Please read if you have a comcast.net email address

I continue to have issues sending TBGO email to Comcast email users. Delivery may be delayed or refused, and I cannot predict what will work and what won't. Evidently, Comcast is convinced that TBGO email is spam.

If you haven't been receiving email from me, I have a couple of suggestions:

• Complain to Comcast. I can't find a way to do this, but you may have better luck as a customer.
• I recommend that you obtain a free gmail account and set it to forward mail automatically to your Comcast email. Then let me know your new gmail account and I'll add it to the outgoing email lists. Evidence so far suggests this works okay.

Recruiting fliers:   As shown at the recent full band meeting, the Recruiting Committee has created two new page-size PDFs for you to use to help build the band. One is a "general" flier, the other uses the 2026 Liverpool trip as a recruiting incentive. Feel free to print and hand out to friends, post on bulletin boards, etc.

In addition to the page-size PDFs, there are two smaller (1080x1080) images: a GIF and a PNG. The PNG is static, the GIF animates the band's URL. Both are a nice size for posting to your social media accounts.

Click the images below to open the fliers. You can also right-click the images and choose Save Link As to download to your device.

PDF - general full page	PDF - Liverpool full page	GIF - small	PNG - small

Pacific City Dory Days — originally known as the Dory Derbies — was started in 1959 by Paul Hanneman, who from 1965 to 1990 served in the Oregon House of Representatives and famously sponsored Oregon's landmark "bottle bill." As communities across Oregon celebrated the state's centennial in 1959, Hanneman thought Pacific City should have something of its own to celebrate it's unique local history. Thus a legend was born. This is TBGO's second visit to the event and to Pacific City!

This year's theme is "Christmas in July". With that in mind I've CHANGED a couple of parade tunes and standstill tunes to Santa Baby and Frosty the Snowman. Section reps, consider bringing an extra copy or two in case someone doesn't get the word. Holiday decorating is also encouraged (although Santa hats may be too hot!).

Plan of the Day:   We meet at the staging area near the Tillamook County Boat Landing. In the staging area we'll use the Christmas tunes as a warmup. The 1 mile parade steps off at 11 am and crosses the Nestucca River as it heads into downtown. Following the parade we regroup and head for the Kiawanda Community Center where we'll do a 45 minute show at the Dory Days Fish Fry. Afterwards you can stick around for some fish yourself and the history exhibit Launching through the Surf: The Dory Fleet of Pacific City.

Uniform:   INFORMAL uniform: TBGO polo shirt, TBGO hat, black SHORTS/belt, WHITE socks, WHITE shoes. "Christmas in July" decoraging is encouraged!

Minor Participation Event:   Dory Days has been designated as a Minor Participation Event for 2025. If you would like to sponsor a child in this event, please read the Guidelines for Minor Children Performing With the Band to understand TBGO's policy and your responsibilities. Be sure to complete and sign the Adult Sponsor Acknowledgment and Hold Harmless Agreement on page 3 of the policy and return it to Jenny Krems (jenny@tbgo.org) well in advance of the event. The minor's uniform for this event is the same as the TBGO Informal Uniform (above), or you may substitute one of the old TBGO t-shirts (with the marching band on front and back) or a relatively solid color purple t-shirt. TBGO cap for child is optional but recommended. Contact janet@tbgo.org if you need uniform parts.

Parking and Getting Around:   It looks like it's going to be awkward getting from place to place throughout the day. There are three primary options for parking:

1. Park at Bob Straub State Park and walk to the staging area at the Tillamook County Boat Landing (roughly 0.25 miles; see Parking and Staging map). This is the recommendation from the organizers as there is little to no parking at the Boat Landing where the parade stages.
2. Park at the END of the parade route and walk to the staging area at the Boat Landing. See the Parking at End of Parade Route Map for suggestions from the organizers about potential locations. If you park at the end of the parade, the organizers also recommended the best way to return to the Kiawanda Community Center and/or Bob Straub area (see Return Route Map): “This route will take you with the flow of traffic and is about 6 miles roundtrip. If you want to play around with google maps here are the key locations of the Return Route (Chesters Grocery Store, Woods County Campground, Town Lake, Thousand Trails, Pacific City Beach, Kiawanda Community Center).”
3. Park at the Kiawanda Community Center (standstill location) and walk to the staging area at the Tillamook County Boat Landing (roughly 0.5 miles; see Parade Route map). If you arrive early enough, you can take advantage of the Pancake Breakfast at the Community Center($8).

The parade route is linear (i.e., not a loop), so the parade finishes 1.25 miles from Bob Straub and about 0.7 miles from Kiawanda Community Center. One new thing that should help: the local trolley will go through the parade either right before or right after the band and will take as many people as will fit to the Community Center. We should prioritize oversize instruments.

I definitely recommend carpooling if possible; use the TBGO Trip Board to seek or offer a ride.

Additional Hints from Chris Marchi (tuba):   Note: These are from 2024. I'm going to miss the parade in part because I just got back from Pacific City. I took some time yesterday to scout out the parade route and parking:

Good news is the route is mostly flat. Small elevation change, but it will be mostly downhill (until you walk back).

Parking is going to be hard! There is NO on street parking at the start and minimal at the end of the parade route. The biggest lot is the one at the start (the boat launch). I'm guessing 50ish spaces and I thought there were some porta pots. (Steve's note: But these spots will be taken up by parade staging!) Next two spots would be the community center with 40ish spots and Bob Straub State park with another 40ish spots. The State park is 0.25 miles down the street from the assembly area. The community center is a 0.5 mile walk to the assembly area, but no walk after the standstill. There are also some (5 to 10) beach access spots halfway between the community center and the assembly area, intersection of Sunset and Cape Kawanda, but they have a fee (don't know how much).

Parking at the end of the parade is tighter. The thrift store only has 5 spots, the library has 10 and there is supposed to be an art fair at the Doryman's lot. There may be a little on street parking on side streets, but it's hard to tell (narrow streets with no sidewalks). (Steve's note: We did get the map with some suggestions.)

Parking at the free lot by Pelican Brewing is ~1.5 miles away from the assembly area (1 mile from the community center), but you can walk back to your car along the beach. There is an overflow lot one block south of Pelican on the other side of the street (fee parking again). Currently the free lot is partially blocked by construction.

I don't know if anybody in the band flies, but there is a small airfield in the middle of the parade route (on the right, 100' after the bridge).

Meet:   At 10:00 am at the parade staging area at the Tillamook County Boat Landing (Click here for Google map and directions.) If you are carpooling, you may want to drop passengers and/or gear at the boat landing before parking at Bob Straub.

If you arrive early, please check in with the organizers at the staging area to secure our spot in the parade.

Parade: The parade steps off at 11 am and is about 1 mile long (see parade route map). Note that it is NOT a loop.

Standstill: Our standstill is at the Kiawanda Community Center, 34600 Cape Kiwanda Dr. (If you look them up online, it shows Cloverdale, OR as the city.) Our planned start for the standstill is 1 PM, so head that way after the parade. This will be an OUTDOOR show.

Parade Music:  Note Christmas music changes

1. Santa Baby
2. Fireball
3. Frosty the Snowman
4. Uptown Funk

Standstill Music: Note Christmas music changes

Under Pressure

Five O'Clock World

Faith

I'm Shipping Up to Boston

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark

Bang Bang

Light My Fire

Dancing in the Street

Happy

No Roots

We Like to Party

Santa Baby

Frosty the Snowman

Fireball

Venus

Hot Stuff

Sweet Caroline

We Got the Beat

Event Summary

The TBGO Marching Band is headed up the Columbia River to be a part of the 2025 Water Follies Apollo Columbia Cup & STCU Over-the River Air Show. In addition, we will be part of Art in the Park taking place right long the Columbia River at Richland's Howard Amon Park. This is the perfect event for those of you in the TBGO Marching Band that no longer march, but are still doing standstill concerts as that is what this away trip is all about. We will have a concert each for Art in the Park and for the 60th Annual Apollo hydroplane races, plus the Over-The-Water Air Show. Again, this will not be a parade event, but two easy standstill concerts in each of Howard Amon Park in Richland for Art in the Park and the Columbia Park at next door Kennewick for the Columbia Cup Hydroplane races and air show. This is a great time to be in this part of the Pacific NW with temperatures in the low 90's and breezy all alongside the Mighty Columbia River.

Hotel

Our home-away-from-home for this trip is the Holiday Inn Richland on the River (802 George Washington Way, Richland, WA 99352). It's the perfect hotel for this trip; our hotel overlooks the Columbia River and you step right out onto the walking paths of Howard Amon Park. Plenty of large trees for shade and yet all walkable to many shops and restaurants from our hotel.

Brief Trip Itinerary
Date	What's Up?
July 25, 2025	MEET OUR MOTORCOACHES: at 730 am in the rear parking lot of Lyft Fitness Gym (23500 SE Stark St, Gresham) (map and directions). Our motorcoaches depart at 800 am. Arrive at Lewis & Clark Festival Park @ 925 am for our rest stop/coffee stop @ The Dalles with coffee/water/juice and pastry/donuts included. We depart The Dalles @ 1015 am to arrive at the Holiday Inn Richland on the River @ 130 pm. Later in the afternoon we walk next door to our standstill show in Howard Amon Park (time TBA). What is so nice is you literally walk out the back door of our hotel and it empties right into the park. Art in the Park is open 800 am – 600 pm. It's the Biggest Art Festival in Eastern Washington and Northern Oregon with over 300 artists and live music events, gourmet food and just so much more. Try the outdoor pool and hot tub at our hotel. The food opportunities are plentiful, plus enjoy the local area Eastern Washington wines. Holiday Inn Richland on the River – 2 Nights with daily breakfast
July 26, 2025	Depart from our hotel by motorcoach to nearby Columbia Park in Kennewick @ 830 am for the Apollo & STCU Water Follies (hydroplane races) and Over-the-water Air Show at Columbia Park. We'll also play our second standstill concert (time TBA). We come back to our hotel near 530 pm.
July 27, 2025	We depart the hotel at 900 am by motor coach, arriving in The Dalles for our rest stop at 1130 am. We roll out of The Dalles

Lyft Fitness Gym Gresham.

Pricing

Full Package includes:

• Round trip motor coach transportation from Gresham to Tri-Cities, WA with driver gratuity.
• Coffee stop at The Dalles with coffee/water/juice along with pastry/donuts.
• Holiday Inn Richland on the River – 2 Nights with breakfast & tax. Rooms are either King or 2-Queen beds in the room.
• All ground transfers round trip.

Self-Drive Package includes:

• Holiday Inn Richland on the River – 2 Nights with breakfast & tax. Rooms are either King or 2-Queen beds in the room.
• Tri-Cities ground transfers.

Early Booking Discount

The TBGO Board has approved an Early Booking Discount (EBD) of $50.00, available to all TBGO band associates (musicians, auxiliary unit members, and support staff) who have performed or expect to perform regularly with the band and sign up for the Tri-Cities trip by April 28, 2025. 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.

Travel Assistance Program

TBGO is not offering Travel Assistance Program (TAP) awards for this trip.

Travel Insurance

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. Your premium is based on your age (younger = lower premium) and cost of the trip (lower trip cost = lower premium). Tom will be happy to get you a customized quote for your situation.

You will be offered an opportunity to purchase travel insurance when filling out the Survey Monkey sign-up for the trip.

SIGNUP SURVEY

Event summary:   Who's ready for a little winter sunshine and warmth? The 33rd Annual Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade takes place in downtown Palm Springs on Saturday evening December 6, 2025. With nearly 25 marching bands, signature floats adorned in thousands of colorful holiday lights, huge Macy's-style balloons, and 100,000 spectators lining the 1.5 mile route, the parade has been voted one of the Top Ten Holiday Parades in the country. It's televised on NBC Palm Springs KMIR and is live-streamed on Facebook and on nbcpalmsprings.com beginning at 6 pm on parade day. 2025 Grand Marshals include Dave Karger (host of Turner Classic Movies), hockey legend Grant Fuhr, Matt Sorum (Guns 'N Roses drummer), Miss California Kimberly Vernon, and Nancy Sinatra. The parade is managed by our good friend Ray Pulver from the San Francisco Italian Festival Parade.

The parade step off at the intersection of Palm Canyon Drive & Ramon Rd. and travels north on the main drag thru all the shops and restaurants of the downtown area, ending at Tachevah Rd (no turns!).

In addition to plenty of free time to enjoy the sunshine and local attractions, we've planned a half-day visit to Joshua Tree National Park and Pioneertown. The latter is an 1880s-themed town developed by Dick Curtis, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, and others as a living and breathing western town movie set for actors working on Western films and TV series.

Hotel:   Our home-away-from-home for this trip is the Courtyard by Marriott Palm Springs. The hotel is about 1.3 mile east of downtown. Besides walking, you can get around by Uber or the Sun Line City bus which goes right past the hotel (10-ride pass available for $10 or $5 for seniors).

Air Travel:   We'll be using Alaska Airlines for non-stop flights between PDX and PSP.

Brief Trip Itinerary
Date	What's Up?
Fri December 5, 2025	Depart PDX on Alaska Airlines non-stop @ 240 pm to arrive PSP @ 500 pm. Upon arrival we transfer by chartered motor coach to our hotel, about 15 minutes away. Dinner on your own. Courtyard by Marriott Palm Springs – 3 Nights with daily breakfast
Sat December 6, 2025	Free day to enjoy this tourist town right up to about 300 pm. We depart our hotel by 400 pm for the staging area of the parade. Parade steps off @ 545 pm at the intersection of Palm Canyon Drive & Ramon Road and ends by 800 pm at Palm Canyon Drive & Tachevah Rd. with transfer back to our hotel.
Sun December 7, 2025	Motor coach tour departs our hotel @ 800 am for 1-hour drive going East to Joshua Tree National Park. We will have a step-on guide who will share the story of the unique rock formations in this area as we will have come from the Low Desert to the High Desert with elevation of 5185 feet above sea level. The Park is special for its unique landscape, featuring iconic Joshua trees, world-class rock climbing, stunning desert vistas, and a rich diversity of plants and animals -- so much to take in and learn about the geology and rich cowboy history of the area. We will also take time to visit Pioneertown, a movie set town that was built in 1946 for the movie industry in the 40's and 50's. Return to your hotel by 100 pm for lunch on your own. The rest of the day is free.
Mon December 8, 2025	Free morning to check-out as we will have a place to store our luggage until we depart by 330 pm for the PSP Airport. Places to take in on your free time include Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs Air Museum, Coachella Valley History Museum, Cabot's Pueblo Museum, Museum of Ancient Wonders, General Patton's Memorial Museum, Agua Calliente Cultural Museum, Palm Springs Tram, food experiences, shopping, and so much more. Depart PSP on Alaska Airlines non-stop @ 600 pm to arrive PDX @ 828 pm.

Approximate Pricing:   Pricing is not final yet, but this is close. We'll also have land-only pricing for those who wish to make other travel arrangements. The Board has not yet considered offering an Early Booking Discount.

Pricing shown includes:

• Round trip group airfare Portland/Palm Springs via Alaska Airlines.
• Courtyard by Marriott Palm Springs - 3 nights with breakfast & tax for King beds or rooms with Queen/Queen beds.
• All transfers from airport/hotel round trip, parade transfers.
• Joshua Tree National Park Tour (5) hours with step on guide.

INTEREST POLL:   A poll is available to gauge everyone's interest in and price sensitivity for the Palm Springs Festival of Lights trip so that we have a better idea of what to expect and how to plan. The poll asks how likely you are to make the trip under various price scenarios. The poll is advisory; you are not yet signing up for the trip.

 

 

Palm Springs Parade Route

 

Palm Springs Area Map

Event summary:   The inaugural Liverpool WaVeS International Music and Marching Band Festival, held on July 6th and 7th, 2024, showcased "a vibrant array of musical talent from both the UK and the USA". The festival featured a diverse lineup of performers, including marching bands, orchestras, jazz ensembles, choirs, and dance groups, all contributing to a multicultural celebration of music. The event featured performances on the Liverpool ONE Stage as well as two short (roughly 0.5 mi) parades. Click here for more about the events and performers in the 2024 programme (yep, British spelling).

TBGO has been invited to Liverpool for the 2026 WAVES Festival and of course we'll add some "Beatles Tourism". The trip departs June 29, 2026 and returns to the U.S. on July 9, 2026 with 6 nights in Liverpool and 3 nights in London. Click here for the PDF version of the itinerary; an abbreviated itinerary is shown below;

Tom is also offering an optional Irish Experience trip extension beginning July 9, 2026 and running through July 20, 2026. Click here for more information about the Irish Experience extension.

Brief Trip Itinerary
Date	What's Up?
June 29, 2026	Fly from PDX to London Heathrow on British Airways with BA connection to Manchester (there is no BA air service into Liverpool).
June 30, 2026	Arrive in Manchester with meet/greet and charter coach to Liverpool (45 minutes). Arrival is early evening in time for dinner and bed. Liverpool hotel: Mercure Atlantic Tower - 6 nights
July 1, 2026	Magical Mystery Tour including the Cavern Club (private). Visit Beatles sites, including the Strawberry Fields, Beatles homes (exterior), Penny Lane, etc.
July 2, 2026	Full day excursion to the famous and beautiful Lake District, home to many famous English writers. Lunch is included.
July 3, 2026	"Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" cruise this morning with free time to explore/shop before our afternoon visit to a local school for performance in conjunction with the WaVeS Festival.
July 4, 2026	Liverpool WaVeS International Music and Marching Band Festival. We have a short (0.5 mile) parade that includes "stop and play" within the parade. This evening there will be a Mersey Music event celebration with all the WaVeS participants featuring a local band and dinner.
July 5, 2026	Liverpool WaVeS International Music and Marching Band Festival. Again, we have a short (0.5 mile) parade that includes "stop and play" within the parade.
July 6, 2026	Morning travel by High-Speed Rail Liverpool to London. Upon arrival in London we will go to Covent Gardens (old-time shopping experience) for lunch on your own. In the afternoon, we have a guided visit to the Tower of London and Thames River Sightseeing Cruise (Tower Pier to Westminster). London hotel: Holiday Inn Kensington – 3 Nights
July 7, 2026	Panoramic guided Londone sightseeing tour in the morning, including visit to St. Paul's Cathedral. Afternoon free to explore.
July 8, 2026	This morning there will be a guided Beatles-themed tour, including a visit to Abbey Road and other sites of interest. Afternoon free to explore.
July 9, 2026	Day of departure to fly back to PDX non-stop from London Heathrow vis British Airways. Alternatively, continue in the UK / Europe on our own or join the Irish Extension for 11 days in Ireland.

Liverpool / London Ground Package

Liverpool / London Ground Package Pricing:   The Liverpool / London Ground Package is offered as "all or nothing" and will not be altered. Price for the ground portion of the trip varies depending on how many travelers we have as shown in the table below. Because European hotels generally do not have rooms with two Queen Beds, Triple and Quad rooms are not available for this trip. Note that prices below DO NOT INCLUDE AIRFARE.

Estimated airfare Portland/Manchester with return London/Portland via British Airways is $1100. When you sign up for the trip you can indicate whether you want to purchase the group air travel flights or would prefer to make your own air arrangements.

Liverpool WaVeS Ground Package Pricing includes:

• 9 nights hotel accomodation (4 star)
• Breakfasts daily at hotel, 1 lunch, 1 dinner (Mersey Music Evening)
• Instrument storage rooms at hotels
• Coach transportation for the outlined itinerary
• Gratuities to driver and guides
• Train travel from Liverpool to London (one way - standard class)
• Entrances to Beatles Story, Strawberry Fields, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral
• Lake District lake cruise Bowness to Ambleside
• Magical Mystery Tour (Liverpool)
• Ferry across the Mersey boat trip
• Thames cruise Tower Pier to Westminster
• Panoramic hslf day tour of London
• Celebration of Mersey Music evening show with dinner
• Local guides for included sightseeing tours
• Liverpool WaVeS Festival fee and administrative costs
• Local taxes and service charges on included items

Not included:

• Items of a personal nature
• Meals other than those listed
• Airfare
• Travel insurance
• British ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is required ($13 per person)

Liverpool / London Group Air Travel

Firm air travel pricing is not yet available since our travel dates are too far in the future. Estimated Economy Class airfare Portland/Manchester with return London/Portland via British Airways is $1100. When you sign up for the trip you'll indicate whether you want to purchase the group air travel flights or prefer to make your own air travel arrangements.

Air Travel Classes on British Airways:

• Economy (World Traveller) - packed with all the comfort and benefits you expect from British Airways at an affordable price.
• Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) - with fewer rows, the cabin is quieter, more spacious, and more exclusive than World Traveller.
• Business Class (Club World) - Imagine your favourite armchair, your bed, your dining table, and your office, all in one. Club World seats are designed for relaxing, sleeping, or getting work done, with plenty of space and privacy.
• First Class - BA's most luxurious way to experience flight. From your own stylish suite, to exclusive access to lounges, fast-track security, and excellent service, it's the finest way to travel.

If you choose to purchase the group air flights, you'll be asked for your preferred air travel class. See this link for additional information.

Trusted Traveler Programs: If you have a Known Traveler Number (KTN), please provide it. If you have Global Entry, please provide your 9 digit PASS ID. (There will be a place for these during signup.)

Frequent Flyer Number: If you have an American Airlines or Alaska Airlines frequent flyer number, please provide it during signup (there will be a slot for it).

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

Make Your Own International Air Arrangements If You Prefer

If you prefer, you can choose to reserve the Ground Package and 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.

Please be aware that airport and hotel transfers described throughout the itineraries for both the Liverpool / London Ground Package and the Irish Experience Extension will be based upon the flight on which the majority of the group is traveling. If you book your own air travel using other flight times and/or dates, you are responsible for providing your own transportation to and from the hotel.

Optional Irish Experience

As noted earlier, Tom is offering an optional Irish Experience itinerary to extend your trip. The extension begins on July 9, 2026 and continues through July 20,2026. The tour offers a wonderful blend of historical landmarks, rich cultural experiences, and breathtaking natural scenery. You'll find the people of Ireland to be especially warm and welcoming, with a special "meet the people" opportunity included. Here's Tom's quick overview of the tour:

"Besides the outstanding scenery of Ireland (everything is so vivid green everywhere you go), this tour will have built into it plenty of culture and people-to-people experiences, especially when we meet up with Dr. Derek Mulchay (Mr. Band in Ireland), who is the present day director of the St. Mary's Drum & Fife Band from Limerick. He will be our walking tour guide while in Limerick. We will have the opportunity to visit their band room and if we have enough voices we will look towards a joint concert or performance. But the great part is going out to dinner with Derek and some of his members for dinner. We truly will come away with a great picture and overview of Ireland, including Northern Ireland (Britain) what with our visit to the Titanic Exhibition & Museum in Belfast, plus our visit to the walled city of Derry and the UNESCO site at the Giants Causeway. We finish up in Dublin with some great visits there with city tour, Dublin Castle, Trinity College with the Book of Kells, Irish dinner and to top if off with a live performance of Riverdance at the Gaity Theatre."

Click here for a PDF with the details and full itinerary of the Irish Experience itinerary.

Irish Experience pricing: Ground package price for the Irish Experience Ground Package is shown below. In addition to the ground package cost, the total trip airfare is expected to be about $300 higher.

Early Booking Discount

Early signups help us block the right amount of hotel space and airline seats. To that end, an Early Booking Discount (EBD) of $400.00 is available to all TBGO band associates (musicians, auxiliary unit members, and support staff) who purchase the Liverpool / London Ground Package and have performed regularly with the band. We're also delighted to welcome new performers to join TBGO for this trip; the EBD is available to new band associates who join TBGO now and play with the band regularly throughout the 2025-2026 seasons. We especially urge EBD recipients to plan to join the band on one or more days at the Oregon State Fair; it's our single largest paying client and we need EVERYONE to help out to make it work!

To be eligible for the EBD, you must sign up for the Liverpool / London Ground Package via the Survey Monkey signup (with or without the Irish Experience Extension) by 11:59 PM PDT JULY 15, 2025. 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.

Festival Fee Rebate

The WaVeS Festival has expenses (including the Mersey Music event and dinner) that attendees help defray via a Festival Fee of $232 per person. As shown in the package description above, this Festival Fee is already baked into the price of the Liverpool / London Ground Package. We have a handful of people who are interested in joining the band in Liverpool but who are not purchasing the Liverpool / London Ground Package. Attendees who fall into this category still owe the Festival Fee. To repeat and to be clear: this applies only to people who do not sign up for the Ground Package but are joining and performing with the band in Liverpool.

For people who fall into this category, the Board has elected to rebate the Festival Fee in lieu of the Early Booking Discount they would otherwise be eligible for. A Festival Fee Rebate (FFR) of $232.00 is available to all TBGO band associates (musicians, auxiliary unit members, and support staff) who have performed regularly with the band and fall into this category. We're also delighted to welcome new performers to join TBGO for this trip; the FFR is available to new band associates who join TBGO now and play with the band regularly throughout the 2025-2026 seasons.

To be eligible for the FFR, you must sign up for the Liverpool / London Ground Package via the Survey Monkey signup by 11:59 PM PDT JULY 15, 2025. The EBD will be applied at the time of your final trip payment.

The Festival Fee Rebate is not available to friends and family traveling with the band.

Travel Assistance Program

TBGO is not offering Travel Assistance Program (TAP) awards for this trip.

Passports - IMPORTANT

A VALID U.S. PASSPORT is required for travel. You may NOT use a U.S. Passport Card, birth certificate, or similar documentation -- a Passport is required. 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 PLANE -- 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 because you may have different visa requirements.

Electronic Travel Authorization

A British Electronic Travel Authorization ($13) is reqquired, but it's too early to obtain it. We'll provide addtional information for you at the appropriate time. YOU WILL NEED TO APPLY ONLINE FOR YOUR ETA AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME; TOM IS NOT OBTAINING ETAs FOR THIS TRIP.

Deciding Whether to Book This Trip

It's important that you be in reasonably good health to handle the demands of this trip. You must be able to get on/off the motor coaches in reasonable fashion and there will be some walking. 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 through airports is yet another area to consider since it entails getting through security and walking long distances to immigration and flight gates. Being aware of these expectations and your limitations, and then making thoughtful choices will ensure that we can provide a great experience for everyone.

Requesting Travel Modifications

As noted earlier, the Ground Package is "all or nothing" and will not be altered. However, if you want to arrive early, stay longer, or visit additional places, Tom can work with you on your ideal trip.

If you'd like to explore changes in the trip, please contact Tom Higham Travel (tom-higham@comcast.net). He'll arrange an in-person meeting with you to learn about and discuss your travel ideas.

Travel Insurance

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. Another reason for having travel coverage is that many countries around the world that have socialized medicine don't want to be stuck with medical costs you may have accrued and don't have the means to pay for it. Yet another reason is that Medicare does not cover you outside the USA.

IMPORTANT: To be sure you are fully covered, especially for pre-existing reasons, 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. Your premium is based on your age (younger = lower premium) and cost of the trip (lower trip cost = lower premium). Tom will be happy to get you a customized quote for your situation.

Let's Go!!! Liverpool Trip Signup

Use the link below to sign up for the Liverpool / London WaVeS Festival trip. Options are available both for those purchasing the Ground Package and for those making all their own travel arrangemente but performing with the band in Liverpool. This is the Final Signup; it commits you to making the trip. ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

You will need to know the following:

• Whether you wish to purchase the Liverpool / London Ground, along with what type of room (Single, Double).
• If reserving a Double room, optionally supply the name of your preferred roommate.
• Whether you wish to purchase the corresponding Group Air Package or will make our own air travel arrangements.
• If you are plan to purchase the Air Package: Class of service (Economy, Premium Economy, Business, or First Class); Alaska Airlines or American Airlines frequent flyer number (if any); Known Traveler Number (KTN) or Global Entry PASS ID if you have (if any); dietary requests for airplane meals.
• Payment Information - Credit Card info if you wish to pay by credit card, or you can contact Tom directly
• Passport information: Name EXACTLY as shown on Passport, Passport Number, Date of Birth. If you do not have a passport or your passport is not current, you may supply this information later on.
• Whether you want Travel Insurance

Long-Term Travel Plans

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 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.

Click the cover slide at right for a video of the Zoom meeting presentation (runs 45:27).
Click the cover slide at right to download a self-running slide show with details of the plan and its trips. It may take a bit for the presentation to download since it's large (114 MB). Launch after it downloads and you can then advance through it using mouse, space bar, enter key, arrow keys, etc.
Click the cover slide at right for a PDF of the presentation. It loses the lovely animations and transitions, but you get all the text.
Click the grid at right for a one-page PDF summary of the plan.