Hi All,
Have you just NOT gotten around to registering for the TCA
Convention in Atlanta yet? Time is drawing near when the current Registration of
just $35 will be rising by $10. Now is the time to save yourself some
money. Say you've never been to a Convention before? Let me tell you,
Conventions are FAMILY affairs, not at all like your local Division or Chapter Train
meet. YES, of course there will be selling of toy trains and stuff, but
that is reserved for the final two days of the event. The rest of the time
will be devoted to meeting and greeting folks from around this great country
and some even from outside the USA. Yes, TCA has members from around the
globe and they DO come to the Conventions, basically for the same reason I do
- to visit sights within the area of the convention and to SOCIALIZE. That
is how a Convention is so much more fun and different than a normal train
meet, even those big multi-day ones like York and Cal - Stewart.
I can't believe that I am the only one in all of TCA who has other
interests besides Toy Trains. * I love things like American History,
and this is a HOT BED for the Blood and Guts of the American Civil War. The
real GENERAL and TEXAS Locomotives from the famous chase are here. Did you
know that President Carter, when he was the Georgia Governor, literally
STOLE the General from Chattanooga, TN, and brought it back to Kennesaw, GA?
Didn't know you voted for a "Railroad Robber," did you? * Everyone likes
to EAT and the FOOD CHANNEL has a series of TOP 10's in the USA. Among them
are HOT DOG STANDS. OF course everyone knows about Nathan's on Coney
Island, but ranking # 3 in the nation is THE VARSITY in downtown ATLANTA. Why
Bob Keller told me that he and his wife went there on their first date" X "
number of years ago. * The HISTORY CHANNEL did a series on UNSOLVED
MYSTERIES, among them a gigantic monument in nearby Elberton called THE GEORGIA
GUIDESTONES. * Any of us over the age of 45 will certainly remember the
influence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He got his start as a preacher in
Atlanta and much of his history can be traced back to this city. * The
Presidential Library of Jimmy Carter is in Atlanta. I plan on adding it to my
collection of Presidential Libraries visited, many of which came as a result of
attending TCA Conventions ( Truman, Bush, Ike, Johnson, Kennedy, Nixon ).
* The Olympics were in Atlanta about a decade or so ago. Well, the Olympic
Park and environs are still there and in use.* Any of you who know me,
know I'm a BASEBALL junkie. Yes, I love the Phillies and this has been a NOT
so good season. BUT, I love baseball FIRST ! The ATLANTA BRAVES rarely
sell out a game, and while the convention is in town, they are hosting the
Arizona Diamondbacks and the Washington Nationals. Across from Turner Field is
a really fine Sports Bar with GREAT FOOD. I've been to EVERY MLB stadium
and TURNER FIELD is one of the best. Coming from a Phillies fan, THAT is a
major admission!!
Yes, you'll probably need a car to get around the city/state, but
perhaps with the new friends you make you can POOL together and share the
cost. If you are flying into Hartsfield International Airport you are coming
into one of America's busiest, but most modern airports. ATLANTA is a
destination city. Why not make it your DESTINATION this JUNE 24 - 30 ? Come
join a few hundred of your fellow TCAers and their family members from around
this country and world. * And BRING your golf clubs too ! On Tuesday
morning, a few of us will be getting together for a CASUAL golf outing on a
nearby Marietta Golf Course. We'd LOVE for you to come join us. See you all
there!!!!
Cordially,
Gordon Wilson - Past TCA President and Convention Regular, among other things!