Events & Tours

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - 7:15 – 6:30

A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity!!

Kennedy Space Center Tour.
A special opportunity is the Kennedy Space Center tour on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, departing at 7:15 a.m. (cost $125/person; registration deadline Oct. 10.). The Kennedy Space Center tour is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our members and guests to visit inside the Vehicular Assembly Building with the tour conducted by former Astronauts (and Palm Beach Council member) Bob Crippen and Jon McBride. You will also have the rare opportunity to see up close the launch pad where the next Space Shuttle Discovery STS 133 will make its final launch into space. It is currently in position on the launch pad being prepared for its last flight on Nov. 1st. Plan to join us for this rare opportunity that can only be experienced when you attend the Navy League National Convention in Jacksonville. During this guided tour of the world’s largest launch facility, you will get an up-close look at the coastal launch pads that unleashed the power to put people on the moon and send space shuttles to the International Space Station. The tour culminates at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, home of the largest rocket ever built. As an added bonus, the tour will include personal insights from Bob, who is also the former director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center. A recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, Bob was the pilot of the first orbital test flight of the Space Shuttle program, STS-1 in 1981 and Commander of three additional shuttle flights, among his many assignments at NASA.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

St. Augustine Tour - 9:15 – 4:00
Enjoy the St. Augustine Historic Tour. Your tour guide meets the group dressed in period costume. 450 years of colorful history including the Ponce de Leon discovery, the pirate days of Sir Francis Drake, the Spanish and English colonial years, and the Victoria Flagler era. Stop at the Castillo de San Marcos, the fort that was never captured in battle. St. Augustine was also the first winter resort for the rich and famous during the Gilded Age. Hear how Henry Flagler built the most opulent hotels of the day and turned the city into the “Newport of the South.” Enjoy lunch and shopping on your own in St. Augustine’s unique historic district. Members of the St. Augustine Council will be available to provide information and recommendations. The cost is $55.

Welcome Aboard Reception - 6:00 – 8:00
The Welcome Aboard Reception will be held in River Terrace 1 of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. It is a beautiful space with a terrace outside overlooking the river. The cost is $75.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Concert - 2:30-5:00
Enjoy the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in a special Pops concert. It is entitled “Let’s Dance” and features music by Gershwin, Strauss, Berlin, Leroy Anderson, and much more. Broadway stars Joan Hess and Kirby Ward will be there to sing and dance to this award winning music. The Times Union Center is approximately two blocks from the hotel, and is situated right on the river. It will be an easy walk led by local Navy Leaguers. The cost is $20.

Dinner Cruise Aboard Jacksonville Princess II - 6:30 – 9:30
Enjoy a three-hour dinner cruise aboard the Jacksonville Princess II. Cruise the St. John’s River while listening to the guide point out various sites while enjoying a delicious dinner. The cost of the dinner is $81 which includes the fee for the water taxi to take you to and from the Princess II. Limited to 72 guests so sign up early.