Am really excited about going this year. I'm driving all the way from California, but it's worth it! :) It's going to be my first time going. If anyone has any tips before I go, that'd be awesome! I look forward to "Hammer - Smash - Face" really soon!
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My wife and I are driving roundabout from southern Nevada, and I've driven every year I've gone.
Tips for the trip:
Get a little ice chest to keep drinks in. You'll be glad for something cool to drink when you're passing through an uninhabited stretch.
Take a break every couple hours. You can get thousand-mile-stare going really easily if you don't break up the drive some.
Don't let your car drop below a quarter of a tank of gas; over the years of use, the bottom of the tank accumulates a layer of gunk.
Never stop at the first gas station off the freeway in a town; the price will almost always be significantly higher, because they're expecting tired and harried drivers to just want to get gas and go.
Tips for Paizocon:
Bring deodorant. Seriously, you'll need it, and you may well want to offer it to other people. Paizocon is generally better than most when it comes to gamer funk, but every year it gets a bit worse.
Stay hydrated. There's usually water available, avail yourself of it regularly. It also works wonders for cleaning maps off.
Bring an extra change or two of clothes, particularly socks. Believe it or not, Seattle is actually amazingly dry during the summer months, and it can actually get fairly warm.
Parking is paid. So is hotel internet. Budget for it if you need it, or find workarounds.
The dealer's room /will/ threaten your wallet. Budget for it, up your Will save to resist it, or pay the price. >.>
Remember that bribing your GMs can actually work at a convention. Caffeine in the morning to help offset the hangovers, alcohol in the evenings in preparation for the evening's celebrations.
Don't be afraid to be a bit wacky and weird. We're all geeks, we're all weird, and it's better to be remembered as The Funny Weird Guy than That Boring Dude.
Wanted in a game and didn't make it? If you've got that slot open, drop by at the start - you wouldn't believe how often people fail to turn up for their game slots, and you could score a spot at the table without winning the lottery.
Most importantly? Have fun!
Tips for travel through Oregon (I live in Oregon, and have done the trip up to Seattle a few times)
1) Our gas stations are not self service. Just sit in your car and let the nice attendant fill the tank for you. Wonder to yourself why other states don't do this. Also for prices.. Fred Meyers gas stations are generally going to have the better price for you. Freddies is a chain store, and so if you are going to head into a town for gas try and hit one of those. Otherwise I have found that generally speaking the Pilot gas stations have had the better pricing.
2) Oregon does not have a sales tax. Be confused by prices that are actual prices.
3) Should you be taking the I-5 Route up consider stopping at Powell,s book store (http://www.powells.com/). Huge (and possibly haunted) used book store and something you might really enjoy!
4) Depending on the route you take you could end up going through stretches of high desert. Keep a couple jugs of water in your trunk just in case you run into problems.
5) The ice chest that Kassil mentioned is also good while tripping through the high desert. Generally you'll prolly be okay, but better safe than sorry.
6) Should you have the time consider stopping and visiting other bits of Oregon.. Crater Lake is nice.. or if you go down the coast I encourage stopping in Newport.. very pretty place.
Couple Con tips (this is my first Paizo, but been doing PAX for years)
1) Bring a surge protector for the room. You never have enough plug-ins
2) Carry munchies with you.. you could end up having a long day with no breaks for food.. bags of trail mix are nice to have handy. Low blood sugar can make you grumpy, tired, and sick feeling.
3) Always stay hydrated. Water. Too much soda can make the whole body feel pretty crappy.. and too much coffee (I love you coffee) can end up giving you some major acid issues. Water will help regulate your body temp and keep you feeling pretty good.
4) Have fun! Meet people (I am horrible at this.. if you see me say Hi to me, I am generally shy and really bad at talking to people).
5) Try to eat real meals and not fast food. The best way I have had of avoiding con crud is to eat at nicer restaurants and generally balanced meals rather than living out of a fast food place. Worth the extra money budget, trust me.
6) Be clean! Deodorant, take a shower, and so on. But avoid strong scents, as these can get overpowering real quick.
7) Comfortable shoes. Chances are you will do a decent amount of walking and being on your feet, so have nice comfortable shoes to make it easier.
I am sure there are piles more stuff.. I know right now I am making a quick list of things to remember to pack (like chargers, dice, clothes, meds, so on). Always useful to be sorta organized.
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3) Should you be taking the I-5 Route up consider stopping at Powell,s book store (http://www.powells.com/). Huge (and possibly haunted) used book store and something you might really enjoy!
ZOMG, yes, do this. Powell's is awesome. It's also more than one. Last time (well, the *one* time) I was there, I couldn't find the physics or the computer books. I later figured out that both of those (and some other things) were in *a whole nuther store* kitty corner to the main one. I am sad I do not live in the same city as Powell's.
Haha, awesome stuff guys! I will definitely check out that store on the way back! We're leaving at 12:00am on Friday(right after fireworks) x.x
Thanks for the tips! So are there many late night games that go on? Believe it or not, my hotel reservation doesn't start until Saturday. Lol. So I have to try to stay up for a complete 24 hours.
I’ll be flying in late afternoon tomorrow (Wednesday).
Thanks for the tips! I’ve been to GenCon many times, but this is my first PaizoCon, so pretty excited.
Remember that bribing your GMs can actually work at a convention. Caffeine in the morning to help offset the hangovers, alcohol in the evenings in preparation for the evening's celebrations.
Don't be afraid to be a bit wacky and weird. We're all geeks, we're all weird, and it's better to be remembered as The Funny Weird Guy than That Boring Dude.
Wanted in a game and didn't make it? If you've got that slot open, drop by at the start - you wouldn't believe how often people fail to turn up for their game slots, and you could score a spot at the table without winning the lottery....
Especially for the 3pp games. These all apply HEAVILY in any Frog God Games events.
SG
For the con:
Follow the 5-2-1 rule: 5 hours sleep (minimum), 2 meals (you'd be surprised how hard this one is) and 1 shower per 24 hours.
For the drive:
Be aware of velocitation, if you've never driven for ages and ages on the freeway, be aware of how fast you're going when you're in a town, it's really easy to speed without noticing since you're accustomed to going 70 or more.
We go on average 85 on the freeway. I suppose we live up to the reputation. I'll keep that in mind.
We go on average 85 on the freeway. I suppose we live up to the reputation. I'll keep that in mind.
I went on a road trip to Oregon last summer and my passenger was like "Why are we going so slow?!" when we got off the freeway since we'd been going about 80-85 through nowhere Oregon.
Oh, a note on freeway speeds for you Cali people..
Oregon is slow. 65 is the limit. You'll prolly be going faster, but it can be a surprise for those who are use to faster speeds.
