80ish Birthday Roundup...All the information can be found by scrolling down this page

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The 80ish Birthday Roundup is fast approaching, and there's still time to let us know if you are planning to attend. This is a reminder to anyone who hasn't yet made a hotel reservation and would like to stay at the Hampton Inn - Destin. This is a quick reminder about the upcoming cutoff date for the group rate. The last day to book within the group was Sunday, September 6th. Please find the hotel info posted in a previous update.  

Hialeah High School Class of 1964

 80ish Birthday Roundup Agenda

 Destin, Florida

 October 6-8, 2026

 UPDATE: September 18, 2026

1) Tuesday, October 6th, Arrival Day

a. Hospitality Room for the HHS Class of 1964 will be available at 4:00 PM (Check-in time). Don’t forget to request your access key to the Hospitality Room

b. For dinner, we plan meeting at the Back Porch Restaurant (The Back Porch ) in the upstairs dining area by 5:45 PM to watch the 6:30 PM sunset while relaxing and placing our dinner order.

c. After dinner, we can return to our hotel’s Hospitality Room and the Lobby & Pool Area to spend time catching up with our former classmates.

2) Wednesday, October 7th

a. Our Class of “64 classmate, Bill Coffeen has been kind enough to schedule a visit for us to the Coffeen Nature Preserve ( Coffeen Nature Preserve ) at 10.00 AM. The address: 146 Coffeen Hill Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. The Preserve is located on Hwy 98 in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, 11 miles east of Destin, FL. It is in the Sandestin area, between the Tops’l Resort and the Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Look for the “Coffeen Nature Preserve” sign. If you’re interested in some of the area’s natural beauty as well as its early WW II rocket history, this is worth a visit. It will take about 2 hrs. and includes a brief introduction by the Nature Preserve’s ranger and a 45-minute video about the Nature Preserve’s history followed by a walking tour. 


b. After visiting the Coffeen Nature Preserve, we will have time to explore more of Destin on our own until we meet at McQuire’s Pub at 4:00 PM. One recommendation is Henderson State Park (Henderson Beach State Park | Florida State Parks). According to Pat and Gary, Florida state parks now require a reservation for access, so they suggest checking the website listed here ahead of time to check availability, make payment for a vehicle pass and additional information.

c. Other places to visit for those interested are the Pensacola Naval Air Station Museum, the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, Henderson State Park and the Destin History & Fishing Museum, plus several other museums in the area. For those interested in local shopping, there are the Destin Commons Shopping Center and the Silver Sands Outlet Mall.

d. We then have a late lunch/early dinner planned with Preferred Seating for our group at McGuire’s Irish Pub 33 East Highway 98 Destin, FL 32541 ( Home - McGuire's Irish Pub ) at 4:00 PM. A local, must visit while in Destin. They have set aside their Wine Cellar Room for our party.

e. Afterward, we suggest returning to the hotel to continue catching up and to celebrate our 80ish birthdays with some birthday cake! For those not staying through Friday morning, it will be a last opportunity to spend time with our classmates before saying goodbye until next time

3) Thursday, October 8th

a. Feel free to continue visiting Destin and other nearby attractions on your own such as Henderson State Park, Destin Harbor Boardwalk and the Village of Baytowne Wharf ( The Village of Baytowne Wharf ). Access to the Baytowne Wharf simply requires stopping at the entrance off Highway 98 and

picking up a free Vehicle Guest Pass. In late afternoon, we suggest meeting up at Hammerhead’s Bar & Grill there at Baytowne Wharf, overlooking the bay, for Happy Hour from 4-6 PM before having to decide where to go to dinner.

b. As a result of having much less than the 30 people necessary to book a separate deck for our class, those still interested in the Sunquest Dinner Cruise may purchase tickets online. Here is the link to their website: https://sunquestcruises.com We have two tables reserved by the window for our group which will accommodate up to 20 guests max. Please go to the link above to purchase tickets online. The cost is $93.50 plus tax/person excluding a 20% charge for the service staff. We will not be charged for the tickets until we board, and any additional food/drink charges will be added. We will each be provided with a bill at the end of the cruise. You may also want to purchase your tickets when you arrive on Tuesday, October 6, Check-in Day. If you need to cancel, the deadline is 5:00 PM Wednesday, October 7th.

Important: When you purchase your ticket online, in the Special Notes section, please indicate that you are with the “Hialeah High School 80ish Birthday Party” to ensure you are seated with our group. You will also be requested to complete a waiver form online. To ensure you are included in our group, you must use this exact link on that form: https://stbd.io/8isent

The dinner cruise ship leaves at 6:00 PM from the Baytowne Marina nearby. Please give yourselves enough time to arrive. Boarding begins 45 minutes prior to departure at 6:00 PM. It is a good walk from the parking lot and along the pier to the ship. There will be a golf-cart-type shuttle from the parking lot to the ship for those who may require assistance. Please read all the information provided by the dinner cruise operator online.

c. For those who are not planning to go on the dinner cruise, there are many other good options for dinner, including staying at Hammerhead’s (although later in the evening, it can become lively/loud there). Or going someplace else within the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Or you may wish to try somewhere else in the Destin area, such as the Surf Hut, Pompano Joe’s, Captain Dave’s, Dewey Destin’s – there are many others as well.

4) Friday, October 9th, Departure Day

a) For those of us who aren’t checking out at daybreak, we thought it best to simply meet for breakfast downstairs anytime from 7:00 AM on.

Note: If anyone has a specific question, requires advance information or a recommendation about the Destin area, Pat Pierce, our “Ambassador to Destin” and long-time resident expert has kindly offered to help you. Please feel free to call 24/7, 850-502-6176.

Looking forward to seeing all of you soon,

Your 80ish Birthday Roundup Committee

· Bill Coffeen

· Gary & Carol Licko

· Pat Pierce

· Sergio & Anne Siller

· Joe & Diane Spence

80ish Birthday Roundup in Destin Florida UPDATE (September 11, 2026) Scroll down for a list of those who plan on attending

It is hard to imagine, but October is almost here! That means our 80ish Birthday Roundup is just around the corner and we would like to update you on current plans. We would like to request that if anyone is still interested in joining us, please do not wait much longer to book your room At the Hampton Inn – Destin, FL. Even if you have never attended a Roundup in previous years, please consider coming to Destin – it will be fun and if you want to feel young again, consider that we are celebrating the 2nd anniversary of our 40th birthday – LOL! We are always interested in meeting former classmates whom we never knew while HHS. So please let us know your interest in participating for planning & reservation purposes.

1) Our classmate Pat Pierce, who is a long-time resident of Destin, has been very kind and diligent enough to obtain the following available option from SunQuest Dinner Cruises for our group:

Destin's Sunset Dinner Cruise (on SunQuest): 2nd Deck Buyout, Available Option for Thursday, Oct. 8:

This option requires us to book as a group with a 50% retainer. The remaining balance is due 21 days prior to your event date. This option allows for a more flexible floorplan as we will have more space as we will have rented out a deck. There is live music / dancing on the (public) 1st Deck, and an open air 3rd Deck (getting to the public, open air 3rd Deck requires going up 14 steps — there is a hand railing)

$5,000, up to 30 Guests: this works out to about $160 per person /$320 per couple

Includes:

· 3-Hour Public Dinner Cruise

· Reserved 2nd Deck – Only our guests will be seated on this deck for dinner service.

· Unlimited Beer & House Wine (cocktails available for purchase)

· 3-Course Dinner: Salad/Entrée/Dessert

To reserve this, we would need 30 people willing to commit within the next 10 days, and pay a 50% deposit (approx. $80/person) now, with the balance due 21 days before the Oct. 8 cruise date.

For more information, here is the Link to Destin's SunQuest Sunset Dinner Cruise:

Destin Dinner Cruises & All-Inclusive Weddings | SunQuest Cruises

Here is the Menu: 3 course dinner:

BRONZED ATLANTIC SALMON Lightly blackened, beurre blanc, herb rice, seasonal vegetable. (GF) BRAISED BONELESS SHORT RIB Smoked tomato cream sauce, garlic roasted mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetable. (GF) GULF SHRIMP & GRITS Stoneground yellow cheese grits, andouille sausage, zesty creole sauce, Gulf shrimp (GF) SOLARIS CREOLE CHICKEN Cast iron seared, creamy andouille sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetable (GF)

BAKED LUMP CRAB CAKES 100% super lump crab cakes (no breading), white wine and lemon butter sauce, herb rice, seasonal vegetable (GF) QUINOA BOWL (V) Fresh herbs, sauteed vegetables (GF)

We need to know within 10 days if our group would like to do this, and if we have 30 people willing to commit and pay the deposit, so please get back to us as soon as possible to avoid missing this deadline. And we agree with Pat who reminded us that this would be a wonderful conclusion to another of our HHS Class of ’64 Roundup get togethers.

Also, we have obtained a separate Hospitality Room for our class at the Hampton Inn – Destin so we can gather during our stay and to meet during our arrival day, Tuesday October 6th. We will also have their newly decorated Lobby area and outside Patio and Pool areas to gather anytime.

Classmates and guests attending 80ish Birthday Roundup in Destin Florida

                              Updated September 11, 2026:

Bill Barnette (65)

Alan Baro (64) and Kathy Baro

Nancy (Lundblom) Blizzard (64) & Tim Blizzard (65)

Arlene Byrne (64)

Bill Coffeen (64)

Lynn (Anderson) Dewhurst (64) & Jack Dewhurst (65)

Lynette (Strickland) Goslin (64) & Tom Goslin (64)

Mike Heffner (64) and Barbara Heffner

Gary Licko (64)& Carol Licko

Larry Pederson (64) & Jill Pedersen    

Pat Pierce (64)

John Rabreau (64) and Wanda Rabreau

Marilyn (Harris) Rolfs (64) and Warren Brundage

Nancy (Berthiaume) Rusinak (64) & Vince Rusinak (64)

Sergio Siller (64) & Anne Siller

Joe Spence (64) & Diane Spence

Paul Stokes (64) & Carol Stokes

Jo Ann (McAlhany) Walker (64) & Jonnie Walker

HHS Class of ‘64 80ish Roundup – Destin, FL

Good news! There is another Roundup for our class being planned for October 6-8, 2026, in Destin, FL to celebrate our milestone 80th birthday. Yes, hard to believe, 80!

Our fellow classmates involved in the planning for this “80ish” RU are Bill Coffeen, Sergio Siller (Anne), Pat Pierce, Joe Spence (Diane), and Gary Licko (Carol). They will be providing additional details over the coming months. For our planning purposes, please let Sergio (Anne) Siller (256-881-3795 / sjsiller@comcast.net) or Gary (Carol) Licko (786-351-7468 / c.licko@outlook.com know if you plan to attend, how many you expect will be in your party and if you are interested in helping in some way or have any questions. Also, if you have any questions about the Destin area, Pat Pierce, who is our resident expert, may be reached at ptvettes@gmail.com

We have obtained an agreement with the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton located at 1625 Scenic Highway 98 East, Destin, FL 32541 for a block of 14 rooms with discounted rates as follows:

1 King Studio Suite: $179.00 +13% in taxes 5 rooms

2 Queen Beds: $169.00 +13% in taxes 5 rooms

2 Queen Partial Gulfview Studio Suite: $199.00 +13% in taxes 4 rooms

We can request additional rooms, if they are available, so book early and please let us know. You can use the link below to book within our group block, “80ish Reunion”: https://bit.ly/HHSClassof64 or you may call the hotel directly at (850) 654-2677 and tell them you’re with the HHS Class of ‘64 80ish Reunion. The hotel has just been recently renovated plus parking and breakfast are included in the rates.

The cutoff date to make reservations is September 6, 2026. A credit card will be required at the time of booking; however, it will not be charged until the day of arrival. Please note you may cancel up to 48 hours prior to arrival without penalty, if needed, so book early if you have any plan to attend.

Please mark your Calendar and plan to join us for the great weather in Florida during that time of year. We look forward to seeing you then!

There are many other hotels in the area as well. For your convenience, here are just a few :

· Holiday Inn Express Destin E - Commons Mall Area 108 Hutchinson Street, Destin, FL 32541

· Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard 100 Grand Boulevard, Destin, FL 32550

· Spark by Hilton Destin 4415 Commons Drive East, Destin, FL 32541, United States

· Comfort Inn & Suites Destin near Henderson Beach 4401 Commons Drive East, Destin, 32541

Interesting Facts about Destin, FL

For those who may have yet the opportunity to visit Destin, you may be interested in knowing the following:

Historically many visitors arrived in Destin from the metro Atlanta area for their fun family vacation. In recent years the rest of the nation and indeed the world are discovering the pristine, sugar-white quartz crystal beach and emerald toned waters of the glorious Gulf of Mexico. It hasn't always been this way because this part of Florida was always considered remote or forgotten compared to the "civilized" developments along the Atlantic shores.

Actually, the hisry of Destin extends back thousands of years when Native Americans discovered the natural abundance of seafood that could be gathered from the gulf and bay. Arrowheads and artifacts found here from this early time can be seen in the Destin Fishing Museum and at the Indian Mound in Ft. Walton Beach. Although the early natives caught much of their harvest in the bay, the gulf location attracted commercial fishermen and later tourists. The near proximity of the 100 fathom curve off shore allowed anglers to have the fastest access to deep sea fishing on the entire Gulf of Mexico.

Anglers still catch Amberjack, Cobia, Grouper, King Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Pompano, Red Fish, Sea Trout, Snapper, Spanish Mackerel, Scamp, Shark, Tarpon, and Trigger Fish. Trophy fish include classic Swordfish, Blue fan-finned Sailfish, giant Mako Sharks, and cobalt colored Blue Marlin.

In addition to the gulf, the Choctawhatchee Bay to the north extends three to five miles across from the mainland. The bay has a huge natural abundance of fish including Bass, Bluefish, Croaker, Flounder, Sheepshead, Speckled Trout, White Trout, and more. Choctawhatchee Bay also offers a great harvest of delicious Blue Point Crab and creamy tasting Bay Shrimp.

Now Destin has become a major vacation destination for tourists and plays host to literally millions of visitors each year. It has become the "Crown Jewel" of what is known as "The Emerald Coast." Destin was recently named among The Most Beautiful Places in America as part of a nationwide survey that was conducted by and televised on Good Morning America. Southern Living Magazine has consistently named Destin as the Best Family Beach Destination and Frommer's Tourist Guide has often named The Emerald Coast on a list among The Most Beautiful Beaches in the World. Here is a link to the City of Destin website. Check it out: History of Destin | Destin, FL - Official Website