A Suburban Mom's Journey to Burning Man

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Don't forget to scroll all the way down for the video**

The Man

 Can you believe this structure gets burned at the end of each event?

I must admit, I was a bit taken aback by the mostly negative reaction I got from people when they found out I was going to Burning Man. The conversation would usually go something like this.  "You're going to Burning Man?!?" Said like I had just announced I was moving to Afghanistan. 

Me: "Umm, yeah...why?"  Them: "Well, I heard that it's a bunch of stoners/hippies/group sex/druggies."  Me: " You heard or you've been?"  Them: "I've heard."

Let me put your mind at ease.  At the heart of it, Burning Man is an Art Festival.  Disorderly conduct and irresponsible behavior is highly discouraged.   And since you shouldn't just believe everything you hear....you should research the actual Burning Man site to verify this information. The one that states, "The use and possession of illegal drugs are violations of the law." And "It is a State and local offense for anyone under 21 to consume alcoholic beverages or to pass themselves off as being of age. It is a violation of Pershing County law for minors to even possess alcoholic beverages."

Having said that, were there dudes wearing ass less chaps.  Yes, a few.  Were there some topless ladies?  Indeed, there were.  To be completely honest, I suspect there was some pot smoking too!  Considering it's a city of 60,000, (albeit a temporary one) there's going to be a little bit of everything.   But you don't have to go to Burning Man to experience heavy drinking, pot smoking and kinky sex.  I guarantee at least a couple of your neighbors drink two to three bottles of wine every night.  I'll bet that at least one of your neighbors is cruising the Casual Encounter section of Craig's List looking for some NSA sex.  Hint: It's usually the super pious one.  The point is, there's no need to drive 7+ hours to partake in "illicit" activities.  All of those things exist right in your back yard.

In addition to some amazing art installations on the Playa, Burning Man has hundreds of official and unofficial theme camps (much like booths at a convention, if you will)   These camps offer everything from AA meetings, (proof that not everyone there wants to party like a Rock Star) to a Genital Photo Booth (no, I did not.)

Here are just a tiny sample of what's available:

Unnecessarily High Fives

The Meaning of Life in Five Words. Yes, I opened it and I can't tell you.

 I ordered a Warm and Fuzzy with a side of Pinch.

   My neighbor made a Mobile S'more Station out of his bike. I asked him if he's ever done this in the real world.  He did once and got fined $230.  It took six cops to figure out what to put on the ticket.

They finally came up with "dispersing embers in public."   Buzz kill!

While this is just a sliver of the kind of services available, I can tell you from first hand experience that the majority of them are rated PG.  Don't get me wrong, there were also camps that offered adult beverages, spankings or a ride on the Orgasmator. You will find the kind of experience you seek.  For the record, I did not ride the Orgasmator!

It's worth noting that Burning Man is a commerce free community. Which means services and goods are offered as gifts. Yes, these generous folks transported the necessary supplies all the way out to the desert to build and man their booths for free, all for your enjoyment. And they did it with a smile.

Another unique aspect about Burning Man is no cars are allowed.  The exceptions are Rangers, Medical, Art Cars and Mutant Vehicles.

Art Cars are large, float like moving vehicles.

Some invite participants to hop on for a ride. 

Mutant Vehicles are smaller personal vehicles

Bikes are the most common form of transportation. 

Many of them are decked out! 

This is one of my favorites.  It's decorated like a donkey.

This one is decorated like a pirate ship.

Gas powered surf board. Yet another creative way to get around.

What makes the art extraordinary is that not only do each piece need to withstand the extreme conditions of the desert.  It must look interesting during the day and evening - since the "gallery" is open to the public 24 hours a day. If you think about it, traditional art installations are done in a climate controlled environment.  Where the artist can manipulate the lighting at will.  Or do final tweaks in the comfort of a warehouse.  When you remember that all necessary supplies, including electricity need to be transported to the desert in order to complete the final assembly.  You truly appreciate the dedication and work it takes for each piece to come together.

The Man at Dusk.

The Man at Night

(see what I mean about consideration for staging an installation for day and night?)

It gets extremely windy and dusty.  My eyes hurt so much the second day I had to visit the Medical Center to have them flushed.  Much thanks to the nurses and doctors who volunteer their time at the Medical Camp.  I was very impressed at how efficient and organised the clinic was. 

There was so much to see and experience, I barely scratched the surface.  Click here for more info about the art at Burning Man. 

The "City" is formed like a Clock from 2:00 - 10:00.  Your address is the time and a street name from A - J  (or maybe it was K...)  My address was 5:00 and Jasmine. The middle round area is the Playa where all the art is located.  It would take 45-60 mins to walk across the Playa.  That's where a bike comes in handy!

For more photos and clips, check out this short video

Thanks for checking in.  Hopefully, this post offered another point of view to Burning Man.

Happy Trails,

RB

PS: Some people were confused about how I switched from driving up with Rosebud and ended up flying home. I traded with someone to use my trailer + drive it back to the Bay Area for a private plane ride home.