Gaston's 2010

qbynewbie

qbynewbie

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Sep 22, 2007
Messages
353
Display Name
Display name:
Qbynewbie
I understand that it's something like 52 weeks to gaston's. :D

What are the exact dates for 2010?

Thanks.
 
Appropriate question. Get all that stuff worked on and leave when it's finished. You should make with a couple of days to spare.
qbynewbie said:
I understand that it's something like 52 weeks to gaston's. :D

What are the exact dates for 2010?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
:D

I figure that if leave a couple of weeks free in the schedule on either side of it that maybe 70L will get me there in time.
 
OK, thanks, Wayne. I'll put that on the calendar.

...
...

There must be something going on that weekend.
 
Leave a few others open in case that one's not right. :D
qbynewbie said:
OK, thanks, Wayne. I'll put that on the calendar.

...
...

There must be something going on that weekend.
Click to expand...
 
Sounds like a capital idea. :D
 
He Must mean June cause May conflicts with the FlyBQ and I KNOW Diana wouldn't do that to me:nono::D
 
Figure out the muggiest, hottest weekends Arkansas has to offer. It will be one of those. I didnt realize I could be in the shade, wearing a white shirt, and still have rivulets of sweat seeping from everywhere. I got home and played 9 innings of ball and sweated less.
 
EdFred said:
Figure out the muggiest, hottest weekends Arkansas has to offer. It will be one of those. I didnt realize I could be in the shade, wearing a white shirt, and still have rivulets of sweat seeping from everywhere. I got home and played 9 innings of ball and sweated less.
Click to expand...

Mmmm... I know.. I love it!! That was basketball practice weather when I was growing up. Running 'suicides' in an non-air conditioned gym in June in Alabama.

I can tell my body isn't used it it anymore, though - I think I drank a gallon of water between 3pm and dinner at 7. :yikes:
 
Somebody posted the forecast recently, said 81-83F for this weekend. I think that was the same post that discounted any chance of rain.

The last time I landed at Gaston's before yesterday was in 1968. I think the food I was served last night may have been there longer than that. Prison-grade precooked-meal.

EdFred said:
Figure out the muggiest, hottest weekends Arkansas has to offer. It will be one of those. I didnt realize I could be in the shade, wearing a white shirt, and still have rivulets of sweat seeping from everywhere. I got home and played 9 innings of ball and sweated less.
Click to expand...
 
The heat killed me saturday, I had a headache from it for about 6 or 7 hours.
 
Our table had a pretty sad time with Jim Gaston, and the cold, burned food, dried fish, factory frozen and heated Chicken Fried Steak. Wayne refused to eat his. I had not had lunch and Jim was not forthcoming for >20 minutes, so I ate mine. 100 minutes total in that chair, I had a sore butt. Phil was pretty vociferous about his.

I think before we pin a date we need again to look at a different venue, or I will be catering.
 
That was not Mr. Gaston, I do believe, but I suppose I could be wrong.

In any event, Wayne's "prison food" description is apt.

I still like the venue, just figure we have to have all meals either cookout-style, or in Steve's cabin. Mary won't mind.
 
It's interesting to hear these comments from the Gaston's "regulars". I thought the food was lousy and service mediocre at best, but being that it was my first time at 3M0, I thought that was part of the "you're paying for the atmosphere, not the food" that I had heard so much about.

Now I don't feel so bad about thinking the food at Perkins (equivalent to Shoney's for you southerners) today was was better than what I had at 3M0 last night.

How about renting a large smoker and having a southern style flightline BBQ (much like the wedding party at the other end of the flight line yesterday afternoon) or a big 'ol southern style fish fry (pond raised catfish of course ;)).
 
EdFred said:
Figure out the muggiest, hottest weekends Arkansas has to offer. It will be one of those. I didnt realize I could be in the shade, wearing a white shirt, and still have rivulets of sweat seeping from everywhere. I got home and played 9 innings of ball and sweated less.
Click to expand...

Hey, Ed...believe it or not...this weekend definitely was NOT the hottest, muggiest weekend Northern Arkansas will have this summer. Just so you won't be surprised in the future, yes...it can and does get worse.
 
First time for everything, even now. I've traveled most of my life, never had anything that bad. Can we rent some schoolbusses or something and go somewhere else? Breakfast was good today. Maybe we should just schedule dinner earlier in the day.

I did notice, however that a permanent grill is installed outside my cabin. Is there a time limit when you can cook on those things? If nothing else, my strategy for next year includes pushing the AR statute just a tad insofar as transporting medicinal spirits into the state is concerned. Then offer refreshments during cocktail hour. If there's no choice I will go to dinner, immediately go through the salad bar and maybe have a few more pops at the table. After a reasonable time, I will attempt to crawl back to my cabin unassisted. Unless there's a full moon and the runway looks inviting.

bbchien said:
Our table had a pretty sad time with Jim Gaston, and the cold, burned food, dried fish, factory frozen and heated Chicken Fried Steak. Wayne refused to eat his. I had not had lunch and Jim was not forthcoming for >20 minutes, so I ate mine. 100 minutes total in that chair, I had a sore butt. Phil was pretty vociferous about his.

I think before we pin a date we need again to look at a different venue, or I will be catering.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, a few points:
1) The date for the next Gaston's is the Second weekend in June.
2) I disagree with Chris. It was the service that was lousy, and the food that was mediocre at best. The servers mentioned to us that they didn't have enough advance warning that they'd be getting such a large group. :dunno: But next year I'll do what I did last year; cook on the flight line. As Chris also noted, there was one guy there (not with our group) that had a trailer-drawn BBQ smoker.
3) Maybe some of us should actually fish and KEEP the fish, then cook them up for the group! (Ed G.??? Hint hint! Though I think he's a catch & release aficionado)
 
CJones said:
"you're paying for the atmosphere, not the food" that I had heard so much about.

Now I don't feel so bad about thinking the food at Perkins (equivalent to Shoney's for you southerners) today was was better than what I had at 3M0 last night.
Click to expand...
It's always been this way, Chris, it was just so much more so this year.
 
Dean said:
Here is one option if you want to go elsewhere, but it does have one down fall, the airport is a little over a mile from the resort.


http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/kd/
Click to expand...
And they don't provide use of a shuttle van for the weekend to get around, either. Right?


For an aviator’s delight, there is a 4,000 ft. paved, lighted air strip located a mile and a half from the lodge. Gasoline not available.
Click to expand...
 
In my opinion, the brunch and breakfast food as well as service was great. The ladies were really helpful and pleasant to talk to. The food was excellent although a little expensive but what to do you expect at a resort. I'm fine with it since it's a once a year get together and the company makes up for anything else.

I hope they hire more staff for next year. Our waiter was a little stressed to the point where he spilled water on me as he was refilling the glass and seemed to just do what we wanted rather than agnologing the request with even eye contact. I hope the poor guy had a good nights sleep after that. I had no complaints with the food.
 
Last edited:
Tristar said:
In my opinion, the brunch and breakfast food as well as service was great. The ladies were really helpful and pleasant to talk to. The food was excellent although a little expensive but what to do you expect at a resort. I'm fine with it since it's a once a year get together and the company makes up for anything else.
Click to expand...
Let me clarify that (most) of the servers were friendly and great. It's just that there weren't enough of them, so we had to, for example wait over a half hour after being seated to place our order. In fact, we went up to get salad before we'd even placed the order at dinner. It was definitely better at brunch, though they still weren't there as much as I'd have liked. Again, it's a staffing issue, not a problem with the servers competence or attitudes.
 
gprellwitz said:
Let me clarify that (most) of the servers were friendly and great. It's just that there weren't enough of them, so we had to, for example wait over a half hour after being seated to place our order. In fact, we went up to get salad before we'd even placed the order at dinner. It was definitely better at brunch, though they still weren't there as much as I'd have liked. Again, it's a staffing issue, not a problem with the servers competence or attitudes.
Click to expand...

You must not have had the same guy we did on Saturday night. :no:

I vote that next year we rent a rig like the wedding folks had and pay Andrew Stanley's way to Gaston's. It'll cost less, the food will be phenomenal, and those of you who don't get to the FlyBQ will finally get to meet Andrew! :)
 
qbynewbie said:
:D

I figure that if leave a couple of weeks free in the schedule on either side of it that maybe 70L will get me there in time.
Click to expand...

Or you could try for a seat on Aztruck Air... (if it fits it flys). Ted just told me he wants 4 agian next year to make it worth the trip and I may not make it without going Aztruck Air. So reserve your seat now!
 
bbchien said:
Our table had a pretty sad time with Jim Gaston, and the cold, burned food, dried fish, factory frozen and heated Chicken Fried Steak. Wayne refused to eat his. I had not had lunch and Jim was not forthcoming for >20 minutes, so I ate mine. 100 minutes total in that chair, I had a sore butt. Phil was pretty vociferous about his.

I think before we pin a date we need again to look at a different venue, or I will be catering.
Click to expand...

I think that was why the flight line Grill had Hot dogs and Hamburgers on it all weekend.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
You must not have had the same guy we did on Saturday night. :no:

I vote that next year we rent a rig like the wedding folks had and pay Andrew Stanley's way to Gaston's. It'll cost less, the food will be phenomenal, and those of you who don't get to the FlyBQ will finally get to meet Andrew! :)
Click to expand...

Ted can bring Andrew down, that way there will be enough room for the stealler sauce.
 
As a first-timer, I still don't know who all to thank for all the fixin's, and kept thinking I would find out how to chip in. Then somebody would start talking about airplanes and the thought would vanish. But that's not the only thought that vanished, I spent about two hours looking for glasses that were in the bag and another hour trying to figure out how to plug in the internet cord (my lightweight doesn't have that kind of plug).

I would still like to chip in, as the Oklahoma definition of a good deal is one that's good for everybody. How does all that work? My charbroil smoker at home will do 9 slabs at a time, takes 5 hours per batch. I bought it in 1965 and it's pretty well broken in, if anybody is interested for next year.
 
wabower said:
I would still like to chip in, as the Oklahoma definition of a good deal is one that's good for everybody. How does all that work? My charbroil smoker at home will do 9 slabs at a time, takes 5 hours per batch. I bought it in 1965 and it's pretty well broken in, if anybody is interested for next year.
Click to expand...

The only reason I'm not intrested is because I don't think it would fit in your airplane and I want a ride in it next year!
 
This was my first time at Gaston's. Over all the place was good. I liked how they let you use there vans to drive around and run into town.
I had the Brunch Sat morning and it was fine and service was good.
Sat Dinner was just bad service and planning on their end. I was lucky enough to sit at one of the tables that got there food early. I just got the salad bar so cant comment on food quality. It was sad when we were done and I went over to Grants table to talk to them and they did not have there food yet.
 
Hopefully all the post-inspection glitches will be worked out by then and I'll be more comfortable with the status. Kim and Diana said they were so tired they really didn't care if we crashed and Phil said he just wanted some cool air.

The rib smoking, if anybody is interested will all be done here. They transport fairly well, and we always do them a day in advance anyway. Ribs are like soup, in that flavor is always better when they have sat for a day or two, cooled down and have been reheated. I glaze them for the last hour of cooking, so there's some good flavor already soaked in for the re-heat.

Missa said:
The only reason I'm not intrested is because I don't think it would fit in your airplane and I want a ride in it next year!
Click to expand...
 
qbynewbie said:
:D

I figure that if leave a couple of weeks free in the schedule on either side of it that maybe 70L will get me there in time.
Click to expand...

Missa said:
Or you could try for a seat on Aztruck Air... (if it fits it flys). Ted just told me he wants 4 agian next year to make it worth the trip and I may not make it without going Aztruck Air. So reserve your seat now!
Click to expand...
Good luck trying to get Brian to come to Gaston's ANY other way than in his own airplane. Lord knows I tried....I mean I REALLY tried. :D
 
Hmmm.

I say, we make Andrew show up, and have a smoke-off.
 
I've reduced my "in-restaurant" time to only the Saturday evening meal and the brunch. The filet was ok. The eggs benedict was cold, even though it was kept in a covered warming tray. I was too hungry to mind on either occasion.

Bill and Brent (the Mooney boys) have become the hot dog and burger kings of the flight line. It's amazing what they can do with a stock grill. Imagine what would be possible with more cooking capacity.

The primary advantage of using the restaurant is it is large enough for everyone to be at one seating. We'd need more tables and lighting on the flight line to do that ourselves. I like the catering idea, but I think we'd need to use the conference center building to do that as a group. It might be hard to reserve as it was being used all week for various activities while we were there.

I had serious thoughts of making G-VI my last fly-in, but even with the rains there was more flying activity this year than ever and I (and the rest of my group) had a great time despite not having the IAR available. There was a noticeable lack of "interesting" landings and that indicates to me a higher level of proficiency this year than in years past. Everyone in the pattern did a good job of watching out for the other guy. Barring unforseen circumstances we'll be bringing the IAR next year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top