Marc....y'all will be missed but that sounds like a vacation of a lifetime! Take a picture with your bbq shirt or something and post it along with the post-gathering pics!
Keith - Thanks for the travel recommendations, i still havent planned out my route. I'm a little nervous driving almost 5 hours with my smoker, older tires and no suspension but i'm planning to bring my trailer down anyway.
I've been on a cruise ship (last time i ever want to do that in my life) for a week and just getting caught up. Miranda and I have been going and going, this is the only free weekend to pack and plan for the gathering!
No worries, on the snack sticks and smokehouse, it's a long processes and i'm sure you want relax and enjoy more.
So this year we'll stick to a Rib competition (optional/friendly), IF anyone wants to do another "pork item", I think that should be OK as well. Any objections? the only reason i mention this is because we had talked (a couple years ago) about changing up the category to not just ribs. I'll post this on Thread #1.
i'm looking forward to some more time off and see my friends that i missed last year and meet new ones!
I plan to bring plasticware (i have a bunch). I'm also bringing two tables, canopy (for gathering site). If y'all think we need the big a-frame i might be able to fit that in as well.
Keith - are you bringing those wood planks for the fire pit? Do we need addiitonal firewood?
This is a new location for the gathering, for most of us, so i guess we'll figure out when we get there how/where we want to set up the gathering site (for Saturday's potluck and rib comp)
I'll be checking back on here daily until the gathering.