We invite members from the region to enjoy some holiday fun with us as we kick off the season.

We'll be holding an optional Grab Bag and this year we decided that those who take part bring an ornament between $10 and $15. NO STAR TREK ornaments because many of us have them for our collection already.

We're asking everyone to bring 3 dozen cookies, and bring along $10 for pizza/food. Feel free to bring some of your favorite holiday CDs or tapes. We'll have a boom box to play some music to get us in the mood.

Donations for unwrapped toys for our annual area toy drive will also be warmly accepted. For more information visit our Calendar of Events, or contact Adm. Bob Vosseller at co@usschallenger.org.

Click here to RSVP to this event.

We've been a group for almost 20 years, and having been aboard for 3/4 of that time has been quite a ride.  It's always been interesting and never anything but fun for me.  We've had a lot of changes over the last month or two and they haven't been easy for any of us.  We've said goodbye to some old friends and made decisions on who we are and what we want to be as an organization. 

However, we've also made some signifigant strides in improving the chapter.  We've updated our manual, gotten ourselves a a brand spankin' new Web site and now a new First Officer.  We've even made some decisions on our 20th Anniversary party which I will share with the group once I have the contracts in my hand.  I hope this is the beginning of the positive changes that will continue to improve the chapter. 

So in this appointment, I raise a glass to the friends we have made, both past and present; toast to the friends we will make in the time ahead and drink to the folks who've made my last 15 years aboard something unique.

From the right hand seat,
-Jeff

—
Captain Jeff Victor
Executive Officer
USS Challenger NCC-1676-D

The museum had some re-touches to expand upon the timeline of the Enterprise crew. As it had opened almost 10 years ago, the Experience has spanned DS9, Voyager and Enterprise, so the exhibits needed some updating to keep them relevant as new "history" was being created with every episode.  The Klingon Encounter ride is still operational, with folks still enjoying thier time travel through space to save Jean-Luc Picard and bewilder the Las Vegas authorities.  With the Borg Invasion 4D, you still work with the Doctor and Admiral Janeway to save the universe and Copernicus Station from the Borg's clutches.  They're still both good rides from start to finish. 

However, the highlight of the day was the Backstage Tour.  This new feature, released about a year ago, brings you backstage to see just how Star Trek: The Experience works.  Our tour guide, one of the original characters from the opening of the attraction, took us through the museum, rides and back stage areas to show us just "how things work on a starship."  From trivia about Jeri Ryan's hissy fit over the giant photo of the cast that didn't reflect her (yes, she went back to make sure it was changed) to the original plans for the rides and layouts, it was quite the show.  We got to spend more time on the sets, including the Enterprise's bridge and the Shuttlebay so that we could get up close and personal with the details that went into making the rides seem real.  We learned just how they "beam" you aboard the Enterprise during the Klingon Encounter ride and how they wrote the scripts to the rides.  

Backstage, they show you the offices, mess hall and makeup areas.  You also get to see how the motion simulators for the Klingon Encounter ride work.  Finally, you end above Quark's, to sign your name in the book to immortalize your visit to the Experience.  After the tour, we headed downstairs for a late lunch at Quark's and some photos in the Borg Chamber and on the Enterprise's bridge.  The photos are kind of fun because they let you poke around for a while on the bridge and play with the panels, and such.  As I relaxed in the center seat, most folks headed up around the tactical and aft stations.  Really, a cool feature well worth the cost of the photos.

On the flip side, probably the two biggest disappointments was the lack of characters roming Quark's and the Promenade and the shops on the promenade.  When I had visited the attraction in the past, there were Ferengi, Borg, Klingons and Vulcans walking around and interacting with the guests.  This time, there were two Ferengi and not much else.  Even the Borg for the Borg Encounter were not in abundance, taking the ride from a level of being a little scary and knocking it downward to being a little hokey.  One borg per ride wasn't what I would consider to be intimidating.  The shopping has also become a little less targeted towards fans and more targeted towards the casual guest.  There's a distinct lack of any uniforms for sale, as well as less of a merchandise selection. 

All in all, it was a great trip and good time at the Experience.  After about 6 hours of fun in the 24th Century, we headed back to our 21st century room for a nice soak in the hot tub.  Time travel kinda takes it out of you.  🙂

Although there are rumors abounding about the closure of the Experience, it's been 10 years and nearly 100 million dollars invested so I doubt it'll happen any time soon.  Hopefully the next time we head out there, there will be a new and even better addition to the attractions.  I for one, can't wait.