We were All-State and the first baseball team from our high school to ever win a state championship.  I can still remember that day perfectly—we all felt pretty invincible.  I wanted to recapture that feeling of triumph, and what better place than a ballpark?

So, I texted John to see what he thought about a team reunion.  He was all for it, he just didn’t want anything too complicated to plan.  So, I got to thinking.  Most of us still lived around the DC area, although there were a few that were out-of-state.  I knew I wanted us to go see a game, but where was the most convenient?  I asked my wife if she had any ideas (she loves planning trips and has traveled all over).  She suggested I check out Prince George’s Reunion Capital USA website.  She had organized a sorority reunion at Gaylord National Resort last year and said that their website had great information for reunion planning.

On their site I realized Gaylord would also be perfect for my team.  Not because of their spa (where my wife spent all of her reunion), but because of its location in Prince George’s County.  It was located minutes from THREE different baseball stadiums—Nationals Park, Maryland’s Shipley Field, and The Baysox’s Prince George’s Stadium.  In one weekend, we would be able to attend three separate games—each with something different to offer.

Courtesy of The Bowie Baysox

The wives and kids could join us to watch the Baysox on Friday night.  With the fireworks show and kids park, the kids would love it (and if the kids are happy, so are the wives).  On Saturday night, the team could head to University of Maryland’s campus.  This game would be particularly special for us.   Tim (who played first base on our team) had played ball there a few years back and this would be a great way to honor that.  We could end the weekend at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon.  Many of us are die-hard Redskins fans, but hadn’t made it to a Nationals game yet, so we were all looking forward to this.

The reunion was last weekend. Everyone loved Gaylord (the place has every conceivable amenity possible), and it was so easy to get from there to each stadium.  I, however, was happy just to be with my team again.  We decided that “Baseball Fest” is going to be an annual event and I’m already looking forward to next year…

Courtesy of The University of Maryland

This annual family friendly open house is from 10 a.m– 4 p.m., with free admission, parking and shuttle services! There are a wide variety of activities, delicious food options, and exciting events for all ages.

There are over 400  free events all about celebrating culture and the arts! Based on your particular interests you can “plan your day,” to make the most of what Maryland Day has to offer on their official website, including programs based around the arts, the global village, sports, becoming a Terp and more!

Special programs are set up for kids, alumni, and prospective students, so this event is not to be missed! Come rain or shine to explore hundreds of hands-on exhibits, workshops, games and live performances at Maryland Day 2010 on April 24th!

Love college sports? Come take in one of the many division I games at the University of Maryland! With a huge variety of competitive sports teams, from the well-respected football and basketball teams to more unique lacrosse and swimming, there is an exciting game to attend no matter what time of year or personal interest! Get your ticket to cheer on the Terps today, and enjoy the unique experience and overwhelming spirit of the college sports arena!

Love professional sports teams? Our location in Washington D.C. boasts  teams for every popular sport including the Washington Redskins football, Washington Nationals for baseball, the Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics for men and women’s basketball, DC United for soccer, and the popular Washington Capitals for ice hockey! Bring your friends and family to a game of their choice, there is something for everyone!

Looking for something a little different? Check out the DC Divas, one of the most respected teams in the Independent Women’s Football League, or take in an exciting Quarter Horse race at Rosecroft Harness Racing! Bring the family together for a day of fun and baseball at the Bowie Baysox minor league team, which sponsors special events such as kids events and fireworks after the game! Enjoy an Equestrian special event, at the beautiful Show Place Arena, where most events are free to attend!

Get involved in sports at some of the many centers in the area! The Sports and Learning Complex Youth and Community Events holds a variety of classes, holiday events, Kids Day Out field trips, and Summer Camps. Enjoy annual events like Hallowfun Night, Black History informational workshops, in addition to specialized classes are offered at the variety of centers– an aquatic, fitness, track and field, and gymnastics.

Looking for the perfect event for you? Check out our variety of venues, many of which have plenty of group accommodations and more!

For more of the many fun things to do in Price George’s County, check out the website, or follow us on twitter!

Prince George’s boasts many famous and unique African American historical sites that allow visitors and residents to explore the past, and celebrate our African American heritage. For over 300 years, African Americans have raised families and built communities that have been vital to the growth and development of Prince George’s County.

African American Heritage Brochure

Visit unique sites such as the Columbia Air Center, the first black owned and operated airfield that made history in 1941, and Blacksox Park, once the home to flourishing African American sandlot baseball teams.

Learn about the enduring strength of the African American people by visiting Belair Mansion, a large plantation built in 1747 with exhibits highlighting the significant role of the enslaved Africans and their lives on the plantation and working as jockeys at the famous Belair Stables.

Further discover the daily lives of slaves at The Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park and Northhampton Slave Quarters and Archaeological Park, and experience their interesting exhibits. Visit The Charles Duckett Log Cabin at the Patuxent Rural Life Museums to get a rare and interactive glimpse into life in the 1880s. The museum includes a cabin built by a former slave and landsman in the Union Navy during the civil war, as well as a tobacco museum, a blacksmith shop, a tool museum and a 1923 Sears, Roebuck and company simplex house.

Visits to various historical African American churches show the enduring spirit and faith that still remains today. These churches include Saint Paul’s Methodist Church, thought to be the oldest black congregation in Prince George’s, and Dorsey Chapel, a small frame meeting house church built to serve African Americans in rural Prince George’s at the turn of the 20th century.

Prince George’s County has a wealth of interesting historical sites to discover this February during Black History Month.  For an African American Heritage Sites Guide, just request one, or download it here as a pdf file.

Below is a preview of the site map in the guide.

African American Heritage Sites in Prince George's County, MD

African American Heritage Sites in Prince George's County, MD

Prince George’s County, Maryland is the ideal location for any reunion, regardless of group size, price point or interests. From quality hotels, to historic museums, and fun attractions, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Gorgeous Prince George’s!

Looking for a high quality hotel for your group to stay? The Marriott Greenbelt hotel has won “Marriott Hotel of the Year” and is minutes from exciting attractions such as the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Six Flags America, downtown Washington, D.C., and within an hour from Baltimore and Annapolis.

Planning a reunion for a large group? Check out the National Harbor, Maryland’s newest dream gateway! It’s an incredible 300-acre waterfront destination just minutes from downtown Washington D.C., along the Potomac River. The cornerstone of National Harbor is the 2000-room Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, the largest hotel in the Washington DC metro. The National Harbor features world-class dining, nightclubs, shopping and an amazing market, as well as special seasonal features and attractions for the whole family to enjoy!

There are a magnitude of unique and interesting historical sites, museums and cultural events to enjoy in Prince George’s. Go back in time and visit the Surratt House, home of Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed by the United States government after being found guilty of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The museum presents a variety of programs and events, recapturing the history of mid-19th century life and focusing on the fascinating web of the Lincoln conspiracy.

Check out a performance at the incredible Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, take in a professional sports game, or spend a day exploring Fort Washington and it’s 341-acre park offering an assortment of recreational opportunities, including hiking and biking trails and a playground.

There are plenty of great places to experience on your reunion in Prince George’s, making it the ideal reunion destination! Check out Reunion Capital USA for reunion planning advice, ideas and more!

Follow ReunionsUSA on twitter for daily updates!

Enter the Cyberhunt Sweepstakes and you could WIN a reunion package worth over $20,000 in Prince George’s! It’s only open until December 31st so enter your group today and you could be the next big winner!

The key to staging a successful reunion is good time management and organization. Follow this timetable to manage your reunion planning and preparation every step along the way!

12 to 18 months before the reunion:
Create a database family names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses
Determine family interest, number of people that may attend
Assemble a list of relatives who will help with the event

11-12 months before the reunion:
Form reunion committee(s) and establish responsibilities and schedules
Create a budget/bookkeeping system. Keep records of everything you do related to the reunion
Site Visit – scout potential locations and facilities (if needed)
Set the date
Select the location
1st Mailing – Send out a reunion announcement w/tentative reunion date, schedule and plans
Arrange or hire caterer, photographer, etc.

6 to 9 months and counting:
Finalize reunion date and location
2nd Mailing – Send out reunion invitation
Reserve block of hotel rooms
Begin list of attendees

5 months and counting:
Confirm reservations, photographer, entertainment, caterer (if used)
Finalize the menu

6-8 weeks and counting:
Complete address/memory book
Draft checklist for reunion tasks
Coordinate volunteers and designate their assignments

2 weeks and counting:
Purchase last minute decorations and supplies
Confirm eating, lodging and meeting arrangements
Review final checklist

One day and counting:
Solve or Resolve any last-minute problems
Walk through all final details

Big day – no more counting – the reunion is here!
Get to the reunion site early
Coordinate day-of details, meet with volunteers, etc.
Decorate reunion area
Set up displays, rental equipment, and registration table

Done – What Now?
Evaluate – What worked and what didn’t work
Thank all the committee heads and volunteers
Settle all accounts; finalize bookkeeping
Set a date to starting planning for the next reunion!

Want reunion planning to be easy? Enter the Cyberhunt Sweepstakes and are elibigle to win a COMPLETE REUNION PACKAGE for 40 worth over $20,000! Enter Today!

Don’t be deferred, this is a Sweepstakes you can actually win! Chances are not a million to one, and we have a lucky winner every year for a reunion of a lifetime in Gorgeous Prince George’s County, MD—located just outside of Washington D.C. making it the perfect reunion destination.

The grand prize package includes luxury hotel rooms for a long weekend, catering for a reunion dinner and reception, a day full of fun at Six Flags America, a genealogy workshop, transportation and t-shirts for your entire group, and more!

Need reunion inspiration? Meet our past winners, Kendie Reich and Yolawnda Rogers and experience their reunion stories for yourself! You and your family or friends could be next!

It is a fun and easy to enter the Cyberhunt, don’t miss out on an incredible prize and memories with those you love! For extra chances of winning, forward the link to all your friends and family, and have them enter today! The contest runs through December 31st, 2009, check out our official rules and regulations if you have questions.

For daily reunion tips, inspiration, and helpful hints, follow ReunionsUSA on twitter!

Does your family have a reunion tradition that has gone on for years, like the Zubick family’s 71 year annual summer camping and rapids trip? Did you finally bring the whole gang together recently to celebrate a special day, like great-grandma’s 100th birthday? Do you have fun reunion themes or games and activities that have brought everyone closer together, or know the key to keeping the kids happy and occupied?

Please share all your favorite memories, unique traditions, or even favorite reunion recipes, and check back for inspiration!

Sharing stories can give others that little boost they need to start planning their reunion they have always talked about, or your creative ideas can help make their next reunion great–whether it be a large family gathering, to bringing their fraternity or sorority pledge classes back together for a weekend of fun!

Check out inspiring stories from people who have already submitted their memories, leave one of your own, or leave reunion ideas, suggestions or fun memories by commenting on this blog!

If you are interested or are planning a reunion follow ReunionsUSA on twitter for daily updates on all things reunion! And don’t forget to enter the Cyberhunt Sweepstakes today for a chance to win a complete reunion package for 40 worth over $20,000, and read about past winner’s experiences!

Enter the Cyberhunt Sweepstakes between July 1 and December 31, 2009, then check back to find why Gorgeous Prince George’s is your home for every kind of reunion possible… family, military, fraternity, sorority, church and alumni– we do it all! Check out our Grand Prize information!

Staying in touch is important, don’t let your friendships fall apart in everyone’s busy lives! Whether you’re a recent college grad, or if it has been years since you and your pledge class has been together, its never too late to start a group tradition you can look forward to each year. What could be better than a reunion get-away to relax, make memories, and remember the goodtimes!

Get started by getting in contact with your fraternity brothers or sorority sisters. We have a variety of resources to help! Also, you can get in contact with your college’s alumni association to get contact information for anyone you have lost touch with. Once you have reconnected, start planning your reunion basics: location, date, length of time, who is invited, and activities and accommodations. Your sisters or brothers will be ecstatic to bring the old group together again, and you can set up committees or designate responsibilities of planning through the group.

Imagine an exciting beach get-away with the girls who became your college family. Spend the day relaxing and rejuvenating for your busy lives, and remember what made your college experience so memorable– from the late nights in the sorority house to your favorite philanthropy events. Spend the nights celebrating over delicious wine and food, maybe taking in a show, or experiencing the local nightlife!

Guys– bring your brotherhood together again for an exciting weekend of sporting events, golf tournaments, or hanging out outdoors. Spend your nights reminiscing about the “glory days,” laughing about college nicknames and remembering why your fraternity was by far “best on campus.”

Planning a reunion doesn’t have to be intimidating. ReunionCapitalUSA is dedicated to helping you plan and prepare for any reunion, large or small, and has resources dedicated towards fraternities and sororities! Enter our Cyberhunt Sweepstakes and you could win a complete reunion package for your group worth over $20,000!

Don’t let your friendships fade away. Take action, and get your college crew together today. Cherish your college memories, but why stop there? Making memories for years to come is even more priceless.

With a database designed to bring each group together, you can search for every member of your group so no one gets left out. Once you have some reunion plans established, submit your reunion for your other commorades to find. If you are wondering if there is already a reunion being planned, we also have resources to search for current reunions so you can reconnect and not miss the big event!

The Nation’s Capital and neighboring Prince George’s County is the ideal location for a military reunion for all U.S. services. Maryland, Washington D.C and Virginia have an incredible variety of Military Museums and Memorials for your group to chose from, and many have military special discounts and group rates. Whether your group is interested in touring Andrews Airforce Base, experiencing the U.S. Navel Academy, or visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—there are a variety of exciting options in a close distance.

With an abundance of military related sites and resources complied to assist you with your planning, as well as help finding the perfect group accommodations, you wont have to look much further for all your reunion planning details.

Following us on twitter? We would love to help you honor our troops. A reunion celebration or a welcome home gathering of loved ones is the most memorable way to celebrate all they have done for our country! Get started planning today!

Why worry about money? Enter our Cyberhunt Sweepstakes today for a chance to win an amazing all-inclusive reunion worth over $20,000 for your special group!