I'm for Seattle or Portland.

I totally agree with Kristin about not doing a wooded spot for all the reasons she listed. Also, Jilli doesn't do camping. No, really, don't bother trying to persuade her.

The key thing that both Portland & Seattle have over anything else I've seen suggested so far, is that there's a lot to do. Lots of restaurants, bars, other good stuff. And both have good tolerance for weirdness. You know full well what I mean, you party-crazy fiends.

Seattle also has the Science Fiction museum. Oh, and that music museum, but, y'know whatever. Science. Fiction.

July or August would be good for Seattle. You'd want to avoid Seafair weekend (July 31 to Aug 2nd)as it's a bunch of crowds & noise and pricier hotels for no good reason.

Also, please, please avoid July 23 to 26 which is San Diego Comicon. We have to attend Comicon in 09. Have to.

Re: resort F2Fs... TBH, the primary reason for the F2F is to see buffistas. But the second reason is to have a lovel excuse to motivate my ass to an interesting I haven't been to or haven't been back to. And for me, there is nothing on earth less interesting than a resort/tourist destination. And, of course, I realize that this is completely a different strokes thing.

We could look at an off-season thingy though...

I was just in Asbury Park (on the Jersey Shore) in late September. All the summer madness has ended but a) the hotels are HALF (or less) of what they were before Labor Day; b) the water is still gorgeous; c) most of the fun stuff is still up and running; and d) (in the case of AP) there are about a million venues with five million bands.

I'd think this would be similar in many vacation areas just-off-season.

I'd think this would be similar in many vacation areas just-off-season.

The disadvantage of that is late September will lose the teachers just like May.

I love Portland and adore Seattle. If the dollar were stronger I'd totally say Vancouver!!! But also, would you consider a place like Santa Fe?

What I think would be even more fun, though, would be to have it on the ferry. We could get on in Bellingham (near Seattle), and ride the ferry together up to Skagway, with fun and hijinks at either end.

I would LOVE this idea except I know there are many Buffistas who are panicking right now at the thought of not being able to LEAVE the F2F for a breather.

Heh. Trapped on a boat!!!

Seattle also has the Science Fiction museum.

You had me at hell... Science Fiction museum. Go, Seattle!

Kat, I'd love somewhere like Santa Fe. I'm for anywhere westcoastish, IOW, west of the Mississippi.

Go Tucson! Choose Tucson!

It has the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Monument(s) (East and West) within city limits, and then there's the Lechuguilla Cave less than two hours picturesque drive away, which would be an option for Buffistas coming early or staying late. Plus cool places to eat and party, reasonable hotels, easy to navigate streets....

I really would like Portland or Seattle, cause this might be F2F I could go to. I'll also point out that both have major Amtrak stations. So with the price of gas, it might be nice to have that alternatives. Of course not always cheaper, pretty certain to get you there much later than scheduled arrival time (as opposed to the extreme reliability of airlines these days - ha!). And you have to cab to the F2F (but you can arrange for people to arrive in groups and share a cab.)

Go Tucson! Choose Tucson!

Maybe too hot for the time period we are thinking of?

t waits for validation from Matt the Bruins Fan