Moab Itinerary '09

"Friends and family are like goats, and the best laid plans are like a carefully engineered, premium feeding grass. Sometimes the goats will eat it up and sometime they will $#!@ all over it, but the effort is always worthwhile as it provides nourishment, purpose, and even entertainment for the goats" - Stephen R. Covey

Remember, this IS NOT a family reunion. Therefore, none of you are obligated to spend any time doing anything that you don't want just because everyone else is doing it!

As our group size increases every year, it is becoming necessary to implement some sort of a formal itinerary. We've found that having more than two families, or groups, or carloads of people negates the effectiveness of on site scheduling via the "So, what do you want to do?" ... "I don't know, what do you want to do?" planning method. In past years we've simply brought along a giant library of guidebooks, website printouts, and mental notes about potential activities. Then we've planned each excursion on the spur of the moment according to the desires and fancies of those gathered at the time.

What has become the problem is that with a larger group, it takes a lot longer to get everyone awake, fueled up, fed, snacks amassed, bladders drained, and everyone gathered together from whatever campground or motel they might be staying at. There seems to be no urgency in preparing for the day, meeting up, and getting moving when there's no specific activity pre-planned.

This year, we're going to put together a formal itinerary for ourselves only (Ron, Lori, Lacey, and Riley). We will actually have two separate options on occasion as we will be splitting up to do different things from time to time (during the Priesthood Session of conference, for example). We'll provide each potential attendee with a copy.

Our hope is that each of you will find at least one time slot where you like what we are doing and that fits your sleep/eat/entertainment schedule and that you will join us on that particular adventure. Likewise, we hope that you take some stewardship in satisfying your own personal pleasures and that you will go off and do your own thing whenever a planned activity is too boring, or too early, or too strenuous (or if you are just simply too much of a wimp). If you want to spend a whole day sitting at the campground listening to General Conference, or if you want to go on a private hike, or if you want to sit at a coffee shop in town for several hours doing homework: don't let our "schedule" stop you. This is going to be an "informal" formal itinerary.

In general, we will have a morning activity, then meet back at camp (or some other convenient location) around lunchtime, then have an afternoon activity, then return to camp for the evening.

Please feel free to contribute ideas for specific activities prior to the finalization of the itinerary. Also, please feel free to complain about the final itinerary to your hearts content, then go and do something else during the offending time slot.

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