I would really like to re-iterate my need for both a ride TO and FROM PAX, myself living in Victoria.
So far almost everything I've seen is mainland-based, and I'm getting kinda worried. : /
You can come take the clipper with me and my buddy if you want. We're just gonna hoof it
maybe we want to inventory what portable game stuff people are bringing, to organize for maximum goodness? Swap wi-fi codes for DS people? I for one will be all up on the Planet of Leagues of Puzzles.
strangemusic on
"Always be wary of people who use quotes... I don't know who said that" - Murdoc Nicalls.
maybe we want to inventory what portable game stuff people are bringing, to organize for maximum goodness? Swap wi-fi codes for DS people? I for one will be all up on the Planet of Leagues of Puzzles.
Hells yeah.
I read an article once (might even have been linked off the PA news page way back when) about people testing the DS's wireless capabilities by playing multi while in different vehicles traveling down the highway. We can try and have a huge ass mobile LAN party en route! I have Tetris and Mariokart. I'll have to check on my Wifi Code. Boo yeah.
de4dmeta1 wants to build or acquire a stompbox for just those purposes... But such is pretty iffy, considering today's only a month away and he doesn't have any parts yet.
Hrm...something else I forgot to consider is my car doesn't run very well on less than 94 octane. I wonder if it's as easy to find in the states as it is up here...I'm guessing the answer is no
Time to post on the seattle area subaru forums...
aspect on
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Moe FwackyRight Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModeratormod
edited July 2007
I've driven all across the united states, I think through about 23 states and I have never seen 94 octane. The highest I've seen is 93.
To those taking the Victoria-Anacortes route: Where should we meet? Is the ride long enough to bust out some tabletop games?
According to their website it's about 2 hours long so it's definitely long enough for a game or two. I'll probably have a couple of 2 player card based games with me (Lost Cities and Blue Moon, possibly Wings of War as well) for anyone interested. All of them are fairly short games.
When I saw that the CST is picking up folks from the Verse in Kamloops, I actually got teary-eyed. I think I spent half my youth drinking shitty coffee till 4am there.
Victoria PAXer checking in. Seriously tempted to be lazy and just get the clipper, since I don't have a car. Any locals want to give me details on the ferry route being considered? I don't even know where the Anacortes ferry departs from.
Samyel on
"It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity."
I've currently got myself, AbsintheMinded, DMiguel, Arkley (I think, I have not been able to reach him for some time). Brother is heading down with someone else.
If you're going to take the bus to Seattle from Vancouver, take Amtrak (Yes, they have buses, not just trains...who knew?). I did that last year, it was only 28 bucks (USD) each way.
On a somewhat related note, I am going to be driving down now, with a minivan. If you want, drop me a line shaun dot woodruff at gmail dot com or the msn in my profile if you want to hook up.
Victoria PAXer checking in. Seriously tempted to be lazy and just get the clipper, since I don't have a car. Any locals want to give me details on the ferry route being considered? I don't even know where the Anacortes ferry departs from.
If you find a ride, let me know. A friend of mine and myself are hitting up the clipster.
If you find a ride, let me know. A friend of mine and myself are hitting up the clipster.
We should just hook up on the Clipper and share a cab into town. PMed you.
Samyel on
"It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity."
Alas, unfortunately for my vehicle, we're pulling the insurance to save money in the next few months. As a result, I'll probably be taking the train down on the 24th. De4dmeta1 is still going down on the 23rd, though it's going to be more of a family trip for him since my father'll be driving down there with him to try to get him to PAX on time for his enforcerly duties.
Okay, so I've been neglecting the forums for a few months..
I'm in Kelowna, and I'll be joining the armada at Merrit, and I have up to 3 empty seats in my vehicle along with some cargo space (SUV). If you wanna take up some space, lemme know ( yuritau at gmail.com )
Also, if there are any CST'ers that are willing to rent me a patch of floor (or a bed!) to sleep on, lemme know. Or if you wanna go splits on a room, I can do that too.
Now that I'm off work for a few days, I've consolidated a list of what I need to do in the immediate future. I've got a bunch of stuff to update here, and I'm getting it all done this weekend-- the major stuff will be updated tonight.
edit: Schedule is filled in. Maps are done. I've got the roster updated, I think I've got everything down in there. The last waypoints still need to be hammered out:
-Edmonton Start
-Calgary
-Anacortes and Clipper ferry meets?
I need to send out a mass e-mail callout for people to come back to this thread now. I'll be needing to update the contact information, so that I can compile the Master CST Directory, which needs to have a cell number for each group. Numbers don't belong here, so either PM them to me, or send me a quick e-mail (jaymitchell at gmail.com) It'll have all the e-mail addresses I've got, and whatever other information I've gathered about people.
Hey everyone! I live in Bellingham, not too far from the waypoint, and will be heading to my first PAX this year.
Just a heads-up for those hitting the Bellingham Waypoint (Denny's on Meridian): coming off the Meridian Exit (256A I believe), can be a bit confusing. It exits directly to the right, and the Denny's is on your next immediate right, on Telegraph Rd. Seriously - you can't miss it.
I say the exit is confusing because people from out of town often don't realize that you don't have to stop at the end of the exit - just KEEP GOING IN YOUR LANE to the right. Oncoming traffic has to yield to you, so if you're clear, just hit the gas and use your right turn signal so people are expecting you to make the turn.
It's also confusing because of people stopping at the end of the exit to try and cross over to the next lane over. Instead of getting into the right hand lane then signalling to change lanes like normal. It might seem like the right thing to do to save you some trouble, but it's pretty dangerous and backs up traffic becausse you're trying to cross a lane of incoming traffic and merge at the same time.
Meridian Waypoint is a good one. You have Denny's, Burger King, a good mexican place called Mi Mexico, and across the street there's a bank (with easily accessible drive thru and walkup atm) and a shopping center complete with drugstore, coffee shop, Circuit City, and Home Depot in case you forgot anything.
Good luck everyone, drive safely, and have a blast! If you're in/around Bellingham and get lost somehow I'll try my best to help you out. Any drivers, please pm me if you'd like my cell phone number!
Oh - Resist All temptation to speed between Burlington/Mount Vernon and Marysville. They aggressively ticket speeders in this area all year around but especially in the summer. So use cruise control if you have it, and don't be afraid to hang out in the right hand lane doing 5 miles over the posted limit. (65 or 75, depending on where you are)
KaitouAyashi on
[15:02] BigRed-Worky: i will nom all of your boxes
[15:02] Tajah: I like you BR but I'm not letting you nom my box
[15:02] BigRed-Worky: Did I mention I hate you all? cause i do PAX Twitter Shitter~*~ Retired Bar Liaison: 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Annual Triwizard Drinking Tournament~*~
I've had a hectic weekend, so I apologize to everyone for not having the mass e-mail out by the end of the long weekend. I'll be putting it together and sending it out ASAP when I'm home from work this afternoon.
I just had my main system drive eat it's own partition table. Anybody in my group that needs to ask me something should do it via PM for a while as I can only use my laptop until I manage to get what I need from my drive.
I've sent out the mass e-mail looking for all the information to put in the Master CST Directory. If you didn't get this e-mail, it's because I either didn't have or accidentally lost your address. PM me and I'll send it out.
I've got two seats available as both my brother and Arkley have other rides. I sent an email to the enforcers that were LFG but didn't hear anything. Anyone still need a ride from the tri-cities/Vancouver area?
If anybody is planning on bringing any "Canadian" cigars down, I'd be interested in some....feel free to PM me.
I am hoping you are referring to a Canadian made cigar and not something else (Cuban for instance).
Why can I suddenly picture getting to the border and discovering that one of the other people in the carpool with me had the bright idea to try to smuggle a personal stash of <insert controlled substance here> accross the border.
Taking tobacco or booze across the border is sketchy enough as it is (really have to rely on the good nature of your friendly neighborhood border guard). Those of you not familiar with crossing the border should not get in the mindset of getting to the border thinking you will get away with "pulling something" as it can prevent your entire group from crossing.
On that thought, I may be stealing b0wser's thunder here but, if you do plan on bringing any alchohol or tobacco across the border you should probably look up your group leader on the e-mail b0wser sent out and make sure they know what you are bringing. If you take a 6 pack over the border most guards will ignore it, if you take a 24 some guards will ignore it, if all five people in the car each try to take a 24 across..... congrats you are now considered bootleggers. Coordinating with your group leader will prevent such problems.
You can check the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) or US CBP (Customs and Border Protection) websites for listings of what is allowed and in what quanity.
Always remember that there are many things legal in Canada (Cuban Cigars) or decriminalized in Canada (marijuana) that are illegal in the US. Some of them are not as obvious.... like the fact that it is illegal to take Canadian Poultry into the US (cooked or raw). Normally you won't have a problem taking a chicken sandwich across the border but if the border guard is looking for a reason to search you and your vehicle it will legally give them probable cause. Which brings up the point to not be rude, to not make jokes and to not lie to the border guards. When they ask you if you have something to declare, yelling "I'm a terrorist" is not funny to the guard or to the other people in the car.
All the bad stuff aside, most border guards want to get you across the border as quickly and hassle free as possible. They have to check hundreds of cars/drivers per day and they really don't want to drag the process on. Keep it honest and professional and they will usually do the same.
Trillian and I have just discussed the idea of how horrible traffic and co-ordination of it can be in the downtown core. If anyone has a similar disdain for the downtown area, there's a Safeway located at 71st & Granville that can be used for a meeting location. If anyone is interested, just tell us and we can add a note to the route schedule.
I've been updating the information sheet as I get new stuff, the only negative side so far being that mo1son and EnigmaKahn have dropped from the trip. I'll send out another email to those I've got no information from within the next couple days, and set a cutoff of next weekend for the Master Directory mail-out.
Some very good advice, that's for damned sure. If you're not sure about something in a bottle or can, chances are that it will be best to leave it at home. Washington has plenty of liquor to consume, so any border-crossing risk can be minimized quite easily.
DO NOT SCREW AROUND AND TRY SMUGGLING ANYTHING
Possible jailtime sounds like a great way to spend PAX, doesn't it? One person making a mistake will more than likely land an entire group in the clink, so don't even bother.
If anyone has a similar disdain for the downtown area.
I was actually PMing with Trillian on the subject as well. I certainly don't disdain downtown (actually I love it) but I do agree that I can't imagine trying to get into downtown at rush hour by any means other than the SkyTrain. My compliments to anyone with the skill and patience to drive through that mess every day.
The area around the Art Gallery is a pretty busy place between 8 and 9 in the morning, I pass it on my way to work everyday along with a few thousand other people and the parking is pretty limited there. Its rough on the drivers and the traffic is unpredictable so delays are always a possibility.
Trillian's reccomendation of Granville and 71st is on the 98 B-Line (From Granville Station) so it's pretty easy to get to for those of us taking transit to the waypoint, although I pack rather light so I'm able to meet pretty much anywhere. If anyone is BYOCing or if they pack like my sister the extra distance might be an issue, however it is important to take into consideration that if a driver is nervous about or unfamiliar with driving downtown its probably a bad idea for them to do so at rush hour. Safety first afterall.
I'm good with either waypoint option (as I happen to basically live in between the two of them), but if we decide to avoid the Art Gallery's logistics issues and still need to keep a near-downtown and near-SkyTrain waypoint the next three eastern stations actually offer far better venues for meeting. There's the parking lot behind the Vancouver Playhouse a block from Stadium Station, the lot in front of the Pacific Central Bus Station next to Science World Station and the Safeway parking lot behind Broadway/Commercial Station. The last two allow the drivers to avoid having to deal with the Cambie or Granville bridges which is a very very good thing that time of day. Broadway station also has a Shoppers Drug Mart, two convenince stores, Safeway, two fast food places (mmm crappy breakfast) and two banks (Scotia and TD I beleive) for all your last minute supply needs.
I would personally rather meet/leave from the Safeway than downtown. Especially at 9 am on a Thursday, it'll be a madhouse with people going to work, etc. I'm fine either way, but my vote is for granville/71st
If anybody is planning on bringing any "Canadian" cigars down, I'd be interested in some....feel free to PM me.
Taking tobacco or booze across the border is sketchy enough as it is (really have to rely on the good nature of your friendly neighborhood border guard). Those of you not familiar with crossing the border should not get in the mindset of getting to the border thinking you will get away with "pulling something" as it can prevent your entire group from crossing.
Abinsthe is also illegal* in the states
I was rather threatening when this issue came up. If I caught someone in my car trying to smuggle something across, as the border guards are tearing my car apart, the person in question had better hope they put me in handcuffs because I would be tearing them apart at the same time. Really, trying to smuggle that across is the most retarded thing someone could possibly come up with while trying to do it in someone elses car. If they ask you "any alcohol or tobacco in the car?" I just say no alcohol, and half a pack of cigarettes for personal use. No issue.
If worst comes to worst you could always cry ignorance. As long as you don't have more then a few cubans, or a bottle of absinthe the worst they would probably do is confiscate it. But then again I wouldn't bother risking it.
Posts
You can come take the clipper with me and my buddy if you want. We're just gonna hoof it
All my passengers have one.
We'll have at least 2.
maybe we want to inventory what portable game stuff people are bringing, to organize for maximum goodness? Swap wi-fi codes for DS people? I for one will be all up on the Planet of Leagues of Puzzles.
Hells yeah.
I read an article once (might even have been linked off the PA news page way back when) about people testing the DS's wireless capabilities by playing multi while in different vehicles traveling down the highway. We can try and have a huge ass mobile LAN party en route! I have Tetris and Mariokart. I'll have to check on my Wifi Code. Boo yeah.
Time to post on the seattle area subaru forums...
OMG! GAMESTOP IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD!!!
Thanks
It's usually a really hot, long bus ride. I wouldn't call it a fun one, by any stretch.
According to their website it's about 2 hours long so it's definitely long enough for a game or two. I'll probably have a couple of 2 player card based games with me (Lost Cities and Blue Moon, possibly Wings of War as well) for anyone interested. All of them are fairly short games.
As for a meeting place, I'm open to suggestions.
Victoria PAXer checking in. Seriously tempted to be lazy and just get the clipper, since I don't have a car. Any locals want to give me details on the ferry route being considered? I don't even know where the Anacortes ferry departs from.
I've currently got myself, AbsintheMinded, DMiguel, Arkley (I think, I have not been able to reach him for some time). Brother is heading down with someone else.
On a somewhat related note, I am going to be driving down now, with a minivan. If you want, drop me a line shaun dot woodruff at gmail dot com or the msn in my profile if you want to hook up.
If you find a ride, let me know. A friend of mine and myself are hitting up the clipster.
We should just hook up on the Clipper and share a cab into town. PMed you.
I'm in Kelowna, and I'll be joining the armada at Merrit, and I have up to 3 empty seats in my vehicle along with some cargo space (SUV). If you wanna take up some space, lemme know ( yuritau at gmail.com )
Also, if there are any CST'ers that are willing to rent me a patch of floor (or a bed!) to sleep on, lemme know. Or if you wanna go splits on a room, I can do that too.
edit: Schedule is filled in. Maps are done. I've got the roster updated, I think I've got everything down in there. The last waypoints still need to be hammered out:
-Edmonton Start
-Calgary
-Anacortes and Clipper ferry meets?
I need to send out a mass e-mail callout for people to come back to this thread now. I'll be needing to update the contact information, so that I can compile the Master CST Directory, which needs to have a cell number for each group. Numbers don't belong here, so either PM them to me, or send me a quick e-mail (jaymitchell at gmail.com) It'll have all the e-mail addresses I've got, and whatever other information I've gathered about people.
Just a heads-up for those hitting the Bellingham Waypoint (Denny's on Meridian): coming off the Meridian Exit (256A I believe), can be a bit confusing. It exits directly to the right, and the Denny's is on your next immediate right, on Telegraph Rd. Seriously - you can't miss it.
I say the exit is confusing because people from out of town often don't realize that you don't have to stop at the end of the exit - just KEEP GOING IN YOUR LANE to the right. Oncoming traffic has to yield to you, so if you're clear, just hit the gas and use your right turn signal so people are expecting you to make the turn.
It's also confusing because of people stopping at the end of the exit to try and cross over to the next lane over. Instead of getting into the right hand lane then signalling to change lanes like normal. It might seem like the right thing to do to save you some trouble, but it's pretty dangerous and backs up traffic becausse you're trying to cross a lane of incoming traffic and merge at the same time.
Meridian Waypoint is a good one. You have Denny's, Burger King, a good mexican place called Mi Mexico, and across the street there's a bank (with easily accessible drive thru and walkup atm) and a shopping center complete with drugstore, coffee shop, Circuit City, and Home Depot in case you forgot anything.
Good luck everyone, drive safely, and have a blast! If you're in/around Bellingham and get lost somehow I'll try my best to help you out. Any drivers, please pm me if you'd like my cell phone number!
Oh - Resist All temptation to speed between Burlington/Mount Vernon and Marysville. They aggressively ticket speeders in this area all year around but especially in the summer. So use cruise control if you have it, and don't be afraid to hang out in the right hand lane doing 5 miles over the posted limit. (65 or 75, depending on where you are)
[15:02] Tajah: I like you BR but I'm not letting you nom my box
[15:02] BigRed-Worky: Did I mention I hate you all? cause i do
PAX Twitter Shitter~*~ Retired Bar Liaison: 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Annual Triwizard Drinking Tournament~*~
I am hoping you are referring to a Canadian made cigar and not something else (Cuban for instance).
Why can I suddenly picture getting to the border and discovering that one of the other people in the carpool with me had the bright idea to try to smuggle a personal stash of <insert controlled substance here> accross the border.
Taking tobacco or booze across the border is sketchy enough as it is (really have to rely on the good nature of your friendly neighborhood border guard). Those of you not familiar with crossing the border should not get in the mindset of getting to the border thinking you will get away with "pulling something" as it can prevent your entire group from crossing.
On that thought, I may be stealing b0wser's thunder here but, if you do plan on bringing any alchohol or tobacco across the border you should probably look up your group leader on the e-mail b0wser sent out and make sure they know what you are bringing. If you take a 6 pack over the border most guards will ignore it, if you take a 24 some guards will ignore it, if all five people in the car each try to take a 24 across..... congrats you are now considered bootleggers. Coordinating with your group leader will prevent such problems.
You can check the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) or US CBP (Customs and Border Protection) websites for listings of what is allowed and in what quanity.
Always remember that there are many things legal in Canada (Cuban Cigars) or decriminalized in Canada (marijuana) that are illegal in the US. Some of them are not as obvious.... like the fact that it is illegal to take Canadian Poultry into the US (cooked or raw). Normally you won't have a problem taking a chicken sandwich across the border but if the border guard is looking for a reason to search you and your vehicle it will legally give them probable cause. Which brings up the point to not be rude, to not make jokes and to not lie to the border guards. When they ask you if you have something to declare, yelling "I'm a terrorist" is not funny to the guard or to the other people in the car.
All the bad stuff aside, most border guards want to get you across the border as quickly and hassle free as possible. They have to check hundreds of cars/drivers per day and they really don't want to drag the process on. Keep it honest and professional and they will usually do the same.
I've been updating the information sheet as I get new stuff, the only negative side so far being that mo1son and EnigmaKahn have dropped from the trip. I'll send out another email to those I've got no information from within the next couple days, and set a cutoff of next weekend for the Master Directory mail-out.
Some very good advice, that's for damned sure. If you're not sure about something in a bottle or can, chances are that it will be best to leave it at home. Washington has plenty of liquor to consume, so any border-crossing risk can be minimized quite easily.
DO NOT SCREW AROUND AND TRY SMUGGLING ANYTHING
Possible jailtime sounds like a great way to spend PAX, doesn't it? One person making a mistake will more than likely land an entire group in the clink, so don't even bother.
I was actually PMing with Trillian on the subject as well. I certainly don't disdain downtown (actually I love it) but I do agree that I can't imagine trying to get into downtown at rush hour by any means other than the SkyTrain. My compliments to anyone with the skill and patience to drive through that mess every day.
The area around the Art Gallery is a pretty busy place between 8 and 9 in the morning, I pass it on my way to work everyday along with a few thousand other people and the parking is pretty limited there. Its rough on the drivers and the traffic is unpredictable so delays are always a possibility.
Trillian's reccomendation of Granville and 71st is on the 98 B-Line (From Granville Station) so it's pretty easy to get to for those of us taking transit to the waypoint, although I pack rather light so I'm able to meet pretty much anywhere. If anyone is BYOCing or if they pack like my sister the extra distance might be an issue, however it is important to take into consideration that if a driver is nervous about or unfamiliar with driving downtown its probably a bad idea for them to do so at rush hour. Safety first afterall.
I'm good with either waypoint option (as I happen to basically live in between the two of them), but if we decide to avoid the Art Gallery's logistics issues and still need to keep a near-downtown and near-SkyTrain waypoint the next three eastern stations actually offer far better venues for meeting. There's the parking lot behind the Vancouver Playhouse a block from Stadium Station, the lot in front of the Pacific Central Bus Station next to Science World Station and the Safeway parking lot behind Broadway/Commercial Station. The last two allow the drivers to avoid having to deal with the Cambie or Granville bridges which is a very very good thing that time of day. Broadway station also has a Shoppers Drug Mart, two convenince stores, Safeway, two fast food places (mmm crappy breakfast) and two banks (Scotia and TD I beleive) for all your last minute supply needs.
Abinsthe is also illegal* in the states
I was rather threatening when this issue came up. If I caught someone in my car trying to smuggle something across, as the border guards are tearing my car apart, the person in question had better hope they put me in handcuffs because I would be tearing them apart at the same time. Really, trying to smuggle that across is the most retarded thing someone could possibly come up with while trying to do it in someone elses car. If they ask you "any alcohol or tobacco in the car?" I just say no alcohol, and half a pack of cigarettes for personal use. No issue.
*Law varies from state to state.