Change of venue... who's up for some camping?

[Netpoet]

Ok, just floating the idea here, since it's a year away. However, the idea of some of us getting together for Busch Gardens was just too close to the cookout.

However... middle to late August 2007 would be the perfect time to take a few days off and camp out at some cabins near a lake in a state park, would it not?

http://www.state.va.us/dcr/parks/douthat.htm

taken straight from their website:

Editors of the 1999 Outside Family Vacation Guide, a summer planner, have named Virginia’s very own Douthat State Park one of the nation's 10 best. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and straddles Bath and Alleghany counties. Douthat was one of the original six Virginia State Parks to open on June 15, 1936. Douthat is nestled in the Allegheny Mountains and features some of Virginia’s most outstanding scenery. In addition, a 50-acre lake offers swimming, boating and seasonal trout fishing.

Now, I'm a broke bastard most of the time, so yes, you'd have to pay for food and lodging. I'd be able to reserve the cabins for us at the resident rate, so we'd save a few bucks there... and if the Kolters come, I'm sure the resultant bonfire would be large enough to be seen from space, so cooking campfire foods wouldn't be too much of an issue. The cabins themselves have kitchens and whatnot, so you'd be able to cook regular foods and the like.

The cabins house 2-3, unless you get one of the two massive cabins. They are either on top of the mountain or at the bottom of the mountain (and if we had a ton of people coming, we'd likely just reserve both and hang out on top of the mountain until it's time for bed, then those down below can just roll down the hill. :p ) Those hold 15 and 18, respectively, and are considerably cheaper per person than the other would be.

One small issue would be transportation to here. Roanoke, VA is the closest airport, and if a whole bunch of you guys showed up, we'd have to figure out how to fit six-fourteen people in a Saturn SL2. :p I'd probably have to rent a van, scary as that prospect might be...

but anyway, this is just a preliminary feeling-out post. Anyone interested?

>Net

[Cortland]

I like this idea MUCH better! I went camping with my family in Minnesota, and we rented a cabin by a lake for a week. It was WONDERFUL. Swimming, hiking, drawing pictures of the beautiful scenery, maybe playing volleyball if they have the facilities there, having fun with all you guys... this would be the perfect vacation!

And if it's going to be in August, could we possibly have it during our collosal Week of Birthdays?

[Netpoet]

I'm thinking more the third week of August, because a lot of people would possibly be going back to school on the 4th week of August (Kolter pointed this out to me).

[Rkolter]

I...

I get to light a fire?

Oh, the Kolters are sooooo coming.

[Netpoet]

I'll even up the ante, and say that you can light the fire in any method you wish, but you can NOT use any matches, lighters, or other normal "accepted" methods. :p

I'm sure there's plenty of ways to produce heat and flame beyond those, but darn it, it sounds fun to watch.

Oh, and no nukes. It's pretty here. :p

>Net

[VileTerror]

Go nuclear, or go home!

Or do both.

Or neither.

Or something else entirely which I can not yet fathom.

Or something else entirely which I could and probably have fathomed, but haven't bothered to list.

[Netpoet]

let me also bring this up... I *WILL* be bringing at least my 5 (well, 6 at that point) year old son with me. I'm not sure if my wife will be coming or not, but there ya go.. any of y'all with kids, this could be a lot of fun.

>Net

[VileTerror]

Ooo! Perfect age to kidnap and reprogram!

[Tim]

I'll even up the ante, and say that you can light the fire in any method you wish, but you can NOT use any matches, lighters, or other normal "accepted" methods. :p

I'm sure there's plenty of ways to produce heat and flame beyond those, but darn it, it sounds fun to watch.

Oh, and no nukes. It's pretty here. :p

>Net

You also may want to add the stipulation that creating this fire does not destroy the rest of the forest. Or leave any toxic by-products that would contaminate the food.

[Garneta]

Man, that sounds fun! Unfortunately, though, we probably won't be able to afford it, and even if we did, that might be during the bad part of the dancer changeover at work, and so I'd be stuck at the theatre sewing anyway.

[Blackaby]

Well y'know, I guess we could go to America... and then come back from America for Zwuh to finish his schoolin's... and then go back to America... and likely stay...

HRMRMRMmMmMM. I love camping.

God though my finances are gonna hurt. I'd better get a bally good job in Australia.

[Rkolter]

I'll even up the ante, and say that you can light the fire in any method you wish, but you can NOT use any matches, lighters, or other normal "accepted" methods. :p

I'm sure there's plenty of ways to produce heat and flame beyond those, but darn it, it sounds fun to watch.

Oh, and no nukes. It's pretty here. :p

>Net

You also may want to add the stipulation that creating this fire does not destroy the rest of the forest. Or leave any toxic by-products that would contaminate the food.

Actually, when I lived in Cleveland we did monthly bonfires by the lake. I would make them 30-50 feet high and ten feet in diameter, and I was never allowed any accelerant or ready-made fire (matches, lighter, etcetera).

If I can't burn down the forest, well... it'll still be fun. We're in.