ATPoers Community

Hi gang! See you all soon!

Just got off the phone with the UBC folks. I wanted to know if they supplied towels in the bathrooms (they do), those built-in blow-dryer thingees (they don't) and internet (yes, but only with an ethernet cable in the rooms. Wireless is in the common areas. And I think you need to supply your own cable).

I got the number for them at this website:
http://www.ubcconferences.com/accommodation/gage_towers/

Looks like the weather will probably be low 50'sF-low teensC and probably rainy while we're in Vancouver? Actually, we've had a good bit of that recently in Chicago, and I expect the same, minus the rain in SF, so I've sort of packed for it--but in any case, have to bring what I've got!

For most of us, anyway. So I thought it might be time to bring up a few practical considerations.

First, Jane, what kind of phone/computer access is there at Gage? (OK, am I the only one who still doesn't have a cell phone?) What's the phone no. there, & does it work like a hotel, w/a main number people can dial & ask to be connected w/guests' rooms? I have cousins in Vancouver, though apparently not at all close to UBC, & I'd like to be able to tell them, & my friends who'll be feeding Lil, where to reach me.

Second, are there any currency issues that those of us from south o' the border need to be aware of? Do Canadian stores accept US dollars now that they're not worth as much?

And more generally, what's the area around UBC like? What kind of things are in the area? OK, OK, I mainly want to know if there's a health food store nearby--seems likely near a university, right?

Finally, a culinary possibility: On Monday, I heard an interview w/Jennifer 8. Lee on WNYC. She says (about 8 minutes into the segment) the greatest Chinese restaurant in the whole world is in Vancouver! Well, outside Vancouver, in Richmond. In a strip mall. It's called Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine. Any of our Vancouverite hosts know it? And kin we go there, huh, kin we, huh??

I just got an email from Gage Towers asking for the names of those who are staying in the Tower Suite, to make checking in faster. They also asked if everyone wants to pay individually for their portion of the bill. I assume that is what everyone would prefer, rather than having me pay and then repaying me..
Could everyone just send me their real names? (email me at midnightsjane@livejournal.com). I know most of them, but there are a couple I'm not sure of spelling etc.
Thanks.
Not long now!

Not long now! I'm finalizing the rooms this week; looks like we're not going to need both 6 bedroom suites, so I'm cancelling one. I've booked one single room from the 4th, so Dave (as the first one to arrive) has a place to sleep on Wednesday. I'm thinking we might just keep it as backup for now (I won't be staying at Gage, but this room is on me; I don't have to pay to travel.)

If anyone has anything they'd like to do that requires advance tickets etc., please let me know. The Bard on the Beach company is showing Twelfth Night if any one is keen on seeing it. I'm planning a patio party on the Saturday at my place.

I have pick up times for those arriving at YVR, so not to fret.

Soon, folks!

ETA: Twelfth Night tickets are $33 each. I can get them for everyone who wants to come, for the Friday evening performance; there's no matinee that weekend. Okay?

ETAETA: As CW pointed out, a Friday evening Shakespeare performance might be complicated, so perhaps we'll shelve the Shakespeare in favour of just hanging out? Maybe I'm trying to overorganise this thing! My bad.

The Gathering is rapidly drawing near, so I really need to get some info from you all.
1. Are you coming? So far I have some definite yeses:
masqthephlsphr, cactuswatcher, mamculuna, dlgood, ladystarlightsj, atpolittlebit,ann1962, fresne coming from out of town. wisewoman and hankat from in town, and me of course.

Is anyone else coming? I hope that by now you pretty much know if you can or can't be here. I kind of need to know your plans, because I've reserved the rooms on my credit card, and if I don't need all of them, I will have to sort that out with Gage Towers. I know 'Bit and LadyS have rooms booked elsewhere, because they're coming early (yay! we can haz whalewatching, yes?)

So folks, please give me a yay or nay here. Also, if you know your ETA, please tell me.

Have to admit I'm starting to feel a wee bit panicked here, hoping I've made the right choice for the rooms etc.

Charles Gunn and Angel Investigations

Something has always bothered me. ( Read more... )

Can't believe it's getting so close. Hopefully by now most people have made the decision about coming to the June gathering, so once again I'm asking the question. Who's coming? I'd like to get a good idea of how many are coming, so I can make sure everything is organized with Gage Towers. BTW, I was talking to a co-worker today who lived in Gage while at university, and she says it's very nice; plain but good, and there's lots to do on campus. The bus is very close to the hotel for trips downtown etc.

I'm trying to think about good things to do while everyone is here. Is there anything in particular you would really like to see or do? I thought that one of the afternoons we might go to a matinee performance at Bard on the Beach, for those Shakespeare lovers among us. I can get tickets if you want.
Also I'm planning a patio party at my place, to show off my garden and all.
Let me know what you want, and I'll do my best to make it happen.

Two months, people!

So it's beginning to look as though Vancouver is in my plans! What's the situation now with rooms and booking--is there a space to share, or what? So sorry, Jane. I know you already explained it, but I need a refresher.

Also, what's the cheapest way to get back and forth from Seattle?

It's been awhile since I updated. I'm trying to figure out how many are coming to the June gathering, and if I need to reserve another of the six room tower suites. I just checked the Gage Towers reservation site, and it looks like there may be a few single rooms available too, for those who want their own room and bath.
I'm getting a little nervous about all this! I want it to be good, and I'm worried about having enough rooms reserved, given the fact that the one bedroom suites availability was a problem for that weekend.
Could I have a head count for those who are definitely or probably coming, please?

I spoke with the reservations person this evening about room availability and the difficulty of booking online. The reason only the 6 room suites are showing up is that they're all that's available for this particular weekend. *groan* Apparently there is a huge convention booked in for the 5th and 6th, ending on the 7th, so all the single and double rooms are reserved for that.
After the 7th, things open up a little more, so the possibility is that those who want their own rooms might have to stay in one of the six bedroom suites until the 7th or whenever a room is available.
ETA: the reservations guy also said that there is a possibility of rooms coming open if there are fewer participants in the big convention than anticipated.

Soooo. We have a couple of choices here. The following weekend, the 13th to the 16th, is a better option for the single and double rooms. The person I spoke with said it was pretty wide open for that weekend, nothing major booked in as yet. My questions are: How many of you want your own rooms? that is, a room separate from the 6-room suites. How committed are we to the first weekend? Is changing the weekend to the second one feasible or not? I know that everyone was pretty much okay with either one, but since one was chosen, I don't know what arrangements some of you might already have made. What should we do? We need to decide this ASAP, so we can make reservations before some other group comes along and books in.

I have a headache now.

Answering a question from mamculuna.

The dates are for June 5,6,7,8,9. That's assuming that some folks will arrive on Thursday the 5th, and most will leave on Monday the 9th. I've booked the 2 6-bedroom with shared bathroom suites for those dates. There is still room left in them,just let me know if you're interested. For those who don't want to share a bathroom, or prefer more space there are single and double rooms available. You can book online, or call the hotel reservations @ 604-822-1000.

So far I have one room filled: Masq, Ann, LadyH, Arethusa, Anom, CW. Depending on who else books in, we can rearrange things to suit. There's more room folks! LadyS and 'Bit are sharing a double room, Rufus is going to book her own room.

Who else is thinking about coming?

Okay folks! Here are the details:

Dates: June 5,6,7,8,9: Assuming that some will arrive on the Thursday, with most people leaving on the Monday.
Place: Gage Towers, University of BC campus. I spoke with the hotel reservations person just now, and reserved 2 of the 6 bedroom tower suites. I don't know what our numbers will be exactly, but I estimate around 12 to 15 ATPoers. Cost is slightly higher than advertised on the web site ($30/night) so ends up being $289 + tax/night. Assuming 6 people per suite, that works out to about $55 per person per night. I booked the suites using my credit card, but everyone will be able to pay for themselves at the time.
Anyone who wants to book something else (e.g. a one bedroom suite) can do so online. The woman I spoke with suggests making reservations ASAP. Cancellation policy is simply 48 hours prior to the dates notice, so if your plans change it shouldn't be a problem.

I hope this meets with your approval. I think this will be a nice, inexpensive place for to stay, not fancy, but comfortable. The UBC campus is handy to transportation downtown, has lots of places to eat, lovely botanical gardens, and the Museum of Anthropology.

For those concerned about getting from the airport to the hotel, don't worry. Jane's taxi will be waiting for you!

I spoke with Gillian from the UBC conferences office this morning. Because our group is small, there isn't any need for us to do anything more than reserve the rooms, so that's okay. The downside of being a small group is that it probably will not be possible to get a meeting room; however, the 6 room suites do have a small lounge area with TV, etc. It would be kind of like it was in Tahoe, hanging out in the living room. Is this a problem for anyone? I have to talk with reservations tomorrow about the rooms, and I'll ask them again about separate meeting rooms, but as I say, it might not be doable. I'm thinking about reserving 2 of the six room suites, which would give us space for a max of 14 people, and perhaps one of the one bedroom suites. It is possible for anyone to book a room online, so if you prefer to do your own reservation, you can do so. I will find out tomorrow what the availability of rooms is for the two weekends in question, and the final choice of date may depend on that.

Is there anyone who hasn't indicated whether you're coming or not? I'm trying to figure out numbers. I'll have a better idea of how to organize the reservations after I speak with the office tomorrow.

I decided to put this in a separate entry to make sure everyone sees it.

ETAETA: So, do you all agree that Gage Towers would be acceptable? I personally think it would be; there are other rooms and options besides the Tower Suite for those who want more privacy etc. I've checked availability for the first and second weekends in June and it looks good, but I need to call soon. They do allow cancellations with sufficient notice, so if you think you might be coming but aren't sure, we can always change the reservations. I just don't want to leave it too long, or we may be out of luck. It's up to you now! I'm happy to do whatever you guys want.

So far the poll is tied for the choice of weekend in June. If you haven't voted and have a preference, please do so.
I'm going to start calling the hotels tomorrow and will find out if one weekend is better than the other in terms of hotel choices and rates etc.
I'm not sure how many are planning on coming; our usual numbers have been around 15 or so from out of town. I am looking at booking a block of rooms, and will probably start off with 10 rooms, just so I can give the hotels a figure to work with.

I'd appreciate it if you could indicate to me if you are planning to come. I know some of you can't commit just yet, but even if you're thinking of planning to come, please say so. It's hard to organize for unknown numbers of people...Thanks!

ETA: I was just checking out hotels online, and thought about Gage Towers at UBC. It just might be the place. Inexpensive, and informal. They have a Tower Suite with 6 bedrooms, a kitchenette and a lounge with TV, shared bathroom for $259 per day flat rate. That would work out to around $50 per person with taxes etc, I think, if 7 people shared. There are also 2 bedroom suites for a max of 3 adults for $129/day. Check it out here
It would be more like the Tahoe experience, all sharing a houselike space. What do you think? UBC is just up the road from me, and easy to get to downtown from.

Okay folks, listen up! 2008 is officially here, and I have to get started on the hotel planning. So, I need everyone to decide on dates. Last night in chat it seemed most wanted either the first or second week in June. What say you?


Poll #1114199 Meet dates
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which weekend is the best for the most?

Hey folks, December is here, and I'm thinking we need to get started on the planning for the Gathering. June seems to be the month of choice for most people. Could I have a show of hands for the best weekend, and some indication of whether you're planning to come? I know it might be a little early for a lot of you, but I just need something to start with. Thanks!


Poll #1098785 2008 Gathering
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which weekend in June is the best option?

Poll #1085531 Vancouver 2008
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Let's narrow it down: Can we choose a month?

I need some sort of starting point, folks. I have a few hotels in mind, but I need more than a vague "sometime in 2008" timeframe.

Poll #1072404 2008 ATPO Gathering Dates
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What's the best date for Vancouver 2008 Gathering?

I'm starting to plan the next Gathering in Vancouver, so your input is most welcome and needed! Please, feel free to comment, advise, whatever..

ETA: the June weekend is a conflict for wisewoman. Do we want to look at earlier in June, or perhaps late May? or after the July long weekend?
It's up to you folks!