bsevern wrote:Yikes...OK, back to my regularly scheduled programming

And a bottle of wine. (or is that what you meant by regularly scheduled programming? )

HitAnyKey42 wrote:And a bottle of wine. (or is that what you meant by regularly scheduled programming? )

New page, new topic. I'm curious which teams we should pick for winning either boules or bocce ball. My money goes on whichever team gets Peter.

klezman wrote:New page, new topic. I'm curious which teams we should pick for winning either boules or bocce ball. My money goes on whichever team gets Peter.

I don't know, I think Greg did very well last time. As for Peter - that would be for the Pro-Am game?

Having a little bit of a conundrum...
As some have pointed out, we need time to plan our trips far enough in advance. I certainly appreciate all the work that's been done behind the scenes.

So, my question is, do I wait for this, when I'm not even guaranteed a spot (and my +1 isn't next to me on the list), or do I bid on this and help out our kids' school?

I'd like to go somewhere for our anniversary over Memorial Day weekend as well...

otolith wrote:
So, my question is, do I wait for this, when I'm not even guaranteed a spot (and my +1 isn't next to me on the list), or do I bid on this and help out our kids' school?

Looks like you have a lot of dates to choose from, Doc...so, do both!

wkdpanda wrote:I don't know, I think Greg did very well last time. As for Peter - that would be for the Pro-Am game?

Always up for a glass and a roll. I hear there's some prowess in the nakid dude.

gregorylane wrote:Looks like you have a lot of dates to choose from, Doc...so, do both!

It will be one or the other, not both...

rpm wrote:
1. If you are still interested, you MUST post your interest to this thread within the next ten days if you want to hold your spot(s).

As someone sitting patiently on the waiting list, I just wanted to check in on the 10 day update. Based on my brief review of the first time tour attendees, it looks like there may be a couple folks who have not yet posted their interest to this thread. Yes, this is me being patient...

I leave on travel tomorrow morning and will be away for the next two weeks, with limited access to email. Lest my silence be misconstrued as ambivalence, please let me provide the earnest assurance that I am still very interested.

Patiently and politely, I await the finalization of dates before purchasing a plane ticket but stand ready to proffer my non-refundable deposit at any time.

Both sad & happy to have just discovered this thread. I am very interested in attending the newbie tour with my +1 please add us to the waiting list!

Can we get an updated wait list...?
Pleeeezzzzzzze?

cheron98 wrote:I've roomed with tenuki before. Of course, rooming with him tends to lead to giant cockroaches in the bedroom with me screaming and cursing and crying and him being passed out and having no clue any of it is going on until he wakes up in the morning to find me sleeping on a mattress in the hallway outside of the bathroom...

On the other hand, he never had his clothes folded so nicely before .....




Sorry Cheron, held out as long as I could!

MarkDaSpark wrote:On the other hand, he never had his clothes folded so nicely before .....

Sorry Cheron, held out as long as I could!

Thank you for that morning image giggle.

inkycatz wrote:Thank you for that morning image giggle.

Then check out the Pub!

Apologies to everyone for the delay on getting the dates - we have been awaiting word from several key wineries and it seems that the best week for them will be the week of the 23rd of July.

So, it would be July 23-25 for the tour that will have the focus very similar to tour number 1, and July 25-27 for the tour that will be more divergent from tour number 1.

Those on planning to be on the first tour will want to be in mid day on Sunday, as we will have a pre-tour reception on Sunday evening.

So that everyone can be together for a wider community time, we will plan on having a party on the Tuesday night for the arriving second tourists and the already there first tourists.

More details to follow soon.

Cheers!

More details to follow real soon.

One more thing - I should have a block of rooms at a group rate reserved today or tomorrow - I would wait to book until that happens to make sure you get the group rate.

Thanks, woopdedoo. I was hoping it would be the week of the 23rd as my +1 informed me she's unable to go otherwise.

We aren't even on the waiting list yet so I realize that our chances are slim but knowing the date, I am ready to plunk down a deposit for the two of us at anytime if the opportunity should present itself.

woopdedoo wrote:One more thing - I should have a block of rooms at a group rate reserved today or tomorrow - I would wait to book until that happens to make sure you get the group rate.

Many thanks to RPM and WOOPDEDOO for getting this ironed out.

woopdedoo wrote:One more thing - I should have a block of rooms at a group rate reserved today or tomorrow - I would wait to book until that happens to make sure you get the group rate.

at which hotel?

joelsisk wrote:at which hotel?

Again, when woopdedoo nails it down, he'll post it.

Thank you for the update! It's now officially on my calendar as being off, and I will be getting flights booked rather shortly here.

cheron98 wrote:Thank you for the update! It's now officially on my calendar as being off, and I will be getting flights booked rather shortly here.

OK...Cheron or any of you full time travelers...Right now I can book @ $362 for each round trip (kayak). However, if I book for 3 months from now it goes down to about $348. (Not that it is that much...but it is a couple of bottles bought on Tour). Think I should wait to be 3 months out to book, or will they auto lower if another (better) rate is available in the future?

Thanks! I don't travel all that much.

gregorylane wrote:OK...Cheron or any of you full time travelers...Right now I can book @ $362 for each round trip (kayak). However, if I book for 3 months from now it goes down to about $348. (Not that it is that much...but it is a couple of bottles bought on Tour). Think I should wait to be 3 months out to book, or will they auto lower if another (better) rate is available in the future?

Thanks! I don't travel all that much.

I do not understand this. I've been leaning towards flying on Southwest more lately simply because of their change/cancellation policies, so that if the rate goes down, you can rebook, and whatever "extra" you spent previously will just sit in your account until the next time you book a flight.

I know Orbitz is cool in that if you book through them and then someone else books the same flight for less, you get a refund check. Dunno how Kayak works.

gregorylane wrote:OK...Cheron or any of you full time travelers...Right now I can book @ $362 for each round trip (kayak). However, if I book for 3 months from now it goes down to about $348. (Not that it is that much...but it is a couple of bottles bought on Tour). Think I should wait to be 3 months out to book, or will they auto lower if another (better) rate is available in the future?

Thanks! I don't travel all that much.

Statistically, the best prices on flights are purchased 6 weeks in advance. However, there is never a guarantee, and fares are primarily based on loads. Fare hikes and sales come and go like the tides...

The most important thing is whether you believe it is a reasonable price NOW. Whether you COULD have it for $20 or even $100 less isn't as (shouldn't be) important.

joelsisk wrote:Statistically, the best prices on flights are purchased 6 weeks in advance. However, there is never a guarantee, and fares are primarily based on loads. Fare hikes and sales come and go like the tides...

The most important thing is whether you believe it is a reasonable price NOW. Whether you COULD have it for $20 or even $100 less isn't as (shouldn't be) important.

A hunnert!!! Gads man...X2 that's a bottle of Kronos!!

I will plan a vacation with my wife and I around the time of this trip, regardless of if I can make it or not. If we make it on the list, great. If not, I'll start calling around to wineries far ahead of time.

I did win a wine tasting with Scott Harvey, and will do that when I'm out there. It's for 8 people, IIRC, so I'll be sure to hit up some of the wooters.

It's officially on my calendar. Now to figure out how to knock a few people off the list.....

I'm still interested, question: there is a possibility that my +1 would not be able to make it. Is there anyone (preferably) female who potentially wouldnt mind splitting a room? Also for people who went last year, where was this hotel located? How close/far is it from stanford, bay area? The reason I ask is because I have friends in that area that I might stay with at least upon arrival. Also when should we arrive for the beginners tour?

tiger7610 wrote:I'm still interested, question: there is a possibility that my +1 would not be able to make it. Is there anyone (preferably) female who potentially wouldnt mind splitting a room? Also for people who went last year, where was this hotel located? How close/far is it from stanford, bay area? The reason I ask is because I have friends in that area that I might stay with at least upon arrival. Also when should we arrive for the beginners tour?

Um, if my hubby doesn't go, I'd be definitely interested in splitting a room. But I won't know until later. And there's also a chance that I might not be able to go. Guess we'll wait and see.

tiger7610 wrote:I'm still interested, question: there is a possibility that my +1 would not be able to make it. Is there anyone (preferably) female who potentially wouldnt mind splitting a room? Also for people who went last year, where was this hotel located? How close/far is it from stanford, bay area? The reason I ask is because I have friends in that area that I might stay with at least upon arrival. Also when should we arrive for the beginners tour?

In 2010 (ie. last year ) we used the Sonoma Valley Inn at 550 Second St. West
Sonoma, CA. Though, whether this is where we will be this year is not yet known.

And as woop stated above, you'll want to arrive mid-day on Sunday:

woopdedoo wrote:Those on planning to be on the first tour will want to be in mid day on Sunday, as we will have a pre-tour reception on Sunday evening.

tiger7610 wrote:I'm still interested, question: there is a possibility that my +1 would not be able to make it. Is there anyone (preferably) female who potentially wouldnt mind splitting a room? Also for people who went last year, where was this hotel located? How close/far is it from stanford, bay area? The reason I ask is because I have friends in that area that I might stay with at least upon arrival. Also when should we arrive for the beginners tour?

Town of Sonoma is about 2 hours driving north of Stanford assuming average San Francisco traffic. I wonder if we know any people in common at Stanford. If you are looking to cut costs, I can probably offer molarchae's air mattress or couch for a night or two near UCSF Mission Bay.

rpm wrote:Very tentatively, based on prior experience:

Tour itself - ~$650.00 +/- $50

That should cover lunches and dinners (although last time one dinner wasn't covered because of last minute drop outs) during the Tour, and the pre-Tour gathering (heavy hors d'oeuvres + wine).

Based on this - about how much do you anticipate the deposit being?

cheron98 wrote:Based on this - about how much do you anticipate the deposit being?

We're working on that now - we'll let you know as soon as possible.

Although I really, really want to go, my +1 has informed me that we already have plans that week in July.

Much as it pains me to say it, two more can come off the waiting list onto the newbie tour.

Thanks RPM for putting this together.

2 down, 4 to go...

rpm wrote:We're working on that now - we'll let you know as soon as possible.

No problem, thanks just finally got my W-2s today and filed my taxes. Starting to plan out who's getting what from it

rlmanzo wrote:Although I really, really want to go, my +1 has informed me that we already have plans that week in July.

Much as it pains me to say it, two more can come off the waiting list onto the newbie tour.

Thanks RPM for putting this together.

Having read through the thread, it appears that the only additions that need to be made to the waiting list are trifecta and trifecta +1, then chipgreen and chipgreen +1, all for the newbie tour. JesseM3 and his/her +1 would move onto the tour list to take the place of rlmanzo and rlmanzo+1.

cheron98 wrote:No problem, thanks just finally got my W-2s today and filed my taxes. Starting to plan out who's getting what from it

I thought W-2s were required to be mailed by 1/31. I didn't know your condo was in such a black hole, mail-wise. Maybe that's why it's not selling more easily.

Itwdswafo wrote:2 down, 4 to go...

I would think my +1 should be ahead of you since the last post at the bottom of the first page requests it.

/just sayin'

Itwdswafo wrote:It's officially on my calendar. Now to figure out how to knock a few people off the list.....

I had previously asked to be taken off the list, so everyone moves up yet another spot.