In Which Mithy Plans a Hypothetical Journey to Steamcon III

Hapless followers,

I should start by first alerting you to the fact that the steampunk convention, Steamcon III has been announced and or rumored at (the above link will take you to an information page). The theme this year is "20,000 leagues under the sea", which I love multiplied by 10. Sadly, however, I cannot go to the convention this year because I am but a poor college student. Granted I'll be a graduate by then, but I'll be entering grad school and with the CSU budget cuts being as they are.... well, thank you very much Jerry Brown. I can however, plan for going in the nearby future. So, in the end, I have constructed a hypothetical trip plan for you and yours this year or in the future. I hope today's post proves helpful in the matter of visiting the future past.

Happy Trails!
Mithy

Steamcon III
(Your affordable trip guide to futures past)

Convention info:

Time: October 14, 2011 at 12pm to October 16, 2011 at 4pm
Location: Hyatt Regency Bellevue Street: 900 Bellevue Way NE,
City/Town: Bellevue, WA Website or Map: http://bellevue.hyatt.com/hya…
Event Type: convention Organized By: Diana Vick
Tickets: (based on last years prices): $55 for an adult for all convention days.
Website: Click here

Option 1:
(for the straight forward adventurer)

• Take the train (Amtrak) to Seattle and bus into Bellevue Via Soundtransit. Believe it or not, this bus will take you from the train station to the Hayatt where the convention is being held. Should you choose to stay in Seattle where the cheaper youth hostels are, you can bus in and it will only take you 40 mins max.
• when booking a hotel, Bellevue has some cheap options, but not many. There is an affordable travelodge near the Hyatt, but it is difficult to book. the info for this inn is:

11011 Northeast 8th Street

Bellevue, WA 98004

(425) 454-4967

• Overall, this option will cost you approximately $400 not counting incidentals and food. This price includes the estimated prices of train tickets, bus fare, hotel and convention admission.
  

Option 2
(for the intrepid traveler: a more adventurous option)

• Drive to Seattle. Road Trip!!! I'll be coming off the coast so my trip includes a one night stay in Portland and a trip to Powells Bookstore.
  
• Continue on to Seattle. Check in to City Hostel Seattle. or the 6th avenue inn (booked through hostelsclub.com) or any other lodging available to your budget
• Spend a day or so exploring Seattle. Visit the Space Needle or the Seattle SciFi Museum.
• Drive or bus to the convention (see above).
  
• This trip, overall, costs about $600-$700/ person. It runs a little more expensive because rather than a long weekend, this version of the trip should be considered a vacation. once again this price includes the estimated prices of train tickets, bus fare/gas, hotel and convention admission. Not food or incidentals

Further notes:

• Costumes: steampunk costumes, when in detail, can range $100-$300. plan for this in advance. It might be more cost effective to use a hot glue gun and some thrift-store savvy.
  
• merchandise: buying from vendors is a huge price deduction. be a budgeter.
  
• Food: never underestimate the power of a cooler. Most hostels provide kitchen accoutrement as well as free food. Dollar Tree stores also provide non-perishables for trip planning like soups and ramen (see the PopTart for today's excellent recipe)
  
• People: most of these prices can be cut in half by traveling in a group or in pairs. it's more fun with many!

In Other News

Punk of the Day

Lovely Linkables

Steampunk Empire
a gorgeous forum with lots of fun and funky contributions













PopTarts

Today: A recipe for $5 Spaghetti-O cassorole
(disclaimer: only $5 if ingredients are found at the dollar tree. They all can be if you look hard enough. recipe courtesy of The Red Kitchen Project)

• 1 can Spaghetti-O's
• 2 cup large croutons
• 2 tbs breadcrumbs
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese
• 2 tbs french fried onions

Process: coat small casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray. line bottom of the pan with croutons. pour spaghetti-O's on top. Cover with shredded cheese, then bread crumbs. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 mins. top with french fried onions then bake again for another 10 mins (or until piping hot). remove and eat!