Charlie Hess, with help from Jim Menzie, has worked up a plan for the 2009 Rimbach Reunion. The dates for official events are from June 9 through June 14.

Charlie’s plan:

I have worked out a program for the 2009 Reunion.

There has been alot of talk about what to do when in Rimbach. If you’re are going to spend your money to come over for the reunion you might as well spend a little bit more and see something more than just Rimbach.

I did listen to the commits about the last reunion, and hope I can help to make the 2009 event even better.

I do not know how much intrest there is going to be in this program, but I am just going to put this up for discussion, and we will see what happens.

To make any kind of overnight trips we will need at least 20 people. This is the bottom number here for group rates and brings the price down a lot for everyone.

If the trip comes about, I will have to collect two-thirds of the price at least three months in advance.

I have decided to start the trip on a Tuesday because last time most people coming over started their trip to Rimbach on Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

A lot of people said the trip to Prague and Plzeň was nice, but it was too rushed, and one overnight stay was not so good because there was no time to go out on your own buy souvenirs and so forth. This time the trip would be on weekdays so that more shops would be open. I have allowed for time to shop and look around on your own.

So here we go:

Tuesday, June 9, 2009: Leave Rimbach around 9 a.m. by bus to Marienbad and Karlsbad, CZ. Included is a guided tour of both towns with a English-speaking guide. Leave Karlsbad at the latest around 6 p.m., then on to our hotel in Ustí-nad-Labem, a small town on the border between CZ and what was East Germany. All overnight stays are with breakfast and a set-menu dinner.

Wednesday, June 10: After breakfast, we take the bus into what used to be East Germany, with a trip to Castle Konigstein, about 45-minute drive. In the afternoon we go on to Elbsandsteingebirge National Park. There are a lot of beautiful sandstone rock formations there, with short or long walks to different view points. Afterward, back to our hotel in CZ.

Tuesday or Wednesday: A Folklore evening at the hotel similar to the one we had in Prague during the 2004 reunion.

Thursday, June 11: After breakfast, on to Dresden with a guided walking/bus tour of the city with a English-speaking guide. Dresden is a beautifully rebuilt old city. They used a lot of West German tax money to do that. We will stay in a hotel in or around Dresden.

Friday, June 12: After breakfast it’s back to Rimbach, a trip of about 3 1/2 hours. We should be in Rimbach at the latest by 2 p.m., which would give everyone time to freshen up before we join the march into the beer tent around 6 p.m.

Why did I choose this trip? Everybody seemed to have liked going into CZ the last time, and Kalsbad is worth seeing. We were all in Rimbach, but how many of us have been in what used to be East Germany? Why stay in the hotel on the border in CZ? Because its a lot cheaper with breakfast and dinner than in Germany, and not far from the places we would visit.

Prices will be for a four-day, three-night trip per person in a double room that will include all of the above and the bus for about 350 euros per person. Not included are entrance fees to parts of the castle and some of the places we may or may not visit in Dresden.

I am thinking that on Friday evening we would be in the beer tent; on Saturday, June 13, up “The Hill” by ski lift to visit the old sites and the Schonblick or the lift restaurant; in the evening into the beer tent or find a place of our own. On Sunday, lunch togeather and maybe a trip to Cherhov in CZ.

Please get this info to as many people as possible, and let us start really working on the reunion 2009.

Ami Charlie

There you have it, a great beginning. A huge thanks to Charlie (and Jim) for putting together what sounds like an exciting program of events for this reunion.

Jump in and discuss these plans in the “Rimbach Reunion, June 2009” forum.

The latest from Charlie Hess about the June 2009 Rimbach reunion:

Hi People,

Now that the holiday season is over maybe everyone will have more time to think about the reunion in Rimbach this year.

Frist of all i am not anticipating that there is going to be a bus trip before the actually reunion on the 12, 13, 14 of June. There has been very little interest in the trip, i have at the moment only about 1/3 of the people neccessary to even think about making the trip. That’s no big thing, it was just a idea i had, it was a little pricee and who know maybe it’s a idea for another reunion.

What is good though is that about 15 to 20 people are planning to come to the reunion. We can now start thinking about things to do during the reunion.

Something new that has come up is that the Germany conterpart, (Fernmelde Sector 11), of what we were doing up on “the Hill” is holding a “gardenfest” on Sat. the 13th of June in Kötzting, might be a place to go. Maybe they would like to march into to tent with us on Friday evening, would be another nice gesture of Amercan/Germany friendship.

Anyway there is a list of people that are planning to come to the reunion on the website, but some people that have told me that they are coming have not yet put there name on the list maybe they can get around to that now, also my name is missing, but after over 40 years in Rimbach i still hope to be here when you people get here.

If there is anyone who needs help about geting to Rimbach, rooms or such please contact me, i’m off to another little trip to Aisa soon, will be back in a couple of weeks.

Youal take care, Ami Charlie