I'm sorry for the lateness, but hopefully many of you can still come. I'm not opening it up to a vote this year because I want to be sure I can make it happen so we'll have it at the biggest city in driving distance to me ^^;. Next year, we'll bring it back to the east coast most likely I am aiming for July 25th to the 28th, which would be a Friday to Monday hangout, with folks heading off Monday night (So about 3 days of hanging out). I'll be bringing a car in the air and available to pick some folks up from the airports nearby (though we'll likely need more).
Any suggestions for a hotel (or I'll go look one up soon) are welcome, same with tourist spots, though I'll go into a few. Comments are also welcome.
As far as opening shots for touriist attractions, San Francisco's chinatown is a pretty neat place to hang out for a bit. As is the wharf. North of it about two hours is some great parks for seeing redwoods (and some really twisted driving :P). For the wine inclined, there's nearby nappa valley which I'm told is an absolutely fantastic place to wander around if you're a wine afficiando. I'm not, but if there's interest, we can swing out there. South of san francisco is, of course, le residence de brian. I'm not sure if that counts as a tourist attraction, but hey, it might to some :P. If there's something folks would be interested in, such as grabbing a lasertag arcade or some ARG thing, I can look into it. Tourist ventures will of course vary based on what those who come want. KP Suggests Alkatraz. I suspect this is a TRAAAAP.
Unlike last time, I'd like to encourage folks if they want to invite a friend or two. Admittingly, the closed social network of seeing folks you all know from SR is one of the nice parts, but at the same time, I think it'd be fun and an opportunity to drag other friends you might not see to often on a vacation. :) Given the geekiness of most of us, I assume anyone we'd end up dragging along would fit in just fine. ;P 007, bring your poker set.
Please add any questions here as well as confirmation that you are coming. I'm guessing that we may have between 5-10 folks as we did last time. :) I'll keep a list to try and get an idea. If we get a lot, I'll see about getting us a grouprate at a hotel or something =). Also, please im/email me a contact number if you're coming to make things easier if we divy up in groups later or need to contact each other. Mine for when folks get in and decide they want the lazy ride is 7863381439.
Hotel details:
Okay, I shopped around a while and tried to get a happy medium between cheap prices, good quality, free internet and good driving location and won't cost people 500+ each in hotel fees. This will cost about 330+tax per double room in total. That means the entire hotel cost for everyone splitting a room is ~170. That should lighten the load considerably versus the 250+ per night SF hotels :P. The downside is the place is in San Carlos rather than San Francisco, but it's near the train and I've driven from that route and it's only 30 minutes to the golden gate bridge from there. They do take AAA but they don't seem like they'll give us a discount.
Where we're staying:
Fairfield Inn and Suites by Mariot
555 Skyway Rd
San Carlos CA 94070
Phone: (650) 631-0777
Fax: (650) 631-9610
Current confirmed showing up: about 8.
Those Coming:
Philip - Me. Yah. :P : Has Roommate
Mysterious J-man 1 - Has roommate
Merc - Tentative
XKPaulCD - Has roommate
The Shuk - tentative of "as long as I'm not yanked out of the country"
bdeter- Looking for Roommate
KPJam-
Ginrai : Has Roommate
Halbarad-Set with hotel room
Tabyk - tentative
Jon- coming
Panda-Crushed
Extra Doctor Man - Has roommate
Pahan - Da Tentative
I'll be interested in coming, but I won't be able to guarantee anything for a while. Well, I should be able to give a definite aye/nay by April, I figure. I expect that I'll be changing projects around March, so I'd need to ask whomever new supervisor is about taking vacation time.
Yaaay Merc. =D
I might be able to go. Though I'd want to at least check out AT&T Park and maybe even stay for a game ^^
Gatherings aren't my thing. I hope those who do go enjoy themselves. ^^
Sincerely,
Shuten
Note, if those want to arrive earlier or leave later, that's up to them. I'm trying to keep the core group stuff not 'too' long, since it makes harder for folks to get the vacation time for it.
I'll definitely be around for it, but... DLcon3 is the exact same weekend, also in San Francisco, so I'm not sure how much time I can split between both cons.
Put me down as a tentative. I'll go and see what train tickets are like.
I'll be living on the West Coast by then, though up in Canada-land. So I may be able to pull such a thing off.
Rock on, Mr. Bowler. Rock on.
I'd love to go seeing as y'all will be on my (original) home turf-- but alas, that weekend is Comic Con. (It seems like right in the middle of con season is kind of an awkward time in general, honestly.)
Just came back from San Diego. I wouldn't mind seeing more of the west coast. Plus, my birthday is on the 27th so there is that, too. I'm kind of a bore, though.
Quite a crew.
I'm going to get hotel information up soon and sent out to people.
Hotel Information up.
Also, use this topic to forge roommate planning. Ideally folks shouldn't have to pay a room all themselves :)
Ginrai has asked to room with me. Which is fine.
Also, if folks want to hit a sporting event or something else that is vastly cheaper with planning, please put so up there now. I can totally go in and make stuff happening, but not if I don't know it's wanted.
Definitely interested in going to see a San Francisco Giants game (http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=sf&m=7&y=2008) at AT&T Park during this time.
Put me down as tentative. I might end up staying with my grandfather, who lives in SF.
Okay =)
I'm out.
My car finally crapped out on me so I had to put down on a new one. An '03 Buick Century, if you really want to know. That killed my funds (what I had saved, planned to save, and my refund check) so the chances of me doing anything this year just went down the toilet.
Not that I'm mad or anything. The car is nice.
Ouch. :\ Well, good that you had enough to handle the need.
Reminder to all that this is coming up in just two more months. Make sure your plans are ready.
If you need help, lemme know :)
I've formally put in request for time off from work for then. Once I get a reply and see about travel arrangements, I'll post update.
Awesome :D
And remember, if anyone wants to do something that takes organization, let me know early so I can plan out a way to have it happen.
Okay, we've had two requests for group events.
Alcatraz information:
Trips to alcatraz take about 2.5 hours and leave from the city, so it makes for a good halfday/day trip or so. We could sign up for the 1:10 PM tour so we hit the city early but have plenty of flex room, have lunch there, take the trip, and then hit Muir Woods that afternoon for walking in the redwoods and dinner. I was thinking Saturday for this if we do it. Not all of us have to go, but I want to make sure at least a fair group is going and preferrably all of us if we do. Please vote for this here and if we have enough, we'll all buy tickets ahead of time and trip up around there.
This'll probably cost in all about 45-55 bucks a head for the trip, including buying this ticket, parking, gas, and access to the redwood park afterwards. 45 likely if only for the alcatraz stuff.
Tour Info: http://www.alcatraztickets.com/tours/tourDetail.cfm?tour_id=6982
ATT Ballgame:
Diamondbacks
at Giants
Saturday, 7/26/08
6:05PM PDT
This also seems to be a saturday thing if we do it. It is an evening thing, so folks that want to do it can do it after alcatraz instead of heading to the redwoods, or just by itself if the alcatraz trip doesn't happen. Let's aim for at least a carful (4 people) if this is going to happen.
This is looking like with parking it'll likely run about 60 per person.
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=sf&m=7&y=2008
--------------
All the information is there. Yay. :) I'm in for the Alcatraz trip. It sounds pretty neat and I think we can make a cool day of it on saturday doing some early morning SF, Alcatraz, and then the redwoods to finish off and then ship on back for late night partying. :)
I am not down for the baseball trip, but I think we can make it happen if we have a group of folks that want to do that and alcatraz or just that. :)
Before anyone buys anything, please wait for a heads up here from me (unless you're planning on renting a car and going alone on it). Please say aye/nay on either of these trips if you're in on it. These are the only preplanned stuff we're doing so while we're still open for ideas, this is where I'm closing the door on 'needs arrangement' type stuff. :)
Alcatraz is confirmed.
Please buy tickets at the 1:10 time. :)
I've had no takers so far for the Giant's game. If you're interested, please let me know.
Okay, so starting to shop for flight tickets.
What time are people planning to be heading back to the airport monday afternoon/evening for their flights home? I'd like to try and schedule my flight back so I can share a ride to the airport with someone, rather that having everyone leaving at various different times.
I'll be helpin' folks who need rides to/from. :) Dunno what times folks are planning yet though
Alas, it now looks like this is less likely, what with driving from Honolulu to San Francisco being so problematic this decade.
Alright, made flight and room reservations. So barring any crap at work, I'm pretty much confirmed.
alright :)
Remember folks to make alkatraz reservations too. :)
So far it looks like I'm the only one interested in the Giants game ^^;
For non-baseball fans, the stadium has been considered one of the most beautiful in the country. Here (http://www.ballparkreviews.com/sf/pacbell.htm) are some pictures of it.
One thing, if we go to Alkatraz at 1:30, is it possible to get to SBC park in time for the game?
We're going at 1:10. And yes, it should entirely be possible. Should be 3 hours between coming back and gametime. That said, if you're going alone, we might need some work on where/how we pick you up afterwards.
Okay, so, by now everyone should have their tickets and alctraz stuff and be ready for a good time. :) Remember, bringing group games is well welcome. =)
I will be available to pick folks up and whatnot, but I need folks who need that to email me so I remember "Hey, they need a pickup". Time, and airport please :). Dracos12@gmail.com
For everyone, my number is 786-338-1439. Give me a ring when you get in. We'll likely head out for dinner or something the first night and have some smash on. :)
Okay, I'm in california now (got in yesterday evening). Staying with my uncle and grandparents for the day and I guess I'll see everyone tomorrow. My uncle will probably drop me off at the hotel sometime in the afternoon since check-in at the hotel appears to be at 3pm and I figure Drac's just going to be playing taxi cab for most of the early day for rest of gathering group so no point in heading in too early.
I am now in San Francisco, staying in the Western Addition area (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Baker+St+%26+Fell+St,+San+Francisco&sll=37.773293,-122.440481&sspn=0.032497,0.075188&ie=UTF8&ll=37.774735,-122.440932&spn=0.008124,0.018797&z=16&iwloc=addr).
I have not been able to get Alcatraz tickets.
Some ideas for what to do:
- I propose we go get Dim Sum for lunch on one of the days --- as a rule, with Dim Sum, the bigger the group, the better. Yank Sing (http://www.yanksing.com/) seems to be popular, but there are others. Who's with me?! (I can make every day except for Sunday, it looks like.)
- For the purpose of collective anime-watching, I brought the DVDs of "All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku-Nuku" TV series, which, in my humble opinion, has everything a comedic anime ought to have, and nothing that it oughtn't.
I have everyone's but merc's number. Merc, gimme a call. :)
I love the Dim Sum idea, and agree with pavel on the bigger the better.
My current plan iiisss...
I'm headed to Oakland to pick up three folks there.
I will then return to the hotel to catch KP who I believe will be there at that point. Then I'll call Pavel and Merc to let them know generally what timeframe we're in at that point and we'll either hit the nearby dim sum place or head into the city for Yank Sing. The city might be better since afterwards we can actually dump our stuff off rather than having an hour or two to wait. :P
Rocking for anime. :D