Ride needed to Augusta Vocal Week 2006

Subject: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 09:50 PM

Hi all,

I signed up in February to go to Vocal Week at Davis and Elkins in August 2006. Now I find that all commercial flights to Clarksburg have been discontinued.

My question: are any Mudcatters going, and, if so, how are you getting there?

To make my own situation even more complicated, I don't drive, so renting a car is an option I can't take. And, beyond that, I had ankle surgery on April 25th, then fell the following week and broke the other foot, so I cannot guarantee that I'll be fully ambulatory by the first week in August (my fracture has not healed yet and I cannot put weight on my right foot until it does.

So, who is going, how are you getting there, and is there any room in your car? You can PM me if you wish or post here.

Thanks, Sharyn (Dimmick) in California

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 02 Jul 06 - 09:06 PM

Sharon,

I believe you're kidding yourself about being able to do this in August. From where I am, it would be best to re-evaluate the realities of the Davis-Elkins terrain, allow your leg to heal -- and try again next year. I was on staff there in 1995---before my MS was diagnosed---and if they hadn't given me a special dispensation, and allowed me to drive my car on campus, there's no way in the world I could've made it work.

There is a lot of hilly walking involved at Augusta.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 02 Jul 06 - 11:25 PM

Hi Art,

What I'm doing, actually, is trying to gather information about how to get to and from Elkins without a three or four hundred dollar taxi fare from Pittsburgh.

My doctor and I can determine my fitness for travelling closer to the date. I live in hilly terrain and have been negotiating a steep, corrugated concrete driveway and twenty-six stairs to go to medical appointments since the day of surgery. At this point, I have a boot cast, a manual wheelchair and a walker at my disposal. I will not go without medical leave, but I need to get all my plans in place in order to be able to go at all if I am pronounced able. I am working with a sports medicine surgeon and a dedicated physical therapist and I have been ambulatory all of my life before this accident, even though I have cerebral palsy. I may be declared fully weight-bearing as soon as July 10th (then again, I may not -- that's why I mentioned it).

It's no good telling me I can go next year: I signed up this year specifically because I wanted to work with Finest Kind, who were last there three or four years ago. So I still want to hear who might be going, how they are getting there and whether anyone would be willing to pick me up somewhere en route. The following weekend I will be going to Taos, New Mexico, fracture or no fracture, for a meditation retreat.

Sharyn

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: Stewart
Date: 02 Jul 06 - 11:52 PM

Sharyn,

Art's right, I was there several years ago and it's fairly hilly at Augusta. But that doesn't seem to be your immediate problem. I would contact the Augusta Office people. In my experience they're very helpful, and perhaps they can give you some advice, put you in contact with other participants who are flying into a particular airport, etc.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 03 Jul 06 - 02:14 AM

Thanks, Stewart,

The Augusta staff has some kind of ridepool thing on their website, but when I contacted them they were still encouraging people to fly to Clarksburg (which can no longer be done) and to take taxis costing hundreds of dollars. That's why I'm trolling here for alternatives.

Sharyn

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 02:08 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 05 Jul 06 - 05:52 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 12:11 PM

Sharyn,

The alternative to clarksburg is charleston.

That at least gets you into the state.

I checked the staff list and none of the residents of charleston who are often on staff are listed. It would be worth asking the folks at Augusta if any of the usual suspects from Charleston will be at vocal week.

Once upon a time the non-auto/non railroad way to get anywhere in WV was bus (or hitchhiking).

A quick check of the grayhound website shows no service from charleston to elkins.

A quick check of the trailways website does not make it clear whether trailways serves WV. It might be worth contacting someone at trailways.

Contact the folks at Augusta again. Tell them you need a ride from Charleston airport to Elkins. You won't be the first person with that specific need. Happens all the time. Call them instead of emailing. Get a human being on the phone. If someone else is flying into charleston for vocal week they'll almost certainly be renting a car. See about carpooling with them.

Good luck.

Russ (lowly GUEST)

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 12:13 PM

bye the way,
At Augusta, no matter where you are going it will be up hill. Don't know how they do it.

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 06:41 PM

Thanks, Russ.

No one, including the Augusta staff, had mentioned the Charlston Airport before this -- I'll see what I can find.

I had tried to find bus or train service to a nearby town, but I couldn't get an Augusta staff person to recommend a nearby town that might have service -- it was almost like they didn't want to consider that there might be any towns closer than Pittsburgh, PA. Which seems odd to me, but I'm not from West Virginia.

I'll check out Trailways, too.

Thanks again,

Sharyn

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 07:11 PM

There are a fair number of people on the Vocal Week staff (and probably attendees, too) who come from the Washington, DC area. Check out the possibliities of ride-sharing and flights into one of the three DC-area airports: IAD, DCA, or BWI.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 08:38 PM

Hmmmmmm?

Perhaps Dulles International (4 hours) or Richmond (4 1/2) hours from Elkins....

Either way, yer gonna have to have a ride set up...

No taxis...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 08:15 AM

Pittsburgh?

You only fly into Pittsburgh if your destination is Morgantown.

Must've been more staff turnover recently than I thought.

Anyway,
Looks like there might be some possibilities here.
http://www.augustaheritage.com/robot%20safe/ride.html

Good luck.

P.S. In WV it has been decades since you could get anywhere in the state using "public" transportation.

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 08:22 AM

If your desperation quotient get high enough you might consider the following.

Clifftop (Appalachian String Band Festival) is the week before Augusta Vocal/Old Time Week. There are always some people who go to Clifftop first and then move on to Augusta. Some of them fly into WV and rent a car.

So, you might try a thread called something like "Need ride to clifftop from Charleston WV airport or destination airport to be named later."

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 02:00 PM

Thanks, Russ and Bobert,

One of the reasons for going to Pittsburgh, besides the fact that Clarksburg cancelled its flights is that I have to get to Albuquerque after Vocal Week and there are flights from Pittsburgh to Albuquerque on Southwest, my airline of choice. But I am exploring all options and appreciate all information offered.

Sharyn

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 02:49 PM

If you hitch up with somebody from the DC area for a ride (about 4 hours plus from DC), Southwest (your airline of choice) has lots of flights serving Baltimore-Washington (BWI).

Let me second what everyone else has said about the Davis and Elkins campus--as you go from place to place, you will always need to choose between the flatest route, the shortest route, the easiest route, and the fastest route, and they will almost always be several different paths.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: KathWestra
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 06:33 PM

Hi Sharyn,
I'd also suggest you send a message to Joe Offer and get him to change the title of this thread to something more specific like: "Need Help Getting To Augusta Vocal Week" There's so much stuff on Mudcat, that any help you can give readers in the title is always useful. Good luck! FinestKind is worth the trouble!
Kathy

Subject: RE: Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 07:48 PM

Thanks Kathy and Charlie,

I'll look at Southwest D.C. flights, too, I guess -- I assumed Pittsburgh might be a better bet (closer, etc.), but I can look at D.C./Albuquerque flights as well. Putting multiple flights together without an aasured ride is nervewracking and scary -- I don't want to get stuck somewhere with no way to get to my next flight. And I have to make my choice soon before all of the flights are gone.

Sharyn

Subject: RE: Ride needed to Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: Bobert
Date: 07 Jul 06 - 08:48 PM

Yeah, plus Dulles is an easier and closer shot to Elkins than Pittsburg...

Dulles to tollroad (the Greenway) to 7 west to 81 south to 55 east... You won't see a stop light until you get well within Wes Ginny 'round Wardensville(burg?)...

Wish I could help you more... I'm going July 19th to particapate in the annual "battle of the bluesmen" which is held in the Icehouse...

Charlie Baum is right... Plan yer trips and remember that Elkins defies logic... Everything is up hill... BTW, bring a portable fan... There's no air conditioning in thr rooms... And if ya have any problems getting to sleep with crazy people stayin' up all night long playin' music, or tryin' to play music, then a "sleep machine" with the sound of the ocean helps also...

Now, if this is yer first time to Elkins and after about 4 meals in the crapeteria you find that you like, ahhhhh, friggin' edible food and can find someone with a car who whould like some, ahhhhh, friggin edible food then I highly recommend the Cheat River Lodge which is about 15 minutes east of Elkins and fir $20 you can have a supper that you'd pay $100 for anywhere else... The trout is to die for... Yummy...

Good luck, part 2...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Ride needed to Augusta Vocal Week 2006
From: sharyn
Date: 08 Jul 06 - 01:57 AM

The latest from Southwest: travel-time from Oakland, CA to Dulles is a ridiculous nine hours on most flights available the day I need to travel and flights to Dulles and from Dulles to Albuquerque (where I must go following Vocal Week -- have to be in Taos by the evening of the 13th) are longer, more expensive, and have even earlier departure times. So, I am still hoping for a ride from Pittsburgh to Elkins and from Elkins to Pittsburgh. I have posted that request on the Augusta ride board as well as here on the Mudcat -- now it is up to the fates and you good folks what happens.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. Don't stop. If I get a ride and airline tickets I'll post the results here so that you know the search is over.

Sharyn