# Why SE Iowa needs a furry con



## BassMan (Dec 26, 2007)

I live in Burlington, Iowa and the following is a list of reasons that area could use a furry con.

1. While Southeast Iowa may not have a huge furry presence like Orlando, The non-furries are generally a lot friendlier to furries than one may think in this region.

2. While not a major city, Burlington, IA is a major transportation hub with a regional airport that connects with Lambert St. Louis International Airport, a terminal for the Amtrak California Zephyr line (Chicago to San Francisco and vice-versa), as well as a Burlington Trailways bus terminal that connects to Greyhound in Chicago, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, Davenport (IA), Omaha, Denver, and St. Louis.

3. Burlington has several affordable motels and convention venues including The Best Western Fun City (formerly Best Western Pzazz Motor Inn, they have a great banquet hall as well as a GameWorks-style arcade, indoor/outdoor water park, bowling alley, dining, a sports bar, NASCAR simulator, a casino, and an indoor go-kart track. Only drawback: these areas are non-smoking except the casino.), Howard Johnson Hotel (Their Regancy Royal room makes possibly the best venue), Comfort Inn and Suites (another great convention facility), and the Memorial Auditorium (Home of several conventions, shows, and even sporting events. Drawback: further from the motels from most other venues, being downtown right on the riverfront.)

4. If the Burlington Bees (minor league baseball team) are in town, I can book a Brat Garden party easilly and their prices are nowhere near the prices you would get at a Major League game. Believe me, "The Hive" (Community Field) is definately worth visiting, and I believe both the staff and the fans would enjoy seeing all the fursuiters as long as their appearance is family friendly. This could also generate wonderful PR for the con!


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## Diego117 (Dec 27, 2007)

Man that just sounds like a fun place to live. 

I'm going to a con one of these days.


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## BassMan (Dec 27, 2007)

I'll be going to King Elliot's Winter Carnival next month, but that's more of a gathering than a Con. Also something I forgot to mention: If you want an indoor fursuit parade like some other cons, Best Western Fun City would be ideal!


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## Summercat (Dec 27, 2007)

Bass, I'd poke about hte various regional lists, as well as local furs, and see if anyone is interested. If you get enough of "Sounds interesting in theory", then I'd start poking about for actual pricing, as well as judging a good time.


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## lobosabio (Dec 27, 2007)

Yes, I'm not the only furry in Iowa!

Ahem...good reasons you have there but, really, what does Burlington have that, maybe, Des Moines doesn't?  Plus, Des Moines is more centrally located within the state, so that it wouldn't be such a hassle for somebody like me to drive to.


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## BassMan (Dec 28, 2007)

Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City might be good cities too. I just think of Burlington as more convenient for out-of-state travellers, considering that those cities don't have Amtrak terminals, though they do have Greyhound terminals and airports. Trust me, trains are a lot more comfortable than buses and sometimes you can get a lower fare on the train. Example: Once when I travelled from Burlington, IA to Hutchinson, KS, the Amtrak out of Ft. Madison, IA (20 miles south of Burlington) was $54 while Greyhound wanted $156 (This was leaving after a funeral to go back to the carnival route, so there was no way to get the advance rates)


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