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

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

    Post #1 - November 16th, 2005, 12:42 pm
    Post #1 - November 16th, 2005, 12:42 pm Post #1 - November 16th, 2005, 12:42 pm
    So, I found out yesterday that I've got 3 vacation days to use up that I can't roll over to next year. I can't do the last half of December, for obvious reasons.

    Beth wants beaches or at least a warm pool.
    I want a lot of good restaurants to choose from.

    We can't leave the country due to immigration woes. We're thinking the 13-16th would be convenient because midweek hotels are likely to be less expensive.

    Right now we're considering LA and Las Vegas, but since we aren't likely to gamble in Vegas, I'm not sure how good a choice it would be.

    I kind of want to avoid the bible belt, but I'm totally willing to be convinced to go there instead. I've loved Savannah and Atlanta in the past, but I'm not sure they'd be great in December.

    We'd also prefer not to have to rent a car ($25 a day surcharge for renters under 25), but it's an option if we need it.

    So, uh, suggestions? Where would you go?
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #2 - November 16th, 2005, 12:46 pm
    Post #2 - November 16th, 2005, 12:46 pm Post #2 - November 16th, 2005, 12:46 pm
    I had a great time in Miami Beach last Feb. - great Art Deco hotels, easy walk-around place, lots of restaurants (especially Latin), and the real Joe's Stone Crab.
  • Post #3 - November 16th, 2005, 12:54 pm
    Post #3 - November 16th, 2005, 12:54 pm Post #3 - November 16th, 2005, 12:54 pm
    Vegas is still a good time without gambling. Plenty of good up and downscale dining options, shows, hoover dam, grand canyon helicopter rides, etc.

    For a mixture of good weather, good food, and interesting stuff to do I'd go with Miami, LA or Vegas.

    Let us know what you choose.

    Best,
    Michael
  • Post #4 - November 16th, 2005, 1:12 pm
    Post #4 - November 16th, 2005, 1:12 pm Post #4 - November 16th, 2005, 1:12 pm
    gleam wrote:We'd also prefer not to have to rent a car ($25 a day surcharge for renters under 25), but it's an option if we need it.


    Yikes is that surcharge for all rental companies? I used to rent from Enterprise all the time for work and pleasure last year before I turned 25.
  • Post #5 - November 16th, 2005, 1:15 pm
    Post #5 - November 16th, 2005, 1:15 pm Post #5 - November 16th, 2005, 1:15 pm
    Maybe they've gotten rid of it. The last time I rented a car was from enterprise near LAX and they had it then. That was back in april 2004.

    Could be franchise related, could be a matter of how it was booked. That was a 10 day, one way rental. The $250 in age fees and the $250 in one-way fees made it the most expensive part of that trip, by far.

    Edit: Enterprise's site now is saying no surcharge for 21-24, at least not at LAX. Good to know!
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #6 - November 16th, 2005, 1:21 pm
    Post #6 - November 16th, 2005, 1:21 pm Post #6 - November 16th, 2005, 1:21 pm
    I might think about Charleston, SC if you have never been there. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in America. I doubt it will be pool weather, but it will be nicer than here. If you stay in the historic district, I think you can get away without a car. And because it is off-season, you can get some great hotel deals. Finally, the food is supposed to be great. There are a few Charleston threads on here....

    As for Florida, let me recommend the southwestern coast. My folks have a house in Naples and we go there all the time. Beautiful beaches and old Naples is really fun. There are two Ritz-Carltons resorts and the Inn at Pelican Bay is really nice too. You would need a car to get into old Naples though. You could also look at Sanibel or Marco Island in that area.

    L.A. without a car would be tough, but Vegas would be very doable.
    Good Americans, when they die, go to Paris.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • Post #7 - November 16th, 2005, 1:31 pm
    Post #7 - November 16th, 2005, 1:31 pm Post #7 - November 16th, 2005, 1:31 pm
    ekpaster wrote:
    L.A. without a car would be tough, but Vegas would be very doable.


    Erik might be better able to respond to this, but LA CAN be attempted without a car, but yea, I would not think it is a good idea. BUT, I do think it is a a fun place to visit. I too also like Miami/Ft. Lauderdale a lot. Then again, I like Vegas too. On the other hand, I just had a grand time in Milwaukee (2nd visit in 2 weeks!), so maybe I just like anything.
    Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.
  • Post #8 - November 16th, 2005, 1:58 pm
    Post #8 - November 16th, 2005, 1:58 pm Post #8 - November 16th, 2005, 1:58 pm
    I would recommend San Diego over LA - less traffic, less smog, and prettier beaches closer to the center of town. LA's incredible urban sprawl makes it much less tourist-friendly than San Diego - going anywhere in LA takes way too long in my book. Still, you would need to rent a car in San Diego.

    Overall, the restaurants in San Diego are not quite as good as those in LA, but there still is a broad range of things that you can't find in Chicago. It has a lot to offer in the budget category - Chinese, San Diego-style taco shops, Vietnamese. My husband and I think that it also has some of the best sushi in the country, and you can get great stuff at reasonable prices. I'm not claiming that San Diego is a dining destination, but there is enough to keep you interested for three or four days.
  • Post #9 - November 16th, 2005, 2:57 pm
    Post #9 - November 16th, 2005, 2:57 pm Post #9 - November 16th, 2005, 2:57 pm
    I would vote for Charleston, SC. A great place for food and history. Indoor pools should be available. No guarantees on the weather, but I'm sure you would have some clothing necessary beach days.

    San Antonio/Austin for food. No beaches though.
    Bruce
    Plenipotentiary
    bruce@bdbbq.com

    Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!
  • Post #10 - November 16th, 2005, 3:37 pm
    Post #10 - November 16th, 2005, 3:37 pm Post #10 - November 16th, 2005, 3:37 pm
    Bruce wrote:I would vote for Charleston, SC. A great place for food and history. Indoor pools should be available. No guarantees on the weather, but I'm sure you would have some clothing necessary beach days.

    San Antonio/Austin for food. No beaches though.


    Austin :?:

    I'm not so sure about the food IN Austin. NEAR Austin is another story. Being in Austin right now, I AM open to some good ideas...
    Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.
  • Post #11 - November 16th, 2005, 4:30 pm
    Post #11 - November 16th, 2005, 4:30 pm Post #11 - November 16th, 2005, 4:30 pm
    VI,

    I was referring to the general area. If visiting Austin and renting a car there are enough places within driving distance. Of course I like Texas BBQ and that would be my only reason for going anyway. :)
    Bruce
    Plenipotentiary
    bruce@bdbbq.com

    Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!
  • Post #12 - November 16th, 2005, 4:37 pm
    Post #12 - November 16th, 2005, 4:37 pm Post #12 - November 16th, 2005, 4:37 pm
    Assuming we aren't the type to take a vacation for the sole purpose of eating barbecue, be it texas or pulled pork, what else do austin and charleston have to offer?

    That is, we don't want to eat the same food, or type of food, for the dozen or so meals we'll have there.

    And given my newfound discovery that I won't have to pay through the nose for a rental car, ignore that limitation.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #13 - November 16th, 2005, 4:47 pm
    Post #13 - November 16th, 2005, 4:47 pm Post #13 - November 16th, 2005, 4:47 pm
    As strongly as I'd recommend Miami Beach for the "scene," and the Cuban food if you want to go over to Calle Ocho (and the weather in December), I also love Charleston ... low country food isn't as well represented anywhere else. And the boat trip to Ft. Sumter is fascinating, if you have any interest at all in Civil war history.
  • Post #14 - November 16th, 2005, 4:56 pm
    Post #14 - November 16th, 2005, 4:56 pm Post #14 - November 16th, 2005, 4:56 pm
    Vegas, baby. It's loud garish, and tons of fun (even without gambling). Of course, I can't tell you what happens in Vegas because what happens in.....OK, maybe just a little.

    http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=27628#27628
    http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3535&
    http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5459&highlight=

    P.S. Chow's now has a new name and owner, but it is still at the same address. They still serve outstanding Dim Sum for lunch.
    Last edited by stevez on November 16th, 2005, 5:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #15 - November 16th, 2005, 5:01 pm
    Post #15 - November 16th, 2005, 5:01 pm Post #15 - November 16th, 2005, 5:01 pm
    Actually, I think everyone should do Vegas once, and this is the perfect set of circumstances to do it in. Eat some good meals, ignore slots and learn to play blackjack or something more exotic, see the Liberace Museum (a hoot and a half), take a tour of Hoover Dam, there's three good days and then get the hell out of there before you forget reality even exists.
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
    New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
    Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.
  • Post #16 - November 16th, 2005, 5:08 pm
    Post #16 - November 16th, 2005, 5:08 pm Post #16 - November 16th, 2005, 5:08 pm
    Oh, I'm a good blackjack player (I actually know how to count cards properly, even if I don't usually take the risk), and a halfway decent poker player. I'm just not planning on gambling at all if I go to vegas. But I do both for pleasure, and $5 per hand at blackjack or $3/$6 limit hold'em are both too expensive for me to find pleasurable. Beth does neither, and I don't really want to make her be a railbird.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #17 - November 16th, 2005, 6:10 pm
    Post #17 - November 16th, 2005, 6:10 pm Post #17 - November 16th, 2005, 6:10 pm
    gleam wrote:Oh, I'm a good blackjack player (I actually know how to count cards properly, even if I don't usually take the risk), and a halfway decent poker player. I'm just not planning on gambling at all if I go to vegas. But I do both for pleasure, and $5 per hand at blackjack or $3/$6 limit hold'em are both too expensive for me to find pleasurable. Beth does neither, and I don't really want to make her be a railbird.


    Ed,

    Sounds like you and I are a lot alike when it comes to gambling. I know all the rules for maximizing my odds, but I rarely actually do it. To paraphrase a quote from Alex Trebek: "I don't gamble. Winning a hundred bucks doesn't really excite me all that much and losing a hundred bucks really pisses me off."

    Best,
    Michael
  • Post #18 - November 16th, 2005, 8:12 pm
    Post #18 - November 16th, 2005, 8:12 pm Post #18 - November 16th, 2005, 8:12 pm
    gleam wrote:Assuming we aren't the type to take a vacation for the sole purpose of eating barbecue, be it texas or pulled pork, what else do austin and charleston have to offer?

    That is, we don't want to eat the same food, or type of food, for the dozen or so meals we'll have there.

    And given my newfound discovery that I won't have to pay through the nose for a rental car, ignore that limitation.


    Ed,

    I really can't respond to Austin because I would only want the BBQ.

    Charleston on the other hand does have a some great places to eat ranging from upscale to "joints".

    Here's a link to a thread I started about a year ago when I went to Charleston I would definitely recommend the SeeWee.

    I consider Charleston to be one of the top 5 U.S. culinary destinations. The others would be Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans.
    Last edited by Bruce on November 16th, 2005, 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    Bruce
    Plenipotentiary
    bruce@bdbbq.com

    Raw meat should NOT have an ingredients list!!
  • Post #19 - November 16th, 2005, 8:13 pm
    Post #19 - November 16th, 2005, 8:13 pm Post #19 - November 16th, 2005, 8:13 pm
    LA is no harder to navigate for most food than Chicago is. Treat yourself to a nice hotel in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood and drive up Santa Monica Blvd. to Thai Town, Little Armenia, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Silver Lake, Los Feliz. Easy. And you can take the Santa Monica bus if you don't want to rent a car (which you do want to do.) Another day trip to the beach, and you have a vacation.

    San Diego is just too friggin' boring, unless you plan to go south of the boarder. That's a different story.

    Miami, of course, but how about some love for the Gulf Coast? If you like grouper, Cuban, Greek and wine, Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater offers a rare combination of great beaches and decent dining options. With New Orleans out of commission, Tampa has a corner on humid southern sleaze and indulgence.
  • Post #20 - November 16th, 2005, 8:35 pm
    Post #20 - November 16th, 2005, 8:35 pm Post #20 - November 16th, 2005, 8:35 pm
    LA is no harder to navigate for most food than Chicago is.


    I agree... except if they don't have a car. The only way you could do LA without a car, I think, is to stay somewhere like Santa Monica/Venice that you can actually do on foot, and just accept that you're only seeing that little slice (which won't be the most interesting in terms of ethnic food, to be sure).

    What about some of the little coastal weekend getaway towns, though? The only one I've been to for any length of time was Cambria, which is as close to SF as it is to LA, but if you could get to one of them from an airport without a car, you could have a pleasant, low-key time.
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
    New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
    Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.
  • Post #21 - November 16th, 2005, 9:07 pm
    Post #21 - November 16th, 2005, 9:07 pm Post #21 - November 16th, 2005, 9:07 pm
    If we do LA or San Diego or Charleston etc we would almost certainly rent a car.

    Unfortunately we can't go down to Mexico, again because of the immigration stuff, which makes San Diego less tempting.

    My current first choice is LA+rental car and maybe a day trip to san diego for the zoo and some fish tacos. I was in Santa Monica last April, but only spent a day and a half there.

    I'm looking more at Charleston, though, now, and much of florida is still a viable option.

    I wish it were warm enough for Seattle or something, although I'd hate to go to Seattle and not be able to visit Vancouver.

    What's San Francisco going to be like in mid December? I see it's 75 there this week. What are our odds of having 45 and rainy the entire time we're there?

    We might just end up seeing what lastminutetravel etc have a few days before, and picking on a whim.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #22 - November 16th, 2005, 9:15 pm
    Post #22 - November 16th, 2005, 9:15 pm Post #22 - November 16th, 2005, 9:15 pm
    SF: If you are in the City, you won't be sitting by a pool wearing a swim suit. Chances of 45 and raining are also low. Weather nearby (south) is much warmer, but food and attractions suffer.

    Let's face it, in the continental 48 the weather is going to be a crapshoot for swimming/beach everywhere above except for Miami. Tampa and SD are on the edge. If you merely want to have a very good shot at shirtsleeves/golf weather, just about every place above is a good bet.
  • Post #23 - November 16th, 2005, 9:28 pm
    Post #23 - November 16th, 2005, 9:28 pm Post #23 - November 16th, 2005, 9:28 pm
    oh ho hoo! The food south of SF suffers? I beg to differ. Sure Palo Alto blows, but Manresa, one of the top rated restaurants in the world (according to a brit, so that tempers the value, eh? But it is one of only 7 restaurants in SF/Bay area to be given 4 stars by the chronicle) is in Los Gatos, and there's some killer Mexican from Michoacan, some great Chinese, quality Indian, excellent Persian, etc down in the South Bay. There's very respectable fine dining, too. You just need to know where you are going, and do your research. It isn't the food wasteland that SF people think.

    tut tut!
    CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
    -Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

    www.cakeandcommerce.com
  • Post #24 - November 16th, 2005, 9:43 pm
    Post #24 - November 16th, 2005, 9:43 pm Post #24 - November 16th, 2005, 9:43 pm
    gleam wrote:If we do LA or San Diego or Charleston etc we would almost certainly rent a car.


    Charleston certainly wouldn't require a car ... it's a great walking town.
  • Post #25 - November 16th, 2005, 9:56 pm
    Post #25 - November 16th, 2005, 9:56 pm Post #25 - November 16th, 2005, 9:56 pm
    Vital Information wrote:On the other hand, I just had a grand time in Milwaukee (2nd visit in 2 weeks!), so maybe I just like anything.


    Tell us about Milwaukee II (probably under a separate topic).
  • Post #26 - November 16th, 2005, 10:12 pm
    Post #26 - November 16th, 2005, 10:12 pm Post #26 - November 16th, 2005, 10:12 pm
    We were in San Diego for a wedding in July for a few days before going down to Baja for several more. Didn't have a lot of time to explore what with all the wedding attendant activities, but it seemed like a place we'd be delighted to go back and spend a few days. And we didn't even do the zoo.

    If you go, I highly recommend La Pensione as a place to stay, especially if you don't need a room decked out with amenities. It's cheap, comfortable, and in the Little Italy part of San Diego which we both found charming and enjoyable. We've already been once now, and it would still merit consideration for a trip like your talking about.

    I still owe a longer report on our San Diego eating (and Baja), which I'll move higher on the priority list if you guys appear headed in that direction.

    Cheers,

    Aaron
  • Post #27 - November 16th, 2005, 10:13 pm
    Post #27 - November 16th, 2005, 10:13 pm Post #27 - November 16th, 2005, 10:13 pm
    Mike G wrote:Actually, I think everyone should do Vegas once, and this is the perfect set of circumstances to do it in. Eat some good meals, ignore slots and learn to play blackjack or something more exotic, see the Liberace Museum (a hoot and a half), take a tour of Hoover Dam, there's three good days and then get the hell out of there before you forget reality even exists.


    I play BJ because my friends like it; counting cards is boring but is required but most of the strip casinos have put in auto-shufflers which have really killed the joy; single and double-deck are really all that is left. Craps is the real fun but it's hard to find friends that aren't 'afraid' to play craps.. Such a simple game - the worst bets have the biggest type on the felt and the best bets aren't even on the felt. All the main strip casinos have some really good restaurants these days and if you are any kind of a player you get a full RFB comp. Since so many of them are owned by so few that allows you to try a lot of different restaurants and comp it all back to your host.
    Objects in mirror appear to be losing.
  • Post #28 - November 16th, 2005, 11:46 pm
    Post #28 - November 16th, 2005, 11:46 pm Post #28 - November 16th, 2005, 11:46 pm
    Vital Information wrote:
    ekpaster wrote:
    L.A. without a car would be tough, but Vegas would be very doable.


    Erik might be better able to respond to this, but LA CAN be attempted without a car, but yea, I would not think it is a good idea. BUT, I do think it is a a fun place to visit.


    For me, yes, LA is reasonably scaleable/navigable without the use of a car. My brother actually has two vehicles, but I generally set out on foot (nearly) every day, relying instead on the various forms of mass transit.

    As for it being a "fun place to visit," how many times can I say it? LA is a proper city, whereas places like Vegas, Miami, Tampa, San Diego, and even this board's favourite, Chicago, are merely large towns. :twisted:

    LA offers just that much more of everything.

    But, but, but it doesn't reveal its rabid beauty to everyone.

    The odds are good that a Midwestern sort will get a little, um, overwhelmed.

    And, as you seem to be well aware, Ed, if you are going to gamble it helps to know the odds. :wink:

    E.M.
  • Post #29 - November 17th, 2005, 7:26 am
    Post #29 - November 17th, 2005, 7:26 am Post #29 - November 17th, 2005, 7:26 am
    I'll third (or fourth?) the suggestion for Charleston, S.C. There's plenty to do, plenty to eat, and it's a very walkable town.

    I have a big soft spot in my heart for Savannah, as my grandparents retired to GA and I spent many summers down there (I would suggest Jekyll, Sea or St. Simmons Islands, on the southern coast of GA, but I'm not sure what kind of food you'll be able to get - the last time I ate on Jekyll involved a lengthy diatribe about grits and "Yankee food"). However, I can see why you'd want to go someplace new.

    Wherever you end up going, have a fantastic time - I'll be in the middle of finals, wishing I were eating on a beach somewhere.
  • Post #30 - November 17th, 2005, 7:59 am
    Post #30 - November 17th, 2005, 7:59 am Post #30 - November 17th, 2005, 7:59 am
    I'm in the LA camp. There's lots of art to see, scenic drives to take, dim sum and a ton of regional Chinese, Japanese (and the subsets thereof), mexican, persian, and new whatever to eat, architecture to admire, cheese shops to visit, beaches to take in. Given that LA sprawls much in the same way that Chicago does (but with much more exciting destinations than Schaumburg and Naperville), I imagine an intrepid vacationer armed with a map and a mission could survive and tell the tale.
    CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
    -Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

    www.cakeandcommerce.com

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