Attending events

[MissAnnaMae]

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.

I'm in Indiana and up until yesterday, was going to attend. I've participated in events there several times so the 8 hour drive is within my tolerable range.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Attending events

Have musket, will travel. Carpooling is becoming a lot more common among the guys in my outfit right now for obvious reasons, which has really given a lot of us 'longer legs' when it comes to how far we'll go for an event.

[Huck]

Re: Attending events

In the old days living in Virginia, a 4 hour drive to an event, I thought was a long drive, and from time to time, my pards and I would travel across over into Tenn for an event. I was always glad that those events were few.
But now living in Nebraska, anything under 12 hours, that's nothing!

[uwezankl]

Re: Attending events

Hello everybody

Within Germany, where I live, the normal events are within 2 to 5 hours away. Due to the fact that there are very few really good events here we sometimes fly to England or even to the US! I think the quality of the event is what makes me want to go there, the better the event the more miles I am willing to do, the more money I am willing to spend...

cheers

Uwe Zankl

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Attending events

I have driven to back to a few events on the East Coast, Perryville, Franklin and GBurg. I have driven well over 10 hours to events in Oregon and San Diego.

[1stMaine]

Re: Attending events

Comrades,

I'll travel to wherever I need to to go to a quality event, especially if it's somewhere i haven't traveled to before. I have some fond memories of road trips during the 125th series as well as the following "anniversary' mega-thingies. By far the easiest way to attend a far-off event is to get 30 or so fellows who want to attend to hire a bus and driver and hit the road. I've done this several times and each time it was well worth the effort and expense, which is actually less than you might imagine. Most of the time the cost was around 50-60 dollars per person, but you could sleep, watch a movie, listen to music, talk, whatever, and especially get up and walk around or use the bathroom without having to stop. It's worthwhile for a unit to consider for a long trip, because you arrive much fresher and ready to go, and you can simply get your gear on at the bus and march in to wherever you need to be. Everyone arrives together, and the driver will be back to meet you after the event is over.
respects,

[JEBminnesota]

Re: Attending events

From MN we find are selves driving a least 6 hours to a decent event and 15+ hours to a national event in the west and 20+ hours to an event out east.
It sucks but if the event is good it's worth it.

Joe Beedle

[pvtbigbottom]

Re: Attending events

well boys,
I have to go to school but if its a weekend i'm there

[Rear Rank 2]

Re: Attending events

I will go east or south for an event, no problem. The trouble is getting any of my pards to go. A one man unit just aint much good. But if I find a unit to fall in with then I will go.

Andy, you need to sign your full name to all posts per the rules. This is your second reminder. - Mike Chapman

[wheatstigers]

Re: Attending events

as for tavel most of our events are in the mid west however i live in dubuque iowa and drove to charlston sout carolina for the hunly funeral 1,200 mi one way and it was well worth it

Robert, please sign all of your posts with your full name - Mike Chapman

[Matt Caldwell]

Re: Attending events

Just a reference, Kris Cobel and I did the Dayton Ohio to Pt. Gibson drive last year (980 miles) and it took us two days, one way. We actually had more time in travel than in the event itself. Twice the amount, actually.

Dayton to Pickett's Mill this past weekend, 9 hours and well worth it.

[Kate Vogel]

Re: Attending events

It was approximately 12 hours, each way, from Hartland to Pickett's Mill. Due to some difficulties, we didn't start the event until early morning on Saturday and we were finished early on Sunday. Our drive time evened out with our time in the jungle of Northern Georgia and I must say it was entirely worth it. Carpooling (also known as "Katie pays for half the gas and sleeps the whole way-thank-you-so-much-Chad-Fuller") is a beautiful thing.

[RebelReefer]

Re: Attending events

I currently live in the 9th ring of hell....south east alabama, but i am moving to Boston soon. I have to drive 6+ hours just to get to good quality events.

[79th N.Y.S.M.]

Re: Attending events

A few years back, members of the Cameron Highlanders of the North West went to Washington D.C. and areas around that From Portland, Oregon.

28 of us went from the West coast to the East coast to give a crack at those big events we always hear about. (a little too big for me)

[BobSullivanPress]

Re: Attending events

Basically, it doesn't matter how far the event is away from me. The real factors involved in how I pick events are:

1. Time of year. If I have a family obligation, I'm not going no matter what. Family first.

2. The event's proximity to a historic site. If I've never been, and the event looks to be a good one, and I can take in some history in the bargain, I'd go. Perryville in 2002 is a good example. I went there because I'd never been there before, and I wanted to see the battlefield and the area. Also, the event sounded like a good one (it was) so I was hooked. And say what you want about Gettysburg, but I've been going to that town since I was a kid, and after 40-odd years of going there, I still get a kick going around that battlefield. So yes, I go to Gettysburg more often than not.

3. The reputation of the organizer(s). There are some folks that just can't run an event. If I know they're involved, I'm not going. Conversely, there are other folks that run a well-organized event, and all other factors being equal, I'd go to their events.

4. Potential sales. Yes it's different for me than for you guys, but the reality is, my family depends on the income from Sullivan Press. If I think I'll lose money at an event, then I won't go. And any event that involves such distances that I would have to stop at a motel on the way there and back is basically a break-even proposition at best. So I went to Perryville, but after gas, motels, expenses, and so forth, it was a break-even event.

The odd thing about potential sales is, that if you guys make up the majority of the participants, it generally isn't a good selling weekend for me because: (a) you don't come in to the merchant area and (b) you generally buy stuff from me before you go. The campaigners lament about so many bad sutlers at events, but since you guys don't really shop at events, we wonder why the good sutlers should pay the fees and set up when their target customers don't visit them? I like the events where the event is good enough to make people want to go, but the battles are bad enough to make people want to skip them and go shopping instead. :)