterdam. Flights tend to arrive between 830 am and 10 am. You'll have the rest of today to acclimate to the time change and get to bed by around 8 pm to be ready for the next day.
Fri April 20:  Visit Keukenhof Castle and world-famous Keukenhof Gardens, home to 8 million flowers on 79 acres. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, narcissi, and gladioli galore! This evening, the illuminated segment of the Bloemencorso takes place from 845 to 1000 pm. I've told the parade organizers that we would be willing to perform in BOTH the illuminated segment (if it has bands) and in one of the daytime segments the next day. If we don't perform this evening, we may attend anyway to enjoy the parade. As a stretch goal, we may even be able to arrange a short concert for some public relations connected with the parade organizers ("we're the band from the U.S. marching tomorrow").
Sat April 21:  Parade Day! Rest of day is free
Sun April 22:  Visit Utrecht. This quaint and quirky city is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. Utrecht is a Friendship City to Portland (a slightly more limited relationship also certified by Sister Cities International) and we would like to schedule a standstill show here. Rest of late afternoon / evening free in Amsterdam.
Mon April 23:  Canal cruise (1 hr) and half-day city tour of Amsterdam. Rest of day free.
Tue April 24:  Visit the world-famous Rijksmuseum in the morning (2.5 hrs) and then consider almost next door a concert at Vondelpark, the largest city park in Amsterdam and the most famous park in the Netherlands. Remainder of day free. We may consider a farewell group dinner. Wed April 25:  Fly Amsterdam -> U.S.

Draft Itinerary for Extended Trip

 

Wed April 25:  Depart our Amsterdam hotel via motor aoch and head south to historic Bruges, Belgium followed by a short visit to Brussels on our way to Paris, France (3 nights).
Thu April 26:  Paris. Morning Half-Day City Sightseeing Tour with step-on guide followed by (1) hour cruise on the River Seine.
Fri April 27:  Paris - Full free day for everyone to explore Paris on your own, shopping, visiting tourist sites, museums.
Sat April 28:  Depart Paris right after breakfast via motor coach on our way to Strasbourg, France with stop along the way in Verdun, the site of WWI battlefield and monuments.  Arrive in Strasbourg in the afternoon and take in the sites of one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe with a guided walking tour. Overnight in Strasbourg (1 night).
Sun April 29:  Travel east with sightseeing stops along the way as we head for Munich, Germany. Overnight in Munich (2 nights). Mon Apr 30:  We will have a step-on guide from Munich to Fussen, an attractive Bavarian town nestled at the foot of the Alps. Fussen is our gateway to nearby Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. Enjoy Mad King Ludwig's fairy castle!
Tue May 1:  Continue our journey a short distance east into Austria as we make our way to Salzburg, home of Mozart and the setting for "The Sound of Music". We'll have a step-on guide upon our morning arrival into Saltzburg, rest of the day free to explore the city. Overnight in Salzburg (1 night).
Wed May 2:  Head back west with a visit to Innsbruck, Austria plus other scenic and alpine areas. While there, perhaps we'll have time for a brief visit to the site of two Winter Olympic Games (the view between the tips of your skis as you head down the 90 meter ski jump is the city cemetery!). Leaving Innsbruck, we make our way to Lucerne, Switzerland in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Overnight in Lucerne (3 nights).
Thu May 3:  Mid-day guided tour to Mt. Pilatus with short motor coach ride to a panorama gondola trip up the mountain where we'll have time at the observation area for some of the most breathtaking views in Europe. With luck (depends on whether and timing), our descent on the other side of the mountain will be via the world's steepest cogwheel railway, where we board a lake steamer for the trip back to Lucerne city center. There's time to freshen up before our farewell dinner this evening.
Fri May 4:  On your own most of the day to shop and explore or take in a visit to the Swiss Transport Museum. Around 330/400 pm we depart by motor coach to the Zurich Airport (1 hour) for our stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel.  (We are staying right at the airport because of our early flight the next morning.) Last minute shopping is available at the airport (walkway from our hotel to the terminal) and plenty of restaurants at the airport and at our hotel.  Sat May 5:  Departure day. Arrive at ZRH airport terminal between 430/500 am after a 5 minute walk from our terminal and check in for our 700 am departure home on KLM / Delta Airlines.

Counting Noses -- Preliminary Netherlands Trip Signup

We won't formally ask for signups until we have the remaining details nailed down, including pricing, but it would be very helpful to get a better estimate of how many people are interested in the Basic Trip, how many in adding the Extended Trip, and where we stand in terms of TAP awards. This preliminary signup does not commit you to making the trip.

Please use the new Survey Link below to tell us:

• Whether you are likely to take the trip (yes/no);
• Whether you are interested in an Air / Land Package (which includes air travel) or a Land-Only package (you make our own air travel arrangements) or make ALL your own travel arrangements (including lodging and ground transportation). Land-Only packages will be available for both the Basic and Extended Trips.
• Whether you plan to apply for a TAP award, and if so the amount of your proposed travel budget. Your proposed travel budget is the amount you propose to pay for your trip; it must be at least the Minimum Acceptable Travel Budget of $1000 for a Full Basic Trip and $300 for a Land-Only Basic Trip and should be as much as you can reasonably afford up to the full $2000 trip cost. Remember, even with fundraising we'll have limited band funds to apply to this trip; to take the maximum number of people, we need everyone to be generous in what they can afford.
• Whether you are interested in adding the Extended Trip at additional cost of $2300-$2500 per person. (Please note that the Extended Trip is not available if you plan to apply for a TAP award.)

Thanks for the help. Signups via this survey are not yet binding, but it'll really help us get our arms around the logistics.

Click here for the Preliminary Netherlands Trip Signup via Survey Monkey ******

Click pix to enlarge

 

Major Road Trips

The Board has been talking with members informally to get travel ideas, and there's no shortage of fun things to do. After long discussion we have a plan to propose, built 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.

It's time to put together the new travel plan with your input and then head off for new adventures!

Here's our current thinking on major road trips:

April 2018 or 2019: Bloemencorso Bollenstreek (Netherlands)

Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is a huge flower parade taking place every spring in the Netherlands, not far from Amsterdam.  The parade features elaborate floats decorated with bulb flowers (tulips, daffodils, etc.) and is a major event. See poll above to add your thoughts on making this trip.

Date TBD: Alaska Cruise

In the aftermath of our Bahamas cruise in 2012 we get lots of other "cruise" suggestions, with Alaska being among the most popular.We would look at a departure just after Rose Festival, before the rates climb to the stratosphere. This would be an Inside Passage trip, probably departing from and returning to Seattle. Typical itineraries on these trips include port stops at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, plus one or more days of cruising in Glacier Bay National Park. Plus whales, mountains, lots of gorgeous … you get the idea. The major problem with an Alaska trip is that there are no good existing events to target (the largest we can find is the July Fourth Parade in Juneau) and it would be challenging to coordinate a cruise schedule with events taking place in the ports. This would have to be another "invent your own venue" kind of trip, much like the Bahamas, which takes more work and probably results in smallish crowds. Estimated logistics: 7 nights, $1200-1400 per person (which includes food and all the usual cruise ship amenities)

DATE TBD: Kentucky Derby

On the first Saturday in May, "the most exciting two minutes in sports" takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Two days before the Derby the Pegasus Parade rolls 1.7 miles through the streets of Louisville with giant helium balloons of recognized characters, spectacular floats, marching bands, equestrian units, local and national celebrities (previous Grand Marshals include William Shatner, Gladys Knight, Muhammad Ali, Chubby Checker, Mickey Mouse, and Cyndi Lauper), and exciting performance groups. We would probably NOT attend the actual Derby; general admission in the infield is $75-$100 (and you can't see the race), with grandstand seating in the multiple hundreds of dollars. But other local attractions include the Great Steamboat Race, a full slate of Festival events, and tours of the Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat Factory/Museum. We'd also probably arrange a "touring" day through the Bourbon Trail, My Old Kentucky Home, and (maybe) Lincoln's Birthplace in Hodgenville. Yet another possibility would be to make the 90 minute drive to Cincinnati for a performance along the Ohio River, a Cincinnati Reds game, or a visit to Kings Island amusement park. Estimate 4 nights, $1000 per person.

Date TBD: Hawaii

Another perennial request. The most likely opportunity would be the Honolulu Festival Parade of Bands in March. The parade, which draws some 40,000 viewers, is currently considered the best parade in the state. There is a band and orchestra festival the same weekend, but that seems more geared to concert band performances. Overall, we think Hawaii is a great vacation destination but only a so-so target for a band trip. Nonetheless, we'll keep an eye out because you never know when we'll find just the right thing! Estimate 4 nights, $900-$1100 per person.

Date TBD: Cultural Tour of Cuba

We love the idea of a cultural barnstorming tour through Cuba, but it's still a little too soon for us to consider it - not enough flights, not enough rooms, too hard to execute. But we're gonna keep an eye on this one. Estimate 6 nights, $2000 per person.

Date TBD: McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade (Chicago)

We receive multiple solicitations for the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago each year, so our odds of getting in would probably be okay. Pluses: Major city, major parade, giant balloons, nationwide TV coverage on WGN, new area of country for us, holiday shopping along the Miracle Mile. Minuses: Chicago in November .... Estimate 3 nights at $950.

Date TBD: Village Halloween Parade (New York City)

Hundreds of giant puppets, more than 50 bands with music from around the world, thousands of New Yorkers in costumes of their own creation - sounds pretty wild, huh? And October would undoubtedly be warmer than, oh, the Macy's Parade in November. (Speaking of which: We think we would have to signficantly grow the band to even consider applying for Macy's, and we'd also have to be much "spiffier" in our uniforms and routines.) Anyway - Halloween in Greenwich Village could be fun! Estimate 3 nights at $1000-1100; would probably offer optional extensions.

Other "Big Ideas"

There are plenty of other ideas floating around, including a return to China (for example, the Luoyang Peony Festival with a side trip to see the Terracotta Warriors of X'ian), a return to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, etc. Both Bristol, Rhode Island and the Calgary Stampede have told us we'd be welcome back. The Board plans to work through some of these ideas and we also plan to survey our band associates to see what sounds popular and then put together a plan.

Regional Trips and Mini-Trips

Besides our annual "big road trip", we want to make a conscious effort to broaden our reach in regional events. This will certainly include day trips, but we'd also love to add roughly one "mini-trip" 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 cost in the range of $200-$350. Examples of mini-trips that we've done include the Wenatchee Appleblossom Festival, Pendleton Round-Up, Medford Pear Blossom Festival, White Rock (BC) Sea Festival, and Rogers Santa Claus Parade (Vancouver, BC).

New ideas that we're considering include:

• Cherry Blossom (The Dalles, OR) - day trip
• Boatnik Festival (Grants Pass, OR)
• Lilac Festival (Spokane, WA) - nation's largest Torchlight parade on Armed Forces Day
• Leavenworth, WA autumn tour (day trip)
• Christmas Festival (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
• Hyack International Parade (New Westminster, BC)