| 2011 NARPI Mid-America Reunion |
Saint Louis, MO
July 17 - 20, 2011 |
Click here
to view the registration form.
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Click here to view the Hotel information and other items of interest.
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Click here to view the Attendee List.
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Note: The cutoff dates for the hotel and reunion registration have been extended to June 19th.
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| Sunday, July 17 |
Registration will be in the main lobby from 1:00 - 6:00 pm.,
after 6 pm. in the hospitality room which will be open
from 1 - 10 pm.
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| Monday, July 18 |
The bus will leave the hotel at 8:30 am. and proceed to
Laclede's Landing, the original settlement on the Mississippi
River, where our tour guide will trace the history of St.
Louis. It is now a nine-block historic district filled with
renovated turn-of-the-century buildings housing shops, eateries
and offices. We will visit the Gateway Arch, the nation's
tallest monument at 630 feet, which commemorates the gateway to
the west for thousands of 19th century pioneers. You will take
a tram ride to the top for a unique bird's eye view of the city
or watch a documentary on how this structure was created. Back
on the bus, you will enjoy a view of the Old Cathedral, the
oldest cathedral west of the Mississippi. Across the street
is the Old Courthouse, the setting for cases involving
slavery, the fur trade and equal rights. Of these cases,
the Dred Scott Freedom trial is most notable. You will pass
Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, and the
St. Louis Union Station, once the busiest rail terminal
in the world. Union Station is now home to a luxury hotel,
specialty shops and restaurants. The next stop will be a
seated lunch (included) at
Hannegan's Restaurant and Pub on Laclede's
Landing, a setting that exudes Old World elegance. The restaurant
was named after Robert Hannegan, a local politician, who was
Postmaster General from 1945-8.
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Following lunch, our tour guide will familiarize you with the
rich history of the colorful Busch family enroute to the
Anheuser-Busch brewery. Situated in a 100 acre complex with
over 70 brick structures, the brewery buildings are known for
their unique architecture and several are National Historic
Landmarks. During the tour, you will see the World Famous
Clydesdales, Fermentation Building, the Packaging and
Bottling Plant, the Brew House and a film about the brewing
process. The final stop at the brewery is the hospitality
room to sample the family of Anheuser-Busch products.
Our last stop will be the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
(New Cathedral) which contains the largest collection of
mosaics in the world - 84,000 square feet in 8,000 shades
of color. Pope John-Paul II resided here during his visit
in January, 1999. The Cathedral is located in the historic
Central West End neighborhood and the mansions bordering
Forest Park are fine examples of the "Golden Age" of St. Louis
at the turn of the century. Forest Park was the sight of
the 1904 World's Fair and is one of the largest parks in the
United States. The Park now houses the world-famous St. Louis
Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum at the
Jefferson Memorial, the Science Center and the Muny Opera,
among other attractions. The buses will be furnished with
water each day. |
Golf Outing
A golf outing will leave the hotel at 7:15AM, on Monday, for play at the Landings At Spirit Golf Club. Click here for additional information.
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| Tuesday, July 19 |
The bus will depart the hotel at 9:00 am. We will explore the
real character of St. Louis through several of its most historic
neighborhoods. Lafayette Square features renovated Victorian
mansions and row houses which surround Lafayette Park, the oldest
public park west of the Mississippi. Soulard, a delightful
old-working class neighborhood, boasts the oldest continuous
farmer's market west of the Mississippi. Soulard hosts the
second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. The
first stop is Gus's Pretzel Shop which has been serving St. Louis
pretzel fans since the 1920s. Pretzel patrons can view the
entire production process and purchase sticks or twists before
leaving. You may also purchase the pretzel sandwich, pretzel
dough encasing bratwurst, salsiccia or a hot dog.
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Next is a
visit to "The Hill", the home of St. Louis's Italian community,
located on the southwest part of the city. Important as an
industrial and residential area since the 1800's, today it is
a home to many restaurants, both elegant and casual, ethnic
groceries, bakeries and entertainment venues, including bocce
alleys. The second stop is Viviano's grocery store where you
will have the opportunity to purchase cheeses, sausages, pastas
and many other Italian foods. Next will be a seated lunch (included) at
Favazza's on the Hill where you may enjoy some of the local
delicacies. Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame baseball catcher, and Joe
Garagiola, major league baseball catcher and broadcaster, grew
up within a few doors from each other on Elizabeth Street in this
neighborhood.
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The final stop will be
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard for dessert (included). Enjoy a specialty "concrete" shake,
a shake so thick you can turn it upside down.
The National Executive Board and Mid-America Regional Meetings
will be held from 4:15 - 5:45 pm.
The banquet sit-down dinner will commence at 7:00 pm. preceded
by a cash bar opening at 6:00 pm. CASUAL DRESS FOR BANQUET, TROPICAL IF SO DESIRED.
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Wednesday, July 20 |
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The bus will disembark at 9:00 am. to visit St. Charles,
the oldest
town on the Missouri River. Founded as Les Petites
Cotes (The Little Hills) by French Canadians, St. Charles has
carefully preserved its heritage as a river town that has been
welcoming visitors since 1769. Thousands of pioneers replenished
supplies here on the awesome journey west. St. Charles is a source
of multiple historical encounters: the Lewis and Clark Rendezvous,
Missouri's First State Capitol and the origin of the Boone's Lick
Trail. Enjoy a driving tour of Main Street, a nine-block historic
district filled with 80 restored buildings dated from 1790-1900. Today,
this cobblestone and gas lit street is known for its gift, antique
and craft shops. You may visit Missouri's First State Capitol or
the Lewis & Clark Nature Center on your own.
The Capitol has been
completely restored and furnished as it appeared during the period
of 1821-1826 when the Missouri State Legislature met in St.
Charles. The lower level of the Nature Center houses replicas of
the three boats of the Lewis & Clark Discovery Expedition. Upstairs,
the Nature Center is a "hands-on" museum following the adventures of
Lewis & Clark into the wilderness of the West. Enjoy various displays
of Native American tribes, the men of the expedition with their
equipment and artifacts and a walk through the forests as it was
during Lewis & Clark's expedition.
The gamblers of the group may try their luck at the
Ameristar Casino,
which offers 45,000 square feet of gaming on two dockside levels
including 3,300 slot machines and 95 gaming tables. A pick-up location
and time will be provided by the tour guide for departure.
Please note: Anyone with special needs, please provide the information
with your registration form.
Reminder for the Golf outing: If interested, please e-mail
Wayne Turner, dwturner2026@yahoo.com
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Click here to view the registration form.
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Click here to view the Hotel information and other items of interest.
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| Click here to view the Attendee List. |
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Click here for information on 5% discount on American Airlines. |
Click here for information on discount at AVIS.
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For additional information:
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