[DML] DOA Expo

["Willie Wonka" <ixlr88@xxxx>]

This past week I happened to be in St Louis for a couple of days on 
business. Since I'm planning on attending the upcoming DOA Expo, I figured 
I'd use this opportunity to look around St Louis and also take a look at the 
host hotel, the Regal Riverfront, and it's facilities. I actually stopped 
one afternoon and spent some time at this hotel. It seems typical of most 
large city downtown type business hotels. It is an older hotel which looks 
like it has gone thru a remodeling in the last few years which seems to have 
been very nicely done. The facilities seem typical for this type of hotel 
with the normal swimming pools, game rooms, banquet rooms, restaurants and 
lounge / bars thru out. I'm sure it is capable of handling all the events 
scheduled by the DOA with no problem.
I did find out a few things that I thought some people planning on 
attending this event should be aware of though. This hotel is located right 
in downtown St Louis, with the Interstate and Arch grounds directly to the 
East, office buildings directly to the North and a public parking garage 
across the street to the West. When I pulled up in front of the hotel on a 
circle drive-thru off the main city street, I was informed that the hotel 
has NO local parking facilities and that all parking is across the street in 
the 5 story public parking garage. You can't even park in the city street 
out in front of the hotel because it's a bus stop. The hotel uses the street 
/ entry level of this parking garage for hotel parking. Once parked, you 
walk across the garage to an escalator which takes you down under the 
street. You walk thru a tunnel over to the lower levels of the hotel and 
then up two more escalators and across the lobby to the reception desk. It's 
a pretty good hike. If you decide to unload your luggage at the hotel 
entrance before going to the parking garage, I want to warn you to be very 
careful when pulling back onto the city street. The ramp at the end of the 
circle drive is very steep and one needs to be careful about dragging the 
front end of the Delorean at the bottom of the ramp.
I also asked a few other questions about parking arrangements for the 
Expo and was told: 1) the only parking they have available is in this garage 
2) this garage can not accept trucks pulling trailers / car haulers ( these 
rigs have to park in a lot under a bridge about 3-4 blocks away south of the 
Arch grounds ) and 3) there is NO security supplied by the hotel for our 
vehicles in the garage. Please note: This is a public garage which seems to 
be used by many people working downtown during the day. Access to it is 
un-restricted. I was informed by the hotel that if we wanted, they could 
make arrangements to supply security for this event at an additional cost of 
$600 per day. I understand from other Delorean owners that this is an option 
the DOA has decided not to accept. Of course I guess if your flying in from 
the West Coast, this is something that doesn't concern you.
Like I said, I'm still planning on attending this event. The only thing 
that has changed for me is now I'm not driving my Delorean. It will stay 
home in it's garage where I know it's safe. I was looking forward to getting 
the Delorean out for the drive too. Oh well ! I'll drive the van or maybe 
now I'll even look into air fare. I guess when you look at the schedule of 
Expo events, you don't really need to have your car there. Almost all the 
events are of a social nature and are held either at the host hotel or 
within walking distance. The DOA has arranged bus transportation for many of 
the other events.
Seems kind of funny though, another Delorean Expo I won't be taking my 
Delorean too.

______________________________________________________