Questions re: Family Weekend after Plebe Summer

mntrojan

New Member
Joined
May 10, 2016
Messages
1
Thanks in advance for your help. Our family is really excited about our oldest son starting at the Academy. He graduates from NAPS this week and will be playing basketball at Annapolis.

My questions:

1. Can our Plebe spend the nights with their parents on family weekend in August? Or do they have to return to campus?
2. What time should we arrive on Thursday?

Again, thank you.
 
Usually - no overnights.
Usually - Friday afternoon town liberty until a certain time, Sat and Sun similar. Can't recall if there has been Thursday liberty recently. Never assume everything will stay exactly the same year to year.


Search "PPW" for plenty of threads on this, and how it's gone in the past. Let your plebe tell you what they want to do - chill and do social media and eat pizza and nap in the hotel room, or head into DC/Balt in uniform for a total break.

The schedule will eventually be on USNA.edu calendars. This is a sample a few years old:
http://www.usna.edu/PlebeParentsWeekend/_files/documents/4CPW_Schedule.pdf

If you haven't booked hotel, do it yesterday. Search SAF on "Annapolis hotels."

Oh - and Plebe Summer isn't over before PPW. They finish in the week or so after PPW and start moving into their regular company area just before the Reform of the Brigade, and the rest of the 3 other classes descends on their heads. A fun time.

These may help:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...Parents-Weekend-Commissioning-Week-CVW.47512/

http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...t-2016--I-Day-CVW-Visit-Graduation-PPW.47991/

Edit: Ditch "campus." Be cool and say "the Yard." ;)

Edit 2: Since your DH is a basketball recruit, I think Coach DeChellis has a backyard BBQ or some welcome event for plebe players and families. Something to check on.
 
Last edited:
Last summer PPW the Plebes had to be back on the Yard by a certain time - no overnights. They will be nervous about that time and there can be traffic and backups at the gate, so don't be surprised if DS gets antsy and wants to head back early. It's pretty busy around the area PPW, so go early Thursday if you can.
 
You can go to every scheduled event, but I suspect all your plebe will care about is how soon you can Get Him/Her Off. The. Yard.

Get your MidStore shopping done early. Your plebe doesn't want to hang out there while you do that.
 
Subject of the overnight stays comes up every year. Best to assume they will NOT get an overnight (that has generally been the practice). What was done in previous years may not be the exact schedule followed this year, so be sure to check the official USNA website for current schedules. Lots of older threads on this subject, but safe to assume your plebe will mostly want to relax/sleep/hang around your hotel. Make sure to ask them what their preferences are rather then making lots of plans running around, touring the city, etc.
 
Yes last year there were no overnights and they do want to get back by 10:30 of so just to make sure they aren't the "late one" causing problems for their friends. We made the mistake of bringing grandparents. Please don't do that. There is a lot of walking and you don't want to be worried about handicapped parking, timing, etc.... Also the plebe is NOT in the mood for socializing with anyone, least of all grandparents asking a ton of questions. Thankfully mine took it in stride but I do not recommend it. They aren't in the mood for sight seeing or museums usually either. Long naps, good food, tv and a dip in the pool was all he wanted.
 
[QUOTE="Capt MJ, post: 489985, membe

Edit 2: Since your DH is a basketball recruit, I think Coach DeChellis has a backyard BBQ or some welcome event for plebe players and families. Something to check on.[/QUOTE]


I have been messing up my DD/DS/DH recently. Muscle memory in fingers. I meant DS above.
 
If PPW is like last year, you don't actually get your Plebe until after the noon formation on Friday. Also, we were surprised to find that ours wanted to go to the Mid Store. He had only had a short visit there once during all of Plebe Summer, so he wanted to check it out leisurely.

Our Plebe was sick during PPW. He spent a lot of time in bed with a fever. The Plebe Hack makes the rounds. They all seem to get it eventually.
 
Oh the hack! Don't be surprised when your kids get it. Happens nearly every year. Yes they will not want to be late and get very anxious. My sponsors actually made the suggestion to go back a little early to get rid of the anxiety but go sit on the sea wall and relax with the parents. It was actually a nice and quiet time and didn't have to stress about being late but maxing family time.

Good luck to your DS. It's a beast to play at USNA but worth it if you enjoy the sport and can balance it all. NAPS will have prepared him well. I played basketball at Navy many moons ago on the women's side. Coach D has really turned the program around. Hear great things about him as a coach and man.
 
Last edited:
Congrats to DS and Go Navy! Just remember to ask Chief of Naval Personnel (Class of '81) politely not to watch your games, especially when you play against Army. We are running out of digits on one hand to count our loses when he comes to watch. Yes, I believe even the Supe had a conversation with him about this!
 
If you can afford it, splurge for a hotel within "walking distance" of the Yard (i.e., Marriott, Loew's, Westin, a few others). It will cost an arm and a leg but having the choice of walking vs. driving can be a godsend if traffic is terrible, which it can be in little Annapolis.

Other hotels are fine (and cheaper) -- just allow yourself PLENTY of time to get back to the Yard. Remember, about 1150 plebes are all trying to get back at the exact same time on the same handful of tiny roads . . .
 
I second Navy Hoops suggestion. We arrived back on the Yard early each night and hung out with our plebe by the track. No traffic on arrival and no stress for our plebe.
 
Last summer PPW the Plebes had to be back on the Yard by a certain time - no overnights. They will be nervous about that time and there can be traffic and backups at the gate, so don't be surprised if DS gets antsy and wants to head back early. It's pretty busy around the area PPW, so go early Thursday if you can.

Dadof2 this reminds me of my older DS, when he graduated from Navy Boot Camp we went to Great Lakes, and took him to Chicago, etc. And he was so worried about getting back on time.
 
Curious if those who have been through this before felt like their sons/daughters wanted a bit more space...home cooked meal...etc. Weighing the merits of a house that requires a drive or the Residence Inn vs. the Annapolis Waterfront that would allow us to be in walking distance (but cramped for space, for four of us visiting). We are fortunate to have plenty of points to accommodate the AW or the Residence Inn (a bit of a drive, but has a full kitchen).
 
At PPW three years ago, we brought my wife's 81 year old mother. She was in relatively good health and was not a problem, and DS had a 630AM Report Time to boot. Grandmother would not have missed it for the world. We did bring a wheelchair for her (which she very rarely uses even three years later). Bringing my mom wouldn't have worked, so bringing grandparents is a possibility to consider based on individual situations. Also, we rented a suite type hotel room as opposed to a one room type hotel room. We had an extra mid for PPW, and it allowed both of "our" plebes to crash in privacy. That worked out well and we stayed close to the mall.
 
I know I have seen the number listed somewhere but I can't find it. Isn't there a certain number of miles distance from USNA that the plebes have to stay in range? We currently have a hotel booked about 3 miles from USNA but we are going to need a larger room than I originally planned and the hotels with suites I am looking at now are farther away. I don't think 15 minutes difference in driving is a big deal when I know it is the last few miles that will be the tightest, but I don't want to book something that is too far away for DS to be either.
 
I think as long as they stay in the Annapolis, Baltimore, D. C. vicinity and get back to the Yard by the designated time each night/evening , you will be fine.
 
For Afb, We had three for PPW plus our mid and decided to go with the largest suite at Loews, it was expensive but the living space was huge with plenty of space for our mid to stretch out nap etc. To this day our son talks about how much that weekend meant to him and we would not have changed a thing about what we did. If you can get the space you need and still stay in DTA so that you are not driving back and forth it really makes a difference in quality of your time during that weekend. Instead of driving in and being rushed to get your mid back to the Yard before their report time each night we walked leisurely from Loews down to Main Street and grabbed an ice cream with dozens of other plebes and their families doing the same thing. We went into DC one afternoon and went to the Smithsonian and watched a movie there. We ate out for the most part but we brought some food from home that we knew he would want. One night we ordered food in and just sat around and talked until he finally napped for an hour. He got mad at himself for falling asleep because he said he didn't want to waste our time that weekend. One big thing they do not want to do is to run into the Firsties. We offered options but followed his lead on what he wanted to do during the weekend. For the parents, we look back at it as a special weekend because it was probably the last time we felt he needed us. They want to tell someone familiar what they have been going through and share some of the experiences. The next time you see them after PPW they will refer to Bancroft as home and vacation time will often be dominated by trips with their mid friends. Enjoy your time I check back on this board occasionally and it is always fun to read of the new families getting ready to go through the experience of having someone at USNA.
 
Last summer, we rented a house in DTA - which was the best decision we could have made. While we did go out for a meal or two, for the most part cooked meals at the house, let DD reconnect with us and her friends, watch TV and movies and just relax. I wouldn't change a moment of that weekend. I know that she needed the time to decompress and I needed the time to be 'mom'!! If it is in the budget, this is a great way to spend the weekend. We were able to stroll back to the Yard every evening with no stress, and achieved the maximum 'down time' for our Plebe.
 
Back
Top