Escapade
I officially am planning on going to Escapade. I know this is a last-minute decision. I couldn't decide for sure until after PantheaCon last weekend.
I have not yet bought
1) Membership,
2) Room,
3) Transport.
Membership's easy. $125 thrown at a website. No decisions involved in that. The other two are troublesome.
My husband's going to look into what he might be able to do in the area, if he drove me. (He has somewhat less than no interest in the con itself.) He flies RC airplanes, so he'll be looking for model clubs nearby; if there's a known cliff with a regular weekend crowd within an hour's drive of the hotel, that'd be perfect.
If that doesn't pan out, the other main options are Amtrak or "ride down with someone." Amtrak takes just under 10 hours each way, and costs $46 each way. I'd be much happier throwing that money at a person, and probably cutting the time in half. (I suppose airlines are a possibility, but the idea of dealing with LA's public transit from LAX to Ventura gives me fits. And I really don't want to fly.) FWIW, I live in Oakland, work in downtown San Francisco, and can get to most of the Bay Area on public transit.
Room. Hmm. Rooms is pricey. I could maybe afford a room on my own (I might have to), but that moves the weekend to over $500 in base costs--it means I buy *nothing* while I'm there, and try to survive mostly on snacks I bring with me. Anyone(s) looking for a roommate?
I suppose I need to make decisions and all that by the end of the weekend.
I have not yet bought
1) Membership,
2) Room,
3) Transport.
Membership's easy. $125 thrown at a website. No decisions involved in that. The other two are troublesome.
My husband's going to look into what he might be able to do in the area, if he drove me. (He has somewhat less than no interest in the con itself.) He flies RC airplanes, so he'll be looking for model clubs nearby; if there's a known cliff with a regular weekend crowd within an hour's drive of the hotel, that'd be perfect.
If that doesn't pan out, the other main options are Amtrak or "ride down with someone." Amtrak takes just under 10 hours each way, and costs $46 each way. I'd be much happier throwing that money at a person, and probably cutting the time in half. (I suppose airlines are a possibility, but the idea of dealing with LA's public transit from LAX to Ventura gives me fits. And I really don't want to fly.) FWIW, I live in Oakland, work in downtown San Francisco, and can get to most of the Bay Area on public transit.
Room. Hmm. Rooms is pricey. I could maybe afford a room on my own (I might have to), but that moves the weekend to over $500 in base costs--it means I buy *nothing* while I'm there, and try to survive mostly on snacks I bring with me. Anyone(s) looking for a roommate?
I suppose I need to make decisions and all that by the end of the weekend.