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Rudager posted:So I'm heading to LA for 4 nights, SF for 5 nights, than 5 nights in Vegas for my honeymoon starting on the 1st of March. If you're visiting SF and you drink, you must try Smuggler's Cove. It's the best rum and Tiki bar in the world right now. Try to go on a week night.
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Jan 3, 2014 09:35
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For the SF area (if youre going to explore outside of the bay area at all) the drive down to Santa Cruz will put you in the middle of some amazing Redwood areas. (Look up Ben Lommond and Boulder Creek, particularly Big Basin State Park.)
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Jan 3, 2014 10:46
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Hog Obituary posted:*etc* ...Also many of these places won't be worth the line, so plan accordingly. I love everything about this post... 
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Jan 3, 2014 18:03
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More SF-area stuff: San Francisco has some world-class museums, if you prefer contemplating artwork to boozing up in bars and clubs. The DeYoung, the Legion of Honor, and my favorite, the Asian Art Museum, are all excellent. The SF MOMA is good if you prefer modern art. If your interests go that way, check out the small but very cool Cartoon Art Museum, which is just around the corner from the SF MOMA. If you want the "san francisco experience", ride a cable car, spend an hour or two (but no more than that) at Fisherman's Wharf, and maybe take the ferry tour out to Alcatraz. The Alcatraz thing will eat up a big chunk of a day, though, so only do that if you're really enthusiastic about learning about a retired maximum security prison and its history. Take a walk or bike ride out onto the golden gate bridge. Head out to the west side of the city for breakfast or brunch at The Cliff House, wander around a bit in Golden Gate Park (check out the bison, or perhaps a boat paddle ride at Stow Lake). While you're there, maybe visit the Conservatory of Flowers (if you like plants). A stroll on Sunset Beach can be nice, if it's not too cold and windy. If Cliff House is too full or too expensive, there's also the Beach Chalet. Both of these restaurants are just OK for food, but have nice views and are worth it for that. If you have a car, definitely explore the bay area. Drive across the golden gate bridge, check out the trails around the marin headlands for an hour or two, and then stop by in Sausalito for fancy shopping. Then drive to Muir Woods for a couple of hours of strolling in the giant sequoia redwood forest. If you want to take a longer trip, I'll second the drive down Highway 1, at least as far as Santa Cruz. Stop by in the little towns along the way to check out some (somewhat touristy) art galleries (but they also sell artwork by local artists). Maybe have lunch at Cameron's in Half Moon Bay, a british pub with good food and beer available. Another romantic dinner-on-the-beach option is Moonraker in Pacifica. It's situated right on the breakwater so you get to listen to the waves boom against the rocks while you eat. I haven't eaten there for oh, 25 years or more, but it has good ratings so it's probably still pretty good food. Try to have dinner around sunset, which these days is fairly early in the evening. Another full-day trip (a long full-day) or (better) overnight option is to drive up to Yosemite in the Sierra (expect it to take 4 hours of driving each way). Make reservations well in advance for wherever you'll be spending the night. Yosemite in wintertime is gorgeous and far less crowded than during the summer. If you are a hiker, you have the opportunity to enjoy spectacular scenery even during the winter; some trails are closed, but a handful are open year-round. I actually prefer a three-day trip (day 1 drive in, day two enjoy the whole day there, day three drive home) but you don't have that much time in the SF area so that's probably out. Hmm. Probably we could give better, more focused advice if you tell us a little about what you and your fiance are interested in; nightlife, art, culture, nature, fine dining, adventurous sports?
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Jan 3, 2014 20:18
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Also, hiking around the Lincoln Park Golf Course, Legion of Honor, Cliff House is fun. Lots of great views and trails all over (don't be a tourist rookie go off the trail and die.)
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Jan 3, 2014 20:29
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SirPablo posted:The CV is literally a desert based on climate classification; the west side (along I5) gets maybe 3-6"/yr of rain. Part of it is in the south, or rather it's a "Mediterranean steppe" climate around Fresno, and a "low-latitude desert" around Bakersfield, as Wikipedia tells me. Most of the central valley has a wetter (but not very wet) Mediterranean climate though, just like most of coastal CA. It wouldn't be such a successful and highly productive agricultural area if it was all desert, even with the extensive water pipelines/irrigation canals. SirPablo posted:Also gently caress the smog here, this poo poo is on par with Beijing based on observations. Wait, it is a actually worse right now. You can blame part of that smog on us here in the Bay Area. The only reason we have such nice air quality most of the time is because the pacific wind blows all the smog inland, and then it gets trapped in the central valley by the coastal and sierra mountain ranges. Excuse me while I go breath a nice ocean breeze, you central valley smog-havers 
Rah! fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Jan 4, 2014 |
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Jan 4, 2014 04:17
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Rah! posted:Part of it is in the south, or rather it's a "Mediterranean steppe" climate, as Wikipedia tells me. Most of the central valley has a wetter (but not that wet) Mediterranean climate though, just like most of coastal CA. It wouldn't be such a successful and highly productive agricultural area if it was all desert, even with the extensive water pipelines/agricultural canals. The Central Valley wouldn't be a major agricultural area without those canals either, its too dry for the high value crops otherwise.
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Jan 4, 2014 04:21
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Xaris posted:5 nights will be more than sufficient so you might want to rent a car for a day or two and travel up the coast and do some wine touring in Sonoma (or Napa but gently caress Napa). I recently got dragged to touring the wineries in Livermore and I have to say it really is worth the time. Unlike Napa, totally uncrowded, inexpensive flights, close together so with a designated driver we were able to hit more places in one day than you'd expect. Plus it's so much closer (for me) than hauling all the way up to Napa Valley.
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Jan 4, 2014 04:48
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hepscat posted:I recently got dragged to touring the wineries in Livermore and I have to say it really is worth the time. Unlike Napa, totally uncrowded, inexpensive flights, close together so with a designated driver we were able to hit more places in one day than you'd expect. Plus it's so much closer (for me) than hauling all the way up to Napa Valley. Livermore wineries rule, and if you go definitely hit up Bent Creek. It's really high quality and relatively inexpensive for what you get ($20-$30). Disclosure: I grew up in Livermore, the Bent Creek owner is my elementary school principal, and my mom works at the tasting room for fun on weekends. I 100% stand by the wine though, it's excellent.
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Jan 4, 2014 04:51
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Trabisnikof posted:The Central Valley wouldn't be a major agricultural area without those canals either, its too dry for the high value crops otherwise. Definitely, but my point is that it wouldn't be as productive as it is if it were all a desert climate.
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Jan 4, 2014 10:20
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Rudager posted:So I'm heading to LA for 4 nights, SF for 5 nights, than 5 nights in Vegas for my honeymoon starting on the 1st of March. You can get from North Hollywood to Disneyland on Metro it will take 2+ hours but it is only 1 transfer. Where are you staying in North Hollywood? If you are near the Metro station then you really don't need to rent a car, you can do all the touristy stuff cheaper and less stressful than renting a car, sitting in traffic and parking. Universal Studios is 1 subway stop away from NoHo. Disneyland might be the only thing I would rent a car for just because it is quite far away from NoHo but everything else you could do on public trans.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:57
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So I plan on visiting Humboldt State University soon, but since it's like, 7 hours away from the Central Valley, I might as well stay in the area for a few days. What's it like in Arcata for someone who's used to CV weather, and more importantly is there anything fun to do up there?
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Jan 6, 2014 07:40
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Hope you like smoking weed, trees and hiking. Arcata is... quaint and there are some beaches that aren't bad (but really loving cold). Mostly just a lot of nice forests from what I remember. You can shoot a bunch of nice scenery shots (and smoke weed while doing it). Bring something warm because it's pretty much 40-60s and often overcast.
Xaris fucked around with this message at 08:01 on Jan 6, 2014 |
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Jan 6, 2014 07:58
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Xaris posted:Hope you like smoking weed, trees and hiking. Arcata is... quaint and there are some beaches that aren't bad (but really loving cold). Mostly just a lot of nice forests from what I remember. You can shoot a bunch of nice scenery shots (and smoke weed while doing it). Bring something warm because it's pretty much 40-60s and often overcast. I actually find the north coast is often warmer than the Central Valley in the winter. The central valley gets pretty cold (for California, it can dip below freezing and there's generally a few days with highs in the 40s) and the ocean warms things up. It will rain a lot though, and yeah, lots of pot.
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Jan 6, 2014 08:11
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There's lots of really nice parks up there... redwood national park, Humboldt Bay wildlife refuge, etc. I assume you'll be a bit too early for the humpback migration, but it's a good place to see them from land if your timing is right. There are a couple of good bookstores in Eureka. Check out Ferndale. There's an amazing blackmith shop and attached gallery there that's worth an hour. Then drive up the Eel river to Humboldt Redwoods State Park... my wife and I stopped on the side of the road there a couple years ago and went down to the river, and were rewarded with the sight of hundreds of tiny froglets hopping all over the place... that was June, so you won't see that, but it's still a nice place for a picnic. But yeah, it's rural. If you're looking for hopping nightlife, you're not going to find it. It's a great place to go canoeing, hiking, beachcombing, or just hole up in a nice B&B.
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Jan 6, 2014 17:50
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Thanks for the responses guys. I know there isn't much to be had for nightlife, but I'm considering going to college there and was wondering what I would do when I caught free time from school and work.
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Jan 6, 2014 19:49
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Avocados posted:Thanks for the responses guys. I know there isn't much to be had for nightlife, but I'm considering going to college there and was wondering what I would do when I caught free time from school and work. There's probably sufficient concentration of students for there to be student bars and maybe even a club. The students will "make their own fun" if nothing is provided by the community, so you can just do that!
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Jan 6, 2014 21:20
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Aerox posted:
Holy poo poo, you didn't go to Almond Avenue, did you? If so, there's a pretty good chance we knew each other, the school was only open for like seven years. ninjahedgehog fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Jan 7, 2014 |
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Jan 7, 2014 01:06
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ninjahedgehog posted:Holy poo poo, you didn't go to Almond Avenue, did you? If so, there's a pretty good chance we knew each other, the school was only open for like seven years. I did, for 4th and 5th grade. Hi!
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Jan 7, 2014 06:15
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Avocados posted:So I plan on visiting Humboldt State University soon, but since it's like, 7 hours away from the Central Valley, I might as well stay in the area for a few days. What's it like in Arcata for someone who's used to CV weather, and more importantly is there anything fun to do up there? What's up HSU Central Valley potential transplant! Just moved up there from Fresno this summer. Probably the best thing I ever did (and this is coming from someone who doesn't smoke weed). The state's been dry all over, and there hasn't been much rain, even in Arcata. Still, plan for rain, fog, and heavy mist (we'd call it rain here but it's not). If you've got some jeans and a water-resistant hooded jacket, you should be okay. If you are planning to be outdoors most of the day, layers are a good idea. It's probably not any colder than you're used to, just wet. It's not grey and foggy all the time, either, so don't fret. We had a "massive heat wave" at the start of the school year where I think it broke into the low 80's, and there was nothing but sunshine for at least a month. Major Plus: the air is probably way cleaner than what you're used to. I haven't partaken of much of the nightlife, and if you're going in the next few weeks things might be extra dead since a big part of the student body is still on break, but there are bars to check out if you're so inclined. There are a lot of smaller music venues in town as well. Check out Jambalaya, HumBrews, and Arcata Theatre Lounge to see what they have going. Actually, check out Arcata Theatre Lounge anyway, since it's a pretty awesome place. Occasionally they have live music, but they mostly play out-of-theater movies, and you can sit at a real table and eat a real dinner while you watch. Wednesdays are $5 Sci-Fi and Pizza Night, if you're into B-movies and pizza: http://www.arcatatheater.com/ Again, things will be dead on campus if you go before school starts in again, but there's something happening at the school almost constantly. Student art exhibits, lecture series, plays, dances, and concerts. A lot of the concerts are by students, but we also get some big names coming to play at Van Duzer Theatre. I'm saving my pennies for some Blue Man Group tickets, personally. There is a lot of outdoors to explore, so if that's your thing, make time for it. If it's not...make time for it anyway because it's really pretty. There's the massive community forest literally attached to campus, and that offers a lot of hiking trails. There are numerous sandy (but cold) beaches to check out. I'm a fan of Moonstone myself, but there are plenty of other ones. I recommend making the short drive up to Trinidad as well. Check out the marine lab. There are a few aquariums and a touch tank, and it's free. Just down the road is Trinidad beach, and you can also take a hike around Trinidad head. I've had lunch at Beachcomber Cafe several times. It's pricey, but they make really good sandwiches. McKinleyville is just north of us, and, uh, yeah. The world's tallest totem pole is in the Safeway parking lot, so there's that. If you come up 101 you'll drive through Eureka before you hit Arcata, and it will look like absolute poo poo. It kinda is. Some of the worst parts of it are against the freeway, but if you go a few blocks in either direction, things get much nicer. If you have time and like animals at all, the Sequoia Park Zoo is worth an hour or so of your time. It's very small, but it's also cheap to get into and there are red pandas. My favorite place to eat in Eureka, by far, is Bless My Soul Cafe. Heads up, by the way: food up here costs more than you're used to, but it's also generally really good food. Even the local greasy fast-food places and the school cafeteria are using locally-grown products, and it is drat tasty. I haven't tried as many new places as I've wanted to, but I don't think I've had a bad meal anywhere in town. Have you scheduled a tour of the campus? I really recommend it. The tour was the thing that sold me on HSU. Bring good walking shoes. HSU also stands for Hills and Stairs University. The first few weeks nearly killed my fat, asthmatic rear end. If there's anything specific you're wondering, just let me know. I'm really in love with the school and happy to chat at length.
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Jan 7, 2014 08:04
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RabbitMage posted:wonderful info This is some awesome stuff, thank you! I haven't scheduled the campus tour but now that you mention it, it would probably be a good idea since I'll be possibly investing a lot of time and (obviously) money into this place. I have a few more specific questions about the college since you've answered most of my city questions. Are you open to PMs or IM?
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Jan 7, 2014 20:43
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I don't have PMs but you can catch me on AIM (who still uses AIM?) at not here.
RabbitMage fucked around with this message at 09:29 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 7, 2014 22:01
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Arcata is amazing and i'm very, very glad I live here. You sort of picked the time of year with the worst weather, though.
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Jan 15, 2014 03:25
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I just got back into town last night and I thought the weather was nice. I missed the breathable air and reasonable drivers and fairly non-threatening homeless folk.
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Jan 15, 2014 05:58
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RabbitMage posted:I just got back into town last night and I thought the weather was nice. I missed the breathable air and reasonable drivers and fairly non-threatening homeless folk. Then clearly you've been staying out of Eureka.
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Jan 15, 2014 17:08
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My ex, who is an ag teacher, flooded Facebook last night with news stories like this: http://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/county-ag-educators-fight-for-state-funding-for-ffa-programs-brown-wants-evaluation-011414 As far as I can tell, there used to be $4.1 million in the budget that was explicitly for ag education programs. In Brown's new budget proposal, that $4.1 million may be allocated by local governments as desired. Naturally, this means some ag programs will lose funding and some will gain funding, depending on the district. Am I right to suspect that some of the uproar is a bit sensational? Wouldn't districts with heavy ag influence just continue funding their programs? (I'd reply to her, "drat that free market!" but she'd probably hunt me down and beat me.)
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Jan 15, 2014 17:24
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I'm going to California (from the UK) soon and I was wondering if people have recommendations on what I should do there. I'm definitely going to LA, but I'm almost certainly going to visit San Francisco and San Diego. Additional info: I've no interest in Disneyland and I like experiences (I plan on visiting a firing range - since that's something I can't do at home!) more than touristy things like "looking at a famous building". I like movies and TV a lot - is there anything substantial worth checking out in Hollywood? Could I get any behind the scenes tours? Any odds of getting tickets to Real Time with Bill Maher or something? Advice would be appreciated!
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Jan 16, 2014 17:47
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You can go on studio tours, just go look on their websites for the info. They last a couple of hours (at least the Warner Brothers one did) and you get to see sets/soundstages/etc. It's pretty fun, I would recommend. I'd also recommend Griffith Observatory. That's probably top of my list for "Cool poo poo to see when you're in LA." It's more of an experience than just "Oh neat, the Capital Records building."  As for tickets for shows, again, look online for more information. I was able to go to a taping of The Soup for free just by emailing their booking person. Also post your LA questions in this thread - http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3032518 so that we can mock you and post the list from the Simpsons for the 999th time. WampaLord fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Jan 16, 2014 |
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Jan 16, 2014 17:52
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Tickets for live shows are always free, you just need to go on the show's website and there will be a link somewhere. The days might be limited but if you have a few you're thinking of you shouldn't have too much trouble getting at least one. Supposedly Ellen, Conan, and Jimmy Kimmel are the three hardest to get but I don't have any firsthand knowledge. If you're old enough rent a car and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to SF. Don't do Pink's Hotdogs in LA. If you have to hit a California food hotspot that everyone knows about make it In n Out. Also if you're here in the summer or late spring go to a baseball game. Dodgers in LA and Padres in San Diego should be less than $15 for the cheapest seats. Go to the Getty Museum in LA, easily in the top 5 museums in the country and the views on a clear day are spectacular.
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Jan 16, 2014 21:52
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I'll second the drive up highway 1 (but, remember, California is BIG: that's a multi-day drive) and going to a baseball game (the Giants play at Pacbell park in San Francisco and that's a wonderful ball park to be in). If you have time, try to make a trip to Yosemite. That is an experience you will never forget. If you can spend more than a day, that's best (you'll have time for a real hike, such as the one up to vernal falls) but even as a one-day thing it's worth doing. Go wine tasting. That's a very "California" thing to do and you'll be in some of the best wine country in the world. Go to Monterey Bay and go on a kayak tour of the kelp forest (if you're brave and can afford it, maybe look into diving there?). Check out Monterey Bay Aquarium while you're there. Or if you prefer, maybe try some surfing in Santa Cruz. Go to a big American shopping mall for a few hours. There's nothing in the UK that is quite like a big American shopping mall. Check this post to see a bunch more of my suggestions to another goon who was asking about San Francisco area attractions. There's some other posts on that page along similar lines I think.
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Jan 16, 2014 22:03
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Pook beat me to my first recommendation. Take the time to drive up the PCH instead of 101 or I-5 or whatever else. It runs right along the coast and you'll hit some incredibly beautiful spots. And as long as you're doing that, consider spending a few hours at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, if that's your thing. It's considered one of the best in the world and has some awesome exhibits, plus great outdoor spots where you can see all sorts of interesting things go by--usually seals, sea lions, sea otters, and marine birds, but sometimes you'll get lucky and spot some dolphins or whales. Plus part of that Star Trek Movie With The Whales was filmed there.
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Jan 16, 2014 22:05
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If you're here at the right time, you can do a whale watching thing, yeah. We get humback and gray whales migrating up the coast. Here's some info about whales for Monterey Bay, but the humback/gray migration can be viewed from various places all up and down the coast, during the migration season.
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Jan 16, 2014 22:09
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Monterrey is at the top end of the most stupendous part of the PCH, another bonus. How long do you have to do all this?
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Jan 16, 2014 22:20
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nthing others' recommendations about the drive on highway 1 from Monterey to LA. Two places along the way I'd definitely stop first Big Sur,  and second Hearst Castle.  Hearst Castle takes some planning because it has guided tours that you have to sign up for. It can take a half day or so, but it's worth it. You said soon, will it be before spring? Spring is my absolutely favorite times around here, when the rolling hills turn green.  It's been dead dry here so far, but hopefully we'll get some rain before the whole state burns to the ground. If it IS green, I highly recommend CA-25 which runs between King City/Coalinga area all the way to Gilroy. Even better on a motorcycle or a convertible.
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Jan 16, 2014 23:31
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Wasn't this a D&D thread? How did it end up in a tourism forum?
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Jan 16, 2014 23:35
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withak posted:Wasn't this a D&D thread? How did it end up in a tourism forum? We gush easily about how amazingly beautiful this state can be. OK D&D. Here's Tulare Lake:  It was the largest freshwater lake west of the mississippi and is emblematic of why the central valley is such a fertile agricultural region and why our water issues are entirely self-inflicted. The melt waters of the western Sierra are now entirely dammed and aquaducted to farm the land that used to be wetland and marshes. Here's what it looks like now: 
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Jan 16, 2014 23:43
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What the hell? I didn't even know we had a tourism and travel subforum. drat. Isn't there a state budget crisis or mayoral scandal or something we could be arguing about?
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Jan 17, 2014 00:35
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Earlier we brought up the topic of "How wonderful would it be if CalPers were made public?" Well... Here you go. CalPERS posted:Rather than downgrade pensions for government employees, CalPERS says, "a better solution would be to help those without pensions find ways to save for retirement ... Edit: Apparently this is 3 months old, but was somehow in my news feed today and not 3 months ago. Illuminado fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Jan 17, 2014 |
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Jan 17, 2014 00:38
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Leperflesh posted:What the hell? I didn't even know we had a tourism and travel subforum. drat. Isn't there a state budget crisis or mayoral scandal or something we could be arguing about? I posted about one on this very page. 
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Jan 17, 2014 00:39
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The San Gabriel Mountains are on fire right now as a result of a prolonged drought exacerbated by over-development. Not that that's really news.
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Jan 17, 2014 00:39
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