"Help a First-Time Historicon Attendee" Topic

Hey Gang!

So, I've decided I want to go to Historicon for the first time this year. I'd like to plan the very best experience as this is kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

Can you give me any advice?

What airport is nearest?
What else is there to do around the area?
Any other good recommendations?

I'll likely spend a few days there before and after the show – would be good to see any interesting historical hotspots.

Thanks in advance!

I would recommend the Richmond Airport if you can get a flight. It is slightly more convienent than Dulles or Reagan. The drive would be less stressful. There are plenty of ACW battlefields in the area (Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Chancellorsville). Gettysburg is about 3 hours north. Williamsburg and Jamestown are only 90 minutes south. Then there is D.C. Lots of dining choices in the area. There are several fine places to eat in historic Fredericksburg.

Bring a large bag and plenty cash for dealer hall . ( I was over whelmed the first time ) . I usaully do not go anywhere cause I am gaming away the days .
comfortable shoes a Must . Water for the day beers at night . Camera for lots of pictures . Breath mints …you will talk to everyone . Rumors of grumpy miserable gamers is BS , they all want to recruit you nad enjoy talkingn about games . I have never had a bad time it is a great con

Bring cash. Don't count on the ATM having any left.

Dulles is the largest airport with the most convenience. From there, you can take the bus to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum at the airport or the Metro to downtown DC. Rent a car to hit the local battlefields at Manasses, then the 6 Days campaign, Wilderness and Fredericksburg.

Oh, and bring lots of cash.

There are too many historical spots to list. All the museums of the Smithsonian are free and all are worth visiting. The capital mall itself can take a couple of days to fully explore.

If you want Battlefield sites then there are tons of them in the area…

Nearest airport is in Washington itself, Reagan National, but more flights go to Dulles – which should not be a problem if you avoid rush hour (always avoid rush hour in DC).

My first Historicon this year as well! Putting on a Leipzig game. Bringing the wife and two friends. Really looking forward to it!

See you there.

Me too, but catching a friendly guide in DC, which will minimize the hassles of coming from Hawaii…

I second the Richmond suggestion since it would be much more pleasant, but if you wanted to do the DC thing then one of those airports would work. All of the north -south highways converge at Springfield VA and the traffic there is horrifying from 3pm to 7pm.

Arrive in Fredericksburg on Wednesday. Get situated, and you can even get a game in if you wanted. Things start hot and heavy Thursday morning, ramping up through Saturday.

The flea market will have some deals, but I spend the majority of the my time dealing with the sheer enormity of the choices in the dealer area.

Preregister, Preregister, preregister. The line to do onsite registration can be long and many people get aggravated waiting in lines.

Preregister for games that you might be interested in. Look for games that look fun. Never assume that if game is booked solid that you can't get in. Drop by the GM and let them know you are interested (around 30 minutes before start). I usually bring extra figs or forces if I am doing a skirmish game.

Visit the U.S. Marine Corps museum in Quantico, Viginia. It's free, and fabulous!

Not far from Fredericksburg either.

The Elmo family made a week trip of Historicon. Flew into Reagan, stayed at a hotel near a subway line (hotel needs airport shuttle) for trips into DC to see the sights. Then got a rental car at the end of the week for the drive to Fredricksburg. From there we did battlefields, wineries and some gaming.

Plus one on the USMC museum, my family and I went there after Historicon 2012. It's got to be one of the best museums we've ever visited.

WOW! Thanks for all the amazing advice guys. I have a friend who suggested the Richmond airport as well (I have a flight credit from American, so I can pretty much fly anywhere!)

My Grandfather was a Marine, so I'll definitely take in the USMC musuem, and I'd like to investigate some of the Civil War battlefield sites as well. I think I'll plan on staying for a whole week, and yes, I'll definitely plan to bring some moolah for any sweet deals!

I'll pre-register. Looking forward to seeing what games I'll sign up for. Do you all normally bring your own armies, or play with other peoples?

Usually everything is provided by the gamemaster, armies included. You just sign up to play, and bring nothing but a desire to have fun.

I will tell you about a place that most people do not know of but IF YOU ARE A NAVAL ENTHUSIAST it will blow your mind.

The National Naval Museum is in D.C. at the old naval base/foundry. Practically no one knows it is there and it is unbelievable. Models of cruiser, battleships and even carriers in 1/48 scale… they cover a vast range of time periods and they are stunning.

Tons of Naval relics and paintings- Amazing and FREE. You have to remember to bring your drivers license to visit(still a naval base)

I visited The British Naval Museum in Portsmouth and besides having HMS Victory(which was truly incredible- lucky bastards) the US Naval Museum was actually much better.

I stronglhy suggest Colonial Willamsburg if you can swing it, Jamestown and Yorktown all within driving distance of Williamsburg, also Fort Monroe.
But many great attractions in DC also, if going North. If doing DC many great museums, Arlington Natinal Cemetery.

Have to echo The US Marine Corps Museum. One of the best I've ever visited. And free!

Four ACW battlefields nearby, too.

Are there any other pearls of wisdom on the convention itself? Things I should definitely see?

The con itself is not so large that you will miss anything, everything fits in 2 very large and a handful of smaller rooms. Wear sneakers and perhaps some earplugs, the noise in the main game area can get quite loud and the floor is concrete, if you are the type that likes to kneel down beside the table then knee guards are a good idea too. In the side rooms the floors are carpeted and the noise level is much lower.

I strongly second the idea of showing up for a game that you really want to play even if you don't have a ticket. A lot of people, unfortunately for the game-masters, get tickets and then don't show. I have never had to turn someone away from a game I am running, and I don't intend to start this time (running a WW2 game on Saturday night).

Don't take I-95 north from Fredericksburg on Sunday afternoon if you can possibly avoid it. The place becomes a parking lot.

shanyeypops,

Can give no advice on the con but I can tell you that if you rent a car be warned that the signage back there is not like out here. When you see a sign for an exit – you are AT the exit! And drive careful, especially around Fredericksburg – there is a left turn into one of the battle museums nearby that is truly life threatening (no kidding here, at all, you turn above a blind hill and cars come at you well past 50 mph from about 1/16 of a mile where the hill tops).

Back in 2006 my wife and I did two weeks in DC and the surrounding country. The one week we spent touring battle sites (mostly) we put 2000 miles on our rental car. Of course we did Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia covering French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and American Civil War sites (plus wife appeasing things like Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Williamsburg – terrific storm on the drive there. Enjoyed most of those stops, too, since they are related history)

Have fun and be safe.

Grumble87106:

What is a better option than I-95 north on Sunday if I need to get back to DC?

Vince

If traffic is bad or you don't want to take the risk, you can go west on 17 and hook up 29 into NOVA, but not a great way to get to airports.

The other option is to take 17 east to 301. 301 North to 5

We usually get past DC long before it becomes a problem and my choice for northerly routes is pretty much always 95

"If traffic is bad or you don't want to take the risk, you can go west on 17 and hook up 29 into NOVA, but not a great way to get to airports"

Unless you are flying in and out of Dulles. Allows you to miss the usual bottlenecks around the beltway.

Try to book a room now! Most of the closest hotels are already full. Don't wait until the last minute!

Shane,

Once you decide your travel plans and what non-convention sites you want to visit, here is a simple system for the days you actually spend at the convention.

Divide each day into three time slots: morning, afternoon and evening. For each day at the convention, you know you will have time for three events. Two days there means six events; three days equals nine events. An "event" can include anything from a game to a painting class, a 4 hour shopping spree, dining out with family or a 1 hour lecture with 3 hours to look around or relax. FYI, not all events will last 4 hours. Some games are longer, some are shorter.

In a few weeks, the Preliminary Events List (PEL) will come out listing all the events. (Check the HMGS web page for details.) As I recall, you can pre-register for one game a day, but you can try to walk and talk your way into as many games as you like.

Lastly, the more you pre-register for, the less time you will spend in lines.

Enjoy the games.

All good advice! Few more tips.

Someone mentioned water awhile back. It is very easy to become dehydrated. Easiest thing to do is a bottle of water. Can be refilled at the numerous watering stations throughout. Can really ruin a con quick to suffer dehydration!

There is a tendency, at least for me, to sign up for too many games since so many amazing choices. Leave some time to just stroll the area and look at the other games. Also need time for flea market and vendors area. Speaking of the vendors area I find it is so big plan a walkthrough first, really helps you get oriented. Also nothing like blowing your budget at one vendor only to find another further on had exactly what you were looking for. Take a small pad of paper and pen to note, as you walk through, places you definitely want to return to and what it is they had that caught your eye. Nothing like seeing something you want and later forgetting where you saw it!

Don't forget to check out some of the extra events, not just the games. Two shows ago spent a session working on my miniature painting. Everything, to include a tank we got to keep, was provided and some great tips. There are usually classes on figure making, terrain and various other topics that will help you sharpen your game. Also keep an eye out for any seminars you might enjoy.

And speaking of enjoying do just that, enjoy! You are among fellow "game nerds" so reveal in it!

Well, despite gross incompetency from American Airlines, my overall first experience of Historicon was a success!

Thanks to everyone who gave advice, and for all the wonderful people I met at the convention. I spent the remainder of Sunday visiting the USMC Museum, and today I visited the Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Fredericksburg battlefields. All amazing!

Pics from the con are here on my blog:

link

What's next?!

Glad you had a good time!

What's next – Fall In of course! Though I'll probably be sneaking off to Guns of August if work and health allow.

Thanks for the blog report.