2025 - Lake Placid, NY

Frank scores 2 great houses in Lake Placid.  Their somewhat rustic nature is offset by views of Whiteface Mountain, game rooms, water vessels and a 10-minute walk into town.

Viking chess makes its Schneiderfest debut and becomes the new favorite yard game 

Joe and Karen cater dinner for 200

Frank books a fishing trip and a bunch of people agree to go - the night before he reveals (because he had no idea prior) that the trip will be in single person stand up kayaks. Anna’s reaction includes the phrase “way to steal everyone’s joy”. 

Laura brings a (very fun and awesome) friend, Taylor, who gets up early to watch the sunrise on the dock, only to get locked out of the house and forced to sleep in the Schneider's garage 

Anna is up at 5 as usual answering emails … BUT on day 4, drafts her retirement letter!!!

Anna and Karen share a flamingo tube; Frank drives the boat verrrry slowly  

A Schneiderfest Whodunnit: WHERE IS THE FIREPLACE REMOTE

Coffee maker in the non-Arlington Schneiders house, takes 90 min, a YouTube video, reading the directions and 3 people to get it to brew a pot of coffee the first morning.  Laura and Taylor are wakened at 7am by the team of experts trying to get the coffee maker to work.

Thinking of Grandma and Grandpa (who would be celebrating his 100^th birthday) as the Medoffs make a dinner of Daisy ham and potato pancakes  

Luke and William playing (hitting each other) brings back memories of young Austin and Wes 

Nightly games of Fishbowl – even Anna and Joe join in.  Loraine signs up for Jenga.

Natalya and Luke’s first Schneiderfest. Brady’s first non-Cape May Schneiderfest.  New Hampshire Quinlans arrive at midnight on Friday – Junior sporting curls Karen can only dream about.

First Schneiderfest since 1988 without Geneva.

Brian becomes only "child" to attend all 3 Lake Placid Schneiderfests 1991, 2005 and 2025

Frank, Maria, Brady, Rudy and Natalya play some extra soggy games of tennis

Anna buys Frank a custom thousand-piece puzzle based on a picture from the Grand Canyon trip.  The picture has about 3 colors.  It takes 12 family members and 60 man hours.  And that's just to finish the sky pieces.

Christina Daniel and Maria do a steep 5-mile hike. The Medoffs comment frequently (between ragged breaths) on their steep 2-mile hike how glad they are that they did not even attempt the 5 Mile hike.

Alex enjoys a lovely queen bedroom intended for Ben and Danielle who couldn't make it because Mark Benson Medoff was born the week before.

2024 - Cape May, NJ

 

• With Marie and Chris getting married in Lansdale on Saturday, Frank finds yet another fabulous Schneiderfest house nearby in Cape May.
• Mark (and then Frank) acting out labor in charades 
• Are you doing pushups? asks Tina.  No, I’m doing downward dog, it takes me a while to get up replies Karen (during charades)
• Welcome to the family, Daniel 
• Gentsch family visits en masse on Tuesday.  Loraine cooks for 37.  Everyone asks, “How old IS Amy?” 
• Ben and Rudy slow dancing during fishbowl (allegedly) 
• Ron and Regina’s first Schneiderfest 
• Brady’s second Schneiderfest in cape May
• Medoff and Schneider oldest vs middle vs youngest children yard game. Laura and Rudy dominate in Can Jam. Tina and Ben dominate in Spikeball. Alex and Maria are also there. 
• Many an Oyster Bay visit for one dollar per oyster happy hour
• John McLaughlin Cape May challenge completed ✅
• Mark, Karen, Frank, Maria, Rudy and Tina bike to the lighthouse and relax with a 199-step ascent to the top. New Jersey’s finest sangria was had to rehydrate 
• Evenings recapping Marie and Christopher’s lovely nuptials, planning for Ben and Danielle
• Medoffs go jet skiing
• Final count 24 over the course of the week **not including Gentsch‘s 
• Holden returns to Schneiderfest and fits right in with the gaming obsessed cousins 
• Marinellis get a house in our backyard. Kai and Vaness in a hotel next to Geneva and behind Schneiderfest house.
• Anna busy on her phone and laptop.  NEXT YEAR she’s retiring

2023 - Bolton Landing (Sagamore) NY

 

o   Frank scores again finding a beautiful house next to the Sagamore Hotel on Lake George.

o   Brian Jr., Elliott, Chris, and Danielle attend their first Schneiderfest.

o   Visits from Marie’s friend Nicole and Frank and Anna’s friends Madeys

o   Alex, Wes, and Joe arrive later in the week. 

o   Frank and Anna’s friend Mike Merin takes the kids cliff jumping on his boat

o   Day trip to Saratoga racetrack - Tina and Frank win big, Elliott doesn’t bet.

o   3-hour-long heads-up game in recliner city 

o   Epic 15 people fishbowl game.

o   3 days of rain did not dampen anybody’s mood (except Karen’s pants) 

o   Tubing and kayaking on the lake

o   Ben, sporting new facial hair, celebrates birthday #24,

o   Great porch for eating, lounging, and listening to the loons.

o   Walk into town for Tops grocery, Bolton brewing company, Fredrick’s, 

o   Waving to Depe Den, nostalgic flashbacks of shag carpets with pickles. 

o   Final count 25 over the course of the week. 

2022 - Cape May, NJ

 

• Mark “spills the beans” immediately on Day 1, helping Karen and Joe bring in the groceries 
• Tina unable to recite the Pledge of Allegiance
• Geneva is 8 months pregnant. Hours spent brainstorming baby names for Geneva and A.J. 
• Arguably most haunted house thus far. Also the least safe house for kids, but luckily no kids this trip. Also a billion pillows in the house. House is historic enough to have its own website and be featured on postcards. 
• Horse and buggy rides past the house very often. Tour trolleys call out the house. People take photos from the sidewalk constantly.
• Porch life abounds, front back and side.
• Day trip visit (from a Covid safe distance) from Loraine’s family, Two of Ron’s daughters and grandkids (lil Ronnie) and Mike’s friend Joe, Mike’s mom and sister, Wes
• Daily beach trips (requiring permits) and nightly ice cream walks
• Arlington Schneider professional family photo shoot
• Brady’s first Schneiderfest. When interviewed by a third party, Brady called his experience at Schneiderfest ‘interesting’
• First Schneiderfest without an appearance by Grandma

2021 - Peru, VT

 

·         Frank finds a spectacular compound in Peru, Vermont
·         Maria’s apartment in DC catching on fire makes the evening news
·         Melissa and Evian’s first Schneiderfest
·         Mike, Laura and Alex arrive first, first time!
·         Very “Vermonty” hikes to the nearby mountains
·         Kids create the “Pineapple floaty home run derby” game
·         Missing Marie
·         Rudy takes iPhone for a swim in the pool - - Alex and his cell phone decided to follow Rudy’s example
·         Anna guessing “Smirnoff’ during Heads Up game and not getting it “oh well, … I don’t drink cheap vodka”
·         Playing spike ball in the pouring rain
·         PJ and Rudy charades duo team is unbeatable
·         Witnesses report - Rudy beats Wes in ping pong …3 times!
·         Austin, Tiffany and Nuvi come for a day trip – Austin brings homemade bread
·         Sol is permanently affixed to Tina
·         Frank, Mike and Mark help the millennials explore history at the Pinball museum
·         A.J. and Neva winning newlywed game (best friends’ game)
·         Grandma seeing Sol leave to go outside and asks Mary “where is Geneva going?”
·         Grandma calls Mark “cancer boy” as he floats in the pool
·         Despite small grease fire, grill master Frank introduces “The Meater” meat thermometer
·         Quinlan compound has AC, but the big house melts
·         Omi and Grandma skew the average attendee age as they turn 93 and 95 respectively
·         Anna notes saltwater pool does not count as beach… next year is a beach year!
 

2020 - Rehobeth, DE

·         Frank scores again with a beautiful 11-bedroom house with 10 bathrooms 100 yards from the beach

·        OK we’ve done Rehobeth before … what can make this one different … maybe a worldwide Pandemic?

·        After quickly gauging the hygiene of the assembled family, Geneva and AJ set up a COVID station complete with masks, gloves, wipes, thermometers, and hand sanitizer.

·         At a time when nutrition is important, easy access to the boardwalk provides an abundant supply of donuts, fries, and ice cream

·         Because COVID’s not enough, Mary arrives with poison ivy and oozy impetigo.

·         Irie and Katahdin join in VERY LOUD games of secret Hitler and Jack Box

·         In a game of salad bowl Mike does a dead-on impression of Mark

·         On our grand screened in porch, Sol decides SOMETHING must be done with Christina’s hair

·         While some enjoy fishing, biking, running and hiking many opt for social distancing on the beach.

·         Toasting grandpa’s 95th birthday

·         Multiple Heads Up game sessions that last for hours (highlights were Ben with the “BRAINS!” hint for ‘Zombies’ and Anna guessing “Princess” as Neva’s occupation)

·         Family massage train

·         Frank, Mark, A.J. And the Medoff men golfing at The Rookery North