Bob and I will kidnap you in the cult van if you're not here...

On the subject of cult vans, I can arrange the very reasonable rental of up to three (depending on availability) 12-passenger vans in Anchorage if a group decides to brave the drive to Seward and/or Homer. Technically, to get the special, I have to actually drive one of the vans, in which case I might be able to make it ludicrously cheap (think $2.50 per person per day plus gas if the van is full) using my wiles and magic, but it looks like I'll be out of the Tuesday/Wednesday south-of-Anchorage ideas. Should still be able to make it a fair price, though.

Minivans (7 passengers) are an option, too.

I may have connections for something similar (though doubtfully quite as good a deal) in Fairbanks and should know more tomorrow.

Here are ideas or things I might be able to help with:

Anchorage

• The hotel near Benihana that vysean was thinking about is the Hawthorn Suites.
  
• I may have connections with the three Midtown Hilton properties (HGI, Homewood Suites, and Hampton), as our business partners extensively with them. They have airport and downtown shuttles, or we can also do the cult van rental if people are arriving early and want to do a group activity on Friday.

Fairbanks

• I'm sure between us locals we can work on the Chena Hot Springs Resort local discount.
  
• Former coworkers run the Minnie Street B&B in Fairbanks. Not sure how it would work, but the option exists to ask them what kind of deal they can make for a large group to basically take over their B&B for the weekend! No hotel points, though...

Before I talk to any of these contacts, though, I need to have some realistic numbers of participants so I can get realistic quotes and discounts. Who needs hotel accommodations in ANC (and who's couch surfing? )? Right now vysean needs a hotel room--I'm not sure about the rest of the confirmed participants, but it appears we're not going to be booking the entire north wing of the Homewood. (I can still talk to the GM even if it's only two or three rooms and see what they can do for us.) I see 8 confirmed people needing accommodations in FAI, though some will likely be sharing rooms (at least monitor and franny, and I'm up for splitting costs, too), and hopefully that number increases substantially!

I'm off from classes from March 9-15, but I work March 11-14. I *may* be able to make a deal with coworkers and trade to get Friday and Saturday off, but I won't be able to commit to that for a bit. The earlier return from Fairbanks on Monday works for me; the later one likely won't (but may be negotiable). I will, unfortunately, be unable to participate in the out-of-town trips on the 16th and 17th, as I have classes I can't miss (I originally thought they were the preceding Tuesday/Wednesday), but I'll see what I can do about the ultra-discounted cult van rate.