Author Topic: the Northern contingent (Read 20942 times)

« **on:** April 28, 2004, 09:12:10 pm »

It looks as if a number of Sakura-con regulars are looking forward to another con in the area, so we don't have to wait until next april (or worse, head to LA) for our Con fix. If you're one of them, post here, and maybe we can get a whole group together. Carpooling would be cool, but I'm considering riding down on the Cascadia:

(pic stolen from amtrak)

Quetzalcoatl · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2004, 09:13:45 pm »

(Sorry, that was me.)

« **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2004, 09:32:19 pm »

Hehe! I live in Vancouver. A simple 30 minute drive and I am there. I also have a bunch of my friends going. Nice to see a con in my area......took long enough.

FilkAeris · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2004, 11:48:46 pm »

Heh, if you're riding Amtrak, make sure to give yourself plenty of time leeway, especially if you're trying to head home in a northerly direction post-con... They are notoriously late. I was once six hours late coming home to Seattle for Thanksgiving.

Shikamaru · « **Reply #4 on:** April 29, 2004, 06:30:33 am »

Yeah. Amtrak sucks and they expect you to pay for food on there. I get a free meal on the planes.

LithiumFlower · « **Reply #5 on:** April 29, 2004, 07:35:30 am »

I was over 4 hours late coming down from Seattle to Oregon. My suggestion: the train may be fun, but make sure you have AT LEAST a days leeway, or you'll miss the Con. ^.^;

Sheltie · « **Reply #6 on:** April 29, 2004, 08:35:43 am »

Personally, I'm glad there's another con in the area. More chance to show off costumes, I think. Yeah, I live in Puyallup (near Tacoma for those who haven't heard of it) and it is only a two hour drive or so to Portland. It'll be my first time driving down there, but I'm hoping that my parents will take me down there for a practice drive or too so I can get used to the route... hehehe... I'm getting my licence this summer, so this is making me a little nervous for a long drive. But, oh well!

Sheltie

DashtheGnome · « **Reply #7 on:** April 29, 2004, 11:47:47 am »

Quote from: "Sheltie"

Personally, I'm glad there's another con in the area. More chance to show off costumes, I think. Yeah, I live in Puyallup (near Tacoma for those who haven't heard of it) and it is only a two hour drive or so to Portland. It'll be my first time driving down there, but I'm hoping that my parents will take me down there for a practice drive or too so I can get used to the route... hehehe... I'm getting my licence this summer, so this is making me a little nervous for a long drive. But, oh well!

Sheltie

driving you'll be fine, just be cautious! I live 30 min south of Portland and I go to school downtown so yeah and also i highly suggest not parking downtown close to the hotel not only will it be a nightmare to find parking usually unless its the we hours to the morn. you have to feed the meters if you are staying at the hotel find out about parking otherwise ask suggestions from people who live in the area :wink:

EvilMonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** April 29, 2004, 11:37:55 pm »

We're going to try and post information about parking because of how much of a pain it is around the area.

SailorNaboo · « **Reply #9 on:** April 29, 2004, 11:39:24 pm »

We should see about park and ride info as well...

Kinrei · « **Reply #10 on:** April 30, 2004, 12:26:07 am »

Ohayo, this is your Otaku Travel Service. My name is Kinrei, reporting from One Hanamaru Plaza.

Quetzalcoatl...marvelous choice! It's like riding in a mix between a Shinkansen and a fancy European express train! Do keep in mind that there are A/C outlets at every seat and also at every lounge car table, so that you or others can plug in laptop computers, portable DVD players, or even MP3 players with all your favorite J-Pop hits. Just remember that all music and audio must be kept within headphones (if you forget yours, the Talgo Technician sells them for $3.00 each, and they are for keeps). Also, the vestibule doors and even the lavatories are very (how do I say?) space age.

FilkAeris...it was more than likely you were coming home to Seattle on The Fashionably Late Train #14, what both the railroad business and fandom refer to as "The Coast Star-Late". That train has a notorious record of running late going north because, frankly, it gets treated like a red-headed stepchild by the Union Pacific Railroad in California and Southern Oregon. But, the Amtrak Cascades do (conveniently enough for those riding home from Kumori) mostly originate in Portland's Union Station (rather than all the way in LA) and are almost always on time because the Burlington Northern is a lot nicer to Amtrak.

LithiumFlower...sometimes things happen between Seattle and Oregon. But let's not catastrophize. ^_~

Shikamaru...Hmm...I'm wondering what your definition of a "free meal" is? Especially between Seattle and Portland, a route which is mostly operated by commuter aircraft that are at cruising altitude for no more than 45 minutes to an hour? You'd probably just get a little bag of pretzels, maybe. Even on flights longer than that, with today's strapped airline budgets, a "meal" would be a cheese danish and a can of soda at the most. Sometimes, that would only be served in the First Class cabin. That's just how the economy and world events have affected the airline industry, right down to the passenger. But then I'm sure it beats paying $1.50 for a can of Dew. ^_~

Either way, the way ya travel is your perogative, as long as ya get there! ^_^

For those inquiring about Park & Ride information, one possible site to check out is http://www.trimet.org.

That's it for tonight! Until Space Fold technology is perfected, I remain!

staze · « **Reply #11 on:** April 30, 2004, 12:50:57 am »

*claps* very helpful Kinrei. Perhaps we could aquire your services for our Location Info. Yes, www.trimet.org is the best place to check for park and ride, unfortunately max stops about 4 blocks from the hotel, so walking isn't really a very good option if you have a lot of costumes and baggage. For those driving you would be best off driving by the hotel, dropping off your baggage and costumes, then going to a park and ride. But really it'd probably be easier, if you plan on travelling at all, to park in a parking garage near by, or have your car parked at the hotel. :-/

If enough demand arises, and we can figure out a way to do it, we might look into running a shuttle between certain key areas and the hotel (Union Station, closest max station, etc).

Yes, the Coast Starlight is always late. It took me 4 hours one time to get from Eugene to Portland because of the single line that runs the I-5/99 Coridor. *sighs* Why on earth can't we have a government that will give Amtrak enough money to actually produce a profit. Eh, not on topic. Anywho...

Flight... well, I guess if you wanted to. But from Seattle you'd probably spend more time on the tarmack than in the air. And light Kinrei said, you'd be lucky if you get a snack... and while Max does run out to the airport now, you're still stuck with the walking between the max line and the hotel. We will probably be contacting taxi services to hang out outside the hotel and run pickups if people give us locations for: read cellphone.

That all said, I think a lot like SakuraCon, Carpooling is going to be people's best bet, and therefore Parking Cost Pooling. It'll get you to the hotel, and it'll keep things easy and let you go somewhere in the middle of the night incase you have a craving for cheesy poofs.

alanna_liadon · « **Reply #12 on:** April 30, 2004, 01:18:00 pm »

Parking in downtown Portland sucks; I highly recommend Tri-Met for the weekend. Four blocks really isn't that bad of a walk, and downtown is quite pretty.

For anybody who parked in the residential areas at Sakura-con: Don't do that in Portland! Most residential places in the convention area are either 2-hour limited or require passes. The parking-police there DO give out tickets, trust me!

skyhawk · « **Reply #13 on:** April 30, 2004, 03:19:53 pm »

My wife and I will be travelling there for our 21st wedding anniversary. Looking forward to it.

Daniel Harrison
President
ANCEA

Pie Row Maniac · « **Reply #14 on:** April 30, 2004, 08:08:24 pm »

I'm already in Portland, but still baffled as to where the building the con's going to be at is o_O

Is it the hotel?

staze · « **Reply #15 on:** May 01, 2004, 12:28:29 am »

PIE, yes, it's at the Downtown Marriot on Naito Parkway (formerly Waterfront Ave), right across from Tom McCall park. Can't miss it. In the picture along the top of the website, it's the building right infront of the Koin Tower.

Pie Row Maniac · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2004, 05:17:55 am »

*thumbs up*

Thanks

MisoBeno · « **Reply #17 on:** May 04, 2004, 09:52:45 pm »

Quote from: "Anonymous"

It looks as if a number of Sakura-con regulars are looking forward to another con in the area, so we don't have to wait until next april (or worse, head to LA) for our Con fix. If you're one of them, post here, and maybe we can get a whole group together. Carpooling would be cool, but I'm considering riding down on the Cascadia:
[im g]http://www.amtrakcascades.com/images/map.gif[/img]
(pic stolen from amtrak)

hay guys whats going on in this thread? :cool:

Yeah Im a sakura con mid year refugee.

edit: I just noticed that the con ended on September 6th... isnt that a monday?

edit 2: removed rehashed image.

EvilMonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** May 04, 2004, 10:33:13 pm »

Yup, the monday of Labor day, a day everyone has off. Unless you have a crappy retail job.

zenix · « **Reply #19 on:** May 04, 2004, 10:39:36 pm »

man i hope u get a shuttle inbetween the amtrack station and the hotel thats one of the worst parts of town

me im just gonna use the max easy cheap simple

and if i remeber right the hotel is right by the water front

i love beable to sit on a nice patch of grass in the middle of portland and eat my lunch in peace

EvilMonkey · « **Reply #20 on:** May 04, 2004, 10:51:33 pm »

I already see Waterfront Park crowded with Otaku out enjoying the sun in their cosplay outfits. Naruto and Edward Elric playing frisbee? All the Final Fantasy characters enjoying a nice picnic? Vampire Hunter D and Alucard chatting by the river?

What a great time and place to show off.

staze · « **Reply #21 on:** May 04, 2004, 11:22:19 pm »

they have patched up the green area (grass) infront of the hotel. it was torn up with the drainage system project... but it's all nice and green now... there were people out sun bathing this weekend on it. So they must have also cleaned up the vast amounts of Geese droppings.

Miko · « **Reply #22 on:** May 05, 2004, 07:44:53 am »

I'M happy cuz this is the olny con I don't have to drive like 200mi. for! (and it's like the olny thing in OR.)

princessfrodo · « **Reply #23 on:** May 05, 2004, 08:23:51 am »

Quote

LithiumFlower...sometimes things happen between Seattle and Oregon. But let's not catastrophize. ^_~

Actually, I usually ride between Tucson and Seattle annually, but my grandparents just moved to Oregon so it was the first time I had stopped there in particular. In ten years the train has NEVER been on time, but it usually isn't more thana two hour wait. Have been late over six hours on two different occassions. Thank god I only ride in the summer, otherwise I would have frozen to death waiting for late trains by now. ^.^

And yay, the Park is a PERFECT place for pictures! And picnics are so nice and pretty, everyone can have plenty of room to spread out and eat, or even have a breather if the Con becomes too crowded. ^.^

MisoBeno · « **Reply #24 on:** May 05, 2004, 12:12:12 pm »

Quote from: "QEvil"

Yup, the monday of Labor day, a day everyone has off. Unless you have a crappy retail job.

oooh I completly forgot about labor day ^^;

alanna_liadon · « **Reply #25 on:** May 05, 2004, 02:26:09 pm »

Quote from: "Staze"

So they must have also cleaned up the vast amounts of Geese droppings.

I doubt that - more likely people are just trying to make the most of this weirdly sunny week and ignoring the duck/goose/seagull droppings.

That doesn't deter me at all though - the thought of Waterfront Park covered in cosplaying otaku is a good one. =^_^=

staze · « **Reply #26 on:** May 05, 2004, 02:29:42 pm »

it is indeed... and flooding the eateries and shops along the waterfront is even better. Considering there has never been an anime convention in Portland, people might be a little weird when they see people coming at them in costume. I know some of the staff at the Clarion last year certainly were... and that was just the staff... if it's a nice weekend from the 4-6th, there are going to be hundreds of people around that area... hehe, can't wait.

MisoBeno · « **Reply #27 on:** May 05, 2004, 06:47:47 pm »

Quote from: "Staze"

it is indeed... and flooding the eateries and shops along the waterfront is even better. Considering there has never been an anime convention in Portland, people might be a little weird when they see people coming at them in costume. I know some of the staff at the Clarion last year certainly were... and that was just the staff... if it's a nice weekend from the 4-6th, there are going to be hundreds of people around that area... hehe, can't wait.

speaking of costumes, what's your weapons policy? I don't wanna get the crap beaten out of me for having a replica gun in my holster for my suit which will probably incite panic anyways.

staze · « **Reply #28 on:** May 05, 2004, 08:47:33 pm »

far as I know, same as every other con. we will peace tie weapons or wouldbe weapons, and the severity of the peace tie will very depending on the item. Live steel will be bound to a sheeth.

Might want to refer this question to PrincessFrodo as she is the only security staff that really is perusing the forums.

princessfrodo · « **Reply #29 on:** May 06, 2004, 07:43:49 am »

Quote

speaking of costumes, what's your weapons policy? I don't wanna get the crap beaten out of me for having a replica gun in my holster for my suit which will probably incite panic anyways.

From what I remember of the Sakura Con policy (which is also largely based on the Washington State laws and Sea-Tac city laws, so they probably are different at Kumori Con) all live steel will be bound into its sheath. If you have live steel with no sheath it will not be allowed in.

If it looks too realistic we kindly request you leave it at home and find a fake looking replica. (Or, in this case, it will be peace tied into the holster in such a way you cannot remove it.)

There will be no weilding of weapons at people in a threatening manner, and once a weapon has been peace tied it CANNOT be unsheathed the entire weekend.

But, in all honosty, I don't know the policy for Kumori Con very well, but what I posted above is basically standard commom sense policy. We were a little more careful at Sakura Con because it was across the street from an Internation Airport and all. ^.^;

Hope that helped. ^.^

EvilMonkey · « **Reply #30 on:** May 06, 2004, 09:48:18 am »

I would have to say that the Kumoricon policy is going to be almost identical, with an adendum that you cannot brandish any realistic weapons outside. There have been too many instances recently with the Portland police being jumpy, we'd hate to see one of our attendees wrongfully charged or fined.

princessfrodo · « **Reply #31 on:** May 06, 2004, 11:04:21 am »

Great idea, but we can't enforce any rules outside of the Con itself due to legal reasons. ^.^;

But yeah, DEFINITLY put a 'Please don't weild weapons outside' comment in the rules. It will save a lot of people a lot of headaches later on. ^.^;

modab · « **Reply #32 on:** May 06, 2004, 03:21:14 pm »

why can't we reserve the right to refuse them entry if they are seen brandishing weapons outside?

staze · « **Reply #33 on:** May 06, 2004, 03:40:01 pm »

we could do that... I think she means we can't tell them not to brandish them outside of the con... mainly because we are not police. yeah, I don't see why saying "if we feel your ediquette in the area surrounding the con is not condusive to the code or desires of the con and how we feel we should be viewed be the city of Portland, we reserve the right to refuse (re)entry to the facility". Or something with that point in mind...

We really don't want the portland police coming down to the waterfront to question some n00b who has a sword brandished in public, and then the police questioning us and our policy, and overall creating a general ideal within the Portland City Police of what our con brings to the city.

princessfrodo · « **Reply #34 on:** May 06, 2004, 07:09:25 pm »

Someone should alert the buisness' around the Con about the Con, just in case. And to make sure they know that hordes of hungry Otaku are invading the area. ^.^

Sakura Con informed nearly every buisness in the area this year and it really made the buisness' happy, because they knew to stock up on food. And Denny's gave Sakura Con people a 10% discount. ^.^

staze · « **Reply #35 on:** May 06, 2004, 09:28:06 pm »

they have already been informed, but we will be making another sweep of the area as the con gets closer. Possibly on the 22nd, the day before the con, since Druihd and myself will not be able to make it to the SakuraCon meeting.

zenix · « **Reply #36 on:** May 06, 2004, 10:39:11 pm »

i love seeing people wandering around with weapons looking for food :lol:

the cop are getting played out as trigger happy on the news so i wouldent recomend testing if thats right they also have pasers and lots of pepper spray (2.5x more powerful than a comsomer can buy) so dont be a moron

princessfrodo · « **Reply #37 on:** May 07, 2004, 06:16:41 am »

Quote

the cop are getting played out as trigger happy on the news so i wouldent recomend testing if thats right they also have pasers and lots of pepper spray (2.5x more powerful than a comsomer can buy) so dont be a moron

Ummmm..... has anyone warned the local authorities? ^.^; Pepper Spray is a dangerous weapon.... it scares me! 8O

staze · « **Reply #38 on:** May 07, 2004, 10:31:59 am »

we will indeed do that... especially since the portland police can be a little touchy... then again, Krocer left. and they aren't nearly as touchy as EPD.

we'll let them know.

princessfrodo · « **Reply #39 on:** May 07, 2004, 11:22:27 am »

Krocer? EPD?

Why am I suddenly very frightened? O.o

EvilMonkey · « **Reply #40 on:** May 07, 2004, 11:27:41 am »

Krocer was the Chief of Police for Portland, there were some issues, bad politics, etc. that forced him to leave. EPD is the Eugene Police Department, they're just touchy because Eugene has a tendancy towards riots, even if it is just drunken frat guys wanting beer.

staze · « **Reply #41 on:** May 07, 2004, 11:57:11 am »

Krocer was former LAPD during their riots and on numerous occations when a protest would happen in Portland, he would be quoted saying "let's go bust some heads".

God I'm glad he god fired.

princessfrodo · « **Reply #42 on:** May 07, 2004, 12:26:02 pm »

Heh, I'm suddenly remindedof my WTO- Mardi Gras riot days. ^.^ (Though I was too young to go to either event. ^.^; )

zenix · « **Reply #43 on:** May 07, 2004, 10:16:50 pm »

i speak from experance when i say comsumer pepper spray hurts badly for about an hour and thats only 2% of that is peper stuff the kind the cops have is 5%

awww my eyes they burn ahhhhh ahhhhh ahhhh

Kei-Kei · « **Reply #44 on:** May 18, 2004, 06:55:16 pm »

Zenix... 8O Sometimes I wonder about you....-_-;; Next time try looking at the bottle before putting it in your face.

princessfrodo · « **Reply #45 on:** May 18, 2004, 07:47:11 pm »

Quote from: "zenix"

i speak from experance when i say comsumer pepper spray hurts badly for about an hour and thats only 2% of that is peper stuff the kind the cops have is 5%

awww my eyes they burn ahhhhh ahhhhh ahhhh

One whiff from a can of consumer pepper spray, at close range, can actually paralyze my lungs. ^.^;

I'd rather not have to deal with an incident needing me to charge into a fog of police issue pepper spray. >.<

Stiffler · « **Reply #46 on:** May 18, 2004, 09:56:35 pm »

YEah I hate pepper spray...once I wanted to know what it smelled like so I sprayed some on my wall (thinking that it would be okay)...I began to cry....You couldn't go in my room for about 2 hours...

News:

Author Topic: the Northern contingent (Read 20942 times)