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quote:
Originally posted by GrouseTales:
A little tidbit about group sites, one thing the WGA learned about booking groups sites is, reserve the site at the minimum booking. If you don’t have an exact head count, you can book the site for say 15 or 20 people.When you get to the park and have a final head count, you give the park employees the final number and pay the extra you owe. This makes it more financially viable to have a single person reserve the sites ahead of time. You can then collect money from people and pay the rest later.
In our early days, we paid for the amount of people that RSVP’d and ended overpaying. At our 1st campout, about 50% of those registering didn’t show up. We paid for them in advance our of our personal pockets. Luckily the park refunded the money we overpaid. That is when we learned we could underpay to reserve, and catch up later.
This info might come in handy for anyone planning an event.
Are you referring to reserving individual sites? I was under the impression that reserving a group site for a single price (in our case, $80 a night) covered everybody staying there, so I am not sure I understand how you underpay or overpay for a group site.
quote:
Originally posted by TS:
Sitting around the campfire next to the shore with new and old friends, drinking Blatz, watching a Pink Floyd concert on a wide-screen TV in surround sound, with everyone stirring coconuts to supply the power, then capping the evening off with a slice of coconut cream pie.I think we need to wait a few years until OLED TV’s are in widespread use, as they will draw far less power than current LCD or plasma TV’s, considering the cost of coconuts. Remember, although the Professor from Gilligan’s Island used coconut power, it was just for their little AM radio, not a TV. It doesn’t take much current to receive AM radio signals.
Of course, the generator is still on the island, even though they don’t use it much. If we can’t use that can’t we just bring several tractor batteries and a power invertor?
If you want a Pink Floyd experience, (or U2 or Zepplin) you should check out the laser show at the Barlow Planetarium in Appleton.
http://www.fox.uwc.edu/barlow/Yeah, I know. But we do have MaryAnn’s cookbook and there are several coconut cream pie recipes in it. Perhaps the slice of pie is within reach.
TS
quote:
Originally posted by DCexplorer:
Are you referring to reserving individual sites? I was under the impression that reserving a group site for a single price (in our case, $80 a night) covered everybody staying there, so I am not sure I understand how you underpay or overpay for a group site.No, I’m refering to group sites. Group sites list the maximum amount of people that can camp there, but you don’t have to pay for 60 if you only have 15 people.
The fees are based on a graduated scale. This is the standard fee for all group sites in WI. Here are the 2006 rates:
People Fee
1-20 $40
21-30 $60
31-40 $80
41-50 $100
51-60 $120
61-70 $140I’ve been the one footing the bill for most of the WGA campouts. I reserve at 20 people and pay $40 per night. We know we will have much more then 20 people, but we don’t know how many until the campout. If we end up with 50 campers per night, then we go to the park office and pay the difference, $60 more.
Unless Rock Island is different, all group campers are required to register at the park office when they arrive. They need to provide the camp site number, and the name of the person who made the reservations. The park office is keeping track on how many people are camping on the site. This can help you determine how much more you owe the park. You need to make sure you don’t end up with more people camping then are allowed on the site.
As an organizer, when I get to the park the day of the event, I tell them we will owe them money once we get the final head count. This way they know we are not trying anything sneaky.
quote:
Originally posted by GrouseTales:
No, I’m refering to group sites. Group sites list the maximum amount of people that can camp there, but you don’t have to pay for 60 if you only have 15 people.The fees are based on a graduated scale. This is the standard fee for all group sites in WI. Here are the 2006 rates:
People Fee
1-20 $40
21-30 $60
31-40 $80
41-50 $100
51-60 $120
61-70 $140I’ve been the one footing the bill for most of the WGA campouts. I reserve at 20 people and pay $40 per night. We know we will have much more then 20 people, but we don’t know how many until the campout. If we end up with 50 campers per night, then we go to the park office and pay the difference, $60 more.
shoot, I better hope for 31-40 heads, then! I emailed Reserve America about changing it downward, but they like their fees.
If you end up over paying, let the park office know while you are at the park. They should be able to refund the difference.
ReserveAmerica won’t handle refunds, but the park office should be able to. This was the case for our 1st campout.
Yes, Brian, things are different on Rock Island. And that’s a good thing.
We visited the island in October. They now have a laptop computer in the check-in booth. Seems to be a self-standing arrangement, not networked into the DNR. If the park manager is on hand that weekend, he may be able to work out a refund. The part time summer staff would probably not be able to do it.
Now that the site is reserved, it would seem that the event is a go. While events are generally listed a maximum of three months in advance on geocaching.com, is it possible that the event could be listed a bit earlier wi-geocaching.com? Involving two ferry rides to get there, participants need to plan well in advance to attend. Also, because the event’s coordinates are remote, it doesn’t appear in many “nearby caches” searches.
TS
quote:
Originally posted by GrouseTales:
If you end up over paying, let the park office know while you are at the park. They should be able to refund the difference.ReserveAmerica won’t handle refunds, but the park office should be able to. This was the case for our 1st campout.
GrouseTales, any more advice for those of us organizing this little shindig? We haven’t really organized a event with group camping before, and we are discussing via email what is a fair charge for the event. We have families, solo campers, people reserving their own sites, and people staying at group sites. You can email me directly, as well. We want to be fair and equitable to all, of course. And cover our expenses.
Many thanks to TS for helping seed the event!
Who should we contact if we are interested in going?
quote:
Originally posted by Rangler:
Who should we contact if we are interested in going?Well, you just did let us know you are interested. Once you are able to confirm that you plan to attend, you can do that here too.
Once we get within the 3 month window, then there will be an official event cache page on geocaching.com that you can post a “will attend” note to also.
I’m glad to see some more cachers making plans to attend. Rock Island truly is a very special place to camp and cache!
Thanks to cathunter for helping “seed” this event!
Has there been a date established? I would like to know so I can take vacation days if need be. Thanks.
quote:
Originally posted by Matter23:
Has there been a date established? I would like to know so I can take vacation days if need be. Thanks.Yes, June 23, 24, 25 (the weekend AFTER Father’s Day and the weekend BEFORE the July 4th weekend). The group site has been reserved for these dates.
TS
Many thanks to Greyhounder (Bec) for helping seed this event!
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