Project Pride, the
organization in Cross Plains that runs the Howard Days
Festival, has released the official schedule for Howard Days 2004. Here is that
schedule, along with some additional information added by myself.
The annual Robert E. Howard Days will be held this year on
Friday and Saturday, June 11th and 12th, 2004. As vacations
go it is quite cheap, and every year the attendees have an absolute blast.
If you have never made the trek, you are missing out on a lot of fun, as
well as a lot of interesting Howard events. Over 130 people attended last
year, and this year is shaping up as being even more jam-packed. Many Howard
luminaries will be there, many Howard books will be premiering for the
first time, and there will be a plethora of new Howard panels and tours.
It's an incredible weekend, one no Howard fan should miss. This year there is much more to do than ever before, so read
all of the accompanying information carefully when planning your trip.
Pre-registration is necessary for
the Friday Dinner Banquet, so mail in your registration by
May 31st.
2004 GUEST OF HONOR - Robert Weinberg
Project Pride in
Cross Plains
is proud to
announce that the Guest of Honor for the 2004 Robert E. Howard Days is none
other than two-time World Fantasy Award winner Robert Weinberg. Bob’s name has
long been legendary in Howard fandom: writer, editor, bookseller, critic,
collector, owner of Weird Tales magazine—over the last 40 years he’s done
it all. Howard fans everywhere owe Bob a deep debt of gratitude for his decades
of Howard promotion, and we can think of no greater way to say thanks than to
have him come down to Howard’s hometown of Cross Plains as the 2004 Howard Days
Guest of Honor.
While
in Cross Plains Bob will be giving the keynote address at the annual Howard Days
Banquet, a 20 minute speech entitled “Sacred Ground: My Life With Robert E.
Howard”. He’ll also be sitting on several panels expounding on all things
Howard, and several of his Howard books will be available at the Robert E.
Howard museum for you to purchase and get signed. It’s not every day that Howard
fans get to meet and mingle with such a longstanding icon of Howard fandom.
In
anticipation of Bob’s forthcoming appearance, Project Pride presents here a
comprehensive interview conducted especially for this occasion.
An Interview with Robert Weinberg
Robert Weinberg's Official Website
SILENT AUCTION
Last year, the first Silent Auction was a smashing success.
Dozens of items were donated, raising upwards of $1000 for Project Pride.
This money has been essential in keeping the Howard House and Museum in
repair, and in allowing Project Pride to continue to host Howard Days. This
year they are hosting the silent auction again, so please donate whatever
you can in the way of Howard books and memorabilia. Any old paperbacks you
may have, any artwork or comic books or movie scripts or anything else Conan
or Howard that you wouldn't mind parting with...every little bit helps. Last
year we had dozens of paperbacks, many old issues of REHupa, a Whole Wide
World signed movie script, a jean jacket with Robert E. Howard painted on
the back(!), and many other excellent donations. Let's make this year even
better, and do our part to help Howard's legacy stay alive in his hometown.
Cross Plains is one of the smallest towns in all of Texas that
has managed to build a library, as well as one of the smallest that has
created a historical museum. Neither of these things magically popped
into existence: both took years of hard work and sacrifice before they
became a reality. People who don't live in very small towns seldom realize
what an achievement this is. It is a constant struggle for the people of Cross
Plains to raise enough money each year to keep these two bastions of Howard
history alive.
This is a chance to help along Howard's legacy in a tangible
way, and as an added bonus all donors will get their name in lights by being
officially noted at the 2004 Howard Days banquet. The silent auction will also
be a great way for Howard Days attendees to find some interesting new items to
read. So don't delay, send Project Pride some Howard stuff to auction today!
The address is:
Project Pride
P.O. Box 534
Cross Plains, TX 76443
ATTN: REH Days Silent Auction
BARBARIAN FESTIVAL
The "Barbarian Festival" is an annual one-day fair/hunting
festival which Cross Plains hosts on the same weekend as Howard Days. It is
like a huge sidewalk sale/BBQ/county fair, with dozens of booths selling all
kinds of neat stuff, lots of food, singing and dancing, games for kids, and much more. Howard Days attendees (especially non-Howard fans like spouses and kids) will
be able to spend time at the festival and have a lot of fun things to do.
The festival will run from 10am-4pm on Saturday. There
will be food and craft booths, an old-time car/tractor/motorcycle show, a
hoola-hoop contest, a petting zoo, and various other entertainments. The
festival was a big hit last year with Howard fans, so come on down and join
in the fun.
HOWARD PANELS
This year there are seven(!) Howard Panels being held during
Howard Days, the most ever. One of these, the "Old-Timers Panel," is a Howard
Days staple, while the other six are brand new. In each of these panels, attendees
get to listen to Howard experts pontificate on a
variety of subjects. Attending these panels is one of
the joys of Howard Days, because it is a rare occurrence to have so many
Howard experts gathered together in one place to share their knowledge with an
audience. See the schedule for detailed breakdowns of all the panels,
and plan on attending the ones which interest you.
GREENLEAF CEMETERY
One of the highlights of Howard Days is to be able to visit
Howard's gravesite and pay your respects. Howard's final resting place is in
one of the more idyllic and peaceful cemeteries you are ever likely to
visit, and I highly recommend you schedule the time to go while you are down
there.
Howard is buried in Greenleaf Cemetery
(located on Brady Highway, right off Highway 377 in Brownwood TX, 76801).
This is about a 1/2hr drive south of Cross Plains, so many people go to
Brownwood, eat lunch or dinner there, then visit the grave in the same trip. Some people take the Cross Plains Walking Tour on one afternoon, then visit the grave
on the other afternoon. Other people use Thursday afternoon or Sunday
morning to do this. The cemetery is right off Highway 377, it is hard to miss. There is a
historical marker by the grave. If you are worried about getting lost, ask around
for someone who's been there before to go with you. There is a website on the
Internet called FIND-A-GRAVE which has information and directions to Howard's gravesite.
Last year, REHupan Rusty Burke found yet another gravesite
worth visiting, that of Novalyne Price Ellis, the author of One Who
Walked Alone, and the protagonist of the movie The Whole Wide World.
Novalyne is buried in Clear Creek Cemetery, near Bangs, Texas (a few miles
directly west of Brownwood). For directions on getting there, go
here.
Directions to Clear Creek Cemetery from Brownwood: Clear
Creek Cemetery is located 7 miles west from Brownwood on Highway 67. Make a
left turn on County Road 153 South, which is about 1 1/2 miles. Turn
right on County Road 180 West, approximately 2 miles. The Cemetery is
on the left side of the road. Map Coordinates are Latitude 314211NM
Longitude 0990507 East. S to County Road 180 west. Go approximately 2
miles, the Cemetery is on the left side of the road. Latitude 314211N,
Longitude 0990527W. Bangs East.
2004 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE
The
Howard House is located at 625 W. 4th Street (aka Highway 36 where it
meets Mesquite street, just a half mile west of Main Street, which is the big
north-south street in Cross Plains). It is now a museum and official
historical landmark. It will be open Friday from 9am-4pm, and on Saturday from 9-11:30am
and again from 2-4pm (note, that means it is opening one hour
earlier than last year). There will be frequent tours of the Howard
House conducted by Project Pride, various souvenirs and mementos will be available to purchase, and a
nice pavilion sits next door where you can talk, eat lunch, and
mingle with other guests and with Cross Plains residents.
When you first arrive on Friday morning it is recommended that you register at
the front porch, where you will receive a nametag and other useful materials. There will also be a guestbook for you to sign your name and city of origin
in, and they will use this information to introduce you at the banquet on
Friday night. There are bathrooms and a full kitchen in the Pavilion for
those who need them.
Several restaurants are located close by:
Jean's Feed Barn: (349 West Highway 36) Most people
come here for breakfast each morning, usually around 8-9am.
Jack's Place: (416 West Highway 36, Cross Plains TX
76443). Another possibility for breakfast.
Dairy Queen: (Highway 279 & 36) Great place to stop
for lunch or a cold drink after the walking tour.
Subway Sandwiches: (416 South Main Street - aka
Highway 279 - Cross
Plains TX 76443)
And in Cisco:
Linda's Corner Cafe: (116 E 6th St, Cisco, TX 76437).
Very similar to Jean's Feed Barn, this is THE PLACE to eat a great breakfast
in Cisco.
Many Howard fans can be found eating breakfast at Jean's Feed
Barn or at Linda's Corner Cafe between 8am-9am on Friday and Saturday morning, so if this is your first
Howard Days, feel free to come over, introduce yourself, and join one of the
tables full of Howard fans.
Friday Schedule:
9 AM - 4:00 PM: Howard House open for tours, starting at the
front door. There are also many interesting souvenirs being sold in the back
room, including a wide variety of posters, books, t-shirts, hats, etc.
10 AM - 11AM: Pavilion Panel #1: "The Old-Timers
Panel." There are precious few people left who
actually knew the Howards. At this panel you will hear stories from
several of the ones who are left: old-timers who lived in Cross Plains in the
1920's and 1930's, folks who saw the Howards, met them, and knew them.
These people are also goldmines of information concerning the
town itself, what it was like to live there during the oil-booms, etc. There won't be many more chances to talk to such people, so make it a point to
get to Howard Days this year, before it's too late!
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: "Lunch in the Howard Pavilion."
Project
Pride always prepares a nice lunchtime spread for all attendees. The
lunch will be free, but donations are encouraged and gladly accepted.
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: "Bus Tour of Howard's Cross Plains
and Environs, led
by longtime Cross Plains resident and historian Alton McCowen." Alton McCowen is a longtime resident who
has forgotten more about Cross Plains than most of us will ever know. This
tour will take you on a leisurely ride through the town and backwoods of
Howard's Cross Plains, showing attendees the place
where the old town was, where Howard's school used to stand, and more. There will even be an interesting geographical lesson where attendees will
learn the difference between mesquite trees, post oaks, live oaks, and sand
roughs. All of this is of deep interest to Howard fans, as Howard often
mentioned such aspects of the Texas landscape in his writing.
You do NOT need a reservation to take this tour, just
meet Alton in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 12:30 PM..
Note that this same tour is offered on Saturday afternoon as well, so you can
decide on which day you want to go.
1 PM - 5 PM: "Viewing the Howard Holdings of the Cross Plains Public Library"
(149 N. Main
Street, Cross Plains TX 76443) The Cross Plains Public Library will be open for the purpose of viewing their
Howard collection. The Library has an extensive collection of original Howard
typescripts, rare Howard books, and old Weird Tales magazines. There will also be Howard books for sale here,
including the excellent memoir by Novalyne Price Ellis, One Who Walked
Alone. In addition, Guest of Honor Robert Weinberg is bringing down some
choice items from his amazing Howard collection especially for Howard Days. You are unlikely to ever see so many interesting and rare Howard
items in a single place, so don't miss your chance to visit the library at
some time during the festivities.
2:30 PM - 4PM: Main Panel #1: "The Unique Magazine: Weird
Tales." Hosted by Robert Weinberg and Don Herron. Last year we
had panels on pulps in general and on Howard's writing friends in Weird
Tales, but this year we have a panel that will go all-out and delve into
the fascinating history of the most important magazine of Howard's career,
the magazine that spawned Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and many
other tales, many of them Howard's best. What better person to take us on
this trip than Robert Weinberg, the current owner of Weird Tales and the man
who wrote The Weird Tales Story, a book so good it won a World
Fantasy Award. Weinberg is one of the world's experts on Weird Tales,
so this is a can't miss opportunity to learn about the magazine from the
master himself. In addition, Howard critic and professional writer Don
Herron will be there to share his many reminisces of all the Weird Tales
writers he has met and known throughout the years, an extensive list. This
will undoubtedly be one of the most informative and fascinating panels ever
in the whole history of Howard Days, so you don't want to miss it.
This panel will convene at the Cross Plains High School (1464
N. Main Street, aka Highway 279, at the north end of town).
panelists: ROBERT WEINBERG (owner of Weird
Tales, author of the award-winning The Weird Tales Story and many
other books, has one of the greatest Howard collections in the world), DON HERRON (editor of
two books of Howard
criticism including the legendary The Dark Barbarian and author of numerous essays on
Howard and other pulp writers).
4:30 PM - 5PM: Pavilion Panel #2: "In Search of
Cimmeria". Hosted by Gary Romeo and Mark Finn. Robert E.
Howard ran all over the state of Texas in search of colorful stories, local
history, or just a good time. He wrote about many of these road trips in
letters to friends and acquaintances. Now you can recreate some of Howard's
most memorable road trips with driver Gary Romeo and navigator Mark Finn.
They will provide all of the play-by-play and color commentary on the places
Howard visited, like Austin, Ft. Worth, and Galveston, as well as Brownwood,
Peaster, and Ft. Collins. What was Howard looking for? Why did he drive so
far, so often? How can you visit these same places? All of this and more
will be covered.
This panel will be held outside of the Howard House in the
Pavilion.
panelists: GARY ROMEO (longtime member of the
Robert E. Howard United Press Association, has researched and written
extensively on the Howard Boom both in REHupa and on the Internet), MARK FINN
(professional writer, columnist, essayist, also a REHupan).
7PM: "Friday Night Banquet." The yearly Friday Night Banquet
is an event you don't want to miss. It is held at the
Cross Plains Community Center (located at 701 E. 8th street, a couple blocks
east of Main St.). The food is always great (with luck, it will be
chicken fried steak with all the trimmings like last year). After dinner, Howard Days Guest of Honor
Robert Weinberg is going to
delight attendees with an informative speech on his role in Howard fandom, and
on his opinions of Howard himself. The speech is titled "Sacred Ground:
My Life With Robert E. Howard." Don't miss the banquet, it should be one of the
highlights of the weekend.
To attend this event you must have pre-registered through the
mail (see
below for information on pre-registering). NO
TICKETS will be sold at the door, so don't procrastinate, pre-register ASAP.
After-banquet festivities: After the banquet, the night is far from over. One of the best parts about Howard Days is going back to the Howard House
after the banquet to sit with other Howard fans and talk
into the wee hours of the morning. Generally we meet in the Howard
pavilion or in front of the 36
West Motel (501 West 4th Street aka West Highway 36)
which is right down the street from the Howard House. It has a nice garden
area out front with numerous park benches to sit and talk, and many people
bring soda or snacks to share. Numerous Howard fans stay at the Motel, which
means restrooms are generally available to all for as long as everyone is out
there talking. All Howard fans are encouraged to show up, make new
friends, and have some interesting Howard discussions.
Something to remember: beverage-wise, Cross Plains is still as "dry"
as it was in Howard's time, if you get my drift (or draft, so to
speak). Anyone who has an idea to bring little fiesta-beverages to the
late-night discussions would be wise to keep that fact discreet while amongst
the Cross Plains locals (and they would be wise to do their shopping long
before they enter Callahan County...the closest package store is off of
Highway 279, about halfway between Cross Plains and Brownwood).
Saturday Schedule:
8 AM - 10AM: "Postal cancellation at the Post
Office."
Bring postcards or mail to the post office, where upon request it will be
stamped with an official Robert E. Howard design and artwork before being
mailed. You can buy postcards at the Howard House, address it to one of
your Howard friends who couldn't attend, get it stamped with the official
Howard Days 2004 logo, and mail it to them as a souvenir. Or have Howard
Days attendees autograph a postcard and then mail it to yourself as a memento.
9 AM - 11:30 PM and 2PM -4 PM: Howard House open for tours, starting at the
front door. There are also many interesting souvenirs being sold in the back
room, including a wide variety of posters, books, t-shirts, hats, etc. Note
that the House will be closed for a bit around lunchtime, but will re-open
at 2 PM.
10 AM - 4 PM: "The Annual Barbarian Festival." As noted
earlier, Cross Plains will be holding their annual "Barbarian Festival" on
Saturday. This isn't a festival dedicated to Howard, it is more of a
country fair-type event. There will be food and craft booths, an old-time
car/tractor/motorcycle show, a hoola-hoop contest, a petting zoo, and various
other entertainments. The festival is a great place to go and have lunch
on Saturday afternoon.
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Main Panel #2: "The Howard
Boom, Old...and New." Hosted by Robert Weinberg, Don Herron, and
Damon Sasser. A reminiscence on the scope and effect of the original Howard
boom in all its forms, by three people who participated in it during the
1970s. Includes discussions on the de Camp series, other Howard books,
magazines and journals like The Howard Collector and Amra,
comic book and movie projects, criticism, and REHupa. The panelists will
also discuss the new renaissance in Howard publishing, and how this stacks
up to the original Howard Boom.
This panel will convene at the Cross Plains High School (1464
N. Main Street, aka Highway 279, at the north end of town).
panelists: ROBERT WEINBERG (current owner of
Weird Tales, author of the award-winning The Weird Tales Story
and many other books, has one of the greatest Howard collections in the
world), DON HERRON (editor of two books of Howard
criticism including the legendary The Dark Barbarian and author of numerous essays on
Howard and other pulp writers), DAMON SASSER (publisher of one of the most
famous Howard fanzines of the Howard Boom, REH: Two-Gun Raconteur,
which recently started production again for the first time in many years).
LUNCH: attendees can have lunch at the Barbarian
Festival on Saturday, or at the various restaurants in town.
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: "Bus Tour of Howard's Cross Plains
and Environs, led
by longtime Cross Plains resident and historian Alton McCowen." Alton McCowen is a longtime resident who
has forgotten more about Cross Plains than most of us will ever know. This
tour will take you on a leisurely ride through the town and backwoods of
Howard's Cross Plains, showing attendees the place
where the old town was, where Howard's school used to stand, and more. There will even be an interesting geographical lesson where attendees will
learn the difference between mesquite trees, post oaks, live oaks, and sand
roughs. All of this is of deep interest to Howard fans, as Howard often
mentioned such aspects of the Texas landscape in his writing.
You do NOT need a reservation to take this tour, just
meet Alton in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 12:30 PM.. Note that this same tour is offered on Friday afternoon as well, so you can
decide on which day you want to go.
1 PM - 3 PM: "Viewing the Howard Holdings of the Cross Plains Public Library"
(149 N. Main
Street, Cross Plains TX 76443) The Cross Plains Public Library will be open for the purpose of viewing their
Howard collection. The Library has an extensive collection of original Howard
typescripts, rare Howard books, and old Weird Tales magazines. There will also be Howard books for sale here,
including the excellent memoir by Novalyne Price Ellis, One Who Walked
Alone. In addition, Guest of Honor Robert Weinberg is bringing down some
choice items from his amazing Howard collection especially for Howard Days. You are unlikely to ever see so many interesting and rare Howard
items in a single place, so don't miss your chance to visit the library at
some time during the festivities.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Pavilion Panel #3: "The Great Robert E.
Howard Book Signing!" This is a pretty amazing year for Howard books.
Most notable is Don Herron's excellent follow-up to his legendary book of
Howard criticism, The Dark Barbarian. Robert Weinberg has two of his
excellent Howard-related books, The Weird Tales Story and
The Annotated Guide to Robert
E. Howard’s Sword and Sorcery, both roaring back into print.
REHupan Ben Szumskyj released his jam-packed perfect-bound fanzine, Robert
E. Howard: The Power of the Writing Mind. Damon Sasser is coming out
with new issues of his famous Howard fanzine REH: Two-Gun Raconteur.
Paul Herman is releasing public domain Howard books at a blistering pace.
Del Rey books has released The Coming of Conan in trade paperback,
and this summer is releasing The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane.
Wandering Star is poised to release Volume II of their deluxe The
Complete Conan of Cimmeria. A series of new Howard titles are scheduled
to be released from Bison Books. The critical journal The Dark Man is
coming back after a three year layoff, and other journals are also in
production. Dark Horse Comics is publishing a Conan comic book, and a Conan
RPG game and video game are in the works. This is beginning to look like the
start of a second Howard Boom.
Many of these books are going to be available at Howard
Days, and many of the authors and contributors are going to be there to sign
them. By buying these books in Cross Plains and getting them signed with a
"Howard Days 2004" moniker, you will be vastly increasing the worth of your
books. In this panel, you will have a chance to listen to all of the authors
talk about the making of these books, as well as get all of your stuff
signed. A portion of every sale is going directly to Project Pride for the
purpose of maintaining the Howard House and Museum, so in addition to adding
some titles to your collection you are donating to a good cause. There has
never been such a staggering conflux of Howard books and their authors in
one place before, so come on down, bring a lot of money, and partake in this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to add some truly rare and valuable signed
books to your collection.
This panel will be held outside of the Howard House in the
Pavilion.
2:30 PM - 3 PM: Pavilion Panel #4: "Howard at the
Icehouse." Hosted by Mark Finn and Chris Gruber. In
the 1920s and 1930s, the ice house was an important part of the local
economy for one important reason: beef and dairy products that were
refrigerated could go farther distances on the trains and reach more
markets. Ice was also a hallmark of civilization and refinement. In boom-town Cross Plains, those things were important, but the local ice house
served another important purpose: it was where the town's roughnecks
gathered at the end of the week to hold amateur boxing matches. Join Howard
scholars and boxing fans Chris Gruber and Mark Finn for a walk in Robert E.
Howard's footsteps as they mosey on down to the remains of the ice
house. There, they will discuss Howard's lifelong interest in boxing, how it
shaped and influenced his writing, and read short excerpts from Howard's
stories and letters about "the sweet science."
This panel will be held outside of the Howard House in the
Pavilion.
panelists: MARK FINN (professional writer,
columnist, essayist, and a REHupan), CHRIS GRUBER (editor of the new
forthcoming Robert E. Howard boxing anthology from Bison Books, also a
REHupan).
4 PM - 4:30 PM: Pavilion Panel #5: "The Making of
the sequel to The Dark Barbarian." Hosted by Don Herron. In
1984, Don Herron's critical anthology The Dark Barbarian was released, and
Howard studies was never the same. Many of the ideas and theories put forth
in that book have become "common knowledge" among Howard fans. Now, twenty
years later, Herron has put together a sequel to this first book, one filled
to the brim with fascinating new essays on Robert E. Howard and his work. At
this panel, hear Don talk about Howard criticism, why he decided to make
another book, and all of the trials and tribulations that go into putting
such a book together. In addition, several of the book's essayist will be on
hand to contribute to the discussion and sign your books!
This panel will be held outside of the Howard House in the
Pavilion.
panelists: DON HERRON (editor of two books of Howard
book of criticism including the legendary The Dark Barbarian and author of numerous essays on
Howard and other pulp writers), and other contributing essayists.
5 PM: "Sunset BBQ on Caddo Peak."
Sadly, between last Howard Days and this one, we lost a great friend in
Frank Murray, the man who with his family so graciously hosted the annual
Caddo Peak BBQ each year for Howard fans. Frank was one of the nicest people
you could ever meet, and all of us who knew him from Howard Days will miss
him dearly.
His family, however, has generously decided to continue
hosting the event for Howard fans, and so once again we will be able to
partake in the wonderful Howard Days tradition on Saturday night of heading
over to West Caddo Peak in a caravan, eating a great BBQ dinner, and watching
the sun set from an excellent vantage point in the hills.
West and East
Caddo peaks are popular landmarks in Cross Plains, being the two highest
points for miles around, and Howard mentioned them
in his letters fondly. It's very beautiful and serene, and Howard likely
watched the sun set on occasion there himself. People planning on going to
the peak generally meet outside the Howard House between 4:30pm-5pm, and then
at 5pm everyone carpools together from there. This event is hosted by the
Middleton family from Abilene, who own the ranch and surrounding property and
are always gracious enough to let all of us Howard fans onto the peak.
When everyone arrives at the Peak, one finds a vista of lush
rolling foothills, among which are setup tables and chairs for the BBQ. While
dinner is being prepared, those who are up to the challenge can make the hike
up West Caddo Peak. Those that do will find a beautiful place with
stunning views of the surrounding countryside in all directions. If you
climb the peak, bring your camera.
After everyone is settled, a full BBQ dinner will be served,
and you get to sit and eat in a pristine and idyllic wilderness. After dinner, attendees will get to stand on the
foothills, watch the glorious Caddo Peak sunset, and say goodbye to their
local friends. This is always a fitting conclusion to a memorable
weekend.
Soon after sunset people head back to Cross Plains. Technically this is the official end of
Howard Days, but again,
many people stay out in front of the Howard House or the West 36 Motel on Saturday night and talk
into the wee hours of the morning. Far too many attendees always miss
these great Saturday evening discussions. Frequently it's one of the best
things about Howard Days, a time when new friendships are solidified and much
interesting Howard conversation is heard. Don't miss it.
As stated above, you need to mail in a reservation (preferably by MAY 31)
for the Friday Banquet ($10 per person). Project Pride would also
appreciate a head count for how many people are going to Caddo Peak for the
BBQ on Saturday, so include that information as well.
To register, simply send Project Pride a letter telling them
how many people are coming to the Banquet and Caddo Peak, and enclose a check
or money order for the appropriate amount made out to PROJECT PRIDE. It is
helpful to include the names of the people in your party and the city you are
from, so they can properly introduce you at the banquet (they introduce all of
the out-of-towners). Mail your registration information and check to:
Project Pride
PO Box 534
Cross Plains, TX, 76443
ATTN: REH-Days 2004 Registration
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Some further helpful tidbits....
FLYING IN: Most people fly in to either Dallas or Austin,
rent a car, and drive to Cross Plains from there. Dallas is slightly closer
(about a two-hour drive), but the Austin drive is more scenic and pleasant.
DRIVING TIP: When driving in Texas and not being sure where
to go, you may be tempted to head down one of the many side streets that
branch off the highways, streets that are usually just labeled by a number. This is a bad idea, as these are generally ranch roads that lead out aimlessly
into the middle of nowhere. Nothing Howard-related (Howard House,
Greenleaf Cemetery, Lakeview
Inn and other hotels, etc.) are hidden on side-streets. Everything is located on main highways
and roads, so stick to them. This advice goes especially for the Lakeview
Inn. When driving towards the Inn from Brownwood, you will see several roads
with "Resort" or "Lake Brownwood" signs branching off from the main highway. Do NOT take these. The Lakeview Inn is all by itself right on the highway,
so just keep driving north on the main highway and don't give up and turn
around, you'll see it.
LODGING: The two most popular places to stay are the 36 West
Motel in Cross Plains and the Oak Motel in Cisco (which is on the frontage
road right off the 20 highway coming from Dallas). As of April the 36 West Motel is
almost fully booked for
Howard Days, with only a couple of single rooms left. Many REHupans and
distinguished guests stay at the Oak Motel, which is twenty minutes away
from Cross Plains but which also is a much nicer motel than the 36 West. So
if you want to stay up late and talk to REHupans, stay at the Oak Motel.
The other popular places Howard fans stay are the
Best Western hotel in Cisco, and The Lakeview Inn, which is halfway between
Cross Plains and Brownwood.
Below is lodging information recycled from last year for your
convenience. Some prices might have changed a bit:
| MOTEL |
TOWN |
RATES and INFORMATION |
|
36 West Motel
(254)725-4550 |
Cross Plains
Highway 36 |
$43.85/night
for a single, plus $5.50 extra per extra person
(as of 04/03/2004 there are only a few rooms left, but cancellations are always possible).
Located a short walk from the Howard House and Museum. |
|
The Oak Motel
(254)442-2100 |
Cisco
300 East
Interstate 20 |
@ 35.00/night. Where a lot of REHupans
are staying. They have a very nice motel with a huge courtyard where
Howard fans can be found talking late into the night. Only a quick 20
minute (21 mile) drive away from Cross Plains. |
|
Lakeview Inn
(formerly the Flagship Resort)
(915)784-5432 |
Lake Brownwood
Highway 279 |
$80.00/night.
Located on 279 halfway between Cross Plains and Brownwood. About 20
minutes from Cross Plains. |
|
Best Western
(254)442-3735 |
Cisco
1898 Highway 206
West |
$54.00/night
plus tax. 21 miles (about 20 minutes) from Cross Plains. |
|
Best Western
(915)625-4176 |
Coleman
1401 Highway 84
Bypass |
$58.00/night
for King Size, $65 for two Queen-sized. |
|
Best Western
(915)646-3511 |
Brownwood
410 East
Commerce |
$70.00/night
for Single, $80 for Double.32 miles (about a half hour) from Cross
Plains. |
|
Post Oak Inn
(915)643-5621 |
Brownwood
606 Early
Boulevard |
$48.00 32
miles (about a half hour) from Cross Plains. |
|
Gate 1 Inn
(915)643-5463 |
Brownwood
4410 Highway 377
South |
$45.00 32
miles (about a half hour) from Cross Plains. |
|
Days Inn
(915)646-2551 |
Brownwood
515 East
Commerce |
$59.00 for
Single, $64.00 for Double. 32 miles (about a half hour) from Cross
Plains. |
|
Lake Brownwood
State Park
(512)389-8900 |
Campsites
Available (must make reservations by phone) |
$12.00 per night
+ $2.00 entrance fee per person per night. |
RESTAURANTS: In addition to the four previously-mentioned
restaurants in Cross Plains, there are many more restaurants in Brownwood,
about a half an hour south of Cross Plains, and many people go there to eat. In addition to the normal array of fast-food joints, there are several
restaurants in Brownwood that are noteworthy.
HUMPHREY PETE'S is a good steakhouse. PULIDO'S is a good Mexican restaurant. There are many other restaurants
throughout
Brownwood.
If you have any further questions about REH-Days, including
where to stay, what to do, who is going, sharing a room, etc. you should post
your question to the REH Inner Circle List, where many REHupans and attendees can assist you.
Or you can email the
webmaster.
REHupa Home Page
Sean
Wallace reports the following:
Howard
fan Ethan Nahté reports: