Was wondering if any localistas wanted to meet up Friday the 16th in SF for dinner/drinks?

Just checking in again. Lee and I are trying to get an idea of who can join us at Park Tavern. I sent an e-mail, but I think I'm missing some e-mail addy's.

I'm totally up for dinner between 3/11-16, meara. If your new job has an office around here, does that mean you might be coming by semi-regularly?

Calli, probably not (I missed training at the old company and therefore never saw their offices!). I'm supposed to know more tomorrow (like where I'll be staying) and I doubt I'll have a car.

but mostly I just want to walk around with Sammy and hear the ocean.

Generally, an SF trip isn't conducive to a beach trip also, unless you have a car and some time, but FYI, friends of mine have a beach cottage at Stinson Beach. It can be rented for a very low price. You have to go through me for the friends-of-friends price, and I'd have to see if it's available, and it's An Amazing Deal. So if you really want quiet beach time, get in touch.

People who can speak about the cottage: Sparky and her DH, Katiebee, Deena (or was that the Dillon Beach place? alas, I no longer have a key to that place.)

Hey Kristin, do we have any further word from the Pasadena hotel(s) on available dates? My bosses are sniffing around to see when I'll be free for the next project, so I want to get vacation time requests locked in soon.

I actually FINALLY have a date from the hotel and some GREAT deals. I tried the two weekends we had initially proposed, and they are majorly booked. SO HEAR YE, HEAR YE, the Pasadena 2012 F2F will b June 29th-July 1st at the Sheraton Pasadena Hotel: [link] .

Our room rate is $109/night for 2 queen beds. You have until a month before the event to book at that rate (if it looks like we are selling out, we have the option to expand; I started with 15 rooms). The hospitality suite is $189 per night; we have that reserved from Friday the 29th through 1PM on Sunday the 1st. I am waiting to hear back about the Prom room, but they have a number of small ballrooms available. ND will, of course, provide the sound system; we should get the event room free if we book an open bar for a couple of hours and some finger foods. More on that in a bit.

So....I hope this is all right?

Sounds great to me!

Yay! Thanks Kristin!

And here’s a recap of the charms of our fair city and this particular hotel:

Pasadena 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). The Sheraton Pasadena Hotel: [link] 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.

If you want to revive a SoCal Buffista tradition and go bowling, check out 300, which right off the Metro line as well: [link]

And, of course, Vromans: [link] , SoCal’s oldest and largest independent bookstore.

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 cant wait to show it off to Buffistas!

Side note about weather... in SoCal, we refer to “June Gloom” since we often get cool, gray weather during this month. It’s before the true heat of summer hits, but the weather usually ranges between the 60s and 80s; we have such low humidity that even the most heat-averse Buffista will likely not have an issue. However, if we do end up with a hot weekend, you’ll be glad to know that we have excellent air conditioning.

ALSO, ND and I would like to host a Buffista BBQ the night before Prom (June 29th) at our house, which is only about three miles from the hotel. We can arrange for carpools for anyone without transportation. WHEE!

Also--side note--the only downside to this hotel is that they normally charge for internet, but I’m working on them to waive that for us.