[Mars]

Fat Tire is the main CO export (other than the Coors swill, or Blue Moon), it's good beer.

[Lorric]

(I don't do alcohol)

Neither do I. That's a very unusual trait we share. Hey, maybe there's more to Flipside mixing you and me up than meets the eye, eh? 

Dilmah, I wonder if you could do the pubs/clubs/bars without alcohol? Just drink something else? Probably not though. I can't relate since I don't drink. If it was just a matter of wanting some drink around, you could get someone older to get them in, but it will be a bigger problem for you at a pub/club/bar.

Good luck. I hope you have a blast, especially if you get to meet some other HLPers IRL.

[Hades]

I know, and that's the problem! I was thinking a fake ID might be a good investment, especially as I doubt anyone around knows what a real Western Australian driver's license looks like anyway. Not sure if it's worth it though, what are people's opinions?

already on the NSA's watchlist, watch yourself commie

[MP-Ryan]

Dilmah, I wonder if you could do the pubs/clubs/bars without alcohol? Just drink something else?

With a couple exceptions, most bars/pubs/clubs in North America that serve alcohol do not allow minors on their premises.  Some food establishments do have liquor licenses to serve alcohol with meals, but that's fairly rare in the pub/bar industry (North American prudishness about alcohol strikes again!).  Though some American states do have laws that permit minors in those sorts of establishments until a certain time of night.

[SpardaSon21]

I suppose it all rather depends on which part of the country you live in.  Down here in Southern California pretty much every restaurant serves alcohol of some kind, although you really need to avoid the big chains if you want good alcohol.  Fortunately Orange County is fairly cosmopolitan with regards to booze, so it is actually pretty easy to find a place with a decent beer selection.  There's even a restaurant about 20 minutes away by freeway with about 120 different beers on tap.

[Dilmah G]

I see. I'd actually be okay with doing pubs/club/etc sober, but yeah, even at 19/20 I won't be let into a club, will I? If everyone drinks at house parties and the like that's not too bad and not too different from what I occupy myself with at the moment.

I know, and that's the problem! I was thinking a fake ID might be a good investment, especially as I doubt anyone around knows what a real Western Australian driver's license looks like anyway. Not sure if it's worth it though, what are people's opinions?

already on the NSA's watchlist, watch yourself commie

THANKS Obama.

Willamette isn't too far from Canada though, is crossing the border a common thing for you guys?

Also, if anyone else is keen to play FS/chill out/sink piss with me when I hop on over, feel free to also let me know!

[SpardaSon21]

* SpardaSon21 looks up Willamette.

Not bad.  Since beer appears to be high on your list of priorities, Oregon's a hell of a place for that with plenty of craft breweries.  I don't want to make any assumptions about surfing Australians, but if you do, think about heading all the way down the coast to Huntington Beach next year when the weather warms up.  Kinda touristy, especially in the summer, but the surf is still really good.  Its also close enough to where I live I'd be able to meet you for some delicious deep dish pizza and beer at a restaurant just up Main Street from the pier.

[swashmebuckle]

Vancouver is a bit far to go to get a beer, though I heartily recommend the trip (you can hit Seattle along the way too). The San Francisco bay area is the other major metro zone within striking distance, but that's an even longer haul (or a pretty painless plane ride). Portland is only and hour away though, so that's probably the destination of choice for most city fun.

[AtomicClucker]

I need to check regulations on alcohol through the mail, but I'm tempted to send Dilmah: http://www.wasatchbeers.com/polygporter.html

It's one of the few local brews I recommend to people, taste may very though.

[Mongoose]

Glad to hear you made it in, though you're probably a solid 2000 miles (3200 km) away from my neck of the woods.

[BritishShivans]

You know, one thing I will never cease to be amazed by is how many Australians (including myself) are on this board. I mean holy ****, on most boards I've been on there's only 2 to 3 other Australians at most.

[swashmebuckle]

Your country does have a lot of free space.

[SpardaSon21]

I c wat u did thar.

[Klaustrophobia]

if you really want to drink in college and aren't of age, go to house parties.  in college towns, you can usually get into clubs if you're over 18, you just might have to pay an extra cover.

as for what to do for fun other than drinking, it's college dude.  you can do just about ANYTHING.  play sports, go to movies, concerts, just hang out in friends' dorm/apartment/whatever, study play video games, hell just stroll around campus and socialize.  seriously, you don't need a bar for that.  any open field on campus/in the town will do.  check out your student union and student organizations/clubs.  you'll find all KINDS of **** to do.  some of it you'd never have known you wanted to.  that's how i found AFL.

[Dilmah G]

Fair enough, college in the states is sounding preeetty good. I remember Willamette having 100 odd student clubs so that should be sweet. I'll also think about getting my surf on and seeing you if I can SpardaSon. Contrary to the stereotype, I drink beer and eat meat pies but I do not surf...yet.

[SypheDMar]

College is not pretty good. It's AMAZING! And you're foreign. You are by default AMAZING! Meet people in class, get numbers, go party. I don't drink and I still have way fun. I have a French friend that's crazy awesome too!

There's a lot of 18+ clubs near the Ohio State University on Thursdays. They might have that where you are too. If not, house parties are the best bet for alcohol if you're underage. At least in our school, underage drinking is encouraged by the recently retired president and not enforced by the police.

And congrats! Life will get a whole lot crazier.

[SpardaSon21]

Cool.  It does get really crowded in the summer though (being a beach in Southern California), and it does host the U.S. Open of Surfing IIRC, so you might want to try to get down there fairly early in the season where there's a lot fewer people around.  And if the trip is too long, no sweat, I understand.  Oregon is a long ways away.

[FlamingCobra]

Next time, come to Raleigh!