The Spring Meet-Up!

[Blondie]

Okay, I was going to wait another month till I posted this but I'm just too darn excited, I can't wait!! :yay:

So, if you're just tuning in to the Mernetwork, in the fall we had a Florida Mer Meet Up. It was fantastic! We had five mers show up with friends! Ever since the meet up I've been wanting to do a spring gathering. I would loooove to see as many mers as we can get to come out and swim! I want this to be a really epic gathering. I'd love to add some new addictions into it as well! Last year we had a small lunch and unfortunately we got rained on. But that was no problem for us mers, and it cleared up eventually.

So, as I'm starting to plan this, what do you guys want to see at the meet up? Where would you want it to be? I still personally think that Florida is a great place for meet ups because the springs are so fantastic. Alexander Springs was AMAZING! We had the whole spring to ourselves practically besides, what, two divers? Also we have beaches too! Would anyone be interested in a beach meet up? I feel like it would be rather safe if we swim with each other and bring some floats along.

I'm leaning towards the end of April and the beginning of May.

So I guess fill this out to your liking...

Where:
When:
Time:
What I would love to see at the meet up:
What I would not care for at a meet up:

Can't wait to start plotting this!!

[Taniira]

Mm. This is hard for me, as it'd have to meet a lot of very specific circumstances for me to make it. I reserve all of my vacation time for the BF so I can't take any time off work since I only get to see him a few times a year. It'd have to be on a weekend/Saturday and within a 4-5 hour drive from me (Jacksonville is 4 hours, Orlando is 6 for an idea) as I'd have to drive down after work Friday and back on Sunday, and I'd need to find a fairly inexpensive hotel.

Where: Uh... Northeast Florida? Or Georgia's coast or South Carolina ;) Savannah, Charleston, and Hilton Head, are all beautiful.
When: Any weekend as of now
Time: NA
What I would love to see at the meet up: Never been to one and would just really like to meet up with other mers.
What I would not care for at a meet up: Drama! I have no idea.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Ive gota job so I can got woohooo!!!
Where:Loved alexander.. or we could try Rainbow (might not be crowded if during the week.
When: dun care.. jsut give me like 2-3 weeks notice
Time: like 12 was great last time...
What I would love to see at the meet up: safer-squirrel resistant coolers! Floaties!!!!!!! Floaties!!!!!!! Floaties!!!!!!
What I would not care for at a meet up: Squirrels!

[NerineArcticMermaid]

someone check out the srping near the florida caverns.. i hear its fantastic!!!!

[NerineArcticMermaid]

taniira... we could share a hotel on way back up... Id have to drive down late too... there a good few in gainsville fl.. could do our spring thing then hit the hotel and start fresh next morning... was like $70 for a night there... split thats only $35 and at the one i was at the beds were fabulous.. :D

[Blondie]

Hahaha oh my poor cooler. It still works! The squirrels hate the Gators. Yes, floaties for sure! I meant to bring some last time but I totally forgot >< And didn't realize until I was an hour out. Alexander was AMAZING. I have a GoPro camera now so I can actually take really nice pictures and videos underwater now!

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Your cooler..how bout my cooler...damn zipper chewed off..

Lol

[jukumerboii]

ugh I would love so badly to go to this meet up but I have no way of getting to a meet up :( maybe I could go to the next one!

[Taniira]

Juku, if I do end up able to go you could ride with me since we're both in the same city.

[Black Akira]

Wish I could come, I don't have car yet and I live in Titusville FL.

[jukumerboii]

omg thats good to hear!! I got to start working on my tail then!!

[MermaidNerenia]

I would love to get to Florida for a long weekend in the fall. November would be cool. The second or the third weekend both would be nice. I really want the chance to swim in some of the springs up there. Pool swimming is ok but its tiring at time to just see tile floor.

[Mermaid Mako]

I've always wanted to go to rainbow, Ginny springs is nice too but the main spring can get a tad crowded sometimes. The nice part is that you can camp there, we could have a mer camping trip. :-) I don't know if I could drive all the way to the NE side...maybe if I carpooled. :-)

[Blondie]

@Odette: We'll have to do that in a fall meet up. We did a fall meet up last September. But we'll keep that in mind.

@Mako: Ginny Springs I hear is soooo nice! I REALLY want to go there, I was supposed to go camping with my friends there last summer but a hurricane/tropical storm ran through and flooded the place. A mer camping trip would be out of this world! I think it's realistically cheap to camp there too.

[Taniira]

I went to Ginny to finish my Advanced diving certification and from what I remember it was really pretty. I don't know about camping because we stayed in a motel nearby, which is honestly probably what I'd do anyway. I'm not much for camping (unless they have cabins to rent and depending on the cost), and I don't have any supplies or anything for it anyway.

[Mermaid Mako]

The waters and grounds of Ginnie springs are beautiful, definitely a party place though! If you camp don't expect a peaceful nights rest, lol. But if its a meet up that may be the best atmosphere anyway. :-) I think one side of the campgrounds is supposed to be quieter than the other. I would love to share a campfire! Mmm..smores

I am not sure if they have cabins...

[Blondie]

They have little rental homes. They're tiny and four bedrooms. I mean we don't HAVE to camp. We can swim all day, have a fire, make smores, swap the fin stories xD

[XMermaidMarinaX]

Where: Rainbow River
When: Spring Break
Time: 1:00.. I dunno. I live 3 hours away from there but I hear its really pretty.
What I would love to see at the meet up: Fish <3 Haha.. Umm I don't really know ^^
What I would not care for at a meet up: Squirrels stealing food.. but if I see a squirrel expect me to be all "OHMYGOD! HELLO MR. SQUIRREL!"

[Blondie]

So I think the three places I've heard the most are, Rainbow River, Alexander Springs, and Ginnie Springs.

[Mermaid Enhydrina]

Nokomis beach is really nice, but I think it's like an hour south of all the other places suggested.

Update: Okay, I checked and it's actually about two and a half hours south. :P

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Still think we should check out the Florida Caverns.. there is supposed to be a really awesome and deep spring there.. I read that the spring head is 100 ft deep! can you imagine the video we could get there?

[Patches]

Where: The keys, or a Florida spring such as Weeki Wachee
When: May sounds good I think that's when my semester ends. Or at least over any weekend.
Time: NOT anything earlier than 10-11 in the morning. >.< Not an early riser.
What I would love to see at the meet up: swimming and photo time (I could bring a photographer with me),
potluck so that we can all share food, story time/ mermaid group therapy? lol xD, arts and crafts maybe hmmm i feel like Id just wanna swim all damn day
What I would not care for at a meet up: nothing too early in the morning, preferably not at a beach because it makes it harder to take nice clear underwater pictures but springs are a lot better for pictures

[Patches]

The waters and grounds of Ginnie springs are beautiful, definitely a party place though! If you camp don't expect a peaceful nights rest, lol. But if its a meet up that may be the best atmosphere anyway. :-) I think one side of the campgrounds is supposed to be quieter than the other. I would love to share a campfire! Mmm..smores

I am not sure if they have cabins...

I'd definitely be down to do camping for a night.

[Blondie]

So hm.... I'm in a bit of a pickle right now. My friends have decided to take a cruise in May to the Bahamas and want me to go. :| Waaahh...

[NerineArcticMermaid]

J can't go until April at least....Jesse has my tail still.

[Taniira]

Still think we should check out the Florida Caverns.. there is supposed to be a really awesome and deep spring there.. I read that the spring head is 100 ft deep! can you imagine the video we could get there?

If this is the same spring I did my advanced diving course in, it's a pretty dangerous hole. I'll have to ask my instructor (also really good friend) where it was -- she was really upset the other divemasters on the trip decided to go there behind her back. I know it was near Ginny Springs.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

This one is supposed to be near the Georgia border.


Why its it dangerous?

[Taniira]

She said there had been several deaths there, as where it gets to the point of actually being deep there's a lot of buildup of tree branches and such that's really easy to get caught on. I should see her in the next couple of days so I'll ask her.

[Blondie]

That's interesting. Are you thinking Blue Springs? I've been there before and there's a lot of branches there. And a large log near the deep end. But I mean... I can't see how people would seriously get stuck in it. It's not that bad. I've never been to the caverns so I can't speak for that.

[Mermaid Mako]

Hmm, the only spring I know of near Ginny is Blue, but I know that the area is rich in many Springs. From what I've seen, the springs I've been to up there are pretty safe and are popular swimming holes for both local families and divers alike. I can see where cave diving would be dangerous,but I don't think I'd be into doing any of that anyway :-)

I would actually be fine with Rainbow if you all decided to go back there, its closer to me, lol!

[Taniira]

I just got a text back from her; it's called Orange Grove Sink.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

So... where are we with planning this?
Since there is a weechi waki(i know i spelled it wrong!) visit in march maybe we can push this to say may/june? Spread them out a little.

[Blondie]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking Nerine xD

[Mer_Adella]

Here's the thing. My BF is going to be working (somewhere) in Alabama. He wants me to come down and stay with him for a while. I don't know when I will be coming down, but I saw this and didn't know exactly when the meet up would be. But if I am going to be down there with a car I might be able to meet up with some mers. I could also bring the other wife (with 2 little girls) to meet mermaids (fun for the little girls since they live down there and have NEVER seen mermaids) but like I said....I dont know when or where in Alabama I will be.

[Blondie]

THis is all really all up in the air. I'm in the process of changing my job around (I'm retiring fromm lifeguarding and becoming a full time media staff person in an office). So basically my time should be a lot more flexible with this transition. Although, I'm going to school right now and the spring. Then I have a group of very very close friends coming home from college in the summer who want to do everything and anything together. So xD Once the sea calms a little more, I'll get back to work on this.

Like Nerine said, this will probably be in May/June. I'm even leaning more towards June. Real life sucks >< It's amazing all the time I had in the fall, now come spring I feel like I'm lucky to just enjoy three hours on the computer all day xD The adult world hits hard.

[Taniira]

I can't do the weekend of the 22nd in June, as that's the weekend my boyfriend gets here from the UK. That's the only weekend I know I can't do. The weekend after might be nice so I could bring him, too, and he could see yet another beautiful part of the States.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

lets do it before the 10th of june. I have summer term starting up then. So before hand I am more free to travel. but I need us to set a date soon. Ill have to get time off work and the sooner I request the better.

Have we decided where yet? Id still like to try the spring near the caverns. I think itll be ok since itll be a group of us swimming and we can all watch out for each other.
Alexander Spring would be ok again.. was nice..hardly anyone there...and it was warmer than Rainbow Spring. :D

[Mermaid Mako]

lets do it before the 10th of june. I have summer term starting up then. So before hand I am more free to travel. but I need us to set a date soon. Ill have to get time off work and the sooner I request the better.

Have we decided where yet? Id still like to try the spring near the caverns. I think itll be ok since itll be a group of us swimming and we can all watch out for each other.
Alexander Spring would be ok again.. was nice..hardly anyone there...and it was warmer than Rainbow Spring. :D

I would definitely be OK with Alexander springs, that's not to bad of a drive for me :-)

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Are we still doing this? When are we doing this???

If i have to I will drive to Alabama and grab Adella and bringher with me!

[Blondie]

I don't think we're going to do this :\ I'm sorry for being "that mer" and saying I want to hold a meet up and then not going through with it.

But I would LOVE for everyone to check out Moonflower's meet up she's holding in June at Rainbow River.
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?4820-Cloth-Tail-Workshop-amp-Swimming-Meet-up-Orlando-amp-Rainbow-Springs-FL-June-15-16

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Anyone still wanting to do a spring meet up.. well Im still going to do one. Mermaid Adella and I are planning one now. For sometime in May. Its goign to be at Blue Springs in Alabama. heres a link to the info with map directions. http://www.swimmingholes.org/al.html Scroll down to Blue Springs NOT Blue Pond. Ive also got my friend Brandi possibley coming with her kids as well. She makes my mermaid jewlery.

Blue Springs is a natural clear spring with concrete wall and natural bottom. There are 2 pools. on 3.5-5ft deep and the spring head 4-20ft

Ill let you know soon as we lock down a date.

[Mer_Adella]

Anyone still wanting to do a spring meet up.. well Im still going to do one. Mermaid Adella and I are planning one now. For sometime in May. Its goign to be at Blue Springs in Alabama. heres a link to the info with map directions. http://www.swimmingholes.org/al.html Scroll down to Blue Springs NOT Blue Pond. Ive also got my friend Brandi possibley coming with her kids as well. She makes my mermaid jewlery.

Blue Springs is a natural clear spring with concrete wall and natural bottom. There are 2 pools. on 3.5-5ft deep and the spring head 4-20ft

Ill let you know soon as we lock down a date.

MANATEES HAVE BEEN SEEN SWIMMING THERE TOO!!!! have 2 other people possibly coming as well...and ones a mermaid ;)

[Mer_Adella]

we were thinking about going during the week. Its a state park with full bathroom facilities and grills and picnic areas. during the week it is $2 for adults to get in and on the weekend its $3...so we thought about going during the week when there would be the possibility of barely anyone there. If there are going to be enough people there we thought about doing a lunch and stuff where everyone brings "something".

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Well... Actually Im thinking May 18 or 19th. My friend brandi wants to come and bring her two children. One is an austistic boy. He is high functioning but to interupt his school schedule during the week would be bad. So we are gonna shoot for the weekend unless she tells me she cant go then we will shoot for the 15th of May.

So we need to know whos up for going to this meet up?

[Taniira]

I can't go in May, especially that weekend since I'll be in Myrtle Beach at a convention. Maybe next time!

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Its only weekend that works for Adella and her friends and me and mine.. sorry...

Anyone else that can go is welcome... we are working out details and lucnhie stuff.

[Luna Nerissa]

I would love to come to one when I get a tail. Destin, Florida is beautiful.

[Christopher Chandler]

Have camera and fin. Will travel. Just say when and where!