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BATW Meeting at Richmond, California
March 15, 2014 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or later
This meeting is being arranged by BATW member Suzie Rodriguez.
Think you know all about Richmond, California? Think again!
The oft-maligned City of Richmond, fed up with suffering the brickbat of infamy, is determined to tell the world about its cultural venues, historic treasures, unique lodging and restaurants, and diverse opportunities for outdoor activity.
For this reason, the Richmond CVB—and partners from the National Park Service’s Rosie the Riveter Museum, Craneway Pavilion, Assemble Restaurant, Red Oak Victory Ship, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Richmond Museum of History, Richmond Art Center and elsewhere—are pulling out the stops at our March meeting. They want to show us why this historic bayside city deserves to be a tourist destination.
Our meeting will take place on the grounds of a former World War II shipyard, now part of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historic Park. The largest building there is a one-time Ford auto plant which produced Model As in the 1930s and more than 150,000 military vehicles during the war (including 49,000 Jeeps). It’s considered an outstanding example of 20th-century industrial architectural design. Today, known as Craneway Pavilion, the massive facility—which retains its architectural integrity and offers breathtaking views—is the largest event space in the Bay Area.
We’ll meet in the adjacent Assemble Restaurant, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the Bay. After the meeting, we’ll:
- Tour the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center and see a short and extremely interesting film about Richmond during World War II. One or two of the docents who were actually Rosies during that time will be on hand.
- Visit the Rosie Memorial at Marina Bay Park.
- Tour Craneway Pavilion, which has an alternative auto show booked that day.
- Have lunch at the architecturally stunning Assemble Restaurant.
We’ll also take a tour—and be given passes to shop in!—the Mountain Hardware Employee Store, which is housed on the shipyard grounds. This shop is only open to employees of Mountain Hardware, Columbia Sportswear, Montrail and Sorel. Without a pass, you just can’t get in (I tried!). The prices are discounted. You may want to take the tour but save your pass for another visit, since you can bring your family or up to 4 friends with you on your shopping.
That’s the official end of the meeting, but more events will unfold for those who want to stay on. At 2:30 p.m. we’ll take a tour of the SS Red Oak Victory Ship, accompanid by docents who served aboard the ship during WWII. They’ll discuss the ship’s history, its rescue from the Mothball Fleet, and plans for its future.
Late that afternoon we’ll be welcomed at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, to meet our hosts and be treated to a tasting of Rhone varietals by wineries from The Rhone Rangers, the leading national organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone wines (they will also be giving us a complimentary Riedel glass to take home). Appetizers will be provided by Assemble Restaurant. Guests are welcome at this meeting.
TO REGISTER: Just go to www.batw.org, log in, and select “Register for an Event.” Be sure you select the March 15 meeting. You can bring a guest if you like. Don’t forget to bring a printout of your confirmation or your smartphone to the meeting.
For more information:
Contact: Suzie Rodriguez
Phone: 707-931-0558
Email: suzierod@gmail.com[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]