I know you all know this already, but I will be proposing
Pasadena
this year, which is a city with unique charm, very distinct from Los Angeles (and not technically part of the city, though we are in LA County). it is also near many local Buffistas and within driving or shuttle distance of four airports (so lots of travel options). I currently have an RFP out to the
Sheraton Pasadena Hotel: [link]
Their rates are affordable (and will be more so by the time I get back the response to my RFP), and the hotel is in the heart of
Old Town Pasadena:
[link] . It is walking distance from dozens of restaurants, shops, bars, museums, and more. It is also walking distance from the Metro, which will take you quickly and cheaply to downtown LA or Hollywood if you wanted to do some exploring. A short carpool drive (or, I just learned,
free shuttle from the hotel!)
can also get us to some truly awesome Pasadena sites, such as these:
The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens (their rare book collection is astounding and includes the First Folio and one of the original Canterbury Tales--and the gardens are breathtaking and massive) [link]
The Norton Simon Museum: [link]
The Pacific Asia Museum: [link]
The Gamble House: [link]
and much more. Nearby also is Allyson’s beloved JPL, of course, which I have never toured but would love to: [link]
Plus, the hotel is near the best frozen yogurt place in existence, 21 Choices: [link] . Buffistas who have been there with us can back me up. Tastes like normal soft serve ice cream and is SO GOOD. (Like a Cold Stone Creamery, but with more verve!) They have six homemade base choices that change every day, and these can be mixed with anything you can imagine.
And, of course, Vromans: [link] , SoCal’s oldest and largest independent bookstore.
ETA: We could also do a Very Buffista high tea at sj’s friends’ teahouse, Rose Tree Cottage: [link]
For the few of us who like to hike, there are some amazing trails in the area in the nearby mountains [link] and Griffith Park [link]
You can check also out ND’s work on the sound at any of the Griffith Observatory’s amazing planetarium shows: [link]
Most of this is not in LA, by the way--and that’s just a sampling of the local stuff in Pasadena itself. Want a visual of why Pasadena rocks? Check out this awesome video, called Pasadena: What are you waiting for?: [link]
I love this city so much and would love to show it off to Buffistas!