NetNude Gathering Shangri La Report

This report is brought to you by Nevada Naturist.

The opinions expressed are those of the person(s) who submitted the report and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NetNude.

NetNude Gathering Report 2002 at
Shangri La Resort in Arizona

April 2002

Trip Report by Nevada Naturist

I drove down to Shangri La (SL) from Las Vegas, NV on Monday, 15 April. On the drive down, I took a side trip to Kaiser Warm Spring, near Wikieup, AZ. I arrived at SL shortly after 3pm, set up my tent in their hard, rocky camping area, and then took a walk to get familiarized with the layout of the resort.

I wandered on over to the Bare Buns Bistro and talked to Bob, who was the waiter and chef for the evening. I inquired about the other NetNuders who had arrived over the weekend, and about the planned trip to Verde Hot Springs the following day. Bob told me where the others were lodging, and told me one of the SL residents (named Bobby- there were lots of Bobs there) would be driving to the springs. I returned a bit later, met Bobby and arranged to ride along with him to the springs. Shortly thereafter, the NetNuders arrived for dinner: Phil & Shelly, Jan, Mike, and Bob P. (ya' see? Another Bob!). I soon got acquainted with those whose names and aliases were previously only known to me on the NetNude message boards. Went back to the lodge and drank some margaritas & beer.

Went along with the gang to Verde Hot Springs on Tuesday-it was a hoot! The drive included 23 miles of rough dirt road that kept getting worse as we neared our destination. Bobby & I rode caboose in the dusty little convoy. There were a couple of stops along the way for those ahead of us to get more beer from the back of their vehicles. Then a couple more stops along the way to drain the processed beer. Bobby mentioned that a few auto wrecks had to be winched out of the canyons below the roadside where there were steep drops and cliffs. Took a look over the edge a few times, and sure enough, there was usually a car wreck or two down below. The weather was cool & breezy with mixed sun and clouds, and the Verde River was chilly. However, it wasn't too uncomfortable to hike back to the parking area nekkid.

I stayed around the resort on Wednesday, and took an excursion to Tanque Verde Canyon, near Tucson on Thursday (trip report - there's already one logged in the locations reports). Nude sunbathers and swimmers reportedly frequent this canyon. It was a warm day and the pools in the canyon were stagnant with brown water. Although I saw more than a half dozen cars at the trailhead, I only saw 1 couple hiking in the canyon. They were probably wondering the same thing I was - was it okay to get nekkid here, and should I ask a stranger? Turns out we were all there for that same purpose. Sunned my buns, took some photos of the canyon and saguaro cacti, and made the 2 hour drive back to SL.

Friday morning I had breakfast at the Roadrunner, about 5 miles up the road from SL. They served me a biscuit the size of a softball! I stopped off at Osco Drug store and bought a 9-pack of various sized squirt guns future combat. Didn't break them out until Saturday because Friday night was too chilly. Went to Karaoke Night in the clubhouse. I was surprised when I heard all the outstanding singing voices from every NetNuder who dared step up to the microphone. Met more NetNuders on Friday and Saturday, as they began arriving for the weekend.

Unfortunately, I had to pack up on Saturday (I'm a member of a very small church congregation in Vegas, and my presence is needed to help conduct worship services on Sunday morning). We posed for the NetNude group photo and spent some time at the pool. Note: it's tough to find poolside lounge space at SL after 10am on a sunny Saturday. I hit the road around 2pm and took another side trip to Kaiser Warm Spring along the way back. Was surprised to meet a couple there, since this place is so isolated.

I sure am glad I decided to make this trip to the gathering. It ended up being a memorable week and an excellent vacation for me. I met lots of wonderful people who I hope to meet again, some day. My best experience was spending time with new friends and hiking the surrounding desert. My worst experience was the 3am wake-up calls from coyotes and owls, and 5am wake-up calls from 150 noisy birds, including a woodpecker that kept hammering on a metal stovepipe. If you have the opportunity to attend a future NetNude gathering, don't hesitate--pack your bags and go!

Copyright © 2003 NetNude Inc.