While it's still at the dream state, summer is taking shape.
As you can see on my map, I'm considering 3 options with a wide range of possibilities.
My initial idea was to follow the entire second leg in August.
As the tour starts with 3 nights at the Greek Theatre in Berkley, I could take a flight from France to San Francisco. Then I planed to rent a car (maybe a SUV or even a van) to take the long drive to Telluride, Colorado. After the 2 festival-like shows in the mountain, I'd drive furthur east to attend the 3 other 2 nights stands. The tour and summer ends on Jones Beach, in Long Island. Really close to where my story with Phish begun twelve years earlier in a warn july night of 1997 (see my story here). I'd take the plane in New York to come back home the following day.
Sure enough, traveling alone by car all of the USA from West to East should be a wild ride, but a long one. The distance between Berkley and Telluride, Telluride and Noblesville and finally East Troy and Wantagh are promise of day long drives, respectively 1766, 2255 and 1497 kilometers (sorry, I don't count in miles even if it'd seems shorter). I didn't investigate the possibility of continental flights.
The fact that the Greek Theatre and Telluride tickets might be the more difficult to score in the whole summer is another downer. It would be tough if I book such a trip and happen to not have tickets...
Flying from France to San Francisco is also very long and has almost every time a stop in another country (London, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam or Toronto).
Because of all of these reasons, it's the most expensive and exausting option.
On the other hand, it would be 11 shows in a 15 days period with only multi nights in mythical places, an initiatic trip and a great adventure.
But what about the first leg ?
At first, I gave it a no go because it would make me miss my wife and me anniversary. Then I recall that as far as I remember, I've always told her that if a Phish concert was to be balanced with our anniversary, and even more as time pass, Phish will have the priority. I might sounds mean but, technicaly, I felt in love with Phish before I felt in love with her. Fortunatly, the summer tour makes a pause during most of July and so doesn't interfer with my baby's first birthday. Of course, I wouldn't have missed this for anything.
So I checked the shows that didn't imply a long drive around New York and narrowed the list to 9 to 11 shows.
Both options make me land and take off in New York (JFK Airport or Newark). Still with a car rent, I'd drive to Hartford, Saratoga Springs, Mansfield, Camden and Columbia. I could add Hershey and Portsmouth at the beginning if I don't mind to drive twice 700 more kilometers for 2 shows.
Those dates and flights make the whole trip a lot cheaper.
In the end, I'd attend 9 or 11 shows in 12 or 16 days without driving the 68 hours of the August run. Of course, the adventure is less thrilling but should be more fun after all without all of the exhaustment.
It's a first draft, as I may adjust my flights to land and take off nearer of the first and last show. I could also choose another airport in Europe as it wouldn't be very different in terms of train to begin in Paris, Lyon or even Geneva.
And as the price of the flights Europe/New York are mostly the same whatever the days I choose, I could also take an extra day in Manhattan or Long Island, to meet old friends from 1997 who knows...
For those who keeps tracks (and that's including myself), here is the Excel file I compiled to consider all the possibilities : Phish Summer 2010.xls (133.50 kb)
But after 2 days of research and dream, I came to the conclusion that it would cost at least 2000€ and that I must take 2 weeks off from work for the trip.
Meanwhile, we are looking for a house to buy so I'd have to take the money from the house to the trip.
Technically, I could take enough days off in the summer without a problem for my company. But I already took days off for myself only in the past (I went to Japan last year for example), while I couldn't thoses last mounths when my wife needed help with the baby, because I had too much work.
I have to accept the evidence and listen to my conscience (aka my wife) who tells me that it wouldn't be reasonable to go. And even if she wouldn't blame me if I took the decision to go, I know I have to be serious and stop beeing selfish (without a play on word).
Going to the USA to see Phish on tour is a dream I have for more than ten years now, but it seems that there are dreams that aren't made to be fullfiled.
I'm sure there are many other Phish fans in France and Europe who will never ever see Phish in concert too...
Why not gather all of them in my future house for a listen party ?
