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INFORMATION FOR CAMPERS MerleFest Masonic Campsites - April 2014
Masonic Campsites on Moravian Creek - Hosted by Liberty Lodge No. 45, AF&AM Important: We try mightily to anticipate your questions and answer them here, so please do not send questions via email before reading this entire web page. GENERAL INFORMATION: Liberty Lodge No. 45, founded in 1804, is conveniently located just two minutes off US Hwy. 421 at 1228 School Street. We are directly across the creek from the college campus, so you can enjoy the music of MerleFest from the comfort of your campsite. The college will not allow you to ford the creek, but it is an easy 10 minute walk to the campus. Each campsite is about 20' x 20' and vehicle accessible. The campsite is to have one vehicle and as many tents/campers as you can fit. There is overflow parking for additional vehicles at an extra cost of $10 per vehicle. We run a clean, neighborly campground with few rules other than the Golden Rule, and we pride ourselves on our many repeat customers. Liberty Lodge offers an all-you-can-eat hot breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at a cost still to be determined. Our indoor shower has a dedicated gas water heater that virtually never runs out of hot water; additionally, we have indoor toilets and several outdoor portable toilets, plus a large outdoor stainless steel sink for cleaning your camping cookware. Campsites are $100 for those arriving before Saturday, and $80 for those arriving onSaturday. If you have not previously established yourself as a camper in good standing, we will require a $50 non-refundable deposit at time of reservation acceptance. We try to give our returning campers the ability to keep the same site from year to year, even though this makes taking reservations a little more work for us. Campers from the previous year can start making reservations from November 1st to February 28nd; during this time, you can request your same sites. Starting March 1, we will begin taking reservations from everyone, and all sites therefore become first come first serve. NEW CUSTOMERS (IMPORTANT): If you are interested in staying with us, please do not send a message asking, "Do you have any space left?" Instead, please just request a reservation. If we are full, we will tell you. Note that a deposit will be required, after your reservation has been accepted. To request a reservation please send an e-mail to: merlefestmasoniccampsites@yahoo.com Include ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: your name, your home address, your telephone number(s), your e-mail address(es), the number of campsites requested, and the specific nights you want to reserve. Please keep your correspondence simple, since we don't have a large staff of volunteers to handle it. Y'all come see us! DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO OUR CAMPGROUND: See the location page.
Liberty Lodge No. 45- Location
WHEN YOU ARRIVE:
- Look for our greeter, who will check you in. Pay him the unpaid balance for all nights you will be staying (cash or your personal check), and he will give you a receipt/parking pass which you should display on your dashboard.
- The greeter will tell you the location of your assigned campsite(s). The sites will be staked off and numbered on the ground. Please cooperate by camping in your assigned site(s), and staying within your limits.
- The greeter will give you a plastic trash bag. We ask that you keep your campsite and our grounds very clean at all times.
- Drive to your assigned sites, set up, and have fun.
- If you arrive before Thursday morning, there may not be a greeter at the lodge yet. We will have phone numbers posted on the back door for you to call, as well as directions on what needs to be done. Please let us know in advance if you are planning on arriving early to our campground, so we can have someone there to greet you.
WALKING DIRECTIONS FROM THE CAMPGROUND TO MERLEFEST: Walk back up School Street to River Street (NC268). Turn left and walk past Burger King to the next traffic light. Turn left again and walk down Collegiate Drive, which ends at the campus. The total distance is 8/10 of a mile.QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
- What are your rates? Each site is $100 for those arriving before Saturday, and $80 for those arriving on Saturday.
- What is your policy on deposits? If you have not previously established yourself as a reliable customer, we will require a $50 deposit at time of reservation acceptance. IMPORTANT: Do not send a deposit unless and until we have explicitly accepted your request for a reservation and told you where to send the check.
- What is your policy on cancellations? All deposits are non-refundable.
- What forms of payment do you accept? Cash or your valid personal check only, please. We do not accept plastic.
- How many campsites do I need to rent? Will my equipment fit in my campsite(s)? It is your responsibility to figure that out; our campsites are approximately 20 by 20 feet.
- How many tents, canopies, pop-ups, cars, whatever, can I put in my campsite(s)? That is up to you. Just stay within the staked-off boundaries of the campsite(s) assigned to you. Please don't occupy, or park in, any campsite that you didn't rent. No camping is allowed other than in the designated campsites.
- How many people am I allowed to have in my campsite(s)? That is up to you.
- Can I park in the access lanes? No, you will block other campers if you do.
- Can I park in my campsite(s)? Yes. Feel free to park your vehicle(s) within your assigned campsite(s).
- Where can I put my second/other vehicle(s)? We have limited overflow parking in a nearby field, but we do not guarantee enough space there for everyone. Parking will be $10 per overflow car for the weekend. Vehicles with low ground clearance may have problems accessing that area.
- Do you have utility hookups at campsites? No, sorry.
- Do you have campsites for RVs? None that aren't already spoken for.
- What bathroom facilities are available? Four indoor half-bathrooms are available near the front of the lodge building, except when the building is locked up late at night. You can access our indoor full bathroom (with hot shower) 24 hours a day. It has a separate entrance on the back of the lodge building, toward the right side. We also plan to have at least eight Port-a-Johns outdoors. Please try to keep all the bathroom facilities clean.
- You have just one shower? Yes, but it has a dedicated gas hot water heater feeding it, so there is plenty of hot water. Please note that we ask our guests to limit their showers to ten minutes each. Thank you for cooperating.
- Is the shower room private? Yes, the door locks. Be sure to unlock it when you are leaving, or the door will lock when you exit and inconvenience everyone.
- Where can I use a hair dryer? Two of the bathrooms have an outlet. If you can get by without a mirror, there is an exterior outlet near the door of the 24-hour bathroom.
- How about access to water for cookware cleaning, etc.? There is a restaurant-type stainless steel sink behind our lodge building for your use.
- What if I fill up the trash bag you gave me? Additional trash bags are readily available. Place full trash bags on the trash truck which will be provided.
- Are pets allowed? We do not have an absolute prohibition, but our guests are strongly advised against bringing pets. In the close quarters of the campground, pet waste poses a nuisance and a health hazard. If you bring a pet, you are expected to scrupulously and quickly clean up after your pet.
- What about breakfast? Come to our dining hall downstairs in the lodge building on Friday through Sunday mornings, and eat a big breakfast. Price has yet to be determined at this time.
- Can we visit the Masonic meeting hall upstairs? We would be honored to give you a tour if you ask, but please do not enter the meeting hall without a member of Liberty Lodge No. 45 to escort you.
- How can I become a Mason? Ask any member of our lodge, or any other Mason you meet.
- Is there a phone in the lodge? No, plan on bringing a cell phone for your own use.
- Do the sites have fire pits and/or grills? No, but we provide 55-gallon steel drums instead. The drums are communal; many campers share the experience together.
- Do you sell firewood? We provide it for free, for use in the steel drums.
- Do you sell ice? Ice will be available at a cost still to be determined.
- Where is the nearest supermarket? Drive north on School Street, take a right on River Street, and then another quick right onto US 421 eastbound. Take the first exit and turn right at the end of the ramp. Drive to the next intersection and take the a right. The Food Lion supermarket will be on your right.
- Do you run shuttles to and from MerleFest? We wish we could provide this service, but at the present time we are unable to do so.
- Why don't you build a bridge across the creek to MerleFest? It's a great idea, but the college will not allow it.
- Do we even need to go over to MerleFest? You can usually hear the music just fine from your campsite, but you won’t be able to see the stage or rub elbows with the crowd.
- Are campers allowed to drink alcohol? Our official policy is not to allow alcohol. However, we don't inspect what you may be drinking out of a plain cup, we don't do shakedown inspections, and as long as people are discrete and don't bother their neighbors, everything is cool.
- What about late night activities? Please be considerate of your neighbors who may want to get some sleep. We reserve the right to tell pickers to shut it down if they are bothering their neighbors late at night. See rule #1 below.
RULES FOR CAMPERS:
- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Luke 6:31
- In the event of a dispute, the decision of the Master of the Lodge or his designated representative is final.
ABOUT NEXT YEAR: Please send in your request between November 1st and February 28nd to keep your same campsites.
PHOTO ALBUMS: Please send your MerleFest photos to :merlefestmasoniccampsites@yahoo.com
2008 MerleFest Masonic Campground Photos by Barry Brown: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtmzdw1bNGLqQ
2008 MerleFest Masonic Campground Photos by Vince Condon: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtmzdw1bNGLmg
2007 MerleFest Masonic Campground Photos: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtmzdw1bNGLko
2006 MerleFest Masonic Campground Photos: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtmzdw1bNGLiw
HAVE A GREAT TIME at MerleFest! Thank you for staying with Liberty Lodge No. 45, AF&AM.
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