Has anybody ever camped at Thousand Trails Campground- Soledad Canyon, California (near Acton)? How is it?

family camping pop-up tents image

California

I've made reservations to camp there over Labor Day weekend with my older pop-up camper & 1 dog. Can you have fires? Any shade? Is it a nice place to camp? I usually do more rustic camping, but thought I'd give it a try for the holiday.

Answer
I have been there twice and thought it was fun for trailer camping, and not as fun for just tent camping. There are big (no giant!) cottonwood for shade, nice bathrooms, and very pleasant people who tend to stay there. It was low key, with good spaces. When I was there last year, we could have campfires. You can call them direct at (800) 205-0606 and ask about this year. Their normal business hours are M-Th 8am-4pm. There were horseshoes set up and Bocce Ball. It will definitely be more "organized" than you are used to, it sound like, but you should have a very nice time. I know local families that go there each summer for family reunions.

Have fun!

PS - Another suggetsion.... Have you ever tried near the top of Mt. Pinos (McGill Campground) up I-5 past Gorman to the Frazier Park exit, then follow the Frazier Park road west most of the way to the top of Mt. Pinos (8300 ft - pine trees, flowers, meadows, both rustic and trailer/RV camping are allowed.) I love this spot. Only problem is that you have to bring all of your own water. It's $12/night, and the night sky up there has been attracting amateur astronomers with their telescopes for 30 years near the New Moon. They will let you look through their scopes for free and you'll be able to see galaxies, planets and nebulae thousands of light years away. Wow!

What are all the characters at Disney World?

Q. My family and I are going on vacation to Disney World next week. Ive been searching the internet trying to find a list of all the characters that will be there, with no luck. I know that I want to take a picture with Buzz Lightyear. But, my brother is unsure of whom he would like to take one with. Can someone please find me a complete list of all the characters that will be at Disney World? Thanks. (:

Answer
Some show up unexpectedly and some change. There are some definite places though, but a lot are hit-or-miss.

Buzz Lightyear and Woody have a permanent location in Hollywood Studios at Pixar Place. They are there every day, almost all day. Buzz can also be found a lot, hit-or-miss, at the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland.

For the classic Characters-- Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto & Donald-- the best place to meet them is in EPCOT where they have an indoor greeting place, there is one line to meet all of them, it's in an air conditioned room and there are TVs playing cartoons to keep you busy. Mind you this is the best place to meet them all together one-at-a-time, but you can find them all over Disneyworld.


Here are some regulars/usuals:

MAGIC KINGDOM
* Entrance-- often find Chip & Dale, Daisy Duck, Pluto, sometimes Donald & sometimes Pinocchio
* ToonTown Fair-- Mickey in the Judge's Tent behind his house, Minnie behind her house, Princess & Fairy Tent-- Any of the princesses & fairies, especially Cinderella & Tinkerbell
* Near Philharmagic behind the castle-- Peter Pan & Wendy have been hanging out there a lot lately
* Fantasyland-- Pooh characters, Alice & Wonderland characters often, but not always, spotted there
* Adventureland-- Ariel has been moved here while her grotto undergoes reconstruction; sometimes spot Genie early in the morn, sometimes Captain Hook in the day. Once I spotted Rafiki there
* Frontierland-- Woody & Jessie by Splash Mountain recently a lot; Goofy often near Splash Mt; Donald often closer to the Liberty Boat ride in his coon-skin cap
* Tomorrowland-- Often Buzz, and Stitch pops up there a lot, too.

EPCOT (Aside from the 5 classics I mentioned)
* Enterance to Epcot-- I often catch Stitch or Daisy Duck out front
* Future World-- Chip & Dale hang out occasionally there
* England-- often Mary Poppins, Alice, the Pooh characters (indoors, behind where the "Beatles" play)
* France-- almost always Belle, & sometimes Beast
* Morocco-- almost always Aladdin & Jasmine
* China-- Mulan almost always
* Italy-- sometimes Pinocchio, occasionally Gepetto (but haven't seen them recently)
* America-- sometimes Pocahontas
* Germany-- sometimes Snow White
* Mexico-- sometimes Donald, complete with poncho & sombrero

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
- Indian Jones Stunt Show-- this is not an "official" greeting, but if you hang back after the show till the audience has gone, the stunt Indiana Jones guy will come out and take pics & sign autographs with you.
- Animation Studio: prime spot for surprise charaters! Never know who'll show up. I have caught Snow White, her Wicked Stepmother, Jafar (Aladdin), Rafiki (Lion King), Genie (Aladdin), the entire group of characters from Up, Chip & Dale and most of the classics, Pocahontas & Mico... more probably.
But the regulars are Sorcerer Mickey, the Incredibles, and currently they are featuring Lotso from Toy Story 3.
- Pixar Place: Woody & Buzz inside across from Toy Story Mania-- and the soldiers walk around.
- In the back, near the stunt show, you can find Power Rangers, and a spot to meet Mike and/or Sully from Monster's Inc.
- Look for Luigi's Garage to take pics with Lighting McQueen & Mater.

ANIMAL KINGDOM
Entrance-- always different, usually only in the morning though. I have met here Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear (Song of the South), Rafiki (Lion King), Mico (Pocahontas), and more (can't think now).
Camp Minnie-Mickey-- Stitch and Lilo can often be found together at the main road here, and you can find all the classic characters in safari gear at the end. I also have met Thumper and the girl bunny from Bambi at the end a lot.
Rafiki's Planet Watch-- Another prime spot-- I've met Pocahontas here, Jimini Cricket, and a host of other characters in the main building there.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is a good destination in the United States to go to for a three day vacation experience?

country place camping va image

home schoo

This person would fly out Friday after work, spend three days touring a given area or participating in a particular event, then fly home on the fifth day to be at work on Wednesday. This person would be leaving from the New England/New York area, so the destination would have to be the contiguous United States. (No passport yet.) Previous travel experience includes a trip to Washington, DC and Montreal.

This person is young and active, enjoys sports (particularly basketball), loves the movies, loves to dance, loves the outdoors, and loves meeting new people. This person would like to plan this trip for November, so a warmish climate might be nice -- although not mandatory. Any ideas? I'd like to help my young friend plan a relaxing getaway.

Answer
Va. Beach/Hampton/Williamsburg Virginia! Three days will fly by! There is sooooooo much to do. Busch Gardens, Water Country, VA. Beach, major Malls from Va.Beach to Williamsburg! The Pottery, Colonial Williamsburg Tours, (William & Mary is right in the heart of it - lots of College kids - nice people!) Yorktown Tours, local water cruz, loads of places to eat all types of foods, Concerts, (many are free) IMAX theatres, Dinner Theatres, Botanical Gardens, zoo's, beaches, baseball games, races, golf, putt-putt, bowling, clubs, museums, Parks, paddle boats, canoes, bike trails, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, craft shows, horse back riding... need I go on? The area from Va. Beach to Williamsburg is considered Hampton Roads.
As for the temp. : It's been 72 degrees here in early Nov. (People still walking around in shorts.) But, bring a thick jacket/coat because we've had snow on the ground as well. As we like to say here: "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes. It'll change." :)
~try this: Virginia.org You can find more "things to do" info here, and even sign up for their free enews letter. Have fun!

Why are we still at WAR with Afghanistan ?

Joe_Pardy

It is worth remembering that bin Laden and his people are not Afghans; they are Saudi Arabians and Egyptians. Bin Laden is most probably already dead, so why do we continue to punish the Afghans? What's in Afghanistan that "we" want and are prepared to kill and die for.

Answer
There are several reasons, but motivation needs to be identified to find the most logical reasons... First, if we assume (for a moment) that the goals of our leadership are what they want us to believe...The Taliban is using Pakistan and likely areas on the Iranian border as sanctuaries to resupply, plan and launch guerrilla operations against U.S. and Afghan forces... Second, those operations are being fairly successful now because of inadequate U.S. resources there...Thirdly, if we let the Taliban regain control of Afghanistan, it will once again become a haven for terrorists, it will weaken our position in the near East and encourage others to challenge us...Fourth, we cannot allow Iran to complete their offensive nuke capability. If we have to strike Iran, ground forces will be required to invade Iran. We do not want the border across which our troops and supply lines must cross to be infected with some of the toughest guerrilla fighters intimately familiar with the terrain, local civilian support and detailed knowledge of our order of battle...Now that I gave you the standard military/political reasons that they want us to consider (for those that believe in the tooth fairy)...I will give you the rest of what I consider to be the rest of the story...: First...The war on terror is a farce created by those using it to take our Constitutional rights away....Second, "They" must not let countries and/or political entities they do not control to exist whenever they can avoid it...Third, there must be some long term strategic significance to that area in the way of pipeline routes, Industrial profit, buffer zone or whatever.....Your original question referred to us being at war with Afghanistan...I think you meant, "at war against the Taliban."...We are not at war with the country of Afghanistan. We are sponsoring our own puppets there.........As far as BL and the rest being Saudis and Egyptians:
Reset back to what they "want" us to reason: The Al Q. are the terrorist group that is the biggest threat to world peace, the ones responsible for 9-11 and they are allied with the Taliban....Now to reality: During the Afghan war with the Soviets, the U.S. sponsored the training and equipping of Muslim radical volunteers recruited from mostly Saudi Arabia and Egypt...Once these zealots arrived at camps in Pakistan, their identity documents were taken for "safe keeping" and false identity documents issued....After they defeated the Soviets, the countries they came from did not want these hardened idealistic fighters back...so, their original(legitimate) identification documents were "lost."...I don't know how others may feel if that happened to them, but it would tend to REALLY piss me off!...The CIA failed to consider (perhaps on purpose ), that the last phase of guerrilla warfare is "Demobilization." ...That is a the well recognized and necessary step of turning the guns into plow sheers and giving the warriors another purpose in life....Instead, "They" want us to believe these guys
felt emboldened after defeating a super power, were further angered by the US placing military bases in the land of Mecca and all of this ended up with these guys bringing down the World Trade Center( again, for those who believe in the tooth fairy)....As far as being willing to kill and die..."They" aren't doing ANY of the dyeing. "They" send the peasants' sons to bleed and die, telling them it is for freedom...while "They" take the profit...The profit having been paid for by the toil (taxes ) of the peasants who raised those being sacrificed...While at the same time, GIVING themselves hundreds of $ billions of the future toil to be earned by those peasant warriors that survive "Their" wars...Assuming there are enough that survive the VA hospitals upon return...There, of course won't be enough funding for adequate treatment of the peasants' sons, because "They" will have given it to the illegal aliens, Arab immigrants, Acorn, contractors building bridges to nowhere and anyone else that has figured out that how to get money for their votes.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

what are fun things to do with the family over 4th of july weekend?

camping place near chicago image

Rachel

we live near chicago and are afraid the camping places are already booked up.

Answer
Well you definetly need to get a few fire works or fire crackers! Just to get the party started. Then maybe a bonfire or something.

where can i go wilderness camping in the Midwest?

khunte4

I would love to go wilderness camping without a campsite somewhere near chicago. I will drive up to 4 hours to get somewhere. I was thinking michigan but am open to other suggestions. I have looked all over the internet and havent been able to find a place that you can just go out into the wilderness and pitch a tent. Please help!

Answer
isle royal national park is in michigan; but it takes some work to get to the actual park, i think you need a ferry to get you to the island that is isle royale...but once there you;ll see moose and hear wolves at night

http://www.nps.gov/isro

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is the best place for reasonable real estate right now in the....?

country place camping va image

In Kindnes

Give me ideas of where you live and how the markets are! Thanking you in advance!
US....I am thinking of warmer areas in the winter....
Average price for mobile homes, parks, as I would only be there for six months a year! Average small house...????
(((Worker))) Hallelujah!

Answer
The Ten Best Places to Live
Posted by Rita Bacot Scott, Broker, Sanctuary Real Estate
The Ten Best Places to Live
November 2008
Provided by : Sperling's Best Places


These ten places are each special in their own way. The only downside may be that it's hard to keep a secret, so most of them have seen considerable increases in home prices over the last couple of years.

· Atlanta, GA
Atlanta is the largest city in our Top 10 Best Places to Live, having recently experienced a huge population boom. The crossroads of the South has become especially popular with young people looking for a sunny and exciting urban center that is easy on the checkbook, with its reasonable cost of living. Indeed, the city's affordable homes (median home price $164,100) and robust economy (high per-capita income) make Atlanta an excellent choice for young people concerned with value. The South has a reputation for oppressive heat and humidity, but statistically Atlanta has a warm and pleasant climate. Throw in four pro sports teams, great restaurants, and a diverse arts scene and Atlanta emerges a sizzling city on the move.

· Charlottesville, VA
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, most areas of this idyllic city are accessible by foot or bicycle. Charlottesville enjoys clean air and water, and pleasant weather year-round, highlighted by especially beautiful fall foliage. Nearby Shenandoah National Park offers a wealth of recreation opportunities. Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia, which strengthens the area's healthy economy by providing steady jobs and a wealth of amenities and entertainment. Homes are not cheap (median home price $225,000), but the cost of living is manageable. The city's low unemployment rate and significant recent job growth promise continued prosperity. As more and more people learn about this year's best city, Charlottesville may find staying affordable and sprawl-free is its greatest challenge!

· Santa Fe, NM
Home to over 250 art galleries and the new Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe has long been a haven for artists. Perched high in the desert mountains, Santa Fe's air is crisp and clean. Daytime temperatures are mild, though the nights are often cold. The city is surrounded by over 1.5 million acres of national forest, offering excellent hiking, camping, and downhill skiing. Recently, Santa Fe has seen its population skyrocket as the city has become a relocation hotspot for affluent Americans. Despite its recent growth, Santa Fe remains relatively affordable, with a median home price of $365,000.

· San Luis Obispo- Atascadero- Paso Robles, CA
This quiet group of towns on the central California coast could easily qualify as paradise. The climate is among the country's most pleasant, with 285 mostly sunny days per year and temperatures rarely above 90 degrees, or below freezing. The presence of academic heavyweight Cal Poly helps anchor the local economy- the unemployment rate is well below the national average. It's fortunate that local jobs are plentiful, since it's too far to commute to Los Angeles or the Bay Area. Considering further its low crime and unemployment rates, the San Luis Obispo area seems to have it all. But home prices here have risen steadily in the last few years, so that the median is now $536,300. While this isn't unreasonable by California standards, it can be out of reach for many of us thinking of moving from other parts of the country.

· Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA
A few miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara has long been a #1 relocation choice for those who can afford it. This area is famous for lavish estates that carry a price tag in the millions of dollars. Indeed, the median home price for the county is $590,000, and your average house in the city itself is over $1.2 million. No matter how appealing, the Santa Barbara area's cost of living and home prices will prove prohibitive for many Americans. In addition, recent job growth has dipped lately, so it might not be the best place to look for a new job. Nevertheless, for those that are retired or financially secure, the Santa Barbara area remains one of unmatched beauty and comfort.

· Honolulu, HI
Everyone knows that Honolulu is a great place to vacation, but what about putting down roots in Hawaii's capital city? After a slow start, home appreciation is taking off like a rocket as well-to-do mainlanders are looking for a place to invest, and enjoy. The laid-back and easy-going attitude of the islands is infectious and helps explain the low violent crime rate. Restaurants, eager to please the international tourist clientele, are excellent and numerous. For the same reason, entertainment options are various and exciting. Even Honolulu's economy is remarkable\x97the unemployment rate is low and recent job growth is well above the national average. There are some downsides to consider. Nearly all c

Cross country round trip on a motorcycle. How do I begin?

blackcat22

So recently the idea to do a cross country round trip on my motorcycle but I have no idea where to begin. What routes do I take, where should I stay, what should I see, what should I take, how to prepare my bike? I live in VA and I wanted to take, perhaps, Route 66 West and then a route up north that takes me back East. Though I don't particularly want to take interstates and I would like to see nature.

Can someone provide some websites and other resources guiding me through the process.

Answer
here is my take on things
first you want an envelope or a seperate bank account: in that account you must have the funds to buy you a ticket home from anywhere on your route a hot meal and a bed for the night in an emergency. That envelope or account should remain un touched though out the journey and remain so when you get back. What you do with those funds at that point is up to you but that is your personal " get me out o here" insurance policy.

What Bike do you have? I'm not interested personally but you need places on your route where you can buy parts as and when or if you need them. It might be that you have to plan your route to take these places in.

Luggage Plan ahead, take only what you need to stay warm clean dry and comfortable on the bike
Ship the rest ahead of you have two identical sets of luggage and " leap frog" them ahead of you so that as you leave on the next section you post the current luggage it will arrive not at your next destination but the one after that, the previous set would have already arrived at your next destination ahead of you. :o)
Don't plan to ride at night! Better to rise before dawn and ride early and finish a ride at a reasonable time allowing for you to wash up and have a decent meal before retiring to bed.. Better than arriving at your stop after dark late and when the chef has gone home!
Don't eat out of service stations Sandwiches are not good long distance food, they are a convenience like microwave burgers.. Avoid these too, they can wreak havoc with your digestion and bodily functions.
Carry water and isotonic fluids to drink. BUT STOP get off regularly to rehydrate, don't drink on the move, you will travel further by taking short breaks than hammering on to fuel stop after fuel stop
NEVER run to the limit of your tank ( I do regularly on a known 209 mile route I take. But I know each and every fuel station on that route) It is better to keep the tank topped up than to be trying to eak out the last few miles on fumes. I carry a litre of fuel in a coleman bottle, I can use this as a supply of emergency fuel and also to fuel my camp stove. BTW white gas stoves run on regular, but I doubt your bike will run on white gas!! :0) I use a drinks can stove light easy simple and no breakdowns
I carry a small waterproof BDH bottle about the size of a flask, it contains a small amount of paper money, toilet paper matches spark plug gsm mobile (a simple spare) and a few items I want to keep warm and dry Wet wipes taped on outside
Don't bother with a tent, Have a decent bivvy bag instead and an emergency "LIFE" bag ( big orange plastic sack you get into. If you are sleeping in the open you want to see your bike if it is raining you aint sleeping in the open simple really.
Alloy fast food containers or pie dishes make good cook ware as you can eat out of them as well as drink from them
They can be folded up and re used, break one and all you do is order a take away to get a replacement. I carry one folded in my pocket.
Condoms old socks Keep a couple of old odd socks and a packet of natural condoms
A condom un rolled into a sock makes a reliable water carrier one you can carry across a desert tied to your belt, you may not need it.. but you may also get lucky so they have their uses.
Think about what you can achieve what you want to achieve and how you can do it.
Good luck

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Whats FEMA up to these days?

camping place des sources image

Q. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with other government institutions are currently conducting an 8-day anti-terror and disaster exercise from May 1st through May 8th called National Level Exercise 2-08 in the United States. We recently covered this exercise in great detail using press releases from FEMA and U.S. Northern Command as source material. We also raised the prospect of the government using this exercise as cover for a potential false flag terror attack. Considering the historical precedent of the government running drills on the day of the 9/11 attacks as cover for the actual operation, this 8-day long anti-terror and disaster exercise sparked some concern. According to the press releases from both FEMA and U.S. Northern Command, drills are slated to take place in Oregon, Washington State and in the Washington DC or mid-Atlantic area. With this in mind, it is incredibly strange to see reports from the Des Moines Register and the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier indicating that a secretive FEMA exercise is taking place in Waterloo, Iowa. According to these reports, the federal government has leased out the entire National Cattle Congress fairgrounds until May 25th for an exercise. Early reports indicate that a large number of mobile home-size trailers and generators have been moved on to the residence and that both FEMA and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are involved in this exercise. Considering the reported involvement of FEMA and ICE, the trailers and generators being moved in, as well as the secrecy around this particular exercise, this has all the hallmarks of a FEMA camp drill. The purpose of ICE being involved appears to be to round up illegal aliens so they can test the efficiencies of their processing procedures.

Reports of the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds being leased out until May 25th by the federal government first appeared in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier's report. According to their report, both large mobile home-size trailers and generators have appeared on the site. In addition, one of the board members of the National Cattle Congress stated that it was his understanding that FEMA was involved. An employee of ICE was also on site indicating that they must have some sort of involvement in what is happening.

The following blurb is taken from the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier's report.

Normal operations on the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds have been suspended for most of May as the federal government has leased out virtually the entire facility for a training exercise, NCC general manager Doug Miller said Saturday.

Miller said he could release few details. But activity on the NCC fairgrounds was apparent Saturday, as contractors installed massive generators adjacent to many buildings on the NCC fairgrounds and windows of many of the buildings were covered up, blocking views of any work going on inside. A number of large mobile home-size trailers also have taken up residence on the site in the past several weeks.

Miller said the federal government is leasing the fairgrounds through May 25 under an agreement approved by the NCC board. He and others close to NCC said no entity has leased out the entire fairgrounds for that long a period.

He said it is his understanding that access to the NCC fairgrounds will be restricted beginning Monday, except for next weekend's Cedar Falls High School prom at Electric Park Ballroom.

Miller said he has primarily been dealing with the U.S. General Services Administration on the arrangements, and that his physical facilities staff have been cooperating with federal officials on logistics and setup for the exercise.

Miller said that, other than GSA, he could not identify which agencies are involved in the exercise. But an individual on site Saturday who identified himself as an employee of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement referred inquiries to ICE officials in Minneapolis, who could not immediately be reached Saturday.

Miller also was referring inquiries to federal officials in Cedar Rapids, and NCC board member Tunis Den Hartog said it was his understanding the Federal Emergency Management Agency was involved.

The secrecy around this drill and the lack of any formal press release or announcement by the federal government on what is happening is incredibly disturbing. In fact, an ICE spokesman declined to comment on the drill and a news blackout has been imposed at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds where all of this activity is taking place.

The following comes from the Des Moines Register's report.

Federal officials have imposed a news blackout at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, where they have leased almost the entire property through May 25.

Tim Counts, a Midwest spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, declined to say Monday whether an immigration raid is pending that would use the fairgrounds as a detention center.

"ICE never talks about our investigative activity or possible future enforcement actions," Counts said. "Regarding the exercise in Waterloo, there is currently no publicly releasable information about that, so we aren't releasing any."

He declined to say whether the "exercise" involves training or an immigration enforcement operation.

"We expect that at some point there will be additional information available, but I can't speculate at what point that might be," Counts said.

The fact that officials from the federal government are being very secretive about whatâs happening here indicates that they are doing something they know people arenât going to like. Even the state Governor has been left in the dark about whatâs happening.

Below is another blurb from the Des Moines Register's report.

Representatives of Gov. Chet Culver and U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley said they had no information about what was happening at the Cattle Congress fairgrounds.

At Grassley's request, his staff called ICE officials on Monday.

"During the call, the ICE officials would neither confirm nor deny anything to Senator Grassley's staff," said Beth Pellett Levine, a Grassley aide.

The apparent involvement of FEMA and ICE indicate that the purpose of this exercise is to test their FEMA camp deployment apparatus using the round up of illegal aliens as a test case. Although there is no way of confirming that this is 100% the case, if there are round-ups of illegal aliens in this general area during the next few weeks, it will be pretty obvious at that point.

Regardless of the goals or aims of this drill, there is no questioning the fact that the federal government does not want to stop illegal immigration. The federal government is encouraging this problem so they can dissolve the borders between the three countries and form a North American Union between Canada, Mexico and the United States. With all of the hysteria surrounding the phony war on terror, it is ridiculous that the border has not been sealed which shows that the open border policy with Mexico is supported by the Bush administration. Since the vast majority of Americans want something done about the illegal alien problem, they will think that this is a great thing, but what they fail to realize is that these camps are not really for illegal aliens, they are for the average American.

Plans for government run concentration camps are well documented from Rex 84, the Armyâs Civilian Inmate Labor Program and the KBR built detention facilities. This looks like a continuation of this concentration camp agenda and considering that the government has refused to take real action to stop the illegal alien problem, why would they want to build a FEMA camp in the middle of Iowa to run a drill? The answer is simple, they are going to use the excuse of the illegal alien problem to setup the FEMA camp infrastructure which will be used to house the average Americans who protest what this corrupt and out of control government has been doing.

It is incredibly suspicious that the federal government would not openly announce this exercise and even go out of their way to ensure a media blackout of their activities. There is little doubt that this is part of their agenda to setup a large scale FEMA camp apparatus in order to house large quantities of American citizens. The Nazis used concentration camps to house and eventually exterminate the Jews and it is frightening to see that a similar infrastructure is now being setup in America.

Answer
videotapping fake press conferences?

Whats FEMA up to these days?

Q. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with other government institutions are currently conducting an 8-day anti-terror and disaster exercise from May 1st through May 8th called National Level Exercise 2-08 in the United States. We recently covered this exercise in great detail using press releases from FEMA and U.S. Northern Command as source material. We also raised the prospect of the government using this exercise as cover for a potential false flag terror attack. Considering the historical precedent of the government running drills on the day of the 9/11 attacks as cover for the actual operation, this 8-day long anti-terror and disaster exercise sparked some concern. According to the press releases from both FEMA and U.S. Northern Command, drills are slated to take place in Oregon, Washington State and in the Washington DC or mid-Atlantic area. With this in mind, it is incredibly strange to see reports from the Des Moines Register and the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier indicating that a secretive FEMA exercise is taking place in Waterloo, Iowa. According to these reports, the federal government has leased out the entire National Cattle Congress fairgrounds until May 25th for an exercise. Early reports indicate that a large number of mobile home-size trailers and generators have been moved on to the residence and that both FEMA and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are involved in this exercise. Considering the reported involvement of FEMA and ICE, the trailers and generators being moved in, as well as the secrecy around this particular exercise, this has all the hallmarks of a FEMA camp drill. The purpose of ICE being involved appears to be to round up illegal aliens so they can test the efficiencies of their processing procedures.

Reports of the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds being leased out until May 25th by the federal government first appeared in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier's report. According to their report, both large mobile home-size trailers and generators have appeared on the site. In addition, one of the board members of the National Cattle Congress stated that it was his understanding that FEMA was involved. An employee of ICE was also on site indicating that they must have some sort of involvement in what is happening.

The following blurb is taken from the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier's report.

Normal operations on the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds have been suspended for most of May as the federal government has leased out virtually the entire facility for a training exercise, NCC general manager Doug Miller said Saturday.

Miller said he could release few details. But activity on the NCC fairgrounds was apparent Saturday, as contractors installed massive generators adjacent to many buildings on the NCC fairgrounds and windows of many of the buildings were covered up, blocking views of any work going on inside. A number of large mobile home-size trailers also have taken up residence on the site in the past several weeks.

Miller said the federal government is leasing the fairgrounds through May 25 under an agreement approved by the NCC board. He and others close to NCC said no entity has leased out the entire fairgrounds for that long a period.

He said it is his understanding that access to the NCC fairgrounds will be restricted beginning Monday, except for next weekend's Cedar Falls High School prom at Electric Park Ballroom.

Miller said he has primarily been dealing with the U.S. General Services Administration on the arrangements, and that his physical facilities staff have been cooperating with federal officials on logistics and setup for the exercise.

Miller said that, other than GSA, he could not identify which agencies are involved in the exercise. But an individual on site Saturday who identified himself as an employee of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement referred inquiries to ICE officials in Minneapolis, who could not immediately be reached Saturday.

Miller also was referring inquiries to federal officials in Cedar Rapids, and NCC board member Tunis Den Hartog said it was his understanding the Federal Emergency Management Agency was involved.

The secrecy around this drill and the lack of any formal press release or announcement by the federal government on what is happening is incredibly disturbing. In fact, an ICE spokesman declined to comment on the drill and a news blackout has been imposed at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds where all of this activity is taking place.

The following comes from the Des Moines Register's report.

Federal officials have imposed a news blackout at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, where they have leased almost the entire property through May 25.

Tim Counts, a Midwest spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, declined to say Monday whether an immigration raid is pending that would use the fairgrounds as a detention center.

"ICE never talks about our investigative activity or possible future enforcement actions," Counts said. "Regarding the exercise in Waterloo, there is currently no publicly releasable information about that, so we aren't releasing any."

He declined to say whether the "exercise" involves training or an immigration enforcement operation.

"We expect that at some point there will be additional information available, but I can't speculate at what point that might be," Counts said.

The fact that officials from the federal government are being very secretive about whatâs happening here indicates that they are doing something they know people arenât going to like. Even the state Governor has been left in the dark about whatâs happening.

Below is another blurb from the Des Moines Register's report.

Representatives of Gov. Chet Culver and U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley said they had no information about what was happening at the Cattle Congress fairgrounds.

At Grassley's request, his staff called ICE officials on Monday.

"During the call, the ICE officials would neither confirm nor deny anything to Senator Grassley's staff," said Beth Pellett Levine, a Grassley aide.

The apparent involvement of FEMA and ICE indicate that the purpose of this exercise is to test their FEMA camp deployment apparatus using the round up of illegal aliens as a test case. Although there is no way of confirming that this is 100% the case, if there are round-ups of illegal aliens in this general area during the next few weeks, it will be pretty obvious at that point.

Regardless of the goals or aims of this drill, there is no questioning the fact that the federal government does not want to stop illegal immigration. The federal government is encouraging this problem so they can dissolve the borders between the three countries and form a North American Union between Canada, Mexico and the United States. With all of the hysteria surrounding the phony war on terror, it is ridiculous that the border has not been sealed which shows that the open border policy with Mexico is supported by the Bush administration. Since the vast majority of Americans want something done about the illegal alien problem, they will think that this is a great thing, but what they fail to realize is that these camps are not really for illegal aliens, they are for the average American.

Plans for government run concentration camps are well documented from Rex 84, the Armyâs Civilian Inmate Labor Program and the KBR built detention facilities. This looks like a continuation of this concentration camp agenda and considering that the government has refused to take real action to stop the illegal alien problem, why would they want to build a FEMA camp in the middle of Iowa to run a drill? The answer is simple, they are going to use the excuse of the illegal alien problem to setup the FEMA camp infrastructure which will be used to house the average Americans who protest what this corrupt and out of control government has been doing.

It is incredibly suspicious that the federal government would not openly announce this exercise and even go out of their way to ensure a media blackout of their activities. There is little doubt that this is part of their agenda to setup a large scale FEMA camp apparatus in order to house large quantities of American citizens. The Nazis used concentration camps to house and eventually exterminate the Jews and it is frightening to see that a similar infrastructure is now being setup in America.

Answer
that's way to long

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Bachelorette party planning help?

camping place near san jose image

Barbie

I am trying to plan my sisters bachelorette party and I need help! I wanted to do some kind of pole dancing lesson but I am having trouble finding locations near San Jose or Santa Cruz. The bridesmaids invited are short on cash so I have to plan something inexpensive. Any ideas would help :)

Answer
what about hiring a belly dancer to come to the house to give lessons if you' can't find a pole dancing place- maybe call around to local strip joints to see if any of the girls would come over to teach how to strip without the pole?
if hosting a party on the cheap- how about a party at home with lots to drink and snacks. you could play all different types of games- check out the porn stores for more naughty ones. you could have it like a spa night too where you do facials and nails- have everyone bring over any spa type stuff they have at home like foot baths and paraffin wax baths- stuff like that.
otherwise find someone to host the party that has few bars within walking distance to save on travel expense. have snacks and a few drinks at the house then bar hop a bit.
how about a camping night?! always fun to camp out with a bunch of girls for a night of drinking!
skip the strip clubs or any bars with a cover charge to save money.

I make these glasses for a nice party favor for the guests at parties- buy martini glasses from the dollar store (one per person) and go get paint pens form the craft store in the wedding colors and paint on each glass their names and date of the wedding- you can even put each guests anme on the base of the glass as a personalized glass (helps them to remember whos is whos too!) you can tie a pretty ribbon on them too if you'd like. then make a big batch of a specialty martini in a big pitcher to keep them flowing all night!

Know any competitive volleyball teams?

Lizzie

I'm currently looking for a competitive volleyball team or club in san jose or any place near that for teens. I've heard of Stingray Volleyball Club, but I would like to stick to something under the price range of $500. Please help! I need to find out before the Fall Season.

Answer
There are a LOT of clubs in the San Jose/Los Gatos area. Club season for 2010 is about half over though. You might want to keep an eye out for summer camps and clinics because all the club teams are well into their NCVA seasons.

A website that might help you in the futures is www.ncva.com. That has a listing of tryouts for club teams, which all take place in late October and early November. The club season kicks off in early January and runs until May, June or early July depending on how well the team does, whether it's power league or area league, etc.

Good luck!!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What are some fun things to do in south lake tahoe?

camping place near dallas image

srh_steinm

looking for nightlife (bars, etc.), resaurants, lake attractions.

Answer
I go to Tahoe ALL the time because my parents live there... so I can give you some ideas. During the day, you are best being outside! Off of Ski Run you can rent jet skis, boats, or go parisailing. The Tahoe airport (private airport.. not commercial) now offers helicpter rides which are pretty reasonable in price. Also, you can take a hot air balloon ride. There are lots of places to rent paddle boats, or kayaks along the water. Also, there are places to rent bikes and they will give you routes to bike along. Camp Richardson and Zephyr Cove both have horse back riding. You can take the Heavenly Gondola up the mountain... but I think its really overpriced... the view is AMAZING, but if you parisail (go the full 1200 feet), or do the hot air balloon, or helicopter... its basiclly the same view. Not to much shopping, except the stores over near Heavenly Village. If your looking for Tahoe mechandise, I'd suggest going to Longs, Rite Aid, or K Mart... they have a lot of the same stuff the touristy places have, for half the price. If your looking for clubs... MountBlu has the new club Blu and Harrahs and Vex. Both offer themed nights (like $1 drinks, or ladies half off, etc) The only other club like place is Cabo Wabo which is under Harveys. All teh Casinos have bars.. if you r looking for cheep drinks... Lakeside Casino has cheep drinks. If your looking for fancy drnks with a great view... go to Harveys to 19. As far as restraunts go... there are some great restruants...some are pretty expensive... Josh's at Horizon (lobster special 2 tails $20), Sage room or 19 at Harveys, Harrahs has Fridays Station. If your looking for cheeper food, Lakeside has some great deals on food in their cafe and its good food. Horizon has a little cafe called the 4 Seasons... its really decent. If your looking for buffet... Harrhas has a Seafood Buffet on teh weekends and a regular buffet and the view is incredible. Entertainment wise, Harveys has the Improv (look for 2 for 1 coupons at teh hotel) and also an adult revue show Debbie Loves Dallas (also 2-1 coupons), Horizon has a magic show called the Chris Lowell Show and on Tuesday nights they have a psychic show. Mountblu has been getting a lot of headliners.. so check to see whos here when you come. have fun and good luck:)

What's a best place north/east/west of Dallas for a 2 or 3 night vacation with lake/other activities for kids?

JR4NOTAXES

If it has luxury cabins that would be nice, but any type of lodging that is comfortable (not hardwood "beds") is preferred.

Southern Oklahoma is fine if it ends up being less miles that one of your recommendations, but I would assume there'd be lots of choices closer to the Metroplex.

Answer
Try Jefferson, Tx. It is east of here, near Caddo Lake. There are historical hotels in town, and camping at the lake. There are also places with cabins at the lake. The lake is beautiful, and they even have steamboat tours. In Jefferson, they have a train ride, carriage rides, horseback riding, and boat tours all within walking distance of the hotels. This is also an interesting area if you are into history at all. I don't know how old your kids are, but they also have a neat walking ghost tour at night. I am not into ghosts, but it was fun anyway to see the houses and hear the stories. Have fun wherever you go!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Where can I find a affordable place for a wedding reception in Houston, TX?

best camping place in qld image

Mel

The wedding is going to be the first weekend of September and I'm looking for something under $1000. I want it to have a dance floor and we don't need them to cater. Thanks

Answer
I am sorry - I dont know Houston but I do know about finding an affordable wedding reception place!
Think outside the box!!
1. ring local council - they should be able to give you a list of halls and other function centres that they have available for hire. Some of these places may even be in Parks but they can arrange a liquor licence. (i am in australia sorry - if these arent exactly true in your area, but you get the idea)
2. Google halls for hire. You might find a private hall eg dance studio, church, CWA, school (most of these could be under council), clubs (scouts etc)
* I actually found a choir hall this way and they had everything we needed -awesome. Just that the toilets were outside - which we decided to not go with...
They did theatre restaurant there too.
3. Tourist INformation Centre sometimes have brochures on places that could work...
4. Group Camps - or holiday places - they usually have a large hall on site with full kitchen. People can stay on-site or in nearby accommodation.
5. Government buildings / heritage buildings ..see below
6. Theatres. Local theatre groups where they have theatre restaurants you know they have a kitchen and bar facilities.
7. Google Conference Centres / Group Accommodation / Family Retreat. This is how we found our wedding venue. (we are getting married in august). I found a few awesome places under this category search. Some very nice but too expensive or not suitable for our group. Some with accommodation and some with only single bed onsite accommodation but motels etc nearby. One place was a pony camp / conference centre .
The place where we are getting married is actually owned by Qld Government. During week it is an Outdoor Training Facility and conference centre but on weekends they hire out the facilities for private functions. We get tables, chairs, tablecloths, cutlery, crockery, glasses etc, even a mobile coolroom, outdoor gas heaters, industrial kitchen, separate conference room for all the kids to relax and watch movies, a marquee area, a large grassed area and a large undercover area with weather shields. All for $226 - plus we have it from Friday arvo till Sunday arvo!!! Government dont work weekends so no staff / people watching over us..
We found a caterer through word of mouth (excellent value) and we can BYO alcohol etc.

There are some conference centres and function centres (and even retreat style accommodation) which offer their kitchen and their caterer or find your own caterer - some dont like it - different laws.

Good luck and have fun searching. Always talk to people. I found so much info from talking to different people and remembering there are only "six degrees of separation"

Good places to go camping in SouthEast QLD?

Dave

Can anyone recommend some good places to go camping? Looking for mountain streams, or perhaps beach? Up to 2 hours drive from Brisbane.

Answer
http://www.glasshousemountainscampingground.com.au/
The Glass house Mountains are beautiful I stayed in a caravan park there once and found my day trips where very relaxing and enjoyable. there is also The GoldCoast Hinterland. If you want beach then look at the Big 4 or top tourist parks. I've stayed at The broadwater tourist park on the gold Coast and that is really nice.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Where is the cheapest place to park and camp near/in the PA Grand Canyons?

camping place in pa image

Faye

My friend and I want to go camping near/in the PA Grand Canyons (not the actual grand canyons). We don't have much money at all and don't want to stay in the State Parks which is 15-19 dollars a night. I would like somewhere for free or less than 10 bucks a night. We don't want to hike anywhere to camp. We just want to park and camp. Thanks in advance!

Answer
If you're that strapped for funds, perhaps you should delay your trip. Just pitching a tent and camping out isn't smart. Any legitimate campground will charge you at least that much per night. Here's a link:http://www.allcampgrounds.com/blog/?tag=pennsylvania-grand-canyon

How a 14 year-old can start archery and shooting?

TK

Lately i've been really interested in archery and shooting. but i don't want to hunting, i just want to learn how to, use a shooting range. how should i start? would i be able to? know of any good archery/ shooting places in PA? <:D

Answer
check out youth shooting programs such as through Boyscouts/Girlscouts or 4-H

another option would be to contact ODCMP (civilian marksmanship program) they offer youth air rifle and youth firearms training at summer camps and hold competitive shoots

From their website:

PROGRAMS: For marksmanship training, competitions, National Matches, safety information and youth marksmanship.

Email: info@odcmp.com

The NRA also offers youth shooting programs

http://www.nrahq.org/youth/

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

where can you go camping in new york state?

camping place in new york image

person122

is there any camping places in new york? or maybe new jersey? any of those. but like real camping places where you can sleep in tents and do campfires and all of that stuff

Answer
yes there are thousands of places to camp. http://woodalls.com/ lists all that there is. Look into the national forests near you for some really nice places.
Good luck!

Where is there real wilderness camping outside of New York City?

Sophie P

We'll be renting a car so it doesn't have to be accessible to public transportation. We're looking for a real wilderness type of camping experience, rather than putting up a tent on a large lawn or within view of other campers. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer
The closest place for REAL wilderness camping would be six or seven hours away (depending on the specific location chosen) in the Adirondack Park. It's over six million acres and includes a 2.3 million acre forest preserve which the NY State Constitution mandates must be "forever wild." That preserve is the only public land in New York in which you can camp anywhere you want to (except, during the summer, anywhere over 6,000 feet elevation, because of fire risk) without having to be in an actual campground -- though there is that option, there are dozens of campgrounds that vary greatly in the level of amenities that are available and how crowded the sites are.

Wikipedia has a pretty good writeup about the park:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adirondack_Mountains

One campground that is worth considering, and is one of my favorites, is called Indian Lake Islands. The appeal, if you can get one reserved, is that there are campsites on islands that can be reached only by boat. Some islands have as few as one or two sites, so privacy is better than most organized campgrounds. The whole area is heavily forested, so even if there are other sites around it's not like that "large lawn" feeling. Info on the facility is here:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24471.html

I also like Eighth Lake (apparently at some point they ran out of names for the many lakes, and just started using numbers!):
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24465.html

There are some reasonably similar campgrounds in the Catskills, but generally it's more crowded there and you don't have the freedom to just pitch a tent (or use an available public lean-to at no charge) like you would in the Adirondacks. The upside there is it's less than three hours away from NYC.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Going to New Jersey! What are the best places to see?

camping place in western cape image

Q.

Answer
You can go to the beach.....there are tons of fun places to go out at night...Belmar, Point Pleasant, Seaside, or Wildwood. There are some decent rides in Seaside and Wildwood....the rides in Pt. Pleasant are more geared to little kids.

Cape May has some old Victorian houses right along the beach...and a cute little downtown with a bunch of shops.

You can also go to the western sections of NJ...such as High Point. There is a nice lake there and there are many places to camp. In addition, it is always fun taking a little rafting trip down the Delaware River.

Plus, NYC is very close...easy for day trips.

What do u know about South Africa ?

Q. ...anything to do with the country .

Answer
Everything that needs to be known. I was born and bred in South Africa and so was my family before me (the Louw's) who lived here since the 1650's.
Apart from realities such as crime, AIDS, a weak government and some other problems it is a great country with great people, exceptional natural beauty and great weather.
The population consist of a mosaic of ethnic groups and languages, each with a colourful and interesting culture. There are the Zulu (biggest ethnic group), Xhosa, Afrikaners (brown and white), English (brown and white), North and South Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Swazi, Ndebele etc. The original inhabitants (more than 350 years ago) were the San people, of whom a small group remains. Since the 1600's there was a migration of white settlers from the South and black migrants from the North (into what the current geographical borders of South Africa is.
Brief history: As settlers moved further into the interior - not only with the great trek, but gradually since the 1600's - rife wars were waged in the East between Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho and Ndebele (who split from the Zulus in the early 1800's. As the people of European origin pushed to the interior they joiner in these wars for territory (although most of the central area (Karoo and Free State) was unoccupied area and the trekkers were the first to arrive. Three Boer republics formed who went to war with England toward the late 1800's - two ugly wars over gold in which many innocent women and children died (especially in British concentration camps). In 1910 the Union of South Africa was formed from the three Boer republics and the british Cape colony. In the 1940's the segregation that existed between black and white was given formal status. This policy caused a lot of pain and demolition of human dignity among black South Africans and often caused confusion among ill-informed white citizens. (the complexities are vast and can only be understood if South Africa is one's home) In the 1990's then president FW de Klerk (not PW Botha) freed Nelson Mandela from prison (not house-arrest) and entered the process that led to the first fully democratic elections in 1994. The ANC has been in power since.

Nature: South Africa has a wide array of climates and biomes: the Western Cape with it's mediterranean climate, the dry western (Namaqualand), central (Karoo)and central-northern (Kalahari) regions, the wet forests of the South, the savanna grasslands of the north and the subtropics of the far north and East. The coastline is as diverse as the rest, ranging from subtropical beaches to desert coast. Ataste of Europe in the Cape winelands (also an area with a strong Malay influence), the African bush with lions and Elephants in the north. Endless mountain ranges, topping more than 3000m and snow capped in winter. This diversity in climate and scenery means there's something for everybody's taste.

Food: Anything from McDonalds to very readitional (see an answer by Porgie to another food question in the South Africa section)
It's also a country where people love outdoor activities. Lots of sport going on, barbecuing, campsites and resorts everywhere.

I may be biased but even with its problems (which can and should not be ignored) one can't help but love the place.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Anyone who has experience long-term living in the wilderness?

2012 family camping tents image

I am in the process of starting an organization devoted to wildlife conservation and would like to spend a summer living in the wilderness studying and observing the wildlife for a book I am writing but would like some help from anyone with long-term wilderness survival...please e-mail me if you would like to discuss this further. Thanks!

Answer
I have had some extreme camping with the scouts, one in a survival setting of making huts out of branches, and brushy roofs in the middle of a snow storm. We only did that for a few days. I wouldn't want to do that for a season, but at least you are going in during the summer when the critters are about, especially biting flies and mosquitoes.

First, I would find a buddy. It's not wise to go by yourself. It would be too easy to knock you in the head, and no one would miss you until a missed status call.

Second, invest in a GPS unit if you are going into a large forrest. One company is also selling emergency response units that emails people you chose with your exact location if you set off. That would be smart because most forest unless in tourist areas are sparse on cell phone coverage. Never hurts to have an old fashion compass as well and a map.

Third buy a small kit with survival gear. Water tabs, MRE's, first aid kit, two-way radio and a way to power and charge out there. You might want to check out some survival sites and books, as there are enough loonies out there who fear basic survival, next big event in 2012. These people get off on wildness survival where they see themselves running when the next big one hits. If only Orson Wells scaring people off to the mountains with broadcast of aliens attacking the Earth. It kind of reminds me of that movie, "Red Dawn" when a pack of teens run to the mountains when the communist Cubans and Soviets attack their Colorado town (area).

I would invest in some good clothes, and some good camping gear. Backpackers have that to a science with solid packs, durable tents and the weight figured out to where they can pack it anywhere and not feel like a donkey at the end of the day.

Good luck with that. As a warning, there was once a guy who came from a good family up east who decided to give his college money to charity, and walked into the Alaska back country in basic clothing. He died of exposure. I would research the area you are going to, and find out what the extremes and plan accordingly. So many think that it will be warm all the time, or vise versa and find themselves in a pickle, and that is a week long camping trip that turns into a disaster. It sounds like you are talking months.

It sounds fun, but do it right, or we will be seeing your horrific ending on the news.

Where can i rent camping gear near Chicago, IL?

no nicknam

I'm finally taking my family on our first camping trip. But I'm on a tight budget and can't afford new camping gear or used for that matter. I looked it up on craigslist and it's still too expensive for me. Is there any place that can rent me the equipment for the weekend?

Answer
I'm not sure exactly what kind of "gear" you need, but try calling REI (Recreation Equipment,inc.)
REI Lincoln Park Store
(312) 951-6020
1466 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60642
I'm pretty sure they rent pup tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, camp stoves, etc. and they have other Chicagoland locations:
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Northbrook, IL
Schaumburg, IL

_________
and it looks like they are having a free "Camping Basics" event this week (06-04-2012 at the Northbrook location and 06-06-2012 in Schaumburg)
http://www.rei.com/event/39858/session/50453

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is a good place to car camp south or north of Anchorage Alaska in the winter?

camping car 10 place image

Q. Want to go camping this weekend, but don't want to rent a cabin. Parks up here frown on you sleeping in your car, but this would be ideal for me as I have everything I need in it, and don't want to tent camp in 10 degree weather. Are there any places around Anchorage where you can park and sleep in your car without being bothered by anybody. Also, would like to get into the wilderness as much as possible

Answer
You didn't specify how far you were interested in traveling, but if you drive north on either the Parks Highway toward Fairbanks or up the Glenn into the interior of the state, you will likely be able to sleep in pullouts without an issue. I have pulled off and slept in the car several times up here without any issues as there are large expanses of highway with no services.

I think the same is probably true headed south toward Homer, though I have always driven that in one shot.

Since you are already up here, you probably already know that you should prepare for some possible nasty weather.

Have fun!

How far away are the Glastonbury Festival car parks from the site itself?

Phillip B

I am attending the festival this year and have been told the car parks are about a 3 mile walk away from the festival site, is this true?

Answer
No but it depends where you camp. If you camp on the opposite side of the field to where you park and you arrive late then you could spend 2-3 hours hauling your stuff through the crowds but if you arrive early (wednesday) and find a good place to camp, you might only have to walk for 10 minutes. Try to only make one trip with all your stuff because there's nothing worse than having to half-set-up the tent and then having to trail back to the car when all you want to do is crack open a beer and relax.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is the best beach on Luzon to take a vacation?

camping place in the philippines image

confused85

I have just finished working in the Philippines and want to take a vacation at a beach with my boyfriend. What is the best beach on the Luzon island to take a holiday?

Answer
Luzon is so huge there are a lot of excellent choices, depending on the time you have. And depending on the distance you can travel.

The best beach nearest to Manila will be those in Laiya, in the town of San Juan, Batangas. There are 5-star accommodations there, as well as native huts that are inexpensive. There are about 100 resorts in the area, including mom-and-pop style places -- - residents near the shore have built simple accommodation that can be rented. This is ideal if you do not want a fancy place, and would want to interact with the community. On the high-end is Acuatico, 5-star rooms, elegant restaurant, and an infinity pool. There are accommodations in between these extremes.

The farthest destination, and is so beautiful it is dubbed the Boracay of the North is Pagudpud. This is the northernmost town in the Philippines, in the province of Ilocos Norte. About 13 hours by car or bus. There are 2 beach destinations in Pagudpud but the most popular is the strip called Ivory Coast. Accommodations range from backpackers quarters and home-stays to luxury rooms costing P6,000 a night.

On the east coast is Baler, a town where Francis Ford Coppola shot most of the scenes in his movie Apocalypse Now. It is an interesting place, and is famous for the cheapest surf lessons on the planet. Decent aircon accommodations are only for P2,000 a night. Not a party place, there is no bar strip like Boracay. But it would be nice to have a drink in a bar facing the ocean. Best accommodation is Bahia Inn.

On the west coast, the best destination is Bolinao, a town in Pangasinan. It is a peninsula with white sands on the shore. Accommodations range from P1,500 a night to P6,000 a night. You can do Bolinao and take a detour to Hundred Islands in nearby Alaminos, one of the top destinations in the country. Read about accommodations choices (with photos, rates, contact details) in my blogs about Bolinao and Hundred Islands.

Subic is nearby, but no way can I classify any of the beach destinations there as "best". You may, however, read up on Subic, get to the beach, and do the safari, zipline, or ride the whale within this famous rest and recreation area.

Near Subic is Anawangin. It is so beautiful in the sense that it is raw and pristine. No inns, no restaurants, no cell phone signal. Just camping, going back to basics.

Another adventure destination Is Caramoan, a group of small islands in Camarines Sur, Bicol. These are probably the last of the unspoilt beach destinations. Probably because they are not very easy to reach. You will have to take a bus (or your car) to Naga, and then to Pili, and then to Sabang Wharf from where you will take a ferry to this paradise. As proof of its allure, Survivor France has shot two episodes there, 2 years in a row.Three other countries have filmed their Survivor series there. There are cheap accommodations, as well as hotel type resort rooms.

If you just want to be on the beach anyway, not one of the best (pebbly, rocky beach), then Matabungkay will do just fine. Just an hour away from Tagaytay.

I will post the links to these destinations from my travel blog. I travel for leisure, and spend my own money. My opinions and recommendations are purely from experience, and never influenced by favors from resort or hotel owners.

One last note: It is typhoon season so you may not enjoy the beach. Of course you can still cozy up in your resort room and dash to the water when the sun shines even for an hour or two.

My blogs also have a "How To Get There" portion:

Laiya, Batangas :
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/laiya-in-color/

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte:
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/pagudpud-the-boracay-of-the-north/

Baler, Aurora Province:
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/baler-and-it-is-not-in-quezon/

Bolinao, Pangasinan:
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/bolinao-pangasinan/

Bolinao (second visit, where I explored other accommodations) :
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/bolinao-revisited/

Hundred Islands, Alaminos (quite near Bolinao):
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/hundred-islands/

Subic:
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/subic-zoobic-safari/

Anawangin Cove, Zambales ( about an hour from Subic):
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/anawangin-cove-in-zambales/

Caramoan, Camarines Sur (Bicol Region):
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/caramoan-survivor-islands/

Matabungkay, Batangas :
http://boyplakwatsa.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/matabungkay-beach/

Where can I buy a gyroscope in the Philippines?

EDDy

I am looking for a place that sells gyroscopes here in the Philippines. Ideally the Tedco original design.

Answer
Go to Amazon, you can get anything what you want:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2F&tag=topfivproinf-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What do you think about my idea of making the Earthquake/Tsunami in Japan into a movie?

camping place japan image

I would use cutting back and forth showing the different places showing the fear of other areas as this tragedy unfolds as well as the different areas being affected by the earthquake. Also I would use episodic to show the events of people leading up to the second the earthquake hit while showing the actual video clips that some people took on their phones.

I would use close ups to show the damage and the faces of the people. Wide shots so you can oversee everything that is happening at one time.

Answer
Literally millions of people have been murdered in this century and other millions of people have been sent to concentration camps for what were, in the end, crude philosophical ideas (of the Marxist or Fascist variety, often).

All supposedly 'practical' men, whether they did the killing in the name of a philosophy or were the victims of men acting out a philosophy or stood at the side gawking while declaring all philosophy useless or nonsense, were as philosophical - in the sense of being moved by general arguments about what the world is and should be and how human beings should behave - as any man, except that these supposedly 'practical' men were less conscious of that fact.

In any case, it is an illusion to believe that philosophy only pertains to the goods of the mind or only is of importance to a few intellectually gifted and curious individuals:

whatever happens in society and whatever human beings consciously do and do not do to others and for themselves is based on general ideas and values that are very properly speaking philosophical, and this has been so since human beings started to think.
And part of the reason is that all men need to answer the questions what there really is, what they should and should not do, and why they believe they know things. These questions cannot be answered by any special science, and must be somehow answered by all human beings.

What is the possibility of staying stateside as a Navy MA (Master at Arms)?

Evan

I am planning on joining the Navy. I will be going to boot camp as soon as I can and I want to go to MA "A School" for Master-at-Arms. I want to know how likely is it that I will get to stay stateside? If not what other locations will I be able to go to. Will i get to go to cool places such as Japan or something like that? Please let me know!!!

Answer
slim. most duty stations and nearly all deployment locations are OCONUS.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Whats a good place to get away in the desert?

camping place los angeles image

Oz

So a couple of friends and I have decided it would be a good idea to get away from the city for the weekend and just go camp out in the desert.

However, we don't know where exactly to go or what a good place would be...Since, we don't want to get lost out there either.

This is where you come in. Anyone know of any exact locations that would be good for this sort of thing?

We live in Los Angeles, So we figured it would be somewhere out in the Victorville area desert.

Answer
check out campgrounds in the Azno Borreago wilderness
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
Telephone
760-767-5311

Joshua tree National Park
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Death valley National Park
http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Where is the best place to see ACTUAL stars (not celebrities) in Southern California?

Kara

I'm from a rural town on the east coast where you can see thousands of stars on any given night. I now live in Los Angeles where you're lucky if you see a handful. I'm wondering where I can go (within a few hours drive) to get a really good view of some stars. Maybe a place for camping or something?

Answer
Good Evening Kara,


I would like to give you a belated welcome to California, my home. I understand how you feel about missing the little things about home. The west coast is different. My wife actually cried her first Christmas in California. The temperature was eighty (80) degrees and no snow. I had to drive her to Frazier Park so she could play in the snow for an hour.

We just got back from our third trip this year into the Mighty High Sierras Mountains three weeks ago. We hiked over Kearsarge Pass, which is an old Indian trail, to Bull Frog at 10,000. We try to go at least twice a year. I have been camping and hiking the Sierras since 1958. I remember as kids we would lie in our sleeping bags and count shooting stars all night. Your mind would run amok with the wonders and vastness of space. You could point out and view constellations which until then were part of chapters in a school text book. We would fall asleep viewing the heavens and our own Milky Way.

http://www.naturalbornhikers.com/KearsargePass/KearsargePass.htm

Today you only see about half the stars you did in 1958. Most cities cannot see the Milky Way. Some scientist claim most major cities will see no stars in twenty years. They call it âLight Pollutionâ.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Light-Pollution

If I understand your question, you are looking for a quiet spot to enjoy the heavens and SEE STARS just like upstate New York? Kara, you must understand that California has miles the coastal areas. You will not be able to camp and view the stars because of fog and humid conditions. You have to go inland. Three people who answered your question are 100% correct about Death Valley and parts of the Mojave Desert. Problem is you are looking at almost four (4) hour drives. Joshua Tree National Park is an excellent location, I just donât like desert camping. It is also three hours away.

There is only one spot which I think you will enjoy that is within a two (2) hour drive. Lake Hemet is 5000 feet elevation in the San Bernardino National Forest. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in California with mountains in the backdrop. I go fishing there at least twice a year. I think this is the closest location to Los Angeles where you can relax and view the constellations. This area will remind you of upstate New York. Beware; it can get cold at night after mid-Oct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Hemet

Added info: I just answered a question about the redwood trees a few days ago. If you have an opportunity next summer, make sure you visit the redwoods. You will fall apart walking among the giant trees with billions and billions of stars from above.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aia4ldyw2tJDCRrtDXkXQ0Psy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100907213345AAmUUo9&show=7#profile-info-zAxAMxE1aa


You and your family have a great weekend. Peace, from Los Angeles.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Where can I find a good campsite or campground in Connecticut or Rhode Island?

camping place in ct image

fritz_316

I am attempting to plan a big campout with a bunch of my friends, but so far every campground I've found either doesn't take reservations or has rules against drinking and also quiet hours.

Does anyone know a place somewhere in CT or RI or even MA that would let me and my peeps just roll in and camp for the night, without a lot of rules to agree with? We just need to drink and to stay up later than 10pm, which is a problem at most places i've found.

also, a lake or some place with cool things to do would be keen.

Answer
Hammonasset Beach State Park
Madison, CT
http://ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325210
Reservations for all Connecticut state campgrounds are available at http://www.reserveamerica.com or by calling toll free 1-877-668-CAMP (2267).
Beer in containers larger than one (1) liter is prohibited.
Quiet hours shall be observed between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

How do you go about getting Child Support in CT? & Custody question?

Heart

My sons father and I have been separated for over a year, and I have never filed for child support. He's actively in my sons life and I never wanted to burden him with paying as he helps care for our son and although we didn't work out, he is still a great dad. But It's come to the point where it's time to request it. We share custody by choice, not by court order. However, there have been multiple times where he has ended up bailing on the nights he's supposed to spend with our son, which I try not to stress over because I love having my son with me. I'm not crazy or looking to be the Mom who fights for a ridiculous amount of money, I have always been strong willed and made sure I could handle mine and my sons finances without having to rely on anyone else. If anything I'd like to start the child support as a college funding for my son. Anyways, I don't know how to go about getting child support, what is needed, or the actual process of it. If someone could give me some information I'd greatly appreciate it. Is this something I will need to hire a lawyer for? Can it be done outside of court? How does it work? And how does custody work? I'm trying to move on with my life, and have a set schedule in place for our son. So we aren't playing these games of he wants him one night doesn't want him another night and what not. I'm not fearful of ever losing custody, I know it's not possible with our past history together. But, I just want my son to have stability. Is figuring out a schedule a part of filing for custody or is that an entirely different thing? Any feedback would be great, thank you!

Also my sons father wants 50/50 custody rights, how realistic is this? And what do you think the schedule would look like? I want normalcy in my sons life but don't wanna be unrealistic with it either. My sons dad wants every other night, which we've been doing, but eventually I know that it's not going to stay like that, so I don't want my son getting too used to it, and it's disappointing for him on the nights he thinks he's with dad and then he ends up saying he can't take him? Thanks!

We were together for 8 years but not married so not sure if that plays any role either?

Answer
Go to your local family court and ask for instructions on how to proceed with scheduling a hearing to establish a child support, custody and visitation order. You don't need a lawyer and filing fees are fairly minimal. dad can be ordered to pay half. At the hearing they will likely send you into meet with a mediator. Child support will be calculated using a software program called DISSOMASTER that takes dad's income, your income and the percent time the child is with each. If it comes out even then no child support will be ordered but there will be a negotiation to determine how costs for health care, dental, vision, day care, camps, sports , clubs, etc will be shared.

The visitation schedule will be discussed, mediated, brokered and negotiated to death. You will not have to sign the farm away. If you are hesitant about the schedule drawn up it can be temporary, for like 3-6 months. Dad may go in saying he wants 50% but that is based on serving HIS needs, not the best interests of the child. He will have to realize that he would be making his kid "move" every 3 days. That is very stressful and disruptive. By the time he relaxes and gets in the groove of one environment, he has to pick up and transition to the next. Too much for a kid. Throw in school projects, sports, ect and it is a non stop stress filled nightmare to remember "where did I leave my book for the book report?" "where did I leave my baseball uniform?"

Here is a really good schedule for a parent like Dad. Every Monday after school to Tuesday morning drop off at school. Every other weekend. So regardless of his weekend, he will see the kid after school Monday overnight. If Dad is willing to give up every weekend, give him every weekend. try to work in an evening during the week for him to visit for 2-3 hours as it fits into the boy's routine. Like Thursday night you go to library with dad to do homework and out to dinner, home for bedtime. By the time my son was 13, he saw his dad whenever, we just blew off the visitation schedule. My son grew up knowing he could see his Dad whenever he wants. Boys naturally gravitate towards Dad at that age.

Holidays are usually every other year. One year you get Thanksgiving, dad gets xmas. Or if you live in same town you try to work out the holidays as they come each year.

Last, I recommend you have the court order co-parent classes. It will help you and dad develop a co-parenting plan for things I guarantee you have not thought of.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers