Family Reunions

We sat at breakfast with three folks who had sat opposite us on the hay rack, two women and a man (the one who clowned  with the rain pants). They were from Omaha, and were returning from a family reunion that had been held at Estes Park at the YMCA of the Rockies camp, the same place where Ellen and i had stayed back in May (see posts starting May 2) - the camp I had worked at in 1951. They had loved it there. Their family was Polish/Irish and about 80 attended the reunion. They hold it every three years, each time at a different part of the country. 

Fort Robinson State Park is itself also evidently a popular family reunion site. They have a dozen or so former officer barracks which have been converted into duplexes, with each side sleeping 12-20, depending on the building. Sleeping accommodations are a mix of private rooms with queen beds and dorm rooms with bunk beds. Each unit has its own kitchen. They are very reasonable - the rent works out to about $15 per person, more or less, which is a good deal. But the folks we were talking with saw two disadvantages - having to do your own cooking, and location. FRSP is not near a major airport. Hard to get to. But nevertheless, Ellen and I fantasized holding a Tolles/Baker/Feinland/Crockett/Shay gathering there. We have had similar fantasies about doing something like that at Naulaka, Rudyard Kipling's home in Dummerston, which is owned by the National Trust, and can be rented. Anybody interested? 

     Our table-mates from Omaha

One of the brick barracks you can rent for a reunion at Fort Robinson.