Planning for 2012

[DonaCatalina]

Yes, in my real life I am a complulsive planner.

1. Hopefully opening day will be February 18,2012. IMHO Opening weekend should be Romance Weekend at Sherwood.

2. I will not fret over the weather. It will be beautiful just because I am coming.

2. The Hampton was nice and had a good breakfast but the lack of a mini-fridge bothered me. I like my Diet DP whenever I get thirsty during the night. I think next year we'll look for a different hotel.

3. I want to have a sit down dinner at Como's Ristorante. I just need to figure out where the entrance is.

4. I will not allow myself to miss as many of the shoppes, especially when his lordship needs new leather gloves.

[Lady Kett]

[quote author=DonaCatalina link=topic=14734.msg308433#msg308433 date=1301343320

3. I want to have a sit down dinner at Como's Ristorante. I just need to figure out where the entrance is.

[/quote]

The entrance is on the side facing the Jerusalem Pub, towards the camping entrance. There is a staircase, within the building, after the takeout counter. After much watching, I've observed there is a podium where there is sometimes a person watching to get names and take you upstairs...but when the bottom half responded with "huh?" to my request for a tiramisu, I tromped upstairs where the wait stuff looked a smidge shocked that I had invaded their space and then they happily gave me a tiramisu!

I have a love/hate relationship with the food vendors at Sherwood. On the one hand, there are some marvelous noms there. On the other hand, there are some extensive waits for food. Something as simple-ish as steak-on-a-stake requires an order number and a wait. Arancini balls at Comos - to die for. 8 minutes? Hello, it's a Ren Fest...figure out a way to make it faster for goodness sake!

[Lady Mac]

I'm a vendor at sherwood(not a food vendor) and have eaten at 9 different booths, counting
candy and fudge. I honestly say the food, so far, has been above par for renn faires, better
than last year. A few extra minutes here and there has not dampened my spirits at all. If anyone
has noticed, Sherwood has a different pace anyways. I don't know the folks, have no affiliation,
nor am coming to the rescue of, but I have had steak-on-a-stake every weekend, 6 times since
weekend 1, each time cooked to order; hot, juicy and delicious. It's "steak," not fast food, and
should be cooked to order. Thanks, I'm very glad not to be served burger-backed-up-beef.


P.S. Yes this is Lady Mac, booth#505. I'll be there to collect my free steak this weekend.

[Merlin the Elder]

hehheh... Paid announcement, huh Lady Mac?

We're already planning for next year as well. Doña, if you wish, Nim and I would be pleased to join you and the Don for a sit-down meal at Como's. We certainly enjoyed it.

My personal thoughts on the waits... Being such a new faire, and not having a good sense of how many people are going to show up on a certain day, under certain weather conditions (whatever they may be), vendors are going to be leery about cooking too far ahead.  I noticed Sunday of opening weekend that one booth near the end of the day was peddling 2-fers on the turkey legs in order to get rid of some. Having been in the restaurant business before, I can understand what may be happening there.

The steak-on-a-stick shouldn't have been that much of a problem, though, unless there was just a sudden run on them...who knows?  But at faire, speaking for myself, I'm just going to do some heavy relaxing and not get into a hurry about anything. The thing is Lady Kett, when you get to be our age, you really DON'T want to be in a hurry.    There is a shift in how quickly time passes as one ages.

[PollyPoPo]

Thinking, thinking, thinking planning, planning, planning, plotting, plotting, plotting ... how can I possibly see all the various entertainments next year.  Out there every weekend this year and still only seen about half.  Then again, there are some that are a must every weekend.  And sample all the food – no way – at least not in one season. 

Add to garb, come up with some more for smaller elves.  Yikes, that means more hats, more ribbons, more flowers.  Then I really would like to create some favors next year – never done those before.

And there's still one more glorious weekend this year to play!! 

Planning for 2012 will have to wait a little while longer.   

Polly PoPo
(aka Grannie)

[Lord Virgo]

I know it's way in the future but I'm hoping SWFF will be open Dec. 21, 2012.  Can't think of any other place I would rather be if it's the end

[Breandan]

Not the end, just a rollercoaster ride

As for us, at the VERY least I am hoping to be able to get out several weekends. I would love to open a shop out there, but my specialty is already represented, so between that and Paramedic school, I doubt I'd be able to do it. Unfortunate, because if ever there was a faire I'd want to be a part of as an artisan, it's this one. So, more weekends, actually camp this time, and socialize more

P.S., we'll be out both days this weekend, but no idea when due to the schedules of others.

[Pascal]

2. The Hampton was nice and had a good breakfast but the lack of a mini-fridge bothered me. I like my Diet DP whenever I get thirsty during the night. I think next year we'll look for a different hotel.

The Days Inn in Bastrop has mini-fridges and microwaves.  Free breakfast (not a great one, but free); rates are pretty good, rooms look recently refurbished, mattress is GREAT!  It's actually closer to the fair site than Giddings is.

[SirRichardBear]

I got down twice last year and twice this year so my main plan for next year is to make it down three times

[DonaCatalina]

2. The Hampton was nice and had a good breakfast but the lack of a mini-fridge bothered me. I like my Diet DP whenever I get thirsty during the night. I think next year we'll look for a different hotel.

The Days Inn in Bastrop has mini-fridges and microwaves.  Free breakfast (not a great one, but free); rates are pretty good, rooms look recently refurbished, mattress is GREAT!  It's actually closer to the fair site than Giddings is.

I was considering the Holiday Inn Express in Bastrop. But thanks, I'll look into this one also.

[Merlin the Elder]

Looking at the Holiday Inn website, it doesn't appear that they have fridges either, but it's hard to tell for sure.

[Wolfhawker]

Well, I got a FoF pass this year and I plan on extending option next year as well.  (Trying to find out if they have a Life Time version).

I stayed at the Englin Holiday Inn and it was nice.  Looking at getting a nice tent and all for next year on the weekends for when the ladies of the realm do not want to go and the boys can come for 'fun'.

[DonaCatalina]

Looking at the Holiday Inn website, it doesn't appear that they have fridges either, but it's hard to tell for sure.

Then we may be at the Days Inn in Bastrop next year. We spent too many years SCA camping. Now we enjoy camping in a hotel room.

[Hercules]

I was considering the Holiday Inn Express in Bastrop. But thanks, I'll look into this one also.

We stayed in that one on opening weekend. Was very nice. Bit more $.

We then stayed at the Super 8 in Bastrop. Cheaper but still nice.

[Merlin the Elder]

Looking at the Holiday Inn website, it doesn't appear that they have fridges either, but it's hard to tell for sure.

Then we may be at the Days Inn in Bastrop next year. We spent too many years SCA camping. Now we enjoy camping in a hotel room.

Yeah, we did a lifetime of camping one or two years early on. I've "grown accustomed to her face," but on a pillow. We'll see. They make a tent that will attach to Homer, the Odyssey, providing an off-the-ground base. Nimue says she thinks she could do that. Maybe we'll try that next year.