Leaving the Playa

A Phabulous Guide to Surviving the Trip Home.

By Pope Phabulous

Intro:

First off (and this is the hardest to remember) this is the longest and most trying part of the trip. Friendships will get freyed, tempers will be lost, and general fatigue and grumpiness will take over. So have a sense of humor.

When to Leave:

Well that always depends on when you have to be home. Most veterans have made prior arrangements and wait until after Monday. That way they can take it easy and can take in some of this great country of ours on their way home. But for those of us who canít wait and have to be back for work on Tuesday or Wednesday, here are some tips that can help you get home without being charged with the murder of one of you closests friends.

Rest, Rest, Rest!

Get plenty of rest the night before you leave. (The worst accidents happen when folks party too hard and then try to drive for 2 days). Take my word for it, the best way to avoid a disaster, is to be properly rested so that you can be prepared for anything that may come your way.

Plan Ahead!
Leave yourself plenty of time to get home. Whenever you decide to leave, just make sure you have given yourself enough time to get home and deal with with anything that can happen. And trust me, it will happen.

Greatest Resources on trips/maps and Towns/Sites along the way can be found here:
gwally.com/directions/ - THANKS WALLY!

Exodus!

The Burning Man Exodus team is responsible for ensuring a safe and timely trip out of Black Rock as well as giving all our beloved citizens their final farewell for the year. It's truly a special feeling to see every smiling face leaving Black Rock and screaming from the windows of their vehicles "SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!"

Before Exodus was implemented, leaving Burning Man during peak traffic time could take four to six hours. Over the course of several years the Exodus plan has been improved to the point where the maximum wait was less than an hour!

IF SOMEONE BREAKS DOWN IN LINE: MAKE A LUNCH OUTTA THE BACK of your van and serve your neighbors in line! And remember one thing: YOU WILL GET HOME. BE IT SOONER OR LATER, BUT YOU WILL MAKE IT!

MAKE SURE THAT YOU PLAN IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR DEPARTURE AND LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET HOME. Nothing ruins a trip home like a nervous-and-stressed-out-Nelly!

Trash Disposal!

There are many places to dump your garbage on the route home from the playa. The best thing to do, is dependant on how much trash you make. The less you make, the easier it is to get home. If your camping with a large village, then you'll probably want to hook up with the trash czar of said village. But if you are camping alone, here are some tips that can make your trash experience smelling like roses.

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/garbage_recycling/take_trash.html
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/garbage_recycling/reduce_trash.html
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/garbage_recycling/lighter_trash.html

Dump Sites Along the Way Home:

OREGON DUMPING STATIONS:
http://www.rvdumps.com/or.htm

WASHINGTON DUMPING STATIONS:
http://www.rvdumps.com/wa.htm

CALIFORNIA DUMPING STATIONS
http://www.rvdumps.com/ca.htm