TSA-Bash
The TSA-Bash*, or just The Bash for short, is an annual get-together for those interested in physical transformations (or furry in general, or friends with other folks who are interested in these things) for the expressed purpose of "having fun and goofing off". We've been doing this for over twenty years now and aren't about to quit anytime soon!
Generally there's two per year - a New Year's Bash that has to date been regularly in the middle Tennessee area, and a Summer Bash that changes cities every year.
Unlike furry cons, the Bash doesn't have a "conference" type quality to it. Instead, the attendees just sit around and chat, play games, go out to eat, and sometimes model fursuits. While there is a chaotic quality, the Bash does have a couple of structured events, such as a group photo or outings to the city that they're close to.
Discussions and planning for the Bash takes place via the TSA-Bash mailing list - if you're interested, join the list!
Contents
Current Bash News
The 2018 Summer Bash, being sardonically referred to by your Bash Overvixen (Viqsi) as "BrokeBash", will be held from June 29 to July 3, 2018, at the Quality Inn & Suites South/Obetz in Obetz, OH (a suburb of Columbus). Some helpful info from the announcement email:
Rooms
The unusual nature of this particular Bash's hotel circumstances is such that we did not go with a block of room reservations. Instead, contact the hotel directly to make reservations. Here's a handy link that will autofill the proper dates. They offer discounts for paying in advance and/or for non-refundable options. I recommend you make reservations promptly, as things can fill up!
Additional Costs
This stuff can get a mite expensive, y'know. I'm humbly requesting $25 per person to help with covering costs of reserving the meeting room. Any number of payment methods are possible:
- PayPal to jvc@nwcs.com
- Zelle payment transfer to jvc@nwcs.com
- Personal check, made out to me (Jo Valentine-Cooper)
Giving extra would be highly appreciated. (The actual cost is, um, considerably higher than that. By, like, a lot.)
Getting To The Bash
In General
In the past, we've handled getting folks from the airport to the Bash on a case-by-case volunteer basis - which is to say, me and anyone else foolish enough to stop by by car do airport pickups. This has served us effectively in the past and may continue to do so.
COTA (the city bus system) also stops reasonably near the hotel, along route 22 (OSU/Rickenbacker, Alum Creek Drive & Groveport Road stop). Making use of that route will be a little interesting, tho, as unlike most COTA routes it does not stop downtown. (See details below).
Via Car
Historically, this has been a popular option. We're on the National Road *and* its semiofficial replacement, so if you can find I-70 you can find us; we're at the intersection of that highway and I-71. I-75 is somewhat nearby; it intersects with I-71 near Cincinnati and with I-70 near Dayton.
Chicago-area folks and points further northwest will likely be best served by hooking up with I-70 in Indianapolis. Folks from Kentucky, Tennessee, and points further south will probably want I-65 to I-71 (which is how I normally get home from New Year's Bashes ;) ), or I-75 to I-71, or in some rare cases I-77 to I-70. Anyone in Pennsylvania or points further east will probably want to take the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which constitutes part of I-70. New York and other northeastern types should look into hooking up with I-71 in Cleveland, most likely via I-90. Canadians within car range will be condemned to the QEW, as despite much talk there *still* isn't a more or less direct route from Detroit/Windsor to Columbus. (It's possible, but it'll have you driving on rural highways.)
The hotel is located at the intersection of Alum Creek Drive and I-270 on the southwest side, in Obetz, just outside of the I-270 loop. Take the exit and follow Alum Creek Drive south, then turn right at the Wendy's. Getting in is easy, but for navigating anywhere else in the area pay VERY close attention to the signs on the roundabouts, as the Alum Creek Drive/Groveport Road intersection only lets Alum Creek Drive traffic go straight through (Groveport Road through traffic has to go along a bridge) and this WILL throw you off if you're not prepared for it.
Via Air
The vast, vast majority of passenger air traffic in the Greater Columbus Area goes through the recently renamed John Glenn Columbus International Airport (airport code CMH). Quite a few airlines come through here, but the biggest one is still Southwest Airlines; American Airlines recently wrenched second place away from Delta. Two discount airlines (Frontier and Spirit) also have stops here.
Another discount airline - Allegiant Air - makes use of the other airport in the area, Rickenbacker International Airport (which is otherwise primarily a cargo airport). This one's actually much closer to the Bash (and has direct bus service), so it's recommended.
If you plan on using Bash pickup, when you call in please let us know the following:
- the airline you're coming in on,
- your flight number,
- date of arrival, and
- your cell phone number (or some other means by which you can be RELIABLY reached at the time of pickup)
Given that information, we can get the arrival time, and we'll be there for you at the baggage claim and passenger pickup area.
You can make your way to the hotel from John Glenn via COTA. There's two options to get to Route 22:
- COTA's AirConnect service (the dedicated airport bus line) will take you downtown to the Universal COTA Bus Stop (downtown High Street), but route 22 doesn't actually go there. From there, you can take route 2 (High Street) north to the southern edge of the OSU campus area (around Chittenden Avneue), and then from there take route 22 southward.
- Alternatively, COTA Route 7 (Mount Vernon) crosses route 22 at Mount Vernon Avenue and North Champion Avenue and also leaves from John Glenn's baggage pickup; one could take it from the airport to that intersection, get off on Mount Vernon Avenue, then walk to one of the southbound bus stops on North Champion Avenue and take route 22 south.
Taking the bus from Rickenbacker is easy, as route 22 stops at Rickenbacker.
Via Bus
I'm not sure if this is still a thing anymore, but who knows? Greyhound still has their major bus stop in downtown Columbus, so it's probably an option. I haven't travelled via same in well over a decade, though, and have no idea how they do things nowadays.
If you plan on using Bash pickup, when you call in please let us know the following:
- your bus schedule number,
- date of arrival and approximate arrival time, and
- your cell phone number (or some other means by which you can be RELIABLY reached at the time of pickup)
The schedule number in some cases SHOULD be enough to get your actual arrival time, but not always.
From there, if you're content with a little more bus time, you can take COTA route #2 north to the southern edge of campus (High Street and Chittenden), then take route 22 from there south to the hotel area.
Via Train
We don't really do passenger rail service here in Ohio. Sorry. Your options are limited to the following:
- Find a coal car being run by CSX and hide in it 'till you end up in Columbus, or
- Find a time machine, go back in time a few years, and petition the Ohio legislature to make the Ohio Hub project a reality (funding was cancelled in 2015).
Otherwise, I recommend one of the other available transit options.
Via Boat
We have no commercial boating services here, as the Scioto River is not considered to be navigable by most watercraft for any number of reasons. It *does* hook up with the Missouri-Mississippi-Ohio river system at Portsmouth, so it'd be convenient if one could travel that way regularly, but alas.
If you want to try it yourself, the hotel is located roughly between the Scioto and Big Walnut Creek. Bear in mind you'd be travelling upstream, which is going to get tiring fast if you're rowing. The hotel's closer to Big Walnut Creek, but the area near Groveport Road is private property so you'd have to make arrangements with the owners (it used to be a paintball field back during Bash 2009; I'm not sure what it is nowadays). Either way, it'll be a bit of a walk once you're moored.
Via Bunny Hops
This is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN by Overvixen decree. No bunny hops will be permitted.
After-Bash Activity
The city of Upper Arlington (where I live) puts on a pretty decent Fourth of July celebration (morning parade and evening fireworks), and is celebrating its centennial at the same time. We (my parents and I) actually live on the parade route, and so we typically have friends and family come over, have breakfast, enjoy the parade, have lunch and some backyard talk and games, and so on. Consider this a general invite; if you're interested, I'll send more info out once it's available.
Comments? Questions? Anything else? Feel free to email me, or pester me on IRC or Discord if you see me there.
Planned Attendees
Planning on coming to the Bash? Add your name and info below! (Or contact Viqsi and get her to do it for you.)
Name | Coming From | Arriving | Departing | Bringing | Probability | Other Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Viqsi | central Ohio | already here | will never leave | cocktail umbrellas | 100% | organizing this thing; can't back out now ;) |
Wanderer | Texas | June 28th | sometime | ??% | ||
Kanren | Maryland | sometime | sometime | Huge bag of board games and RPG stuffs | 95% | |
Rimme | Illinois | June 29th | July 2nd | 99% | ||
Jack the Lizard | Illinois | June 29th | July 2nd | 95% |