I am chasing a Large if anyone from Aus is going, or even someone from the US!! More than happy to pay postage. Thanks

PM me if you have no firm hookup on your Large shirt... I would be happy to get one and ship it to you. I had a mate from high school from down under who passed recently, so it would just be nice to do something for one of his countrymen. BH

Thanks Bublehead will absolutely keep you in mind. I reckon this’ll be the plan. Unless there is any Aussies going.

I was there last year. I personally liked it but I like classic 1980s video games. I was there maybe 3-4 hours. There is an arcade at the end of the museum that has games to play in. I got a few high scores on some games and won a few extra tokens for the high scores. I had fun. No pinball machines, as of last year.

There are a group of 3 or 4. They will be shopping for cowboy hats.

Look back at posts 183, 185, 187 on page 4 maybe

I'll get ya one, there's about 6 of us coming from Australia that I'm aware of. Send me a PM and I'll get ya sorted

Will fit next to my cowboy hat.

Is there a TPF pin for sale area or just what is posted on the machine as you play it?

Just what is posted on the machine. There will be a lot of pins for sale. If you're looking for something specific post it in this group and over here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/2019-texas-pinball-festival-maybe-for-sale-thread

The Video Game museum is pretty cool. Just to warn you though, it has virtually no pinball related stuff.

Most (but not all) of the exhibits are home console related.

Beyond the exhibits, it does have a decent "mini-arcade" with about 25 '80s arcade games, but all video, no pinball.

It actually has MY original Game-Boy Development system on display (my former boss donated it to them when the company folded).

If you are here early/late and want a good place to go for pinball and classic arcade machines, I'd recommend Cidercade near downtown Dallas. $10 cover gets you all day play on 25 pins and 100+ arcade machines all set on free play.

https://www.cidercade.com

Many thanks to Bublehead and @macca101010, shirt sorted by the looks by a local mate I had no idea was going. Have an awesome trip you guys!!

No problem, everyone is going to have a blast.

Can definitely recommend Cidercade, as well. It's a bit of a haul to get there, but worth it if you have the time.

Free Play (http://freeplayrichardson.com/) is closer, but they have less pins and last few times I've been there the pins have been somewhat poorly maintained.

Pinball Mechanic T Shirts I’m schlepping on the plane to TPF. Very reasonable no extra charge for 2x-4x some nice detail on the printed image.

D1B49986-EBE7-42ED-9BBC-BE49B5A17C13 (resized).png

As a TPF First timer who is not staying at the Embassy Suites: how is parking at TPF if you are going to be there first thing Friday & Saturday Morning or am I better off leaving my car at the Hampton Inn 1/2 mile away?? May want to buy a few things at the show and don't really want to lug them around all day, so having the car nearby would help....

You can park at Embassy Suites for $10/day. You shouldn’t have a problem parking there if you get there before noon

We were at the Hampton last year and drove and parked at one of the other hotel parking lots across from Embassy

Just park along the street on "Avenue of the Stars" on the north side of Gaylord pkwy. I do that every year and you're super close.

I'm a moron, that's what happened. I totally forgot about that. I'll talk to my wife and her friend tonight and see if we can't come up with a list, but it might vary about the Plano, Dallas, Richardson, Garland area!

I have been making my own list. mostly restaurants since when I travel I seek out good unique food. Where I live in Wisconsin it is all supper clubs and fish frys. I love ethnic foods, Indian, Thai, Mexican. Also farm to table healthy organic type places. I have not found any nice morning breakfast spots.

I have tried to search out music venues that might have something happening Thursday and Sunday but with no luck. My wife is not keen on naked ladies reading.

My list so far is thus:
Hutchins BBQ- close
La Hacienda Ranch- BBQ and Mexican sounds like best close Mexican maybe **
Cantina Larado-upscale Mexican?
Glorias Latin Cusine-central American/Mexican
Plata Greek
Rustys Taco- cheap quick lunch
Chennal Cafe- Indian very close
Andhra cafe- Indian farther out
True Food at Legacy west- eco chic
54th st restaurant and tap- kitschy beer joint
Legacy Hall -impressive food court and stage

need a thai place

Added as suggested:
Hard Eight BBQ. It's amazing! Get the jalapeno corn! https://hardeightbbq.com/menu/

https://hardeightbbq.com/menu/

LTG : )

La Hacienda Ranch is one of the best! Steak fajitas melt in your mouth! The salsa is fantastic.
54th Street - skip it, but if you go, get the Gringo dip

I second LTG on Hard Eight BBQ. It's amazing! Get the jalapeno corn!

La Hacienda Ranch - Ew. IMO. But I haven't been there in like 10 years, literally, so maybe it's different now. (SKWilson beat me to it...I'd trust his opinion over mine given how long it's been for me..)

Legacy Hall -Holy crap the s--t is hitting the fan in this place. They've lost a LOT of shops in there in the last year. I'd be wary going there just based off memories, because who knows what places are still open there.... The occupants are NOT happy with the situation there, and the alcohol situation (the building handles all of the alcohol sales) is just janky.

Thai place.... Thai Soon in Richardson is where I usually go, but it's also REALLY close to my house, and as such, a good ways away from TPF... 15 miles? Also Bistro B in Garland, but that's even further out.....but on the upside, if you're here wed/thurs and looking for a place in the LITERAL MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, they're open *super* late!

That's too bad, the place sounded like a cool space. Plenty of other options.

I am grateful to rely on locals

Can someone planning on attending the Stern seminar please ask them about Ghostbusters code?

26 months and counting since the last update and for months now Stern just keeps saying its "in our schedule".

Thank you

We will show them who's boss and take pictures of them from behind across the auditorium.

Pinside tough!!!

Are there any natural wonders in the area or a good hike? I might want to do something outdoors if the weather is nice Friday morning: would be so refreshing versus the long dreary season in the PNW.

On GB, wondering what -exactly- might be interesting to ask... Maybe if we formulate something just right we can get something more than the SOTU answer, it's on the schedule... I haven't looked at the seminar, are the right people there to address this?

Certainly not the scale of a natural wonder but a couple years ago after Sunday tear-down I had a couple hours to kill so I went to a park a couple miles west that was on a lake and just sprawled out on a picnic table to enjoy the warm weather and sun. The flight home is always super fast because the show is so busy for so long that I' much instantly sleeping. It's a pretty urban/dense suburban area so I don't think there's "natural wonder" quality but one can always find an effective park.

-Rob
-visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC Pinball resets or my Pinball 2000 H+V Video Sync Combiner kit

North Texas is all plains, no natural wonders here. Plano does have the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. It's not far..
http://www.plano.gov/facilities/facility/details/Arbor-Hills-Nature-Preserve-20

If you like soccer, FC Dallas has a game on March 23rd.
https://www.fcdallas.com/schedule?year=2019

Skip la hacienda...go to the Blue Goose. It is a local favorite.

Not exactly close to the event, but here's some decent hiking/trails at the Heard Museum: http://www.heardmuseum.org/naturetrails

Not really hiking, but if you're up for a drive and like to be in a park yet in the middle of downtown, I can recommend Klyde Warren Park: https://www.klydewarrenpark.org/. Lots of outdoor games (e.g.: croquet, bocce ball) and some really good food trucks. You can get to downtown via light rail if you can get a ride to Parker Road station in Plano: https://www.dart.org/maps/printrailmap.asp

And while you're in the area, Cidercade isn't too far away and has a gaggle of pins: https://www.cidercade.com/

Otherwise, as mentioned before by others, the DFW area is primarily all old farm land that is now the very definition of urban sprawl.

Nobody cares about this so no.

Wrong, its one of Sterns best sellers, and is a valid question after a 26 month wait. No reason to keep being rude.

I had no trouble parking last year, paid nothing to park

yah parking was fine.

It was a big seller, so lots have a vested stake for sure. I'll ask if I'm in that seminar, haven't figured out my plan yet.

I haven't followed the issue closely, let me know if you have something specific to ask. What would you say is the major feature or problem missing from the game that I might reference? I want to be ready if they challenge back that "it's pretty much complete, what else do you want" type of response, ha.

Otherwise, I'll just ask about it being on the SOTU for so long, and nothing seems to be happening. Can they provide any insight on timing and whether it will be minor bugs or more substantial updates and why hasn't it got more priority as it was a big seller and many are looking forward to it.

Thanks. I will have a car. Is there any kind of route you'd recommend for a driving tour that has outdoor points-of-interest to stop at and would give me a good feel for the area? I'll probably do enough gaming at the show, want to do some regular vacation stuff Friday before the show, as who knows if I'll ever be back.

How about a state park? Dinosaur Valley and Possum Kingdom are each about 3 hours away.

Man that's a long drive.....but for anyone that plays Ingress, my wife set up all the Ingress/Pokemon portals inside Dinosaur Valley years ago. Those were all her submissions to Niantic!

Isn't being rude what you are asking US to do?

Crash a Stern seminar and heckle them with pointless questions about where the GB code is, when they tell you each and every month what its status is in SOTU?

Trying to figure out what information you'd expect us to glean with this obnoxious gambit.

I'm kind of wondering if they'd do anything but tow the company line from SOTU too. But the fact it's been on there for so long in a kind of delayed / pending state is kind of a mystery warranting a question too. Doesn't hurt to ask I guess.

Ohh, sounds cool, but that's probably too big of a time investment: need to get to the show for opening.

Typical touristy stuff is to visit the Book Depository building (IMHO, the tinfoil hat wearers on the Grassy Knoll are the most entertaining part - the Conspiracy Museum is better), Reunion Tower (think: different version of the Space Needle), and Six Flags.

If you're wondering why there's not much to see, it's because there isn't. There's a reason why housing is (relatively) cheap and abundant here... or at least it was before the Californians arrived

No as when I asked I said "please" (that's being polite) and asking questions is allowed and encouraged during a Q&A portion.

Why are you always so rude and insulting in nearly all of your replys? It's either that or a smart ass comment, its old. I asked a simple question politely and you ripped into me about it, just wow.

I always just put it down to CrazyLevi being a New Yorker. Nothing wrong with that.

Hey, I will ask if nobody else does, that is if I am in any Stern dog and pony show where general Q&A questions are taken by someone who might know. The only gambit is pissing off everyone else in the room and get what, the Best Groan Of The Show award? I’m game.

Is it? It went into the archive well short of the usual 3 year license period.

Perhaps sales tampered off.....

no it didn't, it was almost three years on the mark.

Dear Abby,
In preparation for the TPF my wife asks my if I can take the glass off of my games so that she can "practice". I tell her that she she can practice with the glass on.
"But I want to work on my shots" she replies
"that's cheating" I tell her "nobody will be taking their glass off for you in Texas"
"Randy, Don't argue with me, Just do it!" in her voice which means business.

I am thrilled to have a spouse who likes pinball (despite beating my friends and I) and who readily agreed to trek to Texas with me for a total pinball immersion weekend.

My games are really clean right now (cleaner than our house) and I am wondering how far I must go in submitting to her demands? Marital bliss is one thing but can't we have limits on what we must do?