22 March 2007 - 7:50 pm

On to the next thing to arrange:

my trip to Tennesee for Bonnaroo.

I started poking around, since I can go on that trip earlier than before since I am not waiting for anyone to get off work. Or, even if I were, there is nothing that says I can't go earlier, go see a few things of interest to me, and meet up with them later. Not that that is likely to happen now, but I'm just saying.

I haven't actually bought any tickets for airfare or booked a car for traveling, probably in the hopes that someone will tell me they are coming too, and that they will pay for that part, or some fantasy like that, but I have been looking at prices to get an idea of what I will be spending.

$263 will get me a red eye from LAX to Nashville airport, arriving at 9:10 am or so any day of the week. Great, that gives me plenty of travel time on the day I arrive.

$219 will get me an economy car for a week, all fees but gas included. Okay, these are prices I can live with. Whomever is buying my extra ticket from me will help me cover the airfare, and it would be nice if I could meet up with them and split the cost of the rental car. So not so expensive of a trip, all things considered. I like planning trips like this in advance, I pay out each expense as I can, tickets already purchased, now I can book the plane, and the car rental won't actually go through until I pick it up. Charges nicely spread over multiple months. Manageable. Nice.

So, if I arrive in Tennesee a day or two or three early, where would I go, what would I do? I already know that Graceland is 270 miles away from the festival, and a lot closer to Nashville. Where else have I considered going, if I was doing a vacation in that area? Already been to Mammoth Caves, but that's in Kentucky anyway. Wouldn't mind going there again, but I think that would be a different trip, a fully camping trip. Hey, where is that Dollywood I've heard mention of, and what would be there?

Dollywood is in Tennesee also, in the opposite direction of where I will be spending the majority of my time. Should I go a little early, hit Graceland, and then take an extra day or two to hit Dollywood? Hmmm. The problem is the concerts are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I can leave on the Saturday before and drive all over Tennessee, and it would actually take the same amount of time away from work, and give me more weekend time. Although logistically, travel wise it doesn't make much sense, criss-crossing the state before ending up in the middle for the concerts, it might make the most sense time wise.

When I first heard of a place called Dollywood, I wasn't thinking of Dolly Parton and things of the down home country sort of fixings on the griddle and mountain music and crafts. I thought of Salvador Dali, and what sort of place an amusement park named after him would be. I figured anyplace that would give the appearance of melting people and objects, whether through illusion or drugs, would not be a place for the kiddies. I couldn't imagine how they had come up with this place, Daliwood, but it definitely sounded inspiring, for the follower of modern art that I can be.

But alas, it wasn't Daliwood, it was Dollywood. Oh, I said with relief. I guess that makes more sense. Though a certain part of me was disappointed, Dollywood with arts and craftsmen showing how to make things the old fashioned way just reminds me of the living museums that dot the Northeast, that my mother, and myself would be participants of, decked out in 19th century garb, me riding in a carriage, she weaving at a loom. She got paid for such summer work, I merely volunteered on random festival weekends to add atmosphere. And, there's roller coasts and such at Dollywood. This could be a lot of fun!

Though it would still be cooler if I went with someone. Amusement parks are fun, they just are a lot more fun to go with someone to scream and hold onto, possibly get sick with and throw up with. Doesn't that sound like more fun?

Anyway, the plans are formulating for big vacation number two of the year.

Coachella Music Festival is merely a shorter, sooner, closer sneak preview version of what I have to look forward to at Bonnaroo.

Fun, fun, fun. With or without anyone. Did I mention I was going to see The Police? Yee-haw!