Can someone explain what the Eagles was to those less fortunate who could
not
attend?
Brian in CA
=-=-=-=-=-
"The Eagles" is a large bar-restaurant and marina that's right on the water
with dual boat ramps, an outdoor gazebo bar, a huge parking lot, grassy area
and lots of room for trailer parking. Officially it's the Lodge of the
Fraternal Order of Eagles' Celina Chapter 1291. Unofficially it's also the
epicenter of Amphicar activity during that wonderful last weekend in July
and the days leading up to it. This might be explained by its close
proximity by land to the hotels that most of the Amphi folks stay at and
also its nearness to the "Hot Hole" by water (the public boat ramp that is
the venue for the now Police-escorted mass Amphi launchings during the
Celina thing, with many folks putting in at the Hot Hole but coming out at
The Eagles, only 10 minutes or so away by water), but it's also because
they're just so hugely hospitable at The Eagles. They make a huge separate
room available for the main Club meeting on Saturday night and even whipped
up a great buffet for us. Learning that a group of Germans were coming The
Eagles folks even laid in several cases of imported Grolsch beer so our
guests from afar would feel right at home...Not only that but their money
was no good there that night! Real hospitable just plain nice folks and
just another big reason that the Club Board needed about half a nanosecond
during its meeting to unanimously vote to hold NEXT year's Swim-In there in
Celina again.
When I arrived at Celina on Thursday evening about 7ish, a full day ahead of
any scheduled events, I knew just exactly where to go: The Eagles. Sure
enough, there were already a dozen or so Amphi folks lingering there in the
parking lot. The same holds for pretty much anytime during the weekend.
If you're separated from the pack or if it's already midnight and the
officially scheduled shenanigans are all played out...You know where to head
to.
Hope to see you there in the lot next year!
~Bilgemaster~
