Yes, people, it's happening again! MrsG and I are in the process of planning the second annual TalkCSI NY Forum trip to Los Angeles. We're in the beginning stages, but we have a weekend set and want you to mark you calendars now:
Thursday, July 31st--Sunday, August 3rd
Everyone is invited! Those that went last year can attest to what a good time it was. We had about seventeen people last year and the activities varied from going to the beach, hitting clubs and shopping. We haven't finalized any plans yet for this year, but things we've talked about include:
*Pizza and Porn night!
*A trip to Venice beach and a walk along the Boardwalk
*Universal Studios tour/theme park
*Beverly Hills shopping and a trip to Sprinkles cupcakes (trust me on this--they are that good!)
*Hike at Fryman Canyon (a little less rigorous than Griffith Park for those who suffered last year )
MrsG and I will be doing the legwork on finding restaurants and scheduling/booking activities, but we want to hear from you is who wants to come! Once we have some idea of numbers, we can start planning activities.
Like the Team Flack t-shirts for last year's trip, we'll once again be getting some sort of themed shirts. We'll throw out some options once we look into a few things we're considering. As it was last year, buying the shirts is of course optional.
Because it's so kick-ass and answers so many questions (and does pertain to the trip this year as well), here is MrsG's post from last year, which covers some questions you might have about accommodations, transportation and other details:
Let's make this year even more kick ass than last year's trip!
Top41 and MrsG
Thursday, July 31st--Sunday, August 3rd
Everyone is invited! Those that went last year can attest to what a good time it was. We had about seventeen people last year and the activities varied from going to the beach, hitting clubs and shopping. We haven't finalized any plans yet for this year, but things we've talked about include:
*Pizza and Porn night!
*A trip to Venice beach and a walk along the Boardwalk
*Universal Studios tour/theme park
*Beverly Hills shopping and a trip to Sprinkles cupcakes (trust me on this--they are that good!)
*Hike at Fryman Canyon (a little less rigorous than Griffith Park for those who suffered last year
)MrsG and I will be doing the legwork on finding restaurants and scheduling/booking activities, but we want to hear from you is who wants to come! Once we have some idea of numbers, we can start planning activities.
Like the Team Flack t-shirts for last year's trip, we'll once again be getting some sort of themed shirts. We'll throw out some options once we look into a few things we're considering. As it was last year, buying the shirts is of course optional.
Because it's so kick-ass and answers so many questions (and does pertain to the trip this year as well), here is MrsG's post from last year, which covers some questions you might have about accommodations, transportation and other details:
Wondering what we’re gonna do for four days? The options are limitless. Top and I will come up with a list of potential activities and you guys can definitely add to that list. Then once we know who is definitely in, those who are coming can help decide what we want to put on the itinerary. I’ll handle any reservations, inquiries into group discounts, etc. Everyone can choose which activities they want to participate in and sit any out that they don’t feel like doing. I figure during the day we can take advantage of some of the unique things LA has to offer – studio tours, a tv show taping, the Beverly Hills trifecta of Barneys, Saks and Neiman’s (God bless the genius who put those all in a row for my convenience) or hit some of the smaller boutique shopping areas LA is known for, see the Walk of the Stars or any other touristy shit that might strike your fancy. Then do dinner and go out afterward. Those who prefer to keep things tame can feel free to opt out after dinner without ridicule.
For those not afraid to get up at the crack of dawn and wanting to see something truly spectacular, I’d be all for an early morning hike in Griffith Park (amazing views high in the hills) or an early morning run on the famous stairs on the beach in Santa Monica (as seen in “Entourage” and other clips of celebs running up steep ass stairs on the beach). I say “early morning” because both these activities are best enjoyed before LA wakes up, in my opinion. But if your lazy asses choose to sleep till noon, that’s cool too.
Really, we can do whatever you want. The point is simply to spend some quality face-to-face time with the people we spend so much time with online and just enjoy each other’s company. Don’t know about you, but personally, I’m nosey. I like to know who I’m talking to.
Now for the nitty gritty details. Be warned, this is gonna be another epic MrsG post. If you’re not interested in the details, do yourself a favor and stop reading. I just prefer to attempt to answer most questions up front.
Getting There
We want to try to centralize everyone to the Hollywood area for logistical purposes. It’ll be easier to get everyone from Point A to Point B if we all start out in the same place. It’s close to Top and to me (Hollywood, when I’m down there) and it’s convenient to just about everything you might want to do. Particularly, we’re thinking that if people want to skip any activities and go off on their own or in smaller groups, it’d be helpful to have them staying in an area where there is a lot that’s easily accessible.
You can fly into either LAX or Burbank airports. LAX is further away, but often cheaper because it’s a much larger airport. Burbank is closer, but more expensive to fly into and has fewer available flights. While I personally prefer the convenience of Burbank, if I were visiting LA for the first time and wanted that feeling of truly “arriving in LA,” I’d go with LAX. Burbank is a dump, but that’s just me. :lol:
Once You Arrive
You’ll probably want to pair up into groups depending on your arrival times to shares taxis or rent cars. Some of you will likely need to rent cars. LA isn’t a city where you can get around without a car. Top and I (and likely any LA-based girls) will be driving, but depending on how many people come, we may need more drivers than that. In terms of figuring out who is arriving around the same time as you, I’m a master of organization. I’ll ask everyone to PM me or email me their flight info, which I’ll put into a spreadsheet and distribute to the other people who are coming (via email, not posting any sensitive info on the board). I’ll do the same for cell phone #s and hotel info, just so we can find each other.
If you take a taxi from the airport, the cost is approximately $35 from Burbank or $60 from LAX. So find a buddy or two who are arriving around the same time you are.
If you rent a car, you can do so either at LAX or at the hotel I’ll suggest in a moment.
Accommodations
After researching inexpensive yet reasonably clean and safe hotels in the area, it looks like Best Western Hollywood Plaza [(323) 851-1800] may be a good choice. The location is great. It’s a couple blocks north of a major intersection – Hollywood & Highland. Home to the Kodak Theater, the Walk of Stars, the Chinese Theater, a large shopping center, loads of touristy shops, etc. Great place to just wander around. Also, it’s close to the Hollywood hot spots so that if anyone wants to skip out on going to any clubs, it’s quick and easy to return you to your hotel and there’s even stuff to do once you get home. On the flip side of that, if everyone hits the clubs really hard, it’s also possible to have one or two sober people shuttle back and forth to get everyone home safely. But more on that later.
Before any of you complain that the Best Western sucks, I can only say, “No shit” and assure you that I’m in fully agreement. The idea is to make this trip affordable for everyone and many of you are students or just broke. Hence, I went for clean and safe and in a location convenient for tourists. It meets those requirements.
For those with more flexible budgets, I’d go with either the Roosevelt or the Renaissance. Rates run about $300/night, but you’ll get a really nice hotel in the exact same area.
In mentioning this get together to a few people before posting, it came to my attention that people traveling from halfway around the world aren’t going to be staying for just a few days. It wouldn’t make sense. Some would be staying for much longer. If you’re one of those people who might want to stay a couple weeks or a month, you might want to consider renting a furnished apartment instead of staying at a hotel. There are two properties in the Hollywood area I’m familiar with. Sunset & Vine and The Marlowe. If you’re interested in staying at either of those, you can make arrangements by calling Oakwood Properties at (877) 969-5142. I think my rent last summer was $4,200/month, but it’s cheaper than staying at a hotel for extended periods, plus you have the convenience and health benefits of being able to cook your meals instead of eating out three times a day for a month. I had a few upgrades on my rental last summer (“luxury” linens, maid service, etc.) that I’m sure people can do without in order to reduce the cost.
You can also find some good vacation rentals in a variety of price ranges through Vacation Rentals By Owner.
Concerns Some of You May Have
* I’ve never met any online buddies in person. How do I know you’re not all a bunch of freaks?
You don’t. You just have to trust your gut on that one. Anyone who has been on this board for any length of time likely has a sense that this is a pretty good group of people. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet about a dozen of you and can say in all honesty that I genuinely like everyone I’ve met. I can also tell you that once you have the opportunity to spend time with an internet buddy “in real life,” it’s a beautiful thing to see that in fact these friendships do transcend the board and ARE real. Top is a part of my daily life off this board and that wouldn’t be the case if I had any reservations about real life meetings. I encourage you all to really know the people you spend time with online. Of course there are freaks lurking in every corner of the internet and I’m sure this site is no exception. But there is safety in numbers and this is a group get together.
* Is this going to be a Girls Gone Wild booze fest?
No. The idea is really just to spend quality time getting to know each other face-to-face. I’m sure we’ll go out at night and I’m sure there will be alcohol involved. However, let’s be real here – for the amount of time you all spend online, I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume you’re not heavy partiers. For those who want to get tanked, feel free. For those who don’t, know that you won’t be alone. I don’t drink at all and I can name at least a couple other girls who don’t either. Also, know that because I don’t drink at all, you’ll always have at least one dead sober driver on hand.
* Will I get to meet any of my favorite CSI:NY hotties?
Not likely. I spend as much time as possible in LA and Top lives there. Neither of us have ever run into one of these guys on the street and you’re probably not going to either. For any deluded fangirls out there – please do not fly halfway around the world in the hopes that you’ll run into Eddie Cahill one night, it’ll be love at first sight, he’ll dump his girlfriend, and you’ll live happily ever after. Get a grip. Not gonna happen.
I think this covers the basics and then some. :lol: Once we know who’s in, we can work out all the specifics and I’ll handle the details. I really encourage everyone to come. We have blast together online. Imagine how much fun we could have in LA!
Let's make this year even more kick ass than last year's trip!
Top41 and MrsG
