bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I am going to a work conference in San Deigo in February. The conference starts on a Monday afternoon. My wife and I are trying to decide where to go starting the Thursday before for a short vacation together before the conference starts. Any suggestions? I ahvent been to Vegas, and WILL have my wife with me . . . . we are looking to try some great restaurants (so Vegas wins there) and are looking for other suggestions that would sway us one way or the other. We are driving to San deigo sometime during the weekend, and they are comparable distances away (around 5 hours) from san diego. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I am going to a work conference in San Deigo in February. The conference starts on a Monday afternoon. My wife and I are trying to decide where to go starting the Thursday before for a short vacation together before the conference starts. Any suggestions? I ahvent been to Vegas, and WILL have my wife with me . . . . we are looking to try some great restaurants (so Vegas wins there) and are looking for other suggestions that would sway us one way or the other. We are driving to San deigo sometime during the weekend, and they are comparable distances away (around 5 hours) from san diego. And your dilemma is..... ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Las Vegas. i wouldn't give it another second of thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 If a 5 hour radius is your limit I'd go to San Francisco...way better than Vegas and Phoenix put together. And before anybody says 'but Vegas has Gambling'...so does San Francisco. It's just called 'the market district' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 If a 5 hour radius is your limit I'd go to San Francisco...way better than Vegas and Phoenix put together. And before anybody says 'but Vegas has Gambling'...so does San Francisco. It's just called 'the market district' We`looked at San Fran. It is 8 hour drive. Vegas is a 5 hour drive, so is Phoenix. San fran will be a separate trip with a wine country stay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 While Phoenix is a nice city, Las Vegas is a no-brainer, unless it just isn't your "thing." Even if you're not a big gambler, though, you would be hard-pressed not to have a good time in Vegas. There are a TON of things to do there... you could literally spend the entire weekend just walking around and looking at stuff, and probably not get bored. Like I said, though, if that's not your thing, or you really don't like being around crowds of people, it might be a closer call between the two. There are ALWAYS a lot of people in Vegas... doesn't matter what time of year, or what time of the day... It's crazy. But, with so many places and so much to do, I think you could still find a quiet place to get away (if that's what you're looking for), even in Vegas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 And your dilemma is..... ??? Trying to decide which one to do and get advice from people that have been there? I play a lot of poker, but gambling is not the objective of the trip. Also any suggestions on where to stay would also be helpful . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Vegas is the greatest city in the history of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Vegas it is . . . . Suggestions for things to do besides gambling? I have a list of restaurants I plan to go to already, but would love to get some advice from huddlers that have been there . . . . We are looking at Red Rock Canyon for hiking, but looking for other activity ideas . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Vegas it is . . . . Suggestions for things to do besides gambling? I have a list of restaurants I plan to go to already, but would love to get some advice from huddlers that have been there . . . . We are looking at Red Rock Canyon for hiking, but looking for other activity ideas . . . . hoover dam, rent a jeep and drive around in the desert ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 It is 8 hour drive. Vegas is a 5 hour drive, so is Phoenix. Strange, but I lived in SF for 10 years and used to drive down to LA and San Diego a few times a year...with LA being about 4 1/2 and San Diego another hour. Of course everybody drives at 80-90 mph out there, especially on I-5... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Strange, but I lived in SF for 10 years and used to drive down to LA and San Diego a few times a year...with LA being about 4 1/2 and San Diego another hour. Of course everybody drives at 80-90 mph out there, especially on I-5... Just looking at mapquest, which def isnt the "real" speed. But San Fran will be for a longer trip, coupled with wine. Not for this trip Any other Vegas tips guys? I have been searching old threads here and getting some good info . . . . but please keep em coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Just looking at mapquest, which def isnt the "real" speed. But San Fran will be for a longer trip, coupled with wine. Not for this trip Any other Vegas tips guys? I have been searching old threads here and getting some good info . . . . but please keep em coming! foreclosure tour? you could pick up a nice 3bdrm house for 5 bucks!! stratosphere rides maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 If you want an old school dining experience, check out Hugo's Cellar at the Four Queens on Fremont street (downtown). Dark wood paneling. Tableside service. A rose for the wife. You can see the light show while you're at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Strange, but I lived in SF for 10 years and used to drive down to LA and San Diego a few times a year...with LA being about 4 1/2 and San Diego another hour. Of course everybody drives at 80-90 mph out there, especially on I-5... You must drive even faster than 80-90. Being as I grew up in Sonoma County (and my family is still there) and I live in orange County, I make the trip several times a year. Granted, now I am with kids, so that means more stops, but still, 6 and a half hours from OC to SF would be pushing it and that is with averaging about 80 MPH on I-5, with a little over 7 more realistic, a little longer if you choose to go the coastal route (PCH/101) and get some scenery. SD is about 75-90 minutes from OC, and that is with good traffic conditions. I've had that stretch take me well over 3 and a half hours with bad traffic/accidents along the way. Then again, the 15 from Vegas/Phoenix is a two lane highway. Leave at a peak traffic time (ie Sunday anytime after 11am) or get unlucky with bad weather or an accident, and the drive will take much longer than 4-5 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Just looking at mapquest, which def isnt the "real" speed. But San Fran will be for a longer trip, coupled with wine. Not for this trip Any other Vegas tips guys? I have been searching old threads here and getting some good info . . . . but please keep em coming! i am from sf and went to college in sd. was never a slow driver..... sf - sd was about 6 hrs 45 min. better off doing that another time. i am not a gambler but enjoy egas for teh restaurants, nice pools, and just checking out the themed hotels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 It's 350 miles from SF to LA and there is absolutely nothing in the central valley to slow you down...once you get out of Manteca it's about 4 hours to LA. But getting through LA and the OC can be pretty lengthy...I've gotten through there in non-peak hours pretty fast but during peak traffic hours forget about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 It's 350 miles from SF to LA and there is absolutely nothing in the central valley to slow you down...once you get out of Manteca it's about 4 hours to LA. But getting through LA and the OC can be pretty lengthy...I've gotten through there in non-peak hours pretty fast but during peak traffic hours forget about it. True. I suppose going from true SF to true LA could be under 6 hours, it's the getting through L.A. or getting north of SF (usually through Oakland)that really adds to the trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Having been to both Phoenix and Vegas, I'll toss another vote for Vegas. Although, if you are an outdoorsy type, Joshua Tree National Park would not be a bad one day excursion. If you are really adventurous you may even consider Death Valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Trying to decide which one to do and get advice from people that have been there? I play a lot of poker, but gambling is not the objective of the trip. Also any suggestions on where to stay would also be helpful . . . Shoulda put a in there, as for me it was a no brainer. Lots of good room deals. We've stayed at a variety of hotels over the years. Last one was "The Venetian". Very nice room (suite), restaurants, and in the middle of everything. "Valley of Fire", the Dam are 2 very good day trips. "The Beatles:Love" is an excellent show, as is "Jersey Boys". Hard to beat "The Range" in Harrahs for steak. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I live near San Jose, and also commuted through SF for a year, and it takes a good 5+ hours to get to my MIL's in Ventura... LA is past that, and San Diego is another hour plus past LA. Add in the fact that there are literally about 2-3 times per year that LA doesn't have traffic, and I don't see getting from San Diego to San Francisco in less than 6 hours. Put is this way... If you drove 100 MPH (average for the entire trip), with zero stops/traffic, it would take right around 5 hours to get from SF to SD. That's nearly impossible to do, given the traffic, time it takes to sometimes get in/out of SF, etc. Not saying it can't be done, but it wouldn't be easy. Back to Vegas... Boy, where does one start? Gambling - Poker, blackjack, craps, just to name a few. It seems the thing now is to have as many variations of the games, at different tables, as possible. Some of the sportsbooks at the casinos are phenomenal (Caesers, MGM, Mandalay Bay, etc.)... Worth checking out, just to see them, even if you don't plan on placing any wagers. If you like poker, you can also get into tournaments pretty easily... lots of variations, but most of them take up quite a bit of your day, depending on the format. Shows - Never been to any, but I've heard nothing but good things about most of them. Other than gambling, it's probably what the city is best known for. Golf - Maybe not as good as Phoenix, but still a lot of good courses in Vegas. Restaurants - You name it, they have it in Vegas. Outdoors - I've also never done the Hoover Dam thing, but I've heard lots of good things about some of the outdoors events that can be done in the greater Las Vegas area... Sounds like you guys are into hiking, so that might be a good fit. I would simply suggest that, no matter how many events you plan for your weekend, leave at least a day (or a good part of one) to just do the tourist thing, and walk around the strip. I can pretty much guarantee you that, if you do so, you won't come close to seeing everything that there is to see, and will probably wish you had more time. Every casino is unique, and most of them have something pretty cool to see... the Venetian, Mirage, Caesars, Stratosphere, Luxor, NY-NY, etc. Trust me... You won't have enough time for all of it. In fact, it can be somewhat exhausting, as they are all pretty spread out (in comparison to what it looks like on a map). In other words, they're right next to each other, and many of them are connected with skyways and such, but they're SO BIG that it takes a lot of time to walk from one to the next. So, if you DO decide to just walk around and check the casinos out, pace yourselves a little... there are all kinds of things to stop and see/do. The monorail that goes up and down the strip is a GREAT investment... You can get a daily pass for like $15 (you will spend three times that just cabbing it from one end of the strip to the other, one time). Lastly, if you decide for some reason not to do the hiking/outdoors stuff, I would seriously consider not renting a car while you're in Vegas. You may already have one, since it sounds like you're driving to SD after, but renting a car in Vegas can be a real waste if you don't plan on venturing outside of the "greater strip" area. Traffic is pretty bad on the strip, so using the monorail is a quicker and cheaper investment. Good luck and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Gopher . . . that was GREAT advice! I will be renting a car, but I dont have to really get it until we actually drive to San Diego. My must do is a list of several good restaurants and play some poler.Everything else is debateable . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Vegas. meh. I'd spend the extra days in San Diego. Lots to see and do. Call Doc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 I PMed Doc . . . any suggestions of what to do/see in San Diego? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 The Dell Coronado is a must see. Also Croce's Restaurant and the Gas Lamp Quarter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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