USS Ranger CV4 Reunion - Final Day!

Sunday, September 24th - today is the final day for the USS Ranger Reunion and what a day this would be!

We boarded the bus and headed east this time - towards the shore and my favorite sight in the world - the ocean!

We visited Hampton Beach, NH, Newburyport, NH, and Portsmouth, NH.  We had some time in Hampton to walk the beach a bit.  Even though it was a bit rainy and overcast, it was still beautiful being on the beach and taking in the salty air.  I love the beach any time of the year.  And in spite of the cool air, the sand was still warm and toasty under my feet.

Back on the bus, we headed for York and Cape Neddick, ME and the Nubble Light Lighthouse.  The view was breathtaking and we had ample time to walk around the point and take pictures of the lighthouse and the water.  After that we were off and running to our clam bake at Foster's Downeast Clambake in York Harbor, ME.

The clambake was held in a huge hall.  We all had bibs we could wear and there was music provided by a hale and hearty local musician.  They had service down to a fine art.  I had the vegetarian offering - eggplant parmesan.  It was very tasty.  We all had chowder (oops, sorry - chowdah) as well as steamed clams and mussles, boiled potatoes and onion, corn on the cob and of course our main entree - lobter, chicken or vegetarian.   Before dinner we all sang along to the music.  (that's Betty and her sister ready for their lobster!)

After dinner we got a bit rowdy - some of our group played tambourine and maracas with the band guy while others, like Priscilla and Ann (see photo), danced New Orleans style in the ailes.  We all had a great time!  It poured rain while we dined and then the sun came out for most of our trip back to New Hampshire.  We were going to stop for shopping but a thunderstorm and torrential downpours put an end to that.  Instead we did a drive by Point Walker and the Bush Compound.  To tell the truth, that was enough to make me gag and almost lose my lunch.  I am so not a fan of the Bush family.

It was a quiet ride back to the hotel - we all knew this was it - the end of another fabulous reunion.  We all had a wonderful time and now it was time to hug and bid adieu to those heading out that evening.  Monday morning we had the chance for more hugs as the rest of the group headed for home.  Dad and Ann and I barely got all our stuff in the van (I swear things multiply and honestly, I did not buy that much! :>)) and we headed home around 11AM.  On our way home we stopped in Easton, PA at the Olive Garden to celebrate Ann's birthday.  I got home to my sweet home and my kitties around 7PM.  It's good to be home, even better hearing the purrs of my Bert and Ernie, and I am filled with wonderful memories that I will treasure forever!

USS Ranger CV4 Reunion - Day Five

Day Five, Saturday, September 23rd - Today would normally be the last day of the reunion, but the reunion director, Steve, set things up a bit differently this year so we still have a lot to look forward to on this trip.

In the morning they had the Men's meeting, where they discuss reunion matters and determine where next year's reunion will be.  I've heard from an inside source, my Dad, that next year it will be in Covington, KY.  Also, this is the day the Ladies have their annual auction.  We all bring items to auction off - and everyone has an hour to mark the cards with their bids.  Sometimes the bidding wars can get very interesting!  I brought a huge shopping bag of goodies to auction off for the group.  The funds from the auction and the various raffles go back into the reunion coffers to help pay for setting up these great trips.

We all had the afternoon off - some people headed down to the local mall to shop or have lunch while others relaxed in their rooms or by the pool.  At 5:30 the photographer showed up to take the pictures for the Memory Book.  The hotel provided a cash bar, and at 6:30 we sat down to enjoy a wonderful buffet banquet.  A keyboardist played for us while we dined and then Don entertained us with his harmonica music.  Even the Mayor of Manchester was there to give the Rangers the Key to the City.  We got to visit and socialize with more new people who came in only for the banquet.  The food was delicious and the camaraderie was so enjoyable.   

As I mentioned earlier, usually this would be it - we would be saying our goodbyes and people would be starting to head home.  Ah, but no - there was one more wonderful day trip scheduled for Sunday.  On to Maine via the New Hampshire coast and a scrumptious clam bake and lobster feast!

USS Ranger CV4 Reunion - Day Four

Friday, September 22, 2006 we boarded the bus in the morning and headed north this time to Lake Winnipesaukee.  The last time I was by the lake was quite a few years ago on ski trip - the Lake was frozen and dotted with ice fishing houses - it was so charming and beautiful with the trees all frosty and snow on the ground.

Our first stop was the Wright's WWII Museum in Wolfeboro, NH.  This museum is unique in that it shows the home front during WWII - so there were dioramas of rooms in a typical home during that era.  Boy, did that take me back!  Reminded me so much of my Nana's house - the living room carpet they used and the chair in the room were exactly what my grandmother had in her living room.  The upright piano was exactly like the one I played on as a child.  It was interesting seeing the advertising from those days.  If you are ever in that area, I highly recommend checking it out.

After that, we boarded the bus for a wonderful treat - a train ride around Lake Winnipesaukee and a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner.  We boarded the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad in Meredith, NH.  The dinner was catered by Hart's Turkey Farm.  Thanksgiving is one of about 4 times a year that I eat turkey - and this dinner was scrumptious!  It included lots of turkey, baked to perfection, pureed squash, filling, rolls and butter, cranberry sauce, beverage and dessert.  The men serving us were long time residents of the area and their stories and anecdotes kept us laughing and amused for the entire trip. 

The lake is so beautiful.  Some folks were grabbing their last boating time on the lake - in a few weeks they'll be bringing their boats into dry dock for the winter.  I imagined spending a winter on the lake - would be an awesome place to write a book.  And yes, about half way through the trip, I did see a loon on the water!  What a treat!

On our way back to Manchester, we stopped at the Pepi Hermann Crystal Factory in Gilford, NH (I've skied at the Gunstock Cross Country Ski Center in Gilford many years ago - one of the areas finest).  I did buy myself a nice pair of crystal post earrings and a crystal votive candle holder.   There was also a yarn shop in the building so many of us checked out the fabulous yarns they had.

Our final stop was the Wine and Liquor store - I like to visit the wine stores of different states.  Pennsylvania's wine system is so antiquated and they don't carry wines of many small wineries.  I was delighted to find a few wines that I used to have to travel to Delaware to purchase.  Ever since I saw the movie "Sideways" I've really enjoyed shopping for and exploring different wines. 

Back at the hotel, they had our cookies waiting for us in the lobby.  We spent the evening relaxing together in the Hospitality room and preparing for the Ladies Auction to be held the next day.

USS Ranger CV4 Reunion - Day Three

This is a bit late in getting posted.  The wireless network at the hotel left a lot to be desired.  It was slower than dial up!  So I decided to wait until I returned home to post the rest of our Reunion journey!

Thursday, September 21st - our day in Boston, MA

We boarded the bus bright and early and headed south to Boston and an exclusive tour of the USS Constitution, a trip around the city on the Boston Duck Tours, and then an afternoon on our own at Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market (Mawket ☺)...

The tour of the USS Constitution was quite a treat.  We had a great tour guide and everyone enjoyed exploring the various decks of the ship and hearing about life back in the "old days".  The Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides" is the oldest Navy ship still in commission, so they always have a full crew on hand.  They often take her out into the Boston Harbor, which I am sure is an amazing sight to behold.

Following that tour, we headed over to the Boston Museum of Science to pick up our Ducks for our Boston Duck Tour.  I took a Duck tour in Washington, DC last summer with my friend Carol and it was such a hoot!  I was really looking forward to this trip.  We had two Ducks for our tour.  I was on the Red Sox Nathan and others were on the Molasses Molly.  Our ConDUCKtor was Captain Courageous and we thoroughly enjoyed his commentaries on the tour.

After our Duck Tour, we were dropped off at the Quincy Market area and Faneuil Hall where we had several hours to shop and eat.  Dad and Ann and I enjoyed a bowl of clam chowder (pronounced chowdah ☺) and while they went to shop, since I'm not a shopper, I headed out to see what else was on the menu.  I found a Bertucci's restuarant nearby and went inside to enjoy an individual Margherita pizza and a Sam Adams beer.  Ah, what a treat.  I almost never get to do that since I am always the designated driver.  But, hey, on a bus trip, I get to enjoy!  My waiter, Tim, was a delight and the pizza and beer were absolutely yummy. 

While waiting for the bus, we got to explore the New England Holocaust Memorial.   It was dedicated in 1995 and is a beautiful tribute to those who suffered during the Shoah (the Holocaust).

We arrived back at the hotel around 6PM, tired and happy and ready to do more socializing in the Hospitality Room.  Some headed off to the swimming pool and hot tub.  I headed back to my room for a hot bath (but only after picking up a few chocolate chip cookies which the hotel had out for everyone every evening). 

After my bath I checked in with my morning petsitter and to my dismay found that she wasn't giving my Bert his medications and that she couldn't do her morning run on Saturday, so I spent the next hour or so frantically calling everyone I knew to get someone for Saturday and to see if Joel could give Bert his meds in the evening.  I thank God for my client, Kari - she came through for me - I appreciate her so much!  I decided to have her do the morning visit Saturday through Monday and I fired the sitter who bailed on me.  I was so disappointed to have to do that, but my kitties are my family and you don't mess with my family! 

Tomorrow we head for the New Hampshire Lakes Region!

USS Ranger CV4 Reunion - Day Two

What a great day this was meeting and greeting all the former USS Rangers and their families.  The actual count of men goes down every year as they get older and become ill or disabled.  Some widows come in honor of their husbands.  Some children come in honor of their dads.  Even grandchildren show up to honor their granddads.  It's really nice seeing the love and warmth between everyone.

And they come from all over...

One man, Don, joins his brother, Roy, who served on the Ranger, and this man is a world class harmonica player - he and his brother live in the Minneapolis area.  Last year Don performed at the banquet to the cheers of the crowd.  He told me he has a new harmonica this year and will be performing again.  What a treat!  He's such a sweet man.   (That's Don and Roy at the New Hampshire Beach the day we drove up to Maine)

Another couple is from New York City and were NYC cops when the towers came down on 9/11.  They lost a lot of friends in that horror.   I just love Delia and Richard.  Delia's dad served on the Ranger and she comes to the reunions every year to honor him.  (That's Delia at our Boston Ducks Tour)

Cliff and Judy are from Oregon.  Julie and Bob live in South Carolina.  Tom and Jane and their daughters Laura and Lisa live in Pennsylvania, about an hour north of me.  It's so nice seeing them again and catching up on what they've been doing this past year.  Cliff, Bob and Tom all served on the Ranger.

Lou and his girlfriend Amanda join Lou's mom Roberta, Roberta's sister Linda, and Lou's grandmother Helen - they are from the Pittsburgh area.  Lou and Amanda were the youngsters on the trip and such fun to hang out with.   (That's Lou and Amanda on the USS Constitution in Boston)

So the hospitality room was open today and tonight we had an ice cream social.  Yummy!  Over 45 of us made our own sundaes and then sat about and swapped stories and caught up on each other's lives.  Tomorrow we head for Boston for the day.  That promises to be a great trip!

USS Ranger CV4 Reunion - Day One

It's always difficult for me to head out on a trip and leave my kitties behind.  I have two sitters for them this time - one in the morning and my friend Joel will stop by in the evening.  I'm a little apprehensive about this setup - something just doesn't seem right with my morning sitter, but I'm hoping for the best.  I've used her before - and two times I had to return early from trips but she didn't offer me a refund on her prepaid fees.  I find that a bit disconcerting.  So my stomach was queasy when Dad and his partner Ann arrived at 7PM to pick me up.

We arrived in Manchester after a very long 8 hours on the road.  The trip was supposed to take only about 5 and 1/2 hours.  We ran into traffic on Route 78 pretty much as soon as we got into New Jersey and crawled the next 60 miles - took us nearly 2 hours to get to Route 84.  After that we made better time.  Even stopped to fuel up on a fish sandwich on the way.   Of course that experience left a lot to be desired - our order was all messed up - they were so overly eager to get orders out quickly that they didn't LISTEN to people's orders.  Ann got sauce on her sandwich even though we asked to have one dry, and I got caffeinated coffee when I asked for decaf.   And it's always curious to me how, when a mistake is made, so many service people look at you as if it's your fault.  Whew!

All that said, the drive up was gorgeous - the leaves are just beginning to turn - reminded me of a New England Fashion Week - giving us a preview of the full flash of color to come in a few weeks.  The dusty mauves, pale pinks, burnt oranges and magnificent maroons are simply stunning.  A flash of yellow here and a blaze of red there.  Just little touches to simply take your breath away.

We were the first to arrive at the hotel - they didn't have my room ready so I was assigned a different room which I was quite happy about (and talk about customer service, the service at the Best Western Executive Inn and Conference Center is TOP NOTCH - more on that as we go along!)  My room is further away from the hospitality room, so it will be quieter for me.  Yay!

The Best Western Executive Court Inn and Conference Center in Manchester, NH is a real gem.  The rooms are beautifully appointed and I enjoyed a luxurious hot bath that night (as I intend to do every night )

A few folks showed up that evening and we set up the hospitality room for Wednesday's check-in.  It was such fun seeing familiar faces from last year's reunion in San Diego.  Everyone in the group is big on hugs so I certainly filled my hug bucket today! 

9 of us went out to dinner together - to the local Cracker Barrel - certainly not my pick of restaurants, but being with friends made it worth the fat and grease laden meal.  Gag!  It's a challenge being on a healthy diet and traveling with folks who aren't.  It started to rain while we were eating.  We made the mistake of allowing my dad to drive us back to the hotel - with the glare on the road from the rain, and a newly paved road with no markings yet, and my dad's horrible driving, we barely made it back alive.  Had a near miss on a curve with a curb and the median.  Thank God there wasn't any other traffic on the road.  Dad turned 88 today and I love him dearly and I really think he needs to re-think his driving.  I realize it's not going to be easy for him to stop, but I'm afraid he might hurt someone else as well as himself if he continues to drive.  In fact, the stipulation for me going with him on this trip was that Ann and I drive up and back.

Tomorrow will pretty much be a free day - it's just for checking in, meeting and greeting, etc.  Thursday we start our day trips and festivities so stay tuned!

Navy USS Ranger CV4 Reunion 2006

Well folks, tomorrow I head out with my Dad and his companion, Ann, to this year's USS Ranger CV4 Reunion.  This is an annual meeting of the crew and their families from the USS Ranger CV-4 that served during World War II. 

This will be my second reunion - last year's was in San Diego, CA (ah, what a beautiful city!).  This year we are headed for Manchester, NH and I will be posting my journal and pictures of our journey right here, so check back often for updates!

Also, tomorrow is my Dad's 88th Birthday - Happy Birthday, Dad!