I'm still going to try and make it...My mom has hip replacement surgery on July 30th - so I was thinking I'd come and visit her when she gets out of the hospital and then come spend a day or so in Peoria.

I probably won't be there the entire weekend - I'm thinking about driving in say...Saturday morning and maybe leaving either Saturday night or Sunday morning. Either way - I'll have to be short if I am sneaking away from the family.

Osuche, I'm sure hoping that you're able to come over to Peoria and spend some time with us. That would certainly make the day extra special! :)

Osuche, like DB, I hope you can make the side trip, would really enjoy meeting you.

Hotel
 

Right now, we've about decided on the East Peoria Holiday Inn Express. We stayed there when it was a Baymont Inn in 2000 when one of our girls married and the reception was held next door (that hotel is gone now). The rooms were very nice at that time.

Costs appear to be about $ 86.00 USD per night with any allowance for AAA or AARP discounts and without any discussion with the hotel as of yet. Thinking this would be a good place because of the moderate cost and the fact it's very near the park where we wanted to have the picnic (maybe a mile) and less than that from Corky's where we're planning on for Saturday Night's Dinner. Corky's is faxing us a menu and we'll pass it on to you when we get it later today or tomorrow. Up to about 11 people and they said we could simply order off the menu ... 11 or more and they suggest we tallk to them and work out a menu that could be prepared and served as a unit (so no one is waiting while the others eat :) )

Attached are pictures of the hotel (outside and lobby area) and Corky's from the outside (very nice inside).

I'm going to try and stop at the hotel tomorrow and talk to them about any possible group discounts and to see if maybe five or six rooms could be grouped for us so that when we make reservations our rooms will be close together. After I do that, I'll publish their phone number and address and a map on how to get there.

I'll also post some pictures of the park where we'll have our picnic (weather permitting). We'll figure out a backup location if it (heaven forbid) rains.

Oh, yeah, about the hotel. The Holiday Inn Express in East Peoria is located one mile from the Par-A-Dice Riverboat Casino; about 15 miles from the Peoria Regional Airport; 2 miles from the Splashdown Water Park and the same from the Peoria Civic Center and O'Brien Field Ballpark. Maybe five miles from Grandview Drive (Teddy Roosevelt's favorite) and the Water Tower Park amd a little less to Glen Oak Zoo and Peoria's Botanical Gardens. The museum and planetarium are, for now, about 6 miles away although in a few years they'll be right downtown in a new complex that will include a Caterpillar, Inc. historical museum along with the field museum.. It's also about 10 miles from Wildlife Prarie Park (one the the nation's finest outside nature parks). The riverboat ride, if you're interested, is about two miles away docked in downtown Peoria. You can see it from the park.

Amenities include indoor swimming pool; exercise room; complimentary continental breakfast, valet laundry and free parking. Haven't decided on Sunday morning's breakfast, but there's three or more possibilities we're considering.

We'll try to take care of you. :)

I can vouch that the Holiday Inn Express is very easy to find there in East Peoria. Right off the interstate and there are other places to stay right in that area too if you would decide to go that route.

Still trying to see if I can get a doctor to "juggle his schedule" so I could get down there on the Friday. Unless he really, really pisses me off I should be free to be there on Sat. and Sun. :wish:

Let's just hope he doesn't do that. :p

Yippee!! We're keeping our fingers crossed for ya', IowaMan! :nana:

Yeah. But is there anything to do near the motel?

How many weeks did you say this gathering is going to be? :rofl:

DB forgot to mention that there is apparently an adult bookstore right across the street from O'Brien Field downtown where the Peoria Chiefs play. I drove past a couple of guys who were making out outside of it as I was going from where my car was parked after the ballgame I went to when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Seemed like pretty friendly fellas. :rofl:

There's another one maybe six blocks north of the field. :)

The hotel has an exercise room and pool, PF. What more did you want. Besides, we've been here about 30 years now. Who knows, you might actually fall in love with our little bit of heaven. :)

And, if some choose to come earlier or stay longer and want to see things, just let me know and I'll fix a map with directions. :)

At least I didn't venture further afield and tell you about the restored trains at White Heath or Allerton Park about two hours away ... or Starved Rock an hour north ... the the Abe Lincoln Presidential Library an hour from here. :roflmao:

[QUOTE=PantyFanatic][SIZE=4]Yeah. But is there anything to do near the motel?

Well considering we all like to sit and chat and don't think we need much around the motel. :)

Maybe I'll just have my August order drop-shipped there. :nana:



/me makes note to get a bigger truck

:boink:

:thumbs:

Hey I like that idea, I'll stop at Allerton Park on the way home if I have time. I really like the Foo Dog gardens and the Sunsinger statue. But will not have time to stop and see the trains this trip. Truthfully both are only about 45mins away from me any time I want to see them.