Attending events

[TeamsterPhil]

How far would you drive to a very high quality event? Let's make the assumption that there are no other "large" EBUFU events scheduled within 6 to 8 weeks of the event in question.

Phil Campbell
Just doing some market research.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Attending events

Well, I have flown to quite a few events. :wink_smil

[Chris Curtis]

Re: Attending events

In NH/MA, EBUFU events less than ten or twelve hours away are rare.

[MissMaggie]

Re: Attending events

It be nice if driving time were the only factor. Unfortunately, money, school and being able to get time off of work (I work evenings and mandatory weekends) is the deciding factor for me when I choose events.

[CWLady]

Re: Attending events

It be nice if driving time were the only factor. Unfortunately, money, school and being able to get time off of work (I work evenings and mandatory weekends) is the deciding factor for me when I choose events.

I hear ya Maggie! I work retail, so weekends are expected of me. However, my boss is quite flexible and if it doesn't conflict with the other workers, I'll usually get it. However, I'm limited by how far away it is too... I can't go to most events in VA (yet) because Dad (who's home I still occupy) is concerned about me driving 6 hours alone.
Rebecca Smith

[Anna Worden Bauersmith]

Re: Attending events

Sadly my car will allow me about 3 hours of driving before causing me worry. So, I marked upto 3 hours. But, if I can tag allong with friends, anywhere the road will go.

Anna Worden

[GrumpyDave]

Re: Attending events

While the poll is not scientific, it certianly is interesting. What I see is, there are as many folks who are not willing to drive any distance to an event as folks who don't care how far they have to drive. As the distance increases in three hour incraments, about 30% more people for each addition in 3 hours of drive time, won't make a given drive. Your mileage may vary.

[FWL]

Re: Attending events

Being from Central New England I have to drive to the Southern PA/MD/VA area, that's between 7 to 11 hours one way depending on where you are going. I try to pick 2-3 EBUFU events per year that we will go to. However as a NE reenactor I'm beginning to think I'm an exception. Many are only willing to drive to one 6-10 hour event per year or none at all. Since there are not any EBUFU events up here, I think the more campaigner minded folks either only go to 1-2 EBUFU events per year or hold their breath and go to the local events.

I think distance is a big factor. I always have to take Friday of to go to a 6-10 hour event. If I had a different job, I may not be able to do this at all,

Frank Lilley

[10TnVI]

Re: Attending events

The deciding factor for me is not the distance to an event but the distance home Sunday afternoon:-). Being a Federal in the south, there aren't many people to share rides with so I usually go solo. That limits me to about 5 hours of safe driving time. Plus it gets real boring on a 6-10 hour solo drive:-)

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Attending events

If you want to get really scientific about this...

It would be interesting to survey the registration forms for attendees to an event like (just an example) Pickett's Mill and see how far folks actually drove to be there. Actually, PM might be the best "test case" because only folks in KY, TN, GA, and AL will be within a few hours of the event... anyone in the upper Midwest (WI, MI, MN, IA), east of the Appalachians, or west of the Mississippi River is gonna have quite a drive.

[37NC]

Re: Attending events

who needs a road just get me close to the event and I walk in. I had that problem this weekend. In college I drove truck so driving 10 12 14 hours don't bother me. I also have the perfect job my boss does not care how much time I take off.


Sgt. Dan Curran

37th NC. Co A

[crabby]

Re: Attending events

I have driven up to 20 hours for an event and imagine I would push it further to any quality event.

Crabby

[Yulie]

Re: Attending events

Just gotta go where the history takes place . . . .

The past two years have been very long trips to attend USCT events. You save wear and tear on personal vehicles by renting vans, plot out some inventive packing, shove everyone and the gear into it, make sure that no one eats beans or cabbage 24 hours before departure, and do some "creative" driving to get there before dark AND the rain or snow.

Did 12 hours this weekend: Detroit to Virginia -- Fort Pocahontas/Wilson's Wharf for the May 22-23 event.

Did 20 hours in February: Detroit to Lake City, Florida -- Battle of Olustee.

Shortest trip is 15 minutes to Historic Fort Wayne. Longest trip was from Detroit to Key West, Florida -- non-Civil War.

[Spinster]

Re: Attending events

I limit drive time to six hours--that is if Sister or I are the ones driving. If someone else is driving, we're game for most anything, wake me when we get there.

Just as interesting though, is the ability to get to an event by a reasonable sort of public transportation.

I keep trying to go to some of those eastern events by train, but still haven't managed to find one close to an Amtrack station where I can get a taxi out to the site and back.....

And I haven't ridden a long distance bus since Daughter was a babe in arms--and it was not a good idea for a woman alone even then, 23 years ago.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Attending events

A lot of it for me hinges on the definition of a high quality event. And as a secondary consideration, the degree of confidence I'd have that the event was indeed going to be of the quality that was being advertized. The higher the quality and the higher the confidence, the farther I'd go, with no real upper limit (do they do reenactments in Australia?). But there's definitely a risk-reward ratio to be weighed before traveling, because I hate to travel. Blegh. If there's something really great at the other end, though, it makes it all worthwhile.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net