I think I see a gathering coming on.

For those of you who have never been, there are a couple of things you might consider:
* It's a huge gathering,
* You can only drive up the mountain if you have sponser tickets with parking permit; otherwise you ride a shuttle, which is not too bad.
* There are alots of additional things happening in conjunction with the games--ceiliedh, concerts, The Bear foot race, etc.
* If you want to camp on the mountain, better reserve your spot today! And even then it may be too late.
* I like to stay at Beech Mountain in one of the ski chalets. It's near Banner Elk where you can eat and do other things but close enough for an easy drive to Linville
* Bring some warm clothes, too. It can get very cool in the mountains at night, and I've enjoyed a nice fire in July more than once.

Let's plan on it for sure. I'll definitly have all my flasks full and ready for passin', and if you guys bring the rugrats, we'll make it a real big family thing. Nothing like making the local lairds nervous about their cattle and daughters.