Skimming a lot: sorry for disappearing on you, crazy week. A little meara:

The DCistas are wonderful! And if the traveling distances aren't that much (a few hours on train/car, right?), I definitely hope I'll be able to get a couple of days there. Tom Scola mentioned that there would be a few days at the end of August when it wouldn't be advisable to stay in NYC, so maybe then?

Now, I don't know much about the map of the USA, but Boston and DC are on different, well, sides, of NYC, right? So it seems like the best way to go would be reach one city, travel from it to NYC, and from that to the other (the two cities I think about are Boston and DC)? Would people who know the places think that's trying to get too-much-in-too-short-a-time?

Also, ND? You rock. For the record. The whole concept of taking a day (probably best to make it a Thursday) for a trip through pretty views? I love it so very much. Thank you, even only for the thought! And if Kristin and Cass can join, even better.

Sighing on the lack of Erin.

Also, I'm very relieved that all the meMeME stuff isn't taking over the thread, and some 2005-F2F discussions are going on with full speed.

I don't know much about the map of the USA, but Boston and DC are on different, well, sides, of NYC, right? So it seems like the best way to go would be reach one city, travel from it to NYC, and from that to the other (the two cities I think about are Boston and DC)? Would people who know the places think that's trying to get too-much-in-too-short-a-time?

Yes, yes and no, depending on how long you want to spend in each place. It's about four hours from Boston to New York, and five from New York to D.C; if you fly, each leg would be about an hour. Perfectly doable if you have several days.

Nilly, when I did my East Coast Swing visiting Buffistas two years ago, I flew into DC, stayed there several days, took a bus up to NYC, and then took another bus up to Boston.

Okay, I am doing a little dance at the thought of Nilly in DC...here's to hoping my friend isn't travelling when Nilly's planning to visit!

A note to Ginger, in re Nilly's visit to SF: just spoke with Jeannie, downstairs, and we look to be good to go for giving you a bed in her flat, downstairs. She only has three cats to our, er, larger pile, so your sinuses should rest a bit easier.

Thanks, Deb! And thank Jeannie for me.

So Nilly's going to stay with me, as is Bev; Ginger is going to be downstairs with Jeannie.

Anyone else need to arrange non-hotel accommodations? Or does anyone need help with Bay Area cheap hotels?

If the next narrowing is going to rest on numbers, I'd like to make these arguments before the vote

Jackson Square.

The Riverfront

Lafitte's

Muriel's

O'Flaherty's

Maison St. Charles The less than $90 a night before discounts hotel.

Nilly, doing something like flying into Boston, staying there a few days, going to NYC for a few days, then down here to DC for a few days, would be totally do-able. (If you want to stay with me, then coming to DC during the days when the Republican convention is in NYC would work out great -- that's the time in between when my exams end and classes start.)

For the Nilly visit, remember that the Dems are meeting in Boston - don't know the dates offhand, but it's probably around that time. Just think - you may have to come to DC to get away from the political folk!