Big idea ahead. Big, unlikely idea.
I think I know a good, easily acessible location for the DF meetup next year. Now, bear with me. I live in an area known as the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. This area not only has a significantly interesting geographical history but it also has easy acess to all of the major highways that run through the Tri State Area. Now we could do one of two things before we meet up at a restaurant:
One:
Now I live about two hours from New York City and I figure if the meetup occurs here we could spend a day at the city maybe go to the museum, a baseball game, or the zoo.
Two:
This area has literally TONS of excellent hiking trails and parks that are filled with wildlife of all kinds. We could go up to Minnewaska State Park and walk from the woods on the cliffs and slopes to the fields on top of the mountains. Or we could go to a few trails with excellent scenery and excellent fishing.
After that we all meet back at one of two locations:
The Brauhaus:
http://www.mountainbrauhaus.com/I've been to the Brauhaus when I was younger and it has absolutely excellent food. It is however small and is more of a restaurant than a pub like this year's meetup. Therefore it isnt much of a place to hold a convention of sorts. It does however have nice views of the valley around it.
The Gilded Otter Brewing Co:
http://www.gildedotter.com/home.htmThis is a very popular restaurant in the valley. It has excellent views of the mountains, great food, and they brew their own beer! Yes, there are stills and pipes snaking throughout the restaurant. The problem with this is the price. The food, however good, is pricy. This is a very large restaurant so no reservations are required. Again this restaurant is a good choice but it may be crowded.
So Bay12, tell me if you think I'm batshit insane for suggesting this but it just hit me like a large Armanian with a 2x4.