War Scorpio | 28 Mar 2017 5:43 p.m. PST |
Sorry for the Tech mishap! Have gone to HMGS Cons for over 13 years, but never Fredericksburg, and this may be the last for this location. The past CW and Fall-In were well attended IMO, and a good time was had by all, including my son (28) and his best friend. (Who played all Historical games BTW)! My wife and I are planning to visit Fredericksburg Historicon and would like some advice on the following: 1) Lodging – we get points at Choice Hotels, so any feedback on staying at Quality Inn, travel time to the Convention Center, etc. 2) Shopping – How is Downtown, any Outlets, any notable stores? My wife will appreciate this. 3) Eating Out – We look forward to having a nice steak at Texas Roadhouse when we visit Lancaster. What are the recommendations for eating out in the area? 4) Battlefields – Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, if you had to pick, which one would you choose to go back to, and why? Lastly, most likely my Bro-In-Law and I will be Hosting Chickamauga at NJCON before Historicon. Will give more details on this 15mm Regimental Fire and Fury game in future posts. An Awesome Game!! |
Razor78 | 28 Mar 2017 6:03 p.m. PST |
The convention center is right on the edge of Central Park, a huge shopping area with a ton of restaurants. And the mall is right across the street from Central Park. Plenty of shopping!! |
JMcCarroll | 28 Mar 2017 6:15 p.m. PST |
Make sure your car AC is working. |
Tumbleweed | 28 Mar 2017 6:31 p.m. PST |
The downtown area is charming and your wife may like the smaller, privately-owned specialty stores in the older part of town along the river. When you leave the shopping park that surrounds the convention center, turn left on Route 3 and head east until you get to the last street before the river, then turn right and go up the street. You will see all of the stores on each side of the street. For battlefields, one of my personal favorites is Chancellorsville, arguably Lee's greatest victory. When you leave the shopping park that surrounds the convention center, just turn right and follow Route 3 west until you start to see the signs for the various stops that are part of the battlefield. |
historygamer | 28 Mar 2017 7:05 p.m. PST |
Funny, but dealers used to complain about attendees going off and visiting the battlefield at Gettysburg when FI was held there. |
Ember52 | 28 Mar 2017 7:13 p.m. PST |
Scorpio, As far as Choice Motels, there is a Quality Inn on Plank Road outside Fredericksburg. It's about 2.5 miles (7-10 minutes) to the Expo Center. Never stayed there but it is the back-up motel we'd identified in case we couldn't get a room at one of the 3 on site motels. It's definitely less expensive than those on site. Reviews look OK, but you might want to see if you get any responses from someone who actually stayed there during the con (or anytime in the summer season). |
pzivh43 | 29 Mar 2017 3:27 a.m. PST |
War Scorpio, My friend Tom and I are putting on a RFF game on Fri morning (right flank at Perryville) and Sat morning (left flank at Perryville). Will stop by and look over your Chickamauga game. |
redbanner4145 | 29 Mar 2017 4:40 a.m. PST |
Don't miss the German restaurant in the old train station. It is fabulous. |
Bowman | 29 Mar 2017 4:56 a.m. PST |
This isn't directed at War Scorpio, but it can get hot and humid down there. Bring extra shirts, deodorant and use the showers in the hotel rooms…….for everyone's sake. Don't miss the German restaurant in the old train station. It is fabulous. I'll do that this year! |
skedaddle | 29 Mar 2017 9:11 a.m. PST |
The Spencer Devon micro-brewery in downtown was an excellent place to get a brew and the food was great. |
Dynaman8789 | 29 Mar 2017 3:02 p.m. PST |
I can't help with your specific questions but wear quality shoes, the main floor at Hcon has no give at all. |
HMS Exeter | 29 Mar 2017 5:15 p.m. PST |
I've been to all the F'Burg HCons. I'm sorry, but I can offer essentially no guidance on points 2, 3 or 4, as I tend not to stray from the con much. There are a ton of pretty standard chain eateries within 1.5 miles of the con site, from a low of Sheetz all the way to Outback Steak. There's also a Wegmans real close and all Virginia rooms have fridges and microwaves. There are 3 "adjacent" hotels. They are pricey, and only 1 is what I'd call "adjacent.". You have basically no chance of getting into the closest. It has become something of a closed loop. They put out forms on Sunday for current guests to reserve a year in advance. If you miss that window you're pretty much out of luck. The other 2 are at least a quarter mile away, and in Virginia, in July, you can wilt pretty quick. I've been staying at the Fredericksburg Hospitality. It's cheap, clean, 1.1 mile away, and has a free bfast buffet that is the bomb. I've never used it, but a friend spoke highly of a free shuttle service that connects the con with the 3 closest hotels and the FH. The con site itself is huge. The gaming areas break out into, a) the big room which is well lit, but usually so loud it's hard to hear anything but a dull roar, and b) small side rooms that are wonderfully quiet, but very poorly lit. On-site food is C+. 3 things to consider. 1. PLAN YOUR ROUTE DOWN CAREFULLY. 95 below DC has a HIGH probability of being a hot mess. Rolling tie ups that seem to have no rhyme or reason. There are longer and slower alternatives, but they may help you avoid using your steering wheel as a chew toy. 2. Keep an eye on the weather. We've gotten pretty lucky so far, but a 100°/100% humidity weekend is a misery that is just waiting to happen. If it hits on the con weekend, be prepared. Bowman's suggestions are worthy ones. 3. You probably already know this, but for heaven's sake pre-register. Enjoy. |
shthar | 29 Mar 2017 5:39 p.m. PST |
ditto on check the ac. it will be hot. Also, have good shoes. place is 95% concrete floor. |
Old Glory | 29 Mar 2017 9:19 p.m. PST |
Not going to get into all the "distance" and "traffic" arguments-- so other then that. I love the Fredericksburg site way over Lancaster. It's the same distance from Western Pa, the restaurants, shopping, and things to see and do are over the top. It does get warm, but I like hot weather. Hotel are great. I think I will now scurry back into my bunker ???? 🤔 Regards Russ Dunaway |
jdpintex | 30 Mar 2017 1:39 a.m. PST |
1) I use points too but different brand. Try to stay on the northern side of town as it helps the commute. 95 can get weird at times Can't help with the shopping but lots of good food I like the venue much more than the dump in Lancaster. But suggestions to wear good shoes are right on. Can be noisy at times. I find it cooler than Houston but that's not saying much. |
Bosco05 | 30 Mar 2017 3:33 a.m. PST |
I like the FCC locale over the Host but it can get very loud so be prepared for that. If you're putting on a game her are a few tips - The combination of a concrete floor and worn rental tables can lead to uneven surfaces so bring bring a pack of wood shims to get everything even. - Bring a few folding camp chairs – the rental chairs are ok but not the most comfortable - pack plenty of water a dehydrated gamer isn't that much fun to be around As for the area, there are plenty of options to eat at all price ranges. One of the better options if the Wegmans next to the facility. As Russ says it's hot in central VA that time of year. I also like the heat but always wear shorts, T-shirt and sandals. I try to arrive Wed night so if traffic is really bad it really doesn't impact my convention experience. |
kallman | 30 Mar 2017 4:04 p.m. PST |
Bosco05 great advice about bring a pack of wood shims. Be prepared to lose your voice if you are game mastering (which I am) as the main room as others have stated is loud. There is just no getting around this. Still I really like the FCC locale as there are plenty of food choices nearby. |
pvi99th | 30 Mar 2017 5:21 p.m. PST |
1) Here is the address for the Quality Inn down the road: Quality Inn Fredericksburg, Central Park Area Address: 2310 Plank Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 2) My wife went all over shopping when we were there. There were the store in the mall outside the event itself as well as other places in town. She dropped me off at the convention and off she went. 3)If you like Mexican visit Pancho Villa Restaurant. It is right in the front of the shopping area where the convention is held. When we were there it was between Ruby Tuesdays and AAA. There are also all the typical fast food places in the mall. You can check out the site link As others said, be prepared for the heat. It was brutal when we were there.
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War Scorpio | 02 Apr 2017 6:58 a.m. PST |
Many thanks to all for the great tips! Plan on getting two full days of gaming and spending in the dealer hall so the dealers will have nothing to complain about, visiting some local battlefields also. Pvi99th, my wife will drop me off as well and it looks like she will have plenty of stores to chose from. We'll hit Old Town too and check out some of the pubs you guys mentioned. Thanks again, see ya'll down there in July! |