Travel Thread

Post by **NTP66** » Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:45 pm

I'd also like to point out that if you have a free morning/afternoon, the SD Zoo Safari Park is worth a trip. We enjoyed that more than the SD Zoo.

Post by **tifosi77** » Mon Mar 25, 2024 2:28 pm

Yes yes, I'd much rather do the safari park. But the main zoo and Midway are very close to each other, while the "San Diego Safari Park" is kind of nowhere near SD.

Also right by the zoo (downtown) is the SD Air & Space Museum, and there's a nice Japanese garden in the park in between the two.

Post by **tifosi77** » Mon Mar 25, 2024 2:30 pm

Also re Amtrak

The coastal lines through Orange Co and northern SD Co have been intermittently closed because of landslide activity. That's a binary thing, there's no divert option for a train. FYI

Post by **Shyster** » Mon Mar 25, 2024 3:15 pm

There probably are alternative routes, but they're probably something like going out in a big loop through like Denver and Phoenix to get back to SoCal, and it would take like three days to get there.

The real divert option would be a bus. Which might get there faster than the train anyway.

Post by **Rylan** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 12:48 pm

Heading to Palo Alto in a couples weeks for work. Anything thats a must see in the area @tifosi77 ?

Post by **tifosi77** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:08 am

The Stanford campus is pretty amaze, would be a good way to spend a peaceful hour or so walking around. Honestly, that's about all we ever did there. It's a small college town that happens to sit in between two big cities.

Post by **DigitalGypsy66** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 6:13 am

Post by **Rylan** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:36 pm

lol the office i will be working out of is just across the street from stanford. so should be easy to visit!

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 8:57 pm

Littlest Franchise had extended Easter break, so we went to visit my parents in WIlliamsport on Thursday, up to Rochester to visit my oldest on Saturday, and back home today. I'm freaking beat from all that driving and not really wanting to go back to work tomorrow. At least it's a 4 day week.

Post by **CBear3** » Wed Apr 03, 2024 5:35 pm

SoCal was nice. We ended up in Sunset Beach, across the greenway from the beach. Could stand on the "dune" and watch the kids get into and out of the house while we were on the beach. It was cold and rainy unfortunately, but we still enjoyed ourselves and walks up and down the beach. Boogie boarded and played volleyball in Huntington, hit the aquarium in Long Beach, ran the trails in Bolsa Chica. Could have walked to dinner each night for a week. Drove on the streets of the Long Beach GP track for giggles.

Post by **mac5155** » Wed Apr 03, 2024 11:31 pm

Anyone been to Stonewall Resort in WV?

Post by **tifosi77** » Thu Apr 04, 2024 4:39 pm

CBear3 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 5:35 pm Drove on the streets of the Long Beach GP track for giggles.

The barriers should've been mostly built up by now, the race is in a couple weeks. I think after next weekend they'll close it off to through traffic, so good timing there. Haven't been back since the last Champ Car race.

We did the behind-the-scenes "otter experience" thing at the aquarium for Mrs Tif's birthday s few years ago, such a hoot.

Post by **tifosi77** » Thu Apr 04, 2024 4:43 pm

Also

Post by **NTP66** » Thu Apr 04, 2024 5:15 pm

That’s just far too close for comfort sans a cage.

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Thu Apr 04, 2024 10:16 pm

The Trop in Las Vegas closed its doors for good on Tuesday. They're gonna demo it and make way for the A's stadium, provided of course that the team and MLB can get their crap together in that horrid mess. It's the place I stayed in my first trip to Vegas in 2000 and it was home to one of my best gambling stories -- winning about $600 at the slot machines...back when they still spit out quarters instead of giving you a voucher. Problem was, I had won this on a slot that was closest to the elevators to go up to the rooms and the cashier cage was at least a par 5 away. So there I was with 4 buckets of quarters duckwalking to the cage for redemption. I had more people telling me not to trip than offer to help.

https://apnews.com/article/tropicana-ca ... 13d2f04649

Post by **tifosi77** » Fri Apr 05, 2024 12:19 am

NTP66 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2024 5:15 pm That’s just far too close for comfort sans a cage.

The only thing noteworthy about that video is the technology now exists to capture those encounters without much effort. The guy has posted150 videos just like this in 2 yrs. Happens all the time, people are blissfully unaware.

I'm more put off by the coldness of the water than the presence of the fish.

Post by **NTP66** » Fri Apr 05, 2024 6:32 am

I know that it's a frequent occurrence, but I'd rather be completely oblivious than to see that up close.

Post by **CBear3** » Fri Apr 05, 2024 10:00 am

Yeah, I'm not surprised. There were quite a few times I thought I caught a fin lurking in the background, but luckily it was so cold we never got much past the sandbar in Huntington. So at least it would have been smaller bites.

Post by **skullman80** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 12:59 pm

We fly enough now that it seems TSA precheck is worth it. My capital one card also reimburses the cost of one membership, so we only end up paying for one rather than two. Made an appt to go get finger printed and interviewed tomorrow.

Post by **shoeshine boy** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:12 pm

if you'll do any international travel, tack on Global Entry. I think it's $15 more?
I've has TSA pre-check for years and it is worth every dime.

Post by **NTP66** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:20 pm

When I looked into it, GE was certainly harder to get an appointment for. Precheck, I had an appointment like 4 days later.

Post by **skullman80** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:27 pm

shoeshine boy wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:12 pm if you'll do any international travel, tack on Global Entry. I think it's $15 more?
I've has TSA pre-check for years and it is worth every dime.

I looked into Global Entry and it seemed like the approval process took months. The Pre-check thing I filled out the stuff today and have an appt tomorrow (along with my wife). I agree Global entry makes more sense, but since we are travelling next month there wouldn't be enough time to go through the approvals.

Post by **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:35 pm

yeah GE is harder to get and honestly I never really noticed where it would be hugely helpful. Not saying it wouldn’t be helpful, especially in crazy ports of entry like JFK, but usually I’m through US customs pretty quickly

Precheck however is a game changer

Post by **shoeshine boy** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:41 pm

GE definitely takes longer. when we got Pre-Check we knew we'd be going to Italy, my SO would be going to Thailand and we could use the GE cards to breeze through NEXUS lanes entering USA from Canada.

Post by **tifosi77** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 5:57 pm

We started the GE process last year ahead of our travels, but couldn't get an appointment for the interview. (I've mentioned before we were going to do in the interview in Dublin on the way home, but the guy was on his lunch break.............................)

There was absolutely no appointment availability for us at home. I don't mean like the appointments were at inconvenient times, or really far away time-wise. There were no appointments, and I think the calendar looks forward like six months. A few weeks ago we got a notice that a new appointment slot opened up for LAX, which iirc was for later that day. That was super helpful. Anyway, we paid the fee and then have not been able to complete the application process. Very annoying.