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| 2012 NARPI WESTERN REGION REUNION |
| Nor'West Chapter |
| Vancouver B.C. (Canada), May 23-25, 2012 |
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Click
here to view the Registration Form |
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Click
here to view the Attendees List |
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| Wednesday, May 23rd |
Visit the Hospitality and Reception Room (3 PM to ?) to pick up your welcome packet and enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Renew old acquaintances while telling a few war stories!
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Thursday, May 24th |
  We leave at 9 a.m. for a guided bus tour of Richmond and Vancouver. The architectural smorgasbord that is downtown Vancouver coupled with the cosmopolitan blend of cultures that make up the city will show you why Vancouver is often rated the World’s Most Livable City. To end the morning we will tour through
Stanley Park via the seawall promenade area. The park is a crown jewel among the many scenic attributes of Vancouver. We’ll stop at
Totem Park and
Prospect Point for photo opportunities.
 The bus will then leave us at the base of Grouse Mountain where we will take a comfortable gondola ride to the 3,700 foot level. You can choose from several dining options (lunch on your own) while enjoying the spectacular view of the city and surrounding area. After lunch, enjoy a documentary film presentation or visit the grizzly bear habitat. After descent we’ll bus to the Lonsdale Quay Market--an interesting shopping area-- then board the Sea Bus to transit across the inlet. Our bus will meet us for return to the hotel at 3 p.m.
A dinner option is featured tonight with bus transportation to the Fisherman’s Terrace Restaurant for a tasty Chinese buffet dinner. The restaurant is located in a large modern mall with an interesting collection of shops that reflect the ethnic make-up of the city. Take a quick stroll through the mall on the way to eat, (ever visited a ginseng shop?).
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Friday, May 25th |
At 9 a.m., our bus will whisk us to Granville Island where we will board a privately chartered yacht for a comprehensive 3-hour tour around the Vancouver waterways. Again, you will see outstanding  views of downtown, the Lions Gate Bridge, and Stanley Park. Numerous large freighters in the harbor and maybe even a cruise ship or two boarding for Alaska will make for good viewing. After returning you will have two hours to lunch on your own among the stalls at the Granville Public Market where the displays tempt the taste buds. When lunch is over wander through nearby shops with many offering regional products. We’ll return to the hotel at 3 p.m.
The Western Regional annual meeting will be held at 3:15 p.m., followed by the Executive Committee meeting at 3:45 p.m.
A social hour will begin with a cash bar at 6:00 p.m. and the banquet following at 7:00 p.m.
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Our Hotel: The Executive Plaza Hotel & Convention Center has 304 rooms/suites, large meeting rooms, a rooftop jogging track and an indoor pool and health spa. It’s located 5 minutes from the Vancouver International Airport and within 15 minutes of downtown Vancouver. The hotel offers a FREE airport shuttle as well as FREE parking and FREE breakfast for our group. The NARPI room rate is $109.95 per night. For those of you that would like to come early or stay extra days, our room rate is good from May 20 to May 28. The NARPI room rate expires on April 23, 2012. Reservations made after that date will be at the market rate. Make your room reservations by calling 1-800-663-2878 and mention booking code 20020.
Our hotel, in the suburb of Richmond, is convenient to public transit into Vancouver via the Sky Train light rail and is within two blocks of a major shopping center. Richmond, British Columbia’s fourth-largest city, founded in 1879, hosted several of the 2010 Olympic venues and has seen major development in recent years.
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NARPI ALASKA CRUISE - 7 nights - sailing May 26 & returning June 2, 2012
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The Nor’west chapter and the Western Region are pleased to sponsor a 7-night Alaska
cruise of the state’s inside passage on Holland America’s
MS Zuiderdam, round trip from Vancouver, BC. Ports of call include Juneau, Skagway, cruising Glacier Bay National Park and Ketchikan. To those driving to the reunion, the hotel has granted free parking for the duration of the cruise.
Sheri Brightwell, Certified Travel Consultant and Master Cruise Counselor, will provide NARPI group rates in all cabin categories and a $50 shipboard credit. She will match or beat any price quote from any source. Of course you can book your own at the non-NARPI rate and forgo the shipboard credit.
Sheri can be contacted at sheri.brightwell@ustravel.com. Her direct line is 1-206-658-4672 and toll free at 1-888-368-4369. Her hours are Tue.-Fri, 8:30a - 5p; Sat 10a - 3p, Pacific Time.
Note: Neither the Nor’west Chapter nor the Western Region have a vested interest in this cruise and are making it available only for your enjoyment after the reunion.
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Other Information.
GETTING THERE: Most airlines as well as VIA, (Canadian) Rail, AMTRAK,
(www.amtrakcascades.com) and Greyhound, (www.greyhound.com), offer service to Vancouver. There also is a shuttle from the Seattle airport, (www.quickcoach.com) to Vancouver International ( YVR) which is located in the suburb of Richmond as is our headquarters hotel. When leaving by air, you are cleared by U.S. Customs at boarding so you can land in the U. S. fully cleared.
ENTRY TO CANADA: A US Passport is required for air travel directly to Vancouver (Cost $135 for initial issuance and good for ten years). A US Passport card ($55), NEXUS Card or Enhanced Driver’s License cost less but can only be used for land or sea travel.
MONEY: U.S. and Canadian currency are normally about equal in value. U.S. money is generally accepted in Canada but it simplifies transactions to use Canadian currency. U.S. dollars can be exchanged at Canadian banks, but the easiest way is to use your debit card at any Canadian ATM. When using a credit card, most issuing companies assess a 2-3% fee on each transaction
WEATHER: Temperatures in May average highs in the sixties and lows in the forties. Dress for a variety of “Northwest” weather.
PLEASE NOTE: Anyone with special needs, please provide the
information with your registration form.
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Click here to view the Registration Form
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Click
here to view the Attendees List |
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