Janson/Russ Thanksgiving 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FB invite made Sept 5

 

Holiday Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt

2613 West End Ave Nashville, Tennessee 37203

 

1 877 327 4707

Regular room rate of $160 reduced to $89 for Janson reservations!

(Call for Janson discount...do not use priceline or other nonrefund discount service.)

 

 

 

Dinner at 4:30 Thursday

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotel reservations must be made by October 28th to get the special rate that Jolly negotiated for us!!

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

September 10, 2012

Dear Family,

 

Believe it or not Thanksgiving is right around the corner!  I am pleased to announce that plans for our Janson Thanksgiving are coming along nicely.  While I do not have all of the details figured out, I am able to give you some basic information regarding our weekend itinerary.

 

The Holiday Inn Nashville West End (near Vanderbilt University) is the hotel I selected for Thanksgiving Weekend.  I have reserved a block of rooms for family.  Please call to reserve your room(s).  The toll free telephone number is 877.327.4707.  The address is 2613 West End Avenue Nashville, Tennessee  37203.  I was able to get a reduced rate of $89/night (not including tax and service fees), which is a phenomenal rate considering rooms normally go for $160/night.  The hotel has an indoor pool, restaurant/bar and complimentary van service that can take you to many destinations in the area, free of charge!

 

I am still working out the details of Thanksgiving Dinner, which will be held in a private dining room at the Holiday Inn.  Dinner will be at 4:30pm.  The Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet consists of the following:

 

Oven Roasted Turkey

Home Style Gravy

Cranberry Relish

Cornbread Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes with Butter

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Crust

Southern Style Green Beans

Honey Tarragon Glazed Carrots

Fresh Garden Salad with Assorted Dressings

Ambrosia Salad

Pumpkin, Pecan, and Apple Pie

Warm Rolls with Butter

Iced Tea and Freshly Brewed Coffee

 

Thanksgiving Dinner is $25.95/person. I am also working out the details about bar service before and/or during dinner.  Please note: the price for alcohol is not included in the price of dinner.

 

On Friday, November 23rd I am planning a day of excursion in Nashville.  In typical Janson style a private tour bus will depart the Holiday Inn at 1:30pm.  Please be ready to leave ½ hour before departure.  Also, plan on a 3.5 hour tour with a few stops at significant Nashville establishments.   The destinations are a secret, but if you must know, please contact me.  The fee is $56.00/person, which includes admission fees to any site.  After the tour, please plan on having dinner, as a family, at a nearby restaurant about 6:00pm (Details: TBD).

 

I have made the deposit for Thanksgiving dinner and the bus tour.  This year each family is responsible for paying for Thanksgiving Dinner as well as the bus tour.  Additional costs may include alcohol and dinner after the bus tour.  Once you have a family head count, please send me a check made payable to Jolly Janson, for dinner and/or the bus tour.

 

These are all the details I have so far.  I will need to have a head count for Thanksgiving Dinner and the bus tour no later than October 5, 2012.  You may e-mail me with your head count at jollyjanson@yahoo.com or you can call me at 937.657.2822 and tell me how many in your family will be attending each event.  As more details become available, I will keep you posted.   Don Russ has also agreed to post the information on the Janson website which is:

 

http://janson.pxxq.com/

 

I am so excited to host this year’s Janson Thanksgiving in Nashville!  This is a perfect city to get together, with so much to do and see.  It will be great seeing as many of you as possible!!

 

Love,

 

 

 

Jolly Janson

 

 

 

 

Click for the full-resolution image:

 

 

 

My story:

I arose very early on Thanksgiving morning and drove the 500 miles, arriving about noon.  The hotel where we would all stay and where we would eat dinner together is adjacent to Vanderbilt University.  It is seen in the background of the photo below.

 

I heard some loud music and followed it to find the football team practicing.

The Parthenon is located in Athens but Music City has a full-scale replica seen from my hotel window just beyond Centennial Park.

(The next day after I left, the group would visit the Parthenon and Julie got the following photo...click for full-res.)

Our Holiday Inn had a pool at ground level and outdoors, so Doug smuggled his posse into the pool of the Marriott next door.

The arrival of Russ & Barb was a big moment.

Uncle Ray had had oral surgery less than a week earlier.

See no evil,

hear no evil,

speak no evil.

We collected in the lobby.

It was wonderful to see again long-familiar faces.

And then Jolly took us in to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner which she began with a prayer.

After dinner, Holly fired-up her computer.

Her three brothers and their families were unable to join us.

She soon Skyped Dan.

Aunt Rheda had a Skype with Dan.

Uncle Russ had a Skype with Dan. 

We all Skyped Dan.

And Dan, Roxanne, Katie, Anna and Max Skyped right back at us.

 

 

We left the banquet room so the staff could clean and returned to the lobby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncle Russ got his groove on.

 

 

And Holly got her Skype back on.

In the future, anyone not attending can expect to be Skyped.

This time, Ray was up. 

 

 

 

The next day, the bus would leave at 1:30 so many of us went to the Hermitage in the morning. 

I had to leave early.  134 miles northeast of Nashville, I was traveling on Kentucky 91 toward the Ohio River. 

The road runs right into the river.  If you don't obey the signs and flashing lights, you get wet. 

 

 

 

I crossed on the ferry and found a place where I could look back at the river. 

 

 

After the 15 coal-barges passed, the little car-barge crossed behind it. 

I drove the length of Illinois in the dark. 

 

We are all looking forward to the speeches by the generation of second-cousins after dinner at the 2014 Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

 

120 photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/102931857350776765649/albums/5814606403294216081?authkey=CNPW7tq0re30MA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

janson.pxxq.com