Well here we are again, pretty big update this time. Remember that a lot of the changes are hidden inside compile dll files and every dll is recompiled every update so they all look like they were changed, whether the contents changed or not, so use this in combination with the official changelog to see all the changes. I also don't have any of the WWII stuff, Korean war stuff, the trainers, or the MiG-19 or JF-17 so I can't see most module-specific changes for those. Enjoy!
Shader changes:

• Changes to several shader functions, new shader file fake_lights_common.hlsl (not sure what most of this stuff does)
• changes/optimizations? To animated_fake_omni_lights2.fx and animated_fake_spot_lights2.fx, also non-animated versions
• Removed billboard_def_material effect file
• Billboard.fx added conditional alpha channel, some kind of transparency for when burning?
• Minor adjustments to debrisParticle effect
• Smoke trail shaders: added underwater smoke trail definitions (torpedos?)
• Small adjustments to color and position(?) of sparks effect
• Some change to age definition of wheel trail effect?

New temp texture, haloIntensityE954.dds
3d Model stuff:

• Tunguska model updated
• 55G6 (Nebo “Tall Rack” search radar, I think it’s an airfield static model) model updated
• B-1B model updated
• BMP-1 and BMD-1 models updated
• Durandal model updated (super low poly, probably Matra durandal anti-runway missile?)
• E-2 collision model and all LODs updated
• F-14A model updated (the old low quality AI one)
• F-16 model updated (also the old low quality AI one)
• New files, Kilo LODs json and kilo_636 LODs json
• New file, kraz-6322 json
• Kuznetsov model updated
• Malutka.edm.json updated (Malyutka AT-3 ATGM, reflectivity, spectra, and albedo values decreased significantly)
• Mi-8MTV2 collision model updated
• Palatka (super low res field tent) model updated
• Radio-st (old low poly camo netted radio station) model updated
• Destroyed Su-30 model updated
• T-90 json file updated (reflectivity values changed
• New JSON for Tigr 233036
• Trace.edm updated (looks like basic tracer bullet model)
• Tu-142, Tu-160, and Tu-95MS models updated
• Voronka_invis.edm updated (invisible crater model?)
• Wyshka.edm updated (low res watchtower or fire tower model?)

A few particleSystem changes:

• Target = “hotAir” added to several groundExplosion effects, interestingly including an effect labelled Napalm (for the promised Mk77 firebomb for the hornet?)
• Scaled up size of sparks effect in shellExplosion, increased opacity, and decreased number of sparks and lifetime of effect
• Several changes to smoke trail effect, additionally new Torpedo smoke trail, “Underwater = True”

Some changes to commented out weapon names in Server.lua, presumably used for testing and not affecting the game.
Coremods:

• C101: tons of liveries textures updated, all files labelled C-101-fuse-2
• C101: several 3d models updated: C101CC and C101EB and 2 LODs each, collision, destroyed airbrake, and destroyed wings
• C101: adjustments to suspension code
• C101: new antiskid_fail failure
• C101: 2 new special options: “Allow NS 430” and “Allow Smoke On Ground”
• Chinese assets pack:
  • JF17: small update to Nozzle flame effect, huge new effects, JF17_STARTER_FLAME and JF17_STARTER_SMOKE
  • J11A, JF17 and KJ2000: changes to types of external lights?
  • JF17: significant adjustments to SFM data and engine table (used for AI?)
  • Nozzle position of Type 200 antirunway bomb adjusted
  • C701: in section: “shape_table_data” value “life” changed from 1 to 0.4 for both TV and IR variants
  • C802AK: same “life” changed from 1 to 0.6, also new commented out values marked “--TODO”: “aim_sigma” value in seeker definition, and “final_maneuver_trig_v_lim” value in triggers_control section
  • Possible adjustments to CM802AKG_AS, definitely removed a bunch of sections such as autopilot, fuel info, etc. Not sure exactly what happened here, possible removing leftover redundant stuff?
  • LD-10 life changed to 0.3
  • LD-10: motor stats changed: boost stage impulse decreased from 260 to 242, fuel mass decreased from 60 to 57.6, sustain stage impulse from 245 to 238, fuel mass from 10 to 11.2, and burn time from 2.5 to 4 seconds.
  • PL-12: Life_Time decrease from 180 to 120, several changes to flight model including increased drag coefficients, higher max alpha, and adjusted burn times
  • SD-10: Life_Time from 180 to 120, Fi_search (total seeker head limit angle, in radians) from 1.05 to 0.175, similar adjustments to PL-12 in FM
  • BRM-1: Nr_max (Max G load) from 20 to 12, Fi_start (“launch tracking and sighting angle”) from 0.698 to 0.5, Fi_excort (“target tracking angle (sight) of the missile.”) from 0.698 to 0.8
  • BRM-1: in section “spiral_nav”, def_cone_max_dist from 10000 to 8500, autopilot max control angle from 0.8 to 0.5, in flight model, drag coefficients mostly increased, max aoa halved
  • New sensor package defined in sensors.lua, for “Winglong-1” optical and FLIR sensors, additionally a Winglong-1 SAR sensor added
  • J-11A, JF-17, and Type 200 bomb 3d models adjusted
  • JF-17 gear and interior textures and roughmets adjusted, new normal map for gear
  • Some optimization to JF-17 payload definition lua, loadout preset “PL-5Ex2, 2*GBU-12x2, BRM1x2, WMD7” replaced dual twin GBU-12 racks with dual single GBU-16s
• F-16
  • 3d model updated
  • Engine texture, normal map, and roughmet updated
  • Yellow glass texture updated
  • Significant adjustments and additions/removals in lights section of F-16C.lua (no idea how that stuff works)
• F-5E: significant adjustments to external lights section here too
• F-86: new animations for “headlights”, extend, retract, taxi, high… also more messing with external lights section
• F-14
  • Removed F-14A.lua definition file, probably wasn’t meant to be in there in the first place yet (of note, there are still a couple CV-59 Forrestal luas in there)
  • Significant adjustments to f-14b.edm.json, mostly reflectivity, spec, and albedo levels for tons of parts including gear, gear doors, canopy stuff, etc
  • 3d model and lods updated
  • 3 new textured, GreenGlow, ORB_RED, and RedGlow, plus changes to external lights texture file
• F-18
  • Spanish hornet liveries all received custom patch textures and roughmets and were updated to include them
  • 3d model and first 3 LODs updated
  • Pilot and related belts, visors, and helmet textures updated
  • Not a change, but there is a line in the lua for AGM-84H SLAM-ER to add it to loadout options, but it is commented out
  • Removed some animations from launch bar section, added animations for GestureSaluteLeft and GestureSaluteRight
  • More messing with external lights
• L-39C: External lights updated
• M2000C: Engine “smokiness_level” reduced from 0.2 to 0.02
• MQ-9 Reaper: removed landing and taxi light definitions
• Su-34: external lights updated
• Yak-52:
  • Attributes changed (I assume they are categories you can sort/search for things by): wsType_Fighter>wsType_Cruiser, Battleplanes>UAVs (lol), all categories removed (used to be categorized as an interceptor for some reason)
  • Entire lights definitions section removed
• 2 new folders in tech section, Kuznecow (Kuznetsov) and USS_Nimitz
• Stennis: new section added defining carrier illumination states, one for Nav Lights, one for AC launch state, and one for AC recovery state
• WWII aircraft: X-ray models updated and hundreds of lua changes, mostly for lights and DM stuff
• WWII: Several new bullet types defined, such as MG15, GM-81, and many different Mauser 7.92x57 shells for different tracer colors, many other small adjustments to bombs and guns as well

DCS EN and RU user manuals updated
Mission editor options: VR now disabled by default?, new VR bloom and MSAA Mask Size options
Dialogs:

• Added new options to VR options panel
• Mission editor static panel - removed “Link Offset” checkbox
• Some adjustments to mission editor route panel
• New orange text settings for multiplayer chat (For server messages)

Game options: option Play Audio While Minimized renamed to Play Audio While in Background
Some minor changes to mission editor me_aircraft.lua, not sure what any do
Changes to mission editor copy-paste function to add compatibility with ships?
Mission editor map window: significant additions to function “findValidStrikePoint” to take in new surface type variable, also new part of function to do with mouse click and when it’s near a takeoff runway? No idea. Some other tiny changes
Several other minor changes and tweaks in various editor scripts, several to do with some apparent changes to how ships are handled, some probably just fixes
Additional changes to only allow voice chat to connect if the mission isn’t a track replay and it actually is multiplayer
Mods:

• A-10C
  • Position lights flash pattern timing commented out
  • 3d model and textures updated
• AJS-37
  • Significant adjustments to RWR initialization lua, removed commented out failure definitions
  • New macro sequences (probably autostart/stop?)
  • Added new auto start and auto stop keybinds
• F-16C
  • External lights simple and complex pattern definitions removed (for collision light?)
  • New gauge part on Standby Attitude Indicator, Bank_Arrow
  • 3d model updated
  • Caucasus Coiled Viper and PG Island Style single missions updated
  • Training lesson 19 CCRP cluster bombs updated
  • New default value of Canopy tint option is 0 (which I believe means clear, not yellow)
• F-5E Cockpit 3d model and textures updated
• F-14B
  • TID2.dds updated (second texture sheet for TID screens)
  • Minor position/size adjustments for script that creates targets and datalink targets on the TID
  • New Carrier_ballcall command plus keybind
  • New external_args, ED_Flaps = 9 (Not really sure on this, possibly something for supercarrier?)
  • Added SC Request Launch and Salute commands to ground radio menu
  • Caucasus CTB campaign entirely updated plus 2 new missions, 2B - CARGO, and 2C - QRF, also CTB Cold Start version missions 1 and 3 updated, also got mission 2B and 2C
  • 3 new supercarrier quickstart missions
  • Version increased from 63 to 75
• F-18C
  • Multiple display group got new TGP_texture.tga resource
  • SMS script got new SLAM_interface.lua (for AGM-84E/H/K?)
  • HMD indication for tgp laser changed from LDT to LST (was typo I bet), and RADAR changed to RDR (for sensor track status/designation cue in AG and NAV modes according to the comment)
  • Cockpit_illumination_external argument removed (Maybe the cue to tell the cockpit lights to illuminate on the external model?)
  • Significant additions to Datalink page including SLAM embedded indication and FOV indication, plus changes to Walleye datalink display
  • Original FLIR.lua removed, replaced with FLIR_AA, FLIR_AG, FLIR_CMN, and FLIR_LSS luas, also new FLIR greyscale tool
  • New HSI_Definitions.lua, plus a couple small changes to HSI page
  • Some small tweaks to JDAM/JSOW page
  • Maverick page: Changes to crosshair rendering, new grid pos, and lots of clipping masks or something
  • Several small changes to AA radar mode, whole new definitions inside of RDR_AG page lua which says at the top is for GM mode, this stuff looks like it’s basically the whole AG radar page… (elevation caret, radar mode placeholder, arcs, course designations, designation cursor, designated target symbol…)
  • New AG radar pushbutton definitions including EXP modes, Reset, azimuth scan angles, radar gain option
  • Small adjustments to SA page display, the way EW is displayed on SA page, the FLIR point, etc (I think this is just changing how things overlap, not sure)
  • More pushbuttons, in range indications, and other tweaks to SLAM page, also new SLAM_tools.lua
  • SA page air defense symbol radii changed?
  • Lots of new definitions for SLAM embedded indication with crosshair, gimbal cross, FOV brackets, and other stuff
  • JDAM flight time flight line, and TOT PP mode display all enabled for stores page
  • Stores page also got tons of SLAM related pushbutton labels
  • HUD AG mode also got the JDAM in range and TOT indications, also new SLAMInRng indication definition
  • New AG radar parameters, blur in X and Y, contrast, gain, tactical area width, height, and Y offset
  • LTD/R switch is now ARM/SAFE instead of ARM/SAFE/AFT
  • New SLAM interface device is initialized in device_init.lua
  • Cockpit 3d model and textures updated
  • EN manual updated
  • SoH Conventional Bombing, Free Flight, and Ready on the Ramp quickstarts updated
  • New Supercarrier single missions, plus several single missions updated
  • Fixed typo in radio menu- before SC came out, SC menu options were already there, except Salute! actually read Salut!, thanks Russia

It’s over, I promise, no more hornet stuff :D

• Ka-50
  • Stick visibility clickspot added, plus options to support hiding stick
  • Cockpit 3d model and textures updated
  • Manual updated
  • Some cockpit livery roughmets and textures adjusted, some new additive effect added to Shkval
  • Huge amount of campaign missions changed
  • Single missions Altitude, Clear Tkvarcheli, Gauntlet, and South Ossetia Pirates updated
• M2000C
  • VTB indicator texture updated
  • More initialization info added to GUNS_init.lua, including info about CCRP accuracy and declination
  • New RADAR.lua
  • RDI.lua got new line, agr_elevation = 10 (Air to ground radar??)
  • New VTB page, VTB_MDO_Menu
  • Some minor tweaks to some HUD pages
  • Tons of changes to joystick and keyboard.lua input definitions
  • New special option, “TDC moves in polar coordinates”
  • Cockpit 3d model updated
• Mi-8
  • Cockpit 3d model and textures updated
  • Campaign mission 11 updated
• MiG-21bis: Every single mission, campaign, and quickstart mission has been updated, plus new images for the campaign
• TF-51D got nav light failures added to light system alongside the tons of external lights tweaking and a new FM parameter, probDisbalanceShakeLim = 70000
• UH-1H: Tiny nav light tweaks, Campaign missions 11-13 updated
• Obviously the Supercarrier was added

Scripts:

• Several small changes to Damage.lua, most notably moved or removed entire section on Mi-8MT
• Basically the entire Lights.lua has been rewritten
• Database
  • F-15C got new animations for ServiceHatches open to close and close to open
  • MiG-29A, G, K, and S got new definitions for HeadLights transitions (from off to taxi to takeoff presumably)
  • Phalanx weapon system got new reflection_limit=0.05
  • Tomahawk min and max distance definitions removed from main definition
  • M163 Vulcan changed from generic tracked vehicle to generic tracked IFV
  • Changes to Paveway II AFM weapon scheme
  • Several changes and tons more data added for LUU-2B, S-8OM, and SAB-100, all illumination weapons afaik
  • Some GBU-10/12/16 and BDU-50LGB, also KAB-1500 and KAB-500 FM changes, the variable names are sometimes literally 1 letter so I don’t know what they mean
  • BGM-109 Tomahawk mass increased from 1225 to 1440, max range increased from 460000 to 1700000
    • Additional impulse increase from 500 to 5080, fuel mass decrease from 260 to 100, and max thrust decreased from 3800 to 1900, plus several autopilot adjustments
  • S-8OM min distance from 600 to 4000 and max distance from 10000 to 4500, control delay from 17 to 7.7
  • Switched warhead from LTF_5B from simple warhead to fully defined advanced warhead
  • Localized almost every function in db_mods.lua, guess they all used to be global…
  • “Generic SAM LL search visir” sensor definition elevation increased from 70 to 90 degrees, adjusted magnification, resolution, and added new lightness_limit
  • Slightly adjusted GALLON_TO_KG constant and clarified the constant is for JP-5 fuel, then adjusted the masses of the 370 gallon, 300 gallon and F-15 external tanks
  • Added new definitions to Mi-8 pilot and copilot, commented out “can_be_playable = true”, plus role and role_display_name (Mi-8 multicrew also coming?)
  • Mi-8, Mi-24V, Ka-27, Ka-50, CH-47D, UH-60A, UH-1, Mi-28N, and OH-58D all got new headlights transition definitions as well
  • For planes, Su-27, Su-33, Su-24, Su-25, Tu-22M3 (maybe this means M4, I don’t think we have an M3 in game?), Su-39/Su-25TM, Su-24MR, Su-25T, and Yak-40 all got Headlight transitions too.
• Some small adjustments to positions and step values of Axis tune dialog
• Large list of aircraft nickname indexes for Supercarrier Ball Calls added including:
  • ‘FA-18C_hornet’ ‘F/A-18C’ ‘F-14A’ ‘F-14B’ ‘E-2C’ ‘E-2D’ ‘S-3B Tanker’ ‘S-3B’ ‘F-4E’ ‘F-4E_new’ ‘C-2’ ‘A-6’ ‘F-35’ ‘EA-6B’ and ‘A-4’ plus the associated phrases
  • Hornet ball, tomcat ball, hawkeye ball, viking ball, phantom ball, greyhound ball, lightning ball, intruder ball, prowler ball, skyhawk ball

TL;DR:

• ED are well on their way to both the AG radar and SLAM for the hornet, in fact for the SLAM there seems to be everything there except the missile itself, there are even devices that are initialized as SLAM interface devices, there’s just no way to load the missile
• Several additional names were added for the supercarrier radio, including ball calls for F-14A, F-4E, A-6, EA-6B, A-4, and most surprisingly, the F-35
• There’s some kind of new “Headlights” definition that a lot of russian aircraft got that seem to be some kind of landing/taxi light animations
• ED’s also messing with the external light system on all aircraft in general
• The two interesting things that I found in the game that didn’t change but aren’t currently implemented are basically most of the files needed for Heatblur’s Forrestal, and a napalm explosion effect.

Here are some tips that trainers that went to GO Fest last year and trainers going this year have suggested if you're attending Chicago GO Fest this year:

• "Here is my tip, go back to the hotel at 2pm and take a quick shower and change clothes and shoes. It will completely reinvigorate you. If you have food in your room it can be a lunch break."
• "Hopefully this tip doesn’t need to be used, but learn how to use your hotspot feature on your phone and make sure your friends do too. When Verizon went down for that time last year, my friend hotspotted me off his AT&T phone until it came back. Also, it helped that we had different providers, of course."
• "The biggest tip I have from last year: bring some toilet paper. They ran out pretty quickly and did not restock."
• "Bring wet wipes - don't flush them down the toilet though as they mess up the sewer systems"
• "A hat that shades your neck, more sunscreen, and a water bottle!"
• "Oh, on a related note, this might be a personal thing, but I can't not recommend hiking shoes for this event. They're comfy, last forever, and are usually pretty breathable. Just make sure they're broken in."
• "Yes. And if you don't like hiking boots or can't justify buying a pair just for this event, Rockports make an excellent substitute. If I get drawn I'm definitely wearing my work shoes to the event." ⬆️
• "Bring all battery packs and cords, sunglasses."
• "If your screen isn't OLED, make sure you don't have polarized lenses. They're a hindrance more than a help"
• "You will want to be wearing moisture wicking socks (exercise socks) to avoid your feet getting sweaty and then blistering... I mean I think I still ended up with blisters on a couple of toes but I can’t imagine how much worse it could have been... oh wow good call I was being cheap and didn’t go for the polarized... didn’t realize that could’ve been a problem"
• "Microfiber gloves or a rubber tip pen in case it rains."
• "Cooling towels are a great investment. Pour some water on it, ring out, snap it out and put on your neck. Got me through a lot of hot days in Florida. While it’s Chicago, it can still get hot."
• "Last year in Lincoln Park the food truck lines were extremely long, I would recommend you bring snacks of some sort and not rely on food trucks."
• "Little travel packs of kleenex are always a good thing to have."
• "I brought at least 2 full water bottles and filled them up throughout the day. Towards the end of the day the water stations were empty."
• "If it's hot, freeze your large unopened water bottle the night before. Wrap it in a towel and it will slowly thaw during the day. (Security allowed entry with this; 2017 GoFest). This provides a cold drink and a cold place to put your phone if it gets too hot while charging. And, a towel is a 'massively useful thing'."
• "Careful with the phone bit. Condensation is a B." ⬆️
• "Make sure you spend some time in the team lounges and play the contests, you get to rest a bit and have some fun. Also last year several areas were biozones for mons and they also had contests there too. You can win a GO Fest t-shirt, a medal, and a poster."
• "Umbrella hat. Yeah, I bet you're laughing but no, I'm serious. umbrella hat + poncho = win."
• "They 'only' allowed clear backpacks last year too, however, the park (Lincoln Park) was open to the public. People from the neighbourhood were jogging and walking their dogs, I’m assuming for legal purposes they have to add the clear backpack requirement."
• "Lincoln Park is a public park, but with Go Fest being at Grant Park this year it could be quite possible they will beef up security and be strict on the clear backpack thing. It has become a requirement for Lollapalooza, which is also held at Grant Park."
• "Wear cargo shorts, you can store your power banks and other needs in your pockets if you are not planning to bring the clear backpack..."
• "If you need to park, grab parking online beforehand and save money and stress."
• "I also sincerely suggest bringing a box of bandaids and some ointment- lots and lots of chafed ankles and blisters like whoa."
• "Mole skins or double layer socks to prevent blisters."
• "GoFest 2017 asked for clear bags/backpacks, they allowed mesh backpacks as well."
• "Get one of the waterproof pouches for phones... Bonus if your phone gets hot u can cool it off with a cold dip in cold water. Plus you can still use it in the rain, had mine for years and won't travel without it."
• "Just keep your wits about you. It's like any big city that has good neighbourhoods and iffy ones. Travel by taxi/uber is normal. They also have a pretty decent public transit system."
• "I could also give some tips too: there's a lot of convenience in Chicago, especially with food and clothes. there's also a lot of hotels in Chicago that are close to Grant park. Also, there's a ton of raids, pokestops, pokemon, and players who exist in Chicago, although most of the players in raids are actually spoofers so hopefully that doesn't cause too much commotion. But other than that, everything in Chicago is very convenient as I live in the Chicagoland area so yea, have fun guys."
• " https://www.transitchicago.com/passes/ "
• “Consider using SpotHero for parking.”

The following tip is from immewnity

"Traveling to Chicago

• Air: Both of Chicago's commercial airports have direct L train connections to downtown, so it'll be easy to get here either way. If you're flying Southwest, you'll be flying into Midway on the city's southwest side (taking the Orange Line up to into the Loop); for all other airlines, you'll be flying into O'Hare on the city's northwest side (taking the Blue Line into downtown). Both airports are the terminals of their respective L lines, so there's no chance of getting on the wrong train. If your hotel is by the airport, there's likely to be a shuttle to your hotel. I'd only recommend using a rideshare service if your flight arrives after midnight (especially since the Orange Line from Midway stops running around 1:30am), as rideshare to/from the airport is expensive.
• Train: Chicago Union Station is Amtrak's second-busiest in the nation, and connects to almost all of Amtrak's cross-country routes. Once you arrive into Union Station, you can almost assuredly take one of a dozen CTA buses right to your hotel. If no bus would get you where you need to be, Union Station has the highest concentration of taxis anywhere in the city (the L is also an option, though you need to walk about three blocks to get to a station (Quincy, Clinton Blue, or Clinton Green/Pink). For those in the greater Chicago area, you're likely already familiar with Metra or South Shore, so I'm not going to go into those specifics.
• Bus: Megabus and Greyhound both connect into Chicago with several routes, and other bus lines connect into Chicago as well. I'm not too familiar with these, but if it's the bus or driving for a lot of hours, I'd personally go bus.
• Driving: I would only recommend driving if you are staying at a hotel outside of downtown. If you're anywhere near walking distance from Grant Park, it'll cost you a lot to park anywhere (I'm talking on the order of $30-40/day on average), especially overnight, and most of the downtown hotels don't have complimentary parking. If you're from close enough where you're not getting a hotel, then park at a Metra or L station and take the train in. It's not worth the hassle of parking.

Getting around Chicago

• Bus: For most shorter trips, CTA buses are your go-to option. Buses are very frequent, so you'll rarely have to wait long for the next bus. Specific routes that may be useful are:
  • 151: Fittingly numbered the same as the original count of Pokémon, the 151 bus is definitely my favorite bus in the city. The 151 starts/ends at Union Station, goes right past the Willis Tower, heads north on Michigan Avenue just northwest of Grant Park, and continues along the lakefront and through Lincoln Park. Most hotels will be easily accessible from the 151, and if you want to check out Chicago history, the Chicago History Museum is easily accessible on this route too.
  • 29: The 29 bus is the State Street bus, taking you through one of Chicago's main shopping streets (second to Michigan Avenue). Take it northbound to get to Navy Pier!
  • 146: Want to go to the museums? Take the 146 bus to the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium. If you're looking to see Cirque du Soleil Volta at Soldier Field, or just want to see Soldier Field, this is the best bus to get you there as well.
  • 6 or 28: The only major museum that's away from everything else is the Museum of Science & Industry, located on the site of the 1893 World's Fair. You can take the 6 or 28 bus right to MSI.
• Train: The L is one of the best rapid transit systems in North America in reliability, frequency, and tacos. If you're coming from the airport, you'll be coming in on the Blue or Orange lines, but there's far more to explore than just the airports. For example, Ribfest Chicago is the same weekend as GO Fest, and you can take the Brown Line to the Irving Park station to get right there. Wanna eat like a real Chicagoan? Belmont Red/Brown/Purple stop has a variety of local favorites for all types of things: brunch (Ann Sather - you HAVE to get the cinnamon rolls), casual (CBA: Chicago Bagel Authority - over 200 steamed bagel sandwiches), and of course, late-night eats (Cheesie's - gourmet grilled cheese bar that recently started doing pizza as well).
• Cab/rideshare: Sometimes, the CTA simply won't get you where you want to go. Cabs are always roaming the streets, especially on Michigan Ave, so you'll have no trouble finding one. Uber, Lyft, and Via are the main rideshare services in Chicago, and Curb is the most popular app for getting licensed taxis.
• Car: Just don't. If you have to drive in, park, and leave it there for your duration in the city.

How to prep

• Chicago weather is extremely unpredictable - for example, we just had a day where 3 inches of snow fell, and less than 2 days later, the temperatures were in the mid 70s (Fahrenheit, of course). Just because it's practically summer doesn't mean it'll be warm, and vice versa, just because it's not summer yet doesn't mean it won't be hot. For mid June, make sure you prepare for anything between a high of 90 degrees and a low around 55 degrees. Rain is definitely a possibility, so prep for that too. If you need something last minute, there are innumerable Walgreen's and 7-Eleven stores nearby, as well as a Target at State and Madison.
• Bring water! I cannot stress that enough.
• Power outlets will be hard to come by, so portable batteries are a must.
• If it's anything like the past two years, there might be strange requirements - in 2017, umbrellas weren't allowed, for example. Read the restrictions when they get posted.

Hotels

Since I live downtown, I can't help much for specific recommendations of hotels, but there are definitely a lot to choose from. For hotels within walking distance, there are a bazillion on Michigan Ave - north of Grant Park will likely be more expensive than ones directly west or just south of Grant Park, but the higher concentration of hotels there means greater availability north of the river.
There are also a lot of hotels near the airports (more near O'Hare), so those are options as well."
​
A/N: The tips listed here have been obtained from the Pokemon GO Summer Tour / Silph Road Meetups! Discord Server and this Reddit Thread. This list will be regularly updated as I receive more tips. Feel free to comment below with some tips too and I'll add them to this list.
FYI, if you would like an invite for that server, just ask :)

Offshore gambling is typically specified as the voluntary risking of an amount of cash called a wager, stake, or wager, on the result of a video game or other occasion. Gambling is running the risk of something of value on the result of an unpredictable occasion. Gambling is main to nearly whatever we do as people. Gambling is legal in 48 of 50 states. Offshore gambling is quite a pastime.
Web gambling, for the compulsive bettor is specified as follows: Any wagering or betting, for self or others, whether for cash or not, no matter how small or unimportant, where the result doubts or relies on possibility or ability makes up gambling. Gambling establishment gambling where you slot deposit pulsa includes wagering, whether separately or in swimming pools, in games of chance where the chances of winning or losing are synthetically developed so that those who win do so (a minimum of in part) at the cost of those who lose. Offshore gambling has actually been branded the brand-new "opium of individuals" in a Church of Scotland report provided to the General Assembly. Web gambling ends up being an issue when it triggers an unfavorable effect on any location of the person's life. Web gambling establishment gambling can consist of playing the online or video lottery game video games, playing cards, dice, or dominoes, playing fruit machine, banking on sporting occasions (with or without a bookmaker), banking on the horses or greyhounds, banking on video games of ability (bowling, swimming pool, golf, video or game video games), and numerous other activities.
Offshore gambling is the brand-new pre-marital sex. Online gambling can be addicting, however just to individuals that have an addicting character. Online gambling establishments are an option grownups make about how to invest their own cash. Web gambling is a more accountable method of gambling than going to a traditional gambling establishment where there is no limitation on the quantity you loose, where you are motivated to continue gambling. Blackjack gambling online for instance, is proliferating over the last 2 years and draws in lots of business to buy this ancient video game. Gambling systems can be much better kept track of to prevent issue gambling than conventional kinds of land-based gambling. Online gambling establishments have policies in countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Antigua guarantee that customers are dealt with relatively and the video games are totally truthful. Online poker fans from the States are currently comparing this age of restriction to that of the 1920s. The level of interest in online gambling stayed fairly constant throughout the year and in fact increased in July 2001, at the same time as the intro of the Interactive Gambling Act.
Online gambling establishments as they do provide some troubles for the brand-new gamer to get accustomed to, have none of the complexities as land-based gambling establishments do. Gambling is based upon the wicked desire to get cash or products, which come from somebody else without offering reasonable worth in exchange. Offshore gambling is big company, generating substantial quantities of money and tax profits, and using countless state people. Gambling is basically an expression of a covetous spirit and in my viewpoint offshore gambling is so enticing because of the chance to get free ride. Online gambling establishments are effectively controlled in lots of parts of the world, so it can certainly be managed in the United States. If you think about gambling as a type of home entertainment, that appears to take a great deal of the mystique away, and it might be simpler to see that gambling is quite safe if one takes a look at it from a financial perspective.

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I see a ton of people having issues with the game or the way people play it, so here's a break down of what I know and hopefully it can help you!
Updated for 1.0
Everything below is mainly for newer players, more advanced players may have different play styles.
For some background.
I've been playing since early access and this will be updated for 1.0 based on my experiences.
Controls
(Hunter Mode) - Right click will give you a kind of focused hipfire.

• Right click + Shift will aim down sights

(Gunslinger Mode) - Classic FPS right click to aim down sights.

• Use V to melee with your weapon, if in Gunslinger Mode.

General Controls

• Control is Crouch
  
• Shift is Sprint
  
• F is your action button (pick up ammo, open doors)
  
• Left click when unaimed will melee
  
• E is your "Dark Vision"
  
• Tab is Map
  
• Space is Jump/Mantle
  

Here's some advice!

• There is a maximum of roughly 12 players per match, keep that in mind as you move around. Keep track of the body count to know when you are safest.
  
• You can re-roll your hunter's after a match, use this opportunity to stock up on hunters with perks that you may find useful early. These can include things like greyhound, determination, fanning and more depending on your play style.
  
• Shotguns are insane and will net you kills. Keep in mind though with shotguns comes a limited skill gap and range.
  
• Be a hard to hit target, aiming in this game has a learning curve. Avoid running in straight lines, jump around if needed and get to cover ASAP.
  
• Always lead your shots unless someone is standing perfectly still.
  
• Don't extraction camp, it may work sometime's but eventually people will start avoiding the nearest extraction.
  
• If you want to steal someones bounty your best bet is to get it before they leave the building, otherwise they could shake you and make you chase them forever.
  
• When going for the boss, if you are solo you should wait until at least a few hunters are confirmed dead before fighting, if in duos I recommend one person solo the boss and the other defend. An alternative stealth kill method will be posted below.
  
• Vitality shots should be your bread and butter. You can bring another shot or utility item along but most of your consumables should be filled with these, otherwise make sure you use the medkits on map when needed.
  
• Don't be afraid to shoot, a target that shoots and moves frequently will do better then one standing still looking for the "perfect shot".
  
• You can always find ammo at "Supply Depots" (Wagons on the map).
  
• You managed to banish the boss? Good job! Now when its time for extraction head to the furthest extraction point from you, and you will get out easier most of the time. This as stated above counters people who would be camping your closest extraction.
  
• When anticipating players look for crows flying away, downed horses screaming, or dogs/chickens freaking out. All of these are signals that a player is nearby that location.
  
• There are also audio cues you should be listening for, the game has tons of alarm systems for you. Broken glass on the floor, Chains, Cans hanging from the ceiling. Pay attention to the sounds!
  
• Dark vision can be used to track bounty carriers. Bounty carriers also get 5 seconds of basic wall vision. This allows bounty carries to have a general idea where people may be coming from or camping at.
  
• If you down a player and have no idea where or if he has a team mate, throw a lantern on his corpse. This will prevent him from being revived and keep him dead.
  
• Doors can be shot open and shot through. Doors and windows can be destroyed. Windows a basic melee will do, doors will require a map pick up weapon to destroy it the fastest. Shotguns can also blow through doors.
  
• There is some bullet penetration meaning certain surfaces can be shot through, mainly wood. Damage is reduced through these surfaces, but a headshot is still a headshot.
  
• Armored Zombies can be crippled if you shoot or knife their legs, they won't be able to chase you and you won't have to deal with them. Alternatively 3 knives, or 5 knuckles will kill them.
  
• Under tools always bring a set of dusters (brass knuckles), they one hit zombies and you can swing about 5-6 times per stamina bar versus the knife which is 3. With the addition of immolators I believe this tip is even more relevant.
  
• You can turn on lanterns that are stationary, if you shoot them later they will explode and kill or almost kill a player instantly. Also make sure to shoot red and yellow barrels if a player is nearby. Throwing a lantern onto one of these barrels will detonate it instantly.
  
• If you're new you should retire your hunters almost as soon as they are level 25. Get your levels up.
  
• As you level up you will get access to tier 2 and 3 hunters in your shuffles. They cost slightly more but usually come with some free perks and decent gear.
  
• Don't be afraid, just get in there! You'll never get better if you are constantly avoiding fights.
  
• You don't need to aim down sights always, about half the time just a right click hold is enough.(Hunter scheme)
  
• You can heal your partner using your first aid kit or shots. Don't be selfish if hes out!
  
• Health supplies and cash can be recovered from looting hunter's bodies that you killed.
  
• Make sure to upgrade your health and perks after every game.
  
• Night missions bring a different dynamic to the game, they are usually slower paced. Becareful for bush people.
  

Specific encounters:

• Fire and Butcher knife zombies should take priority when killing a pack with melee.
  
• Meatheads should be lit on fire to kill the leeches, and deal some serious damage. On average it will take two lanterns to kill a meathead fully.
  
• Armored zombies can be crippled and forgotten about or shotgunned/melee'd to death.
  
• Hellhounds can run in packs of 4 or sometimes more so be careful, you should probably avoid them but if they rush you aim for the head and put them down quick. Or hop a fence :). Some hounds also now have helmets, these will deflect shots.
  
• Hives tend to be most peoples biggest annoyance, you can put multiple shots in their chest, or 1 shot them in their head which is basically behind them. You can also melee kill them pretty quick without taking much damage if they haven't noticed you yet.
  
• The butcher takes decent damage from shotguns and melee weapons. If you want to kill him without bringing much attention to your self use a two handed melee weapon picked up from the map. These would include the sledgehammer and the axe. Full crank him once to twice then run out a door and recover your stamina and put out any burns.
  
• The spider can be considered the most annoying boss because he is a spaz. Once again he can be killed with melee in the same manner. Unlike the butcher fire does well against him. Feel free to throw lanterns. Upon taking heavy damage the spider will go into a frenzy and start pecking you constantly, make sure to run away.
  
• The assassin goes into a bug form that he uses to travel around the room. He can be hit in this form so you don't need to wait for him to fully form. Melee weapons and lanterns also do good damage. Alternatively shoot him with anything you have that hits hard. His main mechanic is he will appear and throw knives or hit you for severe bleeding.
  

My Recommendations (Personal Opinion):

• Tools: Dusters or knife. First aid kit. If you have them bring a trap either alarm traps or concertina traps.
  
• Consumables: Vitality shot x3. Or Vitality shot x2 + 1 utility item. This can include dynamite, frags, flash bombs, hive bombs ect. I recommend dynamite. Other shots including Stamina shots and Antidote shots are also amazing if you know why you are bringing them.
  
• Primary guns: Mosin, Sparks LRR, Lebel, Vertelli. These four rifles in my opinion should be your bread and butter.
  
• Shotguns: Shotguns are really strong in this game, and if that's your style you can't go wrong with any of them really.
  
• Secondary: Uppercut, Bornheim, Dolch are all really solid secondaries. Alternatively some of the other pistols really start to shine if you are running the perk Fanning. But then again I believe this category is personal preference.
  

Upgrade Points

• Most of the perks are based on your preference but some general good ones to pick up include Greyhound, Determination, Physician, and Doctor. From there you can add more perks based on your desired build like quartermaster, fanning, ect.

Advanced Tips

• All bosses can be killed easily with map pick up melee weapons including the Axe and Sledgehammer. The easiest way to take advantage of this is to bring a stamina shot with you. This will allow you to melee non-stop.
  
• The spider boss goes into a frenzy and will constantly try to peck you which can hurt. If you bring a antidote shot to use before the fight it will significantly reduce the damage the spider does to and make you immune to poison for the whole game.
  
• Alarm traps can be set near barrels to potentially instant kill hunters. Put an alarm trap near a red barrel or any of the colored barrels and if they walk through that choke point it will detonate the barrel with out warning.
  
• Immolators can be shot from a far and will die on their own after 30 seconds. Alternatively they can be melee with blunt objects safely or lured to water to be killed by any means.
  
• If you burn another players body during a fight, you can almost expect that if anyone if your squad goes down they will return the favor. Have honor and don't burn unless necessary. Sometimes its needed to force people out of hiding alternatively.
  
• Melee weapons in general are extremely strong against players. Even the lowest end weapons can be deadly because of how hard most people find it to hit their shots up close. The bigger weapons including the Bomb Lance will almost always one shot someone.
  
• If you see an enemy with an Immolator on them, shoot it once to enrage it causing a decent amount of damage to that hunter.
  
• When you get a hitmarker on a enemy hunter listen for a scream. Most of the time if you are within a decent range and you kill an enemy player you will hear a loud groan of pain.
  
• Most surfaces that are wood can be shot through. This allows for the possibilities of killing people through walls. If you see someone through a crack or possibly a rifle sticking out the window, don't be afraid to try.
  
• Even if you didn't bring traps into the game with you, you can usually find bear traps near boss locations to set up. Set these up near entry points while covering your banishment. These will work both as an audio alarm and possible make the enemy hunters vulnerable enough to be cleaned up instantly.
  
• Chains, Cans, Bottles, and Doors can all be moved through almost silently if you're crouching.
  
• Crows will usually fly away from hunters in the direction they are going. You can use this knowledge to see what directions people may be coming from OR to send crows away in a decoy direction.
  

Section still being worked on
Glitches

• If you frequently come across errors try validating your files, if you get a graphic glitch make sure to restart the game before next match.

Graphics
I would recommend playing on the lowest possible settings. Also turning up digital vibrance may help you see things better.
If you have ANY specific questions feel free to ask I will try my best to answer all of them.
I will update this as time goes with more information.
Thanks for your time, and I hope some of these tips help atleast someone! Get out there and have fun!

New year new rules and FAQ section!
At least that was the plan! Finally, after much teasing, we are finally ready to roll out with a new and improved ruleset and FAQ guide. Actually, for the most part, the rules are mostly the same and the FAQ has been updated with additional updated information. This will be a thread where you can ask questions and suggest some feedback for us.
However, they are much more clarified and hopefully easier to understand. That was the main intention with this iteration of the new rule and FAQ set.
This was a group effort by everyone (including your feedback) and we hope that this will be the best iteration of the rules to date. There may be minor changes typos, grammar, formatting, and maybe some clarification if this thread points something out. The old rules are still in our rule section for now but it gives you something to compare to in this thread.
^{Though, we do expect a few tomatoes to be thrown our way}
Official Portland Rules and FAQ

What are the rules for posting and commenting in /Portland?

0) The Golden Rule - All submissions should be relevant to Portland or the greater Portland area. Topics of interest about Oregon or national stories with a local connection may be allowed at moderator discretion. Off-topic submissions will be removed.
1) Trolling and Harassment - Be excellent to each other. Don't troll, threaten or otherwise be a nuisance. Endeavor to follow reddiquette in all things - make sure to read this and the Reddit content policy before posting anything.
1.1) Name-calling - Extreme or blatant use of racist, misogynist/misandrist, or homophobic language is strictly not allowed. Usage of slurs is also prohibited.
1.2) Doxing - Posting any personally identifying information about a Reddit user or resident of Portland for the purposes of shaming, witch hunting, or seeking legal action is strictly not allowed. This includes social media of all types (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.). Information regarding notable figures such as politicians and celebrities will be judged for appropriateness on a case by case basis. For example, we would likely remove the personal address of a city commissioner but not a link to a verified Twitter profile.
1.3) Creepshots - Pictures or video of unsuspecting parties may be removed.
1.4) Harassment - Harassment or stalking an /Portland user is strictly not allowed. This can include following users onto subreddits other than /Portland and /AskPortland.
1.5) Violence - Do not post content that encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence or physical harm against an individual or a group of people; likewise, do not post content that glorifies or encourages the abuse of animals. Please refer to Reddit's site-wide policy on the topic. Joking or sarcastic comments about violence may be removed and treated as an actual call for violence.
1.6) Troll accounts - Users who consistently push the limits or otherwise attempt to violate the spirit of /Portland’s rules may have their comments removed and/or be subject to other moderation actions.
2) Spam and Crowdfunding - This includes posting the same type of content repeatedly, content deliberately designed to troll or be offensive (see Rule #1), any kind of SEO nonsense, advertising, items for sale or other commercial content. Exceptions are any public and charity events, some paid events (see below), and other things that are of benefit to the Portland community as a whole. Any abuse of these exceptions may lead to deletion and a possible ban.
2.1) You may not make a post on Portland promoting any paid service or paid product. To advertise on Portland you must go through Reddit's in-house advertising platform at http://www.reddit.com/advertising.
2.2) Can I post about events that cost money to attend? Yes, when it benefits the community discussion. This would include larger concerts, festivals, and shows. Posts will be removed or redirected if it is obvious self-promotion, with money being made from the event by OP. The post should focus on discussion, not sales, and will likely be confined to a megathread. It should also be limited to the greater Portland area, though on rare occasions large events from further away could be approved - the further away, the bigger the event has to be.
2.3) Events that are open to the public, and do not contain corporate sponsorship are welcome to post promotional material here.
2.4) Can I make a post about a charity event? Yes! All charity events are welcome to post promotional material here.
2.5) Crowdfunding links for the purposes of profiting monetarily in a for-profit business or personal way are not allowed.
2.6) Posts asking for participation in surveys, academic studies, or related subreddits will be judged on a case by case basis.
2.7) If you are associated with an event you are posting about then you are required to disclose that information inside the post.
2.8) Links to a user’s blog, website, or publication may be approved, but that user is expected to participate in the /Portland community beyond simply providing a link.
For all of the above, please see Reddit's FAQ regarding what constitutes spam and guidelines for self promotion.
3) Crime posts and police case numbers - If you are posting about a missing person, stolen item or other crime or law enforcement-related event, a police case number must be included along with the contact number for the office or agency handling the case. Please do not ask for users to reply via private message or personal email, or to call/message private numbers directly. In most cases, a link to a news story will work in place of a case number. Without this information, your post may be flagged and removed by the mods.
4) Novelty and Impersonation Accounts - Accounts with usernames that represent or attempt to represent any city or state agency, any local public utility, or accounts purporting to belong to members of the press will not be allowed without being verified by the moderator team. AMAs are usually allowed but require pre-verification. If a representative of those agencies or utilities wants to create an account for the purposes of interacting with the community on an official basis, they can send a message to the moderation team for directions on how to create a verified account.
4.1) Novelty accounts may be removed.
4.2) Accounts impersonating moderators will be removed.
4.3) Bots and accounts exhibiting bot-like behavior will be removed.
5) Gore/Disturbing imagery - Images of human remains, gore, or other disturbing imagery may be removed at moderator's discretion.
6) Duplicates - Duplicate posts on the same topic may be removed if the original is less than 48 hours old or is a common repost. If you have additional information or another news source, please submit it as a comment under the original post.
7) Editorialized Headlines - Headlines should be kept original whenever possible, with your opinions reserved for the comment section. An exception which might not fall under this rule would be, for example, a general housing study not Portland-specific but with the headline changed to "An interesting look at where real estate could be heading to in Portland". Otherwise, keep headlines intact.
8) URL redirects or shorteners - Redirects or URL shorteners (e.g. Google AMP links, tinyURL, etc.) will not be allowed. This also includes archival sites.
9) AskPortland - Questions related to moving or visiting Portland may be sent to our sister sub, /AskPortland. All the same rules in /Portland will apply to /AskPortland and it will be moderated more heavily to ensure it remains a helpful place.
Approval/Removal of all posts and comments is up to moderator discretion

I'm visiting your city, what is there to do?

FIRST: read the Visitor's Guide at /AskPortland. It is updated frequently and discussion/questions are encouraged.
The greater Portland area has lots of things to see and do, from museums to a wonderful zoo to numerous parks, restaurants, coffeehouses and microbreweries. Here are a few of our local highlights:

• The Oregon Zoo - Located in Washington Park just off Highway 26 west of downtown, the Oregon Zoo was founded in 1888, making it the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi. Home to 2,200 animals from more than 260 species, the zoo is probably most famous for its herd of five Asian elephants in their new Elephant Lands exhibit. Hours vary by season, usually around 9-10am until 4-6pm. Admission during peak season (Mar.-Sept.) is $14.95 adults / $9.95 kids (ages 3-11), during off-peak season (Oct.-Feb) is $9.95 adults / $4.95 kids, and toddlers are always free. It’s recommended that you take the MAX light rail Red Line or Blue Lines to get there, as you won't have to pay for parking (which can run up to $6), and you'll get $1.50 off your admission. The MAX stop for the Zoo is Washington Park Station -- at 260 feet below the surface it’s the deepest transit station in North America! Plan on your stay being more than just a quick jaunt, as the zoo is quite extensive. In addition to seeing the many animals, you can also ride the Washington Park and Zoo Railway, a ⅝ scale narrow-gauge railway with classic trains that roll around the zoo and out to the Rose Test Gardens. The cost to ride the train is $4.00. During the summer you can stake out a spot on the lawn for the [Oregon Zoo Summer Concert Series](www.zooconcerts.com), and more during the holiday season more than a million LEDs light up the zoo each holiday season for ZooLights. For more information go to www.oregonzoo.org
  
• The International Rose Test Garden - Part of Washington Park, the International Rose Test Garden is a beautifully manicured set of gardens featuring over 7,000 individual rose specimens from over 550 different varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather. Founded in 1917, it is the oldest continuously operating rose test garden in the United States. An amphitheater often features classical music performances or speeches. Its 4.5 acres of terraced hillside offer stunning views of Mt. Hood and downtown Portland, and its quiet nature is excellent for picnics. For more information, go here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/findeindex.cfm?&action=ViewPark&propertyid=1113
  
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry - OMSI is a large museum similar to San Francisco's Exploratorium. Its exhibits cover everything from geology to physics to chemistry to biology to human anatomy. It often hosts touring exhibits -- past examples include Body Worlds, an exhibit of da Vinci's notebooks with examples of his inventions, Grossology, and a National Geographic photography exhibit. OMSI also boasts the USS Blueback, a decommissioned Barbel-class submarine that was used in the filming of The Hunt for Red October and an episode of TNT’s The Librarians. You can tour the submarine, learn about how it was made and what Barbel-class submarines were used for during the Cold War. OMSI also has a recently remodeled planetarium that offers night-sky presentations and laser light shows, and an IMAX theater (called OMNIMAX) which runs both current-release movies and educational programs on a 5-story-high screen using dual Christie 4K projectors and Dolby Atmos audio. Admission to the museum is $14.50 for adults, $9.75 for kids. The submarine tour, planetarium, and OMNIMAX cost extra, in the $6-8 range depending on the toushow. Hours are daily 9:30-7 during the summer and Tuesday-Saturday 9:30-5:30 during the winter. For more info, go to www.omsi.edu
  
• Oregon Historical Society - The history of Portland and the Oregon Territory is fascinating in a lot of respects, and the OHS does its best to cover it all. From the original native inhabitants to the adventures of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Oregon Trail to the founding and development of Portland, OHS has numerous displays and artifacts, as well as a massive catalog of historical documents. If you wish to learn about the history of the area, there is no better resource. Admission to the museum is free for Multnomah County residents, otherwise it’s $11 for adults, $9 for students/seniors, and $5 for kids (6-18yrs). There is no charge for admission to the research library. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sunday Noon-5pm. For more info, go to www.ohs.org
  
• Portland Art Museum - Right across the street from the Oregon Historical Society, the Portland Art Museum hosts numerous rotating exhibits and touring exhibits of art from all genres. Its recent acquisition of the massive Masonic Temple next door means they now have extensive room in which to display art from all over the world, everything from classical Greek sculpture to modern impressionism to an exhibit on cars. Admission is $19.99 for adults, $16.99 for students/seniors, and children 17 and under are free. The Museum is closed on Monday, and open the rest of the week from 10am to either 5pm or 8pm depending on the day, so check the website before visiting: www.portlandartmuseum.org
  
• The Old Portland Underground - Portland's history includes a shady portion of its past, and the Underground seeks to show that. Also known as The Shanghai Tunnels, the Underground is a series of interconnected basements, tunnels, and low passageways from early in Portland's life. Considered by many to be haunted, it's a must for those who like the dark, scary atmosphere of basements and crawl spaces. Tours are conducted on Friday and Saturday evenings, the first Thursday evening of the month, and possibly by request. Check out www.shanghaitunnels.info for tour scheduling and ticket prices.
  
• Waterfront and Esplanade - As the Willamette River flows from south to north towards the Columbia River, it cuts the city in two, providing plenty of opportunity for parks by the water. In the 1970s, the west bank’s Harbor Drive was demolished (the first example of freeway removal in the US!) and replaced by Tom McCall Waterfront Park, made up of 36+ acres of cherry trees, grassy lawns, concrete walkways, sculptures, a public fountain, and numerous memorials. This park often hosts major events such as the Rose Festival rides and food court, the Waterfront Blues Festival, the Bite of Oregon, the Oregon Brewer's Festival, and moorage for the naval ships that come to Portland during the Rose Festival Fleet Week. Salmon Street Springs is a popular local hangout during the warmer months, and the multi-phase fountain is designed for children to play in. Across the river, a 1998 city parks project created the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, a 1.5 mile walking and bike path that mirrors Waterfront Park. Combining the two with sidewalks across the Hawthorne and Steel Bridges creates a wonderful walking/jogging/biking path that's slightly over 3 miles. Check out http://eventful.com/portland_ovenues/governor-tom-mccall-waterfront-park-/V0-001-000457577-8 to find out what events may be taking place there.
  

• Pioneer Courthouse Square - Often referred to as "Portland's living room," the Square is a city block of brick work that hosts numerous city events, public speakers, our city Christmas Tree, and a place to stop and enjoy your lunch. Surrounded by shopping and large buildings, it's an open-air square with a continuous fountain and surrounded by large white columns. Our NBC affiliate has a satelite studio that looks onto the square, so you may see yourself on the news at some point. During July and August, every Friday night they show movies on a projection screen in an event known as Flicks on the Bricks. This coincides with a summer concert series called Noon Toons, which showcases local bands and is aired live by the NBC affiliate. www.thesquarepdx.org will have more info on events currently happening.
  
• Blazers Basketball/Winterhawks Hockey/Timbers SocceThorns Soccer - Portland now boasts four professional sports teams: The Western Division NBA Trail Blazers, the Western Hockey League Winterhawks, Major League Soccer Timbers FC, winners of the 2015 MLS Cup, and the current National Women's Soccer League champion Thorns FC. The Trail Blazers and Winterhawks both play at the Rose Quarter, while the Timbers and Thorns play at Providence Park. Tickets for Blazers/Winterhawks events are available at www.rosequarter.com as well as a game schedule. We have a large soccer following in this city, and you can easily have a great time and make new friends at a Timbers game or watching it at one of our many sports bars (for example, 442, Thirsty Lion, and Marathon). You can find a list of Timbers Pub Partners here.
  
• There are many more, www.travelportland.com/things-to-see-and-do will have many more ideas.
  

Other possible FAQ topics:

Where are the best views of the city?

Where can I go for a hike?

Where can I volunteer

Multnomah Falls/Gorge/Eagle Creek fire

I've got kids with me, what kind of child-oriented stuff is there?

• Both the earlier mentioned Oregon Zoo and OMSI are both extremely kid friendly, and appropriate for just about any age. Toddlers may be a bit over-stimulated by OMSI, and the Zoo is quite large, so prepare accordingly. Our sports teams are also an option if your child is old enough to handle the noise levels.
  
• Portland Children's Museum - An interactive educational museum and play center which shares a parking lot with the Oregon Zoo. Activities include a pretend veterinarian, a stage filled with props and costumes, places to draw and work clay, a rubber gravel pit for digging, a water area filled with pipes and water tables for splashing and making channels, and an enormous over-sized Lite-Brite wall. Admission is $9 per person. Hours can vary, see www.portlandcm.org for details.
  
• Oaks Amusement Park - Step back into the heyday of roller rinks and small-town theme parks. Oaks Amusement Park has been a mainstay of Portland since 1905, opening with the Lewis and Clark Exposition. It features a roller coaster, go-karts, fairway rides, an arcade, outdoor picnic areas, and it's center attraction, an original 100 foot x 200 foot wooden roller skating rink. Outdoor activities are usually closed during the winter months, but skating is year round. Prices vary depending on what you wish to do with your day there, so look up www.oakspark.com for pricing, hours, and availability.
  

I'm moving to Portland, where should I live?

Portland, while not being very large geographically, is still pretty diverse in its cultures, tastes, and housing. Everything from major mansions to low-income housing is out there, and in a relatively small area. The best way to think about Portland is to realize it's made up of neighborhoods, most of which come from Portland's history and were originally their own small towns.
This is a good map of Portland's named neighborhoods.
The best idea is to find a location that is close to where you need to be on a regular basis (school, work, studio, family) but that also works well with your lifestyle. A good reference for deciding on what neighborhood will fit your lifestyle is The Portland Neighborhood Pages. Each of Portland's 95 neighborhoods is available with a general description, links to events/info of local import, and a google map of the area. Another more general resource is The Portland Neighborhood Guide, which is broader in it's focus and covers some of the cities and towns to the west.
As for looking for housing, www.padmapper.com is excellent for Portland, as is portland.craigslist.org and www.couchsurfing.org for more temporary accommodations. Keep in mind our rental market is extremely competitive. In 2013 our rental vacancy rate was only 3.1%, the second-lowest in the nation. You will want to budget for turning in a lot of applications, and may need to plan on attending open houses even for a small rental.
For people with children, schools are important, and another consideration when moving here. www.greatschools.org/oregon/portland rates all of the local schools on academics, test results, and community reviews.

I need some Internet service. What are my options?

Currently there are basically two main options for high speed internet in the city proper, Comcast and Centurylink. Some areas have Frontier FiOS available, primarily outside the city. Another option available is 4G wireless through Clear. If you're looking for other options or want to see personal recommendations, this search should bring up quite a few lively threads on the state of internet providers in the metro area. In the future there is the possibility of Google Fiber for the city, but the options remain limited for now.

I'm looking for somewhere to eat, what sounds good?

You're in luck. Portland has an extensive and diverse food culture, much of it based around our extensive collection of food carts. Currently 475 carts operate within the city limits, with more being added all the time. They can be as eclectic as they are varied, offering everything from standard lunch fair of burgers and hotdogs, to more unique food like Ethiopian cuisine, Korean BBQ, Viking Soul Food, and gourmet waffles. www.foodcartsportland.com has a full list of the Portland carts, as well as reviews on each one and a map of locations. Many of them are centered in what are known as "cart pods," which are sections of parking lots that have been converted into open-air food markets. For local redditor recommendations, read through this thread. You'll see some names pop up more than once, those would be the ones to try out first. A good way to find something near you is to use Cartattack, which gives you cart locations via GPS.
Beyond that, there are numerous eateries, restaurants, diners, and 24-hour places that serve Portlanders great food. http://www.urbanspoon.com/c/24/Portland-restaurants.html is probably your best resource for finding something more substantial in terms of sit-down eating.
Finally, there is one thing that Portland is well known for: Beer. Portland has numerous microbreweries and brewpubs, and consistently vies for the top spot in breweries per capita in the world. From IPAs to Stouts to Ambers and everything in between, Portland can and will offer you some of the best beer in the world. www.portlandbrewpubs.com has a full list of brewpubs, most of which offer tasting options or tours of the brewing facilities. Take a load off, kick back with a nice pint of something local, and enjoy the Portland experience!!

How do I get to Portland?

• By car - If you are coming to Portland from outside the state, there are three major freeways that can get you here. From the south, I-5 will get you to Portland via Grants Pass, Medford, Eugene, and Salem from the California border in about 5-6 hours. It should be noted that during the winter months the areas around Grants Pass can have severe weather, and the pass may be closed or require traction devices. From the east, I-84 heads to Portland via Ontario, Pendleton, The Dalles, and Hood River. The drive from the Idaho border will take you around 7-8 hours. Again, weather can impact this drive, and closures/traction device requirements may occur. From the north, I-5 and I-205 cross the Columbia River from Washington, putting you directly into Portland. It takes about three hours to make the 175-mile drive from Seattle, but this time can be significantly impacted by traffic.
  
• By car, the scenic way - Oregon is a naturally beautiful state, so if you have the time to take a longer drive, there are several recommendations. Highway 101 up the coast from California to Astoria and then Hwy 30 in to Portland is one such drive. It hits several small coastal communities along the way, with numerous points of interest. That drive will add 3-4 hours to your trip, but is worth the sights. Going through the east side and experiencing the high desert is another consideration. For this route take Hwy 97 from I-5 at Mt Shasta, and follow it up through Klamath Falls, then Bend, to the town of Madras. From there, take Hwy 26 and cross over Mt. Hood and into Portland. Both of these routes can be significantly impacted by weather, so look for closures or traction device requirements. This is especially true of Hwy 26 over Mt. Hood, as this reaches a peak height of over 4000 feet above sea level.
  

Add link to TripCheck.com

• By bus - Two major bus services serve travelers in the Portland area. Greyhound has its bus terminal on the same property as Union station, and makes runs on the north/south route of I-5, east via I-84 and Hwy 26, and west via Hwy 26. Ticket prices and schedules are available on their website.
  
• By rail - Amtrak serves Portland via the north/south routes through Union Station, which is located right in the heart of downtown Portland. Ticket prices and schedules will vary depending on your starting location, so go to www.amtrak.com to find out what is available and how much it will cost.
  
• By plane - The major airport in Portland is called Portland International Airport, known as PDX (a term often used as a nickname for Portland in general), and offers most major airline services, as well as international flights. It is located in Northeast Portland, and is located between I-5 and I-205. Our light rail service has a line that terminates just next to baggage claim, and is a useful way to get to and from the airport without the hassle of parking a car. www.trimet.org can be used to plan your trip there.
  

How do I get around town?

• By foot - Portland is a city of sidewalks, for the most part. Much of the downtown core and surrounding areas feature wide sidewalks with large cross-walks and timed lights. So if you are staying downtown, you don't need to get a bus or cab, walking is the easy way to go. It also allows you to sample the food carts, find the odd and interesting shops, and generally enjoy the greenery and friendly people. Keep in mind that downtown Portland has much smaller blocks than most cities, so a walk of several blocks isn’t necessarily that far.
  
• By bike - Portland is currently considered to be one of the best bike cities in the US. 314 miles of bike lanes and a culture accepting of two-wheeled transport means that getting out for a ride is much easier here. Many of the smaller coffee shops and restaurants quite happily advertise bike parking, and the city is currently working on a 2-year backlog of installing public bike racks. Your best bet would be to go to www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/36638 and pick up a map or two of places you'd like to ride. Add Biketown info
  
• By bus/light rail - TriMet is Portland's regional mass transit provider, and has bus, light rail, and streetcar service. www.trimet.org has a trip planner (just need to know your address and the address or name of the location you want to get to) which will tell you how long of a wait you may have, how far you may need to walk, or how many buses you may need to take.
  
• By taxi - Numerous taxi services operate in Portland, however it's not like in the bigger cities where there are fleets of them floating around waiting to pick you up. Your best bet would be to call and order a car to pick you up. Recommendations are to go with the larger, well-known companies like Radio Cab or Broadway.
  
• By rental car - The usual fare of major car rental companies are available in Portland. Enterprise, Hertz, National and Budget Car Rentals all have several locations in Portland. However, as with any company that owns a chain of stores, your experience may vary depending on the location you go to. It's recommended that you search reviews for each location before picking one. Another option is Car2Go, a company that offers car sharing services for those who need a car occasionally but don't use one often. They have both gas and electric versions of the Smartcar FourTwo, and have approximately 250 cars in Portland. Go to their website for details concerning pricing and agreements.
  
• By personal car - Much of the downtown core and portions of the surrounding area are built on a one-way grid system. So it helps to have a GPS or at least a good map to get around. One thing to remember, is that streets that run parallel to the river are all numbered, and the numbers get bigger as you move away from the river. So if you get lost, just find a numbered street, and head downhill. Admittedly, Portland can have issues with traffic during rush hour, so it's advised to travel the back roads a bit and find ways to avoid the three Interstate freeways and major highways during the 6-9am and 4-6pm times. Add info about Burnside/Willamette dividing into NSEW quadrants?
  

What resources are available for bicyclists?

Two great web resources are /CyclePDX and Bike Portland.

I've got stuff that I need to get rid of, but it shouldn't go in the trash. What should I do?

There's help for that. Metro has a great website that offers insight on how to get rid of anything from packing peanuts to propane canisters to power tools, this site will give you the info to trash, turn in, reuse, or recycle those things that you just can't have floating around anymore.
If you want to get rid of computers that are still in decent repair, look into www.freegeek.org as they provide refurbished computers to schools and those in need. They are also set up as a way for people to learn about computers through free classes and volunteers who work on everything from cleaning dirty machines to building computers.
Another option is SCRAP PDX, which is a non-profit recycling center for office or classroom materials. Designed as a way to inspire creativity while reducing garbage and encouraging reuse and recycling, SCRAP PDX offers a way for people to drop off unwanted or unused arts and crafts, office, party, or school supplies, which are then resold to those who made need them for their own projects. Further details are at their website.

My pet is sick and needs a vet NOW. Where should I go?

Portland has several area vet hospitals, several of which are 24-hour intake facilities. Locations and providers can vary, so check to see which one is closest and best for your pet. Below is a list of the larger and reputable locations in Portland:

• Dove Lewis Animal Hospital (24 hour facility)
• Tanasbourne Veterinary Emergency (Mon-Fri 5pm to 8am, Weekends and Holidays 24 hours)
• VCA Southeast Animal Hospital (24 hour facility)
• VCA Raleigh Hills Animal Hospital (Mon-Thurs 7am-10pm, Fri 7am-7pm, Weekends 9am-7pm)
• Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin (Mon-Thurs 6pm-8am, Fri 6pm til Mon 8am)
• Oregon Veterinary Specialty Hospital (Neurosurgery and Interior Medicine) (Mon-Fri 7:30am-6pm)
• VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists (Clackamas) (24 hour facility)
• St Francis Animal Hospital (Vancouver) (24 hour facility)
• Columbia River Veterinary Specialists (Vancouver) (24 hour facility)

How does one cope with downtown living?

Written by shamann00dle
This is expounding on this thread. Living in downtown has it's own unique challenges and rewards. Here are some ways I dealt with things in my 8 years downtown.
Drunks & Crazies Keeping You Up

• Expect it. That does not mean it is right, but the fact of the matter is downtown Portland at night is full of douche-y suburbanites that will do stuff downtown that they would call 911 on you for doing in their neighborhood, drug addicts/alcoholics and the mentally ill. Let their douchiness flow through you and out the other side lest you be swept into the maelstrom of asshattery.
• Portland Police non-emergency number: 503-823-3333 - If someone is lingering and being loud, call.
• For drunks that are passed out, etc. Call CHIERS - the local drunk tank - (503) 294-1681
• If you are in their service area, call Clean and Safe at 503-224-7383. If you call police with a non-emergency that is probably a non-arrestable offense within that map between 9-5, they are simply going to ask Clean and Safe to handle it anyways. Don't expect C&S to do too much. They carry a gun and are retired cops, but have no authority to arrest. They are there to move people along, write reports and call the cops if it gets too bad.
• If the person is in a park downtown, the Park Rangers now have jurisdiction unless it is a 911 emergency - 503-823-1637
• If the drunk is hanging outside a particular bar, store, grocery store or restaurant and being loud - call that establishment and have their security go outside and shut them up. Many times this is actually what the police do when you call them for a disturbance.
• Use a combination of the pink noise at http://simplynoise.com/ and a fan. I found that combination block out all but the most egregious drunktards.

Trouble On The Streets

• I lived and worked downtown plus walked everywhere I went for the time I lived there. I only had one full-blown altercation in all that time and could have avoided that if I'd chosen too. Don't expect any trouble but be aware of your surroundings. You are more likely to encounter annoyances rather than an actual problem on the streets of downtown.
• Also call clean and safe if there is a part of downtown that needs to be cleaned, various human excretions, dirty needles and the like.
• IF you run into trouble downtown, it will most likely happen after 10 PM or so between SW Broadway and the river and SW Washington and the train station.
• Use the numbers above for non-911 problems.

Annoyances

• Panhandlers. There are days I would get hit up for change 20 times or more. If the person is aggressive, please call police. Ignoring them just means that many more people will have to deal with it. How you interact with panhandlers is up to you, your personality and tolerance level. When I moved here I gave out change, then I started saying "sorry" when they asked, then I put in earbuds and pretended not to hear them even if I had no music on, the I dropped the pretense and just ignored them unless they were offensive... I'm sure on bad days I told a couple to get fucked but there was really no need for that. PLEASE do NOT give panhandlers money. I'm could write a novel about this, homelessness in Portland, services and ways of really helping these people. The change is perpetuating all sorts of problems. I will address this in the comments if needed.
• Chuggers AKA "Charity Muggers". These are the people that stand on the corner and ask you if you want to help the whales or orphaned children. I've dealt with them in the same way I've dealt with panhandlers. Once the rainy season ends, expect them to descend on every street corner downtown.

The Up-Side

• Too much to list here really
• You are living in a really fucking cool city
• Just going for a short walk can be quite an experience. You never know what you will see
• There is a lot to see and do on foot. Get out and enjoy the parks, museums, people watching, bars and more.
• Remember all the great stuff and try to focus on that when some wino decides to pick a fight with a newspaper vending machine at 3 in the morning.

Why are there fighter jets flying over the city?

The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing (the “Redhawks”) operates F-15C/D Eagle fighter jets out of the Portland Air National Guard Base at Portland International Airport. They are on 24-hour alert as part of Air Combat Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and can frequently be seen in the skies throughout the region.
You can find more information in this detailed explanation at PortlandMofo: Military Jets Over Portland Today Explanation

What was that loud noise/bang/explosion?

No idea. I’m sure there will be any number of posts about it soon.

What are the flickering orange things sometimes seen floating in the sky?

Those are the star ships of the alien sex goddesses that live in a pleasure dome that orbits just outside the Kuiper Belt. Sometimes they descend to earth to collect a few worthy humans to bring back with them to shower with fruity champagne cocktails and watermelon balls.
But no, really those are just paper lanterns that are part of some festivals sometimes, or maybe goofs launch them to cause confusion and mayhem.

Howdy, Flagstaffers and friendly visitors!
I've put together a little visitor guide. There's some information about geography and climate, local attractions, and places to eat and drink. It's not a comprehensive list, and everyone has their own favorites -- feel free to share! -- but hopefully this will be a nice starting place for newcomers, people hoping to get out and about a little more, and for travelers looking to experience our nice little mountain town.
Weather and Climate
Altitude -- Perched high up on the Colorado Plateau and at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff sits at 7,000 feet (2133 meters) above sea level in North America's largest stand of Ponderosa Pine trees. You'll need more sleep, more water, more sunscreen, and to change your layers more often if you're coming from lowlands. Also, watch out for alcohol -- it'll sneak up on you quick up here.
Winters bring intermittent but sometimes heavy snowfall. Usually, even a couple of feet of snow will burn off within a couple weeks, and most of the time our roads are fine to drive on a day or two after the main storm. It's rare to see the mercury dip below 0 degrees (-17C), and daytime highs usually rise above freezing.
Springs are often uncomfortably windy, with blowing road cinders, highs in the 40s, and lows down into the 20s. Juniper and pine pollen can induce some misery for people with allergies. It's common to have some late season snow showers, and getting caught out with too few layers in an April rainstorm is about the coldest you'll ever be in Flagstaff.
Summers are downright idyllic, with warm sun, filtered shade under towering pines, aspen leaves quaking in the breeze, and highs usually in the 70s and 80s (21-31C); since the advent of weather records, the high has never reached 100 (38C). Starting right around July 4 each year, our monsoon season arrives. While they aren't monsoons in a meteorological sense, many summer afternoons see short bursts of torrential rain and fierce lightning strikes. It's a very, very bad time to be up on an exposed ridgeline. Clouds will start to build up, darken, and drop, and by then, you'd better be working your way back to the car.
Fall in Flagstaff have beautiful golden leaves, mild days, and crisp, clear nights. Oak Creek Canyon and Lockett Meadow host hordes of visitors, people congregate around backyard fire pits, and thrift stores sell out of flannel. The whole town smells like juniper smoke and nutmeg, Led Zeppelin IV gets a lot of play -- you get the picture.
How to Get Here
Air- Flying into PHX or Mesa is usually cheapest, but sometimes you can get good deals coming right into Flagstaff. You can only get to Flagstaff from a transfer in Phoenix, but it is a neat little ride on a low capacity prop plane. FLG is right outside the city limits, and within 10 minutes of downtown.
Train- Amtrak Bus- Greyhound – These may be slightly cheaper options but will probably take you longer.
Interstates- Flagstaff is at the intersection of I-17 and I-40. Other main highways that pass through town are Highway 180 and Highway 89.
Shuttle- A shuttle from Phoenix Sky Harbor comes up to Flagstaff several times a day (and returns as well). They range from 30-50 dollars per person each way.
Getting Around
Traffic moves relatively slowly through Flagstaff and most drivers are pretty courteous – if they’re not, the correct response is to shrug and shake your head while musing that they must not be from here. Pedestrians are very common and not terribly aware, especially downtown. Bicyclists are often traveling in traffic lanes (which are often also marked for bicycles), so please be careful.
Because of the railroad, the interstates, and our topography here (as well as some conspicuous planning oversights), it’s pretty forgivable to get lost in Flagstaff. Google Maps and car navigators are both pretty reliable, but if you’re trying to travel anywhere with directions alone, pay close attention.
The railroad lines cross all the way through Flagstaff, and crossings are limited. There are crossings via under- or overpass at Milton, Fourth Street, and Country Club. You can use surface crossings at Beaver Street, San Francisco Street, Ponderosa Parkway, Steves, and Fanning, but plan on waiting a while for the train to pass by.
Milton, which turns into I-17 the moment you leave town to the south, is nearly always crowded and unpleasant but there aren’t a lot of alternate routes around. After you pass under the railroad tracks heading north on Milton, it becomes Route 66, which is often similarly crowded.
Downtown
Downtown Flagstaff can be tricky if you’re in a car. It’s divided into Southside and Downtown, with the division taking place at Route 66/the BNSF Railroad tracks. 2-hour parking is available for free every day, everywhere downtown, though sometimes it takes a while to find. Very soon, a new parking system will take effect and meters will be installed.
Downtown is where you can find most of the shops and galleries, as well as some higher end bars and restaurants. In its center is Heritage Square, which has all sorts of movies and events throughout the summer, and Wheeler Park is on its western end. It’s a small enough area to explore on foot. From west to east, Humphreys is a two-way street and a main thoroughfare for traffic headed toward the Grand Canyon; Beaver Street is a one-way and goes south; on Leroux traffic travels in both directions, and San Francisco goes north. Aspen is a one-way heading east, and Birch is the next block up and heads west. For east-west streets in the downtown area, they are in alphabetical order and named after trees. You start heading uphill and away from the shops and restaurants once you hit Cherry, and most everything noteworthy is between San Francisco and Humphreys (with a few restaurants a block farther east).
Southside is a little grungier and a little quirkier. There’s a couple great breweries, some excellent restaurants, and a few little shops. Most points of interest lie on either San Francisco or Beaver Street, though you may travel a block farther east or west on Phoenix. Southside extends all the way down to NAU’s campus, but there’s not much going on south of Butler. San Francisco and Beaver are still one-ways, again, with San Francisco moving north and Beaver heading south. None of the east-west streets in Southside are one-ways.
Things to Do in Flagstaff
Lava Tubes – The Lava River Cave is nearly a mile long and is non-technical and accessible to anyone with sturdy shoes, a couple flashlights (bring a backup and make sure your batteries are fresh), and a sweatshirt. There are some rugged boulders to crawl over at the beginning, but there aren’t any tight squeezes and there’s no real climbing. Once you’re in, the floor is relatively flat and the cave opens way up. Once you’re in, it’s quiet, dark, and very cool. It’s 42 degrees inside even during the summer. Head north on Highway 180, then make a left on FR 245, another left onto FR 171, and then left onto 171B, which deadends at the Lava River Cave. The Forest Service roads are graveled and sometimes washboarded – you’d be fine in most sedans if you take it slow, except for in the winter. If it's snowy, you'll have to ski or snowshoe in.
Sunset Crate Wupatki – The National Park Service operates three National Monuments in the Flagstaff area. The first, Sunset Crater, is a surreal garden of jagged, black lava rocks with striking panoramas of the Painted Desert and the Peaks. Wupatki, the second, is a collection of Ancestral Puebloan ruins dating back as far as 500 AD with some impressively preserved pueblos and excellent interpretive staff. Both are accessible from Highway 89, heading north from Flagstaff. There are good signs and a turn lane for Sunset Crater 12 miles north of town. The Sunset Crater visitor center is 2 miles down the road and Wupatki is another 20 or so.
Walnut Canyon – Walnut Canyon, the third, is a beautiful limestone canyon cut down into the Colorado Plateau. The view is great from the Visitor Center, but if you’re feeling up for it, try the Island Trail. A close-up view of 700-year-old ruins are your reward, but be warned – it’s a much longer way up than down. Take I-40 east of town to Exit 204, for Walnut Canyon. Head south for about 3 miles, and you’ll run into the Walnut Canyon visitor center.
Peaks – The San Francisco Peaks are the crown jewel of the Flagstaff area, teeming with wildlife, glittering aspen trees, fragrant pines, and some high elevation spruce and fir. Much of the following is too snowy for casual access in the winter, when, of course, Snowbowl is open to skiers. A few other stops and hiking areas of note:

• Veit Springs is about 4.5 miles up Snowbowl road, on the right. There’s an unimproved parking area before a gate and some interpretive signs. It’s an easy mile and a half hike (round trip), and it takes you to a historic homestead cabin, an aspen grove, some big rock outcroppings, and even some pictographs.
  
• The Kachina Trail heads east from the lower parking lot at Snowbowl and traverses the peaks for 7 or so miles (one-way) to the Shultz Tank area. It’s a nice long hike of moderate difficulty through aspen, fir, and Ponderosa, with some views of Flagstaff and the surrounding area from up high after you hit the old Leroux burn line.
  
• The Humphreys Peak trail takes you up to Arizona’s highest point and is also accessible from the lower parking lot at Snowbowl. You have to earn the beautiful views — it’s a strenuous hike up, and the air gets increasingly thinner. In the summer, start very early (perhaps before sunrise), because it’s a truly terrifying place to be in a lightning storm. In the winter, you'll need snowshoes, serious winter layers, routefinding experience, and avalanche awareness -- it's not for the unprepared.
  
• There’s a great frisbee golf course starting at Snowbowl’s upper parking lot. It’s a full 18-hole course and it’s free. There’s great views to be had, and the slower pace of the game helps give the elevation to you in small doses. They have discs for sale at the lodge, though you can probably get them cheaper in town.
  

Things to do Elsewhere
Grand Canyon — Its reputation pretty much precedes it. It’s a very, very large crack in the earth, and a staggering collection of different geology, plants, and animals crammed into the same place. It’s worth a(nother) visit. You can drive your car to the Grand Canyon Village; from there, you’ll have to take a shuttle to other destinations on the South Rim. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the big clear skywalk thing is a few hours away from the main scene at the Canyon. Some safety tips — if you’re going below the rim, be very well prepared with a gallon per person of water and plenty of snacks and do not plan to go down to the river and back up. If you're not careful, it'll loudly make the point that nature is indifferent to you. It takes about an hour and 30 minutes to get up there. Fee: 25 dollars per car, National Park Service
Sedona — If you have not visited Sedona, do it! Culturally quirky and geographically remarkable. It does get hot here- with summer highs usually in the mid 90s. Our suggestion is to visit early or late, to watch the sunrise or sunset. It's also a great place to hit in the fall or spring. 89A provides a scenic route there -- down switchbacks in Oak Creek Canyon. There are many places to stop along the way to relax and take a dip in the clear water of Oak Creek. About 45 minutes from Flag. Fee: Most of Sedona is National Forest land, but requires a Red Rock Pass for many of the parking lots for land access. A day pass is 5 dollars.
Red Rock State Park/Crescent Moon Ranch – Not far south of Sedona on Highway 89. There are good signs pointing to your turnoff. It’s a ten dollar entrance fee per vehicle which supports the Arizona State Park system. There are nice easy paths and pretty picnic spots, as well as great access to Oak Creek and spectacularly framed views of Cathedral Rock and the rest of Sedona’s red rock skyline.
Food
Flagstaff is a great place to eat. Generally, if someone seems like a noisy, gas pedal stomping, sled debris littering sort of tourist, I'll send them to Chili's; u/Flagtosser will make sure they know all about Bunhugger's. For the rest of you, though, here are some of my favorites.
Breakfast

• Biff's Bagels has the New Yorkiest bagels around. Chewy on the outside and, uh, bagely on the inside, slathered with like half a cup of cream cheese. Be advised -- it's cash only.
  
• La Bellavia – Also on Beaver Street, half a block farther south than Biff’s. Great pancakes, french toast with rich strawberry butter, country potatoes, and eggs benedict. They’ve also got espresso drinks and quiches. It’s a bit spendy – probably $12-16 per person after tax and tip and they don’t like to split checks. Same menu as Brandy's up on Cedar, but different owners.
  
• MartAnne’s Burrito Palace – If you haven’t tried Mexican food for breakfast, you’re missing out. Martanne’s has excellent chorizo (spicy Mexican breakfast sausage) as well as good chilaquiles (eggs and cheese scrambled with stewed and sauced pork, served over tortilla chips). It’s also quirky in there – the place has been decorated by a local artist with Dia de los Muertos style skeletons.
  
• Northern Pines has established itself as our best diner. They're over on east Butler, have an extensive menu and large portions, keep the coffee coming, and generally get things right.
  

Lunch

• Las Gorditas is tucked back away from the busy main streets and has great food. You can’t go wrong with a bean and cheese burrito enchilada style, and the torta de carne asada (Mexican steak sandwich) is also great. Their salsa bar is the standout – I like the jalapeño salsa and the aguacamole. They do charge you for additional bowls of chips, but their prices are low enough to more than balance it out. Telemundo or a fútbol game is likely to be playing on the TV, and there’s a sparkly airbrushed mural of Mexican revolutionaries – both signs this is the real deal. It appears grungy, but it’s clean, tidy and the service is friendly and prompt.
  
• Mama Burger is pretty much just a good old fashioned burger. Thin, wide patties on white bread buns with a pretty good variety of toppings. Big piles of fries. Good milkshakes. They’ve also got homemade veggie burgers. It’s also got a dog friendly patio with a great view of the Peaks.
  
• Fratelli's Pizza is pretty good, and eight bucks gets you two slices and a drink. They're huge slices. They also do a good job with salads, wings, and mozzarella sticks; if you're looking to catch some professional soccer on TV, they're also your best bet.
  

Dinner

• Pato Thai – I like their pad thai and their green curry. The veggie wraps are good appetizers. Pato Thai is great for dine-in or carry out, though it can be a little noisy inside and there aren’t a ton of tables. They’ll also only run one card per table, so you might want to grab some cash first.
  
• Satchmo's - Awesome pulled pork, jambalya, cornbread, coleslaw, and catfish po'boys. Swanky music, counter service, patio, and good beer on tap.
  
• Pizzicletta totally goes toe to toe with some of the best pies in the Valley. I like the margherita the best, but I'm a bit of a purist. Real nice roasted olives and great gelatto, too. You can also order it from Mother Road, two doors down.
  
• La Fonda -- Old school, sloppy gloppy, blast furnace Mexican food. Good chips and salsa. Their green chile burros and chimichangas are about the best things on the menu, but you can't go too wrong.
  

Fancy Dinner

• Tinderbox is hip, well-executed American food. $20-$30 per plate. Probably my favorite, but narrowly.
• Cottage Place is the old mainstay for fine(r) dining. Impeccable service, playful takes on French classics.
• Coppa Cafe, despite its unassuming storefront in a strip mall on Milton, is outstanding. The soups are the standouts to me, but everything I've had there has been pretty excellent. Good pastries, too.
• Brix, Root, Shift, and Josephine's probably round out the special date restaurant landscape in town. I'm told they're good.

Drinks

• Mother Road Brewing -- My favorite is their Gold Road, and if you're a Kolsch kinda person or it's summery, it's really nice. Their Tower Station IPA is the second best of its kind in Arizona, as far as I'm concerned. You can also order a pizza from Pizzicletta, next door, which is fantastic.
• Wanderlust -- Their 928 is an excellent farmhouse, and probably my favorite beer in town. They just have a tasting room in their warehouse, still pretty small. Dog friendly, no food unless there's a food truck out front.
• Dark Sky -- They've got like three flagship beers. The Bear Jaw is really good, and most people's favorite. Their Hiline Jalapeno is interesting, and better than any other jalapeno beer I've tried. Very cool taproom, the food truck out back has good nachos. If novelty is your thing, this is a good place to land -- they made 100 different beers in their first year of existence, and I think they're on track for another hundred.
• Historic -- People love their Pie Hole Porter. My favorite is the Deer Lord, though it's not always available. They experiment with some kinda far out stuff, like cucumber basil or a coconut dunkel.
• Beaver Street/Lumberyard -- The main beer game in town for decades, but has definitely given some ground to newer, hipper breweries. I still love them. The Railhead Red is good, and goes great with the Lumberjack burger. Order it medium or medium rare -- they're a little conservative in the kitchen.
• Flagstaff Brewing Company -- Nice patio, ping pong table, pretty good burgers. Their beer isn't much to write home about, but I'll get the Spruce Tips if I happen to be there.
• The Annex, run by the Tinderbox, mixes great drinks and has a wonderful patio.
• The Commerce has excellent cocktails and a cool art deco theme.

Thanks for reading. If anyone has specific questions, I'm happy to chime in. My specialties are probably along the lines of hikes and food, but I'm always excited to talk about my favorite spots.

I'm from Ironton, Ohio. My name is Chris. (On ICQ, Yahoo and Aim I went by Blaze). This ~is~ my life's story, so it's pretty long. I'll pretty much be writing everything down in the order that I remember it happening.
My mother had me when she was 16, my dad was illiterate and had pretty severe bipolar as well as paranoid skitzophrenia. Childhood was hell because of the constant fighting and my dad flipping out and breaking things. Anyway, my mother had me put on SSI when I was maybe 7 or 8. I was diagnosed with ADHD but it was actually autism (they didn't know much about it or how to detect it back then), they put me on Ritalin, which I personally think is wrong and there are a lot of side affects to giving a child something like that such as hormonal changes and prostate issues later on. Kinda made me become sexual at too early of an age. Was always grinding against stuffed animals and I was only 8 or so, having messed up sexual fantasies.
Oh, I was also molested by a neighboor friend when I was 11, so that also could have had some effect on me.
My mom was the typical "battered wife" - when my dad had his flip outs she'd hide me in the closet. He'd break everything in the friggin' house. When I got older I tried to defend my mom, it was like a kind of contest between me and my dad to out-crazy each other. I'd come to her defense and basically want to beat the snot out of my dad and she'd just say "he's your father, it's not his fault, he's just got the devil in him." I hated hearing that.
I'd go to school and wonder if when I came home the house would be on fire or something. Life was pretty much go to school, come home, go upstairs to my room and try to avoid drama. I'd hear my parents fight and I'd just put on music.
My dad and I would work on cars when he wasn't being a crazy destructive bipolar nut job. He'd get salvage cars to fix up and we'd pull out the dents and fill the rest with Bondo and paint over them. Fun stuff, when he was being normal. Not so fun when he'd break whatever he was working on. That was my cue to go back upstairs and play Nintendo.
Oh yeah, he was working at a Junkyard under the table (he too was on SSI) my mom "managed" his money for him.
Went to a redneck Highschool, hated everyone there except for a few actually decent people. The place I went, you had to be racist to fit in. Everyone chewed snuff and bragged about having relatives in the Klan. I didn't have many friends, maybe enough to count on one hand. I made it a point to keep my real self hidden so I wouldn't face even more bullying. Everyone already harassed me enough for being a spazzy nerdy kid, the last thing I needed was for anyone to know about me being gay... (This fear of being outed prevented me from opening up to people I knew who might be gay, and Ironton is such a small place that once information leaks it travels rapidly).
There -was- a cute guy who was in the marching band who very clearly was gay, but I never had the courage to approach or out myself to him. Kinda wish I had slipped him a bit of paper with my phone number on it, but then also my mom listened in on my phone conversations by picking up the other receiver.
Got a computer maybe sometime around 10th grade. Started spending more time on that than hanging out with "friends" - I got acquainted with "furries" pretty much by accident, I was hanging out on a Tails (Sonic fandom) message board and through that I got into furry stuff.
I started getting on ICQ a lot, talking to all these strangers who shared a common interest in cute characters. I didn't get into the pornographic side of it til much later, though I had been having those kinds of fantasies in my head for a long time and quite early. Aside from ICQ I used Furcadia a lot. Furcadia was a graphical chat "game" sorta like what Second Life is, except it's all very basic and in 2D. You pick a species and clothes and walk around talking to other furries.
I got into Yahoo Groups and traded furry "yiff" pics (porn) with people.
Got into Vocational for my 11th and 12th year of school. Took computer classes. Didn't do a whole lot with it. I couldn't afford to take A+ cert test and took C+ cabling which I did nothing with after I graduated.
Oh yeah, the summer I graduated my dad hit my mom with the telephone reciever. Gave her a big bruise on her temple. I had already taken off for my uncle's at the start of the fight because I didn't feel like sticking around. We only came back because I was scared he'd kill her. We get back and she stumbles off the porch and we get her in the car and take her to the police station. Took pictures of her bruise.
My dad tried to file for divorce then changed his mind. My mom basically made me sugar coat him on the witness stand so he'd get off light with community service instead of jail time. I started spending even more time on the computer. I didn't want to be around either of my parents because of the drama. I hardly had any local friends, I envied people who lived in better places that WEREN'T Ironton, Ohio.
Despite being graduated, my mother did not try to encourage me to "leave the nest." She didn't even try to push me to get a job or become independent in any way. She would have been content to have me live upstairs for the rest of my life. She was most definitely a "helicopter mom" - hovering over everything.
I had a few visits from some furry friends in nicer cities. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus. My mom's opinion of "internet people" was that they're all serial killers.
When I had my first visit she asked him a whole bunch of questions. It was rather embarassing.
The same guy came back down again with some of his friends to take me to Anthrocon (2001). Told my mother it was "just an anime convention."
They all came to my house and we hung out, went to Jo Anne Fabrics so they could throw together some pretty terrible looking fursuits. Then we got in the guy's car and he drove us the 18 hours to Pittsburgh.
Got to the con and I was pretty overwhelmed. I'd hardly been anywhere outside of Ohio. There were so many people, so many suits. At one point my friends ended up ditching me to go into the "headless lounge" where the suiters go to cool off and they told me I couldn't go with them. I hung out by the piano feeling dejected. Along comes "Cal" ... A guy twice my age, not attractive in the slightest, but someone was being nice to me so I didn't care....
He started rubbing my shoulders out of nowhere, I felt creeped out but I was also lonely and felt like my friends left me, he bragged about being a trained masseuse and offered me a massage if I came up to his room with him.
I did and things went a direction they shouldn't have. It went from me getting a massage to him biting me and penetrating me... I went back to my friends' room at the con with bite marks and was promptly made fun of. Felt bad.
Despite this, when I got back home I still kept talking to the guy via his ICQ number. He wanted to keep seeing me.
He'd mail me little gifts, call me on the phone.
He even came to visit, which completely creeped out my mother since this was a 32 year old man visiting her, at the time, 20 year old son (who also still looked 16).
My mom got hold of his wallet to do background checks on him suspecting he's a pedo (she wasn't far off).
Still she didn't do anything to stop anything.
He came back again to take me and some much cuter "local" friends to King's Island. (Local being like, 45 min away in Charleston, West Virginia) I should have stayed and tried to pursue things with Villicent, the local furry who had a crush on me, lol.
But instead I'd eventually end up leaving with C. I wanted out of Ironton, badly. Enough to leave with a guy I wasn't even all that attracted to. I just wanted to get away.... Away from my parents, away from the fights, away from backwards racist homophobic redneck Ironton.
The day I was to get on a plane to leave with C to go to Washington state is also the day I learned from my mother that I had been on SSI for most of my life... The fact she never told me infuriated me. I used to skip lunches to save up my money thinking $20 was something big.
I used to go with her to donate plasma to try to save up just to afford going to the convention, and here I was getting a check I didn't even know about, that she was using... "For bills" she says... But between her cleaning house for old people and dad's SSI + junkyard job + reselling fixed up cars, there is no way we could have been that poor.
She was also taking diet pills like Adipex and Phen-Phen "for energy" she says... That makes me think "was she using my SSI on those pills?" It makes me angry because I could have been given a chance - after I turned 16, or 18 - to learn financial responsibility and manage my own finances. Instead I was kept in the dark and the only thing that forced her to tell me was me moving away.
And even then, when I moved there was a 4 month period where she was only sending me half of my check. What did she still need it for? The house was paid off.
Welp... On to C. (2002 to 2004)

• I had my representative payee thing transferred from my mom to C. This was a bad idea. He took just as much advantage of me as my mom did.

He had me paying what he said was "half" of rent in a small converted basement room -- my part was 300 dollars, so his part also would have been 300 dollars... 600 for a room? - doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
He had me set up a joint account with him too, visa debit. Also a bad idea because it meant he had access to my money any time he felt like it.
When he got layed off from his job at Boeing, there was a good 6 month period where he had me paying rent for both of us, while he was drawing both Oregon and Washington unemployment checks.
He showed himself to be a schemer and abusive. He had me pretty brainwashed too. The "emotional drug dealer" talk... "I'm the only one that's going to take care of you and put up with you, everyone else hates you" kind of stuff.
I had friends I would meet at the furry meets and they'd try to save me or get me away from C but he always pulled me right back to him...
C was also a pederast. Very much the ephebopile. He would bring over underage furries from the meets and try to bend them to his will, usually with alcohol. Kids as young as 14 sometimes. If I said anything in protest it was usually ignored or he'd tell me to mind my own business.
I eventually told him I felt like he was too old for me. His reaction to this was to make a suicide threat. He had his dad's Colt 45 always sitting on the nightstand, he put it to his head like he was going to kill himself, I pleaded with him to stop. He then pointed the end of the gun to my temple and acted like he was going to shoot me instead... Click nothing happened. He had taken the bullets out.
He then laughs at me for being so gullible to think he'd kill himself over someone as worthless as me.
Why did I continue living with this person? Because I didn't want to go back to Ironton, Ohio.
I didn't want to go back to where I had no one. Hardly any local furries at all. In Washington there were so many and so close. None of that was back in Ironton.
C and I "broke up" but I still had to live there...
Eventually I ended up talking to someone in Lansing, Michigan (Loopy Foxtail) who wanted to bring me out there to visit and also go to Anthrocon again. I stayed at his place for maybe 4 months. All the while, C still had access to my money and was taking out my part of rent, me being under the impression that I'd still have somewhere to come back to after the visit was over (why did I still want to go back?).
C actually moved someone else in and was charging them rent while still taking out my part using the joint access... He called me and bragged about it. I felt hurt and like there was nothing I could do about it, when really I should have reported him to SSA for abusing his position as my payee and stealing from me.
I visited my parents, they tried to convince me to stay in Ironton but I wouldn't. I knew I'd hate it there.
I went back to Lansing and stayed with the two furries I knew there for a little while longer, then got in contact with a couple in Bellevue, Washington and made my plans to go back, despite Loopy wanting me to stay.
I rode the Greyhound back again, to go live with "Qba" and "Grazel" in Bellevue. (2004 to 2006).
Q was pretty cool. He liked collecting ROMs and emulators for old video game systems, so we definitely had common ground, also the same sarcastic humor. G was more of an MMO person and also quite a bit older than Q.
Qba and I spent more time together than he did with his "husband" (they got married in Portland before the whole thing where gay marriage in Oregon got reversed). G spent nearly all of his free time playing World of Warcraft.
Times were good, at least with Qba and I. We'd hang out, play old games, watch shows. But for whatever reason I wasn't satisfied with who I had around me so I did what I always did and got addicted to ICQ and other messenger programs talking to people. At least there was Pounced (furry personals site) that I could use to look for potential friends / boyfriends, but the person I got along with best was already there in the same apartment with me.
Despite this, I still searched and dated.
My mom kept in contact via phone, informed me that my dad had filled for a divorce to flex his control over her. She asked what she should do and I told her "give him what he wants."
Q introduced me to the world of Second Life and I started spending all of my time on it and so did he. It was an escape, a Virtual World where you can run around a giant sandbox and do whatever. Very addictive. Someday I bet something like this will ensnare everyone... It will be as bad as any drug.
Through Second Life, I bumped into Grue, who was another local Washington furry. Struck up a relationship way way way too quickly. We also got in a car accident trying to go to a Teriyaki restaurant. A delivery driver hit his car and spun us in circles, broke the rear axel. It was his first day out driving.
His uncle got us in contact with a lawyer, supposedly would come into some money since it was the other guy's fault.
Grue was getting kicked out of his parents' place so I let him move in, this was a mistake as he monopolized my space and would go into emo fits and lock himself in my room. He wouldn't explain what was wrong either. "If you don't know what's wrong I'm not going to tell you."
We got in a fight and unfortunately I was the one who was made to leave. I ended up moving into another house nearby with some friends, Steel and Draco. They were pretty bad hoarders, didn't really clean on a regular basis.
My grandfather died and my mom wanted me to come back to Ohio under the pretense of attending the funeral. Nah, she just wanted me back in Ironton again. And the only reason I even agreed to go back was because I knew a black furry in Cincinnati through Second Life who I wanted to see.
(2006)
I get on the plane to go back to stupid frigging Ironton.
I still remember the first thing my mother said to me when she picked me up when I got back and told her about wanting to see Kisach: "I don't think it's right for the races to mix." I replied to that with "well, thanks for reminding me why I hate everyone in Ironton."
I get back, my mom converts everything of mine back to Ohio, assuming I'm going to stay there with her indefinitely. Ironton is much too boring and depressing for me to handle, when you spend most of your life in a horrible redneck small town, then go to much nicer places, then come back... It's like you remember all the reasons you hate the small town and why you miss the much nicer cities you lived in.
The ray of light of course was getting to have Kisach come down to visit. He brought his PS2 and some games and we hooked that up to my mom's big rear projection TV. We had fun and got pretty close but we didn't fool around... I did kiss him rather shyly.
We went back to Cincinnati to visit too. Stayed at his dad's for a while, went to the Cincinnati Mall. It was nice up there. Kisach really wanted us to get a place together, and I should have. Instead, I drove my mother nuts constantly bitching about how much I despise Ironton and she had me set up to go back to Washington... to go live with a guy in Tacoma who I knew before I left. I should have stayed, I should have waited for Kisach and not abandoned him.
I should have stayed. I called Kisach from the motel my mom and I spent the night at and cried my eyes out, told him I wouldn't forget him, that I'd try to come back for him. Ugh. I should have just not left at all and toughed things out.
Got to Tacoma, lived with someone I'll call "R" ... R was okay, if just a bit hard to figure out. R collected shotacon, cub furry art and some.... other things. The situation eventually changed and R planned on moving to Tennessee to start a power washing business. I didn't want to go with, I dunno why. Too attached to Washington, I guess.
Got back into contact with "C" again and got a ride down to Vancouver, WA to stay with Bengalix. That was.... interesting. I lived with Bengalix in a very filthy apartment with him and two very crazy people (a straight couple with domestic problems that were worse than my own parents) I didn't know this at the time but Bengalix and the two other people were doing meth... Something I'm just not into.
I wound up leaving that situation pretty quickly. I also kinda tattled to the apartment complex management about the meth use and the fact the straight couple had their kids around that environment.
Left that and wound up living with Purrcival in Portland, Oregon. It was a cramped tiny studio apartment across from what was PGE Park. Portland was nice, you could bus everywhere, take the Max line anywhere. Could walk to Pioneer Courthouse Square, which was the big hangout center. Lots of food carts. I loved Portland.
During my stay at that apartment I decided on a random whim of memory to call up the number for the lawyer of my case from the accident I was in with Grue back in Bellevue. I wasn't even expecting anything, but I was to come into some money from the accident. Wouldn't-cha know, "C" would come back into my life to swoop in and take advantage.
He convinced me to let him handle the 4300 dollar accident settlement I'd be getting. Convinced me to let him use half of it to get a house in Beaverton and he'd pay me back. This of course was a sham. He got the house but he took the entirety of the money, saying the landlady wanted it all up front. I let the same person who always used me and scammed me do it yet again.
I was even being charged 400 for a room in a house that my settlement money helped him to get with no real plans on when I would be payed back.
I stayed there for quite a while. Eventually got woken up by my friend "S" about just how badly I got conned. Even though I was pissed about getting used again, I did enjoy living in the area. I liked being able to see other furries. I had a lot of good friends and good encounters.
(2007)
Eventually I met someone and moved again, I'll call him JV. I moved with him in his trailer in Clackamas. The relationship didn't last long as he was really addicted to MMO games like G and I really just don't like those at all. We got in a situation where he'd play his MMO's and I'd be chatting to people on Second Life or something because I felt lonely.
Probably same as how Q must have felt with G.
I was looking for outside attention a lot. Pounced, Aim, Yahoo, ICQ. Got on Myspace. Bumped into the guy I had a crush on in highschool but hadn't been courageous enough to talk to. He said I should have said something to him.... sigh
My dad also got in contact with me over myspace, I had not communicated with him for probably 8 years. He sent me a sort of apology gift in the form of DVDs of Knight Rider and various 80s movies we both liked. Initially I was scared he'd try mailing me some kind of bomb or something crazy.
While being on myspace I found out my favorite band would be coming to Portland - Dir en grey, a Japanese metal band I had loved since finding their music in 2003.
I went into full obsessed autistic weeaboo mode and took it upon myself to make fliers at the library with their copying machine and do promo by handing those out to random people or anyone who looked weeaboo enough.
Went to the concert and had a fantastic time.
JV and I grew more and more distant. I started sleeping on the couch that doubled as my computer chair. I developed what I believe was a torsion in my left testicle. JV took me to the ER to get looked at, they assumed it was epididimitis caused by an infection and shot me full of antibiotics (Rocephin / Ceftriaxone) was instructed to take a COLD bath, but by the time I got home I forgot this instruction.
I took a hot bath instead and my left testicle and scrotum expanded. I didn't go back to the ER even though I should have. It's possible I had an allergic reaction. Didn't think a whole lot of it since I could still masturbate without much issue. Should have gone back to ER and told them.
JV and I officially broke up and he expressed desire to have me out in 6 months.
Met someone I'll call JD via Pounced who lived pretty far out, but was willing to travel to be closer. I explained my situation and we made plans to save up and move together .
JD was probably the nicest person I would ever know, someone who truly loved me and cared for me. I didn't find this out until later, but JD actually left home on a "Wave" bus from Tillamook to Portland and slept on a park bench just so he could get closer to me. He met some other furries in the area by Sunset Transit Center by total random chance and he moved into their spare room. I finally could go visit him.
He got a temporary job doing canvassing for HRC.
Later he moved in with his friends he knew from Highschool when they got an apartment in Milwaukee, Oregon. He went from having a bed and a room to sleeping in a recliner. But he did it to be closer to me, so we could be together.
(2008)
I saved up close to 600 dollars and we pooled our money and got an apartment across from the Clackamas Mall. It was a tiny Studio apartment but fairly nice. Had a fireplace, a sectioned off "bed area" and "living area" - nice little place. Cheap at the time. We survived on just my SSI and my EBT. Amazing that we did that.
We found a sweet little kitten by the laundry facilities. Decided to keep him. Cute little grey and white kitty, mean and bitey as all hell.
I was happy even if we were struggling. I had JD, I had my computer and a nice CRT TV with all my emulators. Life was pleasant. But for whatever reason I still felt compelled to keep seeking out other furries when I didn't need to. I shouldn't have wanted anything else than what I had.
I had a good relationship with a good person. I screwed it up pretty badly. I couldn't stop being a damn internet addicted hoebag. He'd try to get random jobs to try and support us so I wouldn't have to cover everything, and I just used that time alone to slut it up online. Surprisingly he was forgiving, even though he shouldn't have been.
He eventually got on SSI himself with the help of a disability lawyer. At least then we didn't have to scrape by so much, we could each cover things pretty equally.
Despite how much he loved me I was still a bad person. I didn't appreciate who or what I had.
We moved out of our studio apartment and into a bigger 2 bedroom in the same complex with one of JD's friends who he knew since they were kids. I had everything I could want in that apartment. But I still didn't appreciate it.
JD started going to community college, begged me to start going with him because he felt scared and alone going by himself. I wouldn't listen and would just stay home, playing my old games, chat RP-ing with strangers.
(2010)
My dad got really unexpectedly ill. He had Creutzfeldt Jakob disease. He collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. Nobody knew what was wrong with him (until after the autopsy). He eventually died. I felt terrible because he had tried really hard to reach out to me and keep in contact and I didn't keep up my end by calling him, I just waited for him to call me most of the time. CJD is also hereditary... So there's a high probability I'll develop it too.
Despite all the crazy domestic violence crap he put me and my mother through, I was heartbroken. I wouldn't get up from bed. I just layed under my blanket going over scenarios of how I could have prevented his accident, but I couldn't have.
Simple things like watching an episode of Doctor Who (the episode where Rose stops her dad from dying) would put me in crying fits.
JD took me too Multnomah County animal shelter and we got a dog, a corgi. It was to try and bring me out of my depression by trying to give me something to care for.
.......
We eventually moved from the place we were in and got into a different apartment with some room mates. JD was really sad to leave his friend behind as he didn't really want to.
Things with the other room mates were "ok" for a while, but they kept getting involved in mine and JD's disputes when they really shouldn't have. They kept trying to split us up, get me to move out. JD didn't want me to move, but he did use that kind of talking as a threat to get me to do what he wanted (like go to community college with him). It's the kind of thing I don't respond well to because I take it too seriously.
We had a "temporary hiatus" where I had to sleep in the livingroom. The room mates took this as their chance to keep pushing the idea that I'd have to move.
JD didn't really want that at all. He didn't want me to move. But since I felt like it was what everyone wanted and because I felt like JD and I were finished, I started pursuing another relationship and person I thought I'd move out with.
"K" was, ironically, someone JD brought over for my benefit to try and make me happy, instead we ended up dating. I dunno if I did it because I was mad about having to move or thinking he'd be an outlet or what. He reminded me a lot of myself, pretty helpless. I thought maybe if I could help him then in a way I could help myself. Maybe having someone to take care of would push me to have to do what needed to be done to become functional.
Poor guy had everything going against him. Parents didn't have any of his necessary documents like birth certificate and stuff, he lived in a converted two room shed behind a very gross hoarded house. I tried to help him get on the process to get SSI but it was pretty useless since he had none of the documents that would have been needed.
The relationship didn't last very long, maybe 6 months.
JD called me when I was over there at K's for a couple of days begging me to come back home and of course I did. JD gave me a stipulation, again with the ultimatums but this one actually had an option to go with it: Get on financial aid to go to community college with him + get back on anti-depressants -- or move. And since I didn't want to move, I took part one.
(2011)
Started attending community college with JD, it was actually really fun despite how afraid I was in the beginning. I got on the school paper with him and eventually snagged the position of Copy Editor, which I excelled at because I'm great at scanning text for mistakes with my eyes.
We still had occasional fights, it seemed unavoidable. One time we were trying to go meet up with a friend we knew from school and JD had me hold his phone to read directions for him. The friend called and I didn't know how to answer it because I assumed it worked like a normal button. I had no idea you were supposed to slide it a specific way to answer. He got mad at me and yelled "You're so useless, I may as well send you on a plane back to Ironton!" Hearing that hurt. I got angry, made him stop the car and I got out and threw the fidget ring he got me on the ground.
Had other roommate (M) pick me up and eventually JD and I did make up after both of us calming down.
We continued going to community college. JD graduated before I did (2013) because he started going a year before me. When I started having to go by myself, I felt a change. I missed going to classes with JD. I missed riding to school in the morning with him, getting food, being there together - riding back home together. Listening to audiobooks together.
I still went, but it didn't feel the same as before. I had to bus there on my own and JD wasn't with me, he was back home. I had late night classes and getting home after them was very rough because of the nearly 2 hour long bus rides.
My sleep pattern was already hard to maintain and getting home at 1am didn't make it any easier. By the time I'd get home JD would already be asleep.
If I didn't immediately go to sleep I'd end up staying up all night on the computer and ruining my sleep pattern again.
Even when it wasn't chatting to people I'd just stay up reading Wikipedia or doing some other pointless activity. I didn't realize it at the time but the internet was an addiction for me. I couldn't tear myself away from it. Once I got a smartphone that addiction became even worse because now I had constant connection in my hand 24/7. I honestly hate the fact smartphones even exist and that I got one. Up until the start of 2014, I had an old flip phone.
I'd be on the smartphone on the ride to and from school, on my alternate Facebook account (I kept my furry stuff separated from my main account). Eventually my alternate account got locked under Facebook's Real Name policy. I was annoyed because I could no longer access that account.
But why did I even need all these external connections? Why did I need to be chatting to people I couldn't even touch when I had a bf sitting in the room with me?
The nature of the internet.... Is numerous artificial connections. You make so many and connection loses meaning because you can always find someone who likes what you like, but is so far away so you just feel sad.
I guess maybe I was feeling alone because I felt like my interests, fetishes, hobbies and other stuff weren't shared or approved of so I was seeking out that approval and for others to legitimize things I liked. Maybe he felt the same way, as he had a lot of games and shows he liked that I lacked the attention span for. I just don't do MMO games, doesn't interest me much.
I would rather keep playing the same emulated games I collected over the years than spend time on an MMO. Emulation was pretty much the only thing I played except for rare occasions when we'd find something we both liked.
I lost my copy editor position at school as you can only have a specific position for so long. I had to switch to another position and it was website editor which I was terrible at.
My time at school started to feel less fun. I spent more and more time online, to the point I was missing days of class because I couldn't get up the next day.
JD demanded that I get back on anti-depressants, as he reminded me that this was the other half of his stipulation, and going to school was only one part. I set up an appointment with my therapist but I ended up missing it. What happened was that I had been up late as usual, even though I knew I had an appointment... by the time I got into bed behind JD there wasn't much space. At some point in my sleep I wound up laying across him diagonally which was uncomfortable for him and he woke up rather angry.
Instead of doing the logical thing and fixing my position on the bed, I just left for the couch in the living room and slept there. I didn't think to set an alarm to wake myself up. I woke up realizing I had missed my appointment, and instead of taking the responsibility for it, I tried to blame JD. That was addmitedly unfair. Naturally he got upset. "S" our other room mate stepped in to take the opportunity to yet again push the "I think you should move" agenda same as before I started going to school, and JD bought it and said "yeah, maybe you SHOULD move!" and that just opened the flood gates on my anger. I said things in response that I didn't mean just because I was angry that he would tell me to move.
And he didn't actually mean what he was saying about wanting me to move, he just wanted me to alter my behavior and the only way he knew how to do that was by frightening me with scare tactics. He thought by scaring me with the impending fear of having to move I would change, open up, tell him what's bothering me. That's not how my emotions work, when someone tells me to move I take that serious... and to outside observers it doesn't look like "I'm just doing this to scare him, I don't actually mean it."
To S, it was like "Oh good, I finally win. Now they'll separate."
I shouldn't have fucking listened. I should have just taken off, put on earbuds and went on a walk to calm down. Instead, because I felt hurt I felt the need to say something hurtful back, even if I didn't really mean it. I told JD that I wasn't happy in our relationship and that I wished I had stayed with K instead of coming back to him. This hurt JD more than anything... Probably more than being told to move hurt me.
He said "God damnit, Chris. I would have spent the rest of my life with you" hitting his knee with his fist and falling to the ground crying. I didn't expect this. He told me to move. I thought that meant that was it. Over. I don't like you. That's what those words meant to me. "I hate you, get out."
But he didn't mean any of it. It was S influencing us both. To JD it was a tool to get me to "shape up" but to me, you don't tell me to move unless you mean it.
The next day while I was at school he was sending me Facebook messages. Saying that he was up at his dad's and feeling alone. Feeling scared he was going to die alone. That he missed me and wished I was there with him on the coast. The coast was where we always went to wind down.
But I didn't see a "I don't want you to move" or a "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." Our conversation continued and I was just flat out resistant, still upset, heart still hardened from anger.
JD decided he would sleep out in the living room like I did the first time we broke up. I monopolized the bedroom and spent even more time online, talking to my stupid little internet friends. Months passed by. I forgot Christmas. Normally we'd put up a tree in the living room. That space was taken up by a tent made of fabric stick pinned to the cieling.
Poor JD slept alone on a crappy futon mattress with a foam cover while I got the bed. I would hardly talk to him sometimes. I spent more time talking to the guy in China who I met off Furgather than I did talking to JD. Occasionally we would watch a show together... Gotham. American Horror Story, An Idiot Abroad. A movie here and there.
He tried to get me involved in a Let's Play thing he was setting up with the other room mates but I was too busy hiding away in the bedroom. He told me of his plans to move and that I'd need to find replacement room mates. He begged me "don't move in some random furries, you think you'll get along because of that but you won't. Go on Craigslist or something, find normal people to live with."
He was right but I wouldn't listen. I wound up going on a Facebook group for the local furry community and posting an alert and of course I got two crazy people. H and D.
H seemed okay through talking online, but then so does everyone. It's only when you live with people that you find out what they're actually like. H used the fact she makes fursuits (full body mascot costumes based on a buyer's fursona) as a selling point for herself as a room mate. Of course I did not know this was her only source of income, as she had no job, no SSI and D was her only support.
D was the stereotypical emo kid, oh look how angsty and dark I am. He worked a security job so he was slightly higher on the totem pole than H, but he was immature as hell. The both of them were, but I didn't realize this until after JD left and I had to deal with them alone.
For the first couple of months or so, I was doing good. I was focusing on making music and building on the abilities I had learned in my electronic music classes. I was collecting gear. Making things like a neat padded microphone box, and yeah I was trying to find another relationship and I had a guy I was talking to that I liked, but eventually JD became part of my life again and I spent all my time obsessing about him. Obsessing on this idea that we'd find a place and move back in together, which in many chats he also went along with. I wrote off everyone to try and meet the standards of a person I was not even in a relationship with, nor would I ever be again. And this is why every time I'd have an ex, I'd just completely break off from them, but this I couldn't. Ugh.
I should have just deleted my Facebook, purged my phone and never talked to JD again. I should have focused on any of the good friends / potential relationship interests I had who I could be fully open about my kinks with who didn't make fun of me and make me feel like I had to hide aspects of myself. Instead I go visit JD at his new house, I visit with the dog and cat. Getting my heart filled back up with memories. Getting close again when I shouldn't. And eventually he has to move into a different place but can't take the animals... He gives them back to me and they're reminders of our life together. He shouldn't have done that, they should have stayed with him, but his "friend" who bought the house wouldn't let him keep them. Also, I didn't find out until much later after a conversation with a mutual friend that, once the dog was back with me, H and D would enter my room when I was not there to do sexual things with him. Finding that out really hurt a lot.
(Continued).