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Joe Pritchard
#1 Posted : Friday, April 22, 2005 9:04:26 AM
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If you could load up the family and friends like T-stock is doing this winter, and you could take a trip back to the old stomping grounds what time of year would you like to go?

Would you like to just see the AFRC that you worked or would you like to see the others sites as well?

I'm not promising anybody anything I'm just curious?

What would you like to show the people that went back with you?

It would be the way it was but it could still be fun.

Would you want to go back in summer or winter?

What about off season travel?

Would you like to stop in England on the way and spend a a few days with all the people we all kew that live there?
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Lekylark
#2 Posted : Sunday, June 12, 2005 1:27:20 AM
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Also if folks want to take a trip to England, the best thing would be just to book the round trip to Germany & then book on Ryan Air for a trip to England, www.ryanair.com prices are really cheap if you don't mind flying at odd hours & with very little luggage! Or try to get flights with British Airways & have a stopover in London. If anyone does coem to Garmisch, there are enough of us around to be able to sign you in to the Edelweiss for a look around.
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tstock
#3 Posted : Sunday, June 12, 2005 1:52:52 AM
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As I am preparing to fly abroad tomorrow on just such a trip I'd like to throw my comments in here too. Joe, the hardest part of planning and putting together such a gathering has been getting people to commit to go. I began this process 3 years ago. My first email went out to a list of over 80 of the "usual suspects" and was forwared on by them to their friends and family. With-in a month I had a list of 38 "confirmations" from people who were "definately" in. We leave tomorrow with 13 souls, 25 excusses and a list a mile long of people saying "oh you're so lucky to be able to do that".
There's no luck involved. It's not a miricle we landed men on the moon, we just decided to go. My first email gave everyone 1000 days notice. 1000 days! People said they would not be able to afford a trip like this. $2 a day is all you needed to save. "I have kids I can't go". Two friends are bringing their kids tomorrow. Two others made arangements and will miss their 4 yr olds for a wk.
I've heard it all. But you know what. Ten days from now 13 people will have had the time of their lives Skiing the best snow Austria has had in 25 years, staying in a 5 star hotel, eating like kings, raising hell with old friends, and will have new memories to last a life time! We just decided to go. Where did the boldness go that inspired us all in our youth to have ever met at AFRC sites so many years ago? Why must we be satisfied with only vague memories of decades ago? Why not memories of last seasons gatherings too?
Go to a reunion next year! See old friends! Meet new ones!

As Warren Miller has ended each of his 50+ movies . . . "If you don't get out there and DO IT now, you'll be a year older when you do.

Ski Hiel!
Tstock
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JAMES CAREY
#4 Posted : Friday, July 1, 2005 8:50:25 AM
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JOE:  Ya have a great idea going here.



 


The one thing you must keep in mind is the most “cost-effective” time to travel from CONUS to Germany (via UK).


 


According to the airline industry the break-down of travel is as follows:


 












LOW
SHOULDER
HIGH
SHOULDER
HIGH

15 January
1 April
1 June
1 September
1 December

31 March
31 May
31 August
30 November
14 January


 


With this in mind you can see what would fit most everyone best.  I have traveled to Germany almost every year and I find the best time is the shoulder period.  There are less tourests, kids in Europe are still in school and the road conditions are really great.


 


I know that old skiiers like to gather in the winter, but in Europe you are sort-of-kinda restricted on what to do.  Traveling in May or October is best because it is not really too warm, some snow is still in the mountains and prices are lower at places to stay.


 


Also you must keep in mind there is not much of anything left in regards to the AFRC facilities.  Chiemsee is now the Club Villa and set to the new HIPPIE approach.  Berchtesgaden still has the Skytop, but if you are not a member of the Golf Club, stay out.  The Walker is a parking lot, Alpine Inn an Old Folks Home, Hoff sits in ruins, Stanggass Kaserne (BRA Hqs) a housing complex and the Strub with the Gebirgsjager.  In Garmisch all the hotels are either torn-down or now used by the Germans.  Everything is now at Artillery Kaserne (i.e. PX, Commissary, support activities, MP's, etc.).  The Sheridan Kaserne (GAP Hqs) now houses The Geo Marshall Center.  This used to be the old Russian Institute that was located in O'Gau years ago.    The only way one can get into the EDELWEISS is with a DoD ID Card.  If you have one (or a retired ID) you can have one (set of) guest/s.  Talk about security.  This place is harder to get into than the Fort Knox Repository. 


 


As to the stop-over in the UK that sounds good also.  During the shoulder periods the same applies there as well.  London has many great low price hotels in and around Kensington Gardens.


 


I would venture to say if you really want to do this it will take a lot of planning in order to have places to stay and things to do as a group.  I would leave the travel arrangements to each person as they will fly from the four-corners of the world.  In country transportation would also be their responsibility.  All you need is a time and place and THE PLAN.


 


Good luck and I'm with you on this.


 


JIM CAREY


 
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trevor cox
#5 Posted : Tuesday, July 5, 2005 5:20:56 AM
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Great Idea. If you require help from good old blighty I dont mind lending a hand.


 


Trevor

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JAMES CAREY
#6 Posted : Tuesday, December 20, 2005 2:04:06 PM
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JOE:


 


Your idea really sounds great.  The problem I see is the only interested parties would be folks from the 1970 – 1980 era.  That is we have pretty well got our lives in control.  Kids have grown-up and out of college. 


 


 


As to a good contact in Berchtesgaden that could open doors for us would be Renate Rauscher.  She has contacts that we don’t have.  That goes true for the Strub and Stanggass Kaserne visit.    Chiemsee should be no problem as it is still a “sort-of-kinda” open forum.  The local fathers in Prien would more than likely be happy to provide us entrance to the old facility.


 


 


Garmisch is another issue.  What with a few of our “old comrades” that do live and work there arrangements could be made with the local commander.


 


 


Trevor could handle things in the UK.  Having someone that close to London is a blessing.  God only knows, he could arrange “tea” with Maggie.  Now that would make your trip worth while.


 


 


My family and I plan to be in Germany July 2008.  That will be after the Latvian Song and Dance Festival scheduled in Riga, Latvia the last week of June.  Maybe that would be a good time to meet in Chiemsee and then on to Berchtesgaden.  I don’t know, however this is during HIGH travel times.


 


 


I am flexible with travel to Germany or anyplace as a matter.  We try to make it back at least once a year.  Of course this year we will be staying close to home as my daughter is due to deliver our first grandchild in late April or early May.  That leaves only time to visit Las Vegas in the fall.


 


 


Now there is something to think about.  Have a “pre-planning” get together in Vegas.  Of course, this time, let’s try to get more than three couples there at the same time. 


 


 


Sleep on it and see what you come up with.
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Joe Pritchard
#7 Posted : Thursday, February 2, 2006 9:56:26 PM
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I was one of those people were supposed to be going with T-Stock and then had one mess up after the other, some of which I couldn't over come but better planning my my part and I still would have been taking that trip.
I know how frustarting it can be and I'm painfully aware of how many people "in" or "commited" until it comes tme time put up the money.
That is part of the reason why I'm not making any promises at this point and just testing the waters.

T-Stock, I would much rather be on the trip with you guys but it just wasn't possible this time.

It is also because the problems this past year that I don't want it to be some thing that would fall apart without me, goes on smoothly.

Joe P.
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Joe Pritchard
#8 Posted : Tuesday, February 7, 2006 9:47:50 PM
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Hi Jim,

I would have to say that my choice would be the shoulder period. As you say there are less tourists, kids in Europe are still in school and the road conditions are really great.

I want to do it all!

I want to join the old skiiers in the winter when we can go to those plceas that are open, catch a horse drawn sliegh ride, and end up at a wave pool and thermo bad, visiting the castles when they are just freezing! Europe you are sort-of-kinda restricted on what to do but there are things that only happen in winter.
I agree that traveling in May or October is best because it is not really too warm, some snow is still in the mountains and prices are lower at places to stay. We all seem to like the photos with those mountains topped with fresh snow and nobody is going to argue with a lower price on rooms.

I knew there wasn't much of anything left in regards to the AFRC facilities.
I had found and posted links about Chiemsee mow being the Club Villa but I bet we could get a walk through it would undoubtedly get the brain cells going a few stories would flow out of that and it would be good to see the old homestead again and to see that it isn't just sittinmg there falling apart.
I bet that if we found the right approach we could get a visit in Berchtesgaden to Skytop, Golf Club,we couldn't do it every day but I bet that one time we could.
I undersatnd The Walker is a parking lot, but I had no idea the Alpine Inn an Old Folks Home. Still we could at least do a drive by and possibly a visit, again if we find the right approach.
It is truely said to hear the Hoff sits in ruins.
Stanggass Kaserne (BRA Hqs) is a housing complex and a little drive through could most likely be done.
Strub with the Gebirgsjager so it could be possible to appeal to the installation commander for a review of he place. Sort of old soldier to old soldier.
In Garmisch the hotels that are torn-down are ghost and gone but to see what has replaced them could be some what entertaining.
As for the hotels that are now used by the germans, hey if they are hotels we could stay there. It wouldn't be the same but it would be a hell of a trip down the memory road.
It is good to know that everything is now at Artillery Kaserne (i.e. PX, Commissary, support activities, MP's, etc.) it saves time on trying to find out what people are useing now.
We mightbe able to visit The Sheridan Kaserne (GAP Hqs), the new The Geo Marshall Center and then visit the old Russian Institute that was located in Ober ammergau which is also home to the Passion play.
We already have had an offer to escort a few of us into the EDELWEISS.

The advice about London with great low price hotels in and around Kensington Gardens could be very valuable.
I realise that it will take a lot of work to get it all planned and if I do it I would make sure there is a back up so that if I get laid up or something that it all goes on without a hitch.
I'm used to arranging things to do as a group and europe is a lot better at that then in the Pacific Northwest.
I would leave the travel arrangements to each person but make sure that people know if there are others in thier area that might want to arrange a flight together and perhaps get a discount (no promises).
If I do it I'll try to arrange all the travel once the group is together.
The odds of an organised group getting in to visit some places are a lot better then a couple dozen individuals.
Thanks for the input and I'm sure there is a lot more input that I'll need.
I don't want it to be one of those rush tours where you are up at six in the morning and not done until 10 at night.

The rough plan would be a few days in Garmish, a couple days around Chiemsee and a couple of days in Berchtesgaden. Staying at one place in each town and then doing day trips so that we are not packing and unpacking each day.

I would like to see about 40 people and a nice relaxed pace with time to meet up with old friends.
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Joe Pritchard
#9 Posted : Wednesday, February 22, 2006 3:22:00 AM
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the more people involved the better. I want to make a trip before I show up with a bunch of people behind me.
I haven't been there in 15 years so i have a lot to catch up on and I don't want to be say well hellit wasn't like that 15 years ago. or asking when they changed that.
I would like to go this fall but I suspect that it will be pushed to next spring.
beside I know that nobody is going to wanna go see all the places that i lived but I want to do just that.
I want to go see Miesau, and the Rhine Ord Barracks in Kaiserslautern as well as the other kasernes that were there. I also want to see Bad Aibling as well as the area around Chiemsee and Berchtesgaden Valley.
I wont be making the trip completly aloneand part of it to kind of tie everything up and gather in a few ends out there with friends that I haven't kept up with. that is if I can find the old friends.

Joe P.
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