[Travelandtourism] Fundraiser Trip for 2016 - Members will be asked to vote at convention meeting on July 5th. If you are not attending convention, read the whole email.

Thu Jun 4 16:38:24 UTC 2015

Good morning all members and readers.

I have sent to the Members List, that means anyone that is registered on the
nfbnet.org will receive the email about our meeting on July 5th, 2015.
During this past year at our teleconference meetings, we voted on where and
when the next fundraiser trip will be taking place. When either the 3rd or
4th week of September 2016, where there are 2 options here 1 is NY State
Trip, the other is Savannah, GA Trip. 

Voting will be taking place at our National Meeting, only paid members of
the division are able to vote, if you are not attending this year, or would
like to pay your dues prior to convention, I have posted towards the bottom
of this email, how to join or renew you membership either by check or by
paypal.com

If you will be paying at convention, please make sure you have $10 dues,
please spell your full names, Addresses, phone numbers, and emails
correctly. We have many members that do not verify with us that the
information is correct. This is very important, we will have 2 people at our
table outside the meeting room starting at 6PM, meeting will start promptly
at 6:30PM, this will be the only time we will be accepting money at
convention for dues.

I am posting here the 2 trips that are pending and more information will
follow after it is officially voted. Anyone can attend the trip, blind and
sighted a like. Those that are voting are indicating that they will be going
on the trip, and will help get the word out to their friends and family and
also bring up during your state and chapter meetings and possibly other
divisions. We all help each other in the NFB. 

If you remember our last trip was in 2013, and we raised close to $2000 on
that trip.

A few changes from that trip. Since, I am president of the division,
Echevarria Travel will not be the travel agency of record, we are using
"Life is Better Traveling" Agency, owned by Mary & Johnathan Yohannan from
Pittsburgh, PA. We interviewed a few people and Mary had the best options.

Unless we have 30 people registered by the 1st deposit date, and those dates
will be known, as soon as, trip is elected. Then trip will be cancelled. 

Payment plans will be available.

For more information, all questions will be answered at the national meeting
and if you cannot attend the 1st Teleconference call of the year in
September 2015. Thank you, Please read full and all detailed information
below.

This will give you an option of the itinerary and estimated price to save
for the trip.

Trip pricing which is estimated as close as possibly for 2016 includes: 

.            Meals unless otherwise stated

.            Transfers to and from the Savannah airport/New York area
airports

.            Admissions to all museums, tours, shows, and shops.

.            Tours guides at museums, tours, shows, and shops

.            Fundraising amount

Not included on these trips:

Pricing does not include:

.            Meals not stated

.            Optional Tours

.            Airfare

.            Trip Insurance

.            Gratuities/Tips

.            Shopping

Other options, should you like to stay longer or come in earlier to these
locations you can, and Life is Better Traveling will be booking all airfare,
trip insurance, other dining options, entertainments

1st option is a Trip to NY State - not just NY City

Synopsis of the trip:

Day 1: Arriving into area NY City Airports, Amtrak or Bus and head to group
hotel, Dinner on your own (looking at options at a welcome dinner)

Day 2: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning and Check Out.

Enjoy a guided tour of New York's sites. Tour sites including Statue of
Liberty which was a gift of friendship from the French and dedicated on
October 28, 1886. After visiting Ms. Liberty, taking a tour of Ellis island
where the first step of over 12 million immigrants onto American soil took
place.  Afternoon Lunch on own and board motor coach to move onto Hyde Park,
New York. Check into area hotel in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Tour of the Culinary Institute of America. The CIA's New York campus offers
bachelor's and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking and
pastry arts, culinary science, and applied food studies. Founded in 1946,
The Culinary Institute of America is the world's premier culinary college.
Dedicated to driving leadership development for the foodservice and
hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate
degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; bachelor's degree
majors in management, culinary science, and applied food studies; and
executive education. Night Dinner at Culinary Institute of America. 

Day 3: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and Check Out.

Board the Motorcoach to visit Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's house. The
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site contains "Springwood",
the lifelong home of America's only 4-term President. Also on the site is
the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, operated by the
National Archives. Also visit the only National Historic Site dedicated to a
First Lady, Val-Kill where Mrs. Roosevelt welcomed her many guests. Your
tour of Mrs. Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage includes the lovely gardens and
grounds on the site. Also, you will visit the nearby Vanderbilt Mansion
which was established as a monument to an era rather than a tribute to any
one person or family. The estate illustrates a way of life modeled on the
English country house and is only unusual today because so few examples
survive in the 21st century. More than a place to discuss the lifestyles of
the rich and famous.

Free Time and Lunch on Own. Board Motorcoach and travel to Cooperstown, New
York

Night Check into area Oneonta and Dinner on Own and Optional Ghost Tour
(pending availability)

Day 4: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Tour Baseball Hall of Fame. The
Baseball Hall of Fame was dedicated on June 12, 1939 in Cooperstown, N.Y.,
and officially became the home of baseball by serving as its cornerstone and
housing the stories honoring the greats of baseball's past. Enjoy thousands
of artifacts from the game's past, watch video, hear audio, see historic
images, enjoy hands-on learning, delve deeper with computer interactive
displays and test your baseball knowledge. This tour is self-guided so enjoy
baseball's history at your own pace. Afternoon Enjoy Lunch on own and Free
Time or Optional Walking tour of Cooperstown (pending availability). This
walking tour is a leisurely 2 mile walk around Cooperstown learning about
the history and folklore. Evening Enjoy Dinner as a Group at the Hotel

Day 5: (This day is still being worked on, we will have full itinerary by
meeting at convention)

Breakfast at the hotel and Check-Out Board Motorcoach and travel to Albany,
New York. Arrive at the New York's Capital Building and enjoy a private
tour. Afternoon Enjoy Lunch on own and Free Time. Board Motorcoach and
travel to New York City for Tour of Yankee Stadium (pending availability or
game day). Evening Check into New York City area hotel. Farewell Dinner for
Group at Dallas BBQ.

Once we have selected dates we will be able to get true pricing. This is an
estimate only as pricing for 2016 is not currently available so is subject
to change based on availability.

$1215 per person double occupancy

$1827 per person single occupancy

2nd Option is a trip to Savannah, GA

Again this is not the final itinerary but darn close to it.

Day 1:  Arrive in Savannah Airport and meet the Private transfer to Local
Area Hotel. Enjoy welcome group dinner, location still being determined.

Day 2: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning.  Savannah Old Town Trolley
2-Day Tour

The extraordinary architecture, lush botanicals, and captivating stories of
this historic, coastal city make for an unforgettable vacation experience.
Providing sightseeing tours highlighting the best Savannah attractions. Hop
aboard one of our trolleys and you'll experience Transportainment (that is
not a typo), a delightful combination of transportation and entertainment.
Our friendly conductors narrate the tour with a fascinating and fun mix of
trivia and humorous stories.

Enjoy a group lunch at the Pirates House Dinner. After lunch enjoy  free
time to take a stroll down nearby River Street for some shopping and
dessert. Enjoy Dinner on your own

Day 3:  Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning and then some free time.

Afternoon Enjoy the afternoon of with a Culinary and Cultural Walking Tour.
Experience the diverse and distinctive cuisine of Savannah and learn about
the city's history, architecture and culture on this 3-hour walking tour.
Stop at seven specialty food stores and restaurants, and sample local
favorites including shrimp and grits, Scotch pies and fried green tomatoes.
This tour is an ideal way for visitors and residents alike to learn more
about Savannah while enjoying intriguing food samples that add up to an
authentic southern lunch.  Dinner on own but meet up later for some amazing
ghost stories on your Ghosts and Gravestone's Tour,    OPTIONAL TOUR.

Day 4:  Enjoy  an  early  breakfast  at  the  hotel  before  boarding  your
private motor coach tour to Jekyll Island.

Private motor coach will pick you up at the hotel and take you on a scenic
one hour trip south to Jekyll Island. Once on Jekyll Island you will learn
about the island's deep southern history at the Jekyll Island Museum. Enjoy
a guided 90-minute tram tour about the various settlers and their
impressions on the area. After the tour enjoy some free time to walk around
the historic district to shop and grab some lunch.

Meet up as a group and head over to the Sea Turtle Center where you will
learn about sea turtle education, rehabilitation, and research programs. The
Georgia Sea Turtle Center empowers individuals to act locally, regionally,
and globally to protect the environment. Board the motor coach and head back
to Savannah for a Free Night on own. Dinner on own

Day 5:  Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. OPTIONAL Tour of Bonaventure Cemetery
(pending availability)

Bonaventure Cemetery - Though not Savannah's oldest cemetery, Bonaventure is
certainly its most famous and hauntingly beautiful. Quintessentially
Southern Gothic, it has captured the imaginations of writers, poets,
naturalists, photographers and filmmakers for more than 150 years. Part
natural cathedral, part sculptural garden, Bonaventure transcends time.

Military generals, poet Conrad Aiken, Academy Award-winning lyricist Johnny
Mercer and Georgia's first governor Edward Telfair are among those buried at
Bonaventure. The approximately 100-acre cemetery is also historically
significant as a reflection of changing views on death and dying in the
Victorian era. As death became more romanticized and ritualized during this
period, cemeteries became lush, beautiful "cities of the dead."

Another reason behind Bonaventure's popularity is John Berendt's book,
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which featured a cover photo of the
now-famous "Bird Girl" statue, formerly located in Bonaventure. The statue
has since been moved to the Telfair Museum of Art, founded through the
bequest of Mary Telfair, also buried at Bonaventure.

Afternoon         Free time and Lunch on Own

Night    Meet up with your group for on last final farewell tour.  Enjoy an
evening of Dinner and Entertainment on the Riverboat    Your group will
enjoy some good old southern cuisine and entertainment while watching the
sunset on the Savannah River

Pricing is approximately for the Savannah Trip:

$1177 per person double occupancy

$550 per person more for single room occupancy that would bring for a single
occupancy room $1727.00

All paid members of the division, meaning you have paid your $10 year dues
can vote. You do not need to be at convention or at the meeting, we would
love it, if all members can attend but, we know that there are other
meetings going on, or for whatever reason you cannot attend national
convention this year.

Only difference between paid members and non-paid members, is that paid
members can vote and make motions.

Just being a member of the NFB does not mean you are paid member of a
division, that is separate. 

All are welcome to participate on all the talk lists members or not.

If you will not be attending, please visit our website at
http://nfbtravel.org/how-to-join-the-nfb-travel-tourism-division/

There are a few options of paying:

1.      Mailing a check or a money order to our Treasurer, Mrs. Johanna
Taylor, made out to NFB Travel & Tourism Division, Attention Treasurer
Johanna Taylor, 654 W 1820 N, Orem, UT 84057

2.      Pay on our website listed above and pay $10.59 via paypal.com, it is
59 cents more because of the transaction fees

Cheryl Echevarria, President

National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division

A proud division of the 

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND - "Live the life you want"

 <http://www.nfbtravel.org> www.nfbtravel.org

To join the talk list

http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org

631-236-5138

cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

Cheryl Echevarria 

Travel is our specialty and offering the best of meaningful travel for all
ages is our passion!

http://www.echevarriatravel.com

reservations at echevarriatravel.com

631-456-5394

Visit my website to get my FREE report, "Top 5 Good Reasons to Use a Travel
Professional"

I build my business on referrals. Please pass my details on to friends and

family members that deserve the best vacation that they can imagine

P.S. - Families of all sizes is my specialty. Whether you are just starting
out and looking for that romantic destination for your destination wedding
or honeymoon. Booking that planned family vacation to Walt Disney World or
that bucket list trip that Grandma  & Grandpa are planning for the family, I
would love to help you. 

We have partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her
braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama