Visiting California
FredBlais
Posts: 370
At the end of september, I'm planning to visit California for about 10 days. I will go to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and probably a couple other places too.
I know that a lot of people on this forum are from California and probably share similar interests as me :cool:
So... Do you guys know what a geek should not miss in California?
I know that a lot of people on this forum are from California and probably share similar interests as me :cool:
So... Do you guys know what a geek should not miss in California?
Comments
http://www.yelp.com/biz/w6trw-trw-swap-meet-redondo-beach
Also visit at least one Fry's, geeky themed electronics stores. This one is a mile away from that swap meet. http://www.frys.com/ac/storeinfo/manhattan_beach-location-frys-electronics-hours-maps-directions
Don't miss that opportunity. It is well worth it.
Enjoy!
Mike
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Sur
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_of_the_Giants
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Spot goofy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confusion_Hill goofy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Mansion
In San Diego get to Balboa Park. You probably won't have time to take in the enormous world famous zoo but as geek hotspots check out the air and space museum and the model train museum. If you have more time the maritime museum on the harbor is also a blast but it sounds like you have a tight schedule.
In San Francisco carve out a few hours for either the Exploratorium, a hands-on maker type museum on the waterfront, or the California Academy of Sciences, which is a world-class natural history museum in Golden Gate Park with the world's most advanced digital planetarium and a green roof you can visit.
Also, in SF, if the weather is clear, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's free and breathtaking.
And this is my advice from New Orleans, LA. There are lots of other cool things in California but for a limited trip those are my suggestions.
Echo the comment about the Fry stores. Perhaps the most outrageous theme decoration is the one in Burbank: it's modeled after a bad 1950s sci-fi movie, complete with a jeep that's been laser melted in two. Not all Fry's are themed. The one in San Diego is not.
In San Diego there is the Rueben H. Fleet Space Museum, in Balboa Park, that's pretty interesting. If you like rockets, there's a rare actual Convair Atlas missile at the Gillespie Field annex of the San Diego Air and Space Museum (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillespie_Field). It was built as a working missile, but the story is that it had become internally damaged from mishandling. Fortunately, it no longer has a thermonuclear weapon on top (or John Glenn, who's pretty old now!).
If your looking for all kinds of electronic and mechanical parts, Excess Solutions (which just moved to 1555 S 7th St, San Jose, CA 95112) has all kinds of stuff. Excess Solutions is more organized than several of those other well-known surplus houses in the area. There are definitely a lot more mechanical items available (pulleys, shafts, bushings, etc...).
Oh, and the Frys Electronics store in Campbell (a little South West of San Jose) has a "Volcanic Island" theme. The one on Fremont has a giant Tesla Coil that spits out lightening every now and then, as well!
dgately
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
And if you are shopping for parts, there are all sorts on odd-ball electronics parts shops south of San Francisco down to San Jose, and over in the Oakland/Berkeley area.
Moffett Field also has a lot of NASA and aviation history to see.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/nasa-ames-research-and-visitor-center-mountain-view
I think it will be a really busy trip
To move from Los Angeles to San Francisco, I was planning to take the train or bus. Does anyone know if Amtrak Coast Starlight is worth it?
If you like trains, the California State Railway Museum in Old Sacramento is amazing. http://www.csrmf.org/
I do not know about the Coast Starlight, but my bet is that it would be fun - I do not know about the cost though!
Amtrak really only gets you to the train station in Oakland and you have to bus across the Bay Bridge to get into SF. I think Amtrax provides free buses to what used to be the SF Train station (they removed the train tracks from the Bay Bridge long, long ago -- but the train station remains).
A bus will get you directly into the city, may cost less and actually be a bit faster. But the seats are for 90 pound old ladies and slim teenagers. Amtrax will allow you to move about.
California is in the midst of a long-term project to build a high speed rail link between LA and SF, but I believe it is not yet complete.
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More to the point is where to stay in SF that is both reasonable cost and a safe central neighborhood.
The Holiday Inn on Van Ness Avenue is in a safe area - cheaper but not the cheapest... may cost over $150USD per day.
Safe, but not central and lower cost for those with a car....
Try Rent-a-Wreck in Downtown SF for the best of rental rates. Don't rent a car at the airport if you desire to save money.
Way out on Geary Blvd with a parking lot for a rental car is the Sea Rock Inn that is charming and far removed from downtown. But it can get quite foggy and cold out there. Rates there and at another hotel/motel at the end of the Golden Gate Park by the Great Highway (Try 48th Avenue and Lincoln Way) are cheaper than downtown locations.
Hotels and motels in San Francisco are expensive. And even cheap hotels in and around the San Jose/Silicon Valley are also high. You might visit visit a bed and breakfast website for an alternative.
Generally the area East of California 101 freeway and nearer the bay on the whole peninsula is a bad neighborhood. Stay away from East Palo Alto and especially Bay View/Hunters Point -- not a good place to be at night and looking lost.
East LA has some rather infamous areas as well.
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You might enjoy the Spruce Goose at Long Beach. Nope!!!! It appears it was moved to Oregon! Disney bought up the land it was on and asked it to be relocated.
http://evergreenmuseum.org/the-museum/aircraft-exhibits/the-spruce-goose/
Or there's kayaking, sailing, scuba, snorkeling, flying (biplane ride along the coast?), skydiving, rental bicycles, etc. There is a lot to see along the coast.
There's a nice calendar for awesome tech events in SD county - http://sdtechscene.org/
I've not personally taken it, but my wife likes to travel that way, and she enjoys the relaxation time. But so you know, once you get past about San Luis Obispo (about half-way up) it can get pretty boring. California is a long stretch of brown, especially with the drought! You're inland at that point. The scenery near Santa Barbara is quite nice, so plan your snooze for after.
Alcatraz, you really want to get your tickets online 2 weeks in advance.
You are not going to be able to buy anything locally or online even a week before most times.
dgately
"Oh, and the Frys Electronics store in Campbell (a little South West of San Jose) has a "Volcanic Island" theme. The one on Fremont has a giant Tesla Coil that spits out lightening every now and then, as well!"
Well, I guess I better head down there to check it out before i depart CA in several weeks.
BTW, the Tesla coil at the Fremont one never seemed that interesting to me, not sure if it is even always on.
The bullet train betwen LA-SF has indeed no been completed, and nary started. Although its $60B+ price tag keeps rising. Just another reason to leave this wacky State.
As a long time California rsident, here are my top attractions in no particular order:
SD Marritime Mueseum
SD Safari Parkl (aka, the Wild Animal Park)
Real Mexican Food (price limit per meal of $9)
Computer History Museum
Cable Car Museum
Academy of Science
California Railroad Museum
Empire Mine State Historic Park
HSC is a must and while I've never been to excess solutions I sure will next time I'm in that neck of the woods.
Jonathan
I rented a Kia Soul from Budget two years ago to drive coast to coast to move some big stuff from my parent's house. 7 days: 3 days driving from CA to SC, one day packing and 3 days driving back. 5500 miles. Total rental cost was $137. I love LA.
We arrive in San Diego sept. 24 around 11 PM.
We visit SD sept. 25th and 26th
We take the bus to go to Los Angeles.
We visit LA sept. 27th and 28th.
At first, I wanted to take the train to go to San Francisco, but if we do that, we won't be able to stop and visit places in between.
I'm thinking about renting a car one-way from LA to SF.
Sept. 29th 30th and oct. 1st we would be travelling on the west coast and driving toward/around SF.
We would stay in SF oct. 2nd and 3rd and fly back home on the 4th.
erco, gas was around 5.5$ a gallon in Quebec last year
What, no stop in Rocklin!
I might go october 1st!
Is there anything else worth seeing around Sacramento?
Make sure Ken is in town.