<p>Let me tell you about the Parc55 Hotel &mdash; site of our 2009 convention! I just spent a weekend there for our April Board meeting. I took Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from the San Francisco Airport to the Powell Street Station San Francisco &hellip;about a 30-minute ride. BART was a pleasure to ride. It reminded me of Washington DC&rsquo;s METRO. When you come out of the Powell Street Station the Parc 55 Hotel is looming above you! The Hotel has just been renovated from top to bottom. The hotel room was spacious although storage is scarce. The conference facilities are mostly on the third floor and will serve our needs beautifully. The Hotel is in the middle of a bustling commercial district with all kinds of shopping and restaurants.</p> <p>Across the street is the nine-level Westfield San Francisco Centre with over 100 stores including Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. It is the largest urban shopping center west of the Mississippi. It has a great food court on the lowest level with Bristol Farms Gourmet Market and 15 fast casual gourmet eateries with seating for 880 guests &mdash; which will work well for people who want many quick food options located close to the hotel. The Centre has seven full-service restaurants as well. Nearby is a Walgreens Gap Old Navy H&amp;M Eddie Bauer and Macy&rsquo;s Union Square. Well you get the picture. (<em>Editor&rsquo;s Latin refresher: VENI VIDI VISA! &mdash; I came I saw I bought!</em>)</p> <p>The Powell-Hyde cable car starts one block from the hotel and will take you up and over several hills to Fisherman&rsquo;s Wharf. The Castro Street section of the city is a Muni Metro subway ride away as is the Embarcadero. One of our Dignity/San Francisco hosts took us to the top of Twin Peaks which offers a stunning view of the city. It is accessible by bus as well.</p> <p>I came back to Columbus Ohio full of excitement about what I experienced and saw. Our host chapter has secured a great facility for us at a most reasonable rate and in a great location. Just perfect for celebrating our 40th anniversary! Convention registrations are running well ahead of this time in 2007. The hotel is filling up. Airline fares are coming down with associated fuel prices. If you are on the fence about coming to our Convention 2009&hellip;Come! I have a feeling it is going to be one of our best. Besides I&rsquo;ve had several dreams about addressing a wildly enthusiastic crowd in a packed convention hall. You can help make my dreams come true!</p>