Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Post by arizonalovesyou on Feb 25, 2007 15:33:03 GMT -5
Here's what happened at the last roo:
Left St. Louis at 4pm on wednesday. Arrived at wal-mart around 10pm that night about 20 minutes south of manchester. Got to Hotel at midnight. woke up at 6am. left hotel around 630. drove back to manchester. almost ran out of gas. lost my group of friends (we had about 6 cars) had to get off on exit 112, and get gas. got back onto 24 after almost getting in trouble with cops. went south to exit 117 to turn around and get back in line on the highway. still without my group. got to entrance right off highway (close to 8am) was worried we wouldn't be parked near my group. ended up seeing my friend kate with her cowboy hat bobbing a bit, and were about 4 rows of cars over from our group. i immediately worked my ass off to make a clearing in the line, so we could pull my car back into the group. got into the roo around 830am. we ended up parked about 10 minutes from centeroo. great spot, if you're not too worried about getting shade from trees. in '05, we were parked 45 minutes away from centeroo and while the walk was horrible. we were able to sleep 'til 10am without a problem, due to the trees blocking the sun.
Post by arizonalovesyou on Feb 25, 2007 15:37:01 GMT -5
rockitgrl said:
coulbean said:
Pulled off the highway at exit 111 at about 4 AM. Pulled into camp puss.y galore at about 5AM. Will definitely shoot for a little later arrival time next year. Walk wasn't unbearable, but it wasn't fun.
We were in puss.ygalore too. All the way in the far corner of it. I found our area seemed to get more breeze and was less crowded. Lots of open space to play frisbee, etc. and some moved all the way to the treeline and camped under the trees. We had a very friendly group as I noticed there were camp areas that weren't as friendly as ours.
The thing that sucked about the walk was the boardwalk from our camp. The boards where thin and my fiance busted through one. I was so worried I was going to fall through and break and ankle but I was lucky.
We had a little mini shakedown area which was cool.
and after we all set up camp everyone around us cracked open a beer and started partying at 6am in the morning. What a way to kick off roo!
yeah that's the area i camped in '05. i was one that moved to the shaded tree area.
If you plan on doing tent only, is all of this irrelevant?
I'm a little confused about the whole tent only situation, do you just park in some lot and then carry your goodies to the campsite?
There is no special parking lot for tent only folks. You will be directed in with all the other traffic and sent to whatever camp ground the choose to send you to.
From there you have the option of camping there at your car or carrying all your sh!t to the tent only section. You will ahve to leave you car there where you parked.
Pulled into Manchester at 1PM, checked into the holiday inn to get more direction for VIP. I used the exit number off of I-24 that they recommended. We pulled into the VIP camping area by 2PM.
No waiting in any traffic.
Next year I plan on the same thing, I don't see what getting there any sooner would do.
Has nobody considered the fact that the people parking you are just volunteers, mainly high school/college age kids? In my experiences, these parkers dont hold much authority. Last year I arrived with an initial group of friends and got a decent spot. We had room for a couple other cars, so when my friends later arrived they just told the parkers that they were going to go to our camp site. The people couldnt really stop them, so they came and met up with us. If I foresee myself getting screwed with a 30-45 min walk, which has happened to me two prior times, I might just say "screw em", scoot out of line, and park where I please. I know this may sound like a d*ckhead move, but a 30-40 min walk is no fun. Anyone have any insight to this? Maybe stories of prior attempts to duck out on the parking people? Thought I'd bring it up...
I agree it wouldnt bode well for the logistics, but Bonnaroo really needs to re-evaluate its parking system. Not that it can really take away from the amount of fun you have, but a bad spot can severely diminish the amount you see. How do the true roo-goers get penalized with a terrible parking space for being eager? Haven't they heard of the old adage "the early bird gets the worm"? Although this may result in negative karma, I might be acting in civil disobedience as far as the parking people are concerned this year
I'm just saying what every one of us has thought and wished we had the balls to do while in the line. I bet you wouldnt mind following me to my money spot if you were right behind me on bushy branch
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Feb 26, 2007 0:30:22 GMT -5
Well considering theres tent only, and i spend most of my day in centeroo, and a 45 minute walk doesnt bother, i dont think i would follow. And thats just the problem, it could just encourage more people to do it. When theres 80,000+ people a lot of people arent gonna be close, what makes you so special? If you have a better way to do the parking at bonnaroo im sure superfly would be interested in hearing.
First, How did I get karma for this? I am acknowledging the fact that what I am saying will be viewed negatively by the majority here. However, what about feeding cars in front to back in order of arrival??? It doesn't get any more logical or easier!!! The first people to arrive can park in areas near Centeroo. The later people can file in campgrounds behind the nearest ones. What is so difficult about that? The fact of the matter is that Superfly doesnt make these rules. The parking methods stem from the volunteers who are just aimlessly feeding us in to different areas. There really is no method. I am absolutely not special, but if I arrive early Thursday morning I feel like I should get a better campsite than someone arriving Friday morning. Sorry, but I would be willing to bet that everybody agrees with me.....
Post by shotglass75 on Mar 1, 2007 10:51:57 GMT -5
schmee said:
Has nobody considered the fact that the people parking you are just volunteers, mainly high school/college age kids? In my experiences, these parkers dont hold much authority. Last year I arrived with an initial group of friends and got a decent spot. We had room for a couple other cars, so when my friends later arrived they just told the parkers that they were going to go to our camp site. The people couldnt really stop them, so they came and met up with us. If I foresee myself getting screwed with a 30-45 min walk, which has happened to me two prior times, I might just say "screw em", scoot out of line, and park where I please. I know this may sound like a d*ckhead move, but a 30-40 min walk is no fun. Anyone have any insight to this? Maybe stories of prior attempts to duck out on the parking people? Thought I'd bring it up...
We got there with our RV around 9 last year on Thursday night and luckliy we were able to get a great parking spot but when they directed us to park they put us directly next to the port o potties. I mean like 5 feet away. We didn't really want to be so close to where there would be a lot of foot traffic and a possible smell issue so we just ignored the guy and parked about 30 yards from where they told us to. Nothing too drastic but still it made a world of difference in my mind. They really didn't do anything and yeah if everyone did that sort of thing it would be chaotic but it does make a difference.
Post by augustwest on Mar 15, 2007 20:38:29 GMT -5
I would take the 45 minute walk any day over being right behind port o potties, I met someone on shakedown last year, and we went to his campsite, it was directly behind the toilets, it was nite time, so the smell wasn't that bad from what I recall, but that slamming sound alone every 6 seconds for 3 days could drive me to the funny farm.
Post by destination5250 on Mar 16, 2007 11:56:17 GMT -5
^I agree, the porto's would drive me nuts. I don't really care where I get parked. I'm not going to let the walk ruin my 'roo. It just gives more time to meet new people and wonder around aimlessly.
Post by AngrySunday on Mar 16, 2007 20:29:50 GMT -5
Pulled into town from hwy 55 around 9ish Thursday and sat on the bridge forever while the cops let a gazillion people exit the interstate. On Brushy Branch(i think) for a little over an hour. Camp Rocky Balboa (corner of shakedown & brushy branch) in the range of 10:30.
Going VIP this year and plan on getting there around 6am Thursday.
I'm going to be coming from my parents' house in Guntersville, Alabama. The past 2 years, I have also come in on Highway 55 and ended up on Bushy Branch and parked pretty far out. I arrived at around 1 p.m. on Thursday in '05 and 4 a.m. Thursday in '06. I got a much better spot when I arrived later. So, do you guys know the best way to end up at the main entrance when you're coming from Highway 55? Is the main entrance by the winery? Thanks. I appreciate the help.
The parking methods stem from the volunteers who are just aimlessly feeding us in to different areas. There really is no method.
I doubt that's true. The volunteers are simply doing what the supervisors tell them, and the supervisors have been given a plan to follow. You can't build a small city in a day without one, and that's basically what happens at roo.
I just try to put myself in their shoes. Imagine I'm throwing a bigass party with a couple of bands on my imaginary little plot of land. I'm going to let people camp out so they don't have to worry about driving. I've told people the party starts at noon so when a bunch of them start showing up at 4am I'm not pleased. I point towards the back of the property and tell them to set their tents up there so they stay out of my way. I have a ton of last minute details to attend to....but by noon I'm kicked back, ready as promised, and welcoming the newcomers to stay up front since they are no longer a hinderance to my final preparations.
Post by AngrySunday on Mar 18, 2007 12:41:15 GMT -5
ratskrad said:
schmee said:
The parking methods stem from the volunteers who are just aimlessly feeding us in to different areas. There really is no method.
I doubt that's true. The volunteers are simply doing what the supervisors tell them, and the supervisors have been given a plan to follow. You can't build a small city in a day without one, and that's basically what happens at roo.
I just try to put myself in their shoes. Imagine I'm throwing a bigass party with a couple of bands on my imaginary little plot of land. I'm going to let people camp out so they don't have to worry about driving. I've told people the party starts at noon so when a bunch of them start showing up at 4am I'm not pleased. I point towards the back of the property and tell them to set their tents up there so they stay out of my way. I have a ton of last minute details to attend to....but by noon I'm kicked back, ready as promised, and welcoming the newcomers to stay up front since they are no longer a hinderance to my final preparations.
I have to agree with your logic for preparation but they have all year to get everything in place for when the gates open. Their staging plans are backwards. They work from the outside in and it has the potential for the risk of accident and reduced traffic flow. As the first people arrive, they are put in back and the flow continues towards the front. With each vehicle that enters, they have to drive past tons of pedestrians such as the case when people are trying to leave Sunday night. It's a nightmare because you have to be so careful not to hit an existing campsite or the many pedestrians wandering about, making your movement speed almost a crawl. You're going against the flow and it doesn't make sense.
I can't think of any other event where this logic is effective. It's always front to back, center to sides. What happens when the traffic gets to the choice sites and they are almost full? They have to reroute, back through the already established sites to begin filling in overflow/late arrivals. I don't know if they already do this or not but if they put the staging coodinator in a helicopter with constant communication to the ground guides could increase traffic flow at a safer, faster pace and still allow for first come, first served to apply without fear of being penalized for showing up early/on-time. I get there early Thursday morning so I can have my camp set up before it gets too hot to even think and I'm going to do it again this year in VIP RV whether I get screwed or not.
they have all year to get everything in place for when the gates open.
exactly! not 24 hrs earlier!
Of course, if you're VIP this year, you can show up a week early and it won't do any good. VIP gates open when they say they will and not one minute before (and you won't be screwed no matter when you arrive! ;D )
"That's the big thing about education. People can be book smart, but not really intelligent about anything else. A lot of times they just taking in all this information and regurgitate it. It's much more important to process it and personalize it. To apply it to your world, to your life. You have to walk the walk, or you can't really report about it honestly."
Thanks for the bump, masshysteria! I hadn't caught this thread before.
I so agree with you, angrysunday, about the parking matter. I think you are absolutely on point as far as fairness to the ones who got it together to be in line early and wait, and wait, etc.
The diagram shows a safe and easy way to fill the campsites. I hope you will share this information with someone who is in charge of parking planning at Bonnaroo. Maybe they will give it some thought.
I think the point is being missed in this debate. If the people who showed up early are given the best spots this encourages the 80, 000 attendees that being early is the event policy. If that happened, the interstates, highways, side streets and the whole county would be locked down. You can't encourage people to show up early by giving them prime real estate. That is why the current system appears so random. Keeping it random keeps people guessing and prevents a massive pile-up on the roads in the middle of the night before they start letting people in. I am sure if the event organizers did not come up with this plan by themselves, they were encouraged by the county, the local law enforcement, and the highway patrol to not encourage early arrival. An event this large could not handle that action or they would not be allowed to have the fest the next year.
I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to...