Meet n greet 2011

[ontariocamper]

CF meet'n' greet 2011?....

Posted a message over in the social groups section....

[ontariocamper]

I guess maybe I posted in kinda the wrong place?

Here goes............

A while back someone made a comment about maybe having a meet'n'greet
in the future......

Well, lets get some feedback as to when?..(2011)
Where?....(Manhattan, KS)
Why?.....(for the love of campin'.)..and I wanna see Bigdog57's wooden scooter.

It's not something we can do on a weeks notice (although I know RDF would be ready on a days notice)
There are people that would have to make vacation plans, jobs, equipment purchases, vehicle rentals, and like myself, get a passport.

What does the general population think?

[renodesertfox]

No, it's in the right place!....something to chew on and is general chat!

Why Manhattan Kansas? Fer me it's too close to x-you-know-what! I haven't been there since the early 70s and really don't want to return! Nothing against Kansas!

Who's gonna pick the sites? Make reservations? We gonna meet and have coffee, what? Play a game of Dutch Oven Old Maid? There's a heap of planning to do? We have campateers spread far and wide, from Alaska, England, your fair country, Canada and coast to coast stateside. Some of us got money, most don't! Most campateers now-a-days go camping cause it's the most affordable way to go on a vacation. I could see a meet up in 5 years, 2015! Maybe a handful would show up, but it'll take a heap of planning...but who is to say where we will be in 5 years. Hopefully by then the swing in economics will be turned and we'll all be sittin' sweet! As far as I know I'll be here chattin' campin', what about everyone else!

I think it would be great if regional meet-n-greets could happen but even that takes a heap of planning. I tried meetin up with a couple of campateers passing through Vegas when I was down there but even that came to no end. Here in Reno, one other campateer has been here. It'll take a lot of planning. OC, are you willing to do all the leg work...even you live in Canada, that's a long road-trip? Just my two pennies. We gotta lot of talkin to do! What's up everyone? Feedback needed! Lots of others need to sound off and chat on it awhile. It's not impossible, is it? It's a road-trip for sure, except if you live in Kansas.

Here's a thought...say we all meet up, have everything planned then once everyone meets, we all end up hating everyone and then everyone goes home and camping forums slips into the dusty rows of forums gone defunct, then what?
Well, then you'll just have to go to my website and buy a pic! Ha Ha!

[Bigdog57]

Nah, I think we all have too much in common for that to happen, despite our different upbringings and life philosphies.

I have had many "Meet&greets" with guys and gals on my motorcycle forums, and we all stay good friends. We look forward to our next meet.

I expect it would be the same here - we'd meet, and already be planning the next one! :D

[ontariocamper]

Manhattan KS..............just googled "Most central point in the USA".......
No other determining factor!

Yea, next year may be too close, people may need to do things that will take longer than that time slot would allow.

Perhaps 2012?

That would allow plenty of planning time, and time for people to make any necessary adjustments.

As for a planner?
I would have to say someone from the host country!
But probably more than 1 person, perhaps 2,3 or even 4????

[renodesertfox]

I can live with 2012!

There are 22 members on board now, more will come, with this social group and I think we should keep our posting to the message group, if any new campateers come along and want to join our merry throng, that is okay by me. Anyone who is a regular "campateer" can join, that's how we all got here anyway and it would force the "social group" to function properly. Besides, this message group was the brain-child of OC! But shouldn't we keep everything on the down-low and chat within the message group?

I do like 2012, but I'm leaning towards Colorado, just east of the rockies. Manhattan Kansas is just too close to history for me and Desert Rose. It's smack-dab in the middle of small-town America and word travels like wild fire and I don't want to see anyone old history patterns repeating themselves. Everyone knows my history's in Minnesota and southern Nevada, so if it's Manhattan, Desert Rose won't be joining and if she won't come then it's a sure bet I ain't. Just my $0.02

[Smokey Mtn. Camper]

I am in! I am always looking for a reason to camp. The site would dictate as to who and how many. I personally would not think California would be a good place nor would Miami FL. However, I think with the proper planning and good feedback, this could work.

As a suggestion, we could pick a site that is closer to the majority of people who would be interested. At that point, we could gauge the interest of the other members. At this point in time, its more of a fact finding thing than anything else. Personally, I am willing to travel pretty much anywhere, including Canada but I also know I would be more the exception than the rule. Next summer, me and my family are traveling over 5000 miles round trip for a camping trip so distance is not a factor. I have been blessed so currently, I would have the expendable income to go where ever but with the economy appeared headed further into the tank, you just never know.
I would be glad to help out in anyway.

Also, Reno, we dont like you now so meeting in person would not change anything...:D J/K, you know we love ya man!

[renodesertfox]

If you haven't joined CF message group, and you're a regular ole campateer, here's your chance to get in on the first ever, nation-wide, world-wide, Meet'n'Greet Campin Plans! Once you have become registered as a campateer, go to your User CP tab, click that and scroll down to Social Groups. Click that and find the Message Group and join, it's that simple!

Let's chat from there to force the social group to work, like our wagon-master intended. Any questions, savvy?

[renodesertfox]

After these first two polls run their course for 30 days, then in October there will be a couple of more polls. Suggested dates and Where specifically. These will also run for 30 days...gotta give everyone a chance. Then in early November we'll have a better idea how everyone feels.

These polls are open to every campateer even if they aren't members of the social group "message group". Everyone is welcome!

btw: This is only the first of it's kind for cf...if a campateer thinks this is only going to be a once in a lifetime event, think again. The first meetup may be in 2011 or 2012 but further on up the road, there will be others...2014....2016....2020!

[surmisez]

For us, we got into camping cause we're broke as a joke. I don't imagine we'd have the money to travel far from home anytime in the near future. Maybe in a few years or so.

However, if anyone ever came through Massachusetts, and were staying in a state park (we cannot afford the private ones), we would love to meet up. :D

[renodesertfox]

Just thinking with my fingers

Actually, lookin back at when we got involved with camping was back in the 70s when gasoline was rationed, and we too were broke as a joke! So I can see what many campers viewing this thread might be thinking to themselves. That's why in the second poll I'm asking for anyone that is a full-fledged campateer to vote for the best season for you GTG(Get Together, as quoted from our wagon master who has signed up in the message group) and to vote for the season that might fit your lifestyle better. I'm not asking to meet next month, this will take a heap of planning. I'm just askin to give me and RX(he did say he would like to host) something to work with.

Next month, in one poll will be some selected places to choose from and in the other poll will be the chosen season(that the majority voted for) and an assortment of possible dates during that season. Then once we have all that info then the host(s) will have something to get started on, savvy? I'm just thinking out loud(with my fingers) and talkin to myself trying to think this through.

I'm thinking(tell me if I'm wrong), that once a place has been choosen and the dates tentatively set up...then someone has to girl/boy scout promise to be there during the time to make sure there is at least a token coin in the fountain of meet-up and everyone else has to make their own site reservations and food preparations. If we can get enough people to swear on a stack of flapjacks, that they will be there for a certain pot-luck then it might have a chance at succeedin. But I sure as dislike it as I dislike sleepin in a field of fresh cow manure if I promised 30 gallons of my "foo foo" coffee(that I love) and then only me and JohnJohn show up. At least I'd be awake for the drive back to my jewel in the desert(Reno)! Oh, I re-packed the jeep today for our Labor Day Jubilee...gotta get away! Just gotta! Took my back medicine pills and my muscle relaxers had to wear my back brace but I'm ready to go campin! Hope your Labor Day Holiday will be a fine one? I LOVE Tent Camping!

[Smokey Mtn. Camper]

This looks promising and I feel that once more details are ironed out, there will be more people that can commit. I am looking forward to comparing your "foo foo coffee to my burnt to a crisp campfire coffee. :D

I am a very competitive person (6 years of professional baseball will do that to ya) and I will show up just to see how my camp site compares to the masters. It may take me several days to set up just so I can compete with all the camo that Reno will have on display. :D I will also have my Teardrop/chuck wagon ready to cook some fabulous camp meals so I will be there just to try and hold my own with the canvas camp king.

Seriously, I think this will be an exciting event. Camping with friends and enjoying the fellowship with people on this site will be alot of fun. The chosen site, to me at least, will be important. However, I dont plan on allowing anything to get in my way to meeting some of the fine folks that call this place their internet home.

I am willing to offer an expense paid trip to a lucky member or unlucky, depending on how you look at it, who has fallen on hard times and cant make the trip due to the piss poor economic situation. Once details of the shake & howdy are finalized, maybe we can hold some type of contest and award someone a free trip. Lets get the details worked out and then the more creative ones can help come up with some type of contest.

Lets keep this moving forward so we can all sit around the campfire and make fun of each other.

[renodesertfox]

Smokey...far-be-it-for-me-to tell ya how to spread your ducks....but once the place has been decided upon, someone will have to step up and place a hefty reservation on a group site or a pavilion in order to make this successful. There are only two national parks/state parks that I know of that a person can make a reservation in up to four years in advance and neither place is in the Midwest. There south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Yosemite NP in California. State Parks only allow reservations up to 180 days away from the point of camping. However, group sites can be reserved up to 10 years in advance.

I mean, gee I can't afford to reserve a group site. I don't even think too many of us could...just something to think about. :eek:

[trishaz717]

I'm in!

I would love to have a meet n' greet. As long as I can drive there, I will travel almost anywhere -- it's a joke with my husband ... anytime I get in the car he yells out "road trip!" because I'm always driving somewhere. I'll keep checking back to see how things pan out! When a "meet master" comes up with things to do, I'm in

[richardvg03]

I can live with 2012!

We could do both... then we could actually make it an annual event!