I'm really excited as I see the list grow of attendees. Some of you I "know" from our hours on Chat, some of you I "know" from your posts, and a few of you are unknown handles to me. I'm looking forward to meeting each and every one of you.

Captain Mike and I spent yesterday afternoon looking at restaurants for Friday and Saturday nights. We've agreed on a beautiful restaurant with a large, private room in the center of San Diego's gorgeous Balboa Park for our Saturday dinner. We finalize the arrangements on Tuesday, and will post information about it on Tuesday night. A little more work needs done for Friday night's gathering; we've identified a couple spots in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, center of San Diego nightlife.

We'll add information to this thread and on the web site that markbach is generously maintaining for us as soon as we have it.

Too bad. Long's has lau lau on sale today for $4.59 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. Better, I suppose, to take Missy's advice on Uwajimaya...

And thanks to you and markbach for the cordial welcome. Definitely will be there by dinner Friday night. Looking forward to the gathering!

For any couple (or single) needing cheap room and board for the SAN FT get-together, please contact me via email. We live downtown and have a furnished guest apartment downstairs that goes for $30 per night. We'll call for availability for anyone that is interested. Unfortunately, it has only one queen sized bed and a couch (maybe for some of you FT'ers that are good friends might be able to squeeze three of you in there or something). We're right across the streeet from the Airport Flyer bus stop, and 3 blocks walk from the Trolley and Gaslamp district.

Anyway, first email I get will be first served... pending availability of course.

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preez mine da pratform gahp.

What?, no 5% special discount for FlyerTalkers? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

As a person that lives in San Diego, and that is an airplane nut, may I suggest the Windsock Restaurant for one of the less casual lunches/dinners? It's right on the end of Runway 27, huge outdoor seating area, and within an arm's reach of the business jets that park in that area. Jet fuel and airplane noise fill the air, and at around 2:30, it is spectacular to watch the British Airways 777 arrive. They will reserve areas of the restaurant for special parties.

Just thought this would be a fitting idea since the weekend does have an aviation theme to it.

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preez mine da pratform gahp.

Which hotel program are you affiliated with again...? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

ChuckDEE, I've been trying to get LexPassenger into the Windsock for ages now to check it out - it certainly has a great location for plane watching. But please define "less casual?"

We’ll be dining at the beautiful Prado in Balboa Park on Saturday night. Balboa Park is the crown jewel of San Diego, with the zoo at one end, the marvelous buildings built to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal in the middle, and buildings from the California-Pacific International
Exposition at the south end. See http://www.balboapark.org/ We recommend that you arrive early to wander around the park before dinner.

The Prado is in one of the magnificent Spanish colonial buildings right in the heart of the park. Please see http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/prado.html We’ll have a private room; you can see it at http://www.balboaparkweddings.com/loggia.html

Prado Restaurant at Balboa Park
1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA
(619) 557-9441

Dinner will cost $50. That includes salad, entrée, dessert, and coffee or tea. Entrée choices are ribeye steak, salmon, or capalina primavera (vegetarian). We’ll have a cash bar on a private terrace overlooking the center of the park; smoking is permitted on the terrace.

We’ll need to get dinner payments in advance. Markbach is setting up an email list for the weekend; we’ll email you with instructions on where to send your payment.



[This message has been edited by SanDiego1K (edited 06-05-2001).]

You guys are really mean, making this get together sound so great. Especially the airport tour ... how about the same meeting two weeks later? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Oi you guys... no hotel affiliation! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

But, the Marriot Suites/Symphony Hall is right across the street if that counts for anything. The guest apartment is simply a perk of our building, which I think is really great. I'm new to the downtown living thing and was rather surprised to see such a thing. Then again, our apartments are so small, you can't blame them for having such a thing for when guest stay over!

The Windsock would be a great idea I think. When I make it big (one of these centuries) I'm going to open up Windsocks at every airport! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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preez mine da pratform gahp.

Although my opinion might not count for much, since I haven't officially confirmed yet, but I think the Windsock Restaurant idea is pretty cool!

SD1K & Captain Mike - the Prado is a great idea for Sat. night dinner! Gorgeous location, and the food's supposed to be very good, too. (It had not quite opened the last time we were up there.)

Chuck & Group,

There are several good choices for the Friday evening dinner. The Rock Bottom Brewery in the Gaslamp area has a private "starlight patio" that would accommodate our group perfectly, and they have a menu that includes salads, sandwiches, and pizzas in the $7-$10 range. I visited the Windsock some time ago, and although the location is teriffic, the menu was limited to drinks, "munchies", and the most basic of sandwiches. I will visit the Windsock again as soon as I can and determine whether it or the Rock Bottom would be better for us. If the Rock Bottom is chosen for dinner on Friday, perhaps some folks could meet at the Windsock for drinks after the airport tour, then go on to the Rock Bottom for dinner.

Tough decision! I'm glad we have so many choices, though, rather than having nothing to pick from!

I will post my results on this board and on the website ASAP.

Captain Mike

Snake,

5% discounts for people attending the SAN gathering have been arranged on AA and UA. See posts earlier in this thread for the codes to use when calling for reservations.

Captain Mike

Also see:
http://sandiego.markbach.com/travel.php