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[PRIME] Canadian Supertrip 2009 : Goin' to Seattle, eh?

124678

Posts

  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    BigRed wrote: »
    Serenity wrote: »
    Plus I may be coming down to help out with the BYOC LAN party. I run a LAN party up here and they're requesting equipment and volunteer staff.

    Who is exactly?



    Someone called SuperDave?
    I dunno he's been talking to one of our LAN party guys up here, Dale.
    That's just what Dale told me... you guys would like us though. We're all LAN party vets who know how things are done. 8-)

    Serenity on
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  • BigRedBigRed Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Odd since intel does the legwork of the Lan itself...

    You should confirm that, it might have just been a feeler put out incase intel didnt come back. I dont know any "SuperDave" though...

    BigRed on
    <MoeFwacky> besides, BigRed-Worky is right
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    PM me and we can discuss this more (pst! we're posting off topic! Moe will eat us!) SuperDave is just what Dale has been calling him... I'm assuming his real name is Dave?

    Psh, Intel will be organizing and staffing the LAN party?? or just providing equipment?
    I can see how well a completely intel LAN party would go... not very well IMO. You guys should at least have some PAX staff helping out as well...

    Serenity on
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  • BigRedBigRed Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    The Lans go very well actually... and there is pax staff that helps out :P

    Ill PM you though.

    BigRed on
    <MoeFwacky> besides, BigRed-Worky is right
  • k3rnelpanick3rnelpanic Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Serenity wrote: »
    Would only cost you an extra day... they charge you by day, not by mileage apparently.

    I was mostly talking about the cost of fuel to drive a big van for 2000 km.
    k3rnelpanic, you could probably meet up with us when you get into Vancouver... unless of course you're flying/taking a different route.

    I'm travelling with ThatHalfling, he posted the trip plan somewhere around here, and we're leaving Saskatoon at 12pm on the 2nd. We're going to be crossing at Abbotsford and I believe its about a 16 hour drive from here to there. You'll probably be crossing the border somewhere closer to Vancouver.

    k3rnelpanic on
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    well depends if I choose to follow the CST troupe...
    My house is actually closer to the Abbotsford/Sumas crossing.

    Yeah, I'm starting to think that this Van idea may not work...
    Would still be hella fun though....! Any takers? :lol:

    Serenity on
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  • b0wserb0wser PAX HHL Deputy Manager CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    I've recently gone to Victoria and Kamloops in a large group van ride. It wasn't very awesome.

    Also, you've got to be 25 with a Class 5 to rent a vehicle as far as I know. Whether or not you need additional licensing to drive a high capacity van is another question entirely, and it's possible.

    Not to be a naysayer, and it might end up being fun in the end, but I don't know how well it would work out. With how little driving is done at PAX once you're downtown, ~$1200 is pretty expensive no matter how you divide it.

    b0wser on
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Good points bowser...
    I'm starting to think it's not such a good idea myself. It was a fun idea though!
    I'm gonna go ahead and stick my foot in my mouth and say: maybe the greyhound would be more enjoyable?
    Haha, that's after flaming it earlier on... is there a Greyhound bus trip thread?

    Or perhaps the train would be fun? I dunno what do you guys think, train or bus?
    And I suppose there's always the option of taking my little 4 cylinder on the big mean highway...
    Omg the possibilities... CST, train, or bus... hmmm

    Serenity on
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  • parabolaparabola Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Anyone remember how many days ahead you can book on greyhound?

    I think it was 10 days.

    parabola on
  • AbsintheMindedAbsintheMinded Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Serenity wrote: »
    Good points bowser...
    I'm starting to think it's not such a good idea myself. It was a fun idea though!
    I'm gonna go ahead and stick my foot in my mouth and say: maybe the greyhound would be more enjoyable?
    Haha, that's after flaming it earlier on... is there a Greyhound bus trip thread?

    Or perhaps the train would be fun? I dunno what do you guys think, train or bus?
    And I suppose there's always the option of taking my little 4 cylinder on the big mean highway...
    Omg the possibilities... CST, train, or bus... hmmm

    The Cascade train is only an option if you don't plan on participating in any of the Pre-PAX events in Seattle. It leaves Vancouver in the afternoon and arrives in Seattle in the evening. Otherwise I imagine the train would be a cozy trip.

    The info for the Greyhound is in the original post, including the time, fares and bus number. You can book your ticket anytime between now and the morning of the trip. Like airlines the prices tend to go up as the date gets closer though.

    AbsintheMinded on
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    ok no definitely want to be there for the dinner and pub crawl...
    Alright so road trip or greyhound? hmmm

    Serenity on
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  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    alright so here's the gist of my plan:

    - If I can find enough who are interested, I'll still go with the passenger van because I think it would still be fun. (checked out the restrictions and there are none for personal use) space available: about 10.

    - if I can't find enough for the van, I'll drive down depending on whether I can find enough people for that. space available 2 comfortably, 3 being a little squishy. I'm willing to pick people up too.

    - if I don't feel like doing that to my poor car or if I can't find enough people interested in a ride, greyhound!
    oh and just so that everybody knows, the fares are up to 53.30 for 14-day advanced payment and 68.50 regular price. Bowser you might want to update the thread.

    Well well, it might not be that more expensive renting a van over taking the bus now eh?

    Serenity on
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  • AbsintheMindedAbsintheMinded Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Serenity wrote: »
    alright so here's the gist of my plan:

    - If I can find enough who are interested, I'll still go with the passenger van because I think it would still be fun. (checked out the restrictions and there are none for personal use) space available: about 10.

    - if I can't find enough for the van, I'll drive down depending on whether I can find enough people for that. space available 2 comfortably, 3 being a little squishy. I'm willing to pick people up too.

    - if I don't feel like doing that to my poor car or if I can't find enough people interested in a ride, greyhound!
    oh and just so that everybody knows, the fares are up to 53.30 for 14-day advanced payment and 68.50 regular price. Bowser you might want to update the thread.

    Well well, it might not be that more expensive renting a van over taking the bus now eh?

    53.30 < 100 each + gas and parking fares. Still twice as expensive. lol. :P

    You'll probably have no problem finding a couple passengers for your car, if all they have to pay is their share of gas.

    So the choice on your end is mostly going to be between if you want to bother taking your car down, parking it and taking responsibility for driving down.... or if you want to let someone else drive and just hang out at the back of a bus with a dozen other geeks playing DS and planning out their PAXing.

    As long as your car is newish and reliable enough that break downs (or loosing your keys) won't be an issue that will bring up additional delays and costs, its pretty much up to personal preference. As you can tell by the thread some prefer driving, some prefer not driving. The cost difference between greyhound and carpooling with a persons actual car is about the same.

    AbsintheMinded on
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    So the choice on your end is mostly going to be between if you want to bother taking your car down, parking it and taking responsibility for driving down.... or if you want to let someone else drive and just hang out at the back of a bus with a dozen other geeks playing DS and planning out their PAXing.

    I'm sensing some bias towards the bus... but that's ok because I think you've convinced me to take the bus. It seems like the easier way to travel. Cheaper, less stressful. My mind was stuck on the van idea but you've convinced me it would be too expensive...

    Add me to the bus list please!

    Anyone have experience with baggage? i.e. how strict they are about bag size and how many bags, etc.
    Also: do they have power outlets on board? Would be cool to share around my laptop... especially with 3G internets...

    Serenity on
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  • WormdundeeWormdundee Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    If I remember correctly there are no power outlets on Greyhound buses.

    Wormdundee on
  • AbsintheMindedAbsintheMinded Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Serenity wrote: »
    Anyone have experience with baggage? i.e. how strict they are about bag size and how many bags, etc.
    Also: do they have power outlets on board? Would be cool to share around my laptop... especially with 3G internets...

    For baggage I've only ever taken my regular airline size carry-on bag. Never needed anything bigger cuz its a weekend trip, and I'm a guy. :lol:

    Not sure if they have size restrictions but when you cross the border the driver has to unload everything for customs and then reload everything. You have to take your bag(s) into the customs line with you for scanning (like at the airport). So keep that in mind when packing.

    If you still plan on hauling a lot of gear or a gaming rig down for BYOC purposes, as much fun as the bus is, you'll want to still consider carpooling in your own car. Carrying a desktop computer through customs wouldn't be much fun.

    If you're just bringing basic luggage and a laptop, you shouldn't need to worry about luggage restrictions. You can take a small carryon on the bus and I beleive two pieces in cargo.

    For the laptop there are no outlets, but it is only a four hour trip... so if your battery sucks that bad... :P We had a laptop running the whole trip last year, playing the PAX07 DVD. I think it ran out of juice at the end, but I'm pretty sure ACC3SS said he didn't have a full charge to start with.

    AbsintheMinded on
  • parabolaparabola Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Yay another bus rider.

    You'll enjoy the bus ride far more than a road trip IMO...

    Except I hear losing to me at Mario Kart isn't much fun. Right guys? :winky:

    parabola on
  • chibidanichibidani Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    parabola wrote: »
    Anyone remember how many days ahead you can book on greyhound?

    I think it was 10 days.

    I believe you can book up to 3 months in advance. However, you get special discounts if you book exactly 14 days or 7 days before your trip. (I took the Greyhound to/from Lethbridge, AB quite a few times.)

    Just go to greyhound.ca and check it out.

    chibidani on
    We are now gluten, dairy and corn free gamers!
    glutenfreegamer.blogspot.com
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009

    If you still plan on hauling a lot of gear or a gaming rig down for BYOC purposes, as much fun as the bus is, you'll want to still consider carpooling in your own car. Carrying a desktop computer through customs wouldn't be much fun.

    Yeah... I was wondering this myself. I was planning on bringing my comp for BYOC.
    Seems like I should go with driving down instead?
    I suppose I could always fit it into a second airline bag... one for comp stuff and the other for everything else... meh, something to think about....

    Dang, no outlets eh?

    Serenity on
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  • ACC3SSACC3SS Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    For the laptop there are no outlets, but it is only a four hour trip... so if your battery sucks that bad... :P We had a laptop running the whole trip last year, playing the PAX07 DVD. I think it ran out of juice at the end, but I'm pretty sure ACC3SS said he didn't have a full charge to start with.

    This year I've got a huge 8-hour battery. It sticks out of my laptop like a tumor. We shall watch the PAX08 DVD at full brightness, in all it's glory.

    ^.^

    I've also been practicing at Mario Kart. My goal is not to come in last place every race this year...

    ACC3SS on
  • WormdundeeWormdundee Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Sounds like awesome to me.

    I hope to have my netbook by PAX time and that bad boy has up to 9.5 hours of battery life. I think that should be enough :P

    Wormdundee on
  • SlickShughesSlickShughes Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    So speaking of the 08 dvd, does anyone know when that will come out? I've been looking forward to it for, like, 248 days or so now.

    SlickShughes on
  • tr0tskytr0tsky Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Serenity wrote: »
    I suppose I could always fit it into a second airline bag... one for comp stuff and the other for everything else... meh, something to think about....

    Besides the fact that packing a (desktop) computer on the bus is a pain, it's actually prohibited by Greyhound technically. I don't know anyone that's tried, but it says in their luggage restrictions that you're not allowed to bring desktops.

    My gf and I just took our laptops to BYOC last year, but we weren't really keen on gaming, just a place to check email/web/etc and hang out.

    tr0tsky on
  • YuritauYuritau CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    A minor update, my car has changed. I rolled the 4runner into the ditch on the highway and totalled it (not even a bruise on me). I replaced it with a much nicer (and newer) Corolla.

    Yuritau on
  • b0wserb0wser PAX HHL Deputy Manager CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Good work! I'll be getting another thread update done this week sometime.

    I'm unsure at this point about the Edmonton Commons Tim Hortons as a starting point. I can't tell exactly what the easiest route to Deerfoot Trail Southbound is, so I haven't exactly pinned it as the starting location. I'd like to use it since it sounds like there's good resources nearby, but I can't tell what the easiest route out of there is on the GoogleMaps.

    b0wser on
  • SerenitySerenity Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    tr0tsky wrote: »
    Serenity wrote: »
    I suppose I could always fit it into a second airline bag... one for comp stuff and the other for everything else... meh, something to think about....

    Besides the fact that packing a (desktop) computer on the bus is a pain, it's actually prohibited by Greyhound technically. I don't know anyone that's tried, but it says in their luggage restrictions that you're not allowed to bring desktops.

    My gf and I just took our laptops to BYOC last year, but we weren't really keen on gaming, just a place to check email/web/etc and hang out.

    Ah yeah, well I'm a prominent gamer so attending a LAN party without my rig won't work.

    Yeah I'm considering driving down instead... I don't wanna kill my car with the long trip though.
    I'll probably have to rent, ugh! Either that or take my crotch rocket down. But I don't think a desktop would fit on a bike...

    Serenity on
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  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited May 2009
    Vancouver to Seattle isn't really a "long drive". Shit, you probably do more damage to your car just driving it normally for a week than you would driving it to Seattle and back.

    Moe Fwacky on
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  • WormdundeeWormdundee Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Moe Fwacky wrote: »
    Vancouver to Seattle isn't really a "long drive". Shit, you probably do more damage to your car just driving it normally for a week than you would driving it to Seattle and back.

    Agreement, if you go early enough to not get destroyed at a border crossing, you can generally do it in the around 3 hour range.

    Wormdundee on
  • Cyan_Cyan_ Registered User new member
    edited May 2009
    Serenity wrote: »
    Yeah I'm considering driving down instead... I don't wanna kill my car with the long trip though.

    Long drive? Jesus, I was going to drive down from Edmonton in my '93 Cherokee, 233k km's on the odometer. Talk about being nervous about car breakdowns!

    But the irony of that is the Cherokee is now dead and I picked up a '09 Patriot. It hasn't been changed at the top of the thread, but I'm sure it'll make for a much more comfortable ride from Edmonton to Seattle :)

    Cyan_ on
  • b0wserb0wser PAX HHL Deputy Manager CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    We had a very short border wait last year, because we were crossing early enough in the morning on Thursday. We only had maybe 7 or 8 cars ahead of us at the Abbotsford-Sumas crossing. There's a couple of good breaks on the trip that let your car cool down if it's having issues, so it really doesn't become much of a long drive at all.

    I'll get an update done tonight, now that I've got some free time.

    b0wser on
  • YuritauYuritau CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Another update, my car is now full, both on the way there, and coming back.

    Yuritau on
  • Firestorm88Firestorm88 Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    7 friends and I are taking the Greyhound at the same times, but on Friday instead of Thursday =(

    Firestorm88 on
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited June 2009
    You guys are going to miss all the Pre-PAX activities and the beginning of PAX.

    Moe Fwacky on
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  • b0wserb0wser PAX HHL Deputy Manager CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I think that's an aware fact, as represented by the =(

    At least that's what I'd be sad about.

    b0wser on
  • TorrenTorren Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    yea the pre-PAX activities are half the fun, cant wait till the good times roll

    Torren on
  • Firestorm88Firestorm88 Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Moe Fwacky wrote: »
    You guys are going to miss all the Pre-PAX activities and the beginning of PAX.
    Yes, but taking two days in a row off work/school + extra night in hotel is hard to work in. Using the Sheraton promo, it's $566 for 2 nights or $996 for 3 (2 rooms).

    I thought it opened at 2PM going off of last year?

    Firestorm88 on
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited June 2009
    No, this year it opens at 8am.

    Moe Fwacky on
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  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    wait wait WAIT...

    are you telling me there won't be an epic line room this year?

    SmallLady on
    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
  • Firestorm88Firestorm88 Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Oh crap really? We've been playing this around a 2PM opening like last time... Does it still end around the same time this year?

    Firestorm88 on
  • AbsintheMindedAbsintheMinded Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    SmallLady wrote: »
    wait wait WAIT...

    are you telling me there won't be an epic line room this year?

    There will be many epic lines: for the Keynote, Q&As, Omegathon. I'm curious what Friday morning will be like, but rest assured the vast hopefullywashed masses will end up doing something equally epic.... and will still probably line up for the 8am start.

    But back on topic:
    Oh crap really? We've been playing this around a 2PM opening like last time... Does it still end around the same time this year?

    You can probably still plan to sneak out of Seattle Sunday evening if you don't want to do the extra night.

    But then you'll miss all the Pre-PAX AND Post-PAX events.

    Either way its probably best to plan what works for your schedules, and finances. If you are heading down Friday and coming back Sunday (Most of us do Thursday to Monday) you will miss ALOT, no question. That being said the cardinal rule of scheduling your PAX trip is: you will always miss alot. It's impossible to fit everything in. It's all about priorities and if yours is saving money then plan around it.... as long as the money is for games and booze we'll still respect you. :mrgreen:

    However most of us are overly social and will still continue to pester you to buck up and come down on Thursday thru Monday to participate in all the Pre and Post PAX festivities, and join our mobile DS party/greyhound group.

    Speaking of which, b0wser you can slot me in as +5 on the list as I'll be bringing a few non-forumers along. 8-)

    AbsintheMinded on
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