Thoughts on a new CA meetup? (A brainstorming thread)

[LeftyMom]

I mentioned briefly to a few people at today's event that it would be nice to have another meetup, but in the valley this time. I'm thinking Septemeber would be a good time, it wouldn't be so hot I hope, so maybe we could have a bbq or something outdoors like that. Sacramento would be a fairly convenient location (at least for me, I live here) but I'd also be open to holding it somewhat farther south if that would make it possible for people farther down in the valley to make it.

Any thoughts on a good place or time for the next event? Thoughts on indoor v. outdoors? I'm willing to do some or even most of the legwork, but I do want to give people the event they want and not just the one that would be most convenient for me.

-LM

[mike_c]

1. wouldn't you rather come up to the North Coast....

[Taverner]

2. Arcata perhaps?

[mike_c]

4. well, now that YOU mentioned it...

...I'd probably be OK with that idea....

[LeftyMom]

3. Well, I'd rather not have to go a long distance this time

but if that's what everybody else wants to do, I'm game. :) Not on those cliffs though, I'm :scared: of heights. :)

-LM

[Taverner]

5. Sac could be fun too...

Tho it gets hot there in the summer, doesn't it?

[LeftyMom]

6. That's why I'm thinking September

maybe along the river or at a lake. It should be cooler, especially in the later half of the month.

Today's a lovely 104 (but a dry heat :eyes: ) I wouldn't schedule a gathering here in July or August, it's barely habitable right now and certainly not fit for guests.

[frylock]

7. or the south coast?

[XemaSab]

16. Don't try to sell them a line of garbage mike

This is what arcata looks like 90% of the time:



























































Foggy, cold, and generally miserable.
It's the land of the horizontal drizzle.

[proud patriot]

23. yeah but if DUers are there it'll be great

that's the thing about DUers

They're Great !

[XemaSab]

28. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat?

Sugary, crunchy, and flaky? Like Tony the Tiger says?

[Beaverhausen]

8. Which valley?

I wanted to come today but had to fly back east for a funeral :cry:

How about somewhere near LA? Ventura? Santa Barbara?

[IChing]

10. Central Coast?

Because it's called the Central Coast and it's Central
Like Moro Bay,(or other) some inexpensive places I know of
at $35 a night by the dock with a coupon. There is two great state camping spots
close by also.

[99Pancakes]

11. I love Morro Bay

However, I did a hotel/motel search: during the summer months, it's not easy to get a room.

[IChing]

12. these places are not on the internet

at least yet, but they do have coupons

[brook]

15. Tourism...

is down somewhat again this year - but I still hibernate in the summer.

It gets a bit better after September when the rugrats are back in school. Actually, the weather is better in Sept/Oct as well. We're foggy these days. Early October we have the Harbor Festival. Ugh. Crowded. If you email the CofC in MB, they should be able to tell you where and when the deals are w/coupons, etc.

Also, there is the big State Park with lots of camping spots -the gamut from small tent to huge Rv's. And a great little restaurant in the Marina there.

For SF'rs and LA'rs - it's just about exactly in the middle of the Coast. Something like 2.5 hrs drive & a little over 200 miles.

[hvn_nbr_2]

27. $35 a night in Morro Bay?

Wow. Even if we don't have a meetup there, I want to know about that.

[proud patriot]

9. name the place and time w/ ample notice and I'll try to attend

:hi:

[MaryBear]

13. How about camping?

[Kerrytravelers]

14. Ohhh.... everyone meet at a camp site in central CA? I'm liking that!

[LeftyMom]

18. I like the camping idea

We were planning on camping around then anyhow, so if somebody can track down a really cool campground I'll try to keep my bitching about distance traveled to a minimum.

[XemaSab]

17. A san joaquin valley area meetup

is needed.

Hey, come to Yosemite!

:-)

[MaryBear]

20. Yosemite!

Or Coastal somewhere.

[cally]

19. Maybe we should start another thread and broach

the camping idea. We've tried to have a joint California meetup before and when dates and places were proposed, most were unable to make it. I would enjoy it though.

Sacramento is fine but for how many is Sacramento better? I liked the Berkeley location because it seemed easier for many to get to. I often thought of hosting one at my house but it's hard to get to and impossible to come by mass transit. I don't think many would come.

[LeftyMom]

21. Well I was thinking

that Sacramento would be good b/c it's a fairly central location, the bay area folks don't have to go too far and hopefully the south valley and Sierra evilDUers could make it, since they seemed to be under-represented Saturday. Well that and I didn't want to volunteer somebody else to run a meetup- so if I was going to offer to put something together I wanted to do it in an area where I could find a venue and do any needed setup.

If we wind up doing a camping event I'm thinking either the central Sierra of someplace south of the Bay Area along the coast would work (in terms of a fairly central and acessible location,) and I think more people would be willing to travel a ways for a weekend long event than a three hour one. Which would have a better weather in September? If we narrow the venue down to a few sites I'd be happy to research weather, campsite costs and availibility, etc.

[Bullwinkle925]

22. Hi Lefty

It was nice to have met you on Saturday.


:hi:

[LeftyMom]

24. It was great to meet you too

:toast: I had a lot of fun meeting everybody.

[Bullwinkle925]

25. Same here.

Seemed like a good group - although I wasn't able to meet everyone.
Who is the fellow in the tie-dye?

[Peggy Day]

26. Wanted you to know that more people would like to come

to the meet up. Sorry I couldn't make it.

[Bullwinkle925]

29. Perhaps the next one? Would be nice to meet you.