Trip to Liveaquaria facilities

[MMreef]

Hi,everybody.I am thinking of visiting Liveaquaria facility in Rhinelander WI.I was thinking to maybe organize a tour for CR members,who are interested.Most likely it would be Saturday or Sunday all day trip by the end of summer,or beginning of fall.I do have connections in transportation business ,so I can get a good rate for charter bus.Need 25-30 people.Cost would be around $70-$80 per person without lunch,or $100 food provided.I have not contacted Liveaquaria yet about this,need to know how many people would be interested if any.Please post your reply or PM me.This would be great opportunity for CR members to get together and meet in person.

 

[Lil BamBam]

I'm in... But I will take my own Express Van with a few members and share the gas cost. $70-100 is to much for me as I rather spend it their

 

[rattyE36]

I have a friend who is pretty far up the management ladder at F&S/Live Aquaria. If you want me to give him a call and see if he could do anything to help you guys out then let me know and I'd be more than happy to contact him.

You are aware that is a 6hr drive in a car doing over the limit so probably more in a slower bus? 12+ hrs of driving my be a squeeze for a day trip...idk, just my 2 cents.

 

[ColaAddict]

+1 on a very long drive. 12 hrs drive round trip. I would rather ride a bus than drive 12 hrs, but if you don't mind being in a car that long, then go for it.

 

[MMreef]

Yes,I am aware that it is a long drive,that is why I think charter bus is a better idea than driving there yourself.By meaning all day trip ,we would have to leave around 6 am and come back 9 pm. As far as cost ,I don't think $80 or $100 is much,especially you will pay more for gas if you decide to drive there yourself.This is just an idea,wanted to see if there is any interest in it.Keep posting your input.Thanks.

 

[rattyE36]

Also some food for thought I think that unless you could get some sort of special tour of the facility/warehouse then people would be very disappointed. It's basically a foster and smith branded petco. The actual "live aquaria" section is a small wall of tanks and then a single maybe 80G frag tank and then usually if you request something that you know they stock but you don't see in the retail store then they just send an employee the 50yrds away to the warehouse to go get it. But unfortunately it's not like going to Live Aquaria means getting to browse around their massive aqua culture and saltwater facility.

 

[ColaAddict]

Isn't their big facility in california? That's where the non-divers den stuff comes from.

 

[FishBeard]

I have a bit of input on this idea.

1. We are looking at about 4.5 to 5 hours of a drive non-stop to the facility starting near the OHare airport area. My family has a house about 20-25 minutes south of the rhinelander facility which regularly only takes 4 to 4.5 hours to get to.

2. This will definitely need to be on a Saturday as the facility is closed on Sunday to walk in customers. Also for divers den orders, it will help to write down the item numbers of the things you want ahead of time, or eve order it over the phone with special orders to have it boxed but will be picked up rather than having it shipped.

3. As mentioned, most people will be greatly disappointed with the public section of their aquatics department. About 90% of their stock or more is in the warehouse, which I highly doubt even with a connection may be against company policy for customers to be given access. One example in particular, simple filter pads for a canister, you want them? They have to go to the warehouse for them. Filter pads, one of the most common items people buy, not even on a shelf in the retail outlet at the facility.

4. $70-80 each for a trip to the place will honestly be a great disappointment. Unless you also have cats dogs and birds to stock up on supplies for, you will be losing much more money than you will save. I suggest rather a group buy with a Saturday delivery and a group meet that day we can all chip in some determined amount for food to be provided. No 9+ hours crammed in a bus, and we all still get good deals, good food, and a chance to meet up and put some faces to names in person.

I hope this input helps...

 

[rattyE36]

^I pretty much agree with all of that...and if anything you are slightly underestimating the drive up there (it really all depends on the route up there) but regardless I do think that people would be pissed and be like "wow, i drove all this way for this?" because you aren't getting the full access to the cool facilities.

 

[FishBeard]

^I pretty much agree with all of that...and if anything you are slightly underestimating the drive up there (it really all depends on the route up there) but regardless I do think that people would be pissed and be like "wow, i drove all this way for this?" because you aren't getting the full access to the cool facilities.

I'm just saying what it typically takes me to get up there, I know that I don't drive like a grandma and do the speed limit, but I would hardly call my driving speed reckless. We typically average mid 70's for most of the trip once on the expressway. My personal route of choice to get up there is I90 west until the split north on 39/51 where 90/94 heads west, pretty much straight shot up there, about 20 minutes once you get off the highway to Foster&Smith. When I am up there I hardly even bother to stop in on saturday cause they close at 5pm, and I know it will be at least a good 24 hours from closing until i can even start acclimating any purchases when I head home on sunday. I dont mean to dissuade anyone from taking a trip up there if they have a weekend to spend on it, there are plenty of hotels in the areas, just be sure to make your purchases as late as possible saturday, and leave for home as early as possible sunday to beat most of the traffic home.

 

[goat585]

If you look at their website they have tours of divers den four times a year. You can purchase whatever you like when you are there. It is well worth the trip and expense to check out. Imo it is the nicest saltwater facility in the Midwest that I have been to.

 

[MMreef]

Well,looks like it is not going to happen.I did not know there no access to their main facility to public.Thanks everybody for input.Like I said before,it was just an idea.