Soulriders Gathering - 2015 (With Added Lightning)

[Dracos]

I think we can call it now toward Texas.

We've got a few cities as options, but I'm thinking we'll do Houston, which seems to have the largest 'Can Make It' group.

I'll do a check of VBRO for general pricing and also a check of hotels.

I'm leaning toward a 4-5 day at most gathering, focused around a weekend.

[Merc]

If we're doing Houston, I'll note that I live in the Katy/Richmond area if you want to search there for house/hotel options (Sugar Land is also fairly close by), but feel free to look downtown or wherever.

This house from VRBO is particularly close to my place: http://www.vrbo.com/3864882ha

Highlights:
-Price is $149/night (+$10 on Fri or Sat) or $1000/week
-Extra fees: $129 for protection insurance/cleaning fee, +$10 per guest after fourth.
-House is 10-15 minutes away from mine if we want to hang out there for gaming.
-House has four bedrooms and two extra twin mattresses available.
-Internet is available with wi-fi (Note: search filter says no internet, the house description says yes. Would be worth verifying if interested in this one, but I'm going by the description)

At five people, that'd come down to $247/person for a week. At six people, $208.

If you're thinking of doing 4-5 nights instead of a week, then those prices go down a bit.

Note that I'm currently counting myself and Wyld in that count, and Wyld's intention may be to just drive from his place.

If more people start posting that they can come, then rather than having people crashing couches, since my house is so close by, an option is using my house as a secondary crash place.

Sort of on that note:
I hesitate to offer since it does mean a lot of couch crashing without house/hotel rental, but if people wanted to do it, we could do away with the house rental and just crash my place, and save the $200+/person housing cost of the trip. I'll note that I only have one guest bed (a twin) and couple of couches. Not something I'd recommend, but putting it out there.

[Merc]

http://www.vrbo.com/574064 <-- Another alternative that's near my place (15-20 minutes), with five bedrooms and has a pool in backyard (and a trampoline if someone's interested?), and also $1000/week.

Possibly cheaper than the other place depending on the amount of time we think we're gathering for.

For a week, this is definitely cheaper. For less than a week, the other house comes out to be cheaper.

There are a lot of cheaper deals further downtown as well, but I'm biased towards being near my place, so I'll leave searching of those to others. =)

[Iron Dragoon]

http://www.vrbo.com/574064

Nice f'n house.

[Iron Dragoon]

As for activities, as always I'll offer to bring a handgun or two and a rifle if people wanna go to the range and learn some stuff.

[Merc]

I will probably pass on that this time around.

[Iron Dragoon]

That's cool. If no one/not enough people are interested, it's one less thing for me to pack.

[Dracos]

I'm a bit behind on organizing this.  Been a really busy month.

[Dracos]

I haven't forgotten about this.

Will start getting pricings together this weekend.

[Dracos]

Seems one of the houses went to monthly only.

I'm pondering, though it'd possibly be a bit more expensive:
Just get a hotel by Merc's place.  Group up at Merc's place in the morning.
This allows Wyld and Merc to drive in (Net - a few hundred).
At 6 people, subtracting 2, that leaves basically 2 rooms to split.  Or basically 200 dollars each for the 4 that are there. 

hmm.  Seems about the same.

Still, hmm.  If that house is right nearby.  http://www.vrbo.com/3864882ha

Are folks comfortable with pitching in 200-250?  If so, I can book that house for sometime that month. 

Thinking possibly: Arrival on the 14th, departure on the 19th.  Looks at 976 (which is better).  I can book it, provided folks are willing there.

Ah, well, mmm.

Okay, it seems like we have 3 people okay with a house (Merc, Iddy, Me).  Wyld, Rat, Hal?  Any word on your thoughts?

[Merc]

Something to consider: Since Hal's stated that he can't confirm until closer to gathering date due to work looming right around that time period, if they come out to roughly the same, the hotel might be safer in case Hal turns out can't come.

[Carthrat]

Ugh, sorry. I have to back out for financial reasons. :/

[Halbarad]

I should be able to make this. Nothing solid around that time in my new area, so I'll go ahead and book the time.

[Iron Dragoon]

Is this still a thing?

[Merc]

I believe so, though Drac looks to be the only non-Texan if so.