Did you miss the Atlanta Skeptics’ star party because you were too turned off by things like indoor plumbing, wearing shoes and giant brick walls standing between you and man-eating bears? Or were you just not at Dragon Con? Or maybe you wished there was another event that involved space, Pamela Gay, and raised money for an awesome charity?
Guess what.
The Women Thinking Free are  on to you and your wishes! WTF volunteer, Jamie Bernstein (of Wakefield pwnage fame) came up with a brilliant idea to hold a star party here in the Midwest. I said yes and told her to make it happen. So I gave her a man-slave named Matt Lowry and they did it! (Not did it.)
In just two weeks we’ll be up in Wisconsin at the first ever Skeptics Under the Stars! We’ll be camping and star gazing and eating and drinking and making merry and Pamela Gay will be doing it all with us! And you can bring the whole family! Kids join us absolutely free! No sitters needed!
The deets:
Saturday, October 2nd
McIntyre’s Resort
N 6471 Milwaukee Road
Delavan, WI 53115
Come join the Women Thinking Free Foundation for a night of astronomy and outdoor camping. After setting up camp at McIntyre’s Resort in Delavan, Wisconsin, we’ll have an outdoor BBQ with burgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers complemented by a talk by skeptical astronomer Dr. Pamela Gay of the popular Astronomy Cast podcast. After dinner, we’ll make our way to the world-famous Yerkes Observatory for a private tour and chance to take a peek through their 24 inch reflecting telescope!
After our stint at the observatory, we will head back to the campground for a late night of stargazing, more short talks by our illustrious, skeptical astronomer, and of course roasting marshmallows and generally having fun camping outdoors.
Timeline:
3-5pm – set up camp at McIntyre’s Resort
5-7:15pm – eat and talk with Dr. Pamela Gay
8-11pm – tour of Yerkes Observatory
11pm-???am – stargazing (weather permitting), food, and fun
Cost: $75/person + children under 10 free (so bring the kids!)
What is included in the trip cost:
Tour of Yerkes
Campground Costs
Burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers for BBQ
Lighter Fluid & Charcoal
Snacks
Limited Beer and Wine
Tickets can be purchased on our Eventbrite site. Carpools and tent-finding help can be arranged through our Facebook event page.
See you there! Except it will be really dark. So I might just feel you there. But I won’t feel you there. But I might… because it will be dark and stuff.
Shouldn’t that be Free Thinking Women? (FTW!)
Camping? In Wisconsin? In October? With kids?! You guys are hard core! My hat is off to you… or at least it would be, but it’s been a little chilly here recently.
As a long-time member of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society (since 1980), I am very pleased to see this event in our neck of the woods. I have passed along word of this event in a reply to a recent meeting email announcement. The MAS Observatory is based in New Berlin, WI. Additional information is available on the club website. I just checked the schedule and it says that there will be a public observing night October 1st at 7:00 pm. Delavan and the MAS Observatory are about 40 minutes apart.
COME TO NEW ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have my ticket (thanks to some friends getting it for me)! See you there!
That’s only an hour away from me and it sounds like SO MUCH FUN! But unfortunately I’m broke and $75 is a lot of money (would be $150 for me and my guy). I totally have the needed gear and everything though. Damn I wish I could make it.
I have visited Yerkes several times since 1984. My first web-published article describes my personal experiences at Yerkes. It was revised in 2008 to repair broken links. It gives you a good idea what it is like being interested in amateur astronomy and where it can lead you to. http://www.speedyhunter.com/btriwarp/files/Yerkes.html If you have any interest in adding the October 1st Public Observing Night to your schedule (it’s free), then please let the MAS know via their site (http://www.milwaukeeastro.org). Here’s your chance to learn about the night sky at the New Berlin Observatory in preparation for Saturday night. Meet and speak with active amateur astronomers!