2007 REME Christmas Party & Run 12/08/07 - Planning Meeting 12/09/07

December 8, 2007 will mark our third year celebrating the holiday season with dinner at the Union Hotel in Occidental. Reservations have been made but a final number has to be called in on December 1, so please RSVP on the calendar as well as email me with the number attending. Dinner reservations are made for 5:30 PM so it will give us plenty of time for an exciting run prior to dinner.

I will be working with Howard to come up with an original run possibly starting in Suisun City, Sonoma, or Napa; ending up in Occidental at about 4:30 PM. Rain is a possibility, but that only adds to the excitement as demonstrated by last years party.

I encourage all out of town guests to stay at one of the nearby sleeping establishments so that you will be able to join us for our 2008 REME Planning meeting to be held in Monte Rio at Northwoods Restaurant Sunday morning at about 10 am. Please RSVP separately on the calendar if you are planning on coming to the Planning meeting since we will need to make reservations at a breakfast establishment that can hold everyone.

We attempted to make group reservations at the Occidental Hotel, but they were not receptive to a single group filling up their sleeping establishment so you should make your own hotel reservation ASAP if you plan on spending the night. Staying in Occidental has its advantages if you plan on consuming alcohol at or after dinner, but Monte Rio at the Northwoods Lodge will be preferable if we have our planning meeting Sunday morning at the Northwoods Restaurant as currently planned. Monte Rio is about a 20 minute drive from Occidental on twisty tree lined roads.

Updated information will follow in this thread as event planning continues.

Negri's Occidental Hotel
3610 Bohemian Highway
P.O. Box 84
Occidental, CA 95465

Northwoods Lodge
19455 SR-116
(707) 865-1655
Monte Rio, CA 95462

 

The Route has been developed and is now ready for download. Please bring your camera, a copy of the run map and your 2-way radios on the run.

• Date: 12/08/07
• Time: Departure at 10:00 am sharp
• Place: Starbucks Coffee, 663 Trancas Street, Napa, CA (707) 226-3654
• First Stop: Lake Sonoma Visitors Center, 333 Skaggs Springs Road, Geyserville (approximately 11:30am) Bring a sack lunch!
• Second Stop: Gold Coast Coffee, 25377 Steelhead Blvd., Duncans Mills, CA (approximately 2:30pm)
• Dinner: Union Hotel, 3731 Main Street, Occidental, CA (707) 874-3555 (4:00 PM reservation)

We are starting the run in Napa to make it a little easier for the Sacramento Valley members. The drive through Napa County and north-eastern Sonoma County will be a passive drive through some of the most beautiful wine grape growing areas of the state. The "real" run will not begin until we reach Geyserville, heading west. After leaving the Lake Sonoma Visitors Center we will head west on Skaggs Springs Road. Instead of taking it all the way to the coast as we have in the past we will be taking a few new roads, Tin Barn & King Ridge Roads.

Tin Barn & King Ridge Roads are the best part of the run. They are paved ranch roads only a little bigger then a cow trail (barely one lane in width at places), winding through cow pastures and abandoned orchards. This is where you can see the golden domes of the Buddhist Monastery peeking out above the forests of western Sonoma County. This route will take us into Cazadero.

After our second stop in Duncans Mills, it will take about 10 minutes to reach Monte Rio. Those of you that made hotel reservations in Monte Rio should break off of the group and check into your room. Those that made reservations in Occidental or those that don't intend to spend the night should continue on to Occidental, arriving there about 3:15pm. Dinner is at 4:00, so there will be time to check into your room or explore the town prior to meeting at the Union Hotel about 3:55pm.

Our first 2008 Planning Meeting will be held at the Northwoods Restaurant in Monte Rio, Sunday morning at 10am. It is adjacent to the Northwoods Lodge and is easy to find. Bring all of you ideas for runs and activities since we will be planning our entire 2008 calendar.

Please RSVP on the REME MegaBBS calendar separately for one or both days.
(Saturday) (Sunday)

Negri's Occidental Hotel
3610 Bohemian Highway
P.O. Box 84
Occidental, CA 95465

Northwoods Lodge
19455 SR-116
(707) 865-1655
Monte Rio, CA 95462

 

We now have 40 cars reserved for the Christmas Run and 72 people for Dinner at the Union Hotel in Occidental.

I will need a firm head count for dinner by December 1. If you don't RSVP for the run by December 1, there will be no guarantee that you will be able to sit with us for dinner, but everyone is still welcome to join us on the run, even if at the last minute.

 

Well this is both good news and bad news...

The good news is we now have about 25 more people attending the dinner then we originally anticipated.

The bad news is that the restaurant can not accomodate us with 70 people at our 5:30pm reservation.

Therefore in order for the run and dinner to continue seamlessly, we will now be starting the run prmptly at 10am in Napa. Bring a sack lunch which we will eat at Lake Sonoma Visiitors Center at 11:30am to 12:30pm. We should arrive in Occidental about 3:15pm in time for people to check into their hotel rooms or to roam around town.

Our dinner reservation is changed to 4:00pm. We will finish dinner before the regular restaurant crowds arrive... so we can get together as a group after dinner at a location to be determined.

Because of the change in the dinner reservation, we can accept additional participants. Keep on signing up on the REME MegaBBS.

 

Redwood Empire Mini Enthusiasts invade Occidental!

With clear sunny skies forecast, smooth roads, and a BIG Dinner waiting, Redwood Empire Mini Enthusiasts will invade the small town of Occidental Saturday evening with over 40 Minis and over 70 people for dinner. We have booked up all of the rooms in Occidental but there is still some left in Monte Rio and outlying areas.

Our run will depart Napa at 10AM and take us up through the Napa valley on Silverado Trail then cut across to 128 at Calistoga to Geyserville, then to Dry Creek, and stopping at the Lake Sonoma Visitor Center at 11:30AM for a picnic lunch, then heading out toward the coast near Stewars Point, Cazadero, Duncans Mills, and arriving in Occidental at 3PM. Dinner is at 4PM.

Many are staying the night and will join us for the REME planning meeting on Sunday morning at Northwood Restaurant in Monte Rio.

 

Wow what a weekend!
This was not only our most successful Christmas dinner to date, but was also our very first planning meeting open to all members of the club.

I believe we had well over 35 participating cars on the run and nearly 70 for dinner. The weekend was cool, cloudless, and beautiful. The company fantastic. Thank you all that attended especially our newest members and those traveling great distances.

Our planning meeting this morning was also a great success with 30 members present. Can you believe we have planned our events for all of 2008 and part of 2009?

What a great group of dedicated members. We will try to implement some or all of your ideas making this even a better club.

As a heads up, we will be having our 2008 Christmas party again in Occidental... we will try to book the entire hotel early.

Photos are available for viewing on the REME MegaBBS.