Santa Fe, NM, September 3 through 8, 2019
Combined Annual Convention of
Oregon-California Trails Association &
Southern Trails Chapter
Register on line
Download the Mail-in Registration and Details of the Convention Here.
Accommodations with negotiated rates at:
Hotel Santa Fe, Hacienda, and Spa Resort (Register)
Tentative Schedule:
Tuesday, September 3
8:00 am – 4:00 pm: OCTA board meeting, Hotel Santa Fe
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm: Opening reception, Palace of the Governors
Wednesday, September 4
9:00 am – 11:30 am: guided tours, Rancho de las Golondrinas
11:30 am – 1:00 pm: lunch, Rancho de las Golondrinas
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Annual OCTA membership meeting, Rancho de las Golondrinas
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Keynote address, Dr. Carlos Herrera (San Diego St.) on Juan Bautista de Anza
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Awards Banquet, Hotel Santa Fe
Thursday, September 5
8:00 am – 5:00 pm: Full day tours to Taos or Fort Union
8:00 am – 1:00 pm: Half day tours to Chimayo or Pecos
Friday, September 6
8:00 am – 3:15 pm: Speakers at Hotel Santa Fe and Farmer’s Market
3:30 pm: Chapter meetings
6:00 pm: Cocktail hour at Hotel Santa Fe
6:30 pm: Dinner at Hotel Santa Fe
Saturday, September 7
8:00 am – 5:00 pm: Full day tours to Taos or Fort Union
8:00 am – 1:00 pm: Half day tours to Chimayo or Albuquerque (Martineztown and Guttierez-Hubbel House)
Sunday, September 8
8:00 am – 8:30 am: Services at Historic Loretta Chapel
Post-convention tour: Northeast New Mexico along Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail to Point of Rocks
Registration materials will be available in the coming days, but in the interim, reserve your hotel now. We have room blocks at our host hotel, the beautiful Hotel Santa Fe, Hacienda, and Spa Resort about one mile from the southwest edge of the Plaza. There is also a room block at the Sage Inn, which is about a 10-minute walk to the Hotel Santa Fe. Due to limited parking at the Hotel Santa Fe, you will likely either need to walk or get a ride from the Sage Inn if you elect to stay there.
The Hotel Santa Fe is located at 1501 Paseo de Peralta and can be reached at (855) 825-9876. Ask for the special Oregon-California Trails Association of $119/night. All resort and parking fees are waived and you pay only the negotiated rate of $119. (The regular rate in early September is $203/night plus resort fees.) See the Hotel Santa Fe’s website for more information about and images of the resort.
The Sage Inn at 725 Cerrillos Road is our alternate hotel. It is about a 10 minute walk from the Hotel Santa Fe. Our negotiated rate there is $109/night, but there is also a $5 parking fee, bringing the total to $114. This rate also includes breakfast. (The regular rate is $140-$190/night, depending on the night of the week.) Call (505) 982-5952 and ask for the special Oregon-California Trails Association rate. See the Sage Inn’s website for more information about and images of the hotel.
The cutoff date for discount hotel rooms is August 3.
You will be exceedingly impressed with the speakers and tours of this convention, which include trips to Taos, Fort Union, Chimayo, Pecos, and Albuquerque. Plus, you will be right in the heart of a 500-year-old city and completely surrounded and immersed in Puebloan, French, Spanish, Mexican, and American history! We are very excited to bring OCTA to “The City Different!” Make your plans to attend now!
The Santa Fe Convention registration form is on the OCTA and Southern Trails websites. This is a new program with many features. Notably, when registering as a couple the first registrant completes all information and then is given an option at the bottom of the form to then add another registrant. When adding another registrant there will be a listing of “add family member/another registrant” several options lower than individual or family options.
Why is the initial registration fee more than Conventions in the past?
Answer: We included the Tuesday evening reception entrance fee to the Palace of the Governors and refreshments and the admission and lunch at El Rancho de las Golondrinas on Wednesday. The membership meeting will also be at las Golondrinas on Wednesday afternoon.
I hope each of you will encourage other Chapter members to attend. This is the first opportunity to have a voice with other OCTA members about our interest in achieving Congressional Historic Trails designation for our trails. We also have a great deal to offer OCTA members.
Hotel registration at Hotel Santa Fe is coming along nicely. Half of the rooms in our, 100 room, block are already reserved. A second hotel option is one block away at the Sage Inn. Let the hotel know you are with the Oregon-California Trails group when registering.
Auction items are beginning to come in. You can be a great help by providing auction items and letting others know that we can accept more items. The sale of these items will provide the Chapter with the only income from the Convention.
Lastly, I really hope you will attend the Saturday night dinner and show. We have arranged to have a headline performer provide our entertainment. He performed for President Reagan at the White House, was named Texas Poet Laureate in 2006, recorded 24 albums, acted in and produced movies. He has over 200 compositions recorded by both he and other artists. One of his CDs is tilted WAGON TRACKS and features, We Danced on the Oregon Trail. Red Steagall is a much sought after showman, western singer and poet. His event, The Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering, in the Stockyards National Historic District in Fort Worth, draws 30-40,000 visitors annually. To learn more go to www.redsteagall.com.
