Good People of California!

Don't know much about LA, except that the Museum of Miniatures is pretty cool. Hollywood itself is a dive, and since the Museum of Death closed down I've had no incentive to revisit.

SF is a terrific city. Haight Street is colorful, albeit packed with filthy hippies and tourists, but if you need pot just follow it into Golden Gate Park and wait to be approached.

Seriously, the greatest view is the scenic overlook on the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, near Sausalito (which is a lovely town itself). You get a spectacular view of the bridge, the bay, San Francisco, Alcatraz and Angel Island. A trip to Alcatraz is also recommended.

LOL you said broad.

Call me when you get here.

What else was I supposed to say, "Fuck you guys, go read or fight for women's lib or something"?

You are going to want to see this place http://www.hearstcastle.org/ and this place http://www.mbayaq.org/. You can spend 1/2 of a day at San Simeon and between Aquarium and Cannery Row( yes the same Cannery Row the novel was about) you can spend most of a day in Monterey Bay. I would spend the night in Santa Cruz for the The Beach Boardwalk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_C...Roller_Coaster (from the Lost boys.)

Don't for get Santa Monica and Malibu in LA that is also were the Gettys are, the villa and the museum.

I like the bay area better then LA also, exept for Santa Monica and Malibu area.

also Griffith park Observatory is nice in LA, but haven't been there since the fire. San Diego has the better zoos though, I have always loved the Wild Animal Park http://www.sandiegozoo.org/tickets/index.html

I await your presence.

For some reason, I see this thread title and picture MissZooey standing on a balcony a la Evita.

If you're going up or down the PCH, try to leave some time to check out Big Sur.

I second the recommendation of Hearst Castle. It has the feel of royal European extravagance.

Edit: What engelbert said.

Also, a few miles north of San Simeon is Point Piedras Blancas, where the elephant seals hang out.

I'm seconding eenin and Phil here.

Also Santa Monica because I'm like right there.

Oh, and Long Beach Aquarium. It's pretty kickass and huge.

EDIT: Oops, it's Aquarium of the Pacific. I'm retarded.

If you're driving from LA to SF, be sure to take the 1 along the coast rather than the faster inland routes. It takes you by Hearst Castle and is well worth the delay. Some nice B&B's near the road in the Big Sur area. If you have time, Monterrey is a pretty nice place and the aquarium is tits. And while it should go without saying, stay well clear of Sacramento. When Moltisanti is the best thing going for a town, you know you're in a bad way.

On Sunset Blvd, you should try and see a movie at the Arclight and check out the import DVD selection at Amoeba Music.

Up here in the Bay Area, the absolute best view of the Pacific can be had from the ruins of Sutro Baths. A great spot to just sit and unwind.

Not a California resident but used to be out there a lot visiting family and I can't emphasize the Monterey Bay Aquarium enough. I would've loved to have gotten out there when they had a great white on display behind the Great Wall of Glass but even without that sight it's still one of my favorite places.

Plus if you really want to get nerdy about it they filmed Star Trek IV there so that only adds to the appeal.

Or not.

Amoeba's not bad if you're an outta-towner. I think Dave would orgasm, run away, and be lost in the store for weeks.

Have you been since the fire. Is it still as beautiful as it is in my memories?


It was called the most beautiful spot in the world at one time.

Sutro Baths is neat.

Monterey Bay Aquarium beat Aquarium of the Pacific hand down for my money. I would be surprised if there was a better Aquarium in the world. there is just so many thing to do amd see in California!

Maybe I'm not big on aquariums, but Monterey Bay seems like every other aquarium I've been to.

Since we're all raving about the central coast: Near Hearst Castle, take hwy 46 inland for about 30 miles, and Mrs. Ahoatam and I will take you wine tasting. Napa is crap. We've got it all right here.

Also, a week isn't enough. Give yourself ten days.

While in San Fran, try and visit the Mission. It's a pretty cool ethnic neighborhood that has the best burritos I ever eaten.

The extra three days are for sobering up.

Looks like you won't be sobering up. It's okay, I couldn't find the time to either, and I was there four years.

The rest of the country's Mexican food pales in comparison to California's in general

I'll be honest and say that I don't know that only 2 days in SF really does it justice. There's so much to do in the near vicinity that you'll end up feeling like you've just missed to much.

If you're driving up the PCH, be sure that you don't get car sick. The road can be kind of windy at some points and depending on your tolerance, it can be kind of brutal. I think it's worse north of San Francisco but just a bit of warning.

I would second Monterrey for a day or so, much more than that and you're really pushing it though (the place can be kind of dead at night) and the aquarium while pretty interesting, I don't know that it's so spectacular that it beats a lot of the other stuff you could do. The whale watching stuff is kind of interesting and can be had for the cheap in the off-season.

One cool thing my GF and I did when we were in the SF area last winter was to hit Ano Nuevo. It's a beach with elephant seals and you can get pretty close. It's right along the highway so you're not going to be going out of your way if you're headed up from LA. One thing to notice (as a fellow WI resident) is the bizarre scene of seeing cattle grazing right by the ocean. Too weird.

As for SF, I'd suggest at least stopping by Muir Woods to get a quick appreciation of the Redwoods. While small and a pretty quick thing, it gives you a nice close way to check them out.

Once in the city there's not really any shortage of places or things to see. I'd recommend the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Haight St. is cool (and also has an Amoeba music on it for DaveB). There are tons of great restaurants in the city so make sure you don't waste any meals eating at crappy places (and don't let someone convince you that In-and-Out burgers are something special ... it's a fast food burger, let's move on).

I've tried and failed to find not even good, but decent, Mexican food in NYC.

So much wrong with that statement.

Seconding nachos on both accounts. Muir Wood and Ano Nuevo are both very cool quick stops, and In-n-Out ain't shit but a Big Mac without the middle bun. Good shakes though.

Schwartz, you backstabbing son of a bitch.

Jake, I'm with you. It's killin' time.

I think AZ is about on par with it.

Fisherman's Wharf can be skipped for the most part, but there's a penny arcade there with a bunch of turn-of-the-century games* that I thought was really cool if you end up down there. Though keep in mind I find shiny objects cool, too.




*I mean turn of the 19th century to the 20th. I don't mean they have Doom consoles set up down there.

Plus, they have cows in Wisconsin, too. It's not like I've been having trouble finding hamburgers.

I'm turning 30 around the same time, and it's been my lifelong dream to just hang out at DaveB and Zooey's while they're in California. I am good with pets and am around 50/50 with plants. Can this be accomplished? Contrary to the accusations, I assure you that I won't go rooting through anyone's underwear drawers.

Well technologically what most people think of Mexican food is not so much Mexican as a mix of foods from California, AZ, NM, Taxes, and Mexico. Also saying Mexican food is worse then saying Italian food. They are both just a bunch of regional foods.

MissZooey you are just going to have to give up the vegetarian Diet for a week and try the great seafood on the central cost. Also Dave might want to try one of the 5 Star steak house on the central cost. Santa Maria BBQ is world famous for a very good reason.

F. McLintock's Dining House http://www.mclintocks.com/
The Hitching Post. http://www.hitchingpost1.com/

McLintock's has the funner atmosphere, but The Hitching Post might really be the best steak house in the world. There are other great steakhouse up there.


As far as seafood you will not find any better then Monterey Bay or Morro bay. Not too say I haven't had seafood as good, just nothing really better. Although my favorite seafood dish happen to be from Thailand, but that another story.

The last time MissZooey unwittingly experimented with seafood, we ended up in urgent care for the better part of a day. Probably not a negotiable point.

No to worry, there are a plethora of good vegetarian places in LA.

Mission. Burrito. That is all.

Man you REALLY need to come to Texas. And just to stay on topic I really have nothing of merit to add except to have a fun trip!

The fact that you have to eat it in Texas negates all the positives relating to flavor.

What he said.
Ignore her.

Seconded. I really, really miss Tex-Mex.

I heart the both of you.

Okay, where do you live?