I'd be there even if it was in a 7-11 parking lot! [Snicker]

Cari

Hope your get together works out for you. If it weren't clear across the country (the longest possible distance), and I were able, I'd be there, but illness and expense aside, it's not in the cards.

Jeanette

Might be able to convince the visiting in-laws to head over that direction if there is a casino anywhere near. Are there any? Or, I might be able to come alone, but it's an awful long drive from Richland - might be worth it to get with some people who actually understand what goes on with these machines! Keep me in touch!

My son swears by airbnb for inexpensive lodging. Haven't tried it myself, but I might!

Yes there are several casinos close by. There's two in Olympia and another real close in Rochester. Then several more just a little further out. Western WA has become over run with casinos.

Cari

I know I'd love to meet you in person Steve. What city are you going to be in?
Rodney

Well, as to where we are staying, that is open to an extent.

The reason for the trip is twofold.

1) With the gracious help of Cari-in-Oly I have purchased a MOP singer 12 clone and We are a bit concerned about shipping it.

2) Folks up there seem to really want a visit to discuss old machines, which once started, it is hard to shut me up about...

So the need is to find a place (a) Close enough to be polite to Cari and (b) central enough to allow to most folks to visit.

As to lodging, again the idea is to locate a hotel with modest conference capabilities and see if the renting of two rooms for two nights could be packaged with the conference room day use for Saturday. Now if folks have a location that is free and amenable to crazy antique machine folks, I'm all ears. Then we will just get cheap motel rooms and be done.

If we can get a conference room, I will bring up the Singer 1938 factory tour DVD for a free showing. I have permission from the Scottish folks in advance. I also have a few boards covered with felt to allow us to have a way to set machines up without damaging tables. (from our shows in museums)

I miss a day, and suddenly y'all get frisky! Obviously I'd come.

As far as I can tell, most hotels in and around Olympia have meeting rooms, which would be the most comfortable way to go. The Lacey library meeting room looks like it is already booked for Saturday afternoon, as is the one at the Tumwater library.

I do have a workable option for meeting space at my house, if nothing better is possible. It would be free and the hours flexible, but parking would be a bit complicated and there'd be no public posting of the address (RSVP'd attendees only). This also assumes that we'd only have the usual of less than 10 people attending. Not ideal, but I'm offering.

The current leading contender is the Guesthouse Inn in Tumwater. Since we would be renting two rooms for two nights they will comp us the meeting/conference room for Saturday at no charge!

Check out "Great Wolf Lodge and Grand Mound Casino". I've not been there, but know from a friend that they have an employee who helps tailor the meeting rooms to the group renting them. Check the website. We get the TV advertisements.