rod@venera.isi.edu (Rodney Doyle Van Meter III) (12/01/89)
Sorry to clutter up the net with this, but like so many other people, my reach by news seems to exceed my grasp by email. I can't seem to reach tolboel@iesd.auc.dk, so I'm posting this here. He's from Denmark, and was interested in pointers for a study/vacation trip to California (I hope it's not too late for you). Morten, please try to reach me at RDV@Cheeta.ISI.Edu, if you can, and we'll move this discussion out of other people's way. If you choose to come to L.A. in March, that's probably the best time to come in some respects. The weather is cool and clear, little smog, and few tourists. It's definitely off-season for some things, though (such as the beach and the summer movie season). Places of professional interest: most of these, there's not much to see, the real item of interest is the people to talk to. In L.A., there's USC, UCLA, Caltech, ISI, and a number of aerospace companies and smaller schools. I can put you in touch with people in several of those places, though I can't guarantee anything. It might help if some of your students are looking for a place to do a doctorate, and it will be easier to find the right people if I know more about your interests. accomodations: There is a youth hostel near here, in Venice Beach. I'll get you a phone number, at least. There are probably other hostels in the area, though I have no idea how they compare to European ones. If it were just a couple of students, you could stay with me, but thirty... transport: for thirty students, chartering busses to go places is probably best. For small groups, the bus system is okay, not great. Its biggest flaw is that L.A. is so large that taking the bus most places takes a LONG time. sightseeing: Disneyland, Magic Mountain, the L.A. Zoo, the San Diego Zoo and Sea World are only a couple of hours away, Mann's Chinese Theater (I really do go there for movies, on a semi-regular basis), the L.A. Philharmonic is in season, the Lakers and Clippers are playing basketball and the Kings are playing hockey (though you'd better get tickets NOW if you want to see the Lakers) plus NCAA men's basketball tournament games around the 17th, restaurants from all corners of the world, plus our usual acitivities such as sailing, the beach, rock climbing, hiking, SCUBA diving for certified divers, deep sea fishing (though you probably get enough of the ocean at home), etc. If you can spare three days or so, Yosemite is absolutely beautiful that time of year. You can see the giant sequoias and King's Canyon, too, perhaps. No shortage of things to do. San Francisco is also only a day away, but that's probably trying to do too much. Rod Van Meter USC/ISI 4676 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292 (213)822-1511 rod@ISI.Edu or RDV@Cheeta.ISI.Edu