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Five friends and i are road-tripping up from Mobile to the show in Atlanta on June 2 and it will be our FIRST Buffett show, thus we are pretty clueless as to how many days in advance the party before the show begins... Can anyone give me some tips/suggestions for when the best time to get the main amphitheatre parking lot would be if we were planning on bringing an rv to tailgate with? For example, since it's a friday show, would getting to the amphitheatre on Wednesday allow us to have room to park the rv, or would it be too crowded by then?

Any assistance that is offered is widely appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to BN!

You'll find more info about ATL and who is going on this thread: http://www.buffettnews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45680

I'm sure folks there can give you all the info you need...and more.

I was hoping to make ATL but it is not to be.

Be sure you take the time to go to CiP while you're there, run by one of our very own BNers and one of my most favorite people, HockeyParrothead.

I'm fairly certain that they close and lock the gates to the main parking areas at Lakewood over night and probably don't allow overnight parking. However, there are some off site parking lots that are available and these are mainly gravel or grass lots. The main gates open early the day of the show and by noon it's packed. I'm usually there at 9 or 10 and can get real close to the amphitheater entrance. The RVs get parked along the edges to alow for the needed extra room but if you wait too long you end up out further.

The Cheeseburger in Paradise location is in Alpharetta on the north side of town, probably a 45 minute drive from Lakewood.

Actually the Cheeseburger in Paradise is in Dunwoody which is about 15 miles north of Lakewood. Directions can be found here:
www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com

And Lakewood does lock the gates at night. They will open at 9:00 am the day of the show. Atlanta PHC members get in a bit before then but no one else. I also just posted some info about an Atlanta favorite up at Wild Wing cafe in Suwanee the next day. See the post that Brown Eyed Girl refered to. Hope you have fun. We sure will!

Atlanta was my first show 10+ years ago and that experience solidified my desire to be a parrothead. You will experience no better tailgate, despite what others will say.

Bring plenty of water and sun screen. Although this year's show is earlier than in years past, you probably know how hot it can get.

Things seem to kick into high gear around 10:30, so I would plan to arrive then. Make sure to get into the main lot, not one of the surrounding ones.

Enjoy and rest assured that the trip will be well worth it. Heck, I've driven from NYC just to go to a show at Lakewood. That is how great the phlock is down there.

The Bahg wrote:Actually the Cheeseburger in Paradise is in Dunwoody which is about 15 miles north of Lakewood. Directions can be found here:
www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com

15 miles and an hour and a half. They are on opposite sides of Atlanta so plan your trip accordingly. (i.e. no trips between 3pm and 7pm)

Plan on parking the RV at a Wal-Mart if you are going to be crashing in it.

Since it's a work day, the lot won't fill up quite as quick as on a Saturday. The time the gates open can vary from year to year, but since there's a line to get in by 8:30, it usually isn't too long after that. Although, I do remember one year for a weekday show they didn't open them till 11. Still earlier than most venues. At is best (like on a Saturday in mid-summer) there is no finer tailgating anywhere.

cayman2 wrote:there is no finer tailgating anywhere.

While I am partial to Atlanta simply by proximity, I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

land_shark3 wrote: I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

Shame on you......

Cuervo wrote:

land_shark3 wrote: I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

Shame on you......

So have I... maybe y'all noticed the length of the Alpine thread from 2004..

Cuervo wrote:

land_shark3 wrote: I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

Shame on you......

You know, like Lake Lanier.

RinglingRingling wrote:So have I... maybe y'all noticed the length of the Alpine thread from 2004..

Once again, Alpine was large and fun. But everything really is bigger in Texas. If you'll notice, Dallas has already passed the Alpine thread by 400+ posts.

land_shark3 wrote:

Cuervo wrote:

land_shark3 wrote: I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

Shame on you......

You know, like Lake Lanier.

RinglingRingling wrote:So have I... maybe y'all noticed the length of the Alpine thread from 2004..

Once again, Alpine was large and fun. But everything really is bigger in Texas. If you'll notice, Dallas has already passed the Alpine thread by 400+ posts.

but I can't include that one because it hasn't happened yet. Yet I have no doubt that after Dallas, most tailgates will look like a Tuesday afternoon grade-school football tailgate by members of the WCTU..

Is there a drop off/pick up area for limos at Lakewood that is easy in/out?

June 2nd? I would be leaving real soon. You can never tailgate too much. Just remember to pace yourselves. I will be packing up to get to Alpine Valley next week. I want to get there first

GEED181 wrote:Is there a drop off/pick up area for limos at Lakewood that is easy in/out?

Offically - No.....but in the past the cops have been pretty nice about letting limos come in through the front gate to pick up after the main part of the drive-in crowd has left. They are also pretty good about clearing the northbound lane right in front of the main gate so limos and busses can pick up people right there.

Of course it's been a few years now ( ) and one can't predict for certain at this point what they'll allow now. Check back around Memorial Day and we will have a much better idea.

land_shark3 wrote:

Cuervo wrote:

land_shark3 wrote: I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

Shame on you......

You know, like Lake Lanier.

Looks like an old vet reunion
So Cuervo and I shall be there... you coming up J? And wtf have you been up to lately?? You in Auburn or ATL still? You never post anymore... then again, none of us do

Are we gonna sail on past that line in sand at Lakewood?!?!?

Cuervo wrote:

land_shark3 wrote: I have been to a couple better tailgate locations.

Shame on you......

So have you! With me.

I just wanted to offer the invitation to any out of towners coming for the show. Our Group will be coming up from the south side of ATL(which is where the ampitheater and airport is located) and we could organize a place to meet and all drive in together in our own BN caravan.
Please let me know who might be interested.
Looking forward to meeting everyone, 2 months to go woohoo

Comin in from the west side, 166 (Lakewood or Langford or whatever they call it now). Early-early, gotta get setup and start cookin!