Retreat! Yay!
Planning for the first retreat for the LIL Group!
Organizing
Someone needs to take responsibility for each of:
- General coordination - sending email about times/places/what to pack/who's doing what/etc.
- Finding a date
- Finding a place to stay
- Finding options for outdoor activities
- Making a meal plan and shopping for lots of food
- Sorting out vehicles (who's driving, when; reserving a large vehicle from fleet services)
- Organizing presentations (checking out a projector and screen, sending short email about times and subject)
Finding a date
We are going October 11-13.
Finding a place
We're staying here: The Miramar House
Organizer note: We've had good luck with this site: http://www.vrbo.com
Planning activities
The general schedule will probably look something like the following:
Tentative Retreat Schedule
Time
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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9-10
|
|
|
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Here's an example of a really great set of possible outings, assembled for 2011:
Possible plans (2011 lab retreat)
In 2013 (mostly due to the weather), we organized the main outing on the second day and only a short one on the last day. The main outing was a hike/climb of the Unicorn Peak. This involved an approach from 4600 feet to 6971 feet over the distance of 2.5 miles, through several steep snow slopes (40%). Out of 9 people who participated in the retreat, 7 joined the hike. Out of those, 3 reached the level of 5500 feet (after 2h) and 4 reached the summit (after 3h). Total time 5h. Due to bad weather, we did only a short hike on the last day along the river near Greenwater. Everyone participated.
Feeding hungry roboticists
For a 3-day retreat, plan on 2 dinners (Dieter almost always does one of the dinners on a grill outside), 2 breakfasts, and 2 or 3 portable lunches (usually sandwiches), plus lots of beer and wine. The shopping takes 2-3 people a couple of hours; the lab owns a cooler, so we do most of it in Seattle before leaving.
The shopping takes 2-3 people and a car. The actual cooking takes Cynthia.
Organizer note: Shopping goes better with a rough meal plan in hand.
Vehicle arrangements
We usually rent a van from UW Fleet Services, plus one or two people drive their own cars.
The steps for the UCar are:
- Get a budget number from Karla
- Make a UCar account: https://www.washington.edu/facilities/transportation/fleetservices/cms/forms/ucar
- Go to the reservation page and update your Driver Profile to add the budget number, if needed
- Make a new reservation: https://ucs.admin.washington.edu/motorpool/UWNetid/newReservation.asp
UW Driver IDs
Organizer note: Everyone who might drive needs a UCar account; it's a good idea to have more than one possible driver.
Organizing presentations
This requires:
- Checking out a projector and portable screen from the department beforehand.
- Picking it up from support. The "DaLite 70 inch screen" is the portable one that we used.
- We usually bring the lab projector.
- Making sure those objects + video cables, power cables, and relevant dongles get into vehicles.
- Sending out details about what people should prepare for.
- Getting everything back to the department when it's all done.
What to Pack
The places we stay are well-appointed; there's no need for things like sleeping bags. Everyone should, however, bring:
- Bathing suit / tshirt&shorts / whatever for water.
- Sunscreen.
- Sunglasses.
- Hat, gloves, jacket, hiking shoes/boots.
- Extra socks. (Hiking!)
- Usual overnight trip stuff -- clothes, toiletries, medication, etc.
- A backpack.
- Appropriate activity clothing (e.g., for snowshoeing, we specified "Gaiters, ski pants, or the most waterproof pants you have.")
- House shoes.
- Board games
It's often useful for someone to bring:
- Bug spray.
- Aloe vera gel.
- Road maps.
- Trail maps.
- NSAIDs and other minor first aid stuff.