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Plan our Vacation! (Dec 13-16, or so)

Plan our Vacation! (Dec 13-16, or so)
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  • Post #31 - November 17th, 2005, 9:08 am
    Post #31 - November 17th, 2005, 9:08 am Post #31 - November 17th, 2005, 9:08 am
    How about Santa Barbara? It's beautiful and visiting the wineries is fun. Sideways was set there, if you want a preview :)
    Leek

    SAVING ONE DOG may not change the world,
    but it CHANGES THE WORLD for that one dog.
    American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog. http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org
  • Post #32 - November 17th, 2005, 9:24 am
    Post #32 - November 17th, 2005, 9:24 am Post #32 - November 17th, 2005, 9:24 am
    Not big drinkers, unfortunately :)

    It seems like we're hearing LA and Charleston most frequently, with Miami, San Diego, and Vegas all trailing.

    I know very little about Charleston beyond the (very appealing) thread Bruce linked and the Charleston visitors bureau. Given that we aren't big consumers of christmas cheer or civil war history, what non-eating touristy or non-touristy stuff will there be for us?

    We're a geek/hipster pair, but we do enjoy a good art or science or history museum. Favorites in Montreal were the Jean-Talon Market, wandering around the Main looking at shops, and the fine arts museum. San Francisco was the Haight, Chinatown, the Exploratorium, and the MoMA.

    Any hotel recommendations in either city? I've heard good things from a coworker about the Magic Hotel in LA, and it does sound tempting :)
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #33 - November 17th, 2005, 9:51 am
    Post #33 - November 17th, 2005, 9:51 am Post #33 - November 17th, 2005, 9:51 am
    Ed,

    I believe the resident expert here on Charleston is Your Pal Will. I think Cathy2 referenced that he is out of town but would be back soon. Will grew up in Charleston and knows the area well. You might email him to get some suggestions.

    When I visited for a week I was getting some training in Mt. Pleasant and rented a car. I was able to get around at night but not during the day. There is nice architecture in the area, low-country culture, etc.
    Bruce
    Plenipotentiary
    bruce@bdbbq.com

    Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!
  • Post #34 - November 17th, 2005, 10:16 am
    Post #34 - November 17th, 2005, 10:16 am Post #34 - November 17th, 2005, 10:16 am
    I would take a different approach. My wife and I have about 5-6 vacation days to kill before the end of the year. We have been taking long weekends for the past three months.

    We have been travelling on Southwest's DING fares. About twice a day, they send out short term deals. $84 RT to Kansas City. $112 RT last weekend to Providence, RI. $84 RT to Islip, NY next month.

    They have been offering a number of warm weather locations recently:

    $66 OW to San Diego
    $58 OW to San Antonio, TX.

    All fares are NON-refundable but can be rebooked within one year of another Southwest flight.
  • Post #35 - November 17th, 2005, 10:27 am
    Post #35 - November 17th, 2005, 10:27 am Post #35 - November 17th, 2005, 10:27 am
    unfortunately because of the christmas/new years weekends, and because I'm on call for work for the last two weeks of the year (and the rest of this weekend), and because I need to warn my boss 2 weeks in advance of any vacation time, I don't think I can use up all 3 days by taking long weekends...

    Otherwise that's what I was considering, also.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #36 - November 17th, 2005, 11:06 am
    Post #36 - November 17th, 2005, 11:06 am Post #36 - November 17th, 2005, 11:06 am
    Just some odds and ends:

    3 or 4 days will not get you bored in LA. You do not need to venture to San Diego. Hell, it can take you 3 or 4 days to hit all the requisite burger places.

    I like Las Vegas a real lot, but there, I think 2 or 3 days is enough. In December you cannot lay around at the pool if you were so inclined. In other words between meals and gambling there is not a whole lot to do.

    I like to play poker and craps for the most part. You can make $100 last a LONG time at a 1-5 stud table, but it will go pretty quick at a $3-6 hold em table. Craps is a high capital game (I think) but a hell of a lot of fun and adreniline--and there is nothing like the feeling of being at a hot table. I think even if you count cards, you need several $$$ to play out the streaks. Card counting does not mean you sit down and win. It means you play to your advantage when you percieve an advantage, but you might still not win with a favorable count. You need a bankroll.

    I've used Priceline twice in the last few weeks with enormous success. As long as you have flexibility as to where you want to stay in a town, it is the best option (IMHO).

    If you pick Vegas, Miami, or LA (or Milwaukee) (or Austin), I can pip in with more advice.

    Rob
    Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.
  • Post #37 - November 17th, 2005, 11:25 am
    Post #37 - November 17th, 2005, 11:25 am Post #37 - November 17th, 2005, 11:25 am
    Vital Information wrote:J I think even if you count cards, you need several $$$ to play out the streaks. Card counting does not mean you sit down and win. It means you play to your advantage when you percieve an advantage, but you might still not win with a favorable count. You need a bankroll.


    Definitely. My experience is you need about 100 times the minimum bet, sometimes more, to weather the storms. Since the cheapest table I've ever seen mentioned in vegas for blackjack in the past few years was $5 minimum bet, I wouldn't bother.

    I think we're leaning towards LA for the weather and persian/thai town/oaxacan/etc. But I'm still not sure yet.

    Vital Information wrote:I've used Priceline twice in the last few weeks with enormous success. As long as you have flexibility as to where you want to stay in a town, it is the best option (IMHO).


    Agreed. I love Priceline for hotels and cars, but would never think of using it for a flight. If you haven't used http://www.biddingfortravel.com or one of the similar sites to help you with Priceline bidding strategy, I highly recommend it.

    -Ed
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #38 - November 17th, 2005, 11:55 am
    Post #38 - November 17th, 2005, 11:55 am Post #38 - November 17th, 2005, 11:55 am
    One other idea - if you are looking for inexpensive and some low-stakes gambling is Reno. There is plenty to do outside of the casino and you can get a great rate in some of the better properties for as low as $24/ night.

    (See tripreservations.com)

    By the way, many off-Strip Las Vegas and smaller places in Reno and rural Nevada still offer $2-3 /hand blackjack if that is your game.
  • Post #39 - November 17th, 2005, 1:16 pm
    Post #39 - November 17th, 2005, 1:16 pm Post #39 - November 17th, 2005, 1:16 pm
    Vital Information wrote:I like Las Vegas a real lot, but there, I think 2 or 3 days is enough. In December you cannot lay around at the pool if you were so inclined. In other words between meals and gambling there is not a whole lot to do.


    Shopping and shows too - and just spending time watching people.
    Leek

    SAVING ONE DOG may not change the world,
    but it CHANGES THE WORLD for that one dog.
    American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog. http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org
  • Post #40 - November 17th, 2005, 1:57 pm
    Post #40 - November 17th, 2005, 1:57 pm Post #40 - November 17th, 2005, 1:57 pm
    I think if one of those days is an excursion to Hoover Dam, say, you can have three fun days in Vegas. I agree, if all you do is solid casino stuff, 18 hours will probably be enough to make your brain start to melt.
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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  • Post #41 - November 17th, 2005, 2:25 pm
    Post #41 - November 17th, 2005, 2:25 pm Post #41 - November 17th, 2005, 2:25 pm
    If you're thinking about Charleston, I'd recommend a rental car. You can stay in the historic center and get around fairly easily without one, but to get to any of the outlying areas, you need a car. It probably won't be quite warm enough to swim there (in a pool, maybe). You may want to check out Beaufort (only about an hour away) which has beautiful antibellum homes and some very good seafood restaurants. For an upscale meal, check out the Beaufort Inn.
  • Post #42 - November 17th, 2005, 2:54 pm
    Post #42 - November 17th, 2005, 2:54 pm Post #42 - November 17th, 2005, 2:54 pm
    Mike G wrote:I think if one of those days is an excursion to Hoover Dam, say, you can have three fun days in Vegas. I agree, if all you do is solid casino stuff, 18 hours will probably be enough to make your brain start to melt.


    If you've never driven across Hoover Dam to cross the border between Nevada and Arizona, do it soon. Homeland Security is very freaked out about the fact that cars drive right across the top of the dam. A new highway is being built that is going to bypass the dam completely. There are now checkpoints that all vehicles must go through on both sides of the dam, but soon (1997) the new highway will be complete and this most unusual drive will be a thing of the past.

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    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven

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