On my upcoming trip to San Francisco...
So here's the plan - I'm flying to San Francisco on Saturday and I'll be hanging around until the 26th with all my geek hipster friends. But don't take that to mean that I'm busy all the time - I'm keen as ever to see (and meet) as many neat people as possible. When I go to San Francisco, I normally try and set up some kind of drunken evening at the Tonga Room - because the rain and the thunder and the tiki stylings and the lounge act are all so cool. But I am also aware that the cocktails are terrible and that maybe I've milked the experience as much as I can. So, guys, does anyone have any better ideas?
While I'm at it, I might as well put out another call - are there any glorious geek events, any particularly cool exhibitions or bars that I'd regret not going to? It's not every day I get a full week in my spiritual homeland to reconnect with the mothership. So what should I be doing?
Of course, no trip comes without its inconveniences, and this one is particularly poignant - while I'm on the flight to SFO I'll be missing the big reveal in the final episode of Doctor Who. This is doubly galling since I'm currently enduring hundreds of lunatic comments on my Doctor Who and Bad Wolf post. Regular visitors to the site may be getting bored of hearing about this, but things are way out of control - the post has received seven hundred comments as of now, and sometimes they come in at the rate of one or two a minute. The whole thing's starting to remind me of Kottke's famous Matrix meltdown. All of which is a roundabout way of saying don't spoil it for me until I've got my hands on a copy.
Anyway, as of this evening, I'm either in pre-flight limbo or stuck in some terminal interzone, and I'm hoping to take the opportunity to catch up with all the notes and writing I've been doing recently but haven't had a chance to post to my site. So more later...
Comments
Please stay on-topic, informative and polite. I reserve the right to remove comments for whatever vague capricious reasons seem reasonable at the time.
I've watched the final episode. It rules! Keep well away from spoilers to maintain the tension.
→ Posted by: Aleppo at June 16, 2005 9:47 AM
Only seven hundred? Lightweight :)
Currently running at 1700+ over three blog entries over here...
→ Posted by: Scott Matthewman at June 16, 2005 10:22 AM
Hi Tom,
It's an awful drag to hear that you'll be in my state, but that there won't be a chance of running into you. There's no way I'd be able to make the 6 hour drive this week to NoCal. And next week I'm in Boston/NYC. Life is rough isn't it?
I haven't been to Tonga Room since I was 21. I had forgotten all about it. The whole Rainforest Cafe vibe of the place was... I'm going to go with "delightfully tacky".
I have zero suggestions on the happenings in SF the week you are there. I believe Spoon is playing a show and you should go if you're able. I mostly just wanted to drop a hello and wish you a fun trip to the best city on Earth (birthplace of the martini I'm told). Yes, I'd even say it has the edge over London - no offense of course.
Ciao!
Michael Barron
→ Posted by: Michael Barron at June 16, 2005 5:54 PM
Hey Tom,
Cal mentioned that you were going to be in town ... Why don't you come by to the workshop on Monday the 21st (http://www.carsonworkshops.com/flickr) and I'll give you the special 'Tom Coates discount'. Would be good to meet you.
Take care,
Ryan
→ Posted by: Ryan Carson at June 16, 2005 8:38 PM
Really, I think you need to do the snug at the Toronado in the Haight. I'd meet you there if I could. Safe travel.
→ Posted by: Whit at June 16, 2005 9:52 PM
i second the toronado
→ Posted by: alistair at June 17, 2005 12:53 AM
The Toronado's great--one of my favorite bars, and right in my neighborbood, in fact--but only as long as you're a beer drinker.
If you want a place with good cocktails and a slightly cheesy atmosphere, I would recommend the Lush Lounge.
Another good place to hold some kind of meetup would be Zeitgeist, which has a wonderful beer garden with lots of picnic tables out back. Again, more of a beer drinker's kind of place though.
→ Posted by: Buzz Andersen at June 17, 2005 1:58 AM