OT: HFPens Community Lounge: A Pocket Full of Bits

[Empoleon8771]

I'm curious for some feedback I'd get on this. I'm trying to plan out my first post-COVID vacation now that I've been vaccinated. I'm looking for a place that is ideally along the beach, has a lot of biking/hiking opportunities and also has natural history/history/science museums and other attractions (like sporting events). From doing some research, I actually think LA would fit that pretty well. I'm curious for opinions on that because I think we have some posters on here who live or have lived in LA, namely @Big McLargehuge. Another option would be New Orleans, I've heard the WWII museum in NO is legendary.

If I go to LA, I can go scream outside of the Jet Propulsion Lab that I want a job too

 

[dogthateats]

I'm curious for some feedback I'd get on this. I'm trying to plan out my first post-COVID vacation now that I've been vaccinated. I'm looking for a place that is ideally along the beach, has a lot of biking/hiking opportunities and also has natural history/history/science museums and other attractions (like sporting events). From doing some research, I actually think LA would fit that pretty well. I'm curious for opinions on that because I think we have some posters on here who live or have lived in LA, namely @Big McLargehuge. Another option would be New Orleans, I've heard the WWII museum in NO is legendary.

If I go to LA, I can go scream outside of the Jet Propulsion Lab that I want a job too

LA does fit your criteria well. Some very picturesque hikes that overlook the ocean too. There’s casual cycling along the beach towns and also climbing hills and stuff. One thing to keep in mind is transportation. Are you planning on renting a car? It can take a pretty long time to get around LA with the traffic. To get from Downtown to Santa Monica can be an hour easily at some points of the day. So if you plan on Ubering everywhere it will get expensive.

 

[Empoleon8771]

LA does fit your criteria well. Some very picturesque hikes that overlook the ocean too. There’s casual cycling along the beach towns and also climbing hills and stuff. One thing to keep in mind is transportation. Are you planning on renting a car? It can take a pretty long time to get around LA with the traffic. To get from Downtown to Santa Monica can be an hour easily at some points of the day. So if you plan on Ubering everywhere it will get expensive.

I would plan on renting a bike and relying on public transportation otherwise. That's exactly what I did in London and that worked really well. Granted a lot of cities in the US don't have the public transit available that London has, but I'm hoping LA would have something at least reasonably comparable that would make it okay for me to do that.

I rented a car when I went to San Diego but that was exclusively to go up to the Safari Park, which was driving distance from my hotel.

 

[T1K]

I would plan on renting a bike and relying on public transportation otherwise. That's exactly what I did in London and that worked really well. Granted a lot of cities in the US don't have the public transit available that London has, but I'm hoping LA would have something at least reasonably comparable that would make it okay for me to do that.

I rented a car when I went to San Diego but that was exclusively to go up to the Safari Park, which was driving distance from my hotel.

Riding a dirty LA bus on vacation sounds miserable. Rent a car so you can hit all the spots.

I’ve never used this, but it might be a decent service for what you’re looking for:

Zipcar: Car Sharing Alternative for Daily and Hourly Car Rental

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Fully immunized and ready for @Randy Butternubs and his gentle touch once again.

I had a Facebook memory from you days ago that was 11 years old. Jesus man...

I'm curious for some feedback I'd get on this. I'm trying to plan out my first post-COVID vacation now that I've been vaccinated. I'm looking for a place that is ideally along the beach, has a lot of biking/hiking opportunities and also has natural history/history/science museums and other attractions (like sporting events). From doing some research, I actually think LA would fit that pretty well. I'm curious for opinions on that because I think we have some posters on here who live or have lived in LA, namely @Big McLargehuge. Another option would be New Orleans, I've heard the WWII museum in NO is legendary.

If I go to LA, I can go scream outside of the Jet Propulsion Lab that I want a job too

You should take this LA talk back to the Jeff Carter thread.

But for real, the few days I spent in the LA area were nice (it was for work). We stayed in Venice Beach, which sure is interesting. And it was a short drive from LAX where we rented a car. Parking was a bit troublesome so we actually Ubered/Lyfted to a few places. Also, I was able to run/walk to Santa Monica.

 

[HandshakeLine]

We can't talk about LA anymore because someone got salty and made a bunch of mod reports.

But LA is awesome for architecture, night life, food, and all sorts of things. My biggest beef when I visited was the lack of decent public transportation, but man, that's pretty much an America-wide thing at this point. Also, I got to totally geek out while making my friend drive through Laurel Canyon.

 

[LOGiK]

If you’re not snooty old money from millionaire Bethesda/Potomac MD most people find VA side a little nicer. But I am biased . Annapolis is unbelievable though. Germantown I can’t really speak on but I’d say that the commute (if you worked in DC or close) would be rougher. Alexandria (Old Town especially) is great but expensive, it’s a lot of families/older people that own.

My Virginia recommendation: if you’re a 20 something plans on going out regularly— Arlington, VA hundred percent. That’s where post grads live, DC is accessible from there, and you can get decent stuff in a decent area for a fair (but not cheap) price. If you don’t put a ton of weight on that as far as where you live, I’d find something near where you work. Traffic here is absolute hell and the region is nice enough where every town & city has a faux downtown type of development with stuff to do. So it just depends on budget and what you value in personal life.

But anyway, I’m hoping Carter can be a difference maker. At least it was low risk both in terms of assets and not going JR mode (messing with the current roster to bring him in).

My child was born in Bethesda MD... though I lived in Washington DC at the time and have never lived in Maryland haha...

I agree on the area though... it's very racially segmented as well... and quite friggin dangerous. I mean a lil SE from Bethesda... NOVA. DC/VA/MD... you can travel from the lowest of the low depressed areas to the richest of the upper echelon in 30 minutes.... traffic pending of course.

 

[LOGiK]

I just watched.. well ... the first half, I got tired and went to sleep, of Ready Player One... movie seemed like one of those phrophetic movies as in that's roughly how the future will be... I sure as hell hope they are wrong...

As a movie though it's entertaining. I wonder how they got the rights to include so many IP's in one movie. Don't see that too often if ever.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Speaking of travel, the last place I got to go was Seattle in the start of December 2019. I'd like to hit up the Pacific Northwest again, but not in December.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Riding a dirty LA bus on vacation sounds miserable. Rent a car so you can hit all the spots.

I’ve never used this, but it might be a decent service for what you’re looking for:

Zipcar: Car Sharing Alternative for Daily and Hourly Car Rental

I wouldn't take a bus, I'd mostly rely on subways like I did in London. I don't know how extensive the LA subway system is though, so that may present problems.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

 

[HandshakeLine]

Michael has a genetic disorder where he always looks like a kid going to their first holy communion, regardless of what he actually wears.

 

[HandshakeLine]

So, my GF got the Ring Fit game for the switch, and I gotta say, at the higher difficulty levels the thing's not a bad workout.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I wouldn't take a bus, I'd mostly rely on subways like I did in London. I don't know how extensive the LA subway system is though, so that may present problems.

It's quite terrible. If you look at the system it doesn't appear to be that small, but once you appreciate the scope of LA it quickly becomes clear how little it covers. We have 1/3 as many miles of rail as New York City's subway does, but it's spread out over such an insane area that it's almost useless. Most of what we do have are commuter lines with very few places to change onto a different line. It doesn't get you anywhere near the airports, it doesn't get you anywhere near the beach, it doesn't get you anywhere near just about anything interesting. The less said about the busses the better...

There used to be 1,000+ miles of trolley tracks that could get you from just about any point in the region to anywhere else, but that was unprofitable for car and tire manufacturers so they bought them all to destroy them decades ago, leaving LA basically impossible to navigate without a personal vehicle...where you'll be forced to pay as much to park as whatever it is you want to do. The B & D lines are the only open subway lines...if you can plan your trip from those lines as a guide it would be doable, but that's about it. About half of our rail is just going out to places like Azusa and Long Beach, which are of little interest to visitors. The L line will bring you to my neck of the woods and closer to the Rose Bowl & NASA, but even then it's not terribly close to either of them.

I legitimately think I would love Los Angeles if it had even semi-acceptable public transportation, but getting around this city without a car is a nightmare.

 

[BHD]

This happened this afternoon. Luckily, nobody was hurt.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier certainly got better.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I just learned that Pasadena is a Chippewa word and I've never been so confused.

 

[PensPlz]

Super bummed about MK being pushed back a week. But I watched Nobody... and it was probably the best new movie I've seen in a long time. Check it out.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Met Eric Andre today.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Met Eric Andre today.

He seems like a pretty okay dude IRL.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Met Eric Andre today.

Why, how, and? And thanks for the reminder, I need to watch Bad Trip on Netflix.

 

[LOGiK]

@HandshakeLine @Ogrezilla

JUUUUUUUUUUST made it to chapter 2 in FETH...

Ohhh man I put in so much time and it feels like the game is just starting now haha... I'll be at 500 hours before this is through.
Since I'm mostly 30+ already I can just cruise at this point... Unless someone dies of course.

At least I finally see who the Death Knight is/was... and what the heck was going on for a while....

 

[Peat]

One last connecting flight from Newark before I'm in Pittsburgh. Ironic I'll be flying over the game.

Also, people say bro way too much here.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

One last connecting flight from Newark before I'm in Pittsburgh. Ironic I'll be flying over the game.

Also, people say bro way too much here.

Safe travels, dude.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Why, how, and? And thanks for the reminder, I need to watch Bad Trip on Netflix.

I was stalking Paul Pabst from Dan Patrick Show in downtown Charleston. I walked by a restaurant called FIG and walked by a guy who looked a lot like him outside enjoying a cocktail. I was going to brush it off, though sent some people a text “I think I just passed Eric Andre.” Then I heard a young couple behind me basically say “I think that was him but I’m not sure.” So I say screw it and turn around.

I walk by and say “Hey man this is random but are you Eric or just a look alike?”

“...both.”

“Ha, nice. You’re just chilling so I’m not going to bug you or anything but wanted to say I’m a fan. Enjoy your trip.”

“Hey thanks man.” and then I walked on.

Was extremely, EXTREMELY random.