Besides, you can get shot for driving the speed limit in LA!

A little bit OT, but - is this actually true??

Eunuchist (imported) wrote: Sat Aug 04, 2007 7:22 pm A little bit OT, but - is this actually true??

Yes, it IS true

Closer to L.A. and ,in my opinion,better deal,less stress and more relaxed is Laughlin,NV. More expensive in the winter,but dirt cheap in the summer.

I might even show up if Paolo will bring the "Nun" with him.

Avi resort and Casino is my favorite and they still have 99cent breakfast and a beautifull pool and a beach on the Colorado river.There is a lot of things to do. H. http://laughlinnv.areaguides.net/hotels ... RICE%7CASC

I used to spend every winter in Laughlin. I like the place. It is one of the hottest places in the USA in the summer, however; but isn't that what we have air conditioning for?

Yes, it IS true

Jezus..

I guess I'd better reconsider my bold plans of a "nice, relaxing" drive through the Western states next summer. Sadly, I am not always very good at observing speed limits.

LA was one of my main scheduled destinations. I wonder, though: who does the shootings, and can the local police be trusted?

Interesting problem--finding a site in LA which has cheap hotel accommodations, a place with a picnic area nearby, and not too far from the airport. I can't really come up with any.

There is at least one hotel/motel across the street from the park at the top of the bluffs in Santa Monica. Not sure there are any picnic areas in the park, although it extends for maybe half a mile along Ocean Avenue. But hotel rooms in the immediate area are probably $200+ a night, which I'm sure is too much for most people.

Of course, Pershing Square is right in the middle of downtown LA, but there is a parking garage underneath it, so the area is always busy. Don't remember seeing any picnic areas there--the park has no big trees, only bushes. A number of hotels are in the area, the Biltmore is right across the street, the famous underground library is a block away, and could be used for a meeting place. But, again, expensive lodging, and not many good restaurants in the area.

There used to be, and I presume still are, several inexpensive hotels near MacArthur Park, along Sixth Street. The hotels are, to understate it, not of recent construction--one cheap motel about four blocks to the east was built about twenty years ago, not sure how cheap it would be now. The area has "gone ethnic" in the last few years, and isn't a place I would recommend at night. I always found West Seventh Street fascinating, but you have to be ready for anything. I think they drained the lake in MacArthur Park, so the park isn't what it once was. Lafayette Park, about eight blocks to the west, and Echo Park, maybe a mile north, are nice, but no hotels or motels nearby.

There is a sizeable park along Wilshire around the boundary between Santa Monica and West LA, maybe around 30th Street in Santa Monica. I'm pretty sure it has a picnic area. There used to be a reasonably cheap motel on Wilshire within maybe three blocks, more lower priced motels a few blocks away on Santa Monica Boulevard. But it's a walk to the park, and I remember it as being very busy on weekends. You'd have to take a bus to the beach from there.

Victorville is considered to have cheap accommodations, and there is probably a park somewhere near the fairgrounds and not far from the motels on Palmdale Road (which I guess has been renamed Historic Route 66). But the closest regular commercial airport is at Ontario, over thirty miles away.

As to Las Vegas, the noaa website lists average highs for the week of September 20 in the 89-93 temperature range, which is more or less tolerable because that is past the storm season and humidity is low. Of course, temps could be higher. If you want to lodge near the strip, Best Value Inn and Motel 6 are a block off-strip on Tropicana, across the street from MGM. Best Value is a very basic place and reasonable during the week, less reasonable on weekends. Motel 6 is a little more expensive. The best lodging values in Vegas are at outlying hotels (also known as neighborhood casinos.) Food in them is not as good as on the strip, but prices are in the range of half what you pay on the strip. The lunch buffet at Sunset Station is something like $6.99 and has practically everything Red Rock Casino has. The only outlying hotels I can think of that are anywhere near parks are the Fiesta Rancho-Texas Station complex which is maybe six long blocks from Lorenzi Park. Most people wouldn't want to walk that far, and I'm assuming most folks wouldn't have cars. There is a big convention center at Texas Station, but you'd probably have to pay for a meeting room. They'd probably let people hang around the food court. I think there is a park near Nevada Palace and the Super 8 motel on Boulder Highway. But all the outlying casinos are at least five miles from the Strip, which is where most tourists want to go.

If you decide to go to Vegas, travelworm.com and tripreservations.com usually have the best hotel and airfare prices.

Laughlin is something like Vegas was thirty-five or forty years ago. Cheaper in all respects than Las Vegas, generally friendlier. I'm not sure what commercial air service is like--the airport is right across the river from Casino Drive, in Arizona, but I can't remember ever seeing a plane land there. The Avi is seven miles from Casino Drive, you can walk to California from there, but the casino is more of less by itself, on the Nevada side of the bridge. The food there is okay, nothing special. It's a tribal casino.

Salami's suggestion that the meeting might be held in the Riverside-Berdu area is probably worthy of investigation, though I don't know of any specific locations there which would be appropriate. If I were planning it, I'd probably have the meeting in Santa Barbara, but everything there is expensive.

Looks like we may have a MOM meeting in the LA area. OneBallBoi and I will be in the area there for a visit. Maybe we can meet up with some of the EA then. September 15 would work for us.

LAUGHLIN! YES! Laughlin Nevada!

Regular air service is available, into Bullhead City International Ariport which is just across the river from Laughlin.

Laughlin is a lot cheaper than Las Vegas, and while it does not have all the attractions of Las Vegas, it does have live entertainment, a cinema "multiplex" in one factory outlet mall. Another cinema multiplex in the Riverside Casino, it even has two very nice little Japanese sushi bars (one is across the river in Bullhead City, Arizona, one is in Laughlin, Nevada). There is the nearby tourist attraction of Oatman, Arizona. Laughlin has most everything we could want for a weekend get together, and at about the third of the price. Go ahead, check hotel rates in Las Vegas verses Laughlin, Expedia.com can get you the info.

The Avi Casino, is about seven miles to the south, and they have a cinema multiplex there too, and they have fireworks almost every night at the Avi Casino.

They rent jet skis and there is the nearby lake Mohave for any of the psychotic types who like to fish.

I have visited Las Vegas and Laughlin both, many times. Unless you seriously need the "big city" of Las Vegas, Laughlin is just a better deal overall.

While there might not be as many airline flights to the Bullhead City Ariport as there are to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, there ARE regular flights into Bullhead, I have seen them. Additionally, there are lots of charter bus lines that make regular runs to Laughlin and their fares are rock bottom priced.

If we meet in Laughlin, you can definitely count on me being there, but I live only 35 miles from Laughlin so I guess I am prejudiced.

No.

My first commercial flight ever up to MN was fine. Coming home broke me of it.

Eunuchist (imported) wrote: Sat Aug 04, 2007 7:22 pm A little bit OT, but - is this actually true??

I see you have never been to LA.

They drive very fast, know were there going and can tell an outsider a mile away.

River

LA? Fast? LOL... more like bumper to bumper traffic jams. Vegas is awesome. You can almost walk from the airport to the strip or just ride the cheap tram. There is a cheap hotel next to circus circus called the "westward ho" (i kid you not) that is decent and inexpensive. I paid $32 a night in december a couple of years ago and got a coupon for $5 prime rib dinner. Was actually pretty good! Hoover dam is about 20 miles away and is awe inspiring. Pictures just can't do it justice. It's really cool.