OCS Reunion - 23 - 27 October, 2016

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

We could not have preordered better weather! After breakfast, Rob headed back to our hotel room to read, rest, and enjoy quiet.  I, on the other hand, hopped in the car to explore the charming city of Charleston.  First stop, the oldest continuous synagogue in the United States, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim.  As luck would have it, there was only one other person on the tour, so it was almost like a private tour.

  Afterwards, I walked to the old "Cigar Factory" on Bay Street because it was the setting from our Book Club's latest read.

  After the hike there and back (over two miles), I was ready for lunch at Hyman's where I enjoyed a delicious crab cake sandwich.  My exploration continued with a walk to Charleston's Holocaust Memorial in Marion Square, followed by a long walk over to Broad Street to what I hoped was a needle works store, but no such luck.  By this time, I was ready to start my drive back to our hotel by way of a quick stop at a small fabric store!
  After a little nap, we ventured back into the city for our 8:00 PM dinner reservations at the Charleston Grille. It was a bit tricky finding the actual location of this restaurant, which is located inside of the Belmond Hotel, but WOW, are we ever grateful that we persevered! From the lovely anniversary card on the table, to the delicious, gorgeous "extra" dessert - everything about this dining experience was FIRST CLASS!  The carrot cake fritters with cream cheese ice cream will always be my FAVORITE dessert!  It was a marvelous way to celebrate our 41st anniversary.
   Tomorrow, we'll venture back to Atlanta, smiling all the way recalling the fabulous memories of Rob's 50th OCS Reunion!

OCS Reunion October 23 - 27, 2016

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Another beautiful day to explore Charleston. At 0930 hours we loaded the bus, destination Patriot's Point Tour.  We began our day by checking out the Laffey.

Afterwards, we roamed through a submarine.  Whoa, it is not a place for those who are claustrophobic!  We walked from end to end, squeezing through very tight placed!

Next, we toured the Medal of Honor Museum and then enjoyed lunch aboard this aircraft carrier!

Then we stumbled upon a local journalist interviewing a veteran.  The young journalist's body language, admiration, and respect brought tears to my eyes.  This, is the epitome of good journalism!

It was a lovely day to be touring Patriot's Point!

  After lunch, we board our boat for Fort Sumter.  After many, many years of teaching about this landmark, I was beyond thrilled to finally set foot on this Civil War battle ground.

   We then changed clothes and head over to the Banquet, after a few pictures and visiting. It was a lovely evening.

OCS 50th Reunion

Monday, October 24, 2016

Another glorious day to explore charming Charleston, South Carolina!  Our bus tour took us around the lovely city while Butler, our guide, gave us a brief history of the city.  We stopped a couple of blocks away from the Heyward-Washington house because the road was being paved so the bus could not pass.

Afterwards, we stopped at the City Market where I shopped while Rob had lunch with a classmate, Chris Tucci.  Later, the bus picked us up at the Customs House for the trip back to the hotel.

By this time, Rob is way beyond his "Retirement Nap" Schedule, so he heads back to the room for some rest, while I head over to the Tangier Outlet Mall for some retail therapy.  This is a win-win situation for both of us!

   Around 6:15, we board the bus again for our evening Harbor Dinner Cruise which was absolutely delightful.  Our entertainer was terrific.  We enjoyed his variety of music throughout the evening as we cruised along the beautiful Charleston Harbor.  What a way to end a day!

OCS 50th Reunion

Monday, October 24, 2016

Another glorious day to explore charming Charleston, South Carolina!  Our bus tour took us around the lovely city while Butler, our guide, gave us a brief history of the city.  We stopped a couple of blocks away from the Heyward-Washington house because the road was being paved so the bus could not pass.

Afterwards, we stopped at the City Market where I shopped while Rob had lunch with a classmate, Chris Tucci.  Later, the bus picked us up at the Customs House for the trip back to the hotel.

By this time, Rob is way beyond his "Retirement Nap" Schedule, so he heads back to the room for some rest, while I head over to the Tangier Outlet Mall for some retail therapy.  This is a win-win situation for both of us!

   Around 6:15, we board the bus again for our evening Harbor Dinner Cruise which was absolutely delightful.  Our entertainer was terrific.  We enjoyed his variety of music throughout the evening as we cruised along the beautiful Charleston Harbor.  What a way to end a day!

50th OCS Reunion - Charleston, SC Oct 23 - 27, 2016

Sunday, October 23, 2016
    We left Atlanta on a day that can best be described as "Chamber of Commerce" weather - sunny skies with perfect balmy temperatures.  The three hour drive from Atlanta to Charleston was easy and calm!
  After checking into our hotel, Crowne Point Plaza, we visited the Delta 1/2 OCS Reunion Hospitality Room where Rob immediately found classmates to greet.  Later, we attended the Low Country Boil, and ended the evening visiting with other folks attending the reunion.

Tina & Levi Witte's Wedding - St. Peter, MN

Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2016

Sep 30, 2016

So, there we were, all comfortable in our seats, when I happened to look out of my window, just as the luggage was being removed from our plane.  The problem - our plane hadn't even left the gate.  Unfortunately, a mechanical problem in the cargo area happened AFTER the luggage had been loaded.  The pilot announced that the flight would be delayed for an hour, but everyone was to remain on board.  No problem for Rob, he immediately took a nap while I read for the next TWO hours.  We also noticed that almost everyone on our flight was headed to the Ryder Cup in Minneapolis, except US.  We were headed to St. Peter for Tina & Levi's wedding.  Luckily, once the plane took off, it was smooth sailing. After getting our "upgraded" car at Enterprise, we thought we'd drive for a while before stopping for lunch; however, once we left the "big city" our lunch options turned into farm fields.  In a little more than an hour, we were in Mankato, so we stopped at Applebee's before checking into the Country Inn & Suites.  We had time for a quick nap before Nancy and Bernice picked us up for dinner at the local Country Club.  Barb, Lyle, Robin, David, and Lily joined us for a lovely dinner overlooking the golf course. 

Oct 1, 2016

After breakfast, Robin, Lily, and I went to have our nails done before getting ready for the wedding.  Wow, the weather was "Chamber of Commerce" beautiful - 75 with sunny skies.  We picked up Lori, who guided us to the church for the beautiful wedding:

It was a "western" themed wedding, so everyone wore boots, denim, and western wear. In between the wedding and the reception, we visited a local winery for pizza and wine.  Such fun! The reception was held at the Fairgrounds. Tina and Maggie transformed the building into a gorgeous venue.  Tina and Colin played a beautiful duet for the couple's first dance. Speaking of dancing, even though Lily assured us that she was NOT going to dance, once she hit that dance floor, she never stopped dancing until it was time to go home.  Even David couldn't resist a few dance numbers! 

October 2, 2016

Nancy, Jim, Rita, Don, Lori, Robin, David, Lily, Rob, and I met at Perkins for breakfast.  I enjoyed the best pumpkin pancakes EVER!  We had a great time visiting, then it was time to say farewell. After we turned in the rental car, we waited by our gate until Robin, David, and Lily arrived.  Our flight home was uneventful, which is a good thing.  And once again, we enjoyed another Minnesota wedding!