(no subject)

[asthran]

Written Sept. 29, 2004

The Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) has a very unique camping situation. There is not a general campground as exists at most other faires.

Down the 303, at the end of the road
Flashing lights, exclusion zones
And it made me think, "It's not just the stones
That they're guarding."
- The Levellers, from the song 'Battle of the Beanfield'


Just down the road from the Faire entrance, just off of County Road 303, is Renfaire Drive. Renfaire Drive is a road about a mile or two long, and rennies own plots of land on it. Some of them have houses, some trailers, some have a stable and horses, imposing front gates, whatever. And, rather than the festival management administering the campground, the individual owners rent out space in their yard to other rennies for camping.

I am very fortunate here. Most people charge $50-100/week for a camp site. My employer has a piece of property that he rents out only to his employees (and significant others, if applicable) for very cheap.

John's property is maybe 40 paces wide and 150 paces deep. He has a trailer that he lives in, and his general manager keeps a bus on site. There are two shed on site that were made as small homes, a few people have trailers, and in the woods there are 4 platforms abailable for tents.

He also has a 'showerhouse' open to his tenants/employees. It's a building about 15x20, with a small shower room, another room with a toilet, but the majority of the space is the main room which is a living room on one side, and a small kitchen on the other.

...

I have running water, electricity, a stove and refriderator all available to me!

It's really swank. And, I'm told, very much not the norm, so I will try to not get used to it.