We love to camp and we love bluegrass. We figured it would be great to be able to combine them by camping at a festival. We made reservations for a site and went not far from home to the Sertoma Youth Ranch for their annual Thanksgiving Festival. When we arrived on Wednesday, November 21st, We were led to our campsite and told where to put the camper and where to park. It was a very small site and in order to get the camper set up and have the awning out, we had to be all the way up against the electric/water post and between two large live oak trees. We finally got it positioned, but when we set it up, we discovered that we needed about 2" more on the front side in order to get the bed all the way up. So we had to take it all down again, re-hitch the truck and move it back the needed distance. This was the most difficult set up we have had so far. We were concerned that whoever was going to be next to us was going to have a large motor home which would not fit into the other half of this area. Our worst fears were realized when a huge motor home pulled in and the driver informed us that we were on his site. We politely informed him that we were careful to take up less than half of the area. After a few minutes, he told us that we could park on the other half and he would kitty corner his rig on the back portion that was larger. That worked.
On Thursday, which was Thanksgiving, We ate a light breakfast had Thanksgiving dinner in the pavilion where the music would be. It was excellent. The ranch provided smoked turkey and everyone else brought dishes to pass. After dinner, the music began, highlighted by Larry Gillis and His Hard Driving Bluegrass Band.
On Friday, our friends Judy and Fred arrived and set up in the field due to limited availability of campsites. Hindsight being what it is, we would have been better off joining them there and not dealing with the close quarters in the camping area. Also, some of the dirt coming from the trees and roads and late night party noise would have been avoided. In the evening Judy and Fred joined us for dinner in our campsite. The music was very good again and were very impressed with a group of kids called the Bluegrass Parlor Band with the Walker Brothers. Kenny and Amanda Smith were the only group we knew before, and they were very good. Kenny's guitar picking was exceptional.
On Saturday morning we had breakfast with them, then made our way to the pavilion for more music. It was very enjoyable except for one individual who felt he had to smoke the largest, nastiest cigar we have ever seen for most of the day. Complaints to park personnel were mostly ignored with only one announcement made that was ignored. Smoking was an important activity at this gathering, with most people participating. It's prevalence was only surpassed by drinking. We figured we were out of place when the man who owned the motor home offered us a drink of his moonshine.
Sunday morning from 10AM to 1PM was was devoted to bluegrass gospel music. It was very nice and the groups who performed really honored the Lord. Also there were not quite as many smoking and folks waited until after 12 noon to start drinking. In the evening we received a call that a friend was in the hospital, so we left.
Our conclusions for the weekend are that we will go to festivals for the day, but will probably not try camping there again. John said that it was too much liking spending a long weekend at a flea market.
