Anyone interested in a Austin gathering in early September?

This seems like a pretty good deal in downtown Austin from Priceline:

If you bid on Priceline, CI, and discover that they rent rooms by the hour as well as by the night, can you run away?

Why don't you try it and find out? You are talking about a house of ill repute, right? LOL

We may have another "participant" at our gathering from Houston. She's somebody I've traveled with several times, and we were also on the same group on the Mexican Riviera cruise last October.

rjb, I hope you're still coming to Austin.

Amusingly, CI, I am in discussions with a company that develops and operates hotels. They usually work with one of the biggest hotel chains. The plan, if it pans out, calls for me to put in the land and the developer would build the hotel. The hotel company is publicly traded but is sort of controlled by the founding family who happen to be very religious. The developer and I met a few days ago and spent hours poring over spread sheets. At some point the developer said "If you are going to be working with (hotel company) as a partner in a project involving them, you will have to undergo a background check for moral turpitude." I thought he was joking. He wasn't.
So right now I don't even spend an afternoon hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

It's probably your background with St. Teresa's poodles..

How many commitments do we have so far?

I need a count so I can prepare some goodies for attendees.

I guess the only people showing up are a) my friends from Terrell, b) our son, c) the lady from Houston, and d) PDiddie. That's four; that's all I'm ordering.

I live right here in Austin, so I certainly look foward to meeting you.

I'm sure shewolf will be there as well.

That's now six.

oh yes. do count me in. I would love to be there. :0)

I plan to be there, CI.

shewolf and edgar, Really looking forward to seeing you guys. T.

And I'm positive they won't hold it against you if you attend the meet in Austin.

Forgive my naivete, Tak, re Priceline. It asks me what part of Austin? Downtown (is that the right answer); it asks me how many stars? 3. And it asks for my bid.
But then it moves to asking for my name and credit card number, and that is where I stop. Are they going to assign me to a hotel, without me having a right to say no?

That's where you're not supposed to stop; I know it's very uncomfortable, but that's why they give out such good deals. Downtown and three stars was my request, and the trick is to underbid by 50% of what you think is a good three star in the downtown area. If the "retail" price of the room goes for an average of $150, bid $75. That's how the system works.

there are no guarantees, RJB.

I use hotwire, but they only use affiliated hotels, like priceline, so it may not be the marriott, but it won't be jack the local ripper's joint either.

(most likely if c.i. has already got the marriott, you will also.)

'Rockhead, Are "you" coming?

Just wondering; for those of us staying a bit longer than the weekend, would anybody be interested in a trek to San Antonio and other destinations around Austin? Even Fredericksburg is an interesting venue with a very good navy museum, National Museum of the Pacific War, where they have a nuke on display.