By Tony Guo
I know this blog entry comes a bit early, but I recently returned from Dallas SCG and wanted to write with fresh memories. Rather than talk about the decks and the actual event, I'm going to discuss my travel experience to Dallas.
I flew from Houston to Dallas on Southwest (in my experience if you are flying in Texas to any of the southern states, Southwest is the cheapest). Although George Bush International Airport is closer to my home, I decided to try out Hobby Airport. I have a weird tic, where I like saying I've traveled from different airports. So far, my favorites are Helios Airport in London and Kotoka Airport in Ghana.
My first mistake was taking an early flight. The flight boarded at 6:15 am which on the surface isn't bad... but I scheduled an hour to get to the airport and another hour to check in. I woke up before 4 am (I am glad I left early since my GPS went haywire and there are few road signs guiding you to Hobby Airport). If you travel to or from Houston I would use the George Bush International Airport over the Hobby Airport.
The most important piece of traveling is picking a good hotel. Unless you are a grinder and magic is a source of income, you should treat the experience as a vacation and not cheap out on certain amenities. A good hotel can make or destroy a good experience.
My preferred hotel is the Embassy Suites. The level of cleanliness is consistently high and the staff are always incredibly nice. You get to wear a robe around, the meeting areas are gorgeous, and every room has a living room and couch (for the magic friend who is proud to say they are a leech).
The next issue is finding a great restaurant. I am a foodie, a person who takes food too seriously. If you are out of state, there is nothing like the Mexican food in Texas. My favorite place to eat in Dallas is the Blue Goose. The Goose offers a fun atmosphere and has amazing fajitas. If you are interested leave a comment and I will post my top five restaurants in Houston, Williamsburg (VA), New York City, and Philadelphia.
To conclude, unless you have a financial interest in going to an event (i.e. vendors, trade grinders, "professional players") you should treat SCG opens, Grand Prixs, and magic events as an ability to go on vacation and enjoy playing a game.
The next event I will go to is probably Grand Prix San Antonio in November. Let me know if you will be there.
No comments:
Post a Comment