Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
What a weekend! The Kansas City VCA received a gracious invitation to join the Nebraska/Iowa clubs at their Fall Fling in Perry, Iowa. What a blast! Here we are en route to gig:
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We arrived in Perry (Population: 2), to find an INCREDIBLE hotel! The Hotel Pattee was one of the best hotels I have ever had the pleasure of staying anywhere in the world, and I have been in a LOT of hotels. The employees there treat you like a king. And I felt like one as you can see below:
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After checking in and seeing our beautiful suite, I zipped over to the parking lot, where I met up with Kansas City's newest member: Gary Hall! Gary drives this goofy looking 2000 GTS that looks vaguely familiar:
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I also met Pat Orr and saw his beautiful silver RT with steel gray stripes. We offered to "buffer" his car from door dings by parking the Yukon XL on one side and my crusty old GTS on the other:
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After looking at the rooms some more (just awesome), we met downstairs for dinner and cocktails. Somehow the ladies got all the food and drink, while the men were forced to listen to Bill Pemberton tell fart jokes. ;o)
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The rest of the night was just a delight. We learned that the Iowa members had all bailed out, even though they were the "host" state. We then had a wonderful dinner in the hotel's beautifully designed restaurant. By the time we wrapped up (with numerous fruit and malt beverages consumed in the interim), it was 11:30. Bed time? No way!
The hotel features just 40 rooms and suites, with each one a completely different theme. So what did we do after dinner? We toured everybody's rooms! Gary and Kathy Hall had the Marching Band room; Pat and Barbara Orr had the Scandinavian Room; Mary and I had the George & Agnes Soumas Suite (WWII hero and three-time Perry mayor); Bob and Louise Woodhouse had the Bill Bell Room (famous tuba player - Bob played the tuba into the wee hours); Scott and Mary Mitchell enjoyed the Barry Kemp Room (creator of TV shows like "Newhart", "Taxi", etc.); and finally we had Bill and Liz Pemberton located in, appropriately enough, the Kids Suite. You should note that they were the only ones that got milk and cookies with their room. The most hilarious part of that was that other people heard us milling about the hallways and invited us to tour their rooms as well! Soon we had several other folks in tow with our group. It was a blast!
We wrapped up the evening in the hotel's private bowling alley in the basement. This two lane alley had all the shoes and bowling balls you needed, and it was a blast. A few bowled, while the others enjoyed libations delivered from the lounge upstairs. The phone in the room was an operating crank phone from the 20's, which Bill couldn't get enough of. It was a hoot!
The next morning we met for breakfast (also great) and for a final group photo:
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We bid our farewells and left for our respective states. It was just a WONDERFUL weekend with some great folks from Nebraska, Missouri, & Kansas - all taking place in Iowa!
Oh, and since it is Halloween, here is a house we passed in Iowa on the way home:
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Thanks to all for a GREAT weekend, and especially to Bill and Liz Pemberton - both for setting it all up and for hauling my GTS all the way back to Blair. You guys are GREAT!!
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>We arrived in Perry (Population: 2), to find an INCREDIBLE hotel! The Hotel Pattee was one of the best hotels I have ever had the pleasure of staying anywhere in the world, and I have been in a LOT of hotels. The employees there treat you like a king. And I felt like one as you can see below:
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>After checking in and seeing our beautiful suite, I zipped over to the parking lot, where I met up with Kansas City's newest member: Gary Hall! Gary drives this goofy looking 2000 GTS that looks vaguely familiar:
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>I also met Pat Orr and saw his beautiful silver RT with steel gray stripes. We offered to "buffer" his car from door dings by parking the Yukon XL on one side and my crusty old GTS on the other:
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>After looking at the rooms some more (just awesome), we met downstairs for dinner and cocktails. Somehow the ladies got all the food and drink, while the men were forced to listen to Bill Pemberton tell fart jokes. ;o)
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>The rest of the night was just a delight. We learned that the Iowa members had all bailed out, even though they were the "host" state. We then had a wonderful dinner in the hotel's beautifully designed restaurant. By the time we wrapped up (with numerous fruit and malt beverages consumed in the interim), it was 11:30. Bed time? No way!
The hotel features just 40 rooms and suites, with each one a completely different theme. So what did we do after dinner? We toured everybody's rooms! Gary and Kathy Hall had the Marching Band room; Pat and Barbara Orr had the Scandinavian Room; Mary and I had the George & Agnes Soumas Suite (WWII hero and three-time Perry mayor); Bob and Louise Woodhouse had the Bill Bell Room (famous tuba player - Bob played the tuba into the wee hours); Scott and Mary Mitchell enjoyed the Barry Kemp Room (creator of TV shows like "Newhart", "Taxi", etc.); and finally we had Bill and Liz Pemberton located in, appropriately enough, the Kids Suite. You should note that they were the only ones that got milk and cookies with their room. The most hilarious part of that was that other people heard us milling about the hallways and invited us to tour their rooms as well! Soon we had several other folks in tow with our group. It was a blast!
We wrapped up the evening in the hotel's private bowling alley in the basement. This two lane alley had all the shoes and bowling balls you needed, and it was a blast. A few bowled, while the others enjoyed libations delivered from the lounge upstairs. The phone in the room was an operating crank phone from the 20's, which Bill couldn't get enough of. It was a hoot!
The next morning we met for breakfast (also great) and for a final group photo:
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>We bid our farewells and left for our respective states. It was just a WONDERFUL weekend with some great folks from Nebraska, Missouri, & Kansas - all taking place in Iowa!
Oh, and since it is Halloween, here is a house we passed in Iowa on the way home:
<center>
You must be registered for see images
</center>Thanks to all for a GREAT weekend, and especially to Bill and Liz Pemberton - both for setting it all up and for hauling my GTS all the way back to Blair. You guys are GREAT!!
