DFNW info please

BluesBop Harry

Hi,
I'm planning on going this year and I'm just not sure where to stay and how much money I should expect to spend on lodging. I wouldn't mind camping but would prefer a real bed and a safe place to leave my stuff plus I won't have a car so walking distance to the music action would be a must.
Where to stay where NOT to stay??
Help please

Also what about food costs?
If any of you can offer some information by replying here or by PM I'd appreciate it a lot.
Thanks

BluesBop Harry

Forgot to ask how to get to the festival site from Seattle Tacoma Airport by public transportation
Thanks again

bbwood_98

Bluesbop,
The campground is well within walking distance. It's relatively safe as well . . . I am looking also for something for My wife (eve, our singer) and I to use. I prefer having a kitchen for this as i find the Restos to be time consuming and expensive (there are exceptions- the braeburn is great; as are the two coffee shops; but for dinner $$$). There is the rather fantastic Star store- which is great for supplies and sandwiches, and the pizza place isn't bad either- but it usually is packed at any sane time to eat during the fest.
I arrive on thursday- and will be renting a car. You can the the Sea-tac whidbey shuttle to langley, but it drops you a fair ways out of town . . . It'll get you there though.
See you in WA,
Ben

Bob Holo

Enrique,

At this late date, the campground might be your only option. It's a small town and rooms get booked months in advance. However, I think you'll be OK because the two primary jam sites are the parks downtown and the campground. It is not as big or as active as Samoreau, but it is fun. Another good option for Djangofest (for future years) is to get together with a group of people and rent a house together. You can find rental houses by looking for rentals on Whidbey Island in the surrounding towns of Langley, Clinton, and Freeland Washington... but you will need a car to get to the festivities from these little towns, and don't stay on the North island - its too far away (about 50km) Even if you have a rental car, it is inconvenient to stay much north of the town of Freeland. There are hotels in town, but the rooms will cost you. The nicest place in town is the Saratoga, but after room tax & such... you're looking at $250 per night. There are a lot of sites which list rentals. Here are a few.

Rentals
http://www.whidbeyislandbandb.com/find-lodging/by-map/
http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation ... ngton.html
http://www.whidbeyrentals.com/
http://cbkoetje.nwrealty.net/

Hotels
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g5855 ... otels.html

As for public transportation, I don't know. As for food - there are two ways to do it - restaurants $$ - or go to one of the grocery stores (Star Mart or others) and get wine/cheese/bread/salami/fruit... Many do it that way. But I recommend at least one restaurant breakfast because a hot breakfast does wonders for the soul after a couple of nights camping. I remember sitting down one morning in 'The Braeburn'. I was cold and stiff and hungry and the lady brought over a hot pot of coffee and a big plate of eggs, bacon, and a pile of toast so high it fell over when she set it on the table. If I wasn't married I would have proposed to her right there. ;-)

Good luck with your travels.

BluesBop Harry

It's official I'm going!
It'll be great to finally meet all of you in person and the lineup this year looks awesome.
Thanks a lot to Ben and Bob for your help.
See you all at the Festival!

Archtop Eddy

There wasn't much I could I add to the good advice you were getting here, but I want to say it's good hear you'll be joining us at DFNW. I'm sure you will have a great time, and I'm looking forward to meeting you!

AE

Stringswinger

Enrique,

It has been a long time since we met/djammed at DFLA. I too will be there (I almost always come, it is the best music festival ever IMO).

All good advice above. Best of luck with transport and a place to stay. Djams happen all over the place. Don't forget to sleep. Five days is a long spell with no rest!

Cheers,

Marc
www.hotclubpacific.com

BluesBop Harry

I look forward to meeting you too Eddy and it's gonna be great seeing you again Marc.
I'll almost surely be staying at the campgrounds, but I couldn't find an email address for reservations... Does it get full? Or can I just show up?

Bob Holo

I think this is it. It's on Camano Ave. and so I just Google-mapped it till I got the address and then searched on the address and came up with this info. I don't know if this is current information, but this is the address. I don't know why it is labeled a "pre-school" maybe that's next to the Campground. Island County Fairgrounds. 819 Camano Avenue, Langley, WA 98260. Phone: 360-221-4677; Fax: 360-221-6746. E-mail <!-- e --><a href="mailto:19icfa12@whidbey.com">19icfa12@whidbey.com</a><!-- e -->

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=819+caman ... CBoQ8gEwAA

The google maps thing is kind of cool - you can get a look at where things are. from the campground continue north and you'll see the Edgecliff on the right and the middle-school and the center for the arts on the left... concerts and some classes are there. Continue on and the Langley Motel is on the right. Then turn right to continue to go north into town... you'll pass the Saratoga Inn on your left. When you get into town hang a left on second street and look for the two coffee houses where jams happen... the Useless Bay Coffee Company and the Island Coffee House. The Braeburn and the Star Market are right there too. Mo's pub is somewhere in that area but not marked on the map. That area is sort of the jamming Quad. Go down to First Street and you'll see the Village Pizza... go West on first street and the big building on the right just after the Chocolate place is the Doghouse Pub. Continue west and you'll see the Inn at Langley also on the right (water / North) side of the street. Come back south from there and you'll see the Methodist church where classes are held. Those are a lot of the usual haunts. Upstairs at Primas (near the Star) on the deck sometimes turns into a small tasty jam - they don't like big jam circles but they (and most other places) are very friendly toward having three to six people who know how to play just show up and start playing. Big jams are typically outside one of the coffee houses or at the campground but the jams typically are fun and not overly large because when jams get too big they tend to split and spin off a group of guys who go down the street in search of a place to start a new jam... so the scene is typically fairly free of annoying "mega-jams" because no one wants to wait 12 minutes to take a solo... haha... That's pretty much all you need to know. Just bring an axe & a good pair of walking shoes. Michael stocks picks / strings / whatever and I think he sets up ?? starting Friday? But if you're in a pinch I'm sure you'll be able to borrow whatever you need before Friday as there will be a hell of a lot of guys running around with guitars that have funny little oblong soundholes...

BluesBop Harry

Wow! Thanks a lot Bob! After reading your post I think I'm all set. I wrote to the campground and they replied that no reservation is needed at all.

It's gonna be great to finally meet you in person, play and talk, hopefully over a big plate of eggs and bacon at The Braeburn for breakfast. I can't wait.
See you in Langley!

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