| IS ANYBODY UP FOR A LEAVITT FAMILY REUNION? |
| 3/1/2011 - Time is passing and we have all mentioned that it would be great to find a neutral spot in the middle of all of us and have a family reunion. Everybody seems up for the event, yet we never actually mark our calendars and get the event planned. Let’s change all of that and in the famous words of Larry The Cable Guy, “Let’s Get-R-Dun!” |
| WHY MILFORD LAKE, KANSAS? |
 Susie took a ruler and tried to find middle ground between Utah and Alabama and this found us near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Due to the way interstate freeways run this meant that we would be traveling 20 hours. Looking further, I wanted to find some type of location with trees, water, and maybe some sort of historical value. Unfortunately, the middle ground put us in Kansas and my only memory of that state is a lot of flat corn and wheat fields. Luckily somebody thought about this and they built the largest man-made lake in the state just a few miles north of Junction City, Kansas. This seems like a perfect fit.
Do any of you have any friends near Milford Lake? It would be great to have a contact. Please remember that we are not set in stone with Milford Lake. If you have a contact or special deal on lodging somewhere else near the middle of all of us, then please speak up. Let’s start the dialogue and nail it down. |
| WHEN? THAT IS ANOTHER BIG QUESTION |
Right now it is February 2011. With the money needed to travel and knowing that we have several summer 2011 events already planned, I propose three different options.
OPTION 1 - Early fall 2011 - This might be tough for Jimi and Madelon with work vacation probably already spoken for. It would probably be tough for Becky and Manny with Becky teaching school. But it would be a good time at the lake and off-season rental rates would be in effect.
OPTION 2 - SPRING 2012 - Becky still has a conflict, but there is always Spring Break.
OPTION 3 - JULY 2012 - This is the farthest out, but it allows plenty of time for planning and budgeting. Hopefully Mom & Dad can remain healthy to also be able to attend. On our end the baseball season will be over and there is enough time to plan Boy Scout treks in June and August. It is during the heat of summer, and air conditioning would be a must for Shelly. But the days are long and this would be a great time to swim and sail (there has got to be a rental somewhere near the lake). |
| HOW FAR AWAY IS JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS? |
DISTANCE TRAVEL FROM GOOGLE MAPS
- Orem - 962 miles - 15 hours 44 minutes
- Denver - 482 miles - 7 hours 39 minutes
- Lebanon - 738 miles - 12 hours 15 minutes
- Birmingham, Al - 814 miles - 13 hours 53 minutes
- Hohenwald, TN - 703 miles - 11 hours 37 minutes
So the biggest travelers will be those coming from Utah. This is still doable. Gas for me would be 4 $50 tanks each direction. That means about $400 - $500 round trip and that is totally worthwhile. The biggest winners are Jimi and Madelon who are there in less than a full day of work. |
| AREA DESCRIPTION |
I found the following online...
Junction City, KS is set amid the scenic, rolling landscape of the Flint Hills, with Fort Riley being about 3 miles to the north. Fort Riley is the home of the Big Red One.
- MILFORD LAKE - The largest in Kansas, offers excellent fishing, swimming, boating and ATV trails
- FORT RILEY - Save time for a visit to Fort Riley
- CUSTER HOUSE - Take a tour of the historic Custer House
- US CAVAKLRY MUSEUM - Stop by the US Cavalry Museum and learn the history of the Big Red One at the 1st Infantry Division Museum
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| LENGTH OF STAY |
| In talking with Susie we were both thinking about a straight through drive with 2 full days to visit and a full day return drive. Rentals of really large cabins would be a 3 night minimum. That is usually a 2 PM check-in and a 10 AM check-out. But that may be a day longer than some could stay. |
| LODGING |
In my mind we could all chip in and rent a big cabin with some bedrooms and a lot of floor space for the kids to sleep together. A spin-off of this would be for part of the group to rent a cabin with others staying in tents or nearby motels/hotels.
Here is what I found in a quick search of the area...
 CABINS -  Acorns Resort has a cabin that sleeps 12 that has 5 bedrooms and 2 family rooms. Additional people are $5 per night and there is a 3 night minimum. It is the largest that I have found so far and runs about $300 per night. NOTE: No pets allowed at this cabin.
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| Here is the link to the cabin above... http://www.acornsresortkansas.com/DeluxeCabin6.html |
TENTS - There are plenty of tent camping and RV options on the lake. Camping in tents is viable option for some if there is access to a cabin or hotel room. |
| HOTELS - |
 *** COURTYARD - http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mhkcy-courtyard-junction-city/
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***  JUNCTION CITY HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS - http://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/126601/Reservations-Holiday-Inn-Express-Junction-City-Junction-City-120-North-East-St-66441
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 ** BEST WESTERN - http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=17117
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 **RAMADA LIMITED - http://www.ramada.com/Ramada/control/Booking/check_avail?cid=range_citysearch_regional-Ramada&variant=&id=10329&propBrandId=RA&force_nostay=false&tab=tab3
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**SUPER 8 - http://www.super8.com/Super8/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=08681
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| HERE ARE THE NUMBERS |
- SUSIE - 2
- CLINT - 5
- JIMI - 2
- MICHAEL - 5
- JESSICA - 4 (But 2 of them are still very small)
- BECKY - Up to 7 (Hopefully Rachel and Angela are up for this)
- MOM
- DAD
That could be as many as 27 people, unless somebody else gets married or has kids. That is too many for a cabin meant to sleep 12, but the cabin could be the headquarters with some people either in tents or a motel. A motel reservation would also provide access to a crystal blue water pool access. |
| MILFORD RESERVOIR |
Milford Reservoir is Kansas' largest artificial lake, with 163 miles of shoreline and over 16,000 surface acres. The lake is 5 miles north of Junction City and only a 30-minute drive west of Manhattan in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Milford Lake and the surrounding 21,000 acres make up one of Kansas' prime outdoor habitats. Native and red cedars line the irregular shoreline. Known as the "Lake of Blue Water," it is one of the more scenic of Kansas' lakes.
The Milford Nature Center/Fish Hatchery , located at the base of Milford Dam, is a true state-of-the art facility, exploring nature and the wonders of aquatic life at its best.
At both Tuttle Creek, in Manhattan, and Milford Lakes, sailing is prevalent and each lake has its own yacht club. |
Milford State Park
Milford State Park is a 1,084-acre multipurpose recreation area located at the southeast end of Milford Reservoir.
Boaters, fisherman, and water ... more about Milford State Park
Milford Fishing
The following fishing tips should improve angler's success in catching the lake's more popular fish species. These suggestions are of a general nature ... more about Milford Fishing
Milford Hunting and Wildlife
Many game species are present on Milford Wildlife Area. Known mainly for its quail and pheasant populations. The area also has huntable populating ... more about Milford Hunting and Wildlife
Milford Trails
Pipeline Trail - The beginning of a segmented trail system that links all of our campgrounds together and acts as a shortcut between areas. ... more about Milford Trails
Milford Off Road Vehicles
The School Creek ORV area consists of approximately 287 acres. It is restricted to vehicles that are 50 inches wide or less. Full size 4-wheel drive v ... more about Milford Off Road Vehicles
Milford Wetlands Restoration Project
The Milford Wetlands Restoration Project provided for an estimated 2,300 acres of wetland habitat suitable for usage by waterfowl and shorebird popular ... more about Milford Wetlands Restoration Project |
| WHAT SAY YE??? - Everybody should be taking a moment to respond. |
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| FEEDBACK |
Madelon & Jimi say "Thank You for the invitation, and whatever date you decide, is fine with us.” Once again, thank you from Madelon and Jimi
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