SDM revisited !

[angstridden]

<p>Ok all now that daughter is going to SDM for sure..I just need a few ideas to plan our stay (have not gotten packet from them yet)</p>

<p>For those of you who have gone..is it typical for parents to attend Friday and Saturday shows? Or just one day?</p>

<p>Also it will be our 25th anniversary..so I looked up hotels online as we think we may want to spend a few days (without daughter) after we drop her off ..I saw a ton that sound nice including Mohonk , Frair Tuck, Raleigh (havent figured out where they are exactly though).. Can anyone recommend a nice resort type place like that for a few days that is not too far?</p>

<p>Then we thought when we picked her up it may be a good time to go see some NY colleges (with good music programs)are there any within 3 hours? Is Syracruse around there?</p>

<p>Thanks all!!!</p>

[angstridden]

<p>Also golf is a big favorite so would like the resort to be near a good course or be a golf resort. Thanks all</p>

[nydancemom]

<p>I'm not sure exactly where in the Catskills SDM is, but it can't be more than 3 hours from Syracuse (depending on how fast you drive of course). It only takes us a little over 4 hours to get to NYC from here (Syracuse). Don't know about resorts either as to how close to SDM, but my sister and her husband stayed at the Mohonk a few years ago and they loved it. Very quaint and great for relaxing she said.</p>

[freelance]

<p>Between Friday and Saturday, most parents attend at least both performances of their child's show AND take in other shows as well. You D will be in an A schedule or a B schedule show. She will also be assigned to see (with her entire cast) a show that's opposite hers on the performance schedule. This will happen on Friday. Most parents go along with their children to that show. There is also a C show, but it is rare to get cast in that--so don't worry about this now. As a SDM veteran, I usually am running around like crazy seeing act 1 of one show, then at 2 of another and sometimes sneaking in to catch the end of another!! It is part of the fun of performance weekend. Chances are, your daughter will also want to see as many performances as possible, especially if their new best friend has a great part. In addition, there is always one show that is generates the biggest "buzz". Crowds line up an hour ahead of time just to try to get in to see it. On Saturdays, most all the parents are on campus, so the directors hand out paper tickets to insure that there is room for all the familiy members. Over the years, I've seen so many talented kids. I can't even count the many times I've waited in line to see kids that are not my own. There are kids I've seen years ago who've already moved on to wonderful BFA programs and Broadway careers. </p>

<p>After Performance weekend, the kids are absolutely exhausted. They are really bone tired and drained from performance week, "Our Time Cabaret" (either seeing it or performing in it), and the award ceremony, which doen't end until the wee hours of the morning. In addition to that, the campers become very emotional upon leaving. Crying for hours in the car home is not rare. Expect it. So, if you are planning to take your D right up to Syracuse for a visit, make sure you plan some R&R time for her if you can. Otherwise, she'll be an emotional and physical wreck. However, if this is your only chance to visit some NY schools just make sure that she can relax and recuperate from a very draining 3 weeks.</p>

<p>As far as a good place to stay, I never have done that. We either stay with a friend or a modest B&B. So just check some travel books or search the net. Mohonk is supposed to be nice (about 1 hour away, I think) and there might be some more lovely places further upstate. There are some nice country inns scattered here and there--it all depends on what you are looking for.</p>

[angstridden]

<p>I looked up Monticello hotels and there does not seem to be a lot of choices.. So I booked the Best Western. The Days Inn was booked for that weekend. Anyway I then decided to cancel the BW on one of the days and I mean the reservations clerk was odd. I felt like I was getting the 3rd degree on why I was canceling. It was also weird the way she took the reservation. And too my chagrin they wanted $20 MORE to guarantee a Non smoking room. I can not believe they would discriminate against NON SMOKERS!
At this point I really dont want to stay there. Are there any other little towns around there within say 20 minutes I should look at or other hotel ideas.
Is that Inn at Rock Hill worth $45 extra per day?</p>

[DizzyDani88]

<p>You should check out a small B&B. We went that route our second year and I believe my parents though it was a lot more comfortable than the hotel they stayed at the first summer. Maybe if you call the camp director she can make some suggestions for B&Bs to call</p>

[angstridden]

<p>I think we are going to stay at the Lodge..I just cancelled the BW..I am not staying there ...discriminating against nonsmokers.
Anyway so I think I am set.
Thanks all!</p>

[soozievt]

<p>Angst, I was away and see that others graciously helped you with your questions. </p>

<p>Adding to what you have already been advised....as mentioned on previous threads with you re: SDM....I mentioned that we opt to stay cheaply and conveniently to SDM because of the expense involved (we usually stay two parent weekends/summer) and the fact that we spend virtually NO time at the hotel but to crash late at night and want to be close by. I have stayed at Best Western in Monticello. It worked fine for us. I just keep low expectations, not sure how to explain that. We are staying again at Days Inn in Liberty, five miles from SD. I have stayed at The Lodge at Rock Hill once because other places were booked. It is definitely nicer than the two hotels I just mentioned but for a price (not cheap) of course. It is not a vacation for us so again, I don't wanna put my money into this more than I have to. Many summers, my hubby and I go away for a week and go out of Newark and return and tack parent weekend at SDM to the end of our "real" vacation. If you want a resort hotel, then try places like The Raleigh or Kutshers. I have not been to either but my D has performed at each one of those over a dozen times with the cabaret. The owner of the Raleigh's granddaughter attended SD for about 8 summers (has roomed with my child) but is now graduating high school. The thing with the resort hotels is that you are paying for all meals and you are not going to be there to eat them. Parents can take their kids off campus for lunch or dinner and most make quickie trips a mile or two from camp to catch a meal with the kids between calls/shows. Performances are going on all weekend long. Your own child will perform EITHER a combo of Friday matinee with Saturday evening performance OR Friday evening with Saturday matinee performance...so that is two performances per weekend. MOST parents catch both performances but some just come for Saturdays. We go Friday through Sunday. As Freelance mentioned, almost all parents ALSO opt to watch other productions during the slots that their own kid is not performing and in fact, your child will be required to watch/support a particular cast production on Friday that is at an opposing slot from their own. Your child most likely will WANT to catch as many of the other productions as possible because she will have friends/roomies in them. Plus it is a lot of fun and the shows are usually excellent. Most parent weekends, I see at least five productions AND the cabaret at midnight on Saturday night. For four years, my other daughter attended French Woods Festival an hour from SDM and they had the SAME performance weekends every three weeks (she also went six weeks per summer) and so on Parent Weekend, it was nutty for us as we shuttled between the two programs catching as many of our D's shows as we could back and forth all weekend. Luckily now we only have to do that with one kid (on those particular weekends.....I won't count the other shuttling we have done in summers for the other kid, often also to NYC in opposing weekends!). </p>

<p>Anyway, as far as visiting colleges, I concur with Freelance that you should be aware that your daughter likely will not go to sleep on the final Saturday night until about 4 AM and then get up at 8 AM and pack and say long good byes. She will be exhausted not only from the lack of sleep that night but the prior "hell week" going into it. To look at a college that Sunday is not realistic. </p>

<p>I can't tell you without looking at the map of how close Syracuse is to Loch Sheldrake but it is not that close. I realize that many parents on here only "know" you from the MT forum but since I have "known" you on the Parent Forum and have discussed your D's interests a great deal there with you, I am unclear what you are looking for because at one time your D was only willing to look at schools in NYC or LA and for contemporary/pop music. I had researched schools for you within the parameters/criteria and posted them for you. Syracuse did not quite fit what you mentioned at that time. I hope you saved the list because I listed many to look at in the NY metro area which is not that far from SDM (they are about 100 miles from the city) and you might opt to see those schools that Monday and spend Sun. night in the city. Just a suggestion. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

[angstridden]

<p>Hi Susan,
Thanks for all your info. I actually looked into several resorts there and the reviews I got were not the best ( I used tripadvisor.com) but as you had mentioned it sounds like a weekend where we are not going to be in the hotel much anyway..so I think the Inn at Rock Hill will be a good choice for us.
I like your idea of spending a night at the hotel with D. after camp and then visiting some schools..Why didnt I think of that!
Makes a lot of sense! Thanks for the suggestion.</p>

<p>BTW I just watched some of CAMP. Ummm...not sure what to make of it.</p>