ANST - Pennsic Travel

[Mark.S Harris]

Isobel asked:
> Hypothetically.....
> 
> Is the Pittsburgh international airport the best airport to fly to, for
> Pennsic?  Anybody have any travel hints, if flying (such as...what do
> you do about food?).

Yes, the Pittsburg airport is the closest big airport to the site.
I have heard that you can often get cheaper tickets by flying into
another, such as Cincinnati but you will have to drive further. If
you are renting a car and driving in yourself, this might be worth
considering. As I've gotten friends to pick me up at the airport,
I've been flying into Pittsburg.

The Pittsburg airport is about an hour south of Cooper's Lake.

It is awlfully difficult to camp for a week at an event such as
Pennsic with the rather strict luggage limitations of the airlines.
First check the airline's websites. Some allow more luggage than
others, some have different size limitations for your first, second
and third(maybe) pieces of luggage.

If you can find some friends from here who can take up some stuff
for you it will help. The first year I paid some folks from here
to take up some gear with them.

The second year, and this year unless someone comes forward to
offer some space (hint! hint!), I will again be mailing a box
up. With both the US Postal Service and UPS you can ship upto
75 pounds for under $30 each way. While you can ship the stuff
home from the US Postal station there at Pennsic, you will have
to ship UPS from somewhere offsite. UPS can deliver to the site,
but you will have to be there at the gate. They can't just drop it
off.

I have looked into paying for extra airline luggage, but with
both the extra luggage and oversize fees, it came out to about
$100 each way. Unfortunately, Greyhound bus shipment was even
more expensive and you would have to pick it up in Pittsburg.

This will be my third year to fly to Pennsic. The first year
I ate at the Food Court. This can get very expensive and it seems
to be getting more expensive each year. Although you can minimize
this by getting simple, non-cook things for breakfast and lunch
by going into town for groceries. Often you can make arrangements
to go when someone else in your group is driving into town.

The second year and this year, I've been participating in the
meal plan of the folks I'm camping with. One of the advantages
of camping with a group of cooks! Duck enchilladas, Crown roast
of lamb, Middle Eastern, etc. The camp is closed for now, since
pre-registration is over, but folks are welcome to come down
and visit, including meal times. SPCA (Soup Pot Cooks Association)
down near the Lake. W10 on the map, I think.

Isobel, if you wish, please contact me by email for more details
on Pennsic and logistics. This will be my sixth Pennsic (21, 23, 25,
27, 28 and 29). You might also be interested in some of the files
in the PENNSIC section of my Florilegium at: http://www.florilegium.org

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net
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