Pre-registration is no longer available this close to the start of the Astronomy Expo, because of the time required for receiving and mailing registration materials. If you have not yet registered, you may register on site as you enter the grounds.

Meals and Lodging

We offer four meal/lodging plans, of which only 400 will be sold. The accommodations are YMCA camp dormitories. One bathroom/shower facility is provided for each dorm. Please bring sleeping bags and pillows; no bedding is provided. No assigments to specific dorms are made; each bunk is available on a first-come, first-served basis to people who have purchased a meal/lodging plan. Signs, tents, bedding, and other items placed in an attempt to reserve space before the Astronomy Expo opens on Friday will be removed. Individual meal tickets may be sold on site, provided that the meals are not sold out. Please note that the plans for fewer than 8 meals are for specific meals only, not your choice of that number of meals.

Prices for 2008 are:

• Five meals and dorm lodging (or camping). Begins with Saturday lunch and ends with Sunday dinner. $84 before May 1, $94 after May 1.
• Six meals and dorm lodging (or camping). Begins with Friday dinner and ends with Sunday lunch. $92 before May 1, $102 after May 1.
• Seven meals and dorm lodging (or camping). Begins with Friday dinner and ends with Sunday dinner. $99 before May 1, $109 after May 1.
• Eight meals and dorm lodging (or camping). Begins with Friday dinner and ends with Monday breakfast. $106 before May 1, $116 after May 1.

Individual meal tickets may be purchased at the dining hall if the meals are not sold out. Food is also available at the snack bar near the telescope field.

Camping

If you do not purchase a meal plan, you may camp on the grounds for the weekend or any portion thereof. There are no RV hookups, picnic tables, or fire pits. The camp is over 200 acres in size, but there are no marked-off individual campsites; where you set up your camp is determined on a first come, first served basis. There are some areas where camping is restricted for safety and traffic reasons, and to prevent damage to the ecology of this YMCA outdoor educational facility. Camping stoves are permitted, but no open fires are allowed per order of the Fire Marshal. No RV's will be allowed to hook into the camp electrical system, except at the Indian Guide Village.

There are 18 three-sided shelters scattered throughout the camp which sleep 8 people each. Please bring your own sleeping bags for the bunk beds provided. No bedding is furnished. There are separate male and female restroom/shower facilities for campers, located north of Telescope Alley.

Please be courteous to your neighbors with no loud music. RV generators are only allowed to be run between 11 AM and 8 PM.

Prices for 2008 are:

• Adults, $40 before May 1, $50 after May 1
• Children 5 to 13, $10
• Children under 5 Free

These prices cover the duration of the Astronomy Expo (Friday through Monday). There are no marked-off individual campsites, so camping plans are sold per person. Only 800 camping plans will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. If you pay for one of the meal plans, but elect not to stay in one of the dormitories, you may camp on the grounds for free.

Day Use
For those attending the conference who do not plan to take meals or camping, there is a single-day use fee. This fee applies to all members of the family who plan to attend. No overnight camping is allowed with day use. The number of Day Users is unlimited. Day Users arriving after 9:00 AM Saturday will be directed to special parking areas.

Prices for 2008 are:

• Adults, $20 per day before May 1, $25 per day after May 1
• Children 5 to 13 - $10 per day
• Children under 5 Free

You do not have to pay day use fees when you pay for lodging or camping.

Confirmation
Confirmation of your registration will be mailed to you. Included will be your meal tickets (if purchased), a car pass, a map to Camp Oakes, and the rules of the conference. Please register early to ensure timely delivery of your registration materials.

Off-Site Lodging
Lodging is also available off-site in the city of Big Bear Lake. Click on the following links for more information.
http://www.bigbearlake.net/hml/
http://www.bigbearinfo.com/lodging2.html
http://www.stargazersinn.com/

Recreational Vehicles/Camp Sites
There are no picnic tables, fire pits, or marked spaces in Camp Oakes. RV’s may not park on the telescope field or in a way that will impede traffic or damage the environment at Camp Oakes. RV and trailer owners need to be especially careful of interior lights. Please park so that doors open away from observers, block windows to prevent light trespass, and mask interior lights with red cellophane as necessary. Generators may run only from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. No RV’s are allowed to connect to the camp electrical system except at the Indian Guide Village!

Quiet Times/Active Locations
Not everybody sleeps at the same time. Many attendees will be observing from dusk until the wee hours of the morning. Please be courteous to your neighbors at all hours by minimizing noise. If you play music, play it quietly. On the other hand, please realize that your sleep may be disturbed by observers talking, using equipment, and in other ways as they stay up late. Locate your campsite accordingly.

Cleanup
When you leave, please make sure your area is trash free. Please leave Camp Oakes better than you found it.

Dusty Conditions
Outdoor carpeting under your scope and a tarp or other cover for the daytime are highly recommended to protect equipment from dust.

Refunds
Refunds for pre-registrations can be obtained by notifying the RTMC in writing before May 16 for meal plans, or before June 6 for camping or day use pre-registrations. PayPal Service Fees are not refundable.

Questions about registration should be directed to:

Robert Stephens
8300 Utica Avenue, Suite 105
Rancho Cucamonga, CA  91730
registrar@rtmcastronomyexpo.org
(909) 948-2205