vakkotaur

I'm still pondering Rocket City Furmeet though I likely won't be able to do anything about it until sometime in February. But now something else is happening on the very same, Memorial Day, weekend: The new Des Moines Renaissance Faire. This fair will take place at the site that Salisbury Faire once used and it's being put together by a group that not only has some experience but is successful at it.

Before, the choice was really easy: if I had the time and money, I'd go to RCFM. Now it's not quite so easy.

Pro Faire: The Faire is would be cheaper to go to since it's only a few hours drive. There'd be no hassles with airport check-in. I'd see some folks I know and haven't seen for several months. I don't know, but it might be a chance to see Minstrosity - which I won't see at Waterloo this year as I'll be in Sioux Falls that weekend. If I took any time off work, it'd be only an afternoon.

Pro RCFM: I'd see a smaller, and I'd expect therefore friendlier (not that AnthroCon was unfriendly - it was just so easy to be lost in a sea of people) furmeet. RCFM is established, at least in that this is the second time for it. I'd meet at least one person, kinkyturtle, I wouldn't have seen in months. I'd almost certainly meet others I've only read about or such. While getting there wouldn't be cheap, the admission is low and it might be the least expensive way to find if furmeets agree with me or if AnthroCon was trying to tell me something. Also, it'd still be somewhat new to me.

Anti Faire: It's yet another Iowa faire, and there'll be a few more in the year, with many (though not all) of the same people. While the site and organization is proven, it's still a new faire and will likely have new faire problems. It will be at the mercy of the weather. Sure, all faires says 'rain or shine' but all but the lightest rain stops things pretty much dead unless there's good cover.

Anti RCFM: It'll mean either dealing with the hassles of commercial air travel, or a two day drive (maps.yahoo.com says 16 hours each way - I can do 12 hours on the road in a day, but it isn't something I'd want to do. Eight is a reasonable limit). Either way it's more expensive than Des Moines. I'll need to take at least one full day off work and probably two, three or four if I drive it.

A couple other factors are: One, that the very next weekend is the Siouxland Renaissance Festival and I'd like to get my folks to visit it, which means finding them a room for a couple nights as well. And as they'd be visiting, that's probably more time off work. Not that I'm against taking time off, I just have to balance it so I do so without problems. And two, I don't know Jay's schedule (neither does he, for sure). While I can fly alone just fine, I've never done the rental car bit myself and am always leery of driving around a strange place. Doing so in a strange car wouldn't help.

Somehow, I'm still leaning toward RCFM. If it were just me alone, I'd probably take the extra days off and drive it. I'd still have to drive in unfamiliar areas, but at least I'd have a car I know.