But, Ray... it's a dry heat!

The last trip was less than 30 years ago and it was a hoot - I know I was there. Maybe a mere 25 years ago ...

Ray, isn't Amarillo the home of the World Famous Cadallac Ranch--the one with Caddys stuck nose first in the ground, all in a row? Also, the streets are paved in red brick. Another deal: its the world HQ for the AQHA, and I think they have a museum. Also: there is an nuclear bomb factory nearby (don't know if they let in visitors--maybe Rob can find out), and a helium factory--just in case we need a fleet of blimps again. If I'm not mistaken, there is a canyon near by which is reputed to be just like the Grand Canyon, except its a little smaller.

I vote for Amarillo.

I'll have you know we're just a scant five-minute drive from the world-famous Cadillac Ranch! But if you insist on snubbing the Yellow City, I echo Terry's historical slant. In actuality, most of the locales in New Mexico worth visiting were part of Texas until we politely ceded them. The thanks we get is the threat of a lawsuit to take back Farwell. My suggestion is to trade Farwell and the far western Panhandle, even, for the Sangre de Cristos mountains.

Terry, so after five minutes at the Cadillac place,15 minutes at Palo Duro Canyon, 10 minutes at Pantex and then the two hours at the Potter County Jail after our arrest at Pantex bomb making facility we must still return to the Motel 6 in Amarillo for the remainder of our scenic trip. I would rather go to Goliad and I am not ever sure where it is. Although I must admit that Scott is in Amarillo. Maybe we could all go to his house and raid the refrigerator. O well I will sign off for now.

El Paso!!! I have vague memories of a conference about 1990. I always wondered why we never went back. Were we banned?

Your Board and Training Committee indeed likes to move seminars around, but these days when it comes to the annual conference we have a space problem -- hotel room and conference space both. Turns out that the gulf coast locations and Fort Worth have the only facilities big enough these days to get the job done. We are looking into San Antonio, and at some point may actually be able to swing a Riverwalk location at state rate and use the convention center facilities for the seminar..

One note on that convention center stuff, though. It really isn't very great to do a big training session in a barn...we are really trying to stay in hotel ballrooms, with video overflow if needed. So the challenge is to find good usable space....

Hey Rob,

Hey Rob,
Ya'll do a great job on the seminars. I get ten times the useful information and have a hell of a lot more fun. Keep up the good work.

Tuck

Is that "barn" comment directed at us in Amarillo? I'm either offended or familiarly amused.

P.S. Tuck is right about the job you, Lindsey & Co. do on the seminars.

Maybe some of the "boutique" seminars could be held in the more exotic locales...like crimes against children or the capital seminar. Although it seems there were pretty big crowds for both this past year.

Actually, the "barn" reference was to the convention center in South Padre...an awful place to try to use, but necessary these days....

And it is also a reference to my favorite training venue ever, the Robstown Pigeon Barn. Went to give a leg. update talk to a couple hundred cops about 7 years ago; got there and had to sweep out the barn after the weekend's bird show. Man, talk about a mess. But we aim to please....

As far as boutique seminars, we have been moving them around as much as we can. And our training committee feels strongly that we need to continue to build on our regional training programs...bringing the needed training out of the big formats and into more targeted subjects.

The post about the Gage reminded me of the trip my wife and I took Houston to the Big Bend country several years ago. After Amtraking our way there, we drove sixty miles south of Alpine and ate what I felt at the time was the finest filet I had ever eaten at the Starlight Theater in beautiful downtown Terlingua. We ate at the Gage a couple of days later, and it was fine for sure, but it didn't hold a candle to the Starlight.

Surely the impoverished Texas economy in that area could use a shot in the arm from some visiting prosecutors.

And what about Austin? The excuse I always hear from other longtime tdcaa members is that the annual update seminars are never held in Austin because the seminar planners like the beach. Now, I've got nothing against the beach, but having an Austin seminar every third or fourth year wouldn't be a bad idea for those of us not fortunate enough to live there, or at least near there like John Bradley. I for one have never been able to get enough of Austin. I go to seminars whenever possible in Austin, but I'd like to see more offered for those of us not eligible for baby prosecutor school.

Just a thought...

Greg

We've tried, but the convention business is good here and we can't touch austin for under $120 a night room rate. We have got to have state rate to make it work...

now, if they ever get reasonable, I think austin would be a good choice. Judy Bellsnyder is our meeting planner, and I guarantee you she keeps track of this stuff.

fun fact: in the last 10 years, our association has grown by about 200 lawyers, investigators and key personnel each year. No wonder we are getting cramped at our annual conference....