Thursday, August 28, 2008

Alcatraz Tour: Mon, Sept 15th 10:30am



"Beauty. History. Infamy."

This is an *optional* additional excusion and each guest is responsible for booking their own tickets. Reservations for a tour at Alcatraz, including round-trip ferry service are $26/ea and the official ticket seller is: http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/ You can also do a Google-search for "alcatraz tickets" to find other ticket resellers (might be a higher rate). Don't procrastinate: tickets sell quickly and may not be available at the last minute.

More info on "The Rock":

"Alcatraz and history go hand in hand. Once home to some of America's most notorious criminals, the federal penitentiary that operated here from 1934 to 1963 brought a dark mystique to the Rock. The presence of infamous inmates like Al "Scarface" Capone, and the "Birdman" Robert Stroud helped to establish the island's notoriety. To this day, Alcatraz is best known as one of the world's most legendary prisons.

"Many people, though, are unaware of the wealth of other stories to be learned on the island. Alcatraz is now home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife, and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds. Civil War-era buildings dotting the island give insight into the 19th century when the island served as both a harbor defense fort and a military prison. You can also see visible reminders of the American Indian Occupation that started in 1969 after the prison closed, highlighting an important milestone in the American Indian rights movement.

"Come experience the beauty, history and infamy of Alcatraz on the San Francisco Bay. You'll be astounded by what you learn and see."

BYU-UCLA Football Game Broadcast on 9/13


Gentlemen:

We've heard your concerns about the BYU v. UCLA "big game" conflict with the MSA Conference & found a great local sports bar that will broadcast the game:

http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/11536954/san_francisco_ca/knuckles_historic_sports_bar_grill.html

I’m sure if we get enough of you guys, they’ll play the BYU/UCLA game. Kick-off is approximately 12:30 local time, which means you’ll only miss the Crissy Field games & hot babes there, but you’ll still make group breakfast, group dinners, Ghirardelli Square, & the boat cruise.

Did I mention this place has *28 TVs* including a 120” screen and a bunch of 60” screens??? And that it’s near all of the hotels in Fisherman’s Wharf/Crissy Field area that is the conference epi-center? Plus it’s not dark & sleezy –but I can find ya’ such a place if that’s what you really want –lol.

This should quell the concerns of the boys with conlicting priorities ;-)

See you soon!
Amy

Friday, August 8, 2008

Initial Schedule for the Conference

Please keep checking back for the finalized schedule, but here's the initial timing for now:

When What/Where Cost
Thursday, September 11th
8-10pm Pre-event trip to nearby Oakland's Temple Hill for endowment and baptism sessions (watch the blog and group email list for more info) N/A
10:30-11:30pm Ice cream social at local favorite Fenton's Ice Cream Parlor. Bring cash for what you order

Friday, September 12th
6-8pm Random group dinners at tasty diners and cafes within blocks of the kick-off party (watch blog & group email list for more info) Bring cash for what you order
7-Midnight Registration and kick-off party on the top floor of the amazing Metreon Center in San Francisco, where we have the entire "City View" party venue to ourselves including the spectacularly scenic 10,000sf terrace over-looking the city skyline and Yerba Buena Gardens. Club-inspired DJ dancing & light show, speed-dating, "Sugar Rush" dessert & beverage stations, city-view lounges, games, activities, and more will be provided. Included in base ticket (currently $99 per person)
Midnight-1:30am Optional private tour of San Francisco's most scenic venues aboard 70 passenger double-decker party busses $20 per person on top of the base ticket
Midnight-whenever Optional late-night dining or club dancing (unofficial). Watch the blog for more info. Bring cash for what you order

Saturday, September 13th
Breakfast on your own or w/new friends you met the night before! Bring cash for what you order
10-10:30am Morning devotional at scenic Crissy Field along the SF Bay's waterfront Included in the base ticket
10:30-11:30am Fun & easy community service project benefitting the "Blankets for Kids" charity at Crissy Field Included in the base ticket
11am-3:30pm Games, hikes, volleyball tournaments, mixing/mingling and more at Crissy Field Included in the base ticket
Noon Catered lunch for all registered attendees Included in the base ticket
3:30-5pm Free time to clean-up/get ready for the night's festivities N/A
5-6:30pm Random group dinners around Fisherman's Wharf (pick up info at Crissy Field) Bring cash for what you order
6:30-7:15pm Ice cream sundaes at historic Ghirardelli Square Included in the base ticket
7:30pm Boarding-time for boat cruise at Pier 41 (validated parking available only at the Pier 39 Garage) Included in the base ticket
8:30-11:30pm Boat cruise around SF Bay (inc the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, AT&T Park, and more!), with DJ'd dancing, two other decks for sight-seeing and mingling, plus a hosted non-alcoholic bar for the entire cruise Included in the base ticket
11pm-whenever Optional late-night dining or club dancing (unofficial) Watch the blog for more info. Bring cash for what you order

Sunday, September 14th
Breakfast on your own Bring cash for what you order
11am Shuttle bus service from Aquatic Park (corner of Jefferson & Hyde between Fisherman’s Wharf & Ghirardelli Square) to Oakland's Temple Hill (optional; watch blog & email list for more information) $13 each way in addition to the base ticket
All day: 30min long tours available at the Temple Hill Visitor's Center of a fantastic new art exhibit focused on the life of the Savior Included in the base ticket
Noon Catered picnic lunch (optional) $10 pp in addition to the base ticket
1-3pm Sacrament Meeting in the Temple Hill Inter-Stake Center Auditorium with Elder John C. Dalton, IV speaking -attendance may be limited to first 1,000 conference registrants due to high demand & limited available seating Included in the base ticket
3:30-5pm Dessert Party & mingling Included in the base ticket
5-6pm Conference Closing Fireside in the Inter-Stake Center Chapel Included in the base ticket
4:30 & 6:30pm Shuttle bus service from Oakland's Temple Hill to San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf area (optional) $13 each way in addition to the base ticket

Monday, September 15th
Breakfast on your own Bring cash for what you order
10am-ish (TBD) Alcatraz Tour (optional) –round trip ferry ride to/from Alcatraz and a narrated group tour of the infamous “Rock”. Watch the blog and email list for more info. Approx. $28/ea –bring cash

Monday, August 4, 2008

Fun Facts: Where are People Coming From???



The San Francisco Mid-Singles Conference is open to attendees from all around the world. Last year, the 800 registrants represented nearly two dozen states plus a half dozen countries. Here are the stats for this year (as of 8/4):

Cities inside California:
Alameda, Antioch, Brisbane, Castro Valley, Citrus Heights, Colma, Concord, Corona, Culver City, Cypress, Danville, Discovery Bay, Dublin, East Palo Alto, El Sobrante, Elk Grove, Emeryville, Fairfield, Folsom, Fremont, Fresno, Gold River, Hayward, Hercules, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Kingsburg, Lafayette, Laguna Niguel, Lancaster, Livermore, Los Altos, Los Angeles, Los Olivos, Martinez, Menlo Park, Merced, Monterey, Mountain View, Napa, Newhall, Newport Beach, Oakland, Orangevale, Pacific Grove, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Placentia, Porterville, Prunedale, Rancho Cordova, Rancho Santa Margarita, Redlands, Richmond, Rio Linda, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, San Bruno, San Clemente, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Lorenzo, San Luis Obispo, San Marino, San Ramon, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Rosa, Saratoga, Simi Valley, South San Francisco, Stevenson Ranch, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Thousand Oaks, Tracy, Turlock, Visalia, Walnut Creek, Yorba Linda

Areas outside California:
*Arizona: Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Tempe
*Georgia: Duluth
*Hawaii: Wailea
*Idaho: Pocatello
*Nevada: Henderson, Las Vegas, Reno, Sparks
*New Jersey: Whippany
*New Mexico: Santa Fe
*New York: Jamaica, New York City
*Oregon: Beaverton, Corvallis, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Philomath, Portland, West Linn
*Pennsylvania: Enola
*Texas: Austin, Garland, Houston, Plano
*Utah: Cedar City, Draper, Highland, Logan, Murray, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Salt Lake City, West Jordan
*Virginia: Arlington
*Washington: Auburn, Everett, Kennewick, Kirkland, Seattle, Vancouver
*Washington, D.C.
*West Virginia: Wheeling

International:

Australia: Brisbane

Canada: St. Albert
Russia: Moscow

Friday, July 18, 2008

Where to stay & how to connect with room-share options



Many of you have asked about housing options during our conference weekend; here is some helpful information:



  • A big list of hotels near Fisherman's Wharf (fun area with best assortment of affordable hotel rooms to share, close to public transportation, & walking distance to events on Saturday) is provided below, including their contact info. There are links to hotel room discounters/consolidators, too.

  • If you'd like to get on a list for those looking to share hotel rooms, please email sfmidsingles@gmail.com and put "Housing" in the subject line. We'll email out a separate message every few days with updates so that you can connect with others looking for a hotel/room-share.

  • Church member-housing is not available since so few of us live in SF and most have tiny, out-of-the-way places.

Online room discounters/consolidators:
http://www.kayak.com/
http://www.hotels.com/
http://www.expedia.com/
http://www.all-hotels.com/
http://www.priceline.com/
http://www.hotwire.com/
http://www.orbitz.com/

Online hotel coupons:
Travel Coupon Guide: http://www.hotelcoupons.com/
Room$aver http://www.roomsaver.com/

Tourist-class hotels near Fisherman’s Wharf (minimal amenities, cheapest rates):
Best Inn Van Ness Motel, Fisherman’s Wharf (AAA approved), 2850 Van Ness Avenue: 415-776-3220
Castle Inn (AAA approved), 1565 Broadway @ Van Ness: 1-800-822-7853
Economy Inn, 1 Richardson Avenue @ Lombard Street: 415-922-0810
Mithila Hotel 972 Sutter Street: 1-866-MITHILA
Royal Pacific Motor Inn: http://www.royalpacificmotorinn.com/
Ramada 1940 Lombard Street: 415-775-8116
Presidio Travelodge 2755 Lombard Street: 415-931-8581
Greenwich Inn 3201 Steiner Street: 415-921-5162
Surf Motel 2265 Lombard Street @ Steiner: 415-922-1950
Broadway Manor Inn 2201 Van Ness @ Broadway: http://www.broadwaymanor.com/ 800-727-6239
Americas Best Value Inn 2322 Lombard Street http://www.sfamericasbestvalueinn.com/ 415-921-4980
The Wharf Inn 2601 Mason Street: 877-786-4730
EconoLodge 2505 Lombard Street 415-921-2505
Best Inn Presidio 2707 Lombard Street 415-567-2425
Marina Inn 3110 Octavia Street 800-274-1420
Buena Vista Motor Inn (AAA approved) 1599 Lombard Street 415-923-9600
Travelodge Golden Gate 2230 Lombard Street @ Steiner 415-922-3900

Full service hotels in Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood:
Sheraton at Fisherman’s Wharf: www.sheraton.com/fishermanswharf
Radison Fisherman’s Wharf www.radison.com/sanfranciscoca_wharf
The Wharf Inn http://www.wharfinn.com/
Best Western Tuscan Inn: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=05554
Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf http://www.fishermanswharf.hyatt.com/
Hilton at Fisherman’s Wharf: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/SFOFWHF-Hilton-San-Francisco-Fisherman-s-Wharf-California/index.do
Holiday Inn Express http://www.hiexpress.com/
Holiday Inn Fisherman’s Wharf http://www.hifishermanswharf.com/
Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf http://www.marriott.com/
North FW Travelodge http://www.travelodge.com/
Courtyard by Marriott: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sfocf-courtyard-san-francisco-fishermans-wharf/
The Argonaut Hotel: http://www.argonauthotel.com/
The Suites at Fisherman’s Wharf: http://www.shellhospitality.com/

Also try:
Fisherman’s Wharf Merchants Association: Lodging: http://www.fishermanswharf.org/Lodging.htm or call 1-800-655-8076 I think this is the single best hotel resource for the FW area

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Why No "A La Carte" Pricing?

It's a fair question: why can't I just register for certain events or certain days, rather than pay for the whole thing?

Answer: Due to the complexities of arranging such a giant event for a huge number of people with very limited resources (the joys of volunteer work), we simply can't offer or manage a la carte reservations for certain activities or days. If we had a professional event company running the show with complex software programs to manage registration, that might be possible (but you'd also be paying *a lot* more for their services). Alas, we're simply a bunch of volunteers with busy day-jobs who are enthusiastically dedicated to creating a really fun event for other mid-singles.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Hugely Reduced Ticket Price (vs. '07) -Why???


The "early bird" discount rate for basic tickets this year is only $85 through August 1st (gotta complete the 2-stage registration process including showing us the $ to lock this in. Rates go up Aug 2nd and closes on Sept 9th). Last year it was $130 -so, why the big difference?


A. We were able to reserve the Interstake Center on Temple Hill for our Sunday events instead of having to pay big bucks for a huge venue and all of the rentals/set-up.


B. Optional activities/services: you now have the option of adding-on some things to your basic ticket such as:
  • 1.5 hour guided city tour on double-decker busses on Fri night for $20

  • catered picnic lunch on Temple Hill on Sunday for $10

  • bus service to/from Temple Hill for $10/ea way

The Kick-Off Par-tay!


We're incredibly excited to have landed an insanely cool venue for the opening night party: City View at Metreon Center in the hip SOMA area of downtown San Francisco.

About the Conference Kick-Off Party:
This 20,000' space is fronted by an entire wall of 2 story-high windows overlooking the stunning SF skyline and beautiful Yerba Buena Gardens (the perfect spot to go for a walk or cozy-up on a bench with friends old or new!). Check-in for registrants will be here (you must register/pay in advance) and then the party begins...

Inside our DJ will be spinning club-style dance tunes at one end, we'll have the ever-popular speed-dating in another area, "Sugar Rush Bars" set-up in several areas where you can boost your energy with a sweet selection of beverages & candies, an "open-mic stage" for you to show off your musical talents (please sign up in advance by emailing sfmidsingles@gmail.com), cool lounges throughout, and more!

Then there's the 10,000' cityview terrace where we'll have comfy lounging areas set-up with an assortment of fun activities to help you break the ice with new friends or reconnect with old ones.

About the Venue:

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Inaugural Address


Hello! Welcome to the official blog for the San Francisco LDS Mid-Singles program.

Ours is a group of dedicated volunteers who have worked hard to put together a really fun weekend where mid-singles (27-45 years old) can get together to play and serve together in a fantastic city.

This blog will provide updates on the conference planning happenings, answer your questions & ask other questions of you, and provide the latest and greatest info that we have. We hope that it will be an informative and interactive forum and we welcome your input.
We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing you in September!

Cheers,

The SF MSA Conference Committee