Overnight Visit - Parent Question

Hardcore Troubadour

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Parent of DS HT here. He has accepted c/o 19 appointment and is looking into taking an overnight. If he goes, I am considering going with him. I would appreciate any advice about this visit and how it would be most meaningful and informative to me. I know very little about West Point and if I go would like to take the opportunity to learn as much as I can. Thanks for any advice you can give to make this visit the most meaningful.
 
My son did a day visit but there were parents there of potential cadets on overnight visits. They sat us all down for a brief, with a Q and A session and then we all walked around on a guided tour, which was great. There is also a bus tour you can pick up at the visitors's center outside the Thayer Gate, which will take you to a few more spots. The Visitor's Center has some interesting displays and there is a museum in behind the center which is great. The cemetery is a good place to spend some time wandering around and reflect and there is a really nice Starbucks there if you want to put your feet up.
 
TriService2017 covered it nicely. I recommend the 2-hour tour of West Point: http://www.westpointtours.com/index...=33:choose-your-daily-tour&catid=2&Itemid=155 The Visitors' Center has a gift shop and the DUSA gift shop is in the same building as the museum. Grant Hall is a good place to get a cup of coffee or a bowl of soup.

Make sure you both have your drivers licenses with you and that they have not expired. Warm clothing goes without saying---the wind is always blowing off the river.

You can head back to the hotel when you have done everything available to parents and then return the next day to collect your cadet candidate. If you stay at the Thayer, you could probably get a good deal this time of year.

Don't forget your camera!
 
I'm debating letting my son go to his overnight visit alone. He is firmly in favor of going alone as he'd be driving up himself to it would be something of an adventure for him.
Frankly, it doesn't matter what I learn from such a visit as he has already decided to attend (he clicked the accept button within one second of seeing it on his portal!) and nothing I learn would change his decision. We will get to tour WP on R day and A day and perhaps that will be enough.
Still pondering...
 
JMO, bookreader, I would go if you live that close. It was helpful to me to hear the presentation for parents and listen to the questions other parents asked. I was glad to see West Point before the emotions of R-Day and get in my head where my kid would be living for 4 years. On A-Day, my cadet wanted to be as far away from West Point as possible so there was no touring or walking around---that was family time and a chance for him to recharge. R-Day was very hot and there was a torrential downpour so a lot of our time was spent sitting and waiting for the Oath Ceremony that evening.
 
Rain. What is it about military institutions and rain? The first time we were ever there was for the graduation ceremony 2 years ago. It was the coldest May day I have ever experienced. And to make it more miserable, it was raining - but not raining enough to require moving the ceremony indoors. We sat all huddled together as miserable looking as drowned rats.

Then when we came to pick our son up from SLE last summer, it suddenly and rather unexpectedly, poured (and I mean really poured) and everyone was just soaked (including all of the cadets' luggage) as we waited for the busses to bring us to the parking lots where our cars were parked.

When we visited VMI for an overnight visit, it also rained. My son looked over at me and just laughed.
 
Rain. What is it about military institutions and rain? The first time we were ever there was for the graduation ceremony 2 years ago. It was the coldest May day I have ever experienced. And to make it more miserable, it was raining - but not raining enough to require moving the ceremony indoors. We sat all huddled together as miserable looking as drowned rats.

Then when we came to pick our son up from SLE last summer, it suddenly and rather unexpectedly, poured (and I mean really poured) and everyone was just soaked (including all of the cadets' luggage) as we waited for the busses to bring us to the parking lots where our cars were parked.

When we visited VMI for an overnight visit, it also rained. My son looked over at me and just laughed.

Maybe you should try something NAVY....just saying
 
Rain. What is it about military institutions and rain? The first time we were ever there was for the graduation ceremony 2 years ago. It was the coldest May day I have ever experienced. And to make it more miserable, it was raining - but not raining enough to require moving the ceremony indoors. We sat all huddled together as miserable looking as drowned rats.

Then when we came to pick our son up from SLE last summer, it suddenly and rather unexpectedly, poured (and I mean really poured) and everyone was just soaked (including all of the cadets' luggage) as we waited for the busses to bring us to the parking lots where our cars were parked.

When we visited VMI for an overnight visit, it also rained. My son looked over at me and just laughed.

Maybe you should try something NAVY....just saying
Well..... it rains on Navy too! Just saying! We have been advised to hand out ponchos to our guests for commissioning as no umbrellas are allowed in the stadium. On our DS's plebe parent weekend, we were all happily watching their color parade when the heavens opened and it began to pour.
 
We were told that umbrellas were allowed until we arrived and then we had to give them up. They collected all the umbrellas at the entrance to the stadium and we got to pick them up when we left. Supposedly they did give permission originally. Meanwhile, we just got wet. And cold.

I will add to my list - find portable rain ponchos!!
 
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