Who's Going to Ithaca?, Show of hands

I'd be interested in knowing who's going to Ithaca and/or Binghamton that weekend.

I'm considering it since I'm familiar with Ithaca and I've made the trek to Binghamton and north to Rod's gravesite as well.

I would only go knowing that some of you are as well. It would be ever so much more fun to be with you folks than to meander by myself.

Ithaca isn't an easy place to get to. I could fly into the local puddle jumper airport, or Syracuse and rent a car. That's well over an hour away. I don't have a friend in Tully.

So please weigh in. Your decisions could help me to make mine as well.

I've stayed at the Holiday Inn near The Commons several times.

What a great way to celebrate TZ and its 50th year and to honor Rod.

Sorry, Leen. I am going to be East then, but in Washington.

Be careful in choosing your transportation, because the bus to Cortland might be late.

I want so badly to go, but I work that Saturday. I don't work many Saturdays, so it's very hard to find someone to switch with.

I'll be driving up to Binghamton on Thursday, October 1st, staying at a Days Inn, Super 8, etc. in the Binghamton area for two nights (less than $70/night) and drive about an hour to Ithaca for the Fri. Oct. 2nd & Sat. Oct. 3rd events, staying in Binghamton for events on Thurs. Oct. 1st, returning to Binghamton for the evening events on the 2nd and leaving for home from Ithaca on Saturday evening, October 3rd. The following weekend, I'm flying to Burbank for the Hollywood Show - of the 33 actors scheduled to appear, 18 are TZ Alums. I'll be 88 for the 75th anniversary, so I guess 2009 would be the logical year for me to celebrate Rod Serling & TZ.

You beat me to it, Leen. I was planning on posting the same thing around Sept. 1st. I would go mainly to meet other Cafe members.

Don't know if I'll go to Binghampton -- probably just Ithaca.

So who else plans to go?

I plan to go, especially being a Cornell alumnus, but I'm not yet sure whether it will be Ithaca, Binghamton, or a combination of both. It depends on who will be in each city, either celebrity or Cafe member.

Submitted for your count: one raised hand. I'll be heading up on Oct 1 and home on the 4th. I'm planning 3 extra activities not on the list:

1. Visit Interlaken Cemetery
2. Check out "the cabin' at Cayuga Lake
3. Have lunch/supper at the Vestal or Johnson City Applebee's, seated in the RS booth, of course!

As to what, where and when I'll be otherwise: TBD

I was thinking of going myself, if other forum members are going. I don't know if I'd drive the 140 miles back on the same day, or stay over in some motel. Guess, I'd better research lodging info in Ithaca.

Once I arrive, what do I do? Drive around Ithaca with my window rolled down shouting, "Where is Everybody?" Will there be a strange looking hitchhiker along the way? If I stay over, I'm not staying in Room 22!

Whatever you do, avoid the bridges -- you don't know if they'll hold!

I'm out, same weekend as my St. Augustine trip. Another time, fer shur.

I'll be going to Ithaca, barring the unforeseen.

Items 1 and 2, at least, sound like things I'd like to do, too. So I get from this that Carol Serling allows people to check out "the cabin"?

What is the RS booth, Paul?

I'm talking about just finding the cabin, maybe taking a picture of it from the road. I don't know for sure, bit I figure it is owned/rented by others.

The "RS" booth is one booth with pictures of Rod decorating its wall.

That is so cool!

I was *wondering*, when I originally read your post..."Gosh, I didn't know Applebee's exited during Rod's time?!" <scratching head>

Does it have a Mystic Seer as well?

Would that it could...

I'll be there! Definately doing a mix of things in Binghamton and Ithaca the 1st through the 4th. Not sure what when and in what order as we're a bit out yet....

This is probably asking a lot. But if the majority of us want to attend the same things that would be great. I guess we need to merge the two threads, Ithaca and Binghamton and see the actual schedule of events and make a plan.

Getting both schedules in the same post seems like an even better idea. Unfortunately, very little of the Ithaca schedule has been announced. Here are links to both schedules:

http://www.rodserlingvideofest.com/tztimes.html
http://ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/2009conf/

Note (on the Ithaca schedule) that a bus will leave from Ithaca to Binghamton at noon on October 3, and return at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Personally, I wasn't planning to go to Binghamton besides that bus trip. If I do, I would have to ride with someone.

Well that's what I meant by merging. But thanks for doing what you did.

Well that's what I meant by merging. But thanks for doing what you did.

(Bestsmileys.com seems to be short on good "OK" or "You're welcome" smileys...)

I'll be there, and with bells on!

I'm fortunate enough to be participating in events in both Ithaca and Binghamton. Unfortunately, there will be some scheduling conflicts so I cannot attend all events. As an RS Memorial Foundation board member, I'll be giving the Binghamton events preference, but I hope to attend as many IC presentations as time will allow. The RSMF, and related parties (notably Larry Kassan of the Rod Serling Video Festival), have waited a long time for a Serling recognition celebration of this magnitude, and we've worked long and hard to make it special for everyone.

As noted, Ithaca's schedule has not yet been released, so I'm not positive of my exact whereabouts that weekend. However, I do know that my presentation at IC ("War and Rememberance: Examining the Impact of War on Rod Serling's Life and Work") wil take place on Friday afternoon. Based on that, here's my tentative schedule:

Thursday, Oct. 1st: I'll help launch the opening ceremonies in Binghamton by giving some very brief remarks during the "proclamations and presentations" kick-off at 7PM. Then, along with members of the Serling family and everyone else in attendance, I'll enjoy a screening of the Serling American Masters special.

Friday, Oct. 2nd: I'll take in a few presentations and give my own at IC in the morning/early afternoon. Right now I'm not sure if I'll return to Binghamton for the evening events or stay at the IC conference all day.

Sat., Oct. 3rd: I'll be joining several other RSMF members in guiding people through the various sites of the noon-to-4PM bus/walking tour. Primarily I'll be stationed in Recreation Park...and what a magical day it will be, riding the same carousel that Rod enjoyed as a child, and watching "Walking Distance" along with fellow fans in the place that inspired it. Let's hope for cooperative weather! (But events will take place rain or shine.)

I may attend the dinner in Ithaca, if time will allow. But I'll be back in Binghamton to attend the live TZ reenactments that begin at 8PM.

Sunday, Oct. 4th: I'll likely stay for some of the marathon screening, for the thrill of enjoying episodes with some good friends in a public forum. Then I'll hit the road for the ride home.

I truly hope that all of you who can attend these events will come over and celebrate with us. I think it's going to be a very special and memorable weekend, and the more Cafe members that make it, the sweeter the memories will be. I look forward to seeing you there.

To my good buddy Paul G., and anyone else interested, just an FYI: Rod's cabin in Ithaca is located off a private, unpaved road, really more of an extended driveway than a thoroughfare. It's really not someplace you can just drive by. It's fine by me if you try, but just so you know, it's not off of a public street. Paul, I may not have time to hang with you on all those stops, but I hope to make it on some...and I know we'll be seeing a lot of each other that marvelous weekend. Can't wait!

Tony

I hate to say it, but I'm having second thoughts. If I went, I would mainly go to meet other Cafe members -- and I don't know how doable that will be, because we're talking about different people wanting to do different things on different days in two cities 50 miles apart.

Not to mention dragging Mrs. 2 around. (She falls into the "she'll humor me once in a while" category.)

If we were all going, say, to another convention in New Jersey, I'd definitely be there! We'd all be in one room (or maybe two or three).

I just can't see how this will work out.

I hear ya ht! We don't really have a plan as a group. I admit it was much easier to go to a hotel where most everybody stayed as well as held the con itself.

I feel unless we all agree on what to do together that I will fly all that way only to be basically by myself, which isn't my intention at all. Where is Everybody?

I do like Paul's idea about visiting some of the Rod hot spots. And I've been to Binghamton to see the high school, Rod's boyhood home and Independence Park with the carousel.

We need a team leader. That's usually my job under similar circumstances, but I'm not the NE babe all the way down here.

Can someone give me a summary of what you guys are talking about in this topic? I'm 19 and I love The Twilight Zone, I would be interested in attending a convention, if that is what this is about. However, i'm confused what is actually going on in Binghamton/Ithaca

Just a suggestion, but you guys don't have to all be staying in the same hotel to get together and plan out a scedule that works for the group. Once Ithaca releases it's exact schedule, you could coordinate what to attend and what to skip and do it together. It certainly is a lot more fun to enjoy these things with friends and fellow fans.

Portrait, welcome!

Basically, Ithaca is holding its third Rod Serling Conference (a series of presentations discussing, analying and disecting various aspects of Rod's work) and Binghamton is planning a four-day celebration of Serling and TZ.

The Conference is more of an acedemic gathering for which admission is charged; Binghamton's events are more along the lines of screenings, marathons, a tour of Serling sites and commemorations at which members of the Serling family will appear. All of Binghamton's events are free.

The IC Conference has a site with background and more details (but no exact schedule is yet posted) at http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/

The TZ@50 (Binghamton's event) site has a schedule of events you can check out here: http://www.rodserlingvideofest.com/tztimes.html

And feel free to explore our Rod Serling Memorial Foundation site at http://www.rodserling.com. It features homepage links to both of the above events and a lot more.

Hope to see you there,
Tony

Sounds like a ton of fun thanks!

One of the great joys of parenthood is when your child has the same quirky interests as you. Fortunately, my 15 year old is also a big TZ fan, and he was very excited that I'm pulling him out of school for a day to go to Ithaca. We're also going with my father. We'll have a father/son/grandfather weekend.

I have a Logan's Run #1 comic from the 70's... I wonder if George Clayton Johnson would sign it? I also have a few TZ comics, which I may bring, but I wouldn't want to sell them. Is anyone else bringing memorabilia with them?

I just looked at http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/, and I still don't see a schedule except for George Clayton Johnson and the bus trip to Binghamton. Can anyone here provide one?

It's at http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/2009conf/schedule/

See you there!

Man, I wish I could go but i'm doing a table for Dark Discoveries and also a guest at the H.P. Lovecraft Festival in Portland, OR. that weekend.

My recent Twilight Zone Special issue of Dark Discoveries will be present at the Ithica Conference though. The bookstore picked up some copies for it and I believe will have it at the event as well.

- James
www.darkdiscoveries.com

To digress a bit: If anyone else has registered for the conference, did anyone from the conference confirm that they received your check? Patton and I are both in the dark about this.

I registered pretty early on in the process, and last week received a packet from IC in the mail. I'm presenting, so perhaps they lumped me into a different mailing list.

I doubt it, though...you should have heard something by now. I'm sure you're registered, but you might have been overlooked in the mailing. I'd check with Laurie Ward to confirm that you're in. She can be reached at (607) 274-1085 or at lward@ithaca.edu

Thanks, Tony!

I had an absolutely fantastic time at the Ithaca conference. I went there with my father and son... we were the ones in the RV parked on campus.

It was great to meet some current and future TZ Cafe members. By the way, Bevis, you look almost as good in person as your profile photo!

Speaking with Carol Serling and George Clayton Johnson were also highlights for me. I'll try to post some photos when I get around to it.

I was present for the keynote address, and even video recorded it, with George Clayton Johnson's blessings! I saw a couple of people from the conventions in New Jersey!! What a fantastic night!

Here are some photos I took with my cell phone.


Rhode Island car in parking lot with TZONE plate and Serling cutout as passenger


5 Serling Emmys at Ithaca College


Complementary meal ticket with "Serling" mispelled as "Sterling"


George Clayton Johnson


Nerdy guy in front of decked-out bus in Binghampton (ok, it's me)


Rod's grave in Interlaken, NY (near Ithaca)



Waterfall in Ithaca

Wow Gart, thanks! Either they got Rod a new headstone or they cleaned the old one up. Perhaps the family finally saw it and did something about it.

Glad you went to the Sterling meal, lol.

Like they say Ithaca is Gorges!

This is my first time posting here. I had a chance to meet some of the Cafe members at Ithaca this year and a few other members at the '06 Convention. I will post up some photos in a few minutes if I can figure it out. Matt has been so kind as to give me a few tips.

One of our stops on the bus tour.


This is us with Carol Serling at Ithaca.



This is dinner at Appleby's.



Here's Matt on the carousel.


Here's Patton on the carousel.