Hatrack River Forum: Yet another planning thread (do I go East or South?)

This is topic Yet another planning thread (do I go East or South?) in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

So, um, I'd like to start planning things, to be able to get an idea of how much money I'll need etc.

I'm thinking 3 weeks, coming in a week (or less) before the Con. That means I will definitaly be in Chicago. I (also definitely) want to visit some of the east Coast - i.e. Boston, Philly, New York. I have yet to decide if I'll be flying in to Chicago or New York.

I was also planning a trip south (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas), but I'm not sure if I'd have enough time and resources for that.

My question to everyone: Who's in those places (and in between) and is willing to either offer me a place to sleep, or give me a ride?

I'd like to be able to work out some kind of an itinerary. Make a map of people or something [Smile]

Thanks

[ January 23, 2004, 09:46 AM: Message edited by: Kama ]

Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :

Kama, I’m halfway between Chicago and Tulsa, OK (where Boone lives). If she comes to the Con, you and she are welcome to stop overnight at my house on the way back. If she doesn’t, I can drive you from Chicago to Tulsa (I have relatives there). And from there it’s a one-day trip to the Texas folks.

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

I would be very surprised if you could manage a trip to TX in your itinerary, but maybe we can work something out if I end up driving to ChicagoCon. Not that you need to ride with me to TX, but I could drive you through the midwest if there were still people there who didn't get to meet you in Chicago.

Now, the sad fact is that the cheapest way to get around (if you aren't driving) is to take Greyhound (the bus). The reason I say it is a sad fact is that it'd be so much better if we had a decent passenger train system like they do in Europe. But we don't.

Greyhound is not a great way to go, IMHO. Its terminals are often in bad parts of town, and dirty, or even non-existent -- they just pick up and dump off at a street corner.

We really need to follow-up on our plans to pass you from one place to another as much as possible. That'd be cheaper for you as well as safer (assuming the people driving you are both competent and sane).

So, as you plan your itinerary, we need to figure out how to best get you from place to place.

I'm still game to drive you someplace. I might be able to take some extra time off after ChicagoCon if you need to get from Chicago to somewhere else...

Whatever works. We'll figure it out!

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

Kama, I suspect you are planning too much. Things are a lot farther apart in the U.S. than they are in Europe.

I guess you could go three places and spend one week in each place, but you will spend at least a day in travel between each time. I could see New York, to Chicago, To Dallas back to Poland or New York as an interesting triangle but the tickets would probably be about $200US each leg since they aren't round trips.

Chicago is kind of isolated, as a major city by istelf. But from New York it is easy to get to half a dozen cites on the eastern seaboard.

Also how much of the city and how much of the countryside do you want to see? Do you like outdoor activities or museums better? Most of the Midwest is very flat and boring geographically. I know mack can reccommend spectacular scenery in her area of the North East though. You aren't likely going to be able to see the Rockies unless you headed to Denver.

Do you prefer to see one place in depth or a whole bunch of places very casually?

AJ

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Kama, this is so dang cool.

What we need is a map. On it, we can plot people and a route. That way, we can see where there may be (will be) gaps where Hatrackers are not and you may need to use a bus to get from place to place.

Are there any web programmers out there who could create such a map?

Assuming you eat at supermarkets most days and eat out five times a week (a fair bet), you'll need $100 - $130 a week for food.

As for the other expenses, all those will be contingent on your route, and how many nights you spend where you need to pay for it. (Are there hostels in the US?)

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

Pencil me in as a tentative Boston host. My apartment is small, but it's easy access to anything in Beantown (60 second walk to Davis Sq. red line stop, for those that know about that sort of thing).

-Bok

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

I agree with AJ -- don't spread yourself too thin.

The USA is HUGE compared to what you are used to there (I wonder how many Polands could fit into our state of Texas). So it takes awhile to get places. We are pretty spread out.

That said, if you DO come by Kansas, you are still welcome to visit my farm.

by the way -- EVEN THOUGH some people THINK that the midwest is very "boring" geographically, I have found my European visitors to love it -- because they are not used to so much wide open space with so few people.

Farmgirl

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Yeah, I think I'll limit myself to Chicago, because of the con, NYC, Philadelphia and Boston. That's okay for 3 weeks, right?

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

sounds good.

Farmgirl

(by the way -- answered my own question. Poland has area of 120,728 square miles; Texas alone has an area of 268,801 square miles.)

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

That's a great trip - I love all three cities, and there is a lot to do. There are also Hatrackers up there.

Heck, it's a four and a half hour drive just from Dallas to Houston. I can't even imagine what NYC to Dallas is.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

Farmgirl the midwest does have an austere beauty of its own that I have come to appreciate. But it is best when in the middle of a cornfield lying with your back on the dirt and looking up at the sky with a glass of lemonade at hand.

Driving through it, however can get tedious at times, and it does begin to resemble (for those CA folk) miles and miles of Bakersfields.

AJ

[ January 22, 2004, 05:31 PM: Message edited by: BannaOj ]

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

[Monkeys]

Norman, OK to Houston through Dallas can also be done in 4.5 hours
[Monkeys]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Norman? What?

That's it - I'm switching back to a girl's name. *marches over to log out button*

I can't, though. Not yet. This weekend. [Smile]

Posted by saxon75 (Member # 4589) on :

I think she meant a city or town called Norman, located in Oklahoma.

Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :

Greg has an empty loft bed in his room, Kama, and he's an hour outside of philly. I'll have to decide whether i'm secure enough in my relationship to allow you to use it.

[Wink]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Saxon, I'll bet you're right.

Saxon consistently has the best record for puzzling-post-translation. I'm so impressed!

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

You don't understand. Texans like to forget that Norman, OK exists. Especially because Oklahoma U has a tendency to kick every Texas football team's butt in shocking ways...

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

Kat, You really forgot that Norman is due north of Dallas on I-35? Well there isn't much reason to go there but...

I've done Norman to Dallas and Norman to Houston quite a few times!

AJ

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Anna, I never knew Norman existed. [Smile]

It's north, right? Not-in-Texas? Not part of Texas? No Texas in Norman?

Yeah, there's no reason for me to know that. [Razz]

Posted by Argèn†~ (Member # 4528) on :

Yeah, I hear Texas is practically its own country. Large enough to be.

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Okay, given the itinerary of choice, there'd be very little for me to do in terms of driving Kama on the "next leg".

As an alternative, I could drive some people up to and back from Chicago if we either start from TX or I pick you up along the way.

Any interest?

Or are people planning on just flying.

If I get zero takers, I'm going to ride my motorcycle instead.

Woo hoo!!!

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

quote:
Greg has an empty loft bed in his room, Kama, and he's an hour outside of philly. I'll have to decide whether i'm secure enough in my relationship to allow you to use it.

Eww, I'd never even touch Greg with a stick [Razz]

So, can I tentatively write down Greg for Philly and Bok for Boston?

Is there anyone in New York?

I might do the following: Fly in to Chicago a few days/week before the con (maybe visit dkw in the meantime? exactly how far away are you from there?); get a round trip plane ticket to either of the East Coast cities after the Con, spend the remaining two weeks (or a bit less) there; fly back to Chicago, and go back home.

If I do that, I'm going to need your help buying the plane ticket - there's no way I can do it from Poland. What I'd do is trust you to find me the cheapest fare, and somehow transfer the money needed to your account. I need a trustworthy Hatracker for that, though [Wink]

I would prefer to rely on people in terms of airport rides and picking-up. Any volunteers for that, too?

Banna, I think I'd rather see the cities, although I wouldn't mind some countryside. Basically, it would depend on where I'd be staying, and how much I'd be spending on that and travel.

[ January 23, 2004, 02:58 AM: Message edited by: Kama ]

Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :

I'd drive Kama somewhere...but I'd probably just get us lost. [Grumble]

Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing... [Evil]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Getting lost with Taal? [Monkeys]

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

"Eww, I'd never even touch Greg with a stick
...
So, can I tentatively write down Greg for Philly and Bok for Boston?"

Not now, you can't.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Oooooooo!!

Take the train to Chicago, or hitch a ride with Bob!??? Choice, choices! (Hey - he offered!)

....this will take some thinking. After all Kansas IS kinda right on the way between Texas and Chicago....

[Wink]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

FG, I'd be glad to swing by and get you. I'm sort of going right through there. And your daughter too, right?

We'll have to see who else might tag along and maybe we'll get a caravan going!!!

My car holds 4 adults comfortably. probably could get 5 in there if one is a kid. Or six if two are kids.

There are so many Jatraqueros & Jatraqueras between here and Chicago. It's like a gauntlet or something.

Boon?
Caleb?
Tabithecat?

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

It looks like it would be easier for me to get from Chicago to Texas and back... and there are so many cool people on th way... but then again, come to the US and not see New York?

Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :

Maybe I'll make a trip back to NYC and be your tour guide, Kama.

I can never stay away from the city for too long. By August, I'll need my fix.

Actually, why don't you just drop Locke an email. He lives right north of the city, I believe. [Big Grin]

But seriously, I'm probably the best NYC guide you could find. I could totally plan a trip, especially if doing so could keep you from leaving the US without having seen its best city. And it'll be a short drive to Chicago after that. We could rent a van and pick up the East Coast Clump.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Kama -- you will get to see us all at Chicago at the Con -- so you don't have to feel like you have to travel to our states.

Thanks for the offer, Bob! (Just don't count my daughter as a "kid" if you are doing your space figuring -- she is taller than me!) But riding together would save us a ton of money, and we'd be willing to pay a large portion of the gasoline.

Although...this depends on how you drive... [Wink]

We will figure that out in more detail as the dates get closer.

Farmgirl

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Well, it's not only about seeing the people, but also the sights, Farmgirl [Wink]

Also, it just looks like travelling down South would, um, engage less financial resources [Wink]

Frisco. I like the idea, but I'd like it more the other way round. I'm thinking it would be easier for me to fly in to Chicago for the Con, and then go East. But I'd love to see NYC with you.

Okay, I don't know what to do. I need more insight.

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

FG,

I drive the speed limit. I don't mind stopping frequently. I'll even let other people drive if they have a valid license and aren't crazy!

[Razz]

Most importantly, I would never, ever, count a 15 year old young lady as a "kid." I was thinking of Boon's kids, actually, who are little enough to squeeze in as long as there are belts enough.

5 is the max for belts in my car, so that's all I can take anyway.

Kama, as this is your first trip to the US, I think you'll have more interest in places like NY, Boston, Philly, etc. The cities are more expensive, but they also have things to do and see that can't be found anywhere else in the world.

Now, don't get me wrong, the South and the Midwest have some unique and wonderful things too. But very few people have ever said something like "No trip to America is complete without a visit to Bryan, TX."

We'd love to have you visit here and points in between, but the truth is that the main argument for doing so would be to visit the people and see a few mildly interesting sights.

We'll see you at the Con (or before in some cases), so the personal meeting appeal is lessened.

I hate to say it, because it'd be cool to have you visit our corner of the country, but you'd be nuts to pass up NYC, Boston or Philly for Dallas, etc.

Especially if this is your first, and perhaps only, trip to the States.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

I've been to Portugal and not visited Lisbon.

I've been to France and not visited Paris.

I might just as well go to the US and not visit New York [Big Grin]

What I need to know if I'm able to stay with Hatrackers in those cities, and if I need to fly Chicago - NYC. I'm just a poor Polish girl, you know. [Wink]

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

You could also take the train to NYC... Longer, not all that much cheaper, but usually a lot more convenient to be met at. Airports in the US are usually 45 minutes/an hour away from the city they service (Boston being a notable exception).

From NYC, you are about a 4-5 hour train ride to Boston, and only a 2-3 hour ride to Philadelphia.

Also, if you fly, the cheapest airline to get from Chicago to the East Coast is likely, ironically enough, Southwest Airlines. You can do a roundtrip, from Chicago to Providence RI (convenient to Boston, somewhat inconvenient to NYC... But there is a healthy Jatraqueros contingent there, I believe) for under 200 bucks.

Of course, we have no idea about your budget for this trip.

-Bok

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Kama, take up Frisco on his offer. We'll arrange things so it will work. He's willing and funny. If you fly into New York and out from Chicago, the Con will be the crowning achievement. Trust me, you want the best part of the trip last. [Smile]

Heck, I want to take up Frisco on the offer.

Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :

Yeah, Providence!

We can easily get all those bummy Boston people to come down to Providence, or you can easily go up to Boston in an hour on the bus.

There are about a dozen hatrackers within spitting range of Boston.

BTW, what kind of sights do you want to see? Nature'esque is possible. Tourist shopping is possible. Lots of incredible restaurants. Several good museums in Boston. Historic is possible.

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

I checked amtrak, the national rail service, and they have Chicago to Boston, RT for 139 bucks... Which is actually a great deal. You may want to pack some food for the trip if you take this option though, the cafe car on amtrak trains charges an arm and a leg... I know, I made the Baltimore <-> Boston trip a lot in college.

Except it will take 24 hours (okay, more like 23 hours) to make the trip. so if you do this (and I assume Chicago to NYC is similar), you'll lose 2 days of your trip traveling... Which is what it would be like getting to Texas from Chicago, and depending on East Coast Jatraquero travel plans you'd get good company out of Chicago either way, but the trip back might be a bit lonely, either way.

Here are the quotes from amtrak for Chicago to Boston (and back), as well as NYC. The dates are just random ones spaced out about 3 weeks apart in August.

CHI<->BOS
---------

code:

448
	Chicago 	Boston-South Station 	08/05/04
7:00pm 	08/06/04
5:20pm 	Reserved Coach
449
	Boston-South Station 	Chicago 	08/29/04
11:50am 	08/30/04
9:20am 	Reserved Coach


Rail Fare: 	$ 	136.00 	
Accommodations Price: 	$ 	0.00 	

TOTAL FARE: 	
$ 	
136.00

CHI<->NYC
---------

code:

48
	Chicago 	New York-Penn. Station 	08/05/04
7:00pm 	08/06/04
1:50pm 	Reserved Coach
51
	New York-Penn. Station 	Chicago 	08/29/04
9:05am 	08/30/04
10:50am 	Reserved Coach


Rail Fare: 	$ 	144.00 	
Accommodations Price: 	$ 	0.00 	

TOTAL FARE: 	
$ 	
144.00

I'd get you a quote from Southwest, but they only are accepting reservation out until June right now [Frown]

-Bok

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

There is the possibility of my tour of Chicago (So unnamed Con first) to NY, then down the east coast (including Washington DC and the Card's home town [not guaranteed to be there]) to FL and then west across the south. But it is a possibility, and like you say you won't have firm dates until the end of February. My point is that I have family I can crash with in NY, DC, and Florida. And I think there are Jatraqueros in all those places.

But then, I may be getting a job so who knows how that will jumble my plans up.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Good idea Bok -- with train travel, she gets to see lots of the country along the way -- which you can't see from the air.

I agree about the dining car on Amtrak -- avoid it if you're low budget. Meals are like $10 each and up, and not gourmet.

Does she need round trip? Or is she just going from the east coast to Chicago for the con?

Farmgirl
edited for spelling

[ January 23, 2004, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

::still haven't figured out how AJ got from the University of Oklahoma to Houston in 4.5 hours without taking a plane....::

[Confused]

FG
(I probably don't want to know)

Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :

Even *with* Kama's rude remarks about my sexiness(don't try to cover it up with insults baby, we all know the truth. [Razz]

), i'd still be willing to offer her a place to stay. And transportation as well.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

I like the train idea much more than plane [Smile]

<-- afraid of planes

I'm definitely not giving up on Frisco. [Wink]

Right now, I want to get as many ideas as possible to be able to choose the best plan. I won't be buying plane tickets before March, so I still have a lot of time to decide if I start out from Chicago or NYC. From what I've checked, though, it doesn't really make much sense to fly into one, and out of another. It's much cheaper to actually get a plane back to where I started.

If you people just make sure I don't end up alone in a strange city, it will be all good [Cool]

Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :

I think you're crazy to do a train ride for 24 hours [Wink]

We could have a contest, who can figure out the best itinerary for you with the right transportations =)

What city are you flying out of? [Wink]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

quote:
If you people just make sure I don't end up alone in a strange city, it will be all good

You know what, this will undoubtedly happen at least once.

It's okay. [Smile]

Even if you're alone in a city, you'll have an entire directory of telephone numbers of Hatrackers (mine, at the very least), and being alone in strange cities can be very, very fun. I backpacked alone through Central Europe, and that was a blast.

Anything that requires the coordination of lots people means at some point, something will fall through. When it does, you're going to be fine. [Smile]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

quote:
You know what, this will undoubtedly happen at least once

Definitely not a right thing to say. [No No]

I like trains. I prefer trains to buses. Last summer I spend 30+ hours in a bus getting to Bulgaria.

My mom asks if trains are safe (meaning, if there's a chance I'll get robbed).

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

BTW, I'm not up to snuff on the MidWest/Southern contingent of Jatraqueros, but they could probably run a similar itinerary check on amtrak for travels south from Chicago.

I agree with the person-who-should-be-posting-as-kat ( [Smile]

) about being abandoned at some point. I remember my Costa Rica return was delayed 2 hours at the beginning, which caused me to be stuck at Grand Central Station at 1:30am. That was a fun night with the homeless and a couple of interesting characters.

-Bok

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

Flying southwest could actually be cheaper and faster.

Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :

Fortunately, trains have become fast enough nowadays to outrun those pesky bands of horse-robbers that caused so much of a ruckus in the 1800s. [Smile]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

I managed to strand myself in the Austrian countryside on a Catholic holiday, 30 miles from the Lutheran German border. Did you know that the buses don't run on Catholic holidays? That the tourist offices aren't open? That the HOTELS are closed?

I made it to Germany after the help of a lovely German train station clerk, who made a few calls, described me as Texan, and arranged for five guys across the German/Austrian frontier to shuttle me safely to Fussen.

I love Germans.

But I was THIS close to sleeping on someone's front lawn.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

I think that busses are far more "unsafe" than trains as far as the people that ride them. The busses tend to arrive and leave from much worse parts of towns in general than the trains do.

AJ

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

Well maybe it was closer to five hours. Our average speed as 85...

AJ

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Kama

I haven't heard of anyone ever getting robbed on a train. Tell your mom from THIS mom, that I would feel more than comfortable putting my teenager or young adult on a train here. And if you tell them it's your "first time", the train employees are sometimes real nice and helpful and show you where everythings is.

Farmgirl

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

East it is, I think.

Now, do I fly in to Chicago, or to New York?

I think I've never made a decision in my life, bear with me [Razz]

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

Trains in the US (at least the non-overnight, 7-10 hour variety I've traveled on) are safe. Plenty of conductors on the trains. Can't speak for the overnight trains (though I haven't heard of any bad situations on it before).

Oh, an additional info point: Odds are, the posted times are the EARLIEST arrival times. You'll arrive withink a half-hour of that time 75% of the time, later than a half-hour 24% of the time, and between 1-20 minutes early 1% of the time.

-Bok

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

I think you're pretty safe, from a robbery perspective, on a train in the US. Are you likely to get held up on trains in Europe? The US passenger train system doesn't have the best safety record in the world though, I'm afraid. I'm not sure how Amtrak stacks up against other methods of travel, statistically; it's probably safer than cars to be honest. I do know, though, that train wrecks seem to be in the news more often than one would expect. Anybody have any hard data on this?

::wishes Kayla were still around::

You know what would be really fun? For a bunch of us to all get one of those 2 week passes, and just have a half month roving Hatrackon across the country. Probably not feasible, but fun.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

My mom will be happy to hear that, Farmgirl (and others - I type too slow). Trains in Poland are not the safest way to travel, and she's overprotective. [Razz]

I can't believe she's letting me do this. [Confused]

[ January 23, 2004, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: Kama ]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Fly into New York (it will be the most expensive, and you don't want to go there last when you're almost broke), meet Frisco, talk him into a road trip, and end with Chicago Con Jatrequero. [Smile]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Are there any chances I'll get to meet you, Noemon?

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

How old are you again Kama? I mean, I'm glad your mom is supportive of this, but aren't you emancipated yet? [Wink]

Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :

Trains, particularly locals, in Europe have a reputation for being a bit unsavory... Sort of like a mediocre Greyhound deal. Or like the NYC subway, circa early-80s.

Busses in the USA are sketchy. Just a few weeks ago, my girlfriend's sister took a bus from NYC to her hometown, and there was an "altercation" on the bus. Basically, 2 riders were kicked off of it halfway to their destination, ON THE HIGHWAY, in sub-freezing temps, at night. Another friend of mine had a bus die in the middle of nowhere in South Carolina. He had to wait a couple hours for another bus, and had a chat with a lady who though Maryland was a city in South Carolina... Or the time the same friend went to North Carolina, to get picked up by a friend, but he didn't realize the Greyhound station was in the red light district in Charlotte!

As for Southwest, mack, it may be quicker, but it will be more expensive (it looks like 158 bucks, before taxes for the round trip), and it isn't as convenient (yes, Manchester, NH is convenient to you, mack [Smile]

), unless she wants to meet with the DC/Baltimore crew and then take the train north through Philly/NYC/Beantown.

-Bok

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Yeah, well, it's not like she could forbid me to go, but she can voice her opinion in a very "convincing" way [Wink]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

My dad threw a fit when I wanted to go to Europe.

Literally. Yelled, disparaged, and swore he wouldn't bail me out if I blew all my money. I told him to bite me and went anyway.

This would be a much more inspiring story if I hadn't gotten hit by a truck, spent a week in a German hospital, and had my doctor bills paid by my dad. <oops>

Still, I am very, very glad I went.

[ January 23, 2004, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Javert Hugo ]

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

I wish Kama, but I'm probably going to be in Mexico (not that I'm complaining about that, mind you).

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

That'll learn you.

Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :

Kat, talking me into a road trip is about as hard as tossing me a set of car keys. [Smile]

In a week with me behind the wheel, you could see the entire Eastern seaboard, Kama. I'm already trying to figure out a way to get to the Beatles exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in D.C.

And NYC-Chicago is a very easy drive. No more than 18 hours.

If you fly into NYC, I can promise that I'll be there. And Leto could probably use a trip to the city, too. [Wink]

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

Though its quite common in the US for the bus station and the train station to be the same place.

Also, every greyhound station I've ever been in has had a police officer, security guard, or both on duty 24 hours a day.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

All right, so the plan would be to:

- fly in to NYC
- meet Frisco and explore the city
- get a train to Chicago/drive to Chicago with Frisco and a bunch of other strangers
- have fun at the Con Which Cannot be Named
- get a train/drive to Philly/Boston, stay with Grisha and Bok respectively
- go back to New York, fly back home

Now, I realize New York is an expensive city, but is there a way to find a not-so-very-expensive place to sleep there?

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

You could always ask Frisco. Sounds like he's willing. [Wink]

*ducks and runs*

Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :

I'm happily taken, Tom, thank you very much. [Smile]

*pies Tom*

How inexpensive, though, Kama? $75 is a cheap night in the city for a hotel room.

NYC has a good bunch of hostels, too, that go for around $20 a night. The Jazz on the Park/Town Hostel has gotten the best reviews from my visitors.

Of course, you're welcome to stay wherever I'll be staying. My old roommates still have two futons, and if I stay with other friends, I'll be doing the couch or floor thing.

So, those are the varying levels of "not-so-expensive". There are plenty more cheap hotels and hostels I could dig up--just let me know how much you want to spend.

[ January 25, 2004, 07:16 PM: Message edited by: Frisco ]

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :

Kama, the $130-140s deal is doubtlessly for coach fare (i.e., you sleep sitting in a tilted-back chair, not terribly comfortable). On the other hand, booking a sleeping cabin the whole way could be prohibitively expensive.

What is not prohibitively expensive is the little-known option of booking a sleeping cabin for only the overnight part of the trip. Time it right, and you get supper and breakfast free, as meals are free with the sleeper cabin. The cabin also gives you access to a shower that night or morning, free coffee and juices, and is much much more pleasant. Private, quiet, and individually climate-controlled.

Don't forget that any food you bring on the train might need to be bought after you get through Customs (e.g., fruit and the like, though prepackaged items should be okay). While the dining car on the train is expensive, the snack bar (where you can get a little individual microwave pizza for $2.50 US or so) is not so bad.

If I recall correctly, adding an overnight sleeper on one of my trips to Canada way long ago cost an extra $79 or so. That included a $10 breakfast and $15 supper, and I was rocked gently to sleep while lying flat, looking at the stars outside my window. Nice!

By the way, for anyone travelling with someone else by train, if you share a sleeper, there's only the one extra cost. Easy to split, and you both get free meals. Sweet.

[Edit: either the prices have gone way up, or my sweetie and I were calculating at about $79 each. Looks like one-way New York to Chicago, with sleeper (7pm to 7am) covering two meals, is about $260, at least on my first calculation.]

[ January 25, 2004, 08:47 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Frisco, I would appreciate staying wherever you'll be staying, if it's ok with your friends [Smile]

As for the hotels, I definitely want to spend as little as possible, but I don't want to save on my safety [Wink]

The hostel thing looks nice - is it safe for a lonely tiny girl, though? Otherwise, I'd be willing to pay up to 75/80 USD a night.

CT, thanks for the info. I'm actually quite used to travelling on buses for 20+ hours, so I don't think that would be much of a problem. Of course, I haven't yet decided whether I'll be taking a train or not. I'm very indecisive. [Big Grin]

[ January 26, 2004, 02:17 AM: Message edited by: Kama ]

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Another question. In the case of online reservations and such, do I need a credit card, or is my debit card (Visa) suficient?

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

The problem with using your debit card, unless you have a HUGE account backing it, is that it will run out quickly.

Not because of actual money SPENT, but because of holds against your money. One of the Wenchcon threads discussed this when Taalcon (I think it was he) had some (minor) trouble getting them to "give back" his deposit.

Each hotel will put a hold on your credit/debit card to the tune of several hundred dollars, just in case you destroy the room or something. [Wink]

That'll add up REAL fast if it's a debit card, where holds tie up 'real' money, and not just part of a credit line.

So you likely can use your debit card, but you really don't want to.

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Hmmmm.... I think the WenchCon thing was with Macc.

But yeah, use a credit card instead. There are protections, you won't run out of money, if you get fleeced you won't lose everything - it's just better.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Could be. It was a guy with a double letter in his sn. [Wink]