MORE INFORMATION - JUNE 2009 TRIP
EVENT DATES AND VENUE
Sunday, 14 June 2009, 6.30pm - Friday, 19 June 2009, 8.30pm
Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square and the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
HOTEL
ADDRESS: Salt Lake Plaza Hotel at Temple Square, 122 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
TELEPHONE: 800-366-3684 or 801-521-0130
EACH ROOM OFFERS:
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Room service
- Direct dial telephones
- All rooms are non-smoking
- Free wireless hi-speed internet
- Full size irons and ironing boards
- In-room safes
- Daily maid service
- Cable television with CNN & ESPN
- Same-day valet dry cleaning service
- Guest laundry facilities
- Complimentary in-room coffee
- Voicemail
- Hairdryer
- Desk/work area
Note: Although there is a refrigerator and microwave, no utensils or dishware are provided. We may be able to obtain these for you but you may wish to bring these with you.
AIRPORT SHUTTLE
A free shuttle service is provided to and from the hotel.
Upon arrival, please use the courtesy phone located in the baggage claim area to notify the Plaza of your arrival and they will arrange the shuttle for you.
You will need to book your shuttle back to the airport at the Plaza front desk. Please note that the shuttle operates from 6.30am to 11.00pm. Taxis are available outside of these hours at a cost of approximately $15-$18.
CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT TIMES
Your accommodations at the hotel will be reserved from Sunday night through Friday night inclusive, checking out on Saturday morning. This is included in your registration fee and is paid to the hotel by Ancestor Seekers. You will be responsible for all other expenses such as telephone calls and room service and will be asked to provide a credit card at the front desk upon arrival.
You may check in from 3 pm onwards. Subject to your room being ready it may be possible to check in prior to that time. Please inform the staff on check in that you are with the Ancestor Seekers group.
The check out time is 12 noon. If you are leaving later on in the day it may be possible to store your luggage. All individual room bills must be paid on check out.
ADDITIONAL NIGHTS
If you wish to arrive earlier or depart later please let us know. If there are rooms available you may get a better rate by going through us.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
MORNING MEETINGS
We will all meet together in the Salt Lake Room at the Plaza Hotel at 8.45 am each morning to confirm details of the day’s activities and to receive any other important announcements. These meetings will last from ten to fifteen minutes. As Wednesday morning is a free morning the meeting will not be held that day.
RESEARCH ASSISTANCE
An Ancestor Seekers research consultant will be assigned to sit with you periodically to offer suggestions and point you in the right direction. Consultants will not be available outside of the hours 9.00 to 12.00 noon and 2.00 to 5.00pm Monday through Friday. Research consultants are also given Wednesday mornings off and guests often find this a good time to do some sightseeing or shopping downtown. Consultants are not available to companions attending under the Bring a Companion option.
Our researchers will provide specialized help as you search records from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Germany. Limited help is also available with records from Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. There are, of course, many records available from other parts of the world and if you would like to view these you will find the regular Library staff friendly and helpful.
HOW TO PREPARE
The Family History Library boasts the largest collection of genealogical records in the world. Anyone with any interest in genealogy would be well advised to visit the Library at least once in their lives.
As vast as the collection is, we cannot guarantee that you will be successful in finding the ancestors you are looking for. However you may find the following suggestions helpful in preparing for this event.
1.Draw up a To Do list of all the ancestors you would like to obtain more information on. Then prioritize your list.
2. Be sure to check the Family History Library Catalog at
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp
We would recommend in particular that you search under Place Search to see if records are available for the area and time period you are interested in. Be sure to take a note of the film numbers (or other references) of the records you would like to search.
3. Make sure that you bring all your information with you or can access this information in some way from Salt Lake.
ORIENTATION and FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG PRESENTATION
On Monday morning an orientation to the Family History Library and instruction on how to use the Family History Library Catalog will be provided.
GROUP ACTIVITIES
The following group activities are included in the package with nothing extra to pay. No formal dress is required for any of our activities including the theater trip. Please wear whatever you feel comfortable in.
Apart from the theater trip, for which a bus is provided, we will be walking to the other activities as they are all in close proximity to the hotel. If you have difficulty walking please let us know in advance and we will do our best to provide wheelchair or other appropriate assistance.
RECEPTION and BAKED POTATO BUFFET
Our event commences on Sunday evening, with a Reception and Baked Potato Buffet commencing at 6.30pm at the Plaza Hotel. This will be held in the Aspen rooms on the lower level.
This reception allows us to get to know one another in a relaxed atmosphere, to provide further information on the week's activities and answer any questions you may have.
The buffet will consist of the following:
- Baked Potato
- Ground Beef In Rich Brown Mushroom Sauce.
- Butter.
- Sour Cream.
- Chives.
- Bacon Bits.
- Steamed Broccoli.
- Melted Cheese Sauce & Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
- Toss Salad with Rand & Italian Dressing.
- Roll & Butter.
- Dessert: Fresh Baked Cookies.
- Beverage: Coffee, Decaf & Lemonade
THEATER TRIP
We will be travelling to the Hale Centre Theatre in Orem to watch a performance of “Singin’ in the Rain”.
TOUR OF THE CHURCH HISTORY MUSEUM
Located next door to the Family History Library, this museum provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of the LDS Church through exhibits, artifacts, original documents and art.
TOUR OF THE CONFERENCE CENTER
We will take a tour of the LDS Church Conference Center, including the magnificent 21,000 seater auditorium.
TEMPLE SQUARE GARDEN TOUR
A tour of these world-renowned gardens including 250 flowerbeds, more than 165,000 bedding plants, and over 700 varieties of plants from all over the world.
"FAREWELL" DINNER AT THE LION HOUSE
Always one of the highlights of the event, and a great way to end the week, is our closing dinner at the historic Lion House, the home of Brigham Young.
The menu will consist of:
- Lion House Signature Sarah Salad
- Roast Baron of Beef (Tender, slow-roasted, lean beef, served with home-style mashed potatoes and rich beef gravy)
- Swiss Apple Pie
A vegetarian plate or special needs meal can be provided on request.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
LAPTOP
You may bring your laptop if you have one but you may wish to bring a lock for it (you may be able to purchase these at the Library) . A wireless internet connection is available throughout the Family History Library and the Plaza Hotel.
If you will be bringing your files to open up on the computers at the library, these need to be in either Personal Ancestral File (PAF) format or Gedcom files. You can also bring a flash drive with these files on it.
INFORMATION
If you do not have your information on a laptop, be sure to bring your family history information with you. Don't leave it at home!
COPYING
DIGITAL
There are digital scanning machines for microfilm and a digital scanning machine for books/papers located at the Family History Library on floors 2, B1 and B2. In order to use these machines you will need to go to the Access Services window of that specific floor to sign up for an hour block of time. You can save the data on a flash drive or CD. There is no cost involved in using these machines. If needed, flash drives and CDs are available for purchase at the Access Services window at the Family History Library.
You are welcome to use your own digital camera to take pictures of images at the Library.
MICROFILM OR MICROFICHE COPIES
Floors 2, B1 and B2 have several microfilm/microfiche copy machines available. The cost is .23 cents per copy.
COMPUTER AND BOOK COPIES
The Family History Library computers are connected to a printing source and general copy machines are available. The cost of a copy from the computer or book is .05 cents per copy. A color copier is located by the Access Services window on the Main Floor of the Library. The cost of color copies is $1.00 per copy.
COPY CARDS
In order to use the copy machines for microfilm, microfiche and computers, you will need to obtain a copy card. Copy cards can be purchased for $1.00 from copy card dispensers at document centers and near the computers on each floor. A one-time cost for the card is .60 cents, which includes .40 cents credit. Additional money can be credited to the card by inserting the card into the copy card dispenser. Coins or copy card can be used in the general copy machines.
As a reminder, the Family History Library states: “Making photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material is governed by copyright law. The person using self-help equipment is solely responsible for abiding by copyright law and may be liable for any infringement.”
EATING
JB'S RESTAURANT is attached to the hotel and also provides room service.
Vouchers are provided to all our guests for JB's All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Buffet, one for each day Monday through Saturday. These vouchers will be distributed at the Sunday night Reception/Baked Potato Buffet.
Guests are responsible for all other meals.
Meals are available at the following locations in the vicinity of Temple Square:
CHURCH OFFICE BUILDING CAFETERIA - patrons of the Family History Library are permitted to use the cafeteria. Pick up a voucher at the Family History Library. A variety of food at inexpensive prices.
NAUVOO CAFE - hot carved sandwiches, soups, pot pies, salads
LION HOUSE PANTRY - home style cooking at the historic home of Brigham Young.
GARDEN RESTAURANT - lunch or dinner menus provided in a casual, patio setting.
ROOF RESTAURANT - Fine dining atop the Joseph Smith Memorial Building featuring a gourmet dinner buffet
Further ideas for dining out can be obtained from the Plaza Hotel Front Desk.
SHOPPING
Here are some suggestions for those who do not wish to eat out all the time but would prefer to buy their own food and snacks, or want to do some serious shopping.
HOTEL GIFT SHOP - gifts and snacks available but with limited opening hours
TARGET STORE - a block or two from the hotel. Open 24 hours
RITE AID - located a couple of blocks from the hotel.
SMITHS MARKETPLACE - for a large selection of food and non-food items. You will need to use TRAX or a taxi. If available, the hotel concierge may be able to get you there.
GATEWAY - the Gateway is a couple of blocks from Temple Square providing 130 stores and restaurants. You can walk or ride TRAX (it's within the free zone).
HEALTH
EXISTING HEALTH PROBLEMS
If you have a medical condition, we suggest that you obtain clearance from your doctor before traveling. Bear in mind especially that Salt Lake City is located in an area of high altitude which may aggravate certain medical problems. The average elevation of the city is 4,327 feet.
MEDICATION
Remember to bring your medication with you.
MORNING MEETINGS
One of the purposes of our morning meetings is to check that everyone is okay. If you do not attend we may come looking for you!
ILLNESS
If you are feeling ill please let a member of the hotel front desk know. Depending on the severity of your condition, they will take you to a pharmacy, call a doctor or arrange for an ambulance.
CANCELLATION
Before 30 April 2009 - In the event of cancellation up to and including 30 April 2009 we will either:
- Refund 80% of the registration fee
- Provide a full credit for attendance at a future event without penalty
After 30 April 2009 - In the event of cancellation after 30 April 2009:
- The registration fee will be forfeited with no refund payable
- Credit for attendance at a future event will be given subject to a re-registration fee of 10% of the fee already paid
OTHER
WEATHER
For monthly weather averages visit http://www.utah.com/weather/salt_lake.htm
For a ten day weather forecast visit http://www.weather.com
DRESS
Please wear whatever you feel comfortable in. No formal dress is required for any of our activities including the theater trip.
DAILY ORGAN RECITALS
Free half hour organ recitals on the world-famous Tabernacle Organ are presented in the Tabernacle at 12:00 noon Monday through Saturday.
TEMPLE SQUARE
With five million visitors annually (that's more than the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park!), Temple Square is Utah's most popular tourist attraction. Take time to take a stroll around Temple Square.
TABERNACLE CHOIR
The Tabernacle Choir will be on tour in the Mid-West during our event.
TRAX
TRAX is the name given to Salt Lake City's light rail system, with a free fare zone operating in a large area of downtown. You can hop on TRAX opposite the hotel.
GROUP PICTURE
A group photograph will be taken on Friday morning at 9am following our morning meeting.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Please call us toll free at 877- 402-6846