[Isric]

Hey everybody! I'm planning a road trip to California sometime this summer! Woo! I have to meet a few people and figured now's as good a time as any. San Francisco is probably going to be the biggest location on my list, but at some point we may have to go to LA. Just wondering if there's anything I should be particularly interested in, if some artists in the state could tell me about some good locations to visit. I'm pretty much trying to find a time that will work the best, so if there's anything cool I shouldn't miss then I need to know about it.
If there are any forum members along the way, I'll probably be able to meet some people in person. I'm so excited, we'll
probably spend our nights sleeping in the car, eating dry chiban and bathing in the ocean, but by golly, we'll make it
to California. Woo!

[pixelsoldier]

Sounds like so much fun, man! Good luck on your journey.

I've been to San Francisco a LONG time ago, so I don't really have any specific reccomendations, but I promise you that the scenery alone will be more than enough to make your trip worth while. You're gonna want to draw everything you see. It's a great place to travel to if you're an artist.

[Loki]

Well, Isric, depends on if I'm back in LA when you come visit, but one of the things you have to do there is having a beeeeeer with meeeeeee! Everything else is pretty much uninteresting ...

[Lunatique]

Places you must go in SF:

(I've lived in the Bay Area since 1984, and in the actual city of SF from 1995~2001.)

Japan Town- You must visit Japan center. In it, you'll find:

1)Kinokunia Bookstore, which carries tons of manga, anime-related books/magazines, CD's, books, art books(rare since they are only published in Japan)..etc. I even picked up a JW Waterhouse book there once that's out of print, and only published in Japan.

2)Mikado- awesome selection of anime/game soundtracks, Japanese bands, idol singers, music videos, Anime DVD'd, Laserdiscs...etc.

3)Japan Video- carries lots of transleated and untranslated anime and Japanese movies.

4)People video- (it's across the street from Japan Center. If you see a Denny's restaurant, go to that side of the street and walk through that stone paved opening with stores on both sides. Pay attention to your right, and you'll see a small entrance that leads to the 2nd floor.) It carries stuff that Japan Video doesn't have. LOTS of cool shit.

The rest of SF you can find out about in any tourist guides/online websites. You can do the whole Fisherman's Warf/Alcatraz/Golden Gate thing if you want. I'm not big on touristy places, so if I were in SF, I'd take you to the de Young Museum(they've got Sargent originals).

Food- You MUST try this restaurant called "Straights Cafe" on Geary Street(cross street is 24th Street, if my memory serves me). You MUST try the lamb and the salmon. And the combination platter in appetizer section....wow. (Richmond District)

Art store- a GIGANTIC art supply store on Market street called "Pearl." You will get lost in it. It's that big. (Downtown)

Green Apple Boostore- One of THE finest independent bookstores in SF. LOTS of out of print, 2nd hand books, plus new releases. HUGE art section, not to mention photography, design, graphic novels...etc. The store is on Clement street, and the cross street is 6th street. (Richmond District)

Bagdad Cafe- Another great food place, located on Market. Can't remember the cross street, but it's close to a Tower Records. It's in the southern end of Market street.

Marnee Thai- An AWESOME Thai restaurant located in the Sunset District. If I rememver correctly, it's on Irving Street, between 21 and 22nd Avenue. Won lots of awards. The owner is a chubby woman who is a well-known clairvoyant. When she is feeling generous, she will tell you things that will happen in your future as you wait for your food. She NEVER makes money off of her "gift" and she only does it out of good will.

Le Video- You have NOT been in a REAL video store until you've browsed Le Video. It's on 9th avenue, with Irving as the cross street.(you can eat at Marnee Thai and browse Le video! they are in the same district).

Le video has movies from ALL OVER THE WORLD, In fact, they have two stores next to each other. One has all domestic movies, and has TONS of rare, underground, cult stuff, including the most complete fantasy/sci-fi collection I've ever seen. Movies you've never heard of are there--all of them. The other store is the international store. They divide the section by countries. France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden....etc(you get the picture). AND they have sections where you browse by directors! Yes, you heard me. They also carry rare, wide screen and uncut editions of movies on VHS!(This was a HUGE deal before DVD's became popular). EVen if you don't rent anything, just browsing through the place is an experience you'll not forget.

Whew. I hope that was enough to keep you busy in SF.

All of the places I mentioned have either websites, or are so famous that google will turn up lots of links about them. So go surf up on them to get the nitty gritty.

[ June 26, 2002: Message edited by: Lunatique ]

[pixelsoldier]

Holy shit that was an informative post, Luna.

You should be a travel agent.

And... I don't think Isric drinks beer, do ya dude?

[Loki]

well - then I'll drink one by myself!

[edraket]

Hey.. I went to this cartoon museum of sorts in SF. It was pretty cool. I don't remember where and what it was called. But it was cool. Maybe Luna knows??
If you go from SF to LA make sure to take the coastal road. It takes a lot longer but it has some of the greatest scenery I've seen. It's really great.

Fuck..All these roadtrip stories make me so jealous.... I'm going to go sit in a seedy pool for two weeks in Kilgore TX.

[Vesuvius]

Lunatique- I used to shop at Green Apple whenever I went out to visit my dad (I live in Boston, and he left my mom and I for a woman in SF), great store- and in an interesting area.

[bearsclover]

Go to Yosemite National Park. It's about 4 hours from S.F., and 6 hours from L.A.

Yosemite is a must-see. (BTW, the site I linked to is my own. I LOVE Yosemite. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth!)

Go on a weekday, avoid weekends.