Traveling Times
Vol. 12 No. 2 Boeing Employees’ Travel Club Newsletter February 2005
Badges
Please wear your Boeing badge during the meetings. If you
have a retirement badge or card, please carry it with you to the meetings. This
helps us to avoid security issues.
February Greeters: Our Greeters will be Wayne
and Joan Misenar. Many thanks to Don and Erlene Reha who were our
January greeters. Our greeters are very important to the success of the meeting
and it is a wonderful opportunity to welcome and say "hello" to everyone
who attends. In addition to having different greeters each month we’d like a
couple of members to assist Blanche. It is desirable that the volunteers arrive
around 6:00PM. Contact Jane Bentley if you can support the February meeting.
There will be sign-up sheets at the February meeting for future meeting
support.
Programs for 2005:
The February 10 program will feature Mary Jacobs of Professional
Travel Services. Her topic will be Travel Insurance 101. What do you
really need? Please bring your questions. In addition to Mary, we are happy to
have Robert Lovig from Cardinal Tours. Robert will bring slides showing some of
the sights you’ll see on the North of 60 Trip scheduled for July.
Some of the ideas we are considering for future meetings are Christmas
Markets of Europe, Japan, and a travel wear fashion show. We’d love to have
your suggestions for other 2005 programs. There will be a suggestion form at
the meeting or you can send your suggestions to Jane Bentley.
There will be a Solo table for those who attend the
meetings or travel without a partner.
Due to recent events involving external media soliciting
information from recreation club leaders, we want to take a moment to outline
appropriate protocol to ensure you all know expectations in the event you are
approached or contacted by the media.
Should any of you, or your club members be approached by
the media, prior to answering questions or granting interviews, it is your
responsibility to gain approval through Boeing Recreation. Recreation staff
will work/coordinate with Corporate Communications and Corporate Relations to
provide direction for proceeding with all such requests.
You can contact a Recreation Staff member through any of
the methods described below:
Oxbow Activity Center Office (Seattle): 206-655-1941
Everett Activity Center Office: 425-342-5000
Email: psrec@boeing.com
LET’S GO!!! Club Sponsored
Trips for 2005
POLICIES FOR CLUB-SPONSORED TOURS
Tour escort costs may be defrayed. BETC cancellation policies are negotiated
with carrier (s) and vendor (s) at the time of contract and will vary with each
trip or event. Portions of a trip may not be refundable. BETC will continue to
encourage “wait lists” to help find replacements for cancellations. Non-Members
are welcome to come as BETC member guests on any trip. For most trips, a small
fee for non-members will be added: $2 for short trips (1-2 days), $5 for medium
(3-6 days) and $10 for trips lasting seven days or more. Also, the Release of
Liability and Indemnification Agreement form must be signed.
Remember: Your only guarantee of a place on any trip is to put
down a deposit.
Please Note: Expression of
interest in trips sponsored by the club helps our vendors and us tremendously
in planning for these trips. Please call or e-mail the BETC Focal or another
Board member, or put your name on a sign-up sheet at the meeting. Let us know
even if you “might” be interested. Thank you.
Acronym Definitions: ppdo per person, double occupancy ppso per person,
single occupancy The following are trips and activities being planned for 2005
Museum of Flight - February 18 at 10:00 AM
The Boeing Museum of Flight is one of our nation’s finest
aeronautical museums. It was great before the Personal Courage Wing. We’ll have
a docent guide us through the original part of the museum and then you’ll have
an opportunity to spend as much time as you’d like taking the self guided tour
of both the WWI and WWII sections of the new wing. At approximately 1:00 PM
we’ll gather in the Wings Café to purchase our lunches for a reasonably priced
selection. We have a room reserved just for us in which to eat and chat.
Rate: Museum of Flight members have
free admission but will need to purchase lunch.
Non-Museum of Flight Members: The rate will depend upon
participation and will be no more than $13.00 and perhaps as little as $10.00.
Limited to 40 so hurry and make your reservation.
BETC Focal: Jane Bentley
425-271-6237 or hjbphb@comcast.net
“Nunsense” at the Auburn Avenue Theater March 6
Enjoy the wacky little Sisters of Hoboken. There will be singing,
dancing and mayhem. There will be a meal at 2:30 PM and entertainment before
the production begins at 4:00 PM. There will be a choice of 3 entrees served
with salad and beverage. The Auburn Avenue Theater is located at 10 Auburn Ave.
Rate: $32.50 per person for meal and play. Dessert and gratuity is not
included.
BETC Focal: Abe and Marlene Angell 425-226-3166 or abemarlene34@aol.com
Frasier Downs/Cloverdale Harness Races, British Columbia-
Cancelled
This harness race track is undergoing renovation and reopening
date has not been established
INDIA, March 18 through April 3
The India trip “Cultures and Wildlife of India”, a 17 day expedition led by Dr.
Dietrich Schaaf departs March 18 and returns April 3. All meals and travel
insurance are included. We have an itinerary showing the places that will be
visited and some space is still available. If you are interested in going on
this trip of a LIFETIME get in touch with Rod Call.
Cost: $5095 ppdo All-inclusive from Seattle. A visa ($60 per person)
is required for India
Tour Agent: World Discovery Safaris, Dick Mills 205-972-8733 or
wds2830@bellsouth.net
BETC Focal: Rod Call 425-255-8550 or rfcall@aol.com
Ocean Shores! Lake Quinault/Rain Forest/Pacific Ocean,
April 17 to 20
A member car pool trip similar to the September 2004 Holden
Village trip. We will drive to Ocean Shores and spend an afternoon and evening
there. Activities will include walking the beach to experience the sights,
sounds and smells of the springtime Pacific Ocean. Our evening will include a
member reception to share our beachcombing experiences, followed by dinner at a
local restaurant.
After breakfast the next morning we will travel to the Lake Quinault Lodge
where we will spend two days and nights. Activities there will include
walks in the rain forest, a visit to the local Indian Salmon Hatchery,
nature walks, fishing in Lake Quinault, an Olympic Peninsula history discussion
by a local expert, and dinners both nights. Our return to Seattle will include
a rest stop picnic where we will share culinary surprises that we acquired
during the trip. Detailed trip flyers with reservation instructions will be
available at the February meeting .Cost: Approximately $350 per room (2
persons) for 3 nights. Pay for all our meals on our own for more choices. Your
total trip cost could be in the $300 per person range.
BETC Focal: Alex Henschel
425-277-4017 or alexhenschel@msn.com
April 23- May 11 Osaka to Seattle on the Sapphire Princess
Attention: Big reduction in category JJ (inside) base price
Spend 19 days cruising between Osaka, Japan and Seattle aboard the brand
new 113,000 gross tons Sapphire Princess. The ports are Nagasaki, Pusan,
Vladivostok, Sapporo, cross International Date Line, Dutch Harbor, Seward
(Anchorage), cruise College Fjord and Glacier Bay; Juneau and Seattle.
Includes: 19 day cruise, port charges, Examples of group base rates are: Cat
JJ inside $1999 reduced from $2595, Cat. FF outside obstructed view $2845.,
Cat. DD outside unobstructed view $2960., Cat BB balcony $3095. and Cat. BA
Balcony
$3145. Add to the base $808.40 for air, taxes and transfer in Osaka. Final
Payment due first week of February, Excludes: insurance, gratuities, shore
excursions. Air deviation fee is $75.00
Pre-trip Option: 2 nights in Kyoto $398.00 ppdo
BETC Focal: Jane Bentley 425-271-6237 or hjbphb@comcast.net
Travel Agent: Lisa Caulfield or
Mary Jacob - Professional Travel Services at 1-800-275-9876 or Mary at
grouptravelspecialist@comcast.net; Lisa at caulfields1@earthlink.net
Southern Heritage Tours (Georgia & South Carolina),
May 20-27
Trip includes Plantations, Gardens and Southern Hospitality. Tour
Atlanta, CNN Studios, Underground Atlanta
shopping plaza, historic Charleston and the City Market, Fort Sumter and Boone
Hall, historic landmarks in
Savannah, Jekyll Island (where we stay 2 nights) and St. Simons Island. There
are still some spaces available.
Call Barbara for Reservation Forms
Cost: $1749 ppdo, which includes 7 breakfasts and 5 dinners as
well as round trip airfare. Trip insurance is
available at $100 per person.. Final payments are due March 20, 2005
BETC Focal: Barbara Elliott 425-228-8665 (Work), 206-662-5961 (Home) or
barbara.r.elliott@boeing.com
Travel Agent: Collette Vacations
Skagit City Light Tour, June 4
Motor coach via 1-5 to the North Cascades Highway to Newhalem.
Visit the National Park Service Visitors Center and then cruise Diablo Lake to
the Diablo Dam Tour. We will be able to view the antique incline railway and
take a stroll through the wooded trials surrounding the dam. On our return trip
to Seattle we will stop at a local North Cascades restaurant for a late
afternoon Chicken BBQ.
Cost: $69 per person
BETC Focal: Blanche Arbogast 253-833-0795
Tour Agent: Call Alki Tours at 1-800- 895-2554 to make reservations.
The Music Man at the Issaquah Village Theatre, June 26
This event will include the matinee performance followed by a potluck picnic at
the Lake Sammamish State Park.
Cost : $34.20 per person for seniors at the group rate.
BETC Focal: Alex Henschel 425-277-4017 or alexhenschel@msn.com
MYSTERY Trip July 29-31
First Clue: North, South,
East or West. Come find out which way is best!!!
Price will be between $300-500 per person.
BETC Focal: Mary Lou Call
425-255-8550 or mlcall@aol.com
North of 60- Canada & Northwest Territories, July 7-24
This unique tour will take you to places well off the beaten path
and include Calgary, Peace River, Highlevel; Fort Smith and Wood Buffalo
National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Fort
Providence; fly from Yellowknife, fly over the Arctic Circle to Inuvik to enjoy
the Great Northern Arts Festival; fly to Tuktoyaktuk where you can try a Polar
Bear Swim; Fort Simpson; Fort Nelson where you’ll find yourself in the “Tropics
of the North”; Grande Prairie; Jasper including Maligne Canyon; and Banff with
a Sno-Coach ride on the Columbia Icefields. Includes 16 nights accommodations,
17 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners, locally guided tours in Jasper, Banff,
Columbia Icefields, Wood Buffalo National Park. Does not include round trip air
from Seattle to Calgary, you may wish to use some of those frequent flyer
miles. Current airfare is approximately $350 per person via Alaska Airlines.
Rate: Approximately USD $3260 ppdo including insurance.
Optional Trip Deviation: A three day package to the Great Slave Lake Lodge replaces
the Yellowknife to Inuvik portion of the trip. Cost would be an additional USD
$700. A flyer and signup sheet for this option will be available at the
February meeting.
BETC Focal: Blanche Arbogast
253-833-0795
Tour Operator: Cardinal Travel Tours, Calgary
Russia/Mongolia and the Trans-Siberian Railway August
15-31 (Wait list only)
This custom tour is perfect for a small group of friends traveling
together. The highlight is the cross-cultural opportunities: meeting Chinese,
Mongols, Burycts and Russians as we cross thousands of miles; tracing the old
tea route from Beijing to Moscow. In Bejjing, we spend the afternoon exploring
the Forbidden City and Tianamnen Square. In Mongolia, we sleep in gers as
nomadic Mongolians do, and see the ancient capital of Genghis-Khan. In
Buryatia, we visit a remote village located between the Mongolian border and
Ulan Ude, where hospitable locals greet us. We experience the beauty and size
of the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, We conclude our Trans-Siberian Rail
journey in Moscow, the political heart of Russia. This trip is designed to be
an “Around the World” trip with routing over three continents. Information on a
post trip to Prague will be sent to those who have deposited for the trip.
Cost: $5952 ppdo excludes
processing and visas for China/Mongolia and Russia ($270), insurance (your
choice of plan ) and airport fees and taxes (approximately $150). .
BETC Focal: Alex Henschel 425-277-4017 or alexhenschel@msn.com
Travel Agent: Earthbound Expeditions, Matthew Brumbley 206-842-9775 or
matthew@eartbboundexpeditions.com
Baltic Capitals, September 15-28
This may well be the trip of the year. The Baltic cities of Riga,
Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Tallinn, Estonia are only now being discovered
and appreciated. They are charming and romantic and still a travel value. Cost:
Under $3000 ppdo for a 14 day trip. Details at the February meeting
Tour Agent: Anna Louise
Waerness of Nordic Saga 800-848-6449
BETC Focal: Judy Bosnake, H
425-432-0789 or W 425-965-2163
Branson and the Ozarks, December TBD
More information to be provided in future Newsletters
Cost Goal: in the $1500 range per person
BETC Focal: Blanche Arbogast 253-833-0795
BETC Christmas Party. December 8
BETC Focal: Blanche Arbogast 253-833-0795
Post Christmas/New Years trip, December TBD
Cost Goal: in the $1000 range per person
BETC Focal: Judy Bosnake 425-432-8665 or judy.a.bosnake@boeing.com
Sunshine: Marlene and Abe
Angell 425-226-3166,
Our thoughts and best wishes to the following members for a speedy
recovery: Judy Bosnake, Shirley Bosnake, Karen Armstrong, Deanna Fortkort,
Alice Goddard, Charlene Hester, Jim Morrow, Sandy Oja, Ron Cline, James Parks,
Judith Halsey, Jane Bentley and Mavis LaBounty.
Trip Reports
CHINA TRIP REPORT STARTING WITH SATURDAY 10/23/04 by Marlene Angell
Jiin and Andre have left us and took a train to Shanghai. We went
on to Wuhan where we visited the Yellow Crane Tower which has a history of more
than 1700 years. Over 1,000 pieces of poetry and prose have been composed
describing the beauty of the land as viewed from this tower. We now have a
bigger bus, but we have some very serious shoppers!! Next, we were off to
dinner- we missed Jiin telling us what we were eating! Then to our 5-star
hotel, the Shangri-La. Today we first glimpsed the Yangtze River.
Sunday 10/24 There is construction everywhere. The temperature is
in the 70’s - in the summer it can be 108 degrees. There are many McDonalds and
Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants - some of our group were longing for
”western food”. We visited the villa of Maozeddong - it was a retreat like our
presidents’ Camp David. Saw China’s biggest fresh water oyster bay. There was a
tourist rest stop with gifts of fresh water pearls and jade. Some of us
actually tried walking along the streets and even “crossing” the streets with
the mass of people, bikes, buses and taxis. We found that crosswalks meant
nothing - the trick was to walk right alongside the locals (like glued) to
cross safely!! Today we traveled to Jinzhou/Yichang. The city wall was built in
1646- has 6 city gates. The wall here is one of 4 ancient walls. We visited
Jinzhou ancient city museum. There are three gorges - they are the gateway to
Yichang city (7 million population in the city and 3 million in the suburbs) -
the gorges stretch for 600 miles. After dinner at Yichang City, we boarded the
5 star MS East Queen for a three day cruise on the Yangtze river.
Monday 10/25 Viewing of the East part of the Xiling Gorge. We went
ashore to the Dam site and learned about the planning and building of the
project; looked at the 5 locks that lift ships from the downstream side of the
dam to the upstream side of the dam. Will be completed in 2009. The electrical
power capacity will be 18,200 megawatts. Over a million people had to be
relocated because of the rising water level. We went through the locks - 4
sections of the 5 were used because the water has not risen behind the dam to
it’s full height. The trip took three hours for our ship to go through the
locks. For small ships under 3,000 tons, there is a hydrolytic lift that
transports the ships to the top of the 610 foot dam.
Tuesday 10/26 We went for a cruise on the Shennong stream- first a
ferry- then peapod boats- life jackets were mandatory- l5 people per boat - strong
Chinese men oared and pulled our craft with ropes - one Sampan captain was 60
years young! A clear, sunny day made the trip even more enjoyable. Back on
board ship for lunch, there was a contest for the best pirate costume! With
stiff competition Abe Angell won with a missing hand and his hook was
brandishing a plastic spoon! It was a hoot! In the afternoon we sailed the WU
Gorge. Our ship had many activities going on at different times. Many ladies in
our group indulged in a massage, manicure or pedicure.
Wednesday 10/27 We visited Shibaozhai, a 12 story wooden pagoda.
To get to the pagoda you had to run the gauntlet of vendors on the both sides -
good place to get a good price on favorite items. The pagoda had 12 stories of
wooden, steep stairs - 92 steps! We bought many more treasures -all wondering
how we will pack items to get them home!
Thursday 10/28 We reluctantly left the luxury ship for a new
adventure. Went by bus to Chongqing- population 6 million in city and 32
million in area. Chongqing is a sister city of Seattle. General Stilwell-
famous General lived here during 1942-1944. Visit to Chongqing Stilman Museum.
It was once used as an important lodging place by the KMT government to
accommodate VIPS during the war against the Japanese. In March 1942 the
building became General Stillwell’s official residence after he came to China
entrusted by US President Roosevelt. In order to commemorate the outstanding
contribution to China by General Stillwell in joint resistance against the
Japanese invasion the government founded the museum in 1991 and it was named
the “Chongqing Stilwell Museum” in 2000. The museum has had over 100,000
visitors from the US and other countries. We also visited the Flying Tiger
Museum - a group of volunteer pilots who flew over the mountains “The Hump” to
supply the besieged city of Chongqing before the Burma road was completed. The
Japanese never took over the city. Visited the Three Gorges Museum. Mr. Liu
Zuozhong well known artist, spent about 20 years in sketching from nature in
the three gorge area. From 2/1993 thru 9/1995 he drew the historical scroll of
the 3 gorges - 100 meters in length and 2 meters in height. There is now a red
line drawn depicting how high the water will be after completion of the Three
Gorge project in 2009 - also indicating the need for the relocation of over a
million people.
Friday 10/29 Two hour plane trip to Shanghai - served mysterious
snacks on the plane - some of the Chinese passengers would not take our
rejects, so we wonder? At the airport get into a “big” bus - sunny day - no fog
- about 74 degrees - freeway seemed very modern - could still see some old
apartments with their laundry hanging outside of their windows- as usual the
local people are very curious about us as they see us in the bus- most respond
to our waves and smile and wave back. Since 1990’s tremendous changes have
taken place in Shanghai-almost every day- new buildings going up everywhere.
Visited the Bund - a river walk with a great view of the city. 30 million
population. Dinner at a Tai restaurant - One of the dishes presented had a
duck’s head cooked in the sauce! Great fun to tease mother Mavis with it! Back
on the bus - Some of our group were elated to spot Starbuck’s, Taco Bell and
McDonald’s restaurants. After dinner we had a night tour and went to the top of
the Oriental Pearl Tower - terrific view of the city - outstanding lights on
buildings and boats.
Saturday 10/30 Went to an open market - spent a few hours shopping
and bargaining - many name brands such as Christian Dior. After lunch went to a
walking mall - no cars- some of us went to department stores- amazing values
and selection of clothing - like jackets, leather coats for $29, name brand
shoes for $12. The cab drivers wear white shirts and white gloves as part of
their uniform.
Sunday 10/31 After breakfast checked out of the hotel and bused to
Yuyuan Garden which was destroyed 3 times over 400 year period - this was a
private garden to provide a home for his parents - took him 28 years to build
originally. Then visited Old Town - where we had time to look at some of the
shops -there was a Starbuck’s. Lunch at a restaurant called “Unique Cuisine”.
Note - today James (our guide) took a group photo using all of our cameras- we
should get at least one good photo. There are 3 airports in Shanghai- Dudong
airport is the international airport built in 1999 and was our point of
departure.
Fantastic trip - many memories!!
Mystery Trip - Dec 29, 2004 thru Jan 1, 2005 By Gary
Adamson
Studying the clues for the Mystery Trip, two members (Bill Baker
and Richard Williams) guessed the destination as Astoria, Oregon, where planned
activities acknowledged the 200th year anniversary of Lewis and Clark's
overland passage to the Pacific Ocean..
Wednesday, our first stop was in Tacoma where we visited the
Washington State History Museum. We saw many exhibits, which featured Lewis and
Clark’s passage to the Pacific Northwest. That evening we went to dinner at the
Seafood Cooking School where we savored a gourmet meal of both tuna and salmon.
Thursday, our local guide, Rae Goforth, told us about Lewis and
Clark’s trip to the Pacific Northwest and their winter camp established at Fort
Clatsop in 1805. At Fort Clatsop we were met by period actors getting into
their roles completely, with displays of the various skill and crafts needed
for survival during that time period. Later we continued on to Seaside for
lunch and a visit to the Salt Claim where Lewis and Clark’s party extracted
salt from sea water. On the way back to Astoria, we stopped to admire the view
from the Astoria Column. With its 164 steps (straight up) the view at the top
of the Column is an exceptional 360 degrees. Then it was onto the historic
Flavel House for Tea and Plum Pudding. Our final stop of the day was at a small
winery for wine tasting, which included chocolate wine served in ice cream
cones.
Friday, we went to Cape Disappointment the Lewis and Clark
Interpretive Center where they had many exhibits and videos. We had lunch at
Long Beach and then headed back to Astoria for a visit at the Columbia River
Maritime Museum which featured shipwrecks, fishing, war memorabilia, and much
more. New Year’s Eve was a lively celebration at the Astoria’s Elk’s Lodge with
dinning and dancing .
Saturday morning we began our trip home traveling up the Columbia
River as did Lewis and Clark 200 years earlier, but they didn’t get to stop at
the Lucky Eagle Casino for lunch, and a chance to temp lady luck.
Boeing Employees’ Travel Club Board of Trustees 2005
President Judy Bosnake W: 425-965-2163 H: 425-432-0789;
judy.a.bosnake@boeing.com
Vice President Jane Bentley H: 425-271-6237; hjbphb@comcast.net
Treasurer Barbara Elliott W: 206-662-5961; H: 42-228-8665;
barbara.r.elliott@boeing.com
Secretary MaryLou Call H: 425-255-8550; mlcall@aol.com
Membership Mike Yamada H: 425-427-9332; yamod@comcast.net
Hospitality Blanche Arbogast H: 253-833-0795
Sunshine Marlene Angell H: 425-226-3166; abemarlene34@aol.com
Webmaster Jiin Chen H: 425-255-1865; ac1239@msn.com
Newsletter Editor There is an opening for this position
Assistant Newsletter Editor Bill Forde H: 425-337-4179; wildfire@gemini.com
Meeting Master/Audio-Visual Bob Gamrath H: 206-935-8562
Past President Alex Henschel H: 425-277-4017; a1exhenschel@msn.com
BETC Security Jim Ewing H: 253-852-5715; jamesmewing5@hotnmail.com
Boeing Recreation Advisor Evelyn Alexander W: 206-655-1952; evelyn.l.alexander@boeing.com
BETC WEBSITE: http://www.betravelclub.com
News items and editorial comment in this publication do not necessarily
reflect the views and opinions of The Boeing Company.
Newsletter items for the March 2005 issue are needed by February 18th.
Membership
If the date on your address label is January, February or March please renew
your membership today. Complete and sign the membership renewal form and the
Indemnification agreement enclose a check and mail it to BETC or give it to our
Membership Chairman, Mike Yamada or our Treasurer, Barbara Elliott. Every
member is important and is someone’s favorite traveling companion. If you know
of a former BETC member who has ceased their membership, please give them a
call to inquire if they would like to rejoin.
Use the Renton PO Box 3546 if you mail in your membership renewal
and signed Indemnification Form