John Williams, Hollywood Bowl, August-2012

We can!

Darn!

And try to remember San Diego. You won't be disappointed. Your lodging is free.
Tom

OK, I have a temporary itinerary ready. It may not be that interesting for everyone else, but maybe Southall and Sirius may have some value in it...maybe plotting in things where we overlap:


Temporary itinerary – California Trip 2012.

August 28th - Arrive at LAX 6pm local time. Eugene will meet me, and take me to his place where he has offered me a bed for the night. I'm not sure how much I'm able to see after 17 hours travelling and jetlag (I usually can't sleep on flights). So I have no other plans for this day.

August 29th – Check in at Motel 6 in Hollywood. Explore famous Hollywood landmarks and sights. Walk of Fame, Gauman's Chinese Theatre, Kodak Theatre (maybe book a ticket for IRIS in the evening?), visit FSM's headquarters in Romaine Street (if Lukas allows).

August 30th – A movie studio tour (Universal, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros….probably the one with a proper walking tour, not a theme park). Maybe Sunset Strip in West Hollywood in the evening? Depends on public transportation. Alternatively put in the Griffith Park/Observatory hike with Henry and Amer here, after the tour.

August 31st – Downtown. Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Little Tokyo. The FFM meet-n-greet at Henry's place in the evening (I'm not sure where he lives, but not far from downtown?)

September 1st – FFM, followed by the John Williams/Bowl concert in the evening. Earlier in the day, I'm not so sure. I wouldn't want to stray too far off this particular day.

September 2nd – The Griffith Park/Observatory hike with Henry and Amer? I know that Henry is going to the David Newman concert in the evening, so it depends on that.

September 3rd – Check out from Motel 6. Santa Monica/Venice Beach next. Exploration and a lunch with a Norwegian girl I know, who works as a film composer there. Hopefully find a cheap place to live first, so I don't have to drag the heavy back pack around. If there are no cheap places available, I'll have another long Metro trip to Long Beach after lunch, where I'll find a hostel or something for the night. This day is a bit cumbersome, travel-wise, especially without a car and a back pack on my...back.

September 4th – Santa Catalina Island day trip.

September 5th – Check out from whereever I'm staying. Fly to San Francisco. It's more expensive to book a flight from an internet café while I'm there, but I have to have some flexibility on time schedules. If I book now, I'm 'locked' to that and may miss out on certain sights elsewhere.

September 5th – September 9th – San Francisco (a separate itinerary)

September 9th – Fly to San Diego early in the day. Again, I would have to book a flight while I'm there, on short notice.

September 9th – September 11th – San Diego (a separate itinerary)

September 11th – Take the Amtrak train back to LA, ca. mid-day. See Union Station. Find a cheap place to live near the airport, since I leave very early the next day.

September 12th – Get up at about 6 AM at the latest. Plane back to Norway leaves at 8:45 AM.

Hey Tom,

I'm currently looking into the details for my trip.

If things go as planned, I'll be in San Diego from September 9-11. Just two nights, in other words (and half of 9th and 11th go to travelling). Not a lot of time, but it would be cool to meet.

I won't have the time to see much....probably just the Gaslamp Quarter, maybe Balboa Park and maybe, just maybe the Mission Beach or whatever it's called.

Let me know how the schedule fits you.

Already? I need to book mine too. Sounds like a great round-trip you have there. Without a car, I'm not even close in managing that itinerary.

Where is Pismo Beach?

But yeah, hotels in California are extremely expensive. Just as expensive as Norway, actually (and you get LESS for the same money).

I'm REEEALLY struggling to find a decently priced place in SF, where I'm supposed to stay for 4 nights (impossible to find for less than $330, except one or two hostels). I've found one moderately priced place in SD for $100 for two nights (hotel/hostel combo). I'm also struggling with Long Beach, LA, where I'm supposed to stay for 2 nights (about $170).

I also need to book the two inland flights. I wanted to book while I was there, but that will increase the price two or three times.

I will NOT be doing any theme parks (feels very uncomfortable as a single, 34-year-old man), but I'll try to get a tour in Paramount Studios.

Well, well....I wonder if we'll be seeing much of each other beyond the John Williams concert.

I really struggled to find somewhere in my price range in San Francisco. Ended up booking the Country Hearth Inn, which was 320 pounds (best part of $500) which was hugely expensive for what it is, for three nights.

Hope we get chance to do something else other than just the concert.

Yes, it should hopefully include drinks and food.

Californians make a lot of money, I presume, and are not afraid to spend it on holidays and hotels and stuff. I mean, seriously, $72 for a ferry ticket to Santa Catalina, which takes one hour out and one hour back?! Meals aren't usually that expensive, though. You can get a big and tasty portion in a decent restaurant for $10-15 (which is at least half of Norwegian prices).

Southall, we'll find some other venues to meet up, if possible. The night of the 8th in SF, for example. Or something. Not going to intrude on you and your wife's holiday, though.

I initially had a 'we will see when we are there' idea too, but found out this is a trip I really need to micro-manage. But of course, you and other SST'ers have been in the area several times before, Stefan, so I'm sure you're more comfortable that way.

About 6 weeks before the concert I will contact Hollywood Bowl to ask if the rehearsal of John Williams Concert is open for public again like previous years. Normally the rehearsal is on friday morning.
Call and I (and maybe other members) will be there. I will post here if it is open for public.

Best way to book a hotel in Vegas is to go to the visit centre on the highway just out of the town. And book a room over there. My brother got a nice cheap room in Circus Circus there 2 years ago. Ten years ago we both stayed at the Excalibur hotel. For to me obvious reasons ;-)

The other hotels / motels can be arranged two ways:
Reserve the same day using the internet (tip: All McDonalds have wifi or use the internet of your current hotel/motel), or just go to a Motel/Hotel with a "vacancy" sign. Motels should be pretty cheap.

A friend of mine even reserved a room in the lobby of that hotel. It was cheaper than asking for a room at the desk :P

It makes you more mobile during the holiday and makes your vacation more adventurous. Keep in mind that the States is a huge country where people drive multiple days cross country to visit family. The hotels/motels are build around that idea.

The Grand Canyon!

But the Grand Canyon is five hours away!

That's nothing!