Umm… Left? The coast to my left where I’m sitting is the Hudson Bay, if you don’t count the Great Lakes.
Reno!
And also happens to be the weekend after my birthday. Let’s make it for Friday, though, less crowded. Great food.
Reno also works. We can get a group rate at the Atlantis.
Yeah, I could do Reno. Cheap hotels!
WOO HOO!! If Jules is coming, I am definitely IN.
If Reno is on the list of possibilities, then why not Vegas?
Santa Rosa is not on the I-5 corridor, and it’s a pain to get to from I-5, Gilroy isn’t any better. Both are on 101, one south of and the other north of San Francisco, and getting from I-5 to 101 always involves driving in traffic.
I’d go for the Mt. Shasta/Redding area. Redding will be as hot as Sacramento/Davis, but it’s much prettier (it has mountains). Shasta is a beautiful area–plenty of campgrounds, motels, lodges, etc.
If we want to go off the I-5 route, I suggest east as opposed to west–Tahoe is easier to get to than Gilroy or Santa Rosa. Vegas is out as too far south for driving, but the availablity of cheap flights and packaged deals could make it worth looking into as a site. Of course, cheap flights come into Vegas from all over, so we could have an “Airline Hub” Dopefest–dopers from all over the country, or at least those close to a hub.
Too big a hassle for Pacific Northwest/Bay Area. Would add an extra 5-7 hours driving (but who drives besides me?).
I say Reno! Cheap hotels, shows, attractions, golfing, Tahoe Wonderland and best of all, only a half-hour from Gatopescado! 
Hell, for that matter, Carson City! All the glamor of Silver Springs with the bonus of traffic! And even closer to Gatopescado!
(That’ll kill it)
Please e-mail if you do. I don’t visit as often as I used to…
Apparently not me. I guess I’m just used to going there for conventions, but the flights are pretty cheap and pretty quick. Incidentally, how would you get from the PNW to Reno?
My first choice would be San Luis Obispo. Gilroy, Sacto, and Reno are also OK by me.
Um, are the Dopers even allowed back to the Madonna Inn? As I recall, they didn’t like us that much. Can’t imagine why.
I doubt I’d be able to make it. Have fun kids, and remember to keep your schedules clear for the annual spring ChiDope!
Assuming I have one by then, by car. I’m not a big fan of airplanes or leaving the ground in general.
And I suggested it for its central location. Vegas is another three hundred miles or so south and for anyone that might be driving, that adds unnecessary hours.
June or July?
Heck, I don’t even know what I’m gonna do after breakfast tomorrow, and you want me to plan that far in advance? :smack:
It’s difficult to say what I’m going to be doing next summer… but I’m open to the possibility! I missed the last CA dopefest.
Half-moon Bay on the ocean, close to all the other suggestions (except Reno), but cooler.
if Reno why not Tahoe? cooler, again.
I mean weather not, chic.
I throw in a little vote for Ashland, OR – it’s (relatively) (kinda) geographically centered along the Left Coast, and it’s the perfect town for a Doperfest: literally minutes from I-5, with good, clean hotels and lots to see and do. It’s sort of an upscale, artsy version of the fun parts of San Francisco, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (they don’t just do Shakespeare!) is one of the top five regional theaters in the country. And the clincher, of course, is that Ashland has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States. And it’s good food. Mmmmmmmm.
I got such good results from the SF Bay Area fest that I’d totally go to an entire Left Coast comingling.
As for location, I say whatever Demo and psycat pick, because they know their stuff.
A second vote for Ashland. Plenty to do, plenty to eat, plenty of sun.
A third vote for Ashland!
Another vote for Ashland. Of course, this means that anyone from San Diego would have to drive the entire length of California, but it’s an easy drive, at least. 