Hi gang.

I realize, as we're anticipating one holiday tomorrow, it may seem a
little early to be planning for early October, but per our discussion at
the last planning party, I've gone ahead and reserved a block of rooms
for us in Ventura over Columbus Day weekend, (October 5-8 or some
combination thereof). As some of you (attention, Sam) will attest,
there's wonderful cycling in and around Ventura, with coastal, mountain
and rural roads, as well as the odd bike path or two, and everyone at
the planning meeting was excited about a change of scenery. Tony and I
have some great routes from our LA Wheelmen days and will dust those off
and update them as necessary before we all descend on this charming
coastal town. Options include rides to Ojai and to Santa Barbara, the
latter by any of several routes.

If enough people are interested, we can also chip in to rent a truck to
transport the bikes and we can leave the driving to Amtrak, which I
personally think would be lots of fun and comparatively stress-free.
Lynn Wilkirson has offered to get us a deal on a truck rental if we
decide to pursue that option. Tony's volunteered to drive, especially if
he can enlist a co-captain.

So here are the details:

Reservations are at the Country Inn and Suites at 298 Chestnut Street:
805-653-1434. When you call, ask for a room from the "Tandem" block.
That is our group code in the computer and will get you the discounted
rate. Rates are $99 plus 10% tax for Friday and Saturday, and $89 plus
tax for Sunday, if you want to stay all three nights, or a total of
$315.70 per room (though you don't have to stay all three nights). The
price, which beats the AAA and AARP discounted rates, includes a full
cooked breakfast every morning and a happy hour every evening. The rooms
are large and include a microwave and refrigerator in addition to the
usual amenities.

The Country Inn is within easy walking distance of all the restaurants
in downtown Ventura, as well as Real Cheap Sports, the Patagonia outlet,
and lots of antique stores if you feel like shopping. It's also,
fortuitously, about two and a half blocks from the train station,
according to the reservation agent I dealt with. The hotel will only
hold our block until Friday, September 14, so if you'd like to go, call
while you're thinking about it, and then e-mail me to let me know you'll
be joining us and let me know if you're interested in the truck/Amtrak
option.

Sometime in August, I'm planning to open this up to the MASCOTS if any
of them would like to join us (since Borrego was such fun, and it's a
lot closer for most of them). At this point, I imagine I can reserve
more rooms if we need them, but that may not be the case as the date
approaches and the hotel fills up.

So drop me a line or call if you have any questions, There are currently
nine rooms up for grabs.

Sarah
858-259-2299