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hey, I am planning to go to the P.O.H. next year, along with Kogwar. but as the title said we are extreme noobs when it comes to long distance travel, we both live in a medium small town outside of Tacoma Washington, and the only long distance traveling we have done is one trip to Disney land with our high school marching band. so we really need some help. any you can offer would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

-edit: spelling corrections

I'd start with checking websites like Orbitz or Expedia or Priceline, try to find the cheapest way to travel or fly. Or, if you know a couple other people willing to go along, you carpool together and make it a roadtrip, which would also make staying at the hotel much cheaper if you all room together. The rooms are fairly cheap. Also, there are always people available to help cart people from the hotel to the warehouse, so you may not necessarily need to rent a car (if you fly.) There will be food and drink available for purchase, but if you're looking to save money, bring food or go to a nearby grocery store once you're here. Also, save a lot of money to buy art.

Check out this thread: Making the Open House Cheaper. Lots of good little tips in there.

What are your options for travel? Google says from Tacoma to Detroit its 1 day and 14 hours of driving. Figure with bathroom breaks and sleep breaks that two solid days of driving one way. Might be just about as long on a bus or train, not really sure. If Air travel is an option you'll want to fly to wayne county airport. It is the closest air port the Palladium. Like a half hour If I recall when I dropped off Greg Diaczyk to the airport. Here is the link if you need some info. Metro Airport.

The hotel that gets a preferred rate from Palladium is Comfort Inn.

Like mumah said check the travel sites if you're flying. I've had pretty good luck with orbitz in the past, but look around you never know. Since price is often a consideration I'll check what the hotel and flight are and then what they are if booking separate. Sometimes with the cost of the airfare its better getting a package deal.

In the last 10 years I've been to Vegas 7 times, and I've been all over the east cost with the occasional trip to Canada, Indianapolis IN and Columbus OH. So I've got some travel experience. Feel free to send me a PM or ask more questions here.

Ask around in these forums and you may be able to arrange other roommates. Also take this into consideration: it's only a four hour train/car ride from Chicago. If it's significantly cheaper, rent a car or take a train from the Windy City to the Motor City. Just sniff around. Also, the earlier you book things, the cheaper they tend to be.

Beware flight + hotel packages that don't put you in the Comfort Inn that PB is using. Part of the fun of the POH is our mighty horde owning the entire hotel and using the public spaces for after hours gaming. Unless you are getting a notable discount, go with the Comfort Inn.

However, do hunt down flight + rental car packages. If you have AAA or other memberships like CostCo, you may get some great discounts.

As for financial concerns, definitely start saving now. Perhaps make family and friends know about your POH plans so any Christmas gifts could be money toward your trip. If you just sack away $20/week between now and April, that would be very useful toward the total costs.

as far as all that goes we were planning to fly into detroit, get a cab down to the comfort inn, and then do the same in reverse when we left, tho I think this other airport may be worth checking out.

Skip the cab and get a rental car. You will need it to get to the POH from the Comfort Inn. Also, it gives you mobility to get food. Another reason to go with a crew, you cut down the rental car costs. And you get to make mix tapes! Uh, I mean playlists.

Spinachcat wrote:Uh, I mean playlists.

How do you get those on the cassettes? It has ever eluded me why people expect music to come from a simple list of tracks. The list is what you put in the cover so you know where to wind to when you want to listen to a certain song, right?

And, yes, I would think a rental is better than a cab, especially if you want to do more than "just" shuttle from the hotel to the OH and vice versa.

so, i'm still not quite understanding the reason for renting a car. if it's two miles to the OH and there's a burger king and an outback steakhouse just two blocks away, that's all within easy walking distance, unless this place doesn't have the best neighborhood.

Well, I think a rental makes you more flexible. Forgetting about that for a moment, it does depend on which airport you come in. Detroit has four, as far as I know, so maybe you want to check which and see the distance. I don't know about the neighbourhood.

BIBBI wrote:so, i'm still not quite understanding the reason for renting a car. if it's two miles to the OH and there's a burger king and an outback steakhouse just two blocks away, that's all within easy walking distance, unless this place doesn't have the best neighborhood.

Palladium is located on the outer rim of the Metro area. While you don't "need" to rent a car, the Warehouse isn't exactly walkable from the hotel. There are no sidewalks that lead to it as it's a woody area and also located on an industrial park. Also, there are plenty of people there who will offer rides to and from. I generally don't have a car while I'm there and get about fine. The advantage is just being able to get about without depending on strangers.

mumah wrote:

BIBBI wrote:so, i'm still not quite understanding the reason for renting a car. if it's two miles to the OH and there's a burger king and an outback steakhouse just two blocks away, that's all within easy walking distance, unless this place doesn't have the best neighborhood.

Palladium is located on the outer rim of the Metro area. While you don't "need" to rent a car, the Warehouse isn't exactly walkable from the hotel. There are no sidewalks that lead to it as it's a woody area and also located on an industrial park. Also, there are plenty of people there who will offer rides to and from. I generally don't have a car while I'm there and get about fine. The advantage is just being able to get about without depending on strangers.

Also the hotel is on one side of a highway and the PB warehouse is on the other.

And those of us driving there would be happy to give rides; it means more time to hang out with cool people!

mumah wrote:The advantage is just being able to get about without depending on strangers.

A very important advantage. It gives you flexibility and mobility.

But people at the OH are very friendly and you *may* be able to bum rides for the whole weekend.

Spinachcat wrote:

mumah wrote:The advantage is just being able to get about without depending on strangers.

A very important advantage. It gives you flexibility and mobility.

But people at the OH are very friendly and you *may* be able to bum rides for the whole weekend.

Agreed. Upon reflection, I haven't driven to any of the Open Houses, and I get around easily. However, I know a lot of people and have similar travel and schedules as other freelancers.

mumah wrote:

Spinachcat wrote:

mumah wrote:The advantage is just being able to get about without depending on strangers.

A very important advantage. It gives you flexibility and mobility.

But people at the OH are very friendly and you *may* be able to bum rides for the whole weekend.

Agreed. Upon reflection, I haven't driven to any of the Open Houses, and I get around easily. However, I know a lot of people and have similar travel and schedules as other freelancers.

Thats because you're always leeching rides off of me.

No, I leech bourbon off of you. The rides are just convenient because we tend to be going to the same places at the same times and seek out the same gender-confused service industry professionals at national chain restaurants...

mayonaise.

Waffle batter. Oh wait, that was a different city....