The Chattanooga Mini Reunion

April 28-May 2, 2016

Kudos to Dan & Emily Baker for organizing and hosting yet another outstanding Mini Reunion -- this time in a new venu: Chattanooga, TN.

Below is a summary of the Magnificent Mini as posited by its "creator" (Mr. Baker). However, your trusty webmaster could not help but interject a few editorial comments plus some of the images graciously submitted by other attendees ... and cribbed from various web sites ... to augment Dan's lucid prose.

This summary is the product of a confused mind of diminished capacity. I cannot vouch for the veracity of any of these recollections; however, some if not most, may be accurate.

Thursday, April 28

People arrived having traveled an average distance of 936 miles (Google Maps driving distances), and checked in at the Read House.

Some found their way to the osteopathic convention reception area as they had been mistakenly directed by the front desk. Remarkably, several individuals stayed there a while not realizing they were in the wrong group until they realized the conversation and participants seemed odd. Wandering the hotel, they eventually made their way to find the more astute or lucky members of the class already imbibing and engaged in somewhat intelligent conversation.

Following a feeble attempt to organize the group by D. Baker, the class scattered to various restaurants; some hoping to augment their libido at an oyster place*, others searching for southern food and still others just trying to find a bite after a long day of travel.

* The afore mentioned "oyster place" was the Easy Bistro and Bar, a short walk from our hotel.

About 10 of us ended up here because
(1) They had an incredible special on oysters (50 cents each!)
(2) The daughter of John & Betsy Davis knows the bar manager, who arranged a last-minute table ... and took outstanding care of our rowdy crowd for the evening.

Friday, April 29

Having been given the simple task of driving eight miles on three well-signed roads with one significant intersection, five carloads of '62ers made it to an assembly point in a less than thirty minutes; some reputedly went into rural Alabama and barely escaped with their lives. The group caravanned to Raccoon Mountain, took a bracing but short hike at Laurel Point, looked down at the city from the East Overlook and abandoned the idea of going to Point Park for lack of time.

This group and a few other miscreants assembled at the Mt. Vernon and amazingly took "the organizer's" menu ideas and had either fried green tomatoes or fried onions or, yes, fried mushrooms (this is the South), followed by salads and then a helping of the best Amaretto pie on the planet. Painfully stuffed, we drove to the Chickamauga Battlefield for a map talk by Ranger Lee White which was long but interesting, a movie about the battle which everyone who appreciates Civil War carnage enjoyed and then self-guided tours of the Park.

People somehow found their way back to the Read House ... and D. Baker went home to walk the cat. That evening we had a few more libations on the Baker's deck ...

...then dined at the Black Creek golf course from our special menu.

All went well until the waitress gave your host the bill for the entire group sans their alcoholic beverages. This was corrected just in time to avoid a call to Erlanger Hospital asking them to send their Life-Force helicopter. Somehow in the dark the group made its way back to the Read House.

Saturday, April 30

We went to a place that had otters, penguins, gators, snakes, butterflies, turtles, rays, jellyfish, and a whole lot of fish-fish: the Tennessee Aquarium.

It was deemed remarkable and (in the estimation of several aquarium goers) better than Atlanta's and the Shedd in Chicago. Then, we had a perfectly delivered, excellent lunch at the Blue Water Grill [sadly closed as of 2019].

Nearly all of us found our way to the River Gorge Explorer on time whence we cruised down the river enthralled by an excellent naturalist who spoke with considerable knowledge about the history of the river, TVA, geology, hawks, buzzards, osprey, and kingfishers.

On the way back the Explorer, which is a quite large catamaran powered by four powerful engines, had one that failed to start, another that overheated, and the two remaining which caught fire (am I remembering this correctly?) After the vessel sank we were picked up by a tugboat pushing a barge full of concrete mix and returned to the dock right on time. Though somewhat damp, about half the group shopped over on the north shore while others returned to the Read House to take a nap and drink. Having survived another cocktail hour or two we went to Hennen's for an excellent dining experience in our own little room where the other patrons could not see or hear us. There, we regaled one another with stories of classmates, faculty at the Academy and events which led us to this time and place.

Sunday, May 1

Beginning with Neumann who perhaps confusedly scheduled a rather early flight out of Atlanta and left the hotel at 4:15 a.m., most of the group, now mumbling and walking funny, slowly checked out and made their way back home. Curious about the deportment and physical appearance of some of the class I (Baker) later asked the front desk what had happened and was informed that the group had had a bit of a party there in the billiards room but that she (Ebony) was quite certain the police had not been called nor had there been any broken bones. Later in response to a thank-you email I sent, the RH actually said they'd like us back; maybe in a couple of years. Ebony's comments about the broken bones seemed to verify the rumor I'd heard that one of us had flung himself off the six floor balcony of the billiards room using a sheet as a cape, landed on a Sysco Supply Truck delivering more linens to the hotel, bounced onto the pavement and had run back into the hotel singing, "Here he comes to save the day ..." referring either to Superman or Mighty Mouse -- you choose.

Monday, May 2

You guys are gone. The town seems calmer, but echoes persist. Thank you all for coming! We have more beer, tequila and other liquid leftovers than Emily and I can drink before the 55th. I think I'll set up a stand near to the one my next door neighbor girls put up to try to sell lemonade and used golf balls. The rain which was promised on all three days is finally here this afternoon so I'm going to take a nap. See you in 2017. Bye.

D. Baker
April 2, 2016

P.S. Also on Sunday we attended church with Rev. Laycock and listened quietly to a discussion and sermon about mercy and forgiveness, an appropriate topic all things considered. That evening we hosted the Kennedys for a tired out, low-key spaghetti dinner and talked about Sedona, 2017 among other things. Finally, thanks to all who contributed but especially to the Davis's for transporting all the booze across country in their luggage, unscathed.

Webmaster note: Here are some "extra, added attractions" that did not exactly fit into Dan's narrative, but which I liked too much to exclude from this web page.

Footnote: Your webmaster (and Class President) regrets that he was unable to find the time to return to his childhood by visiting Lookout Mountain to SEE ROCK CITY. However, he was delighted to be able to take the "world's steepest" incline railway up to the top of the mountain and back down.

Thanks again to Dan and Emily Baker for hosting a Magnificent Mini!!!