bah vegas!

i have three sets of friends going to vegas next monthon different weekends. ...wat the hell is so damn great about vegas anyway? and i'm not just saying this because the last time i went wit my friends it totally sucked balls and i vowed to never ever again travel wit the same set of people. but seriously. it smells there, it's over hyped, the people are rude, it's dirty, things are expensive, it's a total waste of water and energy (it's like the people have never heard of the words 'energy conservation' before!)... i could go on and on but it gets repetative, really, it's only about how much vegas sucks. =\ anyway. i'd just like to say that there are a great number of places here to visit. and they're nearbyish too (well, not a whole lot further than vegas, which is sooo dirty!). so go have a real adventure. go somewhere you've never gone before!: catalina island, balboa island (ferris wheel), balboa park (zoo), hearst castle, san juan capistrano (swallows), oceanside / carlsbad (caverns!), santa barbara (wharf), joshua tree [no more links, getting tired of looking], sequoia, palm springs, sacramento, montery bay (taffy), channel islands, napa, california delta, sausilito, red rock canyon, solvang (danishes!), calaveras country caverns, lake tahoe, yosemite, mammoth, big bear, napa / sanoma, crystal cove, griffith observatory (newly opened!), death valley, carmel, black diamond mines, temecula, union station, julian (apple pies!), lake arrowhead, mt palomar... or really, just do la (or oc or sd) right. go visit all there is to visit in la. i mean, when was the last time you went to mann's chinese? or saw the hollywood sign? go do it, and also china town, olvera st, grand central market, little tokyo, paramount studios, flower / fashion / jewelry districts, exposition rose garden, the walk of fame, la arboretum... you've lived here so long, shouldn't you really explore your own 'backyard'? and really these are only places in california. i haven't even started on arizona yet. which is pretty damn close! some bits are even closer than vegas is! speaking of vegas, another idea, why not drive past it and go to the grand canyon! i mean seriously, how many of you have been there? and once you're there you can swing by zion, bryce, national bridges, which are all incredibly beautiful and absolutely worth your time. and i would kno, i've been more than once.

anyway. the point of this post. think outside the box. outside that dirty, vulgar, smokey, tacky,  sleezy, hackneyed box known as vegas. the rest of the world is funner. and also a lot closer than you think.