[Ansteorra] RE: Event Locations (WAS: Question from a relative newcomer )

[morgancain at earthlink.net]

>>> I recently received the message below from one of our
>>> relatively new people.  I'm thinking that if there is
>>> one person who is having trouble with these issues,
>>> there are bound to be more.
*+*+*+*+*+*
>>> A number of events have been posted recently, but they
>>> usually only name the barony or canton an event is being
>>> held at ... but for those of us who are new, figuring out
>>> where that is, can be kind of tough. Also, places tend to
>>> be described as 'such and such campsite'... but Mapquest
>>> hasn't ever heard of the place.

It's not a problem with being new - I've been in the SCA <cough!cough!
allergies!> years, and lived in several Kingdoms.  I will say that it seems
to be almost an Ansteorran thing, because in my work-related travels I have
dropped into strange locations in other Kingdoms, and through the
information given on Kingdom website and in their newsletters, gotten to
events with little trouble.  When I first moved here, and even now, I miss
events that are within my driving radium (2-4 hours, depending) because I
cannot tell where they are or how far the site is.  With groups sharing
sites, and holding events at sites ourside their official boundaries, that
can make a big difference!

Event websites aren't always a help, neither are Black Star announcements,
if they do not have adequate directions and maps.  My own Barony is
somewhat cartographically-challenged in this regard, some people learned
unhappily when trying to get to our last event.  And it's one of the worst
for saying "well, everybody KNOWS where it is!"  I got that a few years
ago, when I had just moved here, when I asked "where is....?" and was told
"well, it's at the usual site."

I agree that even for us oldtimers, saying "Barony of BeyondThePale,
located in scenic WesternEastTexasSouthOfHoople, is holding our annual
Celtic Faire and Pyrate Raids at the Central Campground in FarOverThataway,
just north of I-80 west of NotQuiteThereYet," something to that effect.  It
at least gives us someplace to aim, and if we can find the towns on a map,
we know whether it's within daytrip distance or waaaaaaay the other end of
the Kingdom.

Also, if you are at a Campgrounds, ASK THEM for a street or mailing
address.  Some use P.O. boxes, so get a street address, otherwise Mapquest
will drop you into the middle of the nearest town, which could be a few
miles away from the campground.  Note that Mapquest also doesn't know the
names of churches, so saying "The First Methodist Church of St. Somebody in
downtown OverByTheHighway" isn't going to help much.

And use road numbers instead of names - down in Dallas, they have Preston
Road.  Up in Frisco where I am, we have 289.  Same thing, but people at
opposite ends don't always know that.  Not to mention where Hillcrest
becomes Ohio, and then another Hillcrest appears a quarter-mile away.....

Distances help as well, especially if where you are going is a far piece
from the main road.  I went gleaning this past weekend, and the map not
only had arrows showing the route, but the written directions said things
like "coming from Dallas, get to 20 going east from town, and when you get
to Exit 516/Highway 47 turn right, which is SOUTH.  Go about eight miles
(through the four-way stop sign at FM###) to FM3227 and turn LEFT, then
about 2.5 miles along on the right is our Road (name of here)."  Worked
perfectly!  On the other hand, the other set of directions I had for the
other site I went to this weekend said at one point "when you're on Airport
Freeway" and neglected to tell us if that was 114, 121, or 183 - especially
since it was near to the junction.

Oh, if you can, exit numbers are great!  It helps if you are trying to
guess whether you missed the one you need because the name of the off roads
changed.

                                     ---= Morgan


==============================================================
America will always be the home of the free, because it is
the home of the brave.
                  ---= Lockheed Martin memorial ad, 9/11/02


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