One hundred and thirty-one Slow Travelers completed our recent survey and expressed interest in the Great Slow Travel Gathering 2008. Thanks so much to all of you who gave us your input and for your enthusiastic response to this event!

Based on the results of the survey, we’re pleased to announce that the first Slow Travel Gathering will be held in Savannah, Georgia the weekend of April 4-5-6, 2008.

One of our initial objectives was to choose a date and location that would enable the most members to participate, recognizing that Slow Travelers live in many parts of the world. The survey indicated that Savannah was an acceptable location to the largest number of people (82) and that we could potentially expect attendance of up to 140 people for the weekend. Savannah’s location on the East Coast of the USA appears to draw people from all parts of North America, and is also more conducive to participation by some of our European members.

The second favored location was San Diego, which was an acceptable location to 71 people. Our other two options were of less interest; the Smoky Mountains was acceptable to 57 people and Tucson was acceptable to 56 people. We know some members will be disappointed in the choice we’ve made because it’s not as convenient to them, but we hope that during the next sixteen months as many people as possible will consider coming to Savannah for this Gathering. We also hope that the Great Slow Travel Gatherings will become regular events, and we’d like to recommend that the next Gathering be held on the West Coast, perhaps in San Diego.

Hip. Historic. Funky. Romantic. Eclectic. Mysterious. Eccentric. Elegant. Seductive. That’s how visitors describe Savannah. Savannah is an excellent location for our first Gathering, a truly unique American city with a very distinctive history and culture dating back to 1733. Most Slow Travelers will travel a long distance to this Gathering, and we believe Savannah is an exciting and appealing vacation destination offering a variety of experiences: beautiful historical homes, famous squares and parks, art museums, literary connections, a world-renowned art and design school, shopping, Civil War forts, and the Atlantic coast less than 30 minutes away. Savannah is known for its international cuisine and its famous “low country” cooking. Get a preview of what you’ll experience in Savannah in this slide show. A weekend is probably not long enough!

A variety of interesting daytrips and other overnight destinations are available on the South Carolina and Georgia coast, including another historical city—Charleston—just two hours north. Tybee Island, just 20 minutes away on the Atlantic Ocean, offers five miles of beaches and an historic lighthouse. And an hour north is Beaufort, South Carolina, a picturesque coastal town. Watch this forum—during the next month we’ll post more information about Savannah and the surrounding area to build anticipation for this special weekend and help you make plans for this trip.

We decided on the first weekend in April 2008 for our Gathering, the date most acceptable to the survey participants. This timing also moves us farther into spring and warmer weather. Savannah’s average high temperature in March is 71 and increases to 78 in April. The average rainfall at that time of year is about 3.5 inches per month.

As we’re now envisioning it, the Gathering will include three main group events: an informal get-together and dinner on Friday night, a big party with dinner and entertainment on Saturday night, and a casual brunch on Sunday morning. We plan to suggest some optional activities during the day on Saturday, particularly so people can connect with others who have similar interests. Attendees will be able to participate in all or just some of the meals, and we will need to get commitments and collect money for these meals some time before April 2008. There will be a small registration fee, and we will work to make the three meals very special but also affordable.

In the survey, 61% of the respondents said they preferred a “mixed venue” destination offering a variety of accommodations. People also reported a wide variety of accommodation budgets that we need to support—from less than $100 a night to $300 a night. There is definitely a wide variety in the historic district of Savannah, where there are B&Bs and inns, large luxury hotels, smaller economical hotels, and even rental houses available for less than a week—all within walking distance of one another. Accommodations are available in all price ranges, though the least expensive Savannah accommodations are outside the historic district. Quite a few people have indicated they will be coming solo, and we will help connect people who would like to share accommodations.

A small team (Leslie Erickson, Kathy/kaydee, and Jan/jgk) will make a trip to Savannah after the first of the year to select venues for our group activities and identify a few recommended accommodations where we hope to secure special rates. Each participant will book their own accommodations and can certainly book at other properties, however we suggest that you wait to book accommodations until we announce our recommendations and (hopefully) discounts. We expect to make these decisions no later than mid-March 2007, so there will be a full year for people to make their travel plans. Leslie used to live in Savannah, and with her travel consultant background is a great resource for us.

The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is served by eight airlines with daily, non-stop service from Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, New York – LaGuardia, Newark, and Washington - Dulles. Savannah is also served by Amtrak’s Palmetto and Silver Service trains, which link New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC with Charleston and Savannah. We plan to focus our events within the historic district (15 miles from the airport), so a car may not be necessary for the weekend.

The Jacksonville (Florida) International airport is just two hours from Savannah and provides some other alternatives. Jacksonville is served by 15 airlines (including Southwest, JetBlue and Airtran) with direct service from Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Long Island, Memphis, Miami, Nashville, Newark, New Orleans, New York – JFK, Norfolk, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Tampa.

We have asked Palma to join our steering team, and we will soon begin to put together small teams to work on the arrangements for this special weekend. Many people have already volunteered to help or have offered excellent suggestions about the Gathering. As we organize these teams, we’ll draw from those who have already volunteered or will request people with specific skills. With the talent of our tremendous Slow Travel community, we’re confident this will be a truly memorable Great Gathering!

What an exciting opportunity to have so many Slow Travelers together in one place and to meet many friends in person for the first time! Mark your calendar for Savannah the weekend of April 4 – 6, 2008 and watch this forum for more information. In the meantime, feel free to post questions and comments in this new thread, though please understand that we’re still in the very early planning stages and it may be a while before we have answers!

kaydee, Leslie Erickson, Sheena, teaberry and now Palma