NJ > Mullica River > 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trek > Fri. 11/28 - Sun. 11/30

[Black Foot]

After further discussion/planning, looks like the per-person costs will be somewhere between $25 and $30. That's a bargain for camping fees (a staggering $101.75 for our numbers), firewood and four squares out in the piney woods (bring your own lunch each day). Per person costs will vary depending on head count. Check out the spreadsheet for proposed menu and cost breakdown. We're planning on steak fajitas for Friday dinner, and ribs/baked taters/veggies for Saturday dinner. Breakfast is bacon, eggs, cheese, salsa, tortillas and coffee. The Saturday dinner menu (SilentOrpheus will not be denied his ribs; I wouldn't mess with him on this point) and breakfasts are pretty much etched in stone. However, if someone has a better idea than steak fajitas for Friday we can discuss.

I know Ratdog will be disappointed that there are no leftovers for him to take home, but we feel this shared menu is the most effective method of keeping costs and waste down while still eating good GSHDA-NJ style out in the piney woods!

Check out the spreadsheet for cost breakdown and menu.

Still the best deal in town...thanks working out all the details so we can focus on some serious lollygagging in the Piney woods

[silentorpheus]

I would have never thought we spent that much on our trips.

Well, in some ways we never did. Before Reserve America booking these sites would have only cost us $50-60 tops.
That and we used to only have a few people, and less elaborate menus. Then we started eating better, and the cat was out of the bag - now everyone wants to join our parties.

Heck, the first one of these 2 years ago cost me $3 for the night, I brought a hunk of red meat, some oatmeal for the morning, and that was that. We've come a long way since then - but that's meant a lot of murky waters when it came to what we were shelling out individually on these weekends.

I wouldn't mind this so much if the money all went back into the park however, I don't much like the fact that ReserveAmerica gets almost $30 bucks.

Yeah, I hear that. Though I'm not so sure that the old system really put that much money back into the park either. But it is ridiculous that if someone wants to do a solo overnight, they pay three times as much in a fee to the web service than they do for the site. And now if you do a walk in reservation on site the day of, they charge a $5 fee for that - and I'd bet the farm that goes directly to Reserve America too.

[Ratdog]

In case anyone is wondering, the veggie for Saturday dinner is a dish called jambot in the Napolitan dialect, called ciambotta by more proper-speaking Italians. It's cooked the way my Italian wife's family has always made it: olive oil, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, onions and garlic. It's a quick, tasty, nutritious dish that has been popular at previous hangs. Only takes about 15 minutes to cook and the flavors meld exquisitely.

Man we love this stuff. It's ususally gone in 15 mins too.

How much wood are you bringing and is there a cost associated? We need enough wood for Friday and Saturday night, as well as Sat/Sun breakfast. Buying wood retail is expensive; njredneck thinks he can get it $5 per package at Lowe's. I'm thinking we need four packages per night, plus another package for breakfast Sat/Sun.

I can bring to what would amount to 4 wagon loads.
Have plenty.

Only cost would be a couple gallons of gas. Will plan on leaving a tarp over it if weather is an issue.

[SilvrSurfr]

I can bring to what would amount to 4 wagon loads. Have plenty.

Only cost would be a couple gallons of gas. Will plan on leaving a tarp over it if weather is an issue.

Then we'll consider firewood situation to be taken care of.

[SilvrSurfr]

Still the best deal in town...thanks working out all the details so we can focus on some serious lollygagging in the Piney woods

I like to contribute to the planning 'cause when it comes to actual cooking and cleaning, I'm relatively useless these days. I've been spoiled by hanging around njredneck and PBTB - they do all the work so I can focus on storytelling and general tomfoolery.

I will also contribute my Adonis-like body to sherpa duties, though it's a shame for such a perfectly proportioned, wonderfully developed physique to be used for tasks as mundane as hauling gear!

[silentorpheus]

Then we'll consider firewood situation to be taken care of.

Unless NJR can secure some pallets …

[silentorpheus]

I think going through this process will also prove valuable down the line, when we go to plan more hangs in the future. Now that we have a model to look to, and a spreadsheet to perhaps use as a template, we can apply what we've learned going forward, and continue to refine the process.

[njredneck]

Unless NJR can secure some pallets …

OH! we can get pallets

[mychal]

...it's a shame for such a perfectly proportioned, wonderfully developed physique...:

Everything except the tootsies.

[SilvrSurfr]

Everything except the tootsies.

My hooves is healed - ready to rock.