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I am in contact with the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce (http://www.ilovestillwater.com/index.php) to see about the possibility of hosting the event here in the Midwest.

 

Stillwater MN is a charming town about 20-30 min east of the Minneapolis/St Paul metro.

Stillwater is located in the St. Croix valley on the Minnesota Wisconsin border.

It is really beautiful country. Plus they have wineries and fly balloons there too. lol

 

Here is a quick blurb from ilovestillwater.com.

 

Explore the beautiful St. Croix Valley from charming Stillwater.

Unique shops, galleries and fine restaurants dot our historic downtown.

Lowell Park, along the river, and Pioneer Park, on the bluff, offer dramatic views of the river.

Visit wineries, take a balloon ride, hit the hiking or biking trails or just relax with a treatment in a spa.

Come for the day, or spend the weekend in one of our beautiful bed and breakfasts. You'll be glad you did!

 

The Minneapolis/St Paul metro area has many of the same features as Chicago, plus it also has the Mall of America! There are wonderful caches throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin also.

 

If you are interested in knowing more about Stillwater, MN

Check out their website. http://www.ilovestillwater.com/index.php

Or http://www.exploreminnesota.com/attractions/8829.html

Or http://www.exploreminnesota.com/east_metro...oix_valley.html

 

For more information about Minneapolis St Paul

Click here http://www.exploreminnesota.com/twin_citie...tro_region.html

 

I would be willing to help locally if you prefer this area.

If the discussions were to get serious about this location there is no doubt I could find 2-3 others to help me.

Edited by merkman
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I'm on lunch right now, so I don't have time to do a huge write-up.

 

Date TBA (Dates available : August 9th (before school starts) or August 30th -Labor Day Weekend)

Venue Location : http://www.pelhamciviccomplex.com/

Birmingham, AL

 

I would love to host the event in Birmingham, AL. There are plenty of hotels/camping within a 20 mile radius of the city. There is a lovely park and campground (Oak Mountain State Park), with some nice hiking trails with caches placed along the way. There are at least two civic centers that could host the event nicely.

 

For those of us coiners that love to cache as well, Birmingham is very rich in caches. Huntsville and Tuscaloosa are also full of caches, and are about an hour to two hours from Birmingham.

 

There is an amusement/water park in the southern part of the Bham area, a Zoo, and Botanical Gardens.

 

We also have a great caching community, and we'd love to have you here!

 

(more later, lunch is over :))

Edited by ~tasia~
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Some interesting questions came up. Issues regarding insurance and finances. Questions for the committee: How was insurance for the event handled? Has the GeoCoinFest registered as a non-profit organization?

 

These are both good questions to ask.

Since the rec hall belonged to the town, we opted for insurance through. We paid extra per on-site vendor(hence the 'no selling policy' we loosely policed). The hidden/unexpected costs are things to account for.

These are definately questions anyone who is thinking about hosting CoinFest or other events should consider.

 

The GeoCoinfest is currently not registered as a non-profit but our aim was to leave a little left over and donate it if the event was a one-off or use it as a foundation to start the next event.

 

Hope this helps.

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We felt we should add a list of attractions in the Chicagoland area - there is SO much to see and do, and you CAN keep it on a budget! I will be editing my original post to add these to the write-up in a more organized manner. :)

 

4 Museums

 

Field Museum, with Sue the T-Rex

Museum of Science and Industry (Home of the Apollo 8 capsule & German U-boat Submarine)

Milwaukee Museum

Milwaukee Art Museum

 

Millennium Park

Wrigley Field

Watertower Place

Brookfield Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo (free zoo)

Shedd Aquarium

Adler Planetarium

Navy Pier

Milwaukee Zoo

Racine Zoo (free zoo)

 

Six Flags Great America

 

Gurnee Mills Mall (Tons of malls all over the area)

Woodfield Mall

Old Orchard Mall

Sears Tower Skydeck

The Magnificent Mile (shopping)

Temple Lipazzans

Garmin Store

(GREAT FOOD ALL OVER!)

Arlington Park (Thoroughbred Racing)

Hawthorne Park (Harness Racing)

 

and let's not forget TONS of amazing caches and Letterboxes

 

~Jim

CinemaBoxers

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Being a Minnesota Native, I can answer that one as well.

 

The cache density in Stillwater is okay, not a ton, but if there are people interested in a big numbers run, there are plenty of caches within a short (15-20 minute) drive into the Twin Cities metro area. There's as much variety in the caches here as there are no doubt in any other part of the US. Stillwater is also close enough to the MN/WI border that anyone looking to add two more states to their states cached in would find that a very doable thing.

 

And yes, there is even a cache at the Mall of America, a great place for the non geocachers/geocoin collectors in your family.

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I realize that I'm in the minority here, but I'd like to cast my vote for GeocoinFest to *not* be on a holiday weekend. Such weekends are big family get-togethers for my wife's and my families. It's the major reason I've never been able to attend a Geowoodstock (typically held over Memorial Day Weekend).

 

Actually, I agree with you on that one. Airports are crowded, parks are packed. Everything is more expensive. I'd rather have it on a regular weekend.

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Hi folks! This is going to be a bit of a lengthy post ~ At the urging of some, I am going to pitch the Chicago area for Geocoinfest '08. Please read through it, and be honest with yourselves about the pros and cons. What works best for some may not be the best for others - but overall, I believe the location would suit the majority.

 

Chicago is a fantastic place to visit if you have never been here. There are so many activities for adults as well as kids. Chicago is served by 2 major airports for easy access into the city. Milwaukee, WI has another Int'l airport, and it's only an hour fifteen north of the city of Chicago by car. There is a major amusement park 45 minutes north of the city (Six Flags Great America). Multiple museums within the downtown area, some of the best restaurants in the country are in the city, yet the same downhome type places exist (as far as food type places are concerned).

 

There are several casinos within striking distance of Chicago - notably, the city of Elgin, IL has the Grand Victoria; the city of Joliet has Harrah's and the city of Hammond, IN has Binion's Horseshoe casino. All of these are within a 2 hour drive of the city.

 

Hotels/Motels are abundant throughout the Chicagoland area - some are even 'pet friendly'.

 

There are some drawbacks and one being that the summer months are at times brutally hot & humid. Traffic congestion is horrid at peak times of the day within the city all the way up to the suburbs in all directions (6:30am-10:00am & 3:45pm-6:30pm in particular).

 

Gurnee, IL (which is a northern suburb) is 40 minutes north of the city - but would be the ideal spot for the event. It's far enough out of the city that visitors can easily hop on the Metra train and ride into the city to avoid all the traffic and enjoy the city the way it was meant to be enjoyed - by foot.

 

Gurnee is the perfect hub between Milwaukee, WI and Chicago. Home to Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills Mall (a mega mall), several good restaurants, public transportation is abundant (because the Navy Training Center is nearby) and often there are lines of cabs at Gurnee Mills mall. There is a Holiday Inn and a Comfort Inn within a mile of Six Flags for those who would like to stay close to the event site.

 

While I realize the event would be hosting 500-600 people, I believe this to be a do-able location. As a bonus to all things Geocaching, there is a Bass Pro Shops in Gurnee; there is a Gander Mountain in Kenosha, WI (20 minutes north of Gurnee); and the ever popular Garmin Store in the city of Chicago.

 

There are good camping sites for those who drive RV's or pull trailers - one of which is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. The area is VERY Family Friendly with lots to do with your time away from the event site. For those who may consider caching during Geocoinfest <gasp!>, there are many, many great caches available throughout the entire region.

 

I believe the ideal date for Geocoinfest '08 would be August 30th - September 1th, 2008. This would be Labor Day Weekend and the hot season would be past us and the weather is beautiful in the fall.

 

I hope you all can take a serious and objective look at the Chicago area. If selected, I would be more than happy to coordinate the logistics for the event from a local standpoint.

 

Thanks for reading, and please do offer opinions.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

~Jim

CinemaBoxers

 

Attractions

 

- Chicago and surrounding suburbs

 

Field Museum, with Sue the T-Rex

Museum of Science and Industry (Home of the Apollo 8 capsule & German U-boat Submarine)

Millennium Park

Wrigley Field

Watertower Place

Brookfield Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo (free zoo)

Shedd Aquarium

Adler Planetarium

Navy Pier

Six Flags Great America

Gurnee Mills Mall (Tons of malls all over the area)

Woodfield Mall

Old Orchard Mall

Sears Tower Skydeck

The Magnificent Mile (shopping)

Temple Lipazzans

Garmin Store

Arlington Park (Thoroughbred Racing)

Hawthorne Park (Harness Racing)

 

- Milwaukee and surrounding suburbs

 

Milwaukee Museum

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee Zoo

Racine Zoo (free zoo)

 

 

EDIT: Changed date to reflect Labor Day Weekend 8/30/08-9/1/08.

EDIT: Added list of attractions 2/28/07.

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Yeah, late spring/early summer would probably be a good time for an event held anywhere.

 

Early June would probably be a great time. Temps are perfect that time of year in most places, bugs aren't too bad then (usually), kids are out of school, no big holidays then, etc.

 

Let us know if there's any other questions about the Minnesota/Stillwater area, I'll be happy to do my best to answer them.

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3 good choices for location so far. Glad to see people are interested in hosting GeocoinFest 2008. I've never been to MN so that one definitely perks me up. I know Chicago and B'ham have loads of caches. How is the cache density in Stillwater?

 

Minneapolis/St Paul Minnesota is home to King Boreas. The King of Cache Hides (1261 cache hides to date).

Need I say more? <_<

Edited by merkman
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I realize that I'm in the minority here, but I'd like to cast my vote for GeocoinFest to *not* be on a holiday weekend. Such weekends are big family get-togethers for my wife's and my families. It's the major reason I've never been able to attend a Geowoodstock (typically held over Memorial Day Weekend).

 

Actually, I agree with you on that one. Airports are crowded, parks are packed. Everything is more expensive. I'd rather have it on a regular weekend.

 

You're not in the minority. I prefer cheaper rates as well, which you don't usually get on a holiday weekend. Just save one work vacation day in 2008 if it falls on a non-holiday weekend <_<

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How is the cache density in Stillwater?

 

I'd modify this question to:

"How is the cache quality in XXXX?"

 

This is one of the things to consider IMO.

 

Yes this is a VERY valid question. If you look at a map of Minneapolis/St Paul (ie in Google Earth) you will see that there is a very good assortment of caches for everyone. There are urban caches, city park caches, county park caches, state park caches, caches in on and around water, caches in the woods, etc. The bottom line is there is a huge assortment of caches to pick from. We would be willing to put together lists of our favorite good quality caches for anyone asking.

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How is the cache density in Stillwater?

 

I'd modify this question to:

"How is the cache quality in XXXX?"

 

This is one of the things to consider IMO.

 

Yes this is a VERY valid question. If you look at a map of Minneapolis/St Paul (ie in Google Earth) you will see that there is a very good assortment of caches for everyone. There are urban caches, city park caches, county park caches, state park caches, caches in on and around water, caches in the woods, etc. The bottom line is there is a huge assortment of caches to pick from. We would be willing to put together lists of our favorite good quality caches for anyone asking.

 

I've been through the Twin cities on business once, and wasn't in town for even 24 hours. I managed to knock off a few caches however, and they were just fine by me. I was in an area where you could view the mighty river as it ran through. I also drove down into Hidden Falls Regional Park. This area was quite beautiful, and I suspect many other areas near there are. Urban sprawl turns into beautiful land in a hurry.

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I guess that depends on what people define a quality cache to be. Speaking from experience, there is alot of variety around the area.

 

If you're looking for Scenic, most of the caches along the Mississippi and St. Croix riverfronts are great, also some of those offer the more challenging terrain.

 

If you're looking for inventive containers, Posen's caches in Roseville are great. Clever hides and camo? Mutsley & Crew in the Woodbury/Oakdale area are fun to find. Humorous? Paklid has some great caches for that (also Posen's fit well). Cache Series? King Boreas has that covered. Puzzles? Paklid and Pfaulstad have a ton of great ones to try. Park and Grabs? There are always those around everywhere.

 

Everything I mentioned is just a reasonable drive from Stillwater, and I think you'd find plenty of locals willing to take you around the area to cache (I'd even volunteer myself).

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~tasia~ and WheresDiB have stepped up with a bid to host the 2008 GeocoinFest here in Alabama.

 

I hope that all of us will throw our support behind her bid!

 

I will second ~tasia~'s bid for Birmingham, either for GeoWoodstock or GeocoinFest, or better yet for a new event that combines the best of the two!

 

We've not done a mega event in this area and it's time to plan one!

 

The Temecula GeocoinFest was well-done in every aspect, with three great events... GeocoinFest Saturday, the Poker Challenge Saturday night, and the Temecula Mega Event Sunday. GeoWoodstock is run along those same lines.

 

Using that basic formula a long weekend of events and happenings seems to be in order, so folks can attend one or all.

 

Some concern has been raised over timing the event on a holiday weekend. I too am a family man, with 6 kids and 5 generations of my family in Birmingham we get together often and I never want to miss one. However, the fact remains that the majority of people have off-time and the ability to travel on long-weekend holidays. Scheduling this on an off-holiday weekend, then, means cutting down on the time, events and attendees.

 

We have a strong geocaching association in Alabama, the Alabama Geocachers Association (AGA), on the web at www.dixiecachers.com. Free to join and open to everyone, no matter where you live.

 

At last count the AGA had over 1000 members, active and friendly folks who truly love the game. I attend events all over the country, and find the AGA members to be great family-oriented active exciting people. Come to our events and you'll soon be adopted!

 

The AGA is a single state-wide association that has held together in unity since our inception in 2003, growing ever stronger and blessed to have avoided some of the devisive issues that have led so many states to break into several competing groups with hard feelings between them. We are all in it for fun and all interested in the betterment of the game.

 

We have events on a regular basis, all fun and well-attended, and have enough folks who will step up to volunteer their time, effort and money to make a great mega event happen.

 

The AGA has a great Reviewer (Honeychile - you who don't have her should indeed be jealous!) to help keep things running smoothly, and we have excellent relationships with neighboring state's geocachers and associations.

 

Within easy drive (6 hours or less) of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisianna, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina we are located geographically in the perfect spot to draw attendees.

 

Birmingham (BHM) and Huntsville (HSX) airports are easy to get through and often on the list for low-fare tickets. Just two hours from Atlanta (ATL) there is an inexpensive van shuttle service between cities.

 

With Interstates I-65, I-20 and I-59 intersecting in Birmingham all roads lead to us, with great caching along the route no matter where you are coming from.

 

Alabamians as a whole and Alabama Geocachers in particular are some of the most friendly, helpful and welcoming folks on earth; if you haven't been here, y'all come!

 

So, we have the Association, people, money, geography and experience... what about the important stuff, the sites and geocaches?

 

There we excel! Alabama has some of the best geocaching in the nation! We have scenic, historical, educational and interesting, hiking, driving and biking. We have evil micros and we have drive-ups for numbers. You can hike scenic parks for eight-mile multis or spend your days and nights finding ammo boxes containing real swag without ever seeing a micro. Every kind and taste of geocaching is accomodated here... No matter how you define quality or what kind of geocaching experience you seek you will find it in and around Birmingham.

 

We have, in fact, every ingredient for one heckuva bash, and I support ~tasia~'s bid to host it.

 

See you there!

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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I realize that I'm in the minority here, but I'd like to cast my vote for GeocoinFest to *not* be on a holiday weekend. Such weekends are big family get-togethers for my wife's and my families. It's the major reason I've never been able to attend a Geowoodstock (typically held over Memorial Day Weekend).

 

Actually, I agree with you on that one. Airports are crowded, parks are packed. Everything is more expensive. I'd rather have it on a regular weekend.

 

You're not in the minority. I prefer cheaper rates as well, which you don't usually get on a holiday weekend. Just save one work vacation day in 2008 if it falls on a non-holiday weekend <_<

 

I am in total agreement here - holidays are already set aside for family get togethers. Even with early reservations, you will still have to wade through all of the additional people that a holiday draws.

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Maybe we should start thinking about which time works best for everyone. It sounds like summer is the best choice for families. Which dates next summer are reserved for other events? Maybe if we picked some weekends we could also find out what the weather is like during those times in the places already mentioned. Just an idea <_<

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Maybe we should start thinking about which time works best for everyone. It sounds like summer is the best choice for families. Which dates next summer are reserved for other events? Maybe if we picked some weekends we could also find out what the weather is like during those times in the places already mentioned. Just an idea :D

I agree. The time of year should be narrowed down before locations are considered. What might be a great location one time of the year, is not during another. All times have their pros and cons...I prefer fall, but I kind-of feel that a fall event should be on a holiday weekend...some families that want to attend do not have to take their kids out of school so early in the school year. Then you run into the problem of conflicting personal/family events for some and increased travel issues. Having it is the summer eliminates the "school" issue, but then there could be conflicts with family vacations, camp and the heat...and there still might be travel concerns. Plus, there are already 2 major events in the summer (I believe that Geowoodstock is usually Memorial Day weekend, and MWGB is towards the end of July this year...I think it is around the 20th). It's all enough to make my head spin. <_< Every time of the year has its issues; we (and I mean "we" as a community) have to find which one works the best for the majority of our little group. :D

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As another MN native and Geocaching Podcaster, I can say that if the event does end up being here I would be better able to cover it on the Twin Cities Geocaching Podcast, get interviews with cachers, and maybe (no promises) even get a video podcast out about the event. I could even (if the planning committee wanted) setup and produce a podcast just for this event.

 

Not sure my budget will allow me to do much traveling this year, so hopefullly it will be in (or near) MN.

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Being a Minnesota Native, I can answer that one as well.

 

The cache density in Stillwater is okay, not a ton, but if there are people interested in a big numbers run, there are plenty of caches within a short (15-20 minute) drive into the Twin Cities metro area. There's as much variety in the caches here as there are no doubt in any other part of the US. Stillwater is also close enough to the MN/WI border that anyone looking to add two more states to their states cached in would find that a very doable thing.

 

And yes, there is even a cache at the Mall of America, a great place for the non geocachers/geocoin collectors in your family.

 

The cache density in Stillwater is okay, not a ton

 

Stillwater needs caches? People may be visiting from around the country? A "Geocoin Fest 2008" series, with FTF available, sounds like a challenge. Hmmm

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I can only speak for myself here, but I would absolutely love to have the event in some place with alot of cool geological stuff around. My most favorite geocaches are ones that take me to really cool areas that have been formed by volcanoes, water, wind, or cool geological events. I assumed that most geocachers were like me. I personally would like for this event to be held somewhere in the West like Oregon, Washington, or northern California. I do not care about shopping or most things indoors, I'd rather be exploring areas & seeing cool things. Is there anybody from Oregon who might have the time and energy to organize one there? I'm one of those cachers who doesn't care how many caches I find, I just love to visit cool places & maybe find just one cache. So cache density is not important to me at all.

 

I may be moving to Spokane soon, I should find out within a month. If I move there I plan on pitching Spokane. You have northern Idaho which is beautiful and lots of cool places to visit. And Washington has so many cool geological places to visit too. Personally I would like to make this a week to 2 week vacation, but I think I would only do this if the area had cool geological formations and such.

 

However, I would make an exception if it was close to Disney World, lol.

Just my two cents :(

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As a NON native Minnesotan--I drive 200+ miles to find caches in the Twin Cities and there is variety in these caches! Stillwater is a great city with history and if you are a bad boy at the event we can lock you up in the nearby "BIG" House. :(

 

PS: Summer lasts a weekend not a day to correct a previous post <_<

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Has anyone considered hosting this event in California?

 

Wow that is a great idea! Dave why don't you do it! <_<

 

We could visit our in-laws and drive across the country with the kids and everything. Perfect!

 

 

 

 

 

 

:(<_<<_< <_<

 

:(

 

Of course, we could move it to Northern California...since I noticed our missing banner was logged at a GBA coin event last night! :(

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Stillwater needs caches? People may be visiting from around the country? A "Geocoin Fest 2008" series, with FTF available, sounds like a challenge. Hmmm

 

I would be willing to throw out a few unactivated coins for FTF prizes, to go along with the theme.

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Has anyone considered hosting this event in California?

 

Wow that is a great idea! Dave why don't you do it! <_<

 

We could visit our in-laws and drive across the country with the kids and everything. Perfect!

 

:(:(<_< <_<

 

Hey, Great! <_<;):blink::huh::(;):D

 

I like the idea of Dave hosting it again!

 

But this time, let's hold it in Lake Elsinore. I hate to drive all the way to Temecula! :(

 

Dave_W6DPS

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...since I noticed our missing banner was logged at a GBA coin event last night! :(

 

You saw the event log of the geonick that said they took it, right? That log said they would tell you how to get it back.

 

Yep, I saw that within the first few days. Last night, there were a few discovered logs of folks that saw it at a GBA event. I was contacted by the cacher that absconded it...and it's all good. I wasn't planning on keeping it myself anyway. It is now doing what I had hoped it would do, and that is visit other events.

 

I was initially worried that it had been thrown out or stolen, but once I was assured it was all meant to be fun...I was very relieved.

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Howdy! ... or even Ya-Hoo!

 

I think the process of the next location selection should really be put up to a bid process in which each area creates a "Host Committee" that is willing to organize a pitch - sort of like the Olympics :P

 

If this ever came to pass, then I think that you could probably expect a bid from the lovely city of Calgary, Alberta in Canada!

 

There are some very compelling reasons to think about coming a short distance north. We have the Canadian Rockies - Banff, Lake Louise, Ice Fields, Kananaskis Country. That's one direction. The other direction gives us the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palyan... Pheoli....Dinosaurs!

 

Calgary itself is served by an International airport, has major road connections, plenty of camping, budget to 5 star hotels. Great infrastructure (we had the Winter Olympics in 1988). US currency is still strong - so you get an automatic discount on everything!

 

What really makes the location a win are the variety of outdoor, indoor and cultural experiences available. It gives folks a safe, friendly vacation well-suited to the family, the outdoors person, the seasoned traveller and .... the cacher! Good caches in all varieties exist.

 

So, if the process is determined, then I think there are serveral of us that would consider putting together a "Calgary Caching" package for your consideration. (Wavevector and I were discussing this briefly this morning at Tim Hortons - yet another excellent reason to visit Canada).

 

Here's a link to start you thinking.... Tourism Calgary

 

Geography buffs - we have hoodoos, mountains, foothills, prairies, lakes, rivers.

Check out:

 

Alberta's Parks..... seriously diverse!

 

Photos are here! Park Photos - don't look unless you want to drool!!!

Edited by Lemon Fresh Dog
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If the event is in Canada doesn't that mean individuals will need a passport to cross the border?

 

Yes. However, the advantage is that you get to visit another country!

Did you know that Calgary has an Urban park called "Fish Creek Provincial Park"? It is the largest urban park in Canada and has over 80KM of trails.

 

In fact, Calgary as a city has over 200KM of bike trails! I ride my Mountain bike to work every day - and only have two short blocks where I am not on a dedicated bike path. Perfect for families! I have gone on 8 HOUR bike rides without ever having to encounter vehicle traffic.

 

We have 27,500KM of parks and over 500 sites in Alberta (which is pretty big - so you won't get to see them all :P

 

A city of over a million people that feels like a small town..... come on up!

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If the event is in Canada doesn't that mean individuals will need a passport to cross the border?

 

Much like the Canadians will need to come to the US? Ok, I know, there's more of "us" then "them" going to these things, but I couldn't help it!

 

Alberta sounds wonderful LFD.

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