Hi everyone,

Wow!  Five days to the start of "Busses Nowhere Near The Arch #18"!  We're pretty much ahead of schedule in preparing for the Type 2 festivities to come.  The trophies, door prizes, the signage, ballot box, tents, and all the other event supplies are either loaded into the '59 Double Door Panel, or are in a pile by the door ready to go out.  Kathryn and I will be bringing four of our VW's up to the Lake, and by e-mail and phone conversations, it sounds like a lot of the Buskatiers, the DBG folks, the Missouri Micro's and many other NEATO and LiMBO members are getting ready to descend on Mark Twain Lake in a few days from now.  Susan (Crandall) Dolvin of Drain, Oregon is already on her way to BNNTA and will probably take one of the "longest Distance driven to the event" awards home to Oregon in her Westy!  What might you win?

Several attendees have asked if the "group" campground where we host the BNNTA event will be open for early arrivals, say on Thursday.  Last year the Corps of Engineer park rangers opened the locked "group" campground gate on Thursday afternoon to allow for the early arrivals to set up camp.  Ranger "Chuck" and I discussed this again a week ago, and we both believe that it worked out very well last year.  Naturally, "if" I can arrange to have it open early, any early vehicle staying in the "group" area will need to pay the normal one night camping fee per VW vehicle to the rangers when the rangers occasionally pass through.  I lease the entire place from noon on Friday through noon on Monday.  So for those of you who might want to get in and set-up and have an early start on all the fun, I may be able to make the same arrangements for you again this year.  I will call on Monday to try to confirm this, and I'll try to have another e-mail post to "the Lists" by Tuesday evening to confirm that it will indeed happen.  Even if for some reason I couldn't arrange the above plan, all early arrivals could still stay in the nearby "regular" campground and just move over on Friday.  But I think we have a "lock' on the Thursday open gate thing!  I'll update this info on Tuesday night.

So pack up those Type 2's, grab the slow lane, and drive safely!  Hope to see ya soon!

Bill Bowman
NEATO & LiMBO
www.BNNTA.com