Another Carlisle weekend has come and gone, and already the "ViperFamily" is talking about next year.
Hotel.
Hotels continue to be a challenge, and 2015 will be no different. So, as it requires reserving at the earliest possible chance, let's start that discussion.
The Quality Inn in New Cumberland is anything but fancy. This year I was glad to see the pool didn't have a scum layer on top. I also didn't hear any complaints of non-functioning A/C units or the like. The hot water was out briefly on Friday evening (for the entire hotel,) but was up and running in the morning. While it's certainly no Hyatt or similar, it's awfully cheap, as some members paid less than $90 a night, a rarity during a Carlisle weekend for ANY hotel in the area. And of course, that remote parking lot which we mostly had to ourselves both nights is something which is VERY hard to find anywhere else in the area.
So do I bite the bullet and book there again for next year? Do we take to our Expedias and the like early to get better rates? (I'll do that for sure this time...) Or do we go back to the drawing board?
Dinner.
I personally thought Dodge City did a good job this year. 4Cruizn and I waited longer than anyone else for our food, but we also ordered from the bar and I think they "misplaced" our plates briefly. The only complaint I heard was that the waitresses didn't make a second pass for drink orders, but again I wasn't sitting at the main tables so I was somewhat removed from the discussion. The only other issue was seating - we were about 4 seats shy. I can't blame the restaurant for that at all, and it all depends on planned attendance for next year, which we won't know for quite some time.
I'd LOVE to do a catered dinner somewhere, but location will be hard to determine, and I think we'd all end up paying a loooot more, but I'm willing to look into it.
So do we book Dodge City again, or look into something new?
This is a club event, and though my wife and I try to handle these reservations on everyone's behalf, we always strive to take everyone into consideration. So voice your thoughts and suggestions. Just remember a few things:
Nicer hotel = more money. No way around it. Next price point for hotels is $130 a night - trust me, I know. I've never found a BLOCK of rooms for anywhere between the $100 and $130 range. From there it's $150 and $170 or so.
The only way dinner goes faster is with a buffet. Buffet = less selection, and often no alcohol (just based on available restaurants.) It also usually means not-quite-as-good food. (And note that the "Your Place" restaurant & buffet we used to go to is out of business, so I'd need to find something new.) I pitched the idea of booking a brewery next year to 4C, but I think finding one with enough space for us might be tricky. Still, I'll look into it.
Anyways, sorry this post is long, but I've been doing this for many years now and there's always so much to consider!
See you in 2015!
