We took seats in the Theater by Raytheon in the Hall of Fame and Mr. Earley spoke of the vision of Patriot Place and in troduced Mr. Jonathan Kraft, President of the Kraft Group. Mr. Kraft spoke of the development of the $20 million Hall of Fame with great pride to honor the history of the Patriots franchise. It is designed to be both entertaining and educational. The Patriots Hall of Fame was recently given the Gold Award as best new museum by a national  museum association and is considered a model for others. We each received 2 tickets for a complimentary admission to the Hall.

  

Mark Irwin, Marketing Manager for LTI gave thanks to the loyal customers who support LTI and is very pleased to be part of the GBCA. Michael Southwick, founder of LTI, has generously donated to the GBCA a portable microphone and speaker system so Ellen won't have to strain her voice to be heard at meetings.

 

We then began a whirlwind tour of the fabulous Patriot Place. CBS Scene is a dining and entertainment experience like no other, with great food and bar and 137 HD screens where you can watch a game or classic CBS programming from the past 75 years. The chef of Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro in April of this year was invited to the James Beard House in NYC. They feature creative cuisine from only local producers and the menu is designed around small plates (but larger than tapas). The wine list and weekly tastings have received national recognition. Skipjacks, though well-known to us in Boston, offers a unique atmosphere here with an award winning wine list and spectacular food. We feasted on sushi and calamari here. There are private dining facilities that offer the latest in A/V and communications for meetings. Showcase Live is a 16,000 sq. foot live entertainment venue hosting top artists from a variety of genres. Cindy Thorp, director of events, gave us a tour and a packet of info including two tickets each to a variety of upcoming shows. This space is also available for special rentals. Showcase Cinema DeLux offers a number of screens for movie viewing in a very upscale atmosphere; some of the theatres even have VIP seating areas with dining and bar service right at your luxurious seat for a modest fee over the ticket price. Next to be visited was Davio's, then it was on to Green Tangerine Aveeda Salon and Tavolino Pizza Gourmet. We moved on to see the brand new Renaissance Hotel and tour the extraordinary spa facilities opening soon. Finally, we went to the Bass Pro Shop, a "Disney World" for outdoor activity of all kinds and every kind equipment and clothing you can imagine for enjoying it. You can spend hours lost in the 142,000 sq. feet of displays, or cozy up to one of the comfortable sitting areas by a fireplace and gaze out the windows at the nature preserve which the Kraft Group and Patriots organization has made a hallmark of this remarkable place. There is a beautiful walking path through the preserve and soon Ocean Spray will open it's touring route of a working cranberry bog in the preserve.

 

Many thanks to April Worden and all at Patriot Place for putting together this wonderful experience. Members who were not able to attend the meeting should explore the facilities at the interactive website, www.patriot-place.com. It truly is NOT just another mall. Many of the restaurants and entertainment venues can host groups and private events for our guests and residents. Our thanks also to all the shops in Patriot Place who overwhelmed us with hospitality, with food and drinks, gifts and gift certificates and invitations, and made our day spent at Patriot Place well worth while.