Ok, plans are shaping up nicely for the reunion weekend. At this point we have nearly 60 people planning to be there! The primary gathering site will be the Palisades with additional activities throughout the Garretson area.
We will be gathering at the Palisades on Friday morning/noonish/early afternoon (hey, I am a McDonald, so that's as precise as I'm able/willing to get!) AT THE COVERED SHELTER TO THE LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK. There are no planned activities for the afternoon since everyone will be arriving at various times, but obviously it'll be a good time for socialization and exploration of the Palisades State Park opportunities. That shelter is reserved for the entire weekend and will be our primary meeting spot.
Meal schedule:
Dinner Friday evening will be prepared by Chef John McDonald. The menu is grilled hamburger, hotdogs, brats, and salads
Breakfast/Brunch Saturday morning will be their famous waffle breakfast prepared by Chefs Bud Dickerson and Pat McDonald
Dinner Saturday evening will be at Annie's Cafe in Garretson and catered by Annie. It will be a buffet style Mexican meal (I think?). There will be a live band for our listening enjoyment
Breakfast/Brunch Sunday morning will be prepared by Chefs Nathan and Jessica DeBord. The menu TBD
Mid-afternoon meal on Sunday will be at the Garretson Golf Club and catered by Annie of Annie's Cafe. I believe the menu is still TBD
Keep in mind that I have no memory so much of this could just be in my demented mind, but I'm pretty sure Jen has it under control and will make sure we're adequately fed and watered.
Activities:
They will be loose...I think everyone will agree that trying to schedule planned activities for this family would be an exercise in futility. Hopefully, we'll want to do most everything together (the operative word is 'hopefully'), but since we all know Garretson like the backs of our liver-spotted hands, we can discuss as a group as we gather each morning what activities we'd like to do that day.
Obviously, the weather will influence our decision making and may require being creative - yes we can!
There are so many options available between Garretson and Sioux Falls and I'm sure we can all agree on the best choices for each day and then make sure we all meet up at our agreed upon location. I can hear Mom's laugh as I write this! What I have learned from being in this family (for what, 30+ years now?) is that it would be futile to try to create a schedule ahead of time. This would be a good topic of conversation - activities, I mean - over dinner Friday evening.
Lodging:
Unfortunately, we'll be spread all over the southeastern corner of SD. A few of us will be camping at the Palisades, others at City Park, and the rest will be staying at hotels or homes in Brandon, SF, Rock Rapids, and Dell Rapids. Which means we all have to make a CONCERTED effort to be diligent about the schedule and remember that the purpose of the weekend is to BE TOGETHER not to be out doing our own thing.
Kim and I will have staying in our little RV at the Palisades so it can be used by babies, children, adults, anyone needing a nap or just an air conditioned place to cool off. The morning meals will also be prepared in it, assuming the amps can handle the equipment. Plan B would be to prepare them in SF - Ron's house?
I will bring along folding chairs, blankets, and anything else I have room for that would improve comfort.
Pontoon Ride:
I have had minimal response for reservations for the pontoon boat rides. I will contact the Rekstad's to find out if they can reserve a few spots each day without a firm commitment. Will try update this once I know more.
General Information:
All of Joe and Miriam McDonald's remaining 9 children will be attending this event. We are all so excited that we will be together again for a happy occasion, and in the place where we grew up and have so many memories. Visiting the family grave-sites will be high on my list, as no doubt will be for most of you.
The majority of our children will also be attending, as well as many grandchildren, several of whom will be meeting this group for the first time. I'm sure their parents will prepare them appropriately :)
There will also be representation from the Ripple family, which is so right and fitting after all the summers they visited us while we were growing up. Our 4 parents and Tremblay grandparents will all be smiling upon us as we celebrate our legacy together and know they 'done well'!
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that McDonald's will probably want some refreshments readily available - beer, wine, water? - at all times so if you live in the area and have a large cooler, please bring it with you. We'll need to come up with a plan on Friday evening about purchasing and charging.
Jen and I are going to shop for food on Thursday. Once we have that purchased and a final cost for the catered meals we will let everyone know what the individual cost will be for the weekend.
I'm sure I have forgotten something in my haste to get this posted. If you think of something else, please let me know and I will add it.
Other ideas, thoughts, suggestions, etc. are welcome. Just send me an email @ jeannemcdonald@msn.com
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Greetings all! Less than 2 months to go until the McDonald/Tremblay family reunion in Garretson, SD, and plans are coming along great! Now we need something from everyone who is planning to attend. In order to give accurate numbers to the caterer that Jen has lined up for our meals on Saturday it is important that EVERYONE who is planning to be there notify me ASAP. I realize that everyone isn't on FB so don't see this blog and also know some have had trouble accessing it. Given that, I need to ask everyone in the oldest generation of McDonald's/Tremblay's/Ripple's (you know who you are!) to take responsibility for notifying and/or signing up your family members who will be attending.
All you need to do is send an email to the following people:
jpaasch94@gmail.com
jeannemcdonald@msn.com
It's important to send it to both of us just in case one of us has computer problems. Information that would be helpful:
1. Name of person/persons attending
2. Dates of attendance
3. Whether or not you're party will be participating in the Sat. noon and evening catered meals (there will be a TBD charge per person - will let you know as soon as we have that info. but am sure it'll be very reasonable)
4. Where you'll be staying while attending the reunion
5. If interested in the pontoon ride and # of people in your party so we can give the Rekstad's a ballpark figure
5. Anything else that would be useful in the planning of this event
If you are still needing a place to stay, one of Garretson's finest, Dan Hanson who was in Ron's class, has graciously offered his house for anyone in need. He said he can sleep up to 6 people. He may not be there that wknd but will leave a key for us. His home is in Brandon close to I-90. Please let me know ASAP if that is something you'd be interested in so I can notify Dan.
Thanks and see you all soon!
All you need to do is send an email to the following people:
jpaasch94@gmail.com
jeannemcdonald@msn.com
It's important to send it to both of us just in case one of us has computer problems. Information that would be helpful:
1. Name of person/persons attending
2. Dates of attendance
3. Whether or not you're party will be participating in the Sat. noon and evening catered meals (there will be a TBD charge per person - will let you know as soon as we have that info. but am sure it'll be very reasonable)
4. Where you'll be staying while attending the reunion
5. If interested in the pontoon ride and # of people in your party so we can give the Rekstad's a ballpark figure
5. Anything else that would be useful in the planning of this event
If you are still needing a place to stay, one of Garretson's finest, Dan Hanson who was in Ron's class, has graciously offered his house for anyone in need. He said he can sleep up to 6 people. He may not be there that wknd but will leave a key for us. His home is in Brandon close to I-90. Please let me know ASAP if that is something you'd be interested in so I can notify Dan.
Thanks and see you all soon!
Monday, May 20, 2013
2 months to go and we have updates...
This is Jeanne trying to help Jennifer out (although she seems to like being a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest :) by updating the blog...
As they say, the best laid plans... we called the Palisades the soonest they told us we could to book the lodge and camping spots but the lodge was already rented and most of the RV sites taken. Not to worry, there are several alternatives to lodging and even one for an air conditioned spot to hang out on a hot afternoon.
Some of these have already been mentioned in previous blogs but just to elaborate and add additional information, this is what's available for lodging in Garretson at this time:
1. The Davis Motel - it's about 2 blocks east of the location of the former McDonald house. There are 4 rooms (2 with double beds and 2 with a double and a single). All rooms have their own bathroom but there is only one shared shower. The hotel is pet friendly with no additional charges, unless there are damages. Check in time is noon and she doesn't care when you leave :)
The rate is $40/night
All 4 rooms are now reserved for the McDonald reunion but we'll need to let her know at least 24 hrs in advance if they aren't going to be used, so if you plan to stay there you'll need to reserve a room by then.
Contact person: Sharon (VERY nice lady)
605-594-6770 (office)
605-553-6166 (cell)
2. Split Rock Park has approximately 23 tent sites and 13 electric sites for RV's. They do not have water or showers but have toilet stalls. The nice lady at the Davis Motel has graciously offered to allow anyone staying at the Park to shower at the hotel at no or minimal cost (depending on the #). We will bring extra towels for anyone needing them. The Palisades also allows campers from Split Rock Park to use their showers. For those of you familiar with the park, the tent and RV sites are alongside the entry road to the park between the river and the road. There are also tent sites around the horseshoe. Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table. I was told the RV sites are large enough to accommodate almost any size RV.
Karen said the sites go fast once camping season starts (presumably when school gets out the last week of May), so if you plan to stay there recommend that you book ASAP.
Camping Rates:
$10/night per tent
$16/night per RV site
An added bonus to staying at Split Rock? It's a block away from downtown Garretson with the bars and night life!
Split Rock also has the pontoon boat rides under the very skilled and entertaining guidance of skipper Bruce Rekstad. The ride takes you from the dam to Jesse James Cave and back. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children. Lap children 2 and under ride for free. Reservations are required so please let us know at least a week in advance of the reunion if you are interested so we can book groups of us.
Contact people for campsites and pontoon ride:
Bruce and Karen Rekstad
605-594-6770 (office)
605-323-5200 (Karen's cell)
605-323-5031 (Bruce's cell)
3. Palisades State Park may still have some tent sites available but again, they are going fast. The reservation information is on a previous blog.
Previous blogs have listed hotels in the Brandon and Sioux Falls area.
At this point the plan is to have a barbecue at the Palisades Friday evening and dinner at Annie's in Garretson on Saturday evening.
If the temperature gets unbearable on Friday or Saturday we may have to go to the bars in Garretson to cool off (darn!). We're innovative McDonald's - we'll find somewhere to cool off, right? Let's see, where did we go when we were kids on a hot afternoon? Not our house, that's for sure! I'd offer our RV but it's only a 25 footer - that would even be worse than when we all piled into the family car to go visit Grandma and Grandpa.
The Garretson Golf Course has an air conditioned back room that we could use on Sunday but it will need to be reserved soon. They are already booked on Saturday. The charge for the use of the room is $1 per person. We can bring our own food or order from their limited menu (primarily sandwiches). We can't bring our own drinks but they sell them there. If this sounds like a good option to you, PLEASE text or call me ASAP.
If anyone is interested, they have a 9 hole golf course. The cost is $17 to walk and $26 with a cart. Again, reservations are required. The phone # to reserve a golf time is 605-594-6234 or, if you prefer, I could make the reservation for you.
I will continue to update the blog as new information is available and as we get closer to the reunion weekend. If you have questions or to respond to any of the above questions, please contact Jennifer or me. Between work, 3 children, and school ending soon, Jennifer is a very busy lady so you may have better luck reaching old retired me.
Jennifer's contact info is already on the blog
Mine is:
769-241-5236 (home)
303-915-5662 (cell)
jeannemcdonald@msn.com
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
As they say, the best laid plans... we called the Palisades the soonest they told us we could to book the lodge and camping spots but the lodge was already rented and most of the RV sites taken. Not to worry, there are several alternatives to lodging and even one for an air conditioned spot to hang out on a hot afternoon.
Some of these have already been mentioned in previous blogs but just to elaborate and add additional information, this is what's available for lodging in Garretson at this time:
1. The Davis Motel - it's about 2 blocks east of the location of the former McDonald house. There are 4 rooms (2 with double beds and 2 with a double and a single). All rooms have their own bathroom but there is only one shared shower. The hotel is pet friendly with no additional charges, unless there are damages. Check in time is noon and she doesn't care when you leave :)
The rate is $40/night
All 4 rooms are now reserved for the McDonald reunion but we'll need to let her know at least 24 hrs in advance if they aren't going to be used, so if you plan to stay there you'll need to reserve a room by then.
Contact person: Sharon (VERY nice lady)
605-594-6770 (office)
605-553-6166 (cell)
2. Split Rock Park has approximately 23 tent sites and 13 electric sites for RV's. They do not have water or showers but have toilet stalls. The nice lady at the Davis Motel has graciously offered to allow anyone staying at the Park to shower at the hotel at no or minimal cost (depending on the #). We will bring extra towels for anyone needing them. The Palisades also allows campers from Split Rock Park to use their showers. For those of you familiar with the park, the tent and RV sites are alongside the entry road to the park between the river and the road. There are also tent sites around the horseshoe. Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table. I was told the RV sites are large enough to accommodate almost any size RV.
Karen said the sites go fast once camping season starts (presumably when school gets out the last week of May), so if you plan to stay there recommend that you book ASAP.
Camping Rates:
$10/night per tent
$16/night per RV site
An added bonus to staying at Split Rock? It's a block away from downtown Garretson with the bars and night life!
Split Rock also has the pontoon boat rides under the very skilled and entertaining guidance of skipper Bruce Rekstad. The ride takes you from the dam to Jesse James Cave and back. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children. Lap children 2 and under ride for free. Reservations are required so please let us know at least a week in advance of the reunion if you are interested so we can book groups of us.
Contact people for campsites and pontoon ride:
Bruce and Karen Rekstad
605-594-6770 (office)
605-323-5200 (Karen's cell)
605-323-5031 (Bruce's cell)
3. Palisades State Park may still have some tent sites available but again, they are going fast. The reservation information is on a previous blog.
Previous blogs have listed hotels in the Brandon and Sioux Falls area.
At this point the plan is to have a barbecue at the Palisades Friday evening and dinner at Annie's in Garretson on Saturday evening.
If the temperature gets unbearable on Friday or Saturday we may have to go to the bars in Garretson to cool off (darn!). We're innovative McDonald's - we'll find somewhere to cool off, right? Let's see, where did we go when we were kids on a hot afternoon? Not our house, that's for sure! I'd offer our RV but it's only a 25 footer - that would even be worse than when we all piled into the family car to go visit Grandma and Grandpa.
The Garretson Golf Course has an air conditioned back room that we could use on Sunday but it will need to be reserved soon. They are already booked on Saturday. The charge for the use of the room is $1 per person. We can bring our own food or order from their limited menu (primarily sandwiches). We can't bring our own drinks but they sell them there. If this sounds like a good option to you, PLEASE text or call me ASAP.
If anyone is interested, they have a 9 hole golf course. The cost is $17 to walk and $26 with a cart. Again, reservations are required. The phone # to reserve a golf time is 605-594-6234 or, if you prefer, I could make the reservation for you.
I will continue to update the blog as new information is available and as we get closer to the reunion weekend. If you have questions or to respond to any of the above questions, please contact Jennifer or me. Between work, 3 children, and school ending soon, Jennifer is a very busy lady so you may have better luck reaching old retired me.
Jennifer's contact info is already on the blog
Mine is:
769-241-5236 (home)
303-915-5662 (cell)
jeannemcdonald@msn.com
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Reminder
Hi All!
This is just a reminder about RSVPs. We know that July is still a long way off, but we are hoping to be able to start contacting our "venues" to confirm some details. If you are planning to attend but haven't contacted us yet, we'd really appreciate it if you could do so with approximate numbers. Our contact information is jpaasch94@gmail.com
, jenpaasch@hotmail.com or tntdynamite89@yahoo.com
Most importantly, though, if anybody requires cabin reservations at the Palisades, those need to be made by April 1.
Palisades State Park6 Cabins (sleeps up to 5 people)
$37-$47 per/night
*No running water / kitchens in the units / linens
*Air conditioned/Electric hook-ups
If anybody wants to stay here, we need to be on the phone the morning of April 1 making those reservations.
Thanks, and we look forward to seeing everybody this July!!
This is just a reminder about RSVPs. We know that July is still a long way off, but we are hoping to be able to start contacting our "venues" to confirm some details. If you are planning to attend but haven't contacted us yet, we'd really appreciate it if you could do so with approximate numbers. Our contact information is jpaasch94@gmail.com
, jenpaasch@hotmail.com or tntdynamite89@yahoo.com
Most importantly, though, if anybody requires cabin reservations at the Palisades, those need to be made by April 1.
Palisades State Park6 Cabins (sleeps up to 5 people)
$37-$47 per/night
*No running water / kitchens in the units / linens
*Air conditioned/Electric hook-ups
If anybody wants to stay here, we need to be on the phone the morning of April 1 making those reservations.
Thanks, and we look forward to seeing everybody this July!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Additional Hotel Info!
Hey all, we just got this message from Leah and wanted to spread the word!
"Hi guys, just booked the hotel in Sioux Falls. I got it on Hotwire and I picked the one that had 3.5 stars, and it was $55 plus fees and tax and it turned out to be the Sheraton."
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=392
It is about 25 miles or just over a 1/2 hour drive to Garretson.
FYI!
"Hi guys, just booked the hotel in Sioux Falls. I got it on Hotwire and I picked the one that had 3.5 stars, and it was $55 plus fees and tax and it turned out to be the Sheraton."
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=392
It is about 25 miles or just over a 1/2 hour drive to Garretson.
FYI!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Updated Info!
As the title would indicate, we have updated information!
Friday
Friday night will be a relaxed affair. The plan is to gather at the Palisades Lodge around 4:00 or whenever you can arrive. Supper will pot-luck in nature.
Saturday
Plans for Saturday afternoon are in the works -- to be finalized Friday night at the lodge. We have spoken to Bruce Rekstad, and he willing to work with us to make Jesse James Pontoon Rides available. Once we get closer to the reunion and have an idea of what the head-count will be, he will be able to give us a quote on costs. Saturday night, there will be a "social gathering" at 4:00 at Annie's Coffe House & Wine Cafe, 525 N Main Street in Garretson. Supper will be at 6:00; the buffet menu will be finalized at a later date. Entertainment will be provided around 7:30 by The Allen Goodroad Band. Obviously, everybody is welcome, but for those who have little ones who might not weather a long evening of festivities well, babysitters will be available at the lodge. We would appreciate knowing in advance, though, how many people would like to do this, so an appropriate number of sitters are on hand.
Sunday
For those interested in attending, Mass is at 10:30 at St. Rose of Lima (do we need to insert an address here?!). After Mass, we are planning to do a pot-luck brunch at the lodge. It is reserved until Monday morning. We will have bean bags, badminton, and other yard games to play that day as well.
On a side note, in deference to Dean who insisted this be included, there IS a beautiful, inexpensive golf course right across the street.
This is what we have so far, and we are continuing to plan and finalize. We would really appreciate an RSVP (with number attending) by April 1. Please send your responses to jpaasch94@gmail.com, jenpaasch@hotmail.com or tntdynamite89@yahoo.com
We look forward to hearing from you!!
Friday
Friday night will be a relaxed affair. The plan is to gather at the Palisades Lodge around 4:00 or whenever you can arrive. Supper will pot-luck in nature.
Saturday
Plans for Saturday afternoon are in the works -- to be finalized Friday night at the lodge. We have spoken to Bruce Rekstad, and he willing to work with us to make Jesse James Pontoon Rides available. Once we get closer to the reunion and have an idea of what the head-count will be, he will be able to give us a quote on costs. Saturday night, there will be a "social gathering" at 4:00 at Annie's Coffe House & Wine Cafe, 525 N Main Street in Garretson. Supper will be at 6:00; the buffet menu will be finalized at a later date. Entertainment will be provided around 7:30 by The Allen Goodroad Band. Obviously, everybody is welcome, but for those who have little ones who might not weather a long evening of festivities well, babysitters will be available at the lodge. We would appreciate knowing in advance, though, how many people would like to do this, so an appropriate number of sitters are on hand.
Sunday
For those interested in attending, Mass is at 10:30 at St. Rose of Lima (do we need to insert an address here?!). After Mass, we are planning to do a pot-luck brunch at the lodge. It is reserved until Monday morning. We will have bean bags, badminton, and other yard games to play that day as well.
On a side note, in deference to Dean who insisted this be included, there IS a beautiful, inexpensive golf course right across the street.
This is what we have so far, and we are continuing to plan and finalize. We would really appreciate an RSVP (with number attending) by April 1. Please send your responses to jpaasch94@gmail.com, jenpaasch@hotmail.com or tntdynamite89@yahoo.com
We look forward to hearing from you!!
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