Newport
Hotel
Hospitality Room
Naval Station
Attractions
Banquet
Prize Drawings
Photos
More Reunion Information
Schedule of Events
Newport
The following information was taken from the Newport Visitor Convention Bureau Web Page.
Frustrated by political intervention in their religious life in puritan Boston, the first English settlers came to Aquidneck Island in 1638. Their leader, Ann Hutchinson, had been banished from Massachusetts for challenging the foundations of Puritanism. At the advice of Roger Williams, who had established Providence after being likewise banished, Hutchinson's group purchased Aquidneck Island (later named Rhode Island) from Native Americans and settled in an area known as Pocasett at the northern end.
Today, it is home to spectacular coastal scenery, awe-inspiring architecture, a thriving waterfront downtown, and welcoming hospitality. Newport, Rhode Island is considered by many to be a shining gem in the coastal crown of New England. From weekend getaways spent touring the famed Gilded Age mansions that were once the summer playground for socialite families with names like Astor and Vanderbilt to an afternoon of wine tour and tasting through Newport's three scenic vineyards, the options for interesting activities, distinctive stories, and enticing photo opportunities are countless!
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Hotel
The 2009 USS Richmond K. Turner reunion will be held at the Best Western Mainstay Hotel in Newport, RI from Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18. It is a beautiful hotel that is located at the foot of the Claiborne Pell Bridge which spans the Narragansett Bay, connecting Jamestown and Newport.
Because mid October is “Peak” time in Newport, the rate will be $105.00 per night. This rate will be accepted for any number of consecutive days prior to and any number of consecutive days after our official reunion dates. This rate only applies to a minimum 3 night stay. To stay Friday night and Saturday night only, the rate is $139.00 per night. (there is a 2 night minimum requirement)
A few of the Hotel Highlights are Interior Corridors, Hospitality Suite, Restaurant, Bar/Lounge Area, and Meeting Room. There is also a Casino directly across the street which is literally a 1 minute walk from the front door of our hotel.
The Best Western – Mainstay will only accept reservations by phone. When calling, please reference the USS Richmond K. Turner. Their address is:
Best Western – Mainstay
151 Admiral Kalbfus Road
Newport, RI 02840-1310
401-849-9880
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Hospitality Room
As in all of our past reunions, the hospitality room will be available to us from early morning until late at night. It is the place where we all meet to talk about our days on the USS Richmond K. Turner and our lives since then. It will be stocked with Beer Wine, Soda, and Finger Food. Once again, Ron Mock, Jim Jansen, Jesse McNear, along with their wives, will be in charge of keeping everything stocked and organized. Playing cards will be available for all types of card games including “Screw Your Neighbor", which was a big hit at the last reunion.
The Hospitality Room is also the location of our Memorabilia Tables. Everyone is encouraged to bring some type of memorabilia from their days on the Turner. Past items included yearbooks, photo albums, gun shells, lighters, jackets, framed pictures, plaques, letters, clothing, and so on.
During our Branson reunion, the Hospitality Room was the location of a Saturday morning Silent Auction. Everyone was asked to bring an item from their area of the country which was then auctioned off with the proceeds given to the USS Richmond K. Turner Association. It was a big hit and will be continued in Newport.
New to the Hospitality Room this reunion will be a "Reunion Arrival Board". It will be displayed to show when our shipmates have arrived or are scheduled to arrive
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Naval Station
About a half of a mile or so down the road from the hotel is the Newport Naval Station. It is the home of the Navy's most prestigious educational institution, the Naval War College. The War College is the oldest such institution in continuous existence anywhere in the world. We are hoping to get some type of tour lined up of the base and War College.
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Attractions
The reunion committee is still working on finalizing the itinerary but things are beginning to fall into place. An itinerary will be posted as events and tours become finalized.
This is a list of tours and attractions that we are planning to reserve:
Murder Mystery night at the Astor’s Mansion: The cast will be dressed in circa 1800’s attire. A murder will take place in front of our eyes and our group will spend the night searching for clues in every room of this beautiful old mansion trying to help solve the murder. Very much fun!
Bus Tour of Newport and the Surrounding Area: This bus will tour all of Newport along with the surrounding area. We drive by and/or stop at many points of interest including the Marina Area, the Historical Area, the Mansion Area, the Cliff Walk, Fort Adams, Coastal Areas, the Newport Winery, and much more.
Boat Tour of the Local Area: This boat will tour the bay area of Newport. You will see all of the many things that line the shorelines of Newport including Fort Adams, the Naval Base, and the Claiborne Pell Bridge.
Mansion Tours: Newport is home to unbelievable mansions. Some mansions take over one and a half hours to tour through. The most famous is the “Breakers”. It is the largest and most celebrated of the Newport Mansions. It was completed in 1895 for railroad baron Cornelius Vanderbilt II, grandson of Commodore Vanderbilt, who had established the family fortune in steamships and later, railroads.
Dinner Cruise: This seems to be one of our favorites. Newport has a beautiful dinner cruise ship named the “Majestic”. It is a 3 hour cruise around the bay area.
The Playhouse Dinner Theater: This is a lot of fun. You start with an incredible buffet dinner. The choices are endless. After dinner, you move into an auditorium to watch a play that is put on by local actors. After the play, you head back into the dining area to watch a cabaret type stage show. It was one of our highlights during this past visit to Newport.
The Newport Vineyards: This is a tour and wine tasting at the largest winery in Newport. It will probably be combined with the bus tour.
The Bowen’s Landing Seafood Festival: Every year, during the same weekend that we will be in town, Newport hosts the Seafood Festival at Bowen’s Landing in the Marina Area. They have live music and cook all kinds of seafood right there in front of you.
Other local attractions that we recommend are as follows:
Naval War College Museum located on the Naval Station.
The Tennis Hall of Fame
The Yachting Hall of Fame
The Newport Casino
Old Port Marine Boat Tours
Walking Tour of the Historic Area of Newport
Claiborne Pell Bridge was opened to traffic in 1969. It is 11,248 feet long, and the top of the towers stand 400’ above mean high water. What a beautiful site!
There is so much to see and do in Newport that we highly recommend that you either come earlier than the official start date or stay later. The above tours will be available but are by no means mandatory. You are welcome to join us for as many or as few as you like.
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Banquet
We have also decided to try something a little different with the Saturday night banquet. We were able to book the "Officer's Club" which is located on the Naval Base. The club is beautiful. It can hold over 350 guests and it is located right on the bay just under the Newport Bridge.
As in the previous reunion banquets, a seating chart will be arranged so that you may seat with your close friends and shipmates. The chart will be displayed on our web site and updated as more attendees are recognized.
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Prize Drawings
There will again be drawings for prizes at the banquet. The prizes are still up in the air, but rest assured there will be some surprises.
There will also be another 50/50 drawing. Sale of the tickets will be via the registration form and at the reunion. Feel free to purchase as many as you wish. The fund will reap the benefits.
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Photos
Plans for a photographer are still in the making.
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More Reunion Information
This web site will be continuously updated as more information is gathered and also as tours and bookings to local attractions are confirmed.
It is fervently hoped that you seriously consider joining all of us at our 2009 reunion. Meeting old shipmates can be fun no matter where it is held. It is a weekend filled with smiles, laughter, sea stories, and stories of our lives since leaving the Turner. If you have yet to experience one of our reunions, it is strongly urged that you to consider the Newport, Rhode Island 2009 Reunion
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