Dear Vogets:
The reunion is just over a week away! We are getting very excited to see all of your lovely faces! As of this writing we have around 130 relatives attending with about 30 visiting from Germany and Austria. A big thanks to our European cousins for visiting from across the pond. It’s really special to be coming together for this reunion which was postponed four years due to the global pandemic complications.
Please read through the following details to make sure you enjoy the reunion and the Oregon coast to the maximum! And please forward on to others in your group.
REUNION SCHEDULE AND COMMUNICATION PLAN
Schedule
Official Reunion Schedule is posted at vogetreunion.com/reunion-schedule. We are working on a printable schedule to be emailed soon!
Please check for schedule updates closer to the Reunion. We have a new event on Friday night for you to enjoy - details to come.
Don’t miss the Family Photo: 3:00 PM Saturday picnic at the Hadley House.
Communication Plan
Since we will be spread across multiple locations, we will use WhatsApp as a platform for communication and real-time updates.
Please download free WhatsApp to your phone via google/apple stores
Click here to join the WhatsApp Reunion Group
If you don’t join the WhatsApp group, please team up with someone who is on it to stay up to date
Email VogetReunion@gmail.com with questions anytime
REUNION CHECK-IN AND LAST MINUTE REGISTRATION
Informal Check-in: Please text the WhatsApp group when you arrive at the Beach so we know you are there! Anyone can reply with where they are for impromptu meet-ups. Official reunion activities will be announced as they take place with links to locations. Be sure to check in and receive your official Reunion button!
Official reunion check-in will take place at the Chinook Winds hotel before the Thursday night banquet. We will have a check-in/info person at each event, too.
Joining the reunion last minute or adding an activity to your registration:
We’d love to see you! We do ask that everyone chip in the reunion registration costs to support the hard work of everyone who donated time to organize this reunion.
Please forward this email to any relatives contemplating last minute registration so they have the pertinent information.
Register on CheddarUP and PAY!
there’s no late registration fee
There is still room on the bus trip!
Banquet reservations are closed, but if you really wanted to come and didn’t purchase a ticket, please let us know and we will see what we can do
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU TO THE REUNION
Clothing
It can get pretty chilly on the Oregon coast at night. I would advise everyone to check the forecast and be sure to bring long pants and a sweater/jacket.
Bring beach clothing, swimsuits and towels if you can
Bring an extra pair of shoes for hiking if you think you’d like to climb Proposal Rock—it can get pretty muddy.
Beach attire acceptable at both banquets.
Beach Stuff
If you are local and can bring extra beach chairs, beach blankets, sunscreen, or sun shades/umbrellas, please do so.
Please bring your sand buckets, kites and beach games!
Bring hotdog sticks if you have them.
Drinks and Snacks
A small amount of drinks and snacks will be provided during every official reunion event including the free ones.
A small amount of wine and beer will be available at the free events. Please bring your own beer and wine or extra to share.
Family history, photos, stories
We will have a history room where you can share anything you bring with you. It will be locked at night and opened during our events at Chinook Winds.
We have a Voget Photo Share album on Google Drive. You must log in on a google account to upload there, but anyone can view and print photos posted there. We will make a slideshow to share at the banquets.
If you wish to share any stories or a short presentation, please follow up with us via email.
LINCOLN CITY, NESKOWIN, LOCATIONS, PARKING AND BEACH INFO
See Explore Lincoln City for tourist information
Maps and directions of the two main meeting places for the reunion
Neskowin meeting location: white Hadley House cottage at 48690 Breakers Blvd, Neskowin, OR 97149. Picnic and beach activities will take place on the lawn and the beach in front of the house. We will have a Port-a-potty here.
Lincoln City meeting location: Chinook’s Seafood Grill at Chinook Winds Hotel and Casino (separate building) 1501 NW 40th Pl, Lincoln City, OR 97367. Park anywhere.
Drive times
It’s a 15 minute drive from Neskowin to Lincoln City
It’s a 2-hour drive from Portland to Neskowin/Lincoln City.
The return drive on Sunday can take longer depending on traffic. Plan ahead if you are catching a plane on Sunday so you don’t get stuck.
Parking
“VOGET PARKING” is marked on the maps but is not reserved for us. If there is a parking issue for the picnic, we will update WhatsApp.
In Neskowin, we have been welcomed by the neighborhood and need follow these parking rules. DO NOT park on the streets near the Hadley House. Park in the main “NESKOWIN BEACH STATE RECREATION SITE” parking lot just north of the Neskowin Trading Company.
It is a 0.3 miles/0.5 kilometers walk from the parking area to the Hadley House. If this is challenging, please email vogetreunion@gmail.com
Signs that say “VOGET REUNION” will be posted to guide you.
Proposal Rock
Hiking Proposal Rock is special. The most important thing about hiking Proposal Rock is awareness of the tides. Only attempt to climb the rock when tides are low. View Tide Table
It is recommended that small children should not attempt to climb Proposal Rock. I recommend ages 10-12 with parental discretion for climbing the rock. Please hike Proposal Rock with at least one responsible adult.
It is very messy climbing the rock so please prepare for all of your clothes and shoes to become muddy.
LIFE IN NESKOWIN
Neskowin is a sleepy town without any stop lights and very few amenities
The best place to shop for both Lincoln City and Neskowin is the Safeway in Lincoln City
Please drive 15 mph or less when driving through Neskowin and be on the lookout for children at all times.
Keep households quiet after ten pm.
The Neskowin Trading Company has many items your family might need but may be spendier than in Lincoln City. They offer deli sandwiches.
The Hawk Creek Cafe is very good and I recommend you try it
There is a small ice cream cart in front of the Hawk Creek Cafe that serves ice cream every day. Kids love visiting the Village Scoop Ice Cream Truck.
It is a lot of fun to visit the Hawk Creek Gallery
It is also a lot of fun to visit the Neskowin Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning
Neskowin also has a 9-hole golf course that just opened this week.
Garbage/Waste/Recycling
We want to keep the beach clean and the garbage at a minimum. In Neskowin, garbage disposal facilities are limited, and all garbage must be secured from bears, so please let’s all do our part on this!
Pack it in, pack it out. Please take garbage you create back to your lodging with you. We will have garbage cans for the picnic event.
Recycle! Bottles and cans are collected separately from other recyclables and returned for money at grocery stores in Oregon.
Most rental homes only allow for a small garbage can’s worth of garbage. If you think your family is going over the allotted weekly amount please email us. We are working on the best method to remove garbage from Neskowin once the reunion finishes.
THE SPIRIT OF THE REUNION 2024
Vogets, we live in trying times. Between the climate, politics, and global wars, there is a lot to discuss. In the spirit of our international family gathering, I ask everyone to respect the diverse opinions across the family and remember the words of Johanna Ledeboer Voget as she sent her children across the Atlantic to America: “Always stay together. Always love each other.”
Thanks!
I cannot wait to see you all!
Rod Pardey, grandson of Ruth Voget Pardey
vogetreunion@gmail.com