Enjoy... Our Companion Program

Monday, November 15

8:00 am - Join us for our Meet and Greet over breakfast. We will have some fantastic door prizes to give away! Nelle Sommerville, who is with Visit Baltimore, will join us to tell us all the exciting events that you may want to explore while in the city. We will leave the hotel, by coach, at 10:30 am, for shopping at Arundel Mills Mall which is Maryland's top shopping, dining and entertainment destination. Arundel Mills Mall has over 200 stores to chose from, with many unique specialty stores. A festive food court, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, and the Cinemark Egyptian 24 are also part of the shopping adventure. Pick up great values at stores like Kenneth Cole Company Store, Calvin Klein, Nike Factory Store, Sak's 5th Avenue, Anne Taylor Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger Outlet, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Guess Factory Store, Crocs, J. Crew Outlet or Victoria's Secret. Grab some great eats at Chevy's Fresh Mex or DuClaw Brewing Company. From a medieval castle to an Egyptian pyramid – and every thing in between - Arundel Mills offers something for everyone! Lunch is on your own but transportation provided by AME.

Tuesday, November 16

8:00 am - We start the day with breakfast and more door prizes. Today we try something new & exciting. Step up to a fiery furnace and make your own blown glass Christmas bulb for your tree… as we are off to the world famous Coradetti Glassblowing Studio and Gallery. Your unique piece will be delivered to the hotel the next day. Depending on interest, we will have two classes for the glass ornaments. You will need to register for morning workshop or an afternoon workshop…lunch will be provided at Woodberry Kitchen next door to Corradetti’s. Your cost is $40.00 per person and the transportation is provided by AME. The first bus will leave the hotel by 9:30 am and the second will leave by 10:30 am. We will all join for lunch which is courteous of AME. The first group will be back to the hotel by 2:00 pm and the second group will be back by 3:00 pm.

Wednesday, November 17

8:00 am - join us for breakfast and door prizes in our hospitality room. Later that morning, we will travel by coach to Gertrude’s Restaurant, located at John Hopkins University, the Baltimore Museum Art Campus for Crab Cakes 101: Instructed and entertained by Baltimore native John Shields, chef & owner of Gertrude's Restaurant (as well as a television cooking show host and cookbook author), guests will learn hands-on about the Chesapeake blue crab, and how to pick the meat from a steamed crab. With the assistance of volunteers from the audience, John will then demonstrate how to make the perfect crab cake. Afterwards guests will be invited into the dining room to enjoy a three-course lunch." If you have any allergies to seafood, there will be other scrumptious lunch items available.

1:30 pm, we will visit The Baltimore Museum of Art which is home to an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern, and contemporary art. Founded in 1914 with a single painting, the BMA today has 90,000 works of art—including the largest holding of works by Henri Matisse in the world. Throughout the Museum, visitors will find an outstanding selection of European and American fine and decorative arts, 15th- through 19th-century prints and drawings, contemporary art by established and emerging contemporary artists, and objects from Africa, Asia, the Ancient Americas, and Pacific Islands. Two beautifully landscaped gardens display an array of 20th-century sculpture that is an oasis in the city. The BMA Shop carries a wide array of art books for adults and for children of all ages, unique gifts and collectibles, exceptional jewelry, posters, reproductions, and the best selection of art cards in town. You should be back to the hotel by 3:00 pm. Cost: $40.00

Thursday, November 18

8:00 am – At breakfast, Betty Roether who will be telling us about some ideas she has planned for Dallas next year for the companion program. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn about Dallas and have the chance for some more great door prizes.

9:30 am - we will visit the world famous Baltimore Aquarium at the Inner Harbor, a few blocks away from the hotel. Opened in 1981, the Baltimore Aquarium is world-famous and undoubtedly Maryland's leading tourist attraction. Housing more than 16,000 creatures, the Baltimore Aquarium exhibits a variety of species in their naturalistic habitats. You'll find animals such as stingrays, sharks, sea turtles, bullfrogs, phytoplankton, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, puffins and thousands more. We head back to the hotel in time for lunch. We will have a variety of spa services offered in a setting complete with soft music, soothing scents and shimmering candlelight as we unwind from our busy week. Your whole day is yours to enjoy for $40.00.

Three ways to register!

1) Register online and create a site account. You will receive an email allowing you access to our registration site and a login link. You must pay with a credit card to register online.

2) Registration by email or fax, complete the PDF registration form and fax to (224) 232-5981 or email to dcrawford@ame.org. Or mail with check made out to:
AME, 3115 N. Wilke Road, Suite G, Arlington Heights, IL 60004

3) Or by phone! Contact: Del Crawford at (224) 232-5980 ext. 223