I'm Looking For a Weekend Getaway
I want to take the wife somewhere out of LA this weekend for her birthday, and we're looking for something interesting and different. Probably just a one-night stayover somewhere, on Saturday night.
The coast is too tourist-swamped, San Diego's full of Comic-Conners, and we're on something of a budget. I'd also not like to drive more than two hours.
Just thought I'd throw it out there, and see if anyone had any tips about somewhere cool to investigate. Post a comment here, or shoot me an e-mail.
*****
Yeah, DARK KNIGHT made over $158 for its first three days. I'm an idiot for not seeing that coming.
I didn't see DARK KNIGHT -- I hate lines, and winding up in a crappy seat -- so the wife and I went to see HELLBOY 2 instead. Entertaining, and solid enough for what it is. DARK KNIGHT completely swamped it though; even though HELLBOY 2 probably got a little bounce from people shut out of sold-out DARK KNIGHT shows, it still dropped 70% over the weekend.
MAMMA MIA made $27 million, though expect that to drop fast, as word-of-mouth has been fairly dire.
posted by Scott the Reader @ 8:22 AM
16 Comments:
Happy Birthday Scott's Wife!
Actually, yes. Not sure it's within 2 hours, but fun (especially if you like garlic!).
http://gilroygarlicfestival.com/
Temecula for wine tasting. If you've never been it's worth a trip. South Coast winery is a very nice Hotel but pricey. Inexpensive hotels are nearby. Not sure how hot it is there now but the tasting rooms are cool.
ck out
http://www.temeculawines.org/ for more info or let me know if you have any questions.
"I didn't see DARK KNIGHT -- I hate lines, and winding up in a crappy seat"
y'know they have this thing now called reserved seating (amazingly every theater in the arclight has it), and even advance ticket purchase via this contraption called the "internet". i never cease to be amazed by technology.
i just stayed in Solvang for wine tasting. A great way to go.
Unfortunately, Gilroy is about 6 hrs from LA. I live in Carmel Valley (near Carmel by the Sea) & it's 40 min from me.
If you're looking to do something a little different, you might want to try camping (assuming you're not a camper). It's fairly cheap & there are campsites all around the LA area. The problem is availability. You might have to call & reserve.
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGS336-012
Whatever you do, see TDK in IMAX. Don't rob yourself.
As far as vacations (Happy Birthday Mrs. Alligators!), I don't have too many suggestions, because my usual vacation destination is the living room. Easy commute, cheap, & very homey.
Here's what you do, Scott: get a room for a Saturday night in Palm Springs. Yes, it's the hottest time of the year, but that's why it's cheap. Stay somewhere decent, like the Hilton or the Wyndham (both across the street from an air-conditioned movie theater) for under $150, and the heat gives you a great reason for staying in the pool, letting the pool waiter bring you drinks all day. Plus, a couple little casinos are within walking distance, if that's your fancy.
Just did this with the Mrs. and had an awesome time. And less than 2 hours away (take the 210 to the 10 East). Check it out. (Just don't leave anything in the car that you don't want to melt.)
Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming.
Oh, and Deep, add to my complaints "I don't like to have to reserve tickets two weeks in advance to get a good seat". Yeah, I'm a dillweed, I know.
oh, i forgot to mention a movie connection to Solvang. They shot Sideways there.
http://www.zanegreypueblohotel.com/
Booyah.
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It's a short flight to San Francisco (and the rest of the Bay Area).
Scott, you're a good husband to be so thoughtful concerning your wife. She's lucky to have you. Whatever you decide to do I hope you two have fun.
By the way, seeing a movie with a big crowd is SOMETIMES the way to go. Big movies like "The Dark Knight" are meant to be seen by lots of people. Plus it's always interesting to see what people respond to. When I went and saw "Atonement" in the theatre I wasn't very impressed by it. But at the end of it, I looked behind me and saw an older woman with tears running down her cheeks. The movie didn't move me, but a fellow audience member's reaction to it did.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
gotta second e.c's comment - although sometimes its annoying when people are obnoxious, i love seeing movie on opening night with a livewire crowd.
but he's also right about seeing what other people react to. i was mentioning this today to a friend of mine specifically. it was fun to see how well certain scenes in tdk worked for the "average" moviegoer, even though i was all too aware of what the writers were doing.
The Coachella Valley, dude! Stay at the Morongo Casino, drive into Palm Springs and ride the tram, take the kitschy star homes tour there too, go up to the artists colony at Idyllwild, visit the waterfall at Tahquitz Canyon.
Happy B-Day Scott's Wife!
Scott,
You asked for cool:
http://modresort.com/gallery/
Hope that fits the bill!
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