TIS, I loved Frisco when I was there. I also loved the Alcatraz tour! Wine country was beautiful. ANd yes, the food is great at Fisherman's Wharf. I must go back there one of these days.

But let me ask you something, let's say that H. Lawrence pulls off another Golden Age Of Gangsters Convention in Chicago next year. Would you have any objections going back to Chicago?
My personal feeling is that a place like Chicago would work for many and would be a fair location for anyone that wants to travel from anywhere in the country.

However if H. Lawrence doesn't pull it off, I just may come stay at your house!

Den chu and I can rye da coast baby, I rent a convertible mang! One wit leopard skin interiror! But chu gotta promise to kiss me if I wear da hat!


Don Cardi

DC,

I will try to make it wherever it ends up. (ok, I doubt I'd travel to Timbuktu :p )I loved Chicago. I was just tossing ideas around. So far we've had Kansas City, Miami, NYC, Chicago & San. Fran. (did I miss some?)

I have one suggestion however, no matter where it ends up, that is, preferably a hotel that is close to restaurants, shops, etc. I have no complaints about the hotel in Itasca, but it would have been nice if it was walking distance to shop/eat or just walk around. Don't you think??

Oh, and one more thing, I refuse to eat breakfast anywhere that doesn't give 3 eggs when you order a two egg breakfast.

Btw, does anyone want to throw out a "ballpark" month for this get-together???

TIS

Actually TIS, Harry Lawrence told me that he was trying to get a Hotel near the Airprot if he pulls this one off in Chicago. At least it wouldn't be in the boondocks like Itasca was! NO CAB RIDES FOR ME!

I agree that the next one, no matter where we wind up MUST be somewhere where we can walk around, or at least a short cab (UNGH )ride to other activities.


Don Cardi

DC,

Wasn't Lawrence planning on having the next convention in NYC???


TIS

Same time frame we had this one first weekend in August. As long as it is when school gets out. Chicago is fine with me. If we can stay at one of the Hilton chains Becky can get us a discount.

Chicago?? In the spring?? Don't you freeze your you-know-what's off??

Ha ha! The midwest/east can be very unpredictable weather-wise. I remember it well. When I was in NYC 2 yrs ago it was early/mid September and it was kind of muggy and hot even tho there was light rain a couple of days). It's hard to tell what the weather will be.

I must say, I would love to see NYC again. Something about that city!!!!


TIS

The Naked Cowbody did it for you, huh?



(I'm posting the image here, cuz you don't want to do an image search for "naked cowboy" -- or maybe you do )

Oh yea!!! LMAO!! I forgot about him. Is he still around?? He was a head turner, that's for sure.

Yea, I want to walk around Time Square, shop, site see, eat to my heart's content and just enjoy.


TIS

P.S. Ha ha ha...Geoff we posted at the same time. Hey, I have his picture in my photo album. Don't know if he can sing, don't know if he can play a guitar, but he looks gooood!!!

Come back, come back!! We'll go wherever you want, eat at any restaurant you like, just come back!!

Come back, come back!! We'll go wherever you want, eat at any restaurant you like, just come back!! [/QB][/quote]We'll do lunch!!! :p But I'd have to have Mary Cas join us. He's my NYC guide.

Done! It would be very funny if I got to meet you and MC at the same time, considering that he and I live about 15 minutes from one another!!

He originally had planned one for 2005 in NYC and he tried getting a sponser hotel, but was unsuccessful. So he's gone back to his roots and is trying to set one up in Chicago for 2006.


Don Cardi

Just a note to you crazy guys and gals - any hotel around Midway airport in Chicago is the same distance, if not farther, away from downtown Chicago than the Itasca hotel. Also, the area around Midway isn't the greatest.

If you were to have it in Chicago, I suggest actually staying in a downtown hotel. Then you can really walk around, shop and do touristy things. There are also hotels in the North side of Chicago, which is close to downtown and in a nicer location with lots little shops and restaurants.

Thanks DS. It's a real plus having friends who live in a city to give us input. I was wondering about that myself.

Lori & I went downtown but it was on a Sunday and many places were closed. It sure looked neat though.

If it ends up in Chicago you'll be there right??? What if it's elsewhere?


TIS

Of course I'll be there, TIS! And this time, when I drive you guys around, you won't have to inhale any car fumes!

If it's elsewhere, I'll try my best, but like Plaw, JG, and SC - it better be a place with an internet connection - fantasy sports take no vacations!

I really don't think we have to be that anal about rooms. I'm sure they have flights going between NJ and CHI daily


btw, why was I left off the list

Who are you? :p

I figured your fiancee would take care of it. She is, after all, your better half. :p

I visited the Big Apple in March of this year, and he was still there, dancing out in the middle of Times Square.

Another idea.
Have the first part of the convention onboard an Amtrak train picking up attendees. Eventually arriving in New York as a destination, and then continue the sit-down on the return journey.
Possibly even reserving a bar-car and a pullman? (now that would be a blast)

Here is the url to the amtrak page that has a link to a route map, and also at the bottom of the page the list of route's and the cities they pass thru.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSer...&cid=108007 2922209&ssid=4

Around here he is referred to as Don Geoff :p

Tony D,

I like that idea. It sounds fun meeting everyone en route and all arriving at the same time. We could party the whole way. :p I haven't got the time now to check out the Amtrack schedule, but how difficult would it be to make sure we are on the same train as we stop at individual sites. I wonder how long it'd take from CA though???

What's everyone else think?

TIS

Well, since it ends in NYC, I'm a tad prejudiced. If you could get a private party car, it sounds like it could be a great deal of fun! However, I must tell you that my husband once traveled to Florida by train because his mom was afraid of flying. He said it was awful. All of that stuff about seeing the country as you travel? Bull. The parts of the country that are near train tracks are not something that you want to see.

My father took the train home from San Diego to NY after being discharged from the Navy. He said that all he remembered of the trip was waking up three days in a row, and being told that they were still in Texas!

I never traveled Amtrack. Has anyone else recently traveled by train? If so any comments.

SB I certainly would not be in for a week long train trip with no scenic route to get to NYC, but a couple days I could handle...only because I'd know I'd be meeting friends along the way. If you have good people to hang out with I could forget whether it's scenic or not, although hopefully it'd be halfway comfortable.

We'd make the NYers pick us all up at the depot and continue the party from there. :p

TIS

Or another thought. Have this convention somewhere in the middle and we travel til East meets West, and it'll include everyone, with some of course being closer and some farther from the final destination.


TIS

TIS, don't worry, you come stay with the Babe Family. My mother will make you some good Sicilian food, we'll drink some wine, show you a good ol' NY time!!

There is a place in Philadelphia that SC told me about a while back. The ship used in GF II, The Moshulu, has been converted into a restaurant in Philadelphia at Penn's Landing.


http://www.pennslandingcorp.com/default.aspx?pn=p&flag=63


The location of the ship itself is Penn's Landing, 401 S. Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

There is a Hyatt Regency Hotel located at 201 South Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106.

ANd yes Geoff, it has HIGH SPEED WIRELESS INTERNET!!!

Just another Idea to throw around.


Don Cardi

How cool would that be, DC? Very GF!! Can we stand on the deck and pretend that we're seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time? Sounds really good, and I've been wanting to go to Philly. Haven't been there since I was a kid.

My husband went there a few months ago for business, and there was a convention in town so, boo hoo for him, his company had no choice but to book him a room at The Four Seasons. He said it was incredible.

Now, if JG only had a laptop! :rolleyes:

That's a great idea too DC! I remember a discussion about that ship. Very cool!

It's good we toss this around. We have plenty of time. Perhaps toward the end of this discussion we can have a BB poll and those who plan on attending can cast their votes and decide that way. What do you think?

IMHO, assuming enough notice (workwise), no financial pitfalls and/or personal emergencies, I'll will try to go anywhere (in the US)that everyone wants to go.

SB, thanks for the offer.


TIS