RE: rooming--If people request, we could try to put mudcatters in the same cabins or cabin areas. If there is anyone in particular you'd like to room with, note it on your registration form. We pretty well know who the mudcatters are anyway. But it won't matter too much--you'll probably be in the dining hall or one of the lodges jamming or singing or schmoozing, and only retire to your cabin when you're too tired to be sociable.

Barry--I'd guess the drive from Boston is 8 to 9 hours, depending on how fast you drive and how often you stop. That time includes time for refueling and pit stops, but not meals. And of course, any part of that time spent driving at rush hour(s) can add up to an extra hour or two. And from Bston to DC, you've got cities a-plenty with potential rush hours. The last one--from DC South to Prince William, can be a real doozy on a Friday afternoon, but if you've got three people in your vehicle, you can get on the HOV (High-Occupancy-Vehicle) express lanes and zip past most of the traffic jams.

There are several routings you could use from Boston to DC; some are slightly longer but avoid the bugger cities of Bos-NY-Wash.

Also another driving hint for those driving in from New England, New York , or New Jersey: When I-95 hits the I-495 Beltway around DC, you can go EITHER WAY around DC: clockwise or widdershins--it's equidistant!

If anyone would like customized travel directions from anywhere, you can send me e-mail at au766@ncf.ca, or use the Mudcat personal message system to request a routing. [I have many friends who call me before they call AAA.]

--Charlie Baum, Getaway organizer and mapfreak