Getting Provisions for RockUSA Setting Up Camp and the Pre-Party

To camp out for 3 days at a music festival, you need supplies. That’s exactly what we got when we packed in Kevin’s car and headed to Walmart.

Interior view from car driving on rural highway with vehicle ahead, green fields and trees on both sides under blue sky Walmart storefront exterior with tan and green facade, parking lot with various vehicles under partly cloudy sky Shopping cart filled with festival supplies including pizza mixes, water bottles, Busch beer, tortilla chips, and various snacks and groceries Walmart checkout counter with large Ice Mountain water pack, Gatorade bottles, and shelves of canned goods visible in background Checkout belt with 30-pack of Busch Light beer, bottled water, and shelves stocked with canned goods and beverages Car trunk packed with festival supplies including pizza boxes, Busch beer case, water bottles, groceries in Walmart bags, and camping essentials

After getting supplies, we headed to Qdoba to get a quick meal. We then went back to Kevin’s to load the rest of our stuff up. This was my stuff.

Camping gear laid out on grass including blue and black tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, folding chairs, and camping accessories

Kevin also gave us our passes for the festival and camping.

Two Rock USA 2017 tickets on tan surface: purple camping token wristband and 3-day general admission pass sponsored by Bud Light and Ford

We were soon off to the festival. We saw signs for camping right next to the Kwik Trip, but stopped at Kwik Trip as a detour for some ice.

Dashboard view driving on highway toward rainbow in overcast sky with road construction signs visible ahead Car trunk completely packed with white pillows, blue sleeping bag, ice bags, camping supplies, and festival provisions

After getting ice, we found ourselves waiting in a line and looking at the people who were smart and got there before us.

Following black Jeep and travel trailer on rural two-lane road lined with trees and RVs visible ahead Approaching festival camping area with RVs and campers parked in grassy field under cloudy sky Truck towing tan and brown pop-up camper trailer past festival camping area with RVs in background Wide gravel entrance to festival camping grounds with scattered RVs and trailers under stormy sky Following black Jeep on dirt road entering festival camping area with RVs parked in grass on both sides Orange traffic cones lining dirt road through festival camping area with multiple RVs and trailers visible Festival entrance checkpoint with staff member in green shirt approaching black Jeep as vehicles wait in line

After a little wait, we finally got our passes!

Close-up of purple CAMPING wristband worn on wrist showing festival access credentials

We had a drive a ways back, but we finally made it to the crappy dirt road that took us to our campsite. One thing I don’t get about RockUSA is every time they have these crappy dirt roads that end up turning into muddy ruts due to rain. In many ways I’m happy I wasn’t driving my new car. At least they’ve made the main roads gravel, but there’s still a lot of work to do for the side roads actually going to campsites.

Festival grounds showing white tent structure, forklift, and various camping equipment under overcast sky Wide view of RV camping area with diverse mix of campers and trailers parked in grassy field with large trees Evening view of RV camping area with white travel trailers parked in grassy field lined with mature trees Dashboard view of muddy festival grounds with large puddles, orange traffic cone, and open field under overcast sky Silver Coachmen travel trailer parked in grassy festival camping area with orange safety fencing and other RVs visible under cloudy sky Festival camping field bordered by orange safety mesh fencing with RVs and campers scattered across grass under stormy sky Open grassy field with wooden planks on ground and scattered trees under dramatic cloudy sky at festival camping area Wide view of muddy dirt road dividing festival camping grounds with RVs parked on both sides under overcast sky Muddy camping section with green and red portable facilities, colorful canopies, and RVs in background showing wet ground conditions Evening campsite setup with RVs and blue canopy tent where people are gathering under sunset sky Person in blue shirt walking across green field toward RV camping area under dramatic evening clouds Close-up of deep muddy tire tracks and water puddle in dirt road at festival grounds Muddy dirt road with prominent tire ruts and standing water leading toward distant RVs and campers

After making it through the ruts and parking the car, we cracked some beers (the first one I got from the LCBO and second one Beer Store when I was up in Ontario) and then set our campsite up.

Two festival attendees walking across grass toward blue Subaru with white tents and RV camping area in background Hand holding can of Freedom 35 Trailer Park Boys Lager beer at festival campsite with orange fencing visible Interior of blue and green dome tent showing air mattress and black sleeping bag setup Inside view of tent with black sleeping bag spread on yellow air mattress and camping backpack Blue and green dome tent pitched at festival campsite with neighboring yellow tent and RVs in background Hand with purple camping wristband holding orange can of Sleeping Giant 360 Ale pale ale at outdoor festival

The clouds looked kind of threatening and I was figuring we’d get some hard rain like they did in Kenosha, but it didn’t rain and the sunset itself was pretty nice.

Festival campground view with orange tent in foreground, safety fencing, and numerous RVs under threatening storm clouds Sunset over festival campsite with RVs, tents and vehicles silhouetted against golden orange sky Panoramic sunset view of festival camping area with RVs and tents beneath dramatic sky with dark clouds and golden horizon White RV with American flag and purple flag flying from rooftop at sunset with Chevrolet vehicle parked nearby Festival camping area with orange safety fencing in foreground and RVs scattered across grass under cloudy sky

We set up fast and then got to partying.

Campsite at sunset with green and gray tents, white folding table, camping chairs, coolers and RVs in background Three festival attendees at campsite with orange tents, one in red shirt, camping gear spread on white table Silver Subaru Forester SUV parked at festival campsite with white Sabre RV and orange safety fencing visible Side view of blue Subaru sedan with roof rack at festival camping area with motion blur Black flag with green Rock Til You Drop text, electric guitar graphic and Rock USA 17 logo on tent Orange and gray tent with Led Zeppelin logo and silhouette graphic on rainfly Selfie of man in maroon shirt holding beer bottle inside blue tent at dusk Night view of festival camping area with scattered RV lights and orange glow on distant horizon Bright stadium light illuminating muddy road and RV camping area at night with silhouetted vehicles Nighttime campfire in portable fire pit with festival attendees relaxing in camp chairs beside blue Subaru

We decided to make a pizza over the fire with tinfoil. It actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would!

Close-up of flames burning in portable campfire pit at night Dark nighttime image showing camping equipment with minimal ambient lighting Hands serving slices of pepperoni and sausage pizza from foil-lined pan at nighttime outdoor table Overhead view of sliced pepperoni pizza in cardboard delivery box on white table at night

The pizza was gone fast and then we decided to walk around and party with some of the other people who were also camping the night before RockUSA started. Many people had bars setup at their campsites along with games and other things. Many campsites were all out parties and we did things like shots of apple pie or jello shots. This night was probably the hardest night I partied the whole time there!

Festival attendees socializing under white tent canopy decorated with red string lights and orange striped ceiling Dark bar or concession area interior with person holding dark drink cup, candle on table and posters on wall Similar dark bar interior scene with person seated at table with drink cup under dim lighting Nighttime outdoor seating area with white tent canopy, multicolored string lights and picnic tables Festival attendees gathered in dark tent with bright projection screen and multicolored string lights creating party atmosphere People walking through festival campground at night toward bright floodlight with moon visible in dark sky Party table with clear container of colorful jello shots, liquor bottles, paper towels and party supplies Hands reaching for orange jello shots arranged on white table with alcohol bottles in background

In the end, we partied until the wee hours of the morning and then passed out to get some sleep. I can tell you it was a great time and I was happy we set up camp a day early before the actual festival started.

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