Parents Weekend

illesq

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Does anyone know the agenda for parents’ weekend August 8 - 11? Does anyone have the weekend agenda for last year’s parent’s weekend. Are Plebes allowed to spend the night with their parents or must they return to Bancroft?
 
I think every parent wishes their Plebe could spend the overnights with them but the reality is they will return back to Bancroft every evening.
 
You’ll find many threads about this if you use the search function above. Unless rules change, say due to the new ‘Dant, plebes will have to return to Mother B every night.
 
Does anyone know the agenda for parents’ weekend August 8 - 11? Does anyone have the weekend agenda for last year’s parent’s weekend. Are Plebes allowed to spend the night with their parents or must they return to Bancroft?

Stay tuned to this link:
https://www.usna.edu/PlebeParentsWeekend/index.php


In the meantime, as suggested in other posts, browse the dozens of threads about what has happened in the past.

In general, plebes:
- Will want to get off the Yard. Not give tours to family, not necessarily go do tourist things in DC or Baltimore, not shop in the MidStore, not walk around DTA (downtown Annapolis).
- May want to immediately shift into regulation PE gear in the hotel or Air BnB property, catch up on social media, talk to you while scarfing down 2 bags of Chick Fil A. Or eat lunch at favorite place in uniform, then get out of it.
- May want to veg out in silence and escape into a movie at the mall.
- May take extra long shower and crawl between cool sheets until it’s time for another feeding.
- Will be focused on leaving on time to get back to the Yard (think >1100 classmates + families all headed via Annapolis narrow streets and traffic circles to gates at the same time).


You’ll have phone calls between now and then to talk through options and adjust plans. You also know your DD or DS, and how they like to re-charge. This is one visit where the recommendation is to let them set the pace.
 
FYI - at the I-Day parents briefing, the Dant said Plebes will need to come back to Bancroft each night during PPW (same schedule as previous years). Also, they will be bussed back from Philadelphia to the Yard right after Army-Navy is over.
 
Does anyone know the agenda for parents’ weekend August 8 - 11? Does anyone have the weekend agenda for last year’s parent’s weekend. Are Plebes allowed to spend the night with their parents or must they return to Bancroft?
Also, wondering generally what is the schedule of events for PPW? We were told at I Day that we would not see our son until Friday. Wondering what time is best to arrive and what happens on Thursday.
 
Does anyone know the agenda for parents’ weekend August 8 - 11? Does anyone have the weekend agenda for last year’s parent’s weekend. Are Plebes allowed to spend the night with their parents or must they return to Bancroft?
Also, wondering generally what is the schedule of events for PPW? We were told at I Day that we would not see our son until Friday. Wondering what time is best to arrive and what happens on Thursday.
 
Yes, you get your Plebe Friday after noon meal formation till 10 pm back to Bancroft . We arrived Thursday morning- used that time to hit up Mid Store, get Dibs card taken care of, Fri morning check out Pep at 5 am- there is the parade on Saturday morning then your plebe is released after they have changed till midnight . Sunday is from 8 am till 6pm.
 
Yes, you get your Plebe Friday after noon meal formation till 10 pm back to Bancroft . We arrived Thursday morning- used that time to hit up Mid Store, get Dibs card taken care of, Fri morning check out Pep at 5 am- there is the parade on Saturday morning then your plebe is released after they have changed till midnight . Sunday is from 8 am till 6pm.
Thank you! Very helpful.
 
My two cents, let your Plebe dictate the weekend. Mine didn’t want to eat in King Hall, but was excited to show us his room then get off the Yard as fast as he could and as far away from the Yard as they were permitted to go. Even though they are off the Yard, upperclassman can spot a Plebe from 100 paces, in uniform or not (and you don’t want to be caught out of regulation).
 
If you can financially afford it, consider staying in a hotel within walking distance from USNA. It allows your plebe extra time because, worst case, he/she can walk back to USNA at night and avoid the very few, one-lane roads leading to USNA that are jam-packed with 1200 plebes all trying to get back at the same exact moment. If you've never been in Annapolis during a major USNA event, it's hard to explain but it's miserable.

Close-in hotels are definitely more $$ -- they know they can charge high prices because of their location. If you (understandably) can't handle the prices, allow PLENTY OF TIME to get back to USNA. Those nice roads that were so empty at 0600 on I-Day will look like Los Angeles at rush hour. And your plebe will not want to be late.

Another nice thing about full-service hotels -- room service!! Your plebe will have to wear summer whites outside of a hotel room -- eating in the room allows him/her to wear PT gear.

Totally agree with letting your plebe set the agenda. Most want to eat non-King Hall food, sleep, watch TV, surf the net, use social media, etc. Some want to do more; others less. Keep in mind that you'll have nearly 4 more years to do what you want -- this is the WE to let your plebe do what he/she wants.
 
Add in the drivers unfamiliar with who has the right-of-way in traffic circles, of which there are a few in key places for navigating around DTA (downtown Annapolis). Church Circle, State Circle, the West St. circle near the Westin, the one at the wet end of Main St., which seems to stump people trying to ooze toward Gate 1.

Bonus traffic caution #1: If you are on Randall St., the street that runs from the City Dock area to Gate 1 vehicle Gate, and you are driving from USNA toward City Dock, you cannot turn left into Dock St. There is a big “no left turn” sign, but dang, I’ve had to stand on the brakes so many times as people, probably looking for parking, turn left onto Dock St. from Randall, and nearly t-bone me as I head to USNA.

Bonus traffic caution #2:
When departing USNA Gate 1 and planning to turn left into Randall St., headed to City Dock, oncoming traffic from King George St., which ends at Gate 1, does NOT have a stop sign. Three-way intersection, two stop signs, not three.

BTC #3:
If parking on an Annapolis street, especially in DTA, read the parking signs carefully. Many are residential streets, not metered, but residents have special stickers on their cars for unlimited parking. Visitors should look for the street signs with the small print spaced along the street. They will tell you how many hours you can park there and during what times of day. The residents are quick to call the traffic officers to write the infamous pricey yellow tickets if your car overstays its welcome. After you read “2 hour parking,” KEEP READING the smaller print, which will give the hours.
 
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Alternately, book a house a little ways away. We had access to a private beach, and that was fantastic, just what our plebe needed. Back yard to grill and chill. Away from DTA/USNA. We are from a midwestern state and this was more our style. The drive/congestion was nothing if properly planned for. Roll through the line, and dump your Mid at the right time. And the time in the nice, cool A/C car was as much fun a time to visit as sitting around in a room. We stayed in Cape St Claire. And had our whole family there. That's our plan for Commissioning week as well.

Seriously, do what feels right for your family. There isn't a right or wrong answer. Different things will have different challenges (our guy was able to really let down without fear of seeing other Mids...) to plan for. And honestly, the family time together trumps everything whether in a car, hotel, or house.
 
Alternately, book a house a little ways away. We had access to a private beach, and that was fantastic, just what our plebe needed. Back yard to grill and chill. Away from DTA/USNA. We are from a midwestern state and this was more our style. The drive/congestion was nothing if properly planned for. Roll through the line, and dump your Mid at the right time. And the time in the nice, cool A/C car was as much fun a time to visit as sitting around in a room. We stayed in Cape St Claire. And had our whole family there. That's our plan for Commissioning week as well.

Seriously, do what feels right for your family. There isn't a right or wrong answer. Different things will have different challenges (our guy was able to really let down without fear of seeing other Mids...) to plan for. And honestly, the family time together trumps everything whether in a car, hotel, or house.
We rented a house for I-Day and also for PPW. While it does cost more than a hotel, it is only a block away from Gate 3 (my younger son was fascinated by the Patriot Games scene at Gate 3 when he realized where we were). But we cook our meals and eat in, which kind of brings us back to even with the cost of a hotel. Being that close to the gate is a huge stress reliever. Getting a residential parking pass is an added bonus!
 
Agree on doing what is right for your family and budget. If you stay further it’s not the end of the world, just plan accordingly. Go back slightly early, park on the yard, walk out in town for a cold drink or ice cream, then come back before end of Liberty. What works for one family might not work for another. How your DS/DD responds to PS us sort of a mystery. Some will be just fine, others will want to take a 3 hour nap, another might want to tour DC. Your DS/DD might have the Plebe Hack and sound horrible. I think I had McDonalds on the way to the hotel, took a two hour nap, long hot shower and then was ready to go to a nice dinner with my parents. If you do get a hotel, a suite with a door might be helpful if you know your are gonna have a napper so the everyone doesn’t have to tip toe around.
 
We aren't planning on leaving Annapolis this weekend, but just in case, the USNA website states:

When town liberty is granted during Parents' Weekend, midshipmen are authorized liberty within the Tri-City area (Annapolis-Baltimore-Washington, DC).

Is there a formal definition of 'Tri-City area?' I've seen things like 22 mile radius, 35 mile radius, etc, but nothing official. I have a relative that lives in the suburbs north of Baltimore.
 
We aren't planning on leaving Annapolis this weekend, but just in case, the USNA website states:

When town liberty is granted during Parents' Weekend, midshipmen are authorized liberty within the Tri-City area (Annapolis-Baltimore-Washington, DC).

Is there a formal definition of 'Tri-City area?' I've seen things like 22 mile radius, 35 mile radius, etc, but nothing official. I have a relative that lives in the suburbs north of Baltimore.

Don’t worry about it. USNA knows the likelihood of an exhausted plebe getting in trouble (underage drinking?! public misconduct?! driving cars?! breaking other rules?!) in company with emotionally exhausted parents is highly unlikely. There used to be town liberty limits with actual mileage that stopped just short of the big city limits, but that has been eased in the last twenty years.

As the dozens of posts say every year, be sure and allow large margins of time for return to the Yard each night. It’s you and the other 1000+ families unfamiliar with the area and battling the narrow, one-way streets and roundabouts of Annapolis all at the same time. You will have an angst-ridden plebe tearing off the seatbelt and sprinting if you don’t.
 
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And just to add to Capt MJ's post above, if you get your Plebe to the City Dock area (anywhere inside the red square below), he/she will probably be able to walk to Gate 1 faster than you can get there in your car.

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