Thanks once more for all of the helpful info. I think all of my major questions have been answered. And I do love leather jackets. Planning to buy one down there as well as a few other things makes a lot of sense.

The chances that I will be traveling aone are 50/50. I have a friend who would like to go, but he may not be able to make a decision for sure until the last minute. We both have our award tickets, though, so at least that's taken care of. If I am by myself, I think the B&B advice is good. If I am down there for a couple of weeks by myself, having other tavelers and the owners to interact with would be a plus.

Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to post. I'm sure there are others who will find all of the thoughts helpful, as well. It seems like half of the people I know are going to Argentina this year. I'm getting really excited. I think my next step will be finding a community course in traveler's Spanish.