Staging for Worldcon

Yesterday while I was working, Lisa went and washed the Astro and started the process of cleaning it out in preparation for packing for Kansas City. After work, we refueled the minivan and picked up last-minute items from Walgreen's, where I finally cashed in the pile of points I'd accumulated with them for $50 in store credit, which is useful given how much money I've been spending lately.

Because of uncertainty over whether we'd really be able to leave on Thursday, I couldn't make hotel reservations along the way until last night. Particularly tricky is our first stop in Wendover NV, where it's Speed Week at the nearby Bonneville Salt Flats, constraining hotel capacity. Fortunately, because we can leave Thursday, that means we're actually allowed to book a hotel room tonight — most of the hotels are either full or requiring two-night stays if you want to be there on Friday or Saturday.

( Taking It In Stages )

We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Aladdin while in Kansas City. An annoyance of the property is that it apparently has no self parking at all — it's valet only. There appear to be parking garages in the area. We don't like using valet parking, even when it's free, which it is not here. Access to our vehicle during the trip without having to wait for a valet is important to us, even if we don't plan on driving anywhere. (Locals familiar with downtown Kansas City are welcome to make parking suggestions.)

We were spoiled last year at Spokane staying in the Doubletree, with the Spokane Convention Center wrapped around the hotel, and with easy access to both our vehicle (parked about as close to the room where the Business Meeting was held as was legally possible) and our hotel room. The Aladdin is a couple of blocks from the KC Convention Center, and we're not looking forward to trudging back and forth with all of our camera and computer gear.

( The Return Trip )

In a few hours, I'll be able to hand over my work to a co-worker and Lisa and I can finish packing the minivan, travelswithkuma can take his place in the Command Seat (center back seat in the car seat Lisa built for him), and hit the road. I'm anxious to get going.

2016 Worldcon Road Trip Day 1: Fernley to Wendover NV

Thanks to a generous co-worker taking over from me early, we were able to leave Fernley at 1:45 this afternoon, a bit more than an hour earlier than I originally planned. Lisa had been packing the minivan throughout the morning, so when I got the word that I could leave, all I had to do was shut down and pack away my computer, run through the secure-the-property checklist with Lisa, and we could go.

( On the Road Again )

It's just as well that we started early, because we lose an hour coming to Wendover, inasmuch as they are on Mountain Time, sensibly enough, given that their clientele is mostly coming from the east. Fortunately, tomorrow's trip is shorter than today's, and so we can afford to start a bit late if necessary.