Attention Everyone Who Reads This Thread!~~

The Shrinkin' Violets are planning a meet and we cordially invite you to attend!

When: Fri., May 16 - Mon., May 19

Where: Deep Creek Lake, in Western Maryland

Who: Anyone who'd like to come!!

What: Talking, drinking, spa treatments, talking, photo ops, not much sleeping, bonding, drinking, talking, fun, surprises... and more!

RSVP: ASAP to mdrai

For those who will be flying in to the Washington, DC, area... you have 3 choices for airports: BWI (outside Baltimore), Dulles (in Virginia), and Reagan National (in DC). I've listed these in order from best to worst... so try to get into BWI! You'll want your flight to ARRIVE on FRI, MAY 16, in the MORNING (by 11am - Noon)! You'll want your flight to DEPART on MON., MAY 19, in the EVENING (after 6pm). Why? Because it's about 1 hour from the airport to my house (our staging area)... then approx. 3 hours to the Lake. Please try to coordinate flights, so efficient pick-up, drop off can be organized!

If anyone wants to fly in on Thurs., May 15 or out Tues., May 20, I'll be happy to pick you up @ the airport AND you may stay here at my home.

Questions? PM me or post them here.

Again -- EVERYONE IS INVITED! The more the merrier!

For this second round of "rsvp'ing", so far I have (in no particular order & sorry if I've missed someone!!)...

1. me

2. Jennifur

3. Terridoodle

4. Judy

5. Kat

6. Pam

7. TracyK

8. Laura

Never been to Atlantic City! I was trying to keep in mind several things at one time!! The biggest advantage to the gambling places, is multiple attractions, they usually have pretty affordable accomodations, and have transportation at hand.

The last time we went to Vegas as a group it ended up costing me less than $300.00 total! And I won over $800. on a nickel slot!! We booked far enough in advance to avoid the hiked up rate when the conventions booked, and spent under $75.00 for a 3 night stay...on the strip! Now they have some awesome deals going down on Freemont street, they are trying to revive the old Glitter Gultch stretch. The buffets are always affordable in casinos--even though we do not do justice to a buffet, they usually are cheap!!!

I agree that to try to schedule everyone in a narrow time frame in order to make a several hour drive---is going to be difficult. It would be nice to fly in, and grab a motel shuttle, or a cab---and be done!

The only time I was in Phoenix, I found it a lot like Denver! Keep in mind it was years ago, I had kids at home! We always did the same things on vacations---amusement parks, zoos, sporting events....Which is why we totally enjoyed Denver---they have professional sporting events year round!!! They also had 2 big amusement parks....funny car drag racing, figure 8 stockcar racing----all the things my DH and the kids flocked to! And my SIL was there, and she and I would shop and do whatever else!!! I had the same arrangement in Phoenix, we had friends living there, so never had to gain knowledge in how expensive the motels etc were!

I have never been to Chicago, or anywhere in Florida, or Tennessee....or many of the places suggested, so I am in for any of it!!!

That's the thing with kids, for years you plan vacations they will love (thinking of Michelle!) and then when they move out on their own, you plan vacations to go see them!!!

Of course Manda spent 4 years in Hawaii, so that was a hard vacation to take!!! Glad they are all within a few miles now! Would hate having to chase down my grandbabies!!!

Kat

Check out this place in Colorado ... in Manitou Springs at the base of Pike's Peak....there's so much to do there! 20 mins away from Colorado Springs and 2 hrs away from Denver.

Colorado Springs - Manitou Springs Bed Breakfast Lodging Pikes Peak CO

I've been to Manitou Springs and didn't want to leave!!!

I go to Canon City to my fill Dr. Not too sure we wouldn't run into similar problems though with lack of a decent size airport to fly into, closer than DIA. Back when we were battling with Ricks ex---to fly in and out of Co. Springs or Pueblo was almost twice as expensive as out of Denver---but then you have the drive---and car rentals expense as well as meeting up with people in order to do it affordably.

But don't ya know it would be an acheivement to come back to LBT and say the Violets hiked Pike's Peak!!!!

Kat

Hike? ROFLMAO!!

By the way, the last post was meant with much love & laughter.....

OK, I will admit hike is a relative term. There is a paved road you can drive up, and WELL maintained trails!!!! There is not searching for foot holds!!! Would not be surprised by now to find handrails all the way up!!!!

But for now I gotta go mop up my tears---Tracy is laughin' at me!!!!

Kat

Ok, then........how about Vegas.......or back to Tunica??

[Edit]

I just did a comparison of Vegas and Atlantic City.... AC was twice the cost ($603 vs $1150) for me. That would knock me out of the trip.

How about the largest Ball of Twine! If we take our picture under it...we will all look SOOO small. LOL

I like the place Terry suggested, except the rooms look a bit romantic. INCERT JOKES HERE.:eek:

Wow!!! I had no idea it would hit that hard on the pocket!!! Then it would me too--I have at least that far to go too...

I laughed out loud seriously at the flower wrapped bed posts. Rick works with this guy Eric, he is a former pro football player, did several years with the 49ers. We ran into his wife at the day after Thanksgiving sales, and she told us she hit a slot at the casino the day before and won like 3K, and went that morning and bought a new canopy bed set. So the guys at work razzed him to no end, and for Christmas they gave him a box with flower swags for the bed posts!!! Yeah a bit flowery for this Comfort Inn girl!!!!

One time 2 girlfriends and I took off with a total of 7 kids, and we went to Phoenix, then to California, did the Disneyland/Universal/SanDiego Zoo thing, went over to Tijuana, then back through Vegas,(where we met up with my future son in law at the time. We had to wait for him to do a news clip, the plane he come in on, almost crashed, landed without landing gear!!!) Then we hit the Grand Canyon on the way home. It was a great vacation! Took almost 2 weeks. Did fine, until about 80 miles from home, and we lost a Water pump on one of the vans we took. We ALL piled into one van and made it home to get parts! We had so much fun! Seems like it is time for another girls only vacation!!

But.....for me to consider it an option, it has to be financially do-able and over a thousand bucks aifare----it isn't.

Anyone ever been to Yellowstone---or Mount Rushmore?

Although again, airports are not plentiful.....

Bike Week sounds fun....but I really think my DH, who at this point in time owns 7 motorcycles not counting ATV's---would float me in on his river of tears at not going himself!!!

Kat

How about the largest Ball of Twine! If we take our picture under it...we will all look SOOO small. LOL

I like the place Terry suggested, except the rooms look a bit romantic. INCERT JOKES HERE.:eek:

You mean the place in Colorado? Yeah, but did you notice that each room has 2 beds...very unusual for a B&B!

You and Judy can have the flowerdy one.

If anyone needs me to do anything just let me know, I am pretty open, the only issue I have is money and that is already taken into consideration. I don't have computer access at work, but can make phone calls etc if needed.

Jane

OK, I will admit hike is a relative term. There is a paved road you can drive up, and WELL maintained trails!!!! There is not searching for foot holds!!! Would not be surprised by now to find handrails all the way up!!!!

But for now I gotta go mop up my tears---Tracy is laughin' at me!!!!

Kat

Well like I told the tour guide at a cave we went to, as long as the strecther can make it down there, I will try it!! LOL:biggrin:

So far what it looks like to me is that people want to be able to fly into wherever the final destination is, right? I for one would loathe a few hour (or more) plane trip than a few hours by car. It would kill almost an entire day just getting to where we wanna be!

Colorado or Vegas would be fun!

How about Mall of America?

SHOP, SHOP, SHOP, SHOP.