Author Topic: SDCC Side Trip?  (Read 1101 times)

Offline Cender26

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SDCC Side Trip?
« on: March 05, 2019, 05:06:05 PM »
I don't know if this is crazy or not, but has anyone come a few days early and did a trip to see the redwoods? I know it's a couple of hours away but is it/was it worth making that journey early in the week before SDCC?

Offline Angel_

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2019, 05:18:09 PM »
Which redwoods?  Sequoia?  Big Sur?  It's quite a drive but I think it's gorgeous.  I've been to both Sequoia and Big Sur and each have their perks.  Big Sur is along the coast, so if you aren't from somewhere with pretty coast lines and you want to see them, I suggest that.  If you want to see BIG redwoods, I suggest Sequoia.  The trees are HUGE.  And Kings Canyon is nearby, which is also gorgeous.

So no, I've never done it before con but YES it's so worth traveling to go see them.  Both are at least half a days drive from San Diego (or a full day if there's a car accident on the freeway or something ugh) so you'll want to plan several days to enjoy the area either way.  Sequoia moreso than Big Sur.
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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #2 on: Today at 05:23:34 AM »

Offline chocolateshake

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2019, 05:40:13 PM »
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I don't know if this is crazy or not, but has anyone come a few days early and did a trip to see the redwoods? I know it's a couple of hours away but is it/was it worth making that journey early in the week before SDCC?

If you mean a couple of hours away flying.  Driving, it'll be much longer than that.  Another option is to combine it with a trip to San Francisco.  There are redwoods within easy reach of SF either along the peninsula going south or across the Golden Gate in Marin.  Be aware that there are two species of redwoods. The ones along the coast are taller but thinner. The ones by the Sierras are shorter and squatter.  Both are massive.

Here's another option if you are looking for stuff to do.  You can be the engineer on a train about 20 miles east of downtown.  When I say a train, I mean a real big train.  Not a little replica.  Where else can you live out a childhood fantasy?
« Last Edit: March 05, 2019, 05:42:31 PM by chocolateshake »

Offline Angel_

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2019, 05:46:00 PM »
Out of curiosity I google mapped it.  It's almost 6 hours to Sequoia and almost 9 hours to Big Sur. 
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Offline Cender26

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2019, 05:47:17 PM »
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Which redwoods?  Sequoia?  Big Sur?  It's quite a drive but I think it's gorgeous.  I've been to both Sequoia and Big Sur and each have their perks.  Big Sur is along the coast, so if you aren't from somewhere with pretty coast lines and you want to see them, I suggest that.  If you want to see BIG redwoods, I suggest Sequoia.  The trees are HUGE.  And Kings Canyon is nearby, which is also gorgeous.

So no, I've never done it before con but YES it's so worth traveling to go see them.  Both are at least half a days drive from San Diego (or a full day if there's a car accident on the freeway or something ugh) so you'll want to plan several days to enjoy the area either way.  Sequoia moreso than Big Sur.

Yup, I was thinking of trying Sequoia. Im still trying to convience my friends to take the extra trip lol but wow yeah 6 hours is a serious drive. Thanks!

Offline perc2100

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2019, 05:48:26 PM »
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I don't know if this is crazy or not, but has anyone come a few days early and did a trip to see the redwoods? I know it's a couple of hours away but is it/was it worth making that journey early in the week before SDCC?

I've been to Sequoia, probably about 6 hours from downtown San Diego.  That National Park is off-the-hook cool IMO.  Ginormous trees!  I really dug that Park, though we (family) went as part of a week-long CA drive from our home in San Diego, up to Sequoia, then Yosemite (which is maybe 3/3.5 hours from Sequoia), then up to San Fran.  I think we spent at day at Sequoia, leaving our place early morning & arriving at Sequoia a little after lunch, and then drove up to Yosemite to spend the night.  If it were me thinking of flying in early, I would TOTALLY fly into Fresno, rent a car and jet over to Yosemite (maybe 90 min. or less), spend a few nights (you can get fairly inexpensive hotels in the town right before Yosemite), then maybe drive to San Diego, stopping at Sequoia for a dayish on the way.  If you fly to Fresno on a Friday, do Yosemite Saturday & Sunday, drive to Sequoia on Monday, spend the night somewhere Monday night, you can still be in San Diego on Tuesday: plenty of time to relax the day before Comic-Con

Offline Cender26

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2019, 05:56:07 PM »
Thanks [member=6586]chocolateshake[/member], a SF trip at another time sounds cool, I haven't been there either.

Great planning tips too [member=380]perc2100[/member]. Reading these comments, I might consider making this trip the days after SDCC instead of before.

Offline perc2100

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2019, 06:01:09 PM »
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If you mean a couple of hours away flying.  Driving, it'll be much longer than that.  Another option is to combine it with a trip to San Francisco.  There are redwoods within easy reach of SF either along the peninsula going south or across the Golden Gate in Marin.  Be aware that there are two species of redwoods. The ones along the coast are taller but thinner. The ones by the Sierras are shorter and squatter.  Both are massive.

Here's another option if you are looking for stuff to do.  You can be the engineer on a train about 20 miles east of downtown.  When I say a train, I mean a real big train.  Not a little replica.  Where else can you live out a childhood fantasy?

There really are soooooo many amazing things to do in CA.  I love living here, even if I feel like after 20+ years I still haven't seen nearly all the cool stuff!
If headed to San Francisco, head to The Presidio fairly close to Golden Gate and go to the Walt Disney Family Museum.  It really is a cool museum!

Offline perc2100

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2019, 06:02:28 PM »
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Thanks [member=6586]chocolateshake[/member], a SF trip at another time sounds cool, I haven't been there either.

Great planning tips too [member=380]perc2100[/member]. Reading these comments, I might consider making this trip the days after SDCC instead of before.

I can see making the trip post-con as a way to sort of "recenter" yourself: Sequoia would def. be a 180 degree contrast to Comic-Con!

Offline chocolateshake

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2019, 06:22:09 PM »
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If headed to San Francisco, head to The Presidio fairly close to Golden Gate and go to the Walt Disney Family Museum.  It really is a cool museum!

I lived a block away from the Presidio when Lucasfilm took over and did their build out.  I watched them tear down Letterman Hospital.  I awoke each morning to the BOOM BOOM BOOM of them driving in the pillars for the building they built to replace it.  I think people that don't know that Lucasfilm is there probably wonder why there are things like a Yoda statue scattered about.  The campus is very low key.  It doesn't look much different from the way it was before they demolished and rebuilt the area.  So close that I wonder why they even tore down the old building.

Offline perc2100

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2019, 07:58:00 AM »
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I lived a block away from the Presidio when Lucasfilm took over and did their build out.  I watched them tear down Letterman Hospital.  I awoke each morning to the BOOM BOOM BOOM of them driving in the pillars for the building they built to replace it.  I think people that don't know that Lucasfilm is there probably wonder why there are things like a Yoda statue scattered about.  The campus is very low key.  It doesn't look much different from the way it was before they demolished and rebuilt the area.  So close that I wonder why they even tore down the old building.
Maybe it was torn down more for infrastructure reasons and not aesthetic: like, maybe Lucasfilm liked the classic look but needed updated wiring and tech and whatnot for what they do.  I mean, Presidio is where ILM, Lucasfilm Animation, Digital Media, and other departments all call home so they likely had to tear down everything just for better electrical installation and what not (I know NOTHING about that stuff as far as electricians, the type of "stuff" needed for all that high-end electronics hardware and software, but I'm sure it's really lofty).
« Last Edit: March 07, 2019, 08:01:33 AM by perc2100 »

Offline darqamin

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Re: SDCC Side Trip?
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2019, 01:49:31 PM »
I don't see a problem with doing the trip before hand. You may have more energy for such a trip too. If you do it before just make you can take it easy the Wednesday of the convention so you can ease into Comic Con and get a good night's sleep as well. You don't want to have tired feet or sore muscles at the start of the convention.

Also keep in mind "con crud" - i.e. the increased probability of getting a cold or other illness from the sheer number of people around and lack of sleep. You wouldn't want to have that side trip after that if suffering from it.