Island Park

Mackley Reunion July 18-21, 2011

Island Park Idaho

Our cabins include:

http://www.islandparkidaho.com/BearCreekInn/BEARCREEK.html

http://www.islandparkidaho.com/bakercabin.html a.k.a Tanglewood

http://www.islandparkidaho.com/MooseHollowLodge/MHlodge.html

http://www.islandparkidaho.com/EnchantedForestCabin.html

Remember: No smoking in cabins and No Pets

Frequently asked questions

**When is Mackley Reunion? July 18-21, 2011

**Where is this place again? Island Park, Idaho

40 miles south of the West Yellowstone Park Gate and 58 miles from Rexburg, ID

The city was incorporated by owners of the many lodges and resorts along U.S. Route 20 in 1947, primarily to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of city limits. It is only 500 feet (150 m) wide in most locations and, at 33 miles (53 km), claims to have the longest "Main Street" in the world. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Today, Island Park does have a post office, a real estate office, and a few stores grouped together. You look around as you are driving up the road and you say, “Where is the city center of Island Park?” They don’t have one!!! It is 33 miles of hwy with cabins, and resorts, lodges, and restaurants but very few stores to shop--no malls! One might consider Mack’s Inn as the center since it was a famous resort in Island Parks beginning history. From Jan Brown encyclopedia-Lol

No stores? Then you bring in what you need or you hire someone to bring it to you.

What you do learn is that this area is truly beautiful, pristine, rugged Idaho country. You will love it!

**How long does it take to get to Island Park from Rexburg? Approximately 1 hr 14 min (Map Quest)

**How long does it take to get to Island Park from Ashton, ID? 42 min. (Map Quest)

**What about food assignments?

Chris and Cindy have the responsibility to make up a schedule. They are still in the planning stage! Families will be asked to volunteer to provide a meal like we have done in the past. FYI: There is a Walmart in Rexburg if you need to make big purchases. There is a grocery store in Ashton, ID also.

There will be a sign up sheet for the meals in the schedule that the girls will be sending to you but first, Chris is waiting for you to send in your comments on “What being a Mackley means to me . . .” Reminder from Chris: A project we’d like to do for this reunion will help us “go back to our roots” by sharing with each other what being a Mackley means to you. What are the characteristics, memories, values, and ideals that sustain our family and have become the roots of the Mackley family tree? Please send to: missbrown_2cool4school@hotmail.com

**Do we bring sleeping bags, air mattresses and the like?
The cabins have beds for 67 people. Some families are bringing RV’s. Some kids will be sleeping in tents. Those who are sleeping in tents will need to bring sleeping bags. We think that there will be some “kid cousins” who want to sleep in groups. We will provide 2 or 3/ 6-man tents. Let us know which “kid cousins” want to tent together.

*How far away is West Yellowstone Park from the cabins? The West Yellowstone Park gate is 40 minutes north on Hwy 20. After the gate there is lots of road and open space to look for elk, buffalo, etc. Fire Hole road and Old Faithful are quite a ways into the park.

**Are we planning on going into Yellowstone Park during our reunion? YES, but for only one activity!
There is a gate cost to enter Yellowstone Park. You can obtain a yearly National Parks pass prior to your trip or you pay at the West Yellowstone Park gate each time you enter. (ugh!)

**What does it cost to get into Yellowstone Park?
This website will help you obtain a yearly pass at a reasonable rate or a Golden Age pass for those over 62 years of age or Golden Access pass for those who are disabled. www.nps.gov/parks/passes_fees_2000.htm.old This website is for National Parks--Idaho has its own pass for State Parks pass but I don’t think we will be going into any state parks (like Harriman State Park or Henry’s Lake State Park-good fishing) for our reunion.

**What activities are planned for our family reunion in the Island Park area? What is most important spending time with family or seeing the sites?

There are so many things to see and do at Island Park and Yellowstone Park and many of you may never get another chance to see the area again. After thinking about this for quite some time, we are suggesting that the time we are together will best be spent by being together as much as possible. Therefore, we have planned group activities and visiting time at the cabin area. We have planned three activities that are tourist related and will try to do as a whole family. These activities are:

<1> Big Springs Bridge (feeding the fish) and Johnny Sacks Cabin and Lunch,
<2>Fire Hole River Rapids and eddy (in Yellowstone Park)
<3> A slow moving river float down Big Springs head waters to Mack’s Inn.

Suggestion: Save some monies now to rent rubber rafts, boats, or tubes (Hint #1: water is kind of cold after an hour with your booty sticking thru a tube. Hint #2: no fishing in rubber rafts—you can look down in the water and you can see the fish!) We will get you a price list for this year rental prices when they post it. Last year we rented an eight person rubber raft for $75 and 4 passenger hard sided boat for $30-35. Mack’s Inn Float Co. transport s you and your float devices to the beginning point. You end downstream next to their facility. There is no charge to float down the river. You can bring your own float devises with you if you want. If your bring your own, you will have to provide your own transportation up to the beginning point, and you inflate your own float devices.

**When is check-in and check-out?

Check-in is 4:00 pm on Monday, July 18^th. However, we want to gather earlier (10-11 am) at the LDS church parking lot close to Mack’s Inn. There we can drop the RV trailers, and then head up to the Big Springs Bridge and Johnny Sacks Cabin for Lunch.

Check-out is Thursday, July 21 at 10:00 am. You may want to start your return home OR you may want to begin your individual family trek into Yellowstone Park. OR some of you may want us to plan another activity –possibly go see Upper Mesa Falls (closer to Ashton, ID) or go to Rigby, ID and see the museum where they have a few of Dad’s shoe shop items on display The museum is open only at certain times. Please let us know if you are interested in doing this or if you have other ideas.

**Who is coming to reunion?
About 76 men, women, and children! We are SO EXCITED!!!!!! It would be easier to tell you who isn’t coming:
From LaWana’s family: Jeff family, David family
From Jan’s family: Brad family
From Bill’s family: Deon family, Suzanne family, Megan family, Chad family
From Mary's family: Scott family, Amanda family
From Irene’s family: Sophia family, Sonya family

Mackley Reunion- Here we come!!!