The Fountain Terrace at the Hilton Hotel Costa Mesa was the setting for the annual area hospitality suites. Traditionally, the three Area Commodores host a hospitality suite in different rooms of the hotel. This year, they combined all their efforts into one large suite with adjoining patio, which made for a large, festive atmosphere.

As the sun began to set, Auxiliarists began arriving in droves, and they enjoyed an evening of fellowship before getting down to business with the “official” start of the conference on Friday morning.

The late summer southern California weather was perfect, and there was a plethora of food, from which to sample. Included were pretzels from Philadelphia (D5-NR), Mexican food from D11-NR, and shrimp from District 8-CR. Libations were also available, including Mai Tais from D11-SR, and the famous “moose milk” from D17.

All had a great time.