Smoothmen CampFest 2000

We envision the weekend to be a way for us to finally meet some of the friends we've made this year on Smoothmen. The River's Edge is a private, membership only, clothing optional adult campground. Besides their 95+ campsites, they have cabins, onset RV's and 40+ RV sites, with electric & water hookups and waste disposal station.

They're just north of Atlanta, GA and south of Anderson, SC, 20 minutes off of I-85 in Dewy Rose, Georgia. Anyone flying in would come into Atlanta (better airfares we believe) and then carpool with other Smooth Buddies on to The River's Edge. Although the campground is clothing optional and we'd love to see everyone's smoothness, we want to emphasize that this weekend is about being social first. We will do everything to create a safe environment for everyone who attends - naked/smooth or otherwise. We encourage couples who are monogamous to come and feel safe spending the weekend with your Smooth friends. Of course guys will be guys and if two (or more) of you happen to feel that spark, there's more than enough space to play and have fun. We want to make it clear there's no pressure to do anything other than have a good time! And everyone attending will be expected to respect the rights of others.

"Even being a clothing optional facility, the sex issue always comes up... While many people equate sex and nudity, nudists and naturists know that these are two very different issues. We are not prudes, but we know there is much more to enjoy when we are naked than sex! Here at The River's Edge we promote a positive attitude and allow Members to make up their own minds about their personal behavior. However, we do have rules regarding those activities and expect them to be followed. Certain areas of the campground, including all showers, pool area, hot tub, public buildings and areas, roadways, will be noted as off limits. Violate the rules, and you will be asked to leave. In addition, we ask that you respect the rights of other members wherever you are and adjust your private behavior appropriately. And as always, if you do play, play safe!"

Now that we've covered that, or uncovered it as the case may be, let's talk more about the idea of going "camping" and why we chose The River's Edge. Again in their own words:

"Our campground is meant to be an escape form the real world, the rat race, pressures and stress of work, city life and the "rut" routine of the weekend. Our efforts are for your total enjoyment and relaxation. It will be a unique experience for those who enjoy the outdoors and the country. There are 33 acres of tall hardwood forest and 30 acres of meadow land and a beautiful, flowing, serene creek. Facilities include a large (20'x40') in-ground pool, hot showers, flush toilets and other amenities. The wildlife is abundant: wild turkey, deer, owls, hawks and beavers. Also, there is a great fishing hole (mainly Catfish) on the creek."

"Our recreational facilities include beach volleyball, water volleyball, tether ball, horseshoes, sunbathing, scavenger hunts, nature walks, and a large, open bonfire pit. There are many winding, tree covered trails down by a babbling creek that runs along the property line. Just recently, we added a Clubhouse with a wide screen TV, full kitchen, AC, cafe style seating, a fireplace and music. Another new addition is the new shower facility and laundry."

Sounds great, right? But why Georgia and why the United States? We know that our list serve covers all 7 continents as well as many islands around the world. We're just a few subscriptions away from having 1,500 members... in just one short year! Unfortunately, there's no way to plan one weekend, especially the first weekend gathering so it caters to everyone on the list. Keep in mind that this is a beginning as well as a model for other members to follow in planning their own get-togethers in other areas of the world.

Our resident sexy show-off and the man who helped Smoothmen get through an otherwise slow posting period this summer, Duane (doodledog) came up with the idea of meeting at this great campground for a weekend of good clean SMOOTH fun. He and his lover Rich have been there and love it.

Another member, ShaverTX (now located in SF) got together with Duane and offered to be a point of contact for the gathering. He and his boyfriend Scott will be flying in from San Francisco to spend the weekend at The River's Edge. I'll remain in the background during the planning stages, running the list serve with Jeff as always, but have offered to serve as weekend coordinator once we arrive at the campground! Yes, Doodledog, ShaverTX and I have all committed to being there. We're really excited about the prospect of meeting so many of you.

Keep in mind that we are planning this far enough in advance to give the people who need to make vacation arrangements and flight schedules time to do that.

We will create a bulletin board on the web, so you can post requests or available space in a car and will do what we can to make this a fun, accessible trip for all who would like to attend. Also, for those of you traveling long distances, think of this as part of a larger vacation. You could coordinate a trip to Florida or Georgia or the Carolinas around the weekend. For instance, I'm going to use the opportunity to visit my friends in Atlanta during the week and then drive up for a weekend with my Smoothmen!

After checking out The River's Edge website, you can contact either of these members for more information on reservations and specifics about the weekend. We need to have ALL the reservations in by the end of the year. The more people who reserve, the cheaper the rates are for all of us! We want to see you there!