Howdy Baron Trailblazers!

Here’s the long-awaited information for our Bitburg Barons Alumni Reunion in San Antonio, Texas this summer.

The official reunion dates are Thursday, July 2 thru Sunday, July 5, 2009 with the option of coming earlier or staying later.

If you have questions or need any other info, contact Mona Hook: Email: monahook@comcast.net Phone: 281-435-3880

See you in San Antonio!

HOTEL RESERVATIONS:

We will set-up camp at the historic Menger Hotel in Alamo Plaza. The hotel is ideally situated next door to the Alamo and just across the street from the Riverwalk. It has a rich history and is steeped in Texas lore. Teddy Roosevelt frequented the hotel and enlisted his infamous Rough Riders there. The hotel has the best pool in downtown San Antonio, an exercise room (as if!), a great spa, a full service restaurant and an awesome bar...just to mention a few highlights. Check it out online: www.historicmenger.com.

The room rate for our group is $120 per night plus 16.75% occupancy taxes for a standard room (one king bed or two queens). Room reservations are to be made individually. We have a limited number of rooms blocked for our group, so I strongly suggest you make your reservation ASAP. It’s a holiday weekend, and the Menger sells-out consistently. Once our room block is full, rooms will be booked on an availability basis only. The room block will automatically be dropped June 1 and any unreserved rooms will revert back into the hotel’s general reservations. There is valet parking at the hotel for $25 per day with unlimited in and out privileges. There are also many city lots close by for $6 - $14 per day.

To make your reservation: call the Menger at 210-223-4361 or 800-345-9285. You must state that you are with the Bitburg High School Reunion. The group booking code is 60601198.

TRANSPORTATION:

San Antonio Int’l Airport (SAT) is 15-20 minutes away. There is a city shuttle called “SA Trans” that leaves every 15-30 minutes from outside the baggage claim area. The Menger is one of the first hotels to be dropped off. Cost is $18 one way/$34 round trip. Taxi fare is $20-$25 and will be charged at a flat rate for 4 people.

Transportation around the city is easy. Your two feet will carry you to most all the attractions in downtown. If your feet fail you, there is a downtown streetcar trolley. It has four routes around the city and gives you access to all the downtown attractions. A one-way fare is $1.10, or you can buy a day pass for unlimited travel for $4. See their website www.viainfo.net Click on bus service, then click on downtown street car on the left-hand menu.

GENERAL SAN ANTONIO INFO: There is a great website for San Antonio visitors at www.visitsanantonio.com There is also a visitor center just across the street and about a block to the right from the hotel with all the brochures and info you could possibly want. When you check in, I’ll have a map for you. It’s a great one-stop info spot. There are a ton of things to do in and around San Antonio. Prepare for some crowds-San Antonio is busy year-round, especially in the summer! As many times as I’ve visited, the crowd size never makes a difference-people are generally friendly and considerate, so you’re sure to have a great time!

REUNION DETAILS:

Itinerary for the weekend follows. Rather than having the weekend totally pre-planned, you are free to make your own plans which will enable you, your family and/or friends to do and see what appeals to you. (Detailed info for scheduled stuff follows itinerary.)

THURSDAY, JULY 2:

Noon - ? Check-in / Socializing Presidential Suite- 5^th Floor

Whenever- 9:00pm Baron Pool Invasion Menger Pool

Whenever San Antonio Sights Wherever

FRIDAY, JULY 3:

Noon - ? Check-in / Socializing Presidential Suite- 5^th Floor

10:30 am – 4:00pm Opt. River Tubing Trip New Braunfels/Gruene, TX

10:30am – 4:00pm Opt. Wine Tasting/Shopping New Braunfels/Gruene, TX

Whenever San Antonio Sights Wherever

6:00 pm – 11:00pm First Friday/Biergarten S. Alamo St/Beethoven Club

SATURDAY, JULY 4:

Whenever San Antonio Sights Wherever

10:30am – 4:00pm Opt. Wine Tasting Tour TX Wine Country

6:30pm – 2am Tex-Mex Dinner-Dance Historic Cadillac Bar

SUNDAY, JULY 5:

11:00am - ? Farewell Coffee/Brunch Presidential Suite- 5^th Floor

DETAILS:

v RIVER TUBING TRIP: Transportation by charter bus to New Braunfels/Gruene, Tx. Upon arrival, enjoy a BBQ lunch. After lunch, you’ll be outfitted with a tube for a 2 hour float down the Comal River. Cost of $50 includes transportation, lunch and your tube with a bottom. (Most tubers also rent a tube w/ built-in cooler for their beverages, so you may want to share that additional expense w/ a drinking buddy. Cooler tubes run about $17) *Alcoholic beverages are allowed on the river, but Styrofoam and glass are NOT permitted. You must know how to swim to go tubing; floatation devices are available if you want one. Swimming attire and sunscreen are a must; water shoes/sandals are recommended.

v WINE TASTING/SHOPPING: Transportation with the river rats on the bus to Historic Gruene, Tx. Wine tasting at The Grapevine where you’ll experience some of the best wines Texas has to offer. Lunch is on your own-options include the Gristmill River Restaurant on the banks of the Guadalupe or River House Tea Room, among others. Also enjoy fun antique shopping, a Texas General Store, many unique specialty shops and Texas’ oldest Dance Hall. Cost: $17

v FIRST FRIDAY/BIERGARTEN: Each first Friday of the month, San Antonio has a street festival of the arts along South Alamo Street (a few blocks from the hotel; on the streetcar line). There are live bands, artisans and fun stuff going on. Most importantly there is a biergarten at the Beethoven Maennerchor where we will gather for an Oktoberfest-style evening. You will pay a cover of $5 to enter the biergarten and there will be food for sale (brats, pretzels, etc.) and Bitburger on tap. It’s an extremely popular venue, so we plan to arrive early to secure some tables for our group. Patrick McGurl tried everything to enable us to officially reserve space, but the powers that be at the biergarten would not budge. (It’s possible they have some stubborn western European traits!) BUT--Barons are a powerful force, so we will just show up and stake a claim on a few tables and settle in for an evening of beer, brats and oompah fun. Be there by 6. Feel free to wear your lederhosen, dirndls or other German garb.

v WINE TASTING TOUR: If anyone is interested, there are organized tours ($79) that include a visit to Fredericksburg, a popular German-heritage town about an hour away; the tour goes on to visit a few wineries in the area. If we have enough interest, it would be cheaper to arrange our own transportation and chart our own course. I’m happy to put that together if there is enough interest.

v TEX-MEX DINNER & DANCING at the historic Cadillac Bar-home of the longest bar in Texas. We’ll have full access to the main restaurant and bar where we’ll enjoy a fajita dinner, cash bar and dancing. The Cadillac Bar is housed in a 208 year-old building in downtown San Antonio (on the streetcar line). It was formerly the headquarters of the “red light district”… which is why we’re not calling this event a hoe-down!! (Sorry-I just couldn’t help myself) The restaurant is ours until 2 am, so come prepared for a fiesta, Baron style! Make it fun- throw on some western wear!

v T-SHIRTS are available for $10 (min. order of 75) The design will be the logo on this letter.

v OTHER TOURIST INFO:

o San Antonio sights in walking distance: The Alamo, Riverwalk and tons of tourist stuff right around the hotel. A fun way to see the Riverwalk and have a relaxing history lesson is to take a Rio San Antonio cruise (~$8). A few other faves include the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum; it’s the oldest saloon in Texas. It also houses the Texas Ranger Museum. Also nearby- The Children’s Museum; La Villita (a historic arts village), Tomb Rider 3D and the usual Ripley’s attractions. There are several tour companies that will take you around to see the sights if you prefer to sit back and let someone else do the legwork. I’ll have info at check-in and/or see www.visitsanantonio.com.

o A little further out from the hotel, but on the streetcar lines: Market Square is a collection of vendors, margaritas and mariachis. There are a couple of good Mexican restaurants there and a great bakery; at the core of the square is El Mercado, modeled after an 18^th century Mexican market. The King William District; HemisFair Park, San Fernando Cathedral, Spanish Governor’s Mansion are some other options.

o Sights requiring your own transportation: Sea World, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Natural Bridges Caverns, Golf and beyond.

o FOOD options are endless; everything from fast food to 5 star dining. The Colonial Restaurant in the Menger has an awesome breakfast and lunch buffet. It runs $12-$14 plus beverage. If you eat breakfast there, you probably won’t need to eat lunch!

REGISTRATION:

PLEASE note payment deadlines. I will be out of the country on a mission trip June 5-21, so all reunion details need to be settled before I leave. Thanks for understanding!

The registration cost for the reunion is $40 per adult/$20 per child under 12 which covers dinner at the Cadillac Bar, hospitality suite expenses and administrative stuff like name tags and decorations. Full payment is due by May 15.

In order to secure space and transportation for optional activities, those costs are due by April 30.

I look forward to seeing you all and know you’ll have a great time whether you choose to be a super-tourist, a road-tripper or a pool slug for the entire weekend!

As we’ve done in the past, there will be a link on the Bitburg Barons website to see who’s coming or thinking of coming. Rally-up your classmates and let’s see which class will have the most participants. I’m betting on the AWESOME CLASS OF 79!!! One other thought- even if your best buds are not able to attend, don’t let that stop YOU! Every reunion is great and at each one we make new Baron friends. So, just get yourself there and let the rest happen!

Don’t hesitate to call or email if you have questions.

¡Hasta la vista, Barons!

Mona Gardner Hook

Class of ‘79

281-435-3880

monahook@comcast.net

BITBURG BARONS REUNION REGISTRATION

Name in High School:_________________________________

Graduating class of _________

Current Name:__________________________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:___________________________________ Email:________________________________________

Please list each person you are registering; include their graduation year if they went to BHS or age if they are a child:

1.________________________________________________________________________________________

2.________________________________________________________________________________________

3.________________________________________________________________________________________

4.________________________________________________________________________________________

Reunion Cost for Just the Basics: # Adults:________ x $40 =_________

#Children (<12):________ x $20 =_________

New Braunfels River Tubing/Lunch #Participants:________ x $50 =_________

New Braunfels/Gruene Wine & Shopping #Participants:_________ x $17 =_________

T-Shirts? ____S ____M ____L _____XL # T-Shirts _______ x $11 =_________

____XXL add $2 ea. _____XXXL add $3 ea. T-shirt upcharge = _________

TOTAL DUE =_________

*****OPTIONAL ACTIVITY $$ DUE BY APRIL 15*****

*****BASIC REUNION REGISTRATION $$ DUE BY MAY 15*****

Make checks payable to Mona Hook and mail with this form to:

Mona Hook

37822 Shady Bend

Magnolia, TX 77355

Are you interested in: _____Fredericksburg/Wine Country?

_____Golf? _____ Six Flags/SeaWorld Transportation?