TOPIC: Any Suggestions For First Time Travelers Going to Indy?

Anyone know about parking at the hotel? I can't find via the website any cheaper local spots. I'm leery about going too far, I want to check on my car daily as it was not only broken into, but stolen the last (and first) time I went to GenCon (in Wisconsin). I also have hip problems so I have a limited walking distance per day before I'm howling in pain. Any locals know any secret safe locations?

I've heard the hotel is going to run us about 20 a day, which is a lot of money.

Parking at the Marriott is $17 per day for self-park and $21 per day for valet.

Lori

There also is a public lot on the skyway between the Marriot and the Convention center. I am not sure of the rates. The main parking company in Indy is Denison Parking Inc. 317-637-2650. (they do not have a website)

Here is map of Indy with all the parking marked.

www.indydt.com/basemap2004.pdf


The bad news on parking is that the Bears will be in town for an exhibition game on Saturday night, so parking will be bad then.

Thanks much! Well I plan on parking Tuesday and not moving my car again until I go home on Sunday!

Makes me ill to think I'll be paying 120 (which is like 170 canadian!) to park lol

Have you concidered flying in? It's quicker and I can't imagine it would cost more than the parking, if you found a good deal.

I'd still have to drive across the border then catch a flight so I'd still be paying parking one way or another -- as well it's cheap to fly within the US but terribly expensive to fly across the border. Not to mention I've had really bad runs with Customs, and find it much better for my ol'ticker to just drive and deal with Customs in a car then standing in a line in an airport. Though I am now considering parking at the airport and taking a shuttle to the hotel too!

I have enough information now to be willing to wait til GenCon is closer before making final decision.

Well see my reason for the fear and caution is at GenCon in Wisconsin, it was a lot where you had to leave your keys (so they could shuffle the cars around) I didn't want too but being my first GenCon I bit the bait and did it. The bastards gave my carkeys to some random idiot who said it was his car. Didn't check ID or anything. When I came to collect my car they gave me someone elses keys.

(Then I discovered my car was gone)

I'm so leery.

Wow That is messed up. I used to work in a garage and we always gave a ticket stub with a bar code on it. when you came back we would swipe the ticket and get your car. All of it was well catalogued.

If the customer forgot their ticket or somehow lost it we would require their Driver's license be handed to us for verification of authenticity. and to copy down the DL number and state it came from as well as the name.

No Drivers License or Permit then we couldn't legally release the car to them anyway. They could call a cop but what good could it do. Never happen during my 2 years working the lots though.

TANG can keep me going almost as well as MTN DEW!

Mmmm, Dew!
We have caffeinated Mtn. Dew in Canada, now... instead of the sugary yellow water they used to call Dew. Stupid law up here says you can't put caffeine in any "clear" pop - only colas. So my carry-on luggage coming home would be stuffed full with extra cans of flourescent yellow goodness.

But recently, someone realized: "Hey - energy drinks are allowed to contain caffeine, why can't we? We'll re-label the bottles as "Mountain Dew ENERGY" and sell 'em in Canada!"

Mmmmmm..... this will save me so much strain on the shoulder coming home the the States this year.

I always wondered how long it would be before Dew got the drugs lol.

Hi Dirtdazzy,

Last year was my first year going. Asides from all the helpful comments other people have said, here's a couple things that weren't obvious to my wife or myself:
* If you want to wander around the exhibit center, the best time is probably Thursday when it's not super crowded.
* On pain of waiting in line for hours, get your badge sent to you or at least get it on Wednesday.
* There are some GenCon convention traditions that are fun: party in the plaza(free food and music, this year on Thursday night), killer breakfast(where some dude kills of 100 people in an hour or something like that). I'm sure there's a ton of other stuff that I don't know about.
* There's a bazillion things going on. This is the place to try something new and just have fun with it.
* Gamers don't seem to go for nice restaurants and such that much, so while places like steak and shake might be completely mobbed on Saturday night, other places which are a bit more expensive are no problem, and may even take reservations.
* If you've had enough of the con, there's a decent museum + zoo downtown(per my wife). There's also a music festival, and state fair happening at the same time as GenCon.(this one from the non-gaming partner of my brother)

Hiya Apteryx,

Thanks for all the info. If I ever manage to escape from the Tavern hopefully I will get to walk some miles and look around the exhibit hall.
Again, thanks for posting all that great info! *smile*

Music festival? Who's playing? Where and When and How much?

Bluegrass.

Who's playing? No clue, next time I talk to my brother, I'll ask.

Where? see Who's playing.

How much? Has to be inexpensive if my bro' can afford to do it.