From the beach to the Playa

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:37 am

Hey everybody, the names Froste. I've yet to attend burning man, but its been my dream for many years now. I've known about it since i was too young to know about many things, and this year has been my year to turn my dreams into reality!
Hope to meet all of you lovely souls out there, and can't wait to see you there in, what is it now, only a month and a third!
=]

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:48 am

Welcome ChillyFire or Froste;

Hope you got your ticket and have read the Survival Guide. SilverOrange will be along with the link, he always has it handy - he's the helpful sort.

My desktop device says 40 days, 19 hours, 12 minutes and 13 seconds till the man Burns!

wOOt! time to get busy.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:01 am

ahh yes ive read the survival guide many times over, throughout the years and especially lately.
wow its soo close, yet so far away!
gota start preparing, and gota get my bus fixed asap! haha itll be somewhat of a long trip from san diego for my little old '70 vdub

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:03 am

oh yea, and you can call me chilly =]

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:08 am

Mechanic is looking my truck over as we write. It's a 1985 Toyota with a pop up built on camper on the back. It's 2,534 miles from my house to BRC gate so I like to have a good once over by the mechanic ahead of time.

Good luck with your preparations, Froste! Don't forget the extra air filter - this makes all the difference in the world!

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:14 am

Wow, what a drive!
i definitely need to take my bus into the mechanic for a good look over as well

Have safe travels and hope to see you on the playa
ohh, and thank you for the tip, it'll probably save my butt! =]

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:26 am

Welcome to the eplaya! Could you bring me some mahi mahi fish tacos from South Beach? I miss them.

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:01 am

Deb Prothero wrote:Mechanic is looking my truck over as we write. It's a 1985 Toyota with a pop up built on camper on the back. It's 2,534 miles from my house to BRC gate so I like to have a good once over by the mechanic ahead of time.

Good luck with your preparations, Froste! Don't forget the extra air filter - this makes all the difference in the world!

Hi Deb

I'll be heading out from VA...
Picking up some college aged miscreants in Detroit. And then motoring on to BM. Sounds like we might intersect in that neighboorhood (unless you are heading out early).
Any interest in making this a two car caravan?

Cheers,
Igneouss (Nick)

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:51 am

Igneouss wrote: Hi Deb

I'll be heading out from VA...
Picking up some college aged miscreants in Detroit. And then motoring on to BM. Sounds like we might intersect in that neighboorhood (unless you are heading out early).
Any interest in making this a two car caravan?

Cheers,
Igneouss (Nick)

Hey Nick;

When are you heading out? I can get away on Tuesday but that's the earliest. Haven't confirmed SO's earliest departure yet. We have early entry so we want to arrive on Saturday at BRC, if that fits with your plans.

I do intend to go through Detroit then I'm picking up SilverOrange at Kalamazoo and on toward I80. Let's take this off the board and chat by email daprothero (at) execulink (dot) com . That way we can copy other travel companions on the discussion.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:13 pm

Which Ocean Beach? I am told that there are several.

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:32 pm

The one with South Beach, home of the best fish tacos on the planet; Winstons, a great place to shake that ass; and Pacific Shores, my favorite dive bar on the planet. SAN DIEGO!

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:30 pm

ahh yes silverorange you are absolutely right
Ocean Beach, San Diego, 92107
the worlds best kept secret :P

and about those tacos, you just might have a suprise waiting for you at my camp when we get there =D

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:43 pm

Is The Black still there?

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:48 pm

ahh yes, The Black will always be there =]
along with hodads
im thinking about bringing some hodads BACON
and grillin up some world class burgers.

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:54 pm

You are killing me! Hodads...mmm. The Black...enabler of many of the good times I had living in OB. Don't tease me with thoughts of fish tacos. For a South Beach fish taco to make it on that road trip unconsumed would be a supreme test of will power. Stop by the Black Rock Beacon at the 9 o clock plaza if you're in the neighborhood, or flag me down if you see a guy with a Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper bag out delivering papers. It would be a pleasure to meet you.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:14 pm

ahh but see, i am a very strong willed individual, and if in the likely event the taco makes it all the way there, ive gota get it to you on day one, cause after that, ittll be gone no doubt :P

ill make sure to stop by and say hi, i would love to meet you too!

so where in OB did you live?

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:16 pm

ahh and the only reason one taco will make it is because of the other 14 that ill bring getting scarfed down in the car ride up there, lmao
you are right in saying if i brought only one, it would be gone before i got to the 8 freeway! lmao

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:03 pm

Orchard, Narragansett, Cape May, and Voltaire. I think that's all of them. I also did a little time in PB and MB. I guess I moved a bit in retrospect. I was there for nine years in the 1990's then split up to NorCal. Look forward to meeting you, and not just for the fish taco.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:36 pm

very nice, i live on Muir.
moved in on an April 20th of all days. its a nice anniversary around here.

as do i, for reasons other than amazing food as well =]

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:30 pm

okay, chilly and SilverOrange;

You guys got me starvin' now. Better toss in one of those fish tacos for me, chilly, 'cause I'll be hearing about it for 2534 miles til we get there.

What can I bring you from Canada, chilly? Are you partial to any treats we might have?

The legal ones, I mean. I keep getting stopped by the border guards, I think my name is on someone's blessed list. They took my beef right outta my frig in the camper one time, the buggers. And to look at me you'd say I was the last person on earth to be suspected of anything.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:19 pm

haha, ill for sure bring you one aswell, thats a long trip to hear about it the entire time and not get one!
lol, but i cant supply to many of them, so sorry to everybody else, but 2 is all ill bring =]

hmm, im not sure what kinda food you have up there, just bring something that you love to eat. something from a local store or deli, anything that would be a scrumptious hello for the first day on the playa.

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:33 pm

chilly;

I've got the perfect idea. You may not know this but American marketers have been lying to you guys for years. Canadian bacon is soooooo special but it is nothing like what I have seen with that label in your grocery stores.

The butcher I go to does a special treat for me for the burn by flash freezing several pounds and packing it in dry ice all ready for the long journey.

The first year I did this, he didn't put labels on it. The border guards suspected it was beef and they took it from me. Seems they were afraid that I might feed it to an American beef herd and they'd get sick. That's what they said anyway. It was all I could do to prevent busting a gut laughing. Deadpan serious they were, so I bit my tongue.

The next year he labeled every package very clearly.

As long as you've got no religious aversion to pork, you are gonna love this stuff.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:37 pm

ahh theres no doubt you should bring some of that, because after i wrote my last message, i was just thinking "hmm i wonder what REAL canadian bacon is like?"
that would be soo wonderful, and nope, no religious pork ban mumbo jumbo

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:42 pm

this will be a special treat. The farm where he gets the pork only raises pigs with organic feed and they have a yard to run in. I went over to the farm once, nice folks.

Have you picked a camp or are you coming 'round to the Black Rock Beacon to meet up? We're aiming for Saturday early arrival to set up the press and stuff.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:08 pm

ahh sounds too great, i cant wait for it! you're making ME hungry now! haha

no, i havent picked a specific camp just yet, im bringing my mom and my vw bus, along with a shade structure tent type thing, and most likely another friend with his truck, we were thinking about just parking somwhere wherever we could and setting up a car/bamboo curtain camp creation of sorts(with my bed in the back of the bus). if you have any better suggestions, i would love to hear them, i would gladly park my bus in an awesome camp and contribute myself to the community in one more way =D
we were planning on getting there sunday night, when would you say the best time to get there is? and i think stopping by the beacon would be just fine, mabey after that we could enjoy those tacos along with silverorange!

Deb Prothero · Post by **Deb Prothero** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:59 pm

chilly;

I may not be the best person to answer that question. I've always been with the Beacon camp as I am a writer. And I've always come on early entry.

The gate doesn't open til midnight on Sunday unless you have a bar coded early entry ticket. These are given out sparingly to the artists and theme camps so that when the gate opens some of the city is ready.

I don't know what the Sunday night experience is like at the gate. Others may chime in here, I hope.

As for camping though you will have much choice. If you look at the city map on the BM website, the Esplanade is where all the loud sound camps are so that the music plays out to the playa rather than into the city. The nearer you are to the Esplanade, the more likely you will need ear plugs to sleep. There is no off switch on those camps.

Many theme camps will have their list of campers filled. However some will still be looking for more campers and more help. Look over the list of Theme Camps under 2009 Theme Camps. If something piques your interest then write to them and ask if you may join in their camp.

On the map the theme camp areas are reserved in blue. All the rest of the space is first come, first served. The city doesn't fill up til Thursday so you will have ample selection on Sunday night/Monday morning.

Please use extreme caution coming up 447 from I80, especially at night. There is open range, the road is narrow and everyone is edgy to get to the gate. Also the tribal police will stop you for going one mile over the speed limit through the towns so monitor the signs.

Consider carefully whether you will even make that trek at night. Might be better to stay at Reno, rise early and drive in daylight. The midnight crowd will have gone through, the dust will have settled and you can approach the gate almost without stopping, I've heard.

We'll be sure to have the frying pan out and cook up some Canadian bacon for you on your arrival no matter what time that may be. There's always someone up at our camp, for some reason.

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:30 am

Midnight at the gate is crowded, with long lines. Can be a bitch, but some like the party atmosphere. For many years, we tried to time it to hit the gate at dawn. Then you can see, the lines may be shorter, and it is still cool enough to set up camp.

If a rabbit streaks in front of you on 447, just run it over. It is their destiny and you don't want to die swerving off the road. The "thump-thump" on the undercarriage is unnerving, but better than a fiery crash.

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:06 pm

@deb - yea i will most liekly be setting up my own camp anywhere available, with my trusty bus and tent, and when i get a location ill make sure to let ya know, we just might have to have a canadian/american bacon cookoff of sorts!

@antim - ya the bunnys, i heard about them and have dealt with simmalar conditions in the past, i lived in the so-cal desert for 14 years, plenty a rabbit out there. im going to drive up on sunday, and ill most likely camp out somewhere untill dawn, to avoid the lines and dark driving =]]

ChillyFire · Post by **ChillyFire** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:18 pm

well that or do it how i usualy do, i dont want to be let in early, but i love to be first in line for some reason. not to be ahead of people or anything, i just feel that its easier than waiting in lines.

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:22 pm

AntiM wrote:...If a rabbit streaks in front of you on 447, just run it over. It is their destiny and you don't want to die swerving off the road. The "thump-thump" on the undercarriage is unnerving, but better than a fiery crash.

About 12 years ago we lived in Silver Springs Nevada and my daughters were driving down one of those gravel roads and hit a bunny. They stopped the van got out and saw the poor bunny wasn't dead and was suffering. So they go back in the Van and drove over the poor bunny again, and again and again...