OK, we are in Wendover, NV right now. The burn was good, but a little more tame than I was led to believe. We got in there Tuesday morning with no problems. Seventy eight miles of winding two lane road from Fernley, then a long way over a dry lake bed to reach Black Rock City. We found a great place to camp. My idea of a great place is a long way from the blaring 24/7 music, and close to the airport. We were on one of the outer circles close to 6:00 which lead straight to "center camp". There was lots of art randomly located on the lake bed, which they called the "playa'. Some of it was very good. A lot of it was like something a high school kid would put together. There were lots of things going on. Lots of vehicles and cars that are very unique. I can not explain them. They are called "mutant vehicles, and you need to see them to even realize what you are looking at. Several of them are huge, with ten or twenty occupants. One place was giving away beer if you would juggle. I can juggle. They closed up on Friday, and my wife accused me of drinking all of their beer. Lots of nudity, but there was not as much open drug use as I was lead to believe there would be.The weather was great, except there is constant wind and blowing dust. You just have to get used to it. Lots of music, lots of people dressed in strange costumes. Did I say lots of nudity?
I worked two three and a half hour shifts at the airport. The parking area was laid out in a grid. When a plane landed, they could just go out and park wherever they wanted, as long as they parked on a pink tuft, which designated a parking spot on the grid. My job was to chase them in a golf cart until the parked, greet them with a smile, check to make sure they had tickets, and document where they were parked on the grid. It was pretty easy. For my efforts I received a dog tag on a chain that identified me as an airport volunteer, and gave me unlimited access to the airport. The FAA was there.
We watched them burn the man on Saturday night and got out of there early Sunday. We went back to Fernley to regroup, and clean the camper out, then drove over here to Wendover today. All and all I had a good time. I probably will not do it again. I do recommend it to anyone who has an interest in going. If you are the kind of person who likes to tell other people how they should live, if you value your space and get annoyed if someone moves in too close to you, if you get stupid when you see someone naked, if you have any hangups at all, don't go. You will not like it. If you are pretty open and want an experience very different from anything you have ever experienced before, well, maybe it is for you.
Max