Organizer - Scott Vaden - (Contact me via the Comments and Questions Form) or you can reply to one of my emails.
Dates -
May 5th - May 12th - Click here for more information. If you are thinking, I am just not sure I can plan this far in the future, click the link for more information.
Costs and Payments -
When it comes time to make payments for something related to the reunion, go to this page to find the costs, payment methods and instructions.
Registration Information-
As of December 5th, registration for the 2024 Batfish Reunion is closed. However, you can go to the Registration information page to see who is currently registered, the registration information, payment status for reunion, how to get on the waitlist, see who is on the waitlist and anything else you would like to know about registration.
Reunion Host Hotel & Location -
The reunion will be held at The Inn at Opryland, 2401 Music Valley Dr, Nashville, TN 37214 . Click the link below to see the Reservation Booking Information. Everyone has already been booked. If I pick you up from the wait list, I will work with you individually to see if we can get you a room.
Safety in Nashville -
I have lived in the Nashville area since the late 80s and I have seen it change quite a bit. Nashville seems to be a safe city, if not, I would have moved already. There are areas I do not frequent because it can be a little dicey, but most towns have them. Here is a little information to keep in mind as you travel here.
Top Ten Traffic Safety Laws for TN Visitors - Watch out for TN Highway Patrol. We want you to come back to TN, but not to go to court.
Ten most dangerous areas - None of our activities are in this area. One other area that I would add would be Antioch in South Nashville. Downtown in the evening is generally ok between 6th and 1st avenue. It is usually busy and lots of people. The area around the hotel is fine.
Like many places, I would keep my political opinions to myself. TN is a red state politically, but we know the country in general is about 50/50. It is no different here. If you go asking for trouble, you will be able to find it. However, it is your normal southern city and for the most part, people in the Nashville are very friendly.
If you have specific questions about something, you can ask and I will tell you what I know, but with the internet, you can find everything you need to know on line.
I do live in Gallatin which is about 25 Miles NE of Nashille. Now that I am not working, I don't go into town much. Everything I need is within about a 10 mile radius of our home. After working in Nashville for the past 30 years, I avoid it because of traffic (Not LA type of traffic), but traffic none-the-less. If I don't have to go... I don't. It has nothing to do with safety.
To the right, you will see a picture of our state symbol. You can't avoid it, so just embrace it. :)
Camping and other hotels -
If you are making your own arrangements or plan on camping, click the link below for information about campgrounds and other hotels in the area.
Batinerary -
The Batfish Itinerary is used to let you know all the activities for the week. I am still working on it, but you can at least see what I know about what is scheduled.
During the Banquet Program we will be honoring our fallen shipmates with a tolling of the bells. If you would like to read the name of a friend or shipmate during this time, please fill out the form and list the shipmates for which you would like to read their names.
Banquet Dinner -
If you have paid and registered for the Banquet Dinner, click the link below to see information about the Banquet Dinner.
NOTE: The Banquet is casual. We will have pictures, but it is your call as to what you want to wear.
Batcave Hospitality Room -
These are the dates and times we will have access to the Batcave Hospitality Room.
Date Day Start Time End Time
05/06 Monday 12:00 22:00
05/07 Tuesday 08:00 22:00
05/08 Wednesday 12:00 22:00
05/09 Thursday 20:00 22:00
05/10 Friday 08:00 22:00
In the evenings, shipmates and spouses can head to the hospitality room to meet with friends and swap stories about life and times on the boat. We generally have beverages and snacks for those who want to partake of them. However, Tennessee has strict rules about what you can and can't have in the hotel hospitality rooms. We can have a bartender, but the drinks are high in my opinion. The best way to handle it is for you to purchase your own water, soda or alcoholic drinks and bring down what you plan to drink from your room when you come. When you leave the hospitality room, you will need to take your trash and remaining drinks back to your room. We obviously don't want to get stuck with a big cleaning bill at the end of the reunion.
Most of you have opted NOT to have a bartender in the hospitality room. Make sure you stop by the store and pickup whatever drinks and snacks you want to bring down to the hospitality room while you are there. If you choose to go to the bar, this is what they are charging for drinks at the bar in the hotel.
Premium Brands - $14/Glass
Premium Wine - $14/Glass
Domestic Beer - $9/Bottle
Import Beer - $10/Bottle
Soft Drinks - $6/Bottle
Bottled water - $6/Bottle
Group Activities -
I have been working on group activities for the past several weeks. Many of our attendees are only coming in for the Reunion on the 7th and 8th. We have a few coming in earlier in the week and a few staying later in the week. Because of that, we don't really have enough people to get much of a discount. Also, most all the group activities want additional deposits a month in advance, cancellation fees, minimum group size, etc. Because of all the restrictions, I am going to let you guys just explore Nashville on your own and go see the things you want to see during the day. I know sightseeing is not as high on your priority list as just reconnecting with friends on the boat, based on our attendance days.
I am trying to put together a tour on Wednesday morning when the majority of shipmates will be in town.
RCA Studio B on Music Row - This is really a nice tour and is actually more enjoyable with a group as opposed to being mixed in with the general public. You can do the tour with the general public and it is really only a few dollars more to do it on your own, but I think you will enjoy it more with the group. It also comes with passes to the Country Music Hall of Fame which is a really nice museum. You do not have to go the the museum as a group, but you still get the discount and can go to the Hall of Fame Museum on your own.
Sign up for the RCA Studio B Group Tour on Wednesday Morning at 11 AM
Nashville on your own Items of Interest -
While in Nashville in your free time, there are many options to keep you busy. There is also a lot of free stuff to see.
Here are a few items to explore on your own and get any tickets you may want to get. NOW!!
Miscellaneous activities - Lists of many things to do in Nashville
3rd and Lindsley - Local small venue for dinner and a show. They have a variety of artists.
The Country Music Hall of Fame Activities - List of Country Music hall of Fame activities.
Opry Entertainment - List of Opry related activities
The Hermitage - Home of Andrew Jackson 7th President - List of Hermitage related activities and experiences.
The Goo Goo Experiences - The Goo Goo has 3 experiences if you like candy. See page two of the brochure.
Two page overview of major attractions - These are a couple years old, but may have some info of interest
Detailed view of major attractions and weblinks - These are a couple years old, but may have some info of interest
Downtown parking can be a challenge and expensive -
The main tourist center is between 6th and 1st avenue on Broadway. If you plan to go to this area, the best and cheapest parking can be found at the Nashville Garage Library Parking lot. Make sure you check this out and know how to get to it and how to get to the area you want to visit.
Daily Group Dinners -
Since daytime group activities are going to be mostly on your own, I thought it might be nice to try and eat together in the evenings if possible. I have planned for us to be able to go out each evening as a group to one of the local restaurants and have dinner together if we can get it worked out with the individual restaurants without too much hassle. This list is already complete and on the Batinerary. If you would like to join us for the dinners for the evenings you plan to be in Nashville please click on the link and fill out the form to sign up.
Evening dinner sign up form - If you plan to go to the dinner that evening, you will need to sign up.
Batfish Reunion Week Dinner List - See who is on the list to eat with us to eat with us each evening.
Sunday, May 5th @1800, Santa Fe Cattle Company, 2520 Music Valley Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Santa Fee does not have any contracts or minimums and we can add more people as necessary. I will need a final count at least a week before going to the restaurant.
Monday, May 6th @1800, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, 575 Opry Mills Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Paula Deen also does not require a contract, but they also do not take reservations. Monday evenings are slower, I have been informed there should not be a problem getting in to eat.
Tuesday May 7th @ 1700, Caney Fork River Valley Grille, 2400 Music Valley Dr, Nashville, TN 37214 - CANCELLED
I have gone around and around with these folks. They have a separate dining area that would be great for us all to eat together, but they are not what I would call "group friendly". They want a $100 deposit (which is not refundable and is not included as part of the dinner price.) The price per plate is $35 + tax and gratuity, the group menu is a very limited. You have to pay the full meal price + tax and gratuity for anyone who doesn't show up. You have to place everyone's individual orders in advance when you set the booking and it goes on and on. It just isn't worth the hassle or expense.
The food is good and you get plenty to eat, but I can eat there for about $18-25 and order from the full menu (Vicki and I can actually split a meal and both of us can eat for that price). We can go here and they can seat us around the restaurant when spaces are available, but at that rate, we won't eat together or probably at the same time.
There are several restaurants within walking distance of the hotel, including this one. There are many more within driving distance of 1 or 2 miles. My advice is just to go out and eat this evening (maybe several of you in a small group), then we can come back to the hospitality room when you are done and socialize.
Wednesday, May 8th - Banquet Dinner
By now you should have booked and paid for the banquet dinner if you plan to attend
Thursday, May 9th @ 1800, Bavarian Bierhaus, 121 Opry Mills Dr, Nashville, TN 37214.
The Bierhaus DOES require me to sign a contract. We can have as many as 60 people in the private dining area (they do have a way for us to have more). There are no minimums or deposits that I have to pay, they just want to make sure we show up. They have been very accomodating. We have not eat here, but we did check it out and it looks like it could be a fun place to go.
Friday, May 10th @ 1630, Aquarium Restaurant, 516 Opry Mills Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
The Aquarium also has a contract and a deposit and Food and Beverage minimums (about $40/person). I will need an exact count at least a week before the reunion. It is a pretty neat restaurant and I believe you will enjoy the experience. They do plan to seat us all together. They also have a tour of the Aquarium (topside) for an additional $7 charge. Normally they close the tours down at 3pm, but they have agreed to have a special tour at 4pm just for us. I have been working with Angie and they know about our group and are excited to have a bunch of submariners come in for this event. We can also have pictures taken by their in house photographer. I really hope you will consider joining us for this activity and dinner. I will not collect any kind of deposit from any one and you will pay for your meals individually. As long as we meet our minimums, we should be good to go.
Saturday, May 11th @ 1700, Old Red, 300 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201
Waiting on feedback from Old Red. This one is still in progress, but it is not looking very hopeful since they have not responded to me. I know they don't normally take reservations and it is a Saturday Night. There are a lot of places to eat downtown if this don't work out. By Saturday night we will have a fairly small group of 15-20, so we will work something out for Saturday.
Photography and Photos
"Reunion Photographers" will be the company taking our pictures and providing their services. They will provide individual and groups pictures, they also provide a booklet that can be purchased.
If you want to see photos of Nashville, the Hotel and reunion pictures once we have the reunion click the link below.
If you want to see pictures of shipmates, etc you can click the link below.
Name Tag Information -
I am working on the name tags for the reunion and I want to ensure they are correct before I print them out.
Please look at your badge information and make sure it is correct for you, and your guests. If you need any corrections, please send an email to me at SSN681.Batfish@gmail.com and I will get it corrected.
Each Crew Member Name Tag will have their name, rate/rank, assigned year, home state and the main role they were assigned while on board.
Each Relative Name Tag will have their name and how they are related to the crew member. At the bottom of the name tag, It will have the crew member's name, rate/rank, assigned year, home state and the role assigned while on board.
I will be printing these on April 25th. Please make sure I have your changes before that date.
Volunteers -
Since we are not going to have liquor, drinks and snacks in the hospitality room, we will not need as many volunteers to help. I appreciate you volunteering to help and I still may need a few to work the registration table. I will reach out to those who have volunteered to help once we get closer to the reunion. You can see the volunteers on the Registration Report. If you would like to volunteer, send a quick email to ssn681.batfish@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.
Reunion Ball Caps -
Reunion Ball Caps are now available to order. See the links below for viewing, paying, ordering and the report of who has ordered and paid.
I will take payment and orders until FEB 21st if you want the $18.50 price (there is a discount for the embroidery for orders over 50 hats).
I am placing the order for the hats on the Feb 22nd, So it is a firm deadline. We have to have time to get the hats ordered and embroidered to have them by the reunion.
Any hats ordered and paid for between Feb 21st and Mar 21st will be $20.50. We may or may not be able to have those by the reunion. If I don't have them by the reunion, then they will have to be sent to you, so there will be an additional shipping and handling charge and I don't know what that will be at this time.
Check out the Reunion Ball Caps - If you would like to see what the caps look like.
Cost and Payments Page - See cost of Reunion Ball caps and payment methods
Order Ball Caps - Form to order ball caps
See Report of Ball Caps Ordered on 2nd Order - This is a list of people who ordered hats on the 2nd order between Feb 22nd and March 21st. See the status of your order and who has sent payments. Pay attention to your order date and time. I update this report as soon as I can, but it may be a couple days before you see the order on the report. You can also check here to see if I have received your payment and posted it.
See Report of Ball Caps Ordered on 1st Order - This is a list of people who ordered hats on the 1st order by Feb 21st. See the status of your order and who has sent payments. Pay attention to your order date and time. I update this report as soon as I can, but it may be a couple days before you see the order on the report. You can also check here to see if I have received your payment and posted it.
Submarine Coloring Book
For all you parents and grandparents out there, we are going to give away a Submarine Coloring Book at the banquet. These were created by Dolgos Enterprises. They sent me one to give away with the hopes that your children and grandchildren might want one. The price is $7.99 + $3 shipping and handling per book. If you need case pricing you can email them at SubColoringBook@gmail.com.
You can also order online at www.SubmarineColoringBook.com
Reports -
To make it a little easier, here is a list of all reports pertaining to the Reunion. You will find these throughout the Reunion Website, but here is the complete list of them, so you don't have to go searching. :-)
Receipts Log - This is where I log all money that I receive and the order in which it came in.
Total Paid - This is the organization of the receipt log by person, so that you can see how much money you have paid so far for everything.
1st order - Ball Cap Order Report - Who has ordered hats and how much they have paid on them.
2nd order - Ball Cap Order Report - Who has ordered hats and how much they have paid on them
Registration Report - This is where I track all Reunion Related Fees and the Banquet Dinner.
Reunion Dinner List - List of those who have decided to eat dinner with the group each evening of the reunion week.
Reunion Updates (Click arrow to see updates)
As planning continues, I will put updates here. Also be sure to check your email sent from ssn681.batfish@gmail.com. If you find email in junk or spam folders, add this email to your contacts and also allow email from this address.
2024-April-11 - Added a signup sheet for people to read the names of shipmates who are on Eternal Patrol.
2024-April-05 - The Banquet is casual. We will have pictures, but it is your call as to what you want to wear.
2024-March-25 - The name tags are ready to review. Please see the section above under "name tags" to see the report and what to do if your information is not correct.
2024-March-8 - I have removed my Business Paypal account out of the Batfish page and have added my Personal PayPal account. I have tested it and it does not charge a transaction fee for friends and family. So it is back up and operational.
2024-March-5 - I have added a section to the Reunion Website that addresses safety in and around Nashville. I also sent out the March 5th Email Update. Make sure to check it out. If you didn't get it, let me know.
2024-March-2 - There have been some changes to the dinner schedule for the week. Please read through that section. Also, I am working on a tour for RCA Studio B. If we can get enough people, I will book this tour. I have been refreshing all the information here on the website. It probably won't hurt to read down through it again and familiarize yourself with everything prior to getting to the reunion.
2024-February-5 - You can now order Reunion Ball Caps. See the section just above this one on the last item for more information.
2024-January-25-Working on the Batinery for the reunion. Started setting up the restaurants for the various nights of the reunion.
2024-January-5 Sent out the latest email update. Check your email box for information. Added the ability to see the Receipts log for the money i have been collecting. You can find this at the bottom of the payments page. If you plan on attending the banquet, the Banquet Deposit was due today. I will have to submit our Food and Beverage Deposit soon. If I haven't received your deposit, I assume you are not attending the banquet unless you tell me otherwise. I am currently working on the Hats for the Reunion. Once I have a sample hat completed, I will let you know so you can place orders.
2023-December-6 Registration is now closed. You can get on the waiting list. If someone cancels, I can work with you to replace them. Also the Banquet Dinner and Activities Surveys are active. We would like to get both of these completed by Jan1.
2023-November-22 Updated information on the cutoff dates and cost and payments to include the Total cost of the Banquet.
2023-November-14 Began adding group event and dinner opportunities to the website. Also working on a survey to see who is interested in specific group events and dinner opportunities. Survey will be sent out after Dec 5th.
2023-November-05 Extended reunion registration to Dec 5th because of issues with people getting email.
2023-November-02 Cleaned up the webpage to make it easier to find reunion information.
2023-October-20 We are winding up the registration portion for the reunion. You must be registered and have paid your registration fees by November 5th if you plan to attend the reunion. We are not going to accept any last minute registrations. We have been planning this for two years, so there has been plenty of opportunity to register.
2023-September-7 Hotel has completed setting up our Reservation Link, so you can now book your rooms. We are also now collecting fees for the Reunion. See the Information page for booking your hotel room and the Cost and Payments page for more information.
2023-August-23 - Received the signed contract from the hotel. The reunion is a go! Next step is to get their website setup so that we can register on line or by phone. Do not book rooms yet.
2023-August-17 - Signed the hotel contract, waiting to receive the signed contract from the hotel.
2023-August-15 - I Need to know whether you plan to attend the Banquet, If you have not contacted me, please send me an email and let me know.
2023-August-14 - Simplified the registration process to a single form. This form can be used to register for the reunion or remove yourself from the reunion list and future emails about the reunion. When you fill it out, you can also volunteer to help during the reunion. All other forms and surveys have been removed.
2023-August-5 - A hotel has been selected. The contract has not been signed yet, so do not try to book rooms until, I give you the OK.
2023-July-7 - Vicki and I are feverishly working on nailing down the host hotel for the reunion. We met with several of the sales managers yesterday at some of the hotels that are actually large enough to host 300+ people and they are currently working on quotes and contracts for our group. I am also going to be meeting with the Senior Tourism Manager at the Nashville Convention Center and Visitor Corporation - Nashville Music City on the 11th so that we can send out some more RFPs (Request for Proposal) for some different hotels and get information on group tours and pricing and some more restaurants. Groups this large are a little more challenging, but at least Nashville is a large enough city to handle it once you get in touch with the right people. I suspect hotels in the downtown area are probably going to be out of reach financially, but I will check on some of them anyway. The further out of town we get, the price gets better, but Nashville is becoming a huge destination city and hotel prices are some of the highest in the nation. The good news is that our dates are perfect and just prior to the beginning of the real tourist time in June and July. Based on our discussions yesterday, I feel we should be able to find something reasonable. The goal is to nail down the hotel by August 1st so people can begin to actually make travel plans.
2023-May-15 - One year to go!
2023-May-14 - I have updated the section below titled, "Will you be there?" to include some cutoff dates. I also updated the registration process, hopefully making it a little easier to follow. If you are coming to the reunion. You should see your name on three list. The Crew List, The Reunion List, and the Guest List/Report. If your name is on those three, then you are registered. If you are unable to attend the Reunion, you can add your name to the "Unable to Attend" report/list. This will stop the annoying future emails about the 2024 Reunion Updates.
2023-May-13 - I added two forms to the reunion page. One form allows you to state that you are unable to attend the reunion and do not want to get emails related to it. The other form is to allow those who have signed up with the intentions of coming to the reunion to let me know how many guests they plan on bringing and also provide their names so that I can create name tags for everyone attending.
2023-May 12 - We are now getting close to being within a year of the reunion. Hotels did not want to book out more than a year so I have held off, but as we get closer to the 1 year mark, I am going to start working on it again. Make sure if you plan on coming to the reunion, you get on the list, because the majority of my communications will be to the people who are already signed up.
2022-November 15 - Hotel and Campsite Information. I am currently working on reunion accommodations.
I want to try and select a single hotel for the majority of attendees, but that may be easier said than done. I will actually end up picking two or three hotels based on price and accessibility to downtown Nashville. The closer you get to downtown, the prices go up dramatically. Some people may want that and can afford it, others may not. I want to make sure we can find arrangements for everyone that wants to attend.
Once I get the main hotel selected, I will put together a list of campsites close by for those who want to bring campers and motorhomes. So keep checking this website for more information.
2022-May 9 - Primarily working on cleaning up the crew list and setting up the Reunion List to deal with more information. Except for signing up more people between now and next year, the plan is just to do some investigation on things to do in Nashville. I will be sending out some different surveys to determine if people will be flying or driving to Nashville. Also, I need to start collecting information about friends and relatives who will be coming to the reunion.
2022-May 6 - Contacted the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. There are no major events scheduled for this time of the month so we should not be competing with anything abnormal. Just normal Nashville Business. So I am confirming these dates. May 15-18, Wed -Sat 2024.
2022-May 5 - Based on the survey, I have decided to move forward with planning the 2024 USS Batfish Reunion in Nashville. Preliminary Reunion Dates are planned for May 15, 16, 17 & 18th (Wed-Sat). This is based on general weather conditions in the area about that time of year. I still want to check with the Chamber of Commerce to see if they are aware of any major activities in Nashville that could conflict or raise prices in the area significantly before settling on final dates.
2022-May 3 - I am beginning to work on plans for a Batfish Reunion in 2024 hopefully around the May time frame which is one of the prettiest times in Nashville. Right now I am thinking a reunion which would last Wed - Sat. Obviously, if people want to plan a vacation around this, they can come earlier and stay later. For those on a tight schedule, they might be able to do a long weekend and get home by the next work week. If we have enough interest, it is my plan to have the actual dates by the end of May this year. So keep and eye on the website!
Reunion Cutoff Dates (Click arrow to see cutoff dates)
If you think you may be interested in going to the reunion, you need to be on the registration list. There are several cutoff times you need to pay attention to.
October 5th, 2023 - 7 Months until the reunion - If you do not have your room booked by now, you may miss out and may have to make your own lodging arrangements. Hotel rooms are first come, first serve and the pre and post days are only offered if still available. The earlier you book, the better chance you have of getting the room and the days you want.
November 5th, 2023 - 6 Months until the reunion - If you are NOT registered by this date, time has run out! You can still opt not to come to the reunion and have your name removed from the registration list, but this is the deadline for registration. This is also the cutoff order date for ordering Swag Bags, ID holders, or any other orders that must be placed so you need to have paid your registration fee by this date or you may not be included when it comes time to handout swag bags, Id badges, etc. We obviously need the money to place the orders. This is also the cutoff date for booking your room with the Host Hotel. You may be out of luck, if you try and book after this date.
December 5th, 2023 - 5 Months until the reunion - I extended the cutoff date to Dec 5th, becuase of email issues. If you are NOT registered by this date, time has run out! You can still opt not to come to the reunion and have your name removed from the registration list, but this is the deadline for registration. This is also the cutoff order date for ordering Swag Bags, ID holders, or any other orders that must be placed so you need to have paid your registration fee by this date or you may not be included when it comes time to handout swag bags, Id badges, etc. We obviously need the money to place the orders. This is also the cutoff date for booking your room with the Host Hotel. You may be out of luck, if you try and book after this date.
January 1st - Please have the Batquet and Activities Surveys completed by this date.
January 5th, 2024 - 4 Months until the reunion - All Banquet Dinner Deposits must be paid by this date.
March 5th, 2024 - 2 Months until the reunion - All Final Dinner payments must be paid by this date.
April 5th, 2024 - 1 Month until the reunion - If you are on the Registration List, but have not paid all fees by this date, your name will be removed from the Registration List. If you are not registered for the reunion and decide to show up in Nashville at the last minute, you will not be admitted to any of the reunion activities. There are no last minute registrations. See Reunion Costs and Payment Methods for more information.
Reunion Questions and Answers
If you have other questions about the reunion, Fill out the Questions / Comments Form. I get a lot of email, and I don't want to overlook someone's question. For common questions that I may receive, I will put them on the Frequently Asked Questions page for this reunion. You can check that before sending another question to me. I will respond to your questions and comments from this email address. ssn681.batfish@gmail.com make sure it is added to your safe senders list.