Cost of USDAA Nationals

SUMMARY: It's a lot of fun, but be prepared to shell out the dough.

If you're looking for a reason NOT to go to Nationals (it's a tough call--I had a good time while I was there, and all the final events are too wonderful to miss and five times better than seeing them in a video afterwards):

$ 40	Team shirt for one dog, with artwork from generous friend
$ 45	Grand Prix quarterfinals entry for one dog (less if you earned byes)
$ 75	Team entry for one dog
$ 40	Steeplechase entry for one dog (less if you earned byes)
$ 30	Two optional bonus classes for one dog
$ 40	Awards dinner
$ 50	Kennel space 5'x10' (for 2 dogs)
$ 10	Parking permit for 5 days
$104.35	Gas round trip from San Jose (750 miles each way at 23 mpg, $3.20/gal= $208.69, divide by 2 people; ignoring wear & tear on car)
$333	Hotel, slightly upscale & dog friendly, 5 nights: $665.95 (divide by 2 people)
$ 15	Ice for cooler
$105.76	Lunches & dinners & snacks for 6 days (all breakfasts are fruit & breakfast bars that I brought from home; 2 meals from grocery store; 3 meals fast food; 2 meals low-priced restaurants; rest purchased on site)
$ 20	Herding instinct test for unentered dog
$ 50	Five Lure coursing runs for unentered dog
$____	A week off work (or vacation time spent--your salary may vary)
$____	Shopping at the many excellent vendors whom you don't often find elsewhere (up to you; I avoided them this year)
~$900 plus time off work	My total (selecting from above items, as I didn't do everything)

Complete list of labels