2nd Annual South Florida Gathering!! Nov 9th-11th

**This post will constantly be updated with information about the gathering**

Camping Information: Fish Eating Creek has both RV and Primitive Camping spots. Last year i rented Group Spot B for anyone who wanted to camp in a tent, we can park vehicles in that area and we can also use power if we need it. This spot is close to the Screen Room that we used for all of our food prep, eating, and hanging out.

http://www.fisheatingcreekoutpost.com/

Also quite a few people came in RV's. If you are camping in a RV when you call to make your reservation ask to get as close to the Screen Room as possible if you want to be close to all the action. If you would prefer to be farther away that is fine as well
[h3]Directions[/h3]
Tampa / Brandon: From Tampa go south to FL-60 (Brandon Blvd). Follow Brandon Blvd east through Brandon toward Bartow and Lake Wales. Turn south on US-27 toward Avon Park. Go through Avon Park and Sebring to Palm Dale. We are located one mile south of Palm Dale on the right side of the highway. If you reach US-29, you've gone too far south. About 2.5 hours away/ 130 miles

Orlando: From Orlando go south on I-4 to Exit 55. Merge onto US-27. Go south on US-27 to Palmdale. We are located one mile south of Palm Dale on the right side of the highway. About 2.5 hours/ 125 miles away

Miami: From I-75 in Miami go to Exit 23. Merge onto US-27 North toward South Bay. Follow US-27 northwest through South Bay and Clewiston to Palm Dale. We are located two miles north of the Hwy 29 intersection on the left side of the road. About 2.25 hours/128 miles away

Jacksonville: From Jacksonville go south on I-95 to Daytona Beach. Take Exit 260B to merge onto I-4 West toward Orlando. Stay on I-4 through Orlando to Exit 55. Merge onto US-27. Go south on US-27 to Palmdale. We are located one mile south of Palm Dale on the right side of the highway. About 5 hours/ 267 miles away

**Note** a few people last year including myself still needed a little help finding this place...if coming from the south (miami/fort lauderdale) when you pass the hwy 29 intersection slow down..i believe there is a big red billboard on the left hand side of the road for Gatorland (or something like that), soon after that there is a very small (easy to miss) state park sign for Fish Eating Creek. if you come to a abandoned post office on the right you've gone to far. i'm glad i didnt arrive in the dark haha!
[h3]Attendees[/h3][h3]Food[/h3]
We found last year that we just Ate At Will...no official meals:) So this chart is just a way to make sure food is going to be available at certain normal eating times (breakfast, lunch, dinner) but food can be made, served, and cooked whenever
[h3]Friendly Competitions[/h3]**Notes on competitions: Last year we did Ribs(whatever style you want), Chicken (anyway you wanna cook it and any part or whole), and Something Special (anything you want like a side, veggie item, chili, gator tail, etc...). Would anyone like to see anything else added? Again these are friendly competitions amongst friends. there will not be official judging rules, times and rules can be bent if everyone is ok with it. Just for good times! would anyone like to see specific ones like Chili? BBQ Sauce?

Glad to see ya back Ron!

I know Al is in Michigan but i thought i heard he would eventually be coming back, have you heard different? Would be awesome to have him back!

yea i'm thinking about food as well LOL! i feel like i didnt cook nearly enough last year...i'm just gonna keep the WSM smoking all weekend and constantly throwing stuff on!

For those of you that may not have a smoker, dont have the abilty to bring yours, or any other reason you dont want to bring on THAT IS OK...everyone is very friendly and will gladly share smoker space with you. Shoot Ron (RubbinButts) could fit 2 whole cows on his gargantuan of a smoker :)
 

Don glad to have ya!

JckDanls 07 said:

YESSSSSS .... Been waiting on this one... What A blast we had last year with the "FRIENDLY" competition... The random judges picked from the campgrounds were the ones that made out like a bandit.. LOL... think we'll do it that way again ?...

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good question...it's fun getting random people around the campground to get involved, but it was also difficult at times to find people and get them to show up on time. i was going to ask the staff to be judges this time, i know they wont mind HAHA.  thoughts?

I figured we'd get more responses by now:)  where is everyone? :)

dont make me private message everyone who went last year ;)

JckDanls 07 said:

wonder what ever happened to masterofmymeat... and Turnip Mockley... ?

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i still have MoMM's knife that he left...never heard much from him after the gathering..hope he is ok.  MoMM where are you?? :)

Turnip - are you making the trip down again? that breakfast caserole you made was the bomb!

Ron and Keith are right...last year i think we had less then 10 going into the final 4-5 weeks and then it more then doubled in that time :)

"worst case scenario" the 4 of us and our families/friends sit around a few smokers, drinking beers and cooking great food...that's a problem i wouldn't mind having.

i'm calling John, the camp director, this week to talk him about the gathering and working with the camp to make this one bigger and better