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• Due to the overwhelming and passionate response*, our search for The Ten _flossiest Places To Live has been extended into September. So keep the nominations coming. The basic criteria: the city or town must be full of entertainingly intelligent people. And, you know, stuff for them to do.
•
Also returning in September: The Analogist. Send your situations to be Analogized here. Apologies to all of you who’ve been waiting to learn other things your thing is like. We’ll get to those this fall.
*Plus I’m going on vacation. Know of any _flossy places to see in San Diego or Yountville, CA? How about in the Phoenix or Portland airports?
Comments (9)
Comment
Not sure what constitutes a flossy place to see.
You should at least check out the gaslamp quarter and stop in Old Town for a meal.
If you like ships, I’d recommend swinging by the Maritime museum on Harbor Dr. You should be able to see some nice tall ships like the Star of India, some steam ships, a russian sub, and an aircraft carrier.
To satisfy the inner child in you, you could try to hit Legoland or maybe SeaWorld or the Zoo to catch the newest panda cub at the research station.
You could also check out the Hotel Del Coronado… awful expensive to stay there but it is a national landmark and pretty cool to walk through the lobby. Balboa park is nice for a stroll too.
If you like history and you’ve never visited a California mission, then you sould check out the San Diego de Acala mission.
Thats all I can think of off the top of my head for San Diego. It a very nice city, I hope you enjoy your trip!
posted by Jason! on 8-15-2007 at 11:26 am
If you’re going to the Portland airport, you must check out the Powell’s bookstore. Powell’s is a fantastic local independent bookstore chain; its main downtown branch is supposedly one of the largest bookstores in the world. The airport branch is a good place to pick up some in-flight reading material.
posted by Sarah on 8-15-2007 at 12:05 pm
The Bodies Exhibit in currently in San Diego and certainly worth a visit.
posted by Brooke on 8-15-2007 at 2:37 pm
There are two Powell’s bookstores on two different concourses in the Portland airport. One of them has used books and sale books in front of the store. I liked that one better because it had more than your usual selection of best sellers and self help books.
posted by Peggie on 8-15-2007 at 4:27 pm
I’m told that the San Diego Wild Animal Park is better than an African Safari- by my grandparents who’ve done both. If you call ahead, you might be able to get on a photo tour that takes you out into the enclosures.
posted by Miss Kiki on 8-15-2007 at 7:59 pm
As a local, I second the suggestions to Balboa Park, Hotel Del (especially the surrounding beach on Coronado Island), and Legoland. Star of India, in addition to having daytime tours, has a summer program where they show movies outdoors on the deck of the ship. I haven’t done it, but I’ve heard it’s cool. I cautiously second the suggestion to Wild Animal Park. It’s a fair drive northeast of downtown, and August and September temps hover around the century mark there- not fun for people or animals. However, they have a great program: The Park After Dark. Most of the animals are more active in the evening, and the weather is bearable. The Zoo also does a nighttime zoo program in the summer for similar reasons.
Yountville, isn’t that where Domaine Chandon has a winery? Yum!
posted by Lebetho on 8-15-2007 at 10:30 pm
If you’re in LA, my house is pretty flossy! Look me up!
posted by Ransom on 8-15-2007 at 10:48 pm
in san diego, check out the whaley house in old town. it’s haunted!
posted by Eric on 8-16-2007 at 8:40 pm
I also live in the San Diego area. I’m not sure if these are _flossy, but I like saying what I love about my town.
Instead of going to the zoo, you should definitely go to the Wild Animal Park. It’s better than the Zoo, because the animals can actually move. The Zoo is just cages. Sure, there are pandas, but you never get to see them. At the Wild Animal Park, there’s this great new lion exhibit, where you can get this close to lions. If you could see how close my hands are together, you’d be pretty impressed. The Park After Dark is marvelous, due to the rampant heat. The Wild Animal Park is actually in Escondido, which is directly to the north of San Diego. Eric Clapton has a CD called The Road to Escondido. This city is the Escondido he mentions. He stayed there for a while last summer, I think. He went to Crusin’ Grand (an event on Friday nights on Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido, with 50s cars and music and whatnot.) His appearance made the front page of the Local Section of the North County Times.
If you want historical type of stuff, you can always check out the mission, but I find it to be somewhat overrated.
San Diego has a great downtown area. It was pretty seedy until they redeveloped the area in 2004. I recommend going there.
Balboa Park has a lovely museum area. I enjoy going there. They have different museums that are free on Tuesdays.
I notice you’re from New Jersey. When I went there, I couldn’t find very good Mexican food. I love Pokez, which is near Petco Park. I recommend Joey’s Special, (grilled chicken strips in tomatillo sauce and melted cheese). It’s not expensive, it’s huge, and it’s delicious.
Check out Hotel Del Coronado. It’s gorgeous. I love going there in December, when there aren’t so many tourists, and walking on the beach near there. Also, Some Like It Hot was filmed there.
You can see the Torrey Pines. San Diego is the only place they grow in the world. They’re right next to the Beach, and they’re really cool looking. Like big bonsai trees.
I wouldn’t recommend Seaworld or Legoland. They never really interested me. Seaworld is better than Legoland, so if you must choose.
If you get the chance, go out on San Diego Bay at nighttime. It’s so beautiful. I’ve only ever done it a few times, and I’ve lived here my entire life. But I think you need to know someone with a boat. They probably do have some sort of ferry service, but I’ve never used it.
I love the Star Of India. In fifth grade, my class went on a field trip there. We spent the night on it, and pretended to be pirates. It’s not a pirate ship, but everything relates to pirates when you’re ten. It’s right next to the USS Midway. Wikipedia tells me that she is the only remaining aircraft carrier of the World War II era that is not an Essex-class ship. My grandpa served on that ship. It’s not really relevant, but I find it interesting. It’s also near some kind of weird tree sculptures, some war memorials, a giant recreation of the picture of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square in statue form, and some trees that are pretty fun to climb.
I love La Jolla. Go sea kayaking. Explore the caves. Look at the leopard sharks swimming a few feet underneath you.
This was longer than I expected. I get excited about my city.
posted by Anne on 8-18-2007 at 11:14 pm