A weekend of some fun riding on the way to a lakeside campsite at Nikko for some laid-back good times. This trip will not get you an iron butt, but it might get you a beer belly.

Also, because Nikko is pretty close to Tokyo and because there is a hotel walking distance from the campsite, this is a good trip to bring your wife, girlfriend, and/or children on, to show them how much fun camping can be. Several of us are doing so. (Of course, you can always leave your significant other at home and do more hardcore riding.)

• Planning thread in Forum

• Shobugahama campsite homepage

• Campsite location on Mapion

• Campsite location on Google Maps

- Head up to the campsite. So far, everyone is just heading up on their own, with no meeting place set for a group ride up. People coming by car will definitely be going their own way, since cars can't handle expressway traffic like bikes can.

• A simple route from Tokyo is to take the Tohoku expressway to Utsunomiya IC, then left onto the Nikko-Utsunomiya expressway. That road merges directly into Route 120, which runs right past the campsite.

- Check-in on Saturday is from 1pm to 9pm. The campsite fee is 1,000 yen per person. Since there is no need for reservations at the campsite, you can always join this trip at the last minute, ride up by yourself, whatever.

– If you want a cabin or hotel room instead of a tent, you should call ahead and reserve one at 0288-550-227 .

- Big-ass barbecue with real steaks courtesy of The Meat Guy. All-you-can-eat (well, until we run out) steaks will cost 2,000 yen per person. This is premium-quality cuts of meat and Lars is an awesome chef. I have gone to one of Lars's BBQ's before and I think it's well worth the price. However, if you are a veggie or want to go cheap, just don't pay the 2,000 yen and you can dig on your own food, no problem. But you will regret it when you see the rest of us chowing down on thick, juicy, succulent steak. If you want Lars to cook BBQ for you, you must commit by Friday, 14 August so we know how much meat to order.

- Camp at the lake.

We will be setting up the barbecue in “Number One Fire Area”, which is the clearing marked with a red “X” on the map above. If that clearing is too crowded or otherwise doesn't look good for some reason, we will try the one below it (“Number Two Fire Area”).

• Barbecue people, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN KNIFE AND FORK to eat the steaks. These are thick steaks and cheap little plastic knives might not do the job. So please bring a metal table knife and fork along.

• Please feel free to bring as much beer, other drinks (alcoholic or not), and food as you like. Every little bit helps.

- Check-out on Sunday is by 11:00am.

- Leave campsite, tour around, go home.

1. Guy Jinbaiquerre (going by car w/ wife and daughter)
2. Lars (with girlfriend), by bike
3. Lars's girlfriend's friend, by bike
4. Big Ben (going by car w/ two kids)
5. EvilTwin with wife and sprog coming by van, room in the back for gear.
6. Goetz (Tokyo Riders) with wife and three kids coming by car (or bike, if someone else can take their kids.)
7. Felix (Tokyo Riders) by bike
8. Dave Brown (Tokyo Riders) by bike
9. Michelle (Tokyo Riders) (riding up in Evil Twin's van)
10. Michelle's friend (riding up in Evil Twin's van)
11. Drew (Tokyo Riders) by bike

Maybes:

1. Scorpion with wife and three kids
2. Toma Nova with wife
3. theDude
4. Japanviking
5. Screech