Pinkfest 2013 - In Retrospect ...

[annie]

Now that everyone is back home and settled, let's take a few minutes to summarize things such as what we most liked, anything we did not like, and any suggestions for improvement for Pinkfests in the future.

I'll post mine under separate cover in a while, but in the meantime, please feel free to post yours.

Thanks again for a great Pinkfest!

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Ginger
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I love being in a big city and the excitement of seeing people on the
streets at night, world class shopping, the variety of places to eat,
the bars, the night life, the culture, so many kinds and forms of
entertainment, and the opportunity to learn. Chicago has all of these
and is so easy to get around with the L and buses.

Hotels in big cities can be expensive, but I have been able to find
affordable lodging that is safe and comfortable in Chicago. This year I
did better than in past years, and remember I have only good things to
say about the other places I have stayed, although sadly I can no longer
recommend the Red Roof Inn. The re-branded Inn of Chicago, one block off
the Magnificent Mile on Ohio, was fine in every way, location, comfort,
cleanliness, decor, room size, furnishings, lobby bar, front desk,
acceptance of diversity, and safety among some considerations.

The dinner theater and musical on Sunday were fabulous. I was
entertained at Second City and look forward to seeing one of the other
performances next year.

Lawry's was a disappointment, but I should have checked the menu. I
didn't because steak houses always have good alternatives to steaks.
Lawry's is not a steak house. I was not all that disappointed because
others obviously got what they came for in the huge servings of prime
rib and not much else. The servings were huge and for what the prime rib
diners received I thought it was fairly priced. I can't say anything
about the plate of tasteless noodles I ordered which came garnished with
a very small sectioned tomato and a few small pieces of squash and
mushroom, except that vegans, vegetarians, and pescetarians should stop
with the salad.

The other places we ate including Winberies, Ed's, Ann Sather's, and The
Berghoff, all have their own charm and special offerings*. *I was
disappointed to arrive in town to late to enjoy Hemingway's Bristo at
the Write Inn in Oak Park, but I was there in 2012 and still want to go
back. I'm sorry there was no time for the Walnut Room at Macy's downtown
and some of the dives I always try to find time to enjoy. That is a
problem of course, there is never enough time to do all one wants to do.
Every trip to Chicago I keep adding things I want to do again. This year
the surprise was the Twin Anchor. It's my new favorite bar and
restaurant except the Billy Goat Tavern may be pushing it for that
designation. Maybe the Twin Anchor can be my favorite early evening
place and the Billy Goat Tavern my late night favorite place. But then
that Thai restaurant, the name of which I cannot recall, that Laura
found for us was so good.

Several of us spent Saturday afternoon at the Chicago History Museum and
I'm grateful for Laura and Elena or whomever for suggesting it. It was
an afternoon well spent. In in the past we have attended a symphony
matinee, toured the Art Institute, taken a boat cruise on the Chicago
River, and done too many other things to recall now. I want to go back
to all of them and there is never enough time! Besides the special
friendships I have made, all of the things Chicago has to see and do
keep me coming back.

I'm careful where I go, because I read the news and see TV and like
everyone else hear about the violence that is in Chicago. Yet even
riding the bus south and then walking the rest of the way to Tommy Gun's
Garage at dusk I feel safe and the city, even in that part of town, was
surprisingly clean and well-kept. I think Chicago needs a better PR
campaign, but then too many people like to criticize and I think it's
very much overdone.

Finally, I've made friends in Chicago that have a special place in my
life although I only see them for a few days once or twice a year. I
hope they feel the same way about me. For all Chicago offers it has
become one of my favorite vacations spots and I want to come ever chance
I get. Now that BeAll is no longer happening in the spring I've got to
find a reason to go then. Maybe one of the Chicago support groups will
come up with something to justify the trip even if it's just a special
weekend!

Unfortunately, as good as the visit was, we ended with a fizzle rather
than sizzle. I think we all know what caused it and in retrospect we
were caught unaware and were also probably all a bit naive with the
circumstances. I know I learned something. We want to be inclusive and
hard as it is, we are going to have to say no to some would be attendees
who want to join our gatherings. I think a policy governing situations
like this for both Pinkfest and DLV has already been adopted or will
soon be in place and posted on the web site. This policy must be
enforced firmly, I hope with understanding and kindness, but enforced
without hesitation.

I think it's also important for attendees to realize that timely RSVP's
are important and when late RSVP's happen calling one of the organizers
is in order. It's too easy for late RSVP's to go unnoticed in the flurry
of activities and poor internet connectivity travelers always suffer
from. Unfortunately, one person was offended when our plans changed
unexpectedly. She arrived at a restaurant to find no one and was unable
to contact us because she had not noted the phone number of an organizer
or even better, because we don't always hear our phones, more than one
organizer. I hope she will understand, forgive us, join us next year,
and help us organize our activities for the better!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone next fall in Chicago and I hope
to see many of you in Las Vegas this spring.

Thanks for a wonderful fall vacation!

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(This posting was entered by Ginger, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: annie
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Here's my summary of the event, mostly in chronoligical order ...

> 6:00pm: Happy Hour (Winberies) - ms
> 7:00pm: Dinner (Winberies) - ms

I always enjoy this place, both for HH and dinner. It was great as
usual this year. Very filling! :)

Winberies is a very good example of a place which is unquestionably
mainstream in nature but can be very "safe" and comfortable for those
not used to public exposure. It's about a non-intimidating a place as I
can think of. Only complaint is that they do not stock my usual brand
of domestic beer. NBD actually.

> 9:00pm: Pinkfest Welcome Social (Bar Louie) - ms

Nice little bar, but a bit noisier this year than I remember from
previous years. Again, a mainstream joint which is non-intimidating
for those who are shy of hardcore public exposure.

Lesson learned again: Don't slam down so many adult beverages just prior
to a 30 minute train ride back to the city! :)

> Thursday, October 17:
> 11:00am: Lunch With Ginger (Ann Sathers) - ms

And again, great food and service! I wish they were still open for
dinner. I understand that Ginger was stalking me on the way back. :)

> 5:00pm: Happy Hour (Twin Anchors) - ms
> 6:00pm: Dinner (Twin Anchors) - ms

Despite the issues in the kitchen, Twin Anchors is a must-do-again! Very
friendly and welcoming service, both in the bar and the dining room.
Notice that nobody, staff or customers, gave our group any second
glances.

> 8:00pm: Second City Comedy (Second City) - ms

LOL, the cast zeroed right in on the "T" part of "LGBT" very early in
the performance. :)

> 10:00pm: Social time (3160 Lounge) - sv

Although not as "exciting" as many of the Lakeview bars, this is a very
relaxing and relatively quiet place in a neighborhood dominated by loud
dance bars. I've been there three times now and I've enjoyed it every
time!

> Friday, October 18:
> 11:00am: Lunch With Ginger (The Berghoff) - ms

By the time I came back to life that morning, it was obvious that there
was no way I would be able to get there in time. Little did I know that
some of the rest of the crowd was "post-fashionably late" so I probably
could have done it. I just grabbed something on my own and headed out
to ...

> 1:30pm: Rori's Open House (Transformations By Rori) - sv

This is the first time I've seen the shop out in Arlington Heights.
Very friendly, reasonably priced, and does have a good selection.

I was afraid that I would be late for this. I missed my intended train
by a few minutes and had to wait for the next one for almost an hour. By
the time I got there, I had just walked in via the front door and
seconds later the rest of the Pinkfest gang came in via the rear.

> 10:00pm: Social time (Downtown Bar) - sv

I wandered over there at 10:00pm, expecting to see the gang. I looked
all around and did not see anyone. I expected the gang to show up soon,
so when a table open I grabbed it and camped on it for a while. I had a
drink or two (LOL, don't remember how many) and after a while I realized
that I was not enjoying the extremely loud music (I sure don't remember
it being that loud last time!) so I decided to call it a night and went
back to the hotel, which was really just around the corner.

As Murphy would have it, the very second I was past the point of no
return in getting ready for bed I got a text that they were at the bar
and waiting for me. Oh well ... :) :)

I enjoyed the Downtown Bar far better on Sunday when it was not nearly
as loud as Friday!

> Saturday, October 19:
> 12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (Ed Debevic's) - ms

Yeah it's cheesy! Yeah it's touristy! Yeah, it's rife with put-on
attitude! For some reason I like the place. :) It's a very close second
to the long-closed Ralph's Diner at the old Stardust in Las Vegas. One
thing that absolutely cracks me up each time I'm in there is the
juxtaposed "Burgers And Fries" sign with a "Same Day Service" sign that
must have come from an old plumbing shop or something. :)

As I think back, Ed's is the only venue which we've used for each and
every year at Pinkfest.

> 6:00pm: Happy Hour (Lawry's) - ms
> 7:00pm: Dinner (Lawry's) - ms

This is a very classy place. The atmosphere and service in the bar are
both great! My meal was excellent, and I'm sorry that Ginger's did not
turn out as expected. :( It's not cheap, but really, it's a good value
for what you get, assuming you like prime rib. :) It's all class and no
bull$#!+, very little upselling and no bill padding compared to a
certain other place. Salad and side are still included in the base
price.

> 9:30pm: Signature Lounge (Signature Lounge) - ms

I'm not afraid of heights, I'm afraid of falling! :) However, after a
few appropriate beverages beforehand I'm usually comfortable going up to
a place like this.

The line for the elevator to go up there looked very nasty at first, but
it moved right along. Whenever an elevator landed, the attendants packed
as many bodies in it as it could hold and sent it on its way.

When we got to the top there were people all over the place and several
lines. When I wandered over to one of the bar entrance areas, one of the
maitre d types asked me "and how many in your party" so we were seated
almost immediately.

Where we were seated we had a very good view looking south along the
shore and into the main Loop area. Yes, drinks are a bit spendy up
there, but you're really paying for the view. :)

> Sunday, October 20:
> 12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (Ginos East WELLS) - ms

This is a nice place for a lunch or brunch following an intense evening.

The main topic of discussion seemed to be what to do about dinner this
evening. A point raised, and rightly so, was that two high-end beef
oriented places on subsequent evenings was a bit much. Fast forward ...

> 5:00pm: Happy Hour (Smith and Wollensky) - ms
> 6:00pm: Dinner (Smith and Wollensky) - ms

Among the lessons learned is to balance the schedule, making last minute
and on the fly changes unnecessary. A better choice for this evening
would have been something like a fish house. Seafood places usually have
"turf" entrees as well so something like that would have given a better
level of overall satisfaction.

Another lesson learned is to be sure that everyone has contact
information! Where the process broke down this year was that those who
RSVPd after the event was underway did not get this info. Yes, we are
very informal with Pinkfest, and the consensus is that the informality
should stay. Hoever, we do need to pay more attention to detail.

One other lesson learned, from the perspective of the attendee, is that
if something that is expected to happen doesn't happen, such as getting
contact information, this needs to be reported.

Another very unfortunate lesson learned, again from the perspective of
the attendee, is to always have a confirmed hotel reservation when
attending something like this. We had one individual make contact around
noon on Saturay, driving into Chicago with no reservation. Last contact
was made when looking for a hotel out in the O'hare area. I assume this
individual gave up and left, as hotel rooms can be scarce, at any price,
on the weekends, even out in the 'burbs.

Despite a few snags, I enjoyed the extended weekend very much! I always
enjoy visiting Chicago and this eas no exception.

For lodging this year I stayed at the Hampton Inn at Illinois and
Dearborn. I've stayed here before and like it. It's a good-sized very
typical Hampton Inn room. It's a bit more expensive than the Red Roof or
Best Western type of places, but more reasonable than, say, Palmer House
or Hyatt Regency. For a relaxing vacation, I would rather pay a few more
$$$$ and get a nice room in a good location. It's a very easy and safe
walk from the Red Line Grand station, even at night.

I really did not have any transportation issues this year. The landing
at Midway was a bit rough, and the pilot apologized in advance for it,
saying that of the two runways they can use, both had about the same
crosswind. Whooooosh-BUMP-Erk! bump-bump-bump! :( They say that any
landing you can walk away from is a good one, right? :)

I did not rent a car. I've found that I enjoy Chicago better without
one. I did CTA/Metra for most of the stuff and the occasional taxi and
bummed ride (thanks again, gang!) for a few things.

I heard some horror stories about the new Ventra card for CTA, and all
of the confusion. At Midway they had a CTA lady out there by the vending
machines who was guiding everyone through the Ventra card purchase,
which went smoothly.

In conclusion (clap-clap-clap {whistle!}) this was a very good Pinkfest
overall. I enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Most of our
activities were well-attended this year.

Thanks again to all who participated, and I'm looking forward to seeing
everyone next year, if not before ... speaking of which shameless plug:

Don't forget Diva Las Vegas 2014 next year! March 30 - April 4.

Be there! :)

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(This posting was entered by annie, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Laura Wright
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Chicago has so much to offer, Pinkfest has hardly begun to scratch the
surface. Most events have been in Lakeview, River North, the Loop, or
Oak Park. There are scores of all sorts of interesting neighborhoods in
Chicago. It sounds like most people enjoyed Old Town this year with Twin
Anchors and Second City. If you have had a good time at Twin Anchors,
you might enjoy watching the film "Return to Me"...a lot of the film was
shot in the restaurant.So many visit Chicago and only see the downtown.
I think what makes Chicago a world class city is not only a vibrant
downtown but the many diverse neighborhoods.

My favorite time of year in Chicago is September. The weather is usually
warm and sunny without being too hot, and there are an unlimited number
of things to do for fun. I think the next best time is in June,
especially during Pride Week which is usually late in June. If you have
never been to the Pride parade in Chicago, you are really missing out.
Close to one million people show up. If there is a time and place to
feel more embraced for being who you are, I don't know where that might
be.

Be-All was often formerly scheduled for late May/early June. It looks
like it may continue to be on hiatus in 2014. Would anyone be
interesting in getting together in June for 2014 for Pride Week?

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(This posting was entered by Laura Wright, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: annie
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> and pescetarians should stop with the salad.

New word of the day! (Yes, I had to look that one up.) :)

Seriously, though, sorry you did not enjoy Lawry's. :(

> I'm sorry there was no time for the Walnut Room at Macy's

It seems like we've reached the point that there simply are not enough
timeslots in which to do all of our faves. This is really a Good Thing
since we have been expanding our exposure over the last several years.

Walnut Room is indeed very nice. The thing I remember most about it is
that the portion size was about twice of what I was expecting! :)

Pinkfest usually turns out to be quite the diet-buster! :)

> This year the surprise was the Twin Anchor.

Yes, this is the "find of the year" and I thank Laura for suggesting it.

I really foresee this as becoming one of the most favorite of the
Pinkfest venues. Despite the kitchen issues I really enjoyed it, both
at the bar and for dinner. It really flies under the radar! They do
very little promotion.

> and the Billy Goat Tavern my late night favorite place.

We really need to put that on next year's schedule, and from what you
were saying, it will undoubtedly be best as a late night (Mid-Rat?)
place.

> Every trip to Chicago I keep adding things I want to do again.

I have visited Chicago regularly since age 3. My first recollection of a
vacation was taking the train out to Chicago to visit relatives. I've
ended up in Chicago at least once a year on average since.

Like you, on every trip to Chicago I see countless places I want to try
and things I want to do and I know, realistically, that I'll never be
able to do all of them.

One thing I like to do, and this is not because I don't enjoy spending
time with all of you, is take an efternoon or evening off and do my own
thing. This year I spent parts of Friday and Sunday (attempting to) do
some street photography in the style of the late Vivian Maier. (Google
if you are curious.)

Sometimes I've had some disappointments. For example, I was very
disappointed when I took the evening off to visit the new (at the time)
Rivers Casino out in Des Plaines. (I did, however, really enjoy the
Horseshoe Hammond.)

> I'm careful where I go, because I read the news and see TV and
> like everyone else hear about the violence that is in Chicago.

Every city has issues such as this! :( We have local gun violence
incidents here that have become so common that they are no longer
news, and they are a real embarrassment to the area! :(

All we can do is remain streetwise and be aware of our surroundings. For
the most part we stick to areas where violent crime tends to be rare.

> I think it's also important for attendees to realize that timely
> RSVP's are important and when late RSVP's happen calling one of the
> organizers is in order.

Everyone needs to do their part to be sure we have an adequate exchange
of information. We as organizers need to be proactive in being sure that
everyone has contact info. Likewise, everyone who attends needs to speak
up promptly when something that is expected to happen does not happen,
such as the receipt of contact information.

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(This posting was entered by annie, an external user of MyDLV.)