Oshkosh secrets?

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 04:10:39 GMT, "Ken Finney"
wrote:

I was kinda sorta thinking about going to Oshkosh this year for the first
time, but from what I'm reading on the net, it isn't the easiest thing to
do. Apparently, the local hotels are all booked a year in advance, and if
you try to drive in, expect to spend a lot of time in line. So, for those
that have been there before, are there secrets? Like: fly (commercially)
into Milwaukee, stay at X hotel 50 miles from Oshkosh, and they have a
shuttle bus that gets to use a special gate and avoid the lines?

I fly commercial into Milwaukee, rent a car, and drive up. I haven't found
the auto-lines that intimidating, but then, I'm not arriving just when the
place opens, either (nor do I depart after the show ends). I've stayed at
hotels three times (two in Osh, one in Fond du Lac), private homes twice.
Two of the hotels had been close to a shuttle bus stop, otherwise, I just
drove. Riding the shuttle off the show grounds was a lot easier (and a
shorter walk!) than driving and parking, but the lines for the busses were
occasionally a bit long, too.

Once getting away from the immediate confines of the airport, I've never
found traffic to be very severe. Then again, it depends on how much
driving you normally do to get anywhere at home...I wouldn't find a
45-minute commute to Oshkosh objectionable, but somebody from a smaller
town might. I was trying to arrange just such a situation last year, but a
nice private home came up just south of town (~10 minute drive).

Ron Wanttaja