If you know me… you know I am not too much of a girly girl. No I don’t know who the new fashion designers are or do I know whether or not fanny packs are making a come back. I am normally the first one to be barefoot craving to be outside in the sun. Well my wishes were granted this week during Bonnaroo. From Wednesday to Monday I saw some interested people and heard amazing music in Manchester, Tennessee. Two of my friends and I loaded up my car Wednesday afternoon with camping supplies, Costco sized pack of Gatorade, clothes for the week and many many wipes.
Interestingly enough driving through VA is not hard when you only take 66 and 81. A stop at Dude’s Drive In in Blacksburg broke up our journey with a cheese burger and a milkshake. The milkshakes were fantastic, the burgers were average, the experience was a first. It was a drive in where the waitresses came to your car. Totally unfamiliar with this process she had to come back and forth multiple times before I was ready. We used a real bathroom for the last time for the week. I didn’t know I would need to cherish a fast food bathroom until after Bonnaroo.
After a 12 hour drive we are in the home stretch. With only a mile till we turn onto the road we remark on the lack of traffic for our drive. But no one knocked on wood. 1 minute later we found a line of cars waiting. Two hours of listening to Radio Bonnarroo and people watching we arrived. The 700 acre lot was lined with volunteers pointing and motioning people forward to the security check point. One volunteer approaches my car asking me three important questions: 1. do you have any glass? 2. do you have a gun? 3. do you have any smoking paraphernalia? I respond negatively to all three and get the go ahead with a large pink circle on my window.
The sorting begins with cars entering different areas left and right. Unsure of where to go I follow the car in front of me into a lot. Once in the spot we began the task of setting up the tent. I am proud to say that we were the first ones done in our row. My trip should of been sponsored by Coleman because our tent, lights and everything a camper needs were that brand. Feeling accomplished we walked around the camp grounds away from Centeroo, not that we knew it then, towards some food and shops. Among the nachos, hot dogs and ice being sold were hundreds of bongs and bowls, every color, shape and size you would image. After denying some persistent salesmen we headed back to our tent. It was now 4:30am in Tennessee, 5:30am in Fairfax where I had woken up 20 hours ago. I knew the long days and nights were only going to continue as we zipped the tent shut and waited for the sun to wake us.
my feet don't want to go to sleep 