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Many many thanks to Craig and Cherie Cline!! They live near Portland and are zoo members. They are going to make a large contribution to the zoo and for that $$$, WE all get a lovely behind-the-scenes hippo visit at no cost to each member attending that day:-) Wow, that's so great you guys!!
Have still been watching the long-range weather for Portland. Rather all
over the map as far as what the temp will be for Zoo day:-)
woohoo!! We leave for Portland Thursday!
Last chance to ask any questions--like now:-) PDX, Portland airport is 11 miles
from our hotel---shows 20-25 min drive. Check in at the Doubletree is
4pm/out
noon.
Don't forget--free parking---make sure the front desk knows you are with the
hippo group---
And don't let them forget to give you the choc chip cookie at check-in:-) Try
for a room as high up as possible:-)
Will see some of you
Thursday then at the Pastini Pastaria Restaurant
at
5:30 pm===at least for the table for only 20 people. Others can
be there late-ish as they have to be seated -as they can/where they can:-) Only
open until
9pm that night. Plenty of vegetarian choices.
Remember to take CASH to pay for your meal and tip. The restaurant (for the
table for 20) will want just one bill/check---and they will have added 18%
gratuity already. So be fair:-)
Otherwise---you are on your own time daytime Thurs and daytime
Friday! See you then Friday
at the Meet & Greet at the Mt. Hood/Mt.St. Helen room.
5:00 pm to 11:00 pm and bring those hippo gifts If you are playing
the games. Be sure newbies to read the game rules again---NO plushies and
---what David---one game a $25 hippo (or more) and the 2nd game a hippo worth
$35 or more??) (remember, some are pretty valuable sometimes and some are very
breakable) You will be filling out some stuff as soon as you get to the
room---and there are free hippos at my table and nice ones for sale by Jen,
Sandi and Pam. (take CASH):-)
And Alan's hippo film will be shown after the games.
The Ice-breaker game---for Jay who may not have seen this---when you get to the
M&G
Friday, if you'd like to be In on this---fill
out an index card with something about yourself from the past or present--and
don't put your name on it---WE have to guess who wrote it---who it is about:-)
Diane will handle the index cards/box to put them in/and pens I've taken to use.
No food or drink may be taken In to the room--thanks---(or hide in a bag) The
hotel's event mgr who has helped many of us, Michael Cavanaugh--will be at the
M&G for part of it!!
Some Basic hotel info. I am running behind, so I am posting this as-is from our Reunion Big Cheese. I'll fancy it up later...
Portland Doubletree Hotel
1000 NE Multnomah Street
Portland, OR 97232
ph 503 281 6111 (and ask for reservations)
ph 800 996 0510
Or for help/requests, call our event mgr at this hotel:
Michael Cavanaugh
503 331 4934
mcavanaugh@portlanddoubletree.
You have choices of a Premium King room/with sofabed---be sure to request the
sofa even though we're suppose to automatically get one with our King room.
Premium Double Queen room. These are at our group rate of $129.00. These are
about 456 sq. ft. There are also some small rooms at 220 sq ft that have one
Queen bed, for $119 per night. Choice of mountain view or downtown
There are accessible rooms, some with roll in showers, some with roll in tubs!
Be sure when you make your reservations that you say you are with the Hippo
group/Hippolotofus
Sept 11, 12, 13, 14 (Thurs to Sunday) 3 days prior to these
dates we are also suppose to get group rate, and 3 days post these dates. This
is where they sometimes mess up:-)
There is Free Wifi, but for an additional $12.95 you can get an upgrade for
broader bandwidth:-)
They are also giving us free parking. Seems they have a big lot for this area
and a height that even allows for a taller van/suv.
This hotel is directly across the street from light rail/The MAX. It can be
taken from the airport to very near our hotel cheaply!!! And all around the
city, including to the zoo.
To get to the hotel on the MAX, people can walk to the far end of baggage claim
where the MAX RED Line pulls up directly at the airport. Buy a ticket!!! Board
the REd Line and get off at the Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave stop. The hotel is
located at this stop, straight ahead--to the leftish:-)
The Red Line leaves the airport every 15 minutes and it usually takes about 20
minutes to reach the hotel once the train departs. (it will make a number of
stops)
To get to the zoo from our hotel--get your ticket--board the Red or Blue line
--toward city center and get off at the Washington Park stop.
http://trimet.org/howtoride/
(line will have more info---the tickets work for other modes of transportation
there too, and they have day passes)
Don't forget to get your free Chocolate Chip cookies at the Doubletree:-)
To Book rooms online:
http://doubletree.hilton.com/
:-) good luck doing it this way---should be easier if just booking for Thurs,
Fri & Sat though:-) I believe there is a place for an added "note" to request
which view???
Remember, please, there are Only 54 Premium King rooms/sofa bed
For some of us arriving in to Portland early, I have booked a restaurant for
5:30 pm Thursday evening,
Sept
12th. They can only take 20 of us. And we must arrive AT
5:30.
They do not normally take reservations, but seemed to be very curious about a
funky hippo group, so they caved in:-) They will seat us a a couple of long
tables---cushion side, table inbetween and then chairs on the other side of the
table/s Good set-up. But they will only allow one check per table. We've
done that before. And we know with that many people arriving at one time to be
patient for food, etc. Hard to get food to everybody at the same time:-) I
promised we'd be patient! LOL They are allowing us to order from Full menu!
yay
Restaurant is Pastini Pastaria/Italian. They have a number of locations, this
is the closest one to our hotel, maybe within walking for some of you. 1426 NE
Broadway 2 blks from the Lloyd Center Mall. This is the original location
for this restaurant. They have a good, varied menu, plenty of vegetarian
items and also make their own gluten-free pasta for those wishing that. Good
prices. All set. I'm going to ask again if they might accept more of us, but
it's very hard to know this early how many will arrive early enough to go there
in time. Flights, checking in, etc.
UPDATE Aug 8:
For those getting to Portland early enough to meet up at the Thursday
evening restaurant planned---it is at
5:30
Sharp!! Giving the address now---we won't have seen you until that evening to
hand out itineraries.
Pastini Pastaria Italian Restaurant
1426 N.E. Broadway ----2 blocks from the Lloyd Center mall, which is right
by our Doubletree Hotel
So remember, that special list we have of people who will be seated at the long
tables for just 20 people and everybody else coming---you will find others to
sit with too:-) We are still suppose to pay Per table, so take cash!!! They
will automatically add gratuity, so check for this---probably 18% for our
group!! Please, everybody going, do chip in on gratuity so the person using
their credit card for the group doesn't end up paying even more:-)
They have a good variety for vegetarians too---gluten free and vegan. Good!
Wear hippo clothing or anything you want otherwise!! Even a hippo tie:-)
Wanted to give info on our Saturday evening restaurant again too. Stanfords
Grill & Bar, located right across the street from our hotel/Lloyd Center Mall
area.
5pm Also a varied menu. We do get to order
from the Full menu. We will be seated together (about 40 of us), but they do
want just one or two checks, so everybody be sure to Know what you eat and drink
and chip in on the 18% tip they will add automatically. So you will need some
cash to give to somebody (like John maybe) so that he or even one other person
can use their credit card for all. Same with the Italian restaurant for
Thursday evening. Probably just 2 checks allowed for all to figure out.
All we have planned for the group Saturday is the zoo--early-ish in the day. So
everybody will be coming from different places. The restaurant can deal with
our large group at
5pm rather than later in the evening.
hh sheila
UPDATE Aug 8:
Saturday restaurant---is at
5 pm.
Stanfords Grill & Bar. Very near our hotel at the Lloyd Center Mall
913 Lloyd Center
Varied menu----this place only chosen as it's so close to hotel and we can walk
to it. Handy for our last gathering together:-) Same---paying. They may
only want a couple of payments, not even per table--we'll see how they handle
it. Also will take out gratuity---18% probably. Should hear back from them one
more time.
Hello fellow reunion attendees!
We will be having two games this year.
If you want to participate in the first game - you will need 1 hippo gift. It needs to and must be valued at $25 or more. Prizes remain wrapped until the very end.
If you want to play the second game - you must provide 1 hippo gift valued at $35 or more. It is the traditional game we have played many times, where you may steal an others prize by trading yours for theirs. The final name drawn will get the pick of any hippo they want from those participating, (with a slight twist). NOTE: Nobody will take home the gift they brought - I have fixed that error in the rules. Trust me!
Things to remember:
People traveling often have packing restrictions. Please be mindful of the dimensions of your prize.
All Hippo-theme Gifts should be new - no white rhino rejects or plush's allowed. Exceptions would include antiques or pottery that is collectible, duplicates you own that others would appreciate like hippo jewelry, small hippo statues or handmade hippo items.
Please try to find one gift that is at least the minimum instead of say 2 or 3 $10 items bundled together. However if at least one hippo is worth the minimum, feel free to add as many smaller or equally nice hippos in the prize. Many people will spend over the minimum so if you can afford it, feel free to spend extra. Any questions - E-mail me B/C.
Gifts need to be wrapped. Gift bags and tissue are easy. If you want to be economical you can use the newspaper, lunch bags or toilet tissue from the hotel. We just need the hippos covered to add mystery and intrigue. Hippo gift wrap, hippo gift bags or hippo appliques encouraged.
EVERYONE will include their name with the gifts. We will say who each item is from so make sure we can easily find it. Your name in a business envelope works well. Everyone likes to know who brought what Hippo.
Everyone is invited to play - no exclusions. We are one big Hippo family. If you've got the required hippo gifts of the appropriate value then you may play any or all the games. You do not have to play at all if you do not wish.
Remember, any questions - E-mail me Back Channel (B/C).
Let the Hippo games gift buying begin!
Hippo has no credit limit card swipes,
David in Chicago
Designs by Ricker, the maker of our pewter pieces
for over ten years, is doing a custom commissioned piece for 2014 again, based
on the award winning design by acclaimed artist Adelaide Prentice. Here is an
early mockup. As soon as ordering info is available I will pass it on.
Ready to order, see below:
Designs by Ricker is offering again
this year a Hippo pewter sculpture to represent your annual Hippolotofus event
in Portland, Oregon.
The hippo sculpture can be purchased with or without a walnut base.
Hippo on a walnut base is $70.00 plus s/h
Hippo without a base is $60.00 plus s/h
Please call me at Designs by Ricker if you would like to place an order.
Sincerely,
Sherri Scott
Designs by Ricker
1-800-373-9837
sscott@ricker.com
this mockup is in wax, but will be produced in pewter
