You are invited to the
2003 RTS
West Coast Reunion

When: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003
Where: Best Western Corte Madera Inn
Corte Madera, CA (in the heart of Marin County)

Okay... it's officially official now. Below are the details of our first West Coast RTS Reunion. My thanks to Bruce Wasson, Wendy Mibach and Andrea Potts for your help with honing in on a suitable area and accommodation!

Not to be confused with a conference, this weekend gathering is all about relaxation, socialization and fun. Some very special sponsors - all with RTS near and dear to their hearts - have generously offered to help sponsor this reunion. The WESLEY T. HELMBRECHT RTS FOUNDATION will be contributing to each attending family's accommodation expenses (more on that below). The SPECIAL FRIENDS FOUNDATION is treating us all to a Pizza Party on the afternoon/evening of October 4th and RTS CANADA will be offering some sponsorship, still to be announced. A MOST sincere THANK YOU to all three RTS organizations!!!

Some families traveling from afar will be arriving on October 3rd, and some will be staying a few nights and treating themselves to a long weekend. Regardless of when your family arrives or departs, the Saturday afternoon and evening will be when we will all plan to be in the same place at the same time. For those staying a night or two (or three), there will be plenty of other opportunities to informally mingle with families.

IMPORTANT: If your family will be attending the Pizza Party, you MUST let me know how many pizza eaters I should add to the guest list.

Reservations
A little about our venue... The Best Western Corte Madera Inn is a 3-star hotel located in Corte Madera in Marin County, right off the 101 Freeway, 10 miles from San Francisco, 18 miles from Oakland Int'l Airport and 27 miles from San Francisco Int'l Airport. It is built around a courtyard that includes an outdoor heated pool, whirlpool, children’s play structure and activities such as basketball, ping pong, shuffleboard and putting green - lots to keep the kids (and kids at heart) entertained. With the Bay Area enjoying beautiful weather in early October, the Corte Madera Inn’s courtyard set-up should offer a fun and safe space for us all to hang out together. Families that wish to take in local tourist attractions will have plenty of opportunities to choose from. Incidentally, the hotel provides a free shuttle to the Larkspur-San Francisco passenger ferry <http://www.goldengateferry.org/>, which offers a 45 minute ride to the SF Ferry Building (near Fisherman's Wharf).

I have reserved a block of rooms at the discounted rate of $99/night, including free (modest) continental breakfast. That rate is based on double adult occupancy, with two children staying for free. If extra children require a cot, $10 will be charged. Any additional adults in one room will be $10 each. At this point, the Wesley T. Helmbrecht RTS Foundation has committed a minimum of $3,000 toward families' accommodation expenses (!!!). With taxes, each room will cost $108.90 per night. Therefore, if 27 families attend, each family will receive one hotel room for one night, FREE! If less than 27 families attend, in addition to one night free, those staying for two nights may receive assistance with their second night. If more than 27 families attend, everyone will receive a credit toward their first night's stay. It all depends on how many families come, so it's too early to commit to the exact assistance that each family will enjoy, but we will be able to be more specific in a few months. At any rate, with such a generous donation, the discount for each family's first night's accommodation should be substantial.

All rooms are non-smoking, but smoking is permitted on patios, balconies and non-grassy areas. All rooms have refrigerators, so you can keep fresh snacks/drinks on hand. I’m told the hotel’s restaurant, Max’s Café, offers good food and is famous for its HUMUNGOUS portions. A shopping center across the street has a McDonald’s, a Fresh Choice (casual buffet style restaurant), and others.

If you plan to attend, I strongly recommend you book your room(s) soon. Being our first reunion, we can’t anticipate how quickly our block of rooms will be scooped up, plus gaining a sense of the level of interest, early on, will help a lot with our planning. A credit card number will be required to book your room(s), but you can cancel your reservation up to 24 hours before your arrival date, without financial penalty. The discounted rate is based on availability and WILL NOT BE GUARANTEED AFTER SEPTEMBER 1st.

To make your reservation, please phone Kathryn McGeorge at 1-800-777-9670 (extension 7103). If she is not available, leave a voice mail message and she will return your call. You can also reserve by emailing Kathryn at kmcgeorg@reneson.com. You must specify that you are reserving within the ”RTS REUNION” block of rooms. Also, the Corte Madera Inn is two levels, with no elevator. They have pre-reserved the majority of our rooms on the ground level. If you must have a ground level room, be sure to let Kathyrn know.

Transportation

From San Francisco International Airport: The Marin Airporter will drop you off in Larkspur. One-way adult fare is $15, children 5-9 years are $7 and age 4 and under are free. When you first board the Marin Airporter, let the driver know you're going to the Best Western Corte Madera Inn. S/he will notify the hotel to have their free shuttle waiting for you at the Larkspur drop.

From Oakland International Airport: The Sonoma County Airport Express will drop you off in San Rafael. One-way adult fare is $16, Seniors/military/students are $14 and children aged 3-11 are $10. From San Rafael you would need to take a taxi to the Best Western Corte Madera Inn (approx. $13 fare).

If you plan to rent a car at the airport, I have driving directions available. You can get them from me, or have the hotel fax them to you directly. IMPORTANT: Any families planning to fly out of CANADA, please let me know ASAP as there is a possibility of airfare discounts.

Any questions? Please contact me at janetestes@shaw.ca or 250-468-2799.

Cheers!... Janet

Guestbook

Last Updated:
Thursday, January 05, 2006