MMJ @ Champlain Valley Lawn 8/20- Roll Call!

[johnnYYac]

Coundown to Champlain Valley!

My Morning Jacket @ Champlain Valley Lawn, Essex Jct., VT

Roll call

johnnYYac

[ynwa]

ynwa + 1  :D

[joey_rogo]

joey rogo +5ish

[ericm]

ericm +1

I'm looking forward to meeting some forum members.

I made the St. Augie show but missed out on the pre/post show festivities, due to some unplanned family biz.

Met some great fans at MPP though and hopefully more in Vermont.

[8bobbyb]

tdb810
8bobbyb

[johnnYYac]

johnnYYac
ynwa +1
joey rogo +5ish
ericm +1
tdb810
8bobbyb

[ynwa]

tdb810
8bobbyb

WOO-HOO!!!

it'd be cool to do a tailgate meetup thingie (similar to what we did @ mpp, only it prob won't measure up to jdbartender's - that was quite the setup!).  it was lots o' fun meeting those that i met & would be fantastic to meet some more good people from here.  johnnYY - the man, the myth, the legend...

[tdb810]

Definitely!!  Where has JD been? -- we will be up in their neck of the woods, so hoping they will show up!  That was super cool!
Also looking forward to meeting new friends who "get it" like we do ;)
Is little sis coming up??  

[ynwa]

i was thinking the same thing about jd, he's not far at all...  not seen much of him around here since just after mpp tho.  ?  

lil sis isn't 100% on this one yet.  she def wants to come but isn't sure if her schedule is all clear.  i'm crossing my fingers - she's an awesome p.i.c. (partner in crime) & had a truly amazing time @  mpp.

getting to meet some new peeps who "get it" will be super cool!    

[ynwa]

i was thinking the same thing about jd, he's not far at all...  not seen much of him around here since just after mpp tho.  ?  

lil sis isn't 100% on this one yet.  she def wants to come but isn't sure if her schedule is all clear.  i'm crossing my fingers - she's an awesome p.i.c. (partner in crime) & had a truly amazing time @  mpp.

getting to meet some new peeps who "get it" will be super cool!    

UPDATE: lil sis in is!  woo-hoo!!!  and she is "willing to camp.  but it better not rain."    :-?  AND she's been listening to okonokos lots since mpp & sent me a random text one night something along the lines of "omg, dondante... awesome!  INSANE jam @ the end!"

also thought this was kinda funny:
i was hanging out with my dad yesterday & asked him if i can borrow a tent for the upcoming show.  he got real serious & was like, "i don't like the idea of the two of you up there by yourselves like that.  those campgrounds... all sorts of people go there.  a lot of times, you get the dregs of society, those so-called hippies with their drugs etcetera."  (he's saying this to me, 34 years old, as i'm sitting there sporting a grateful dead tee, peasant skirt & sandals.  i may as well have had a joint hanging out of my mouth)

i replied, "really?  this, coming from the guy who took his wife & 3 young daughters on a camping trip out west one summer where we spent most nights in such campgrounds???  the very same guy who gave a ride to a hitch-hiking hippy somewhere along our journey - with all of us in the stagon wagon!!!"

the conversation continued & at one point it went into the type of music mmj plays & i mentioned that they have a wide array of influences, including folk music other good stuff & next thing i know, he's cuing up harry nilsson's "everybody's talking" on the stereo and i was like, "dad!  they have covered this song.  see... good stuff."  so we had a good laugh over that.  and then when i was leaving later that evening he said, "well, i think you made some good points about this concert/camping thing.  you can borrow the tent."

i think i might try to introduce some mmj to pops  8-)
 

[tdb810]

Love that story!

Yay, lis Sis is in!  I will surely bring some of that Roselle Park IPA for her!!!

[ericm]

ynwa: nice story about pops!

No camping for these bones though. Unless I can find a cabin and a bed! ;D

I'm probably going to end up in Burlington/S. Burlington...but looking forward to a pre/post show meetup.

[tdb810]

ynwa: nice story about pops!

No camping for these bones though. Unless I can find a cabin and a bed! ;D

I'm probably going to end up in Burlington/S. Burlington...but looking forward to a pre/post show meetup.

I hear ya!  Kinda on the fence with the camping!!  But will surely pre-post party with everyone!

[ericm]

I'm looking at the Sheraton in Burlington. $139.00 for Friday night.

Most hotels in the area are running around that, and higher. This one looks pretty nice and is about 6 miles from Essex Jct.... less than a 15 minute ride.

I don't mind a little drive, but that'll put the kabosh on any pre show partying for me. I'm looking into cab costs next. ;)

[tdb810]

I'm looking at the Sheraton in Burlington. $139.00 for Friday night.

Most hotels in the area are running around that, and higher. This one looks pretty nice and is about 6 miles from Essex Jct.... less than a 15 minute ride.

I don't mind a little drive, but that'll put the kabosh on any pre show partying for me. I'm looking into cab costs next. ;)

Wow.....139 is not too bad compared to what i have been seeing.....we will probably book something soon, so when we do i will post and we can see about carpooling etc....

[ALady]

I gotta think you can Priceline or Hotwire a room for half that.

[ericm]

I gotta think you can Priceline or Hotwire a room for half that.

I definitely agree with you, but there's only a couple of hotels up there that I'd want to stay at. Most of the ones I read up on don't really appeal to me.

Any suggestions on how to assure I get one of the two or three places I'd like through Priceline or Hotwire?

Thanks.

[ALady]

Here's a trick someone told me a while back:

- find the hotel you want on Expedia, and make note of the exact location and star level
- search Hotwire for a hotel in the same location with the same star level (Expedia owns Hotwire, so their star ratings are the same).
- bid about half the rate given on Expedia

This works most of the time, but depends a bit on how large the "target area" is on Hotwire...in a large urban center, there are a lot more hotels per square mile, so if you're looking for a 3.5 star hotel there could be 20 options within the given area.  But for Essex Junction, there are only three 3.5 star hotels listed with availability for the 20th...if you're cool staying at either the Sheraton, Doubletree or Hilton, you should be golden.

If you don't get the price you want the first time around, I think you can try again the next day...go up $5 or $10 at a time until they accept the bid.  Ultimately it should still end up being a lot less than full price.

Good luck!   :)

[ericm]

Thanks ALady  :-*

I'll give it a go and report back.


No luck today on my bid. I  went about $5.00 more than 1/2 the median price for 3 - 3.5  star rooms.  They would've let me put in another bid today if I was willing to increase my bid by $19.00.

I figure I'll try again tomorrow and increase my bid by $5.00 a day.

[tdb810]

Here's a trick someone told me a while back:

- find the hotel you want on Expedia, and make note of the exact location and star level
- search Hotwire for a hotel in the same location with the same star level (Expedia owns Hotwire, so their star ratings are the same).
- bid about half the rate given on Expedia

This works most of the time, but depends a bit on how large the "target area" is on Hotwire...in a large urban center, there are a lot more hotels per square mile, so if you're looking for a 3.5 star hotel there could be 20 options within the given area.  But for Essex Junction, there are only three 3.5 star hotels listed with availability for the 20th...if you're cool staying at either the Sheraton, Doubletree or Hilton, you should be golden.

If you don't get the price you want the first time around, I think you can try again the next day...go up $5 or $10 at a time until they accept the bid.  Ultimately it should still end up being a lot less than full price.

Good luck!   :)

thanks for the info!!!!!