"Non-convention activities during conventions" Topic

Something I have been curious about for a while is how many people that go to a multi-day gaming convention, do things other than attend the convention?

I am curious if people leave the venue other than those that don't sleep there to do other activities.

This is not meant to be a discussion of the merits of one location over another but rather a discussion on how the area impacts what, if any, other things you may do.

This past weekend in Lancaster we ate at Rockvale Outlets, attended a show at American Music Theater, and another at Sight & Sound.

In the past we have visited the Strasburg RR, The Choo Choo Barn, Kitchen Kettle Village, Bird in Hand Theater and Restaurant.

We have also been to Red Robin, Red Lobster, McDonalds, Five Guys, Walmart, KMart, JoAnn Fabrics (which I still have no idea how my wife found that), and just driven around the countryside.

While I enjoy gaming I usually spend less time than others doing that and more enjoying the area.

When we went to Fredericksburg we toured the various battlefields, went to Washington DC, and Arlington.

Gettysburg we of course toured the battlefield.

Didn't really do much at Valley Forge. Wasn't really familiar with the area enough to go too many places. We did eat at The Cheescake Factory both years though.

To me the convention is less about gaming and more about relaxing and doing things.

As a vendor, I do not get to do a lot outside of the show anymore. We did get over to the Green Dragon Market on Friday morning since we got so much setup on Thursday that we could do so early in the morning before finishing set up and getting ready for the horde.

We usually head out to dinner when we close up. We usually get a bit away from the convention location.

In the past my family would join me and we would hit the Strasburg RR and other local attractions in Lancaster before the con.

Now as a vendor we usually cannot plan on anything extra.

Is BTC for Battlefield Terrain Concepts? If so, I believe you will be seeing a lot of my wife. Not sure if you remember us but we bought several pieces on Saturday morning.

Now that the vendor hall has been redone she is willing to go there. She went there once or twice over the last 12 years and vowed never to go back. I talked her into it since it had been redone. I got some nice things out of it.

She loves them and wants more. I'm not complaining.

Thanks

For FIW and Cis-Contact Northeastern Woodland Indian (Flint & Feather) fans, there is a reconstructed Susquehannock longhouse about 4 miles from the hotel in Willow Street, PA
link

None! We wander from the vendor hall to the games to the room to check out what we bought back to the vendor hall, for three days. It's pretty great:)

There is hardly such a thing as a multi-day convention this side of the pond.

That hasn't stopped visits to local museums and battlefields.

Not on the same day as a show of course.

Best example I can think of is a trip to the Waterloo battlefield the day before Crisis in Antwerp.

At the first FCC Hcon my family went with me, we left a day early to visit Monticello and a waterpark. The heat nearly killed us – even at the waterpark.

Since the Lancaster cons are so close I just drive there with my son and all we do is attend the con. If my wife joins me for Hcon this year I will probably game and shop in the day and go places with her at night. One of the US presidents has a home near there and we want to visit all we can.

Some of us went out to lunch at the brew pub across the street, which was a nice break. I also stopped at the outlet mall on the way home.

One of the knocks on the Gettysburg cons from some of the dealers was that people would leave the con to go visit the battlefield. I have heard some did that at the FCC as well. It is a two edged sword to have a venue to offers alternative things to do.

I consider eating at Good 'N Plenty part of the convention!

Yum!

I actually walked next door to buy the Mrs. a winter coat. ( no tax on clothes there)

What surprised me this year was that there is a great Railroad museum and stream train just 20 minutes from the Host.

rrmuseumpa.org

Watching all the hot civilians being picked-up by gamers every night?

As a general thing, I stick close to the convention, but there are exceptions. I visited my son at Johns Hopkins curing the Great Trimonium Debacle, and at the old location for the SYWA Convention, everyone visited The Griffon (books and wargame supplies) two blocks away. A decent contingent of us ate at Fiddler's Green.

The Host always meant Lapp's for breakfast until Lapp's closed, and lunch at Arby's, especially when I lived in the barbaric DC region, where it's hard to find an Arby's. This convention meant dinners at Applebee's and Golden Corral, but I expect I'll be back at the Host when they reopen the restaurant for Cold Wars.

If you leave the convention, you might miss something. Usually I'd like to clone myself as it stands.

Over the decades at the Host, mostly off-site restaurants, and mostly because my wife manned the MagWeb booth. She didn't mind catch as catch can breakfasts and lunches, but dinners meant the local non-chain restaurants. On the other hand, with MagWeb gone, it's all on-site food.

We have used a convention as a springboard to spend an extra couple of days touring the local areas after the show.

Other than dinner, I stay on site. That is what I go for.

The last couple of stays I have been at a different hotel, but am returning to The Host now that it is getting renovated.

Tom

My friends and I go out for a beer and a bite to eat……always away from the Host. There are a lot of good choices around.

pvi99th….yes it is me. BTC is Battlefield Terrain Concepts. Thanks for your purchases. Looking forward to seeing you both at an upcoming show.

The area definitely impacts the show agenda for attendees. Sometimes it becomes a family event if something is near that they want to do. I rarely get to leave the sites when I am there, but my family gets moving all over.

We only go to local conventions, and we don't usually do anything else during the convention, other than possibly going home to sleep.

Let's see…

Gettysburg – I went to college in the area so I go and catch up with old friends who still reside near there for an evening. I've been to the battlefield over 20 times, but I will take new acquaintances there.

Valley Forge – pretty much stayed at the convention.

Lancaster – Eat at some of the local restaurants, and visit the outlet malls as well. When I was in college, we came over quite a few times so I got to see most of the "sights" during that time. For families there is always the escape to Hershey Park just about 20 minutes up the road or Dutch Wonderland right across the street.

While in Fredericksburg we had season passes to Kings Dominion for a bunch of roller coasters and water park while in the area.

Williamsburg Muster – I stay offsite with my family at a resort and of course make a trip or two into the historic area of Williamsburg.

As a Canadian I shop in the outlets for thigns I can't get a home (cheap Converse, socks from Johnson and Murphy, gear from the Eagles store for my nephew).

I am there to shop, hang with my friends and try out the odd new ruleset. So long as I have a good time it is a good trip.

for Lancaster I live close enough that the we just drive up for the convention. so food is the only thing I really do outside the Host. I live close enough that I have driven up to the PA Railroad Museum as a day trip.

at places like Gettysburg of Fredericksburg I would tour a Battlefield or 3 before/during and after the con….usually the Sunday before the drive home with the people I drove down with.

and at Valley forge i got to sleep in my own bed :)