SoCal Genea-Jamboree: Prologue

BURBANK, Calif.--I'm excited to be here in "beautiful downtown Burbank" (people of a certain age get the pop cultural allusion) for the 2008 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree which gets underway tomorrow. It's the largest genealogical gathering on the West Coast. I haven't seen any celebrities (like Dick Eastman, Drew Smith, George Morgan or Randy Seaver) yet, but there will be pictures when I spot them. In fact, all I've seen since arriving about an hour ago is the inside of the Marriott Hotel at Burbank Airport (which is actually known as the Bob Hope Airport). The hotel is literally right around the corner from the airport. And today I noticed something I hadn't noticed on previous visits here: there's an Amtrak station at the airport! That's great!

The hotel is under going reconstruction and it's a bit of challenge to get around. Other than that, it's a fine and comfortable place.

Tomorrow morning starts with a beginning genealogy course from about 9:00 to noon. I'm taking a pass on that (not that I'm so smart after several years at this that I couldn't learn something!). Instead, I'm off on one of those special missions I alluded to yesterday. I'm going to southwest Los Angeles to visit my father's 94 year old stepmother. I had planned to spend the morning in Whittier visiting my grandmother's gravesite. She died 35 years ago this month, and for various reasons, I could not attend her funeral and I've never been to see the grave.

But I realized that the grave will be there for a long time to come; I can't say how long 94 year old Mary Frances Heard will be with us. She's the last family member of the generation before my parents who's still alive. I just couldn't be this close (it's about 20 miles from the hotel to her apartment) and miss the chance to talk to her! I'll have my camera and recorders ready.

Up to date reports on the Jamboree coming tomorrow!