[rbarker]

. . . how far is everyone from the Monterey area?

Monterey is a great place for shooting if we wanted to make the gathering into a photo trek. But, it's probably not as convenient to get to as some other "central" venues, and its more expensive than many places, as well.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to get a sense of preferences between:

1. a photo day trip with a party in the evening, or

2. just a party in the evening.

If its a photo day trip, then the questions of where, what time for gathering, and all that sort of thing come into play.