Ok. the 10th, no problem. Either city is ok too. Just tell me where and weather I should bring anything and I am THERE! (even if a cop shows up 
)
I would really like to go, though the chances of me not having to work that weekend are pretty slim.
I’m going to keep an eye on this thread, though.
Dropzone, I live in Olympia, so email me if you’d like to say hello sometime.
I have just come back from Centralia to report on my findings regarding a Cool Place™ to meet on July 10 for the Great Northwest Dopefest.
1. The Olympic Club, 112 North Tower St. It’s a 19th century pub/hotel/theater on one of the main roads in downtown Centralia. Here is some more information about them. The atmosphere is rather dark and rustic. The bar section is off-limits to minors, and there frankly isn’t a great deal for kids to do unless they’re particularly precocious and enjoy playing billiards. I didn’t check prices there. The table seating area is limited, but has additional seating in the bar. Within 2 blocks of a small park within the city.
2. Casa Ramos, on Harrison St, right by the freeway. You can’t miss it. Good Mexican food but not unusually so. Easy to find. They have some room to put tables together if necessary. Prices about $10-12 person. (I ate there today: food + dessert + tip was $11.00.) Some ancient video games in the foyer, and crayons at the counter for children to color with.
3. Rotary Riverside Park, on Harrison & Lowe behind the Godfather’s Pizza. Good-sized park with picnic tables and shade, playground toys, baseball field, river to wade in and inner-tube on. Almost across the street from Casa Ramos, close to the freeway, very easy to find.
I’m amenable to any of the above, or one of the restaurants in conjunction with the park, or whatever. I have no kids to bring, so those Dopers who were wondering about children could now speak up and indicate how important a consideration this is going to be.
Damn it, I’m going to have to cancel. I have to work that day to cover for one of the other guys. We’re suddenly very short-handed for the busy month of July, and I’m getting a ton of overtime (so that’s some consolation).
Have a good time, everyone. Maybe next time!
Badge
I vote for a potluck at location #3. I make a damn fine low-carb spaghetti and meatballs.
Either going to the Mexican place first and then going to the park or just having a potluck at the park sounds good to me.
I was thinking we could meet at Rotary Riverside Park and move on from there. It’s easy to find, it’s outdoors, and we don’t need reservations to do it.
If we’re potlucking, obviously we’d need to plan in advance. If Czarcasm is bringing spaghetti, I’ll bring Caesar salad, I guess.
Considering how lackadaisical we’ve all been in just getting a location nailed down, it’d probably be best to err on the side of cautiion and have lunch at the Mexican restaraunt. We don’t want to show up and find we only have one pot of spaghetti and a bowl of caesar salad to feed ten plus people. 
I would have to second ** Aesiron ** on this one, seems that getting it together and deciding who would bring what will take another month. If we were going To Olympia I would have a ride, but to Centralia looks like I’m going Gray Hound, cool enough but I can see what a mess bringing a dish for 10-15 on the bus could end up.
Bummer you wont be able to make it ** Badge **. After your famous “ask the cop” thread I was really looking forward to putting a face behind the name.
Then you can bring paper plates and plasticware, Janx. 
We have two for comida mexicana and two for a picnic in the park. We need some more people in here to break the tie.
Preferably soon. We don’t want to still be planning hours before the 'fest.
The park sounds good to me.
I’ll bring hamburgers and hot dogs.
Well, since no one else seems to be stepping forward, I suppose that the park wins out three to two. I’ll bring the soda.
…and some money for the Mexican place. Just in case.
What the heck kind of Northwesterner are you?
The transplanted Southern variety.
Even with our inherent languidness, we manage to get some things done. Like wars an’ civil disobedience an’ stuff.
If we’re going to the park, look for the large dude wearing the tee-shirt that says “Metro Bail Bonds” on the front, and “Because Jail Sucks!” on the back.
Hamburgers and hot dogs? I’m not sure about that. According to this, there are no barbecue pits. I can’t say I remember seeing any, though from where I parked I didn’t get a good look at the picnic facilities.
That is, unless somebody has a grill they’d like to bring down. (I don’t own one.)
I can bring a small portable gas grill.
Okay, we have a location.
We will have:
lo-carp sbaghetti (Czarcasm)
Caesar salad (Fish)
soda (Aesiron)
hamburgers and hot dogs (Denis)
and a grill to cook them on (Czarcasm)
Now we need
a time
paper plates, cups, forks, napkins, etc.
the Straight Dope dancing girls
beer or similar
watermelon or fruit or something
a live chicken
something to do (wiffle ball, Frisbee)
a Bantha
a SDMB sign so we know who’s who and some Centralia resident doesn’t eat our hot dogs because we think he’s the host of the dopefest
I say we get together around 10am or 11am. People from outlying areas can show up late, of course.