Hollywood

If you are interested in going to Hollywood, the trip is planned for 10/6/09. Bus will pick up at the hotel at 9 a.m. Tour includes the walk of fame and theater, time for shopping and lunch in the Hollywood area, tour of Sony Studios (home of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune), and transportation. You'll arrive back at the hotel around 5 p.m. in time for dinner. Cost is $100. Seating is limited to 28. First come, first serve. Call Jenni at the NALS Resource Center to make your reservation.

Fly Away to Irvine

Many airlines have deals going on right now, so think about booking your air fare now! The closest airport to the Hyatt Regency is John Wayne Airport, Orange County, CA (SNA), but check other local airports including Long Beach, San Diego, LAX, and Ontario, to name a few. You have to pay for your own shuttle airports other than SNA, but it may be worth it if you save a significant amount of money. Try to coordinate with other members and share the cost of the shuttle.

Here are some recent sample flights: Columbus, OH to SNA = $294; Portland, OR to SNA = $379, however, flying into LGB = $199; Atlanta to LGB = $330 vs. $499 flying into SNA. Philadelphia to SNA = $252; Lansing to LAX is $380, but fly into SNA and it's $532. Dallas to San Diego (about an hour away) = $287, while flying into SNA is $448. Minneapolis = $437 flying into SNA, but it's only $272 if you fly to LAX. From Houston, it's $398 to SNA, but when you factor in the cost of a shuttle, it's not worth flying into ONT for $379.

Check out kayak.com and ask for alternate airports in the area (as well as other airports you may be able to fly out of from home) to see if flying into another airport is more cost effective for you. If your flight isn't on sale now, keep checking for lower fares.

Make Your Reservation Today!

Don't delay! Make your reservation for Irvine today. Conference room rates are good October 2-15, provided there is room at the inn. If you take a week off work you can vacation in sunny California and attend the NALS Annual Conference in Irvine. Join us October 8-11, 2009 for education, networking and fun, and tack on a few days before or after the conference for fun in the sun. We learned in Norfolk last year that rooms do sell out quickly, so make your reservation today! Call 949-975-1234 or 800-233-1234. Rates: $115 single/double, $140 triple, $165 quad.

Sunny California

Winter has definitely arrived in Ohio. Although it was sunny today, I still had to wear my winter coat. The bright spot in all this is I'm anxiously looking forward to our trip to Irvine next October.

I only need a week off to attend the conference and take a California vacation. I'm planning on coming to Irvine the weekend before the conference, and will play before the conference officially kicks off on Thursday. The conference concludes on Sunday morning and I can catch a flight home and be back at work on Monday. OK. So I'll have some jet lag and probably won't go to work on Monday, but it can be done.

When you get your new 2009 calendar, be sure you block off the second week in October and make plans to attend the 80th Annual NALS Conference in Irvine, California!

California Here We Come!

Are you going to Irvine for the 2009 NALS Annual Conference? Are you excited about going to California? Tell us why you are going to Irvine! We'll be doing short video clips of our members at various locations during the Norfolk conference (which is only a few short weeks away) asking them to share why they will be in Irvine, California next fall. Mark your calendar for October 8-11, 2009 and make plans to join us!