Huh. I'm going to check Vegas prices again, just to see. Sometimes as the date nears they will run discounts if the hotels aren't filling.

I'm the one that pitched this in the first place. It was a lot about me just really liking Vegas.

I think we should all meet in Spokane.

The phrase "for future reference" always reads snippy to me, which is why I got defensive, but I am/was certainly not "eager to take offense".

Yep. What Kristin said. It's phrase that sounds to my ear as if the lecturer is assuming the lecturee is a fool, which for future reference, I am emphatically not. And I generally hear it being used sarcastically.

Matt, I apologize if I overreacted.

And, yep. What Kristin said, again.

For the record, I will always vote Seattle or write it in for any informal F2F location mention.

This would be because it's, sadly, the only place I can afford to go. Well, okay, not go so much as be, but you get the general idea. (When even Spokane is a non-starter, well.. you know it's time to step up the job hunt, for one thing.)

However, I'm perfectly willing to be filled with envy at gatherings all around the globe. In the last week, I've found myself green with the stuff at L.A., SF, NYC, and Chicago, and that's just counting events in the US.

So yeah, a quick scan of Vegas shows rooms sitting at about $250-$300 a night, which is a bit steep.

No need to apologize, I was being snippy. My comment wasn't meant to imply anyone is a fool, but it was intended as a sarcastic reminder after seeing an entire string of west coast alternatives suggested for something that was (at least back when it was mentioned to me) a general holiday gathering rather than a regional f2f.

edit: Ouch, $250+ a night is on the steep side. I'm guessing 10 to a room won't fly with the Vegas hotel folks, eh?

after seeing an entire string of west coast alternatives suggested for something that was (at least back when it was mentioned to me) a general holiday gathering rather than a regional f2f.

Yes, but consider who was doing the suggesting. I hardly think "Hey, let's get together at my place!" can be taken as a slight against the middle of the country. I don't automatically assume that people forget NYC exists just because they're not inviting themselves over to my apartment for the holidays.

Was it "get together at my place!" or "where shall we get together?" The former doesn't need feedback other than an RSVP. That's not the feeling I got from the posts.

From where I'm sitting, everyone's suggesting their own cities, plus Vegas and Phoenix. Maybe it's lazy and/or selfish (and I mean those terms lovingly), but it's not elitist coastalism.

Not my party, but it's probably going to be simpler for Kristin to say where she's spending New Years, and invite people to come with.

The other way -- lies insanity.

Putting my research skills where my mouth is, I looked up info on having a Little Vegas New Year's in Tunica Mississipi. Alas, while they have the slot machines and the budget buffets, they don't have the room capacity of Vegas. Everything's booked on the casino strip.

Heartbreak Hotel currently has 2 king suites available for $129 (i king bed in each) and 1 queen room (2 queen beds) available for $109. It's an Elvis theme boutique hotel located across from Graceland, so only those with a very high kitsch tolerance should consider it.

Two decent hotels I know of in Memphis proper have sorta pricey rooms available (the Hilton has standard rooms for 2 starting at $159 a night and Homewood Suites go for $149 a night for 2), but both are pretty far from Beale Street and all the downtown hotels I'd trust are either booked or astronomically expensive.

I'd be willing to provide chauffer service for up to 3 people, and can comfortably host 2 in my apartment. But I do think the ground distances involved would make things impractical for a medium to large group - anything more than 2 vehicles full would get very hard to coordinate.