AN INVIEW: The Burning Man Art Festival 2006

September 21, 2006 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

By: Matt Pierce for FullValueREVIEW.com

“The Man Burns in 6 days”

We left from Temecula at the rather ironic hour of exactly 4:20 am. We had just filled up the tank on the great green beast that we were taking out to Black Rock City, still in a dream-like state of disbelief that we were actually leaving to go to the playa. My companions until we were far past Bakersfield on our way towards the Nevada deserts slept until just outside of Reno. The drive proved to be such an endurance trial that halfway up the I-80 I was seriously tempted to say “hey guys, let’s just go back, this drive is way too long.” But then, about that time I realized, “we just drove 8 straight hours, and we’re only 6 away, let’s just go…” I talked to myself for most of the way there on the 11 hour trek. Hey, at least it kept me awake.

At approximately 2 pm, we made it off the I-80 and onto the home stretch of the Nevada highway 447 that we would drive for the next 82 miles until we arrived at the gates of Black Rock City. It was a long and trying drive. All 3 of us in the car were tingling with anticipation, and we were just so happy to be living out the dream we’d held onto for so very long. When we finally made the turn onto county road 34, just outside of Gerlach, NV, none of us could hold it in any longer, and we all screamed at the top of our lungs and jumped with anticipation. As we came to the gates, we were met by the first greeters of the event, who searched our vehicle for stowaways, as is common practice. Many people do not attend the event because the cost is at $280 a ticket and you have to pick up all supplies to feed yourself and thrive on your own in one of the world’s most harsh environments.

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