SFista reality check?

[flea]

Okay, I am thinking of going to a wedding in Santa Cruz in May. Locals, does the following seem reasonable? And, who's interested in meeting up?

Thursday May 13: Arrive OAK mid-day (this involves a 6:30 am turboprop flight, whee!)
Visit city, hang with peeps. Night TBD, probably in city.

Friday May 14: Visit city, Caltrain to San Jose to meet friend arriving in San Jose airport at 4:30 pm and picking up rental car. Caltrain looks to run a lot of trains at rush hour on a weekday, so I could be flexible, and it seems like I can BART to one of many Caltrain stations in SF pretty easily. Right? Night in Santa Cruz with wedding people.

Saturday May 15: Santa Cruz, wedding.

Sunday May 16: AM wedding stuff in Santa Cruz, get dropped off at Caltrain station in San Jose at 2pm or so as friend flies out of San Jose. Looks like Caltrain runs every hour from San Jose to SF on Sundays. Night TBD, maybe in city, maybe at OAK airport hotel, because...

Monday May 17: 6am flight out of OAK. BART starts running at 4am, they say - if I were staying, say, with my cousin who lives in SF proper, would it be at all reasonable to get to OAK in time by BART? Then home, sadly long layover in ATL airport, home to ATH at 7pm.

So, for local SF folks, I would be available Thursday afternoon and evening, Friday until midafternoon, and Sunday evening. I think all of my SFista contacts are b.org or -adjacent, except my cousin, who is pretty game for meeting strangers (and is a genius heterosexual male Microsoft research employee, and possibly single at the moment.)

Comments

[la-perkins.livejournal.com]

I think as long as you are flexible, and don't mind waiting, this is doable.

In terms of doing stuff, non-weekends are hard for me, but I could do something on Sunday, and might be able to help out transportation wise.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I spend so little time BY MYSELF that the idea of sitting and waiting for a train in a new city is kind of attractive. (And my many years of travel in, like, Greece, made me very good at flexible and patient.)

I just went and looked at the map to see where you are; boy is the Bay area large and sprawly, and people are very spread out!

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

The only thing I'd be worried about is that last BART ride to the airport. Does your cousin live near a BART station? Because BART starts running at 4, but the trains are still twenty minutes apart at that hour, I think, so if you miss the one you need, you could be in trouble. It's doable, but you're going to have to wake up really early!

And I would love to meet up, but that is tentatively a weekend I'll be up north visiting friends. I would still be free Thursday evening, though.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think for a 6am flight, the airport hotel makes the most sense.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Ooh yeah, actually, that's your only option. The first BART train leaves at 4, yes, but it doesn't get to SF until almost 5. You couldn't get to the airport by 5 on BART.

[hecubot.livejournal.com]

I would totally love to see you when you're in the Bay Area.

I might be able to do the Thursday afternoon or Friday morning/afternoon thing. I could show you neighborhoods and bookstores and food treats and suchlike.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! I would love to see your wee boo, too.

[truejavachik.livejournal.com]

You are welcome to stay with me on Thursday night or Sunday if you need/want to. I'm in Oakland, about 7 minutes drive to BART (cab-able and also walkable). I'd love to see you. If you stay here the Sunday night, I can give you a ride to the Oakland airport on the Monday morning.

[truejavachik.livejournal.com]

I could also host a get together at my place on the Sunday night if you were here.

[truejavachik.livejournal.com]

Just saw that I have book club on the night of the 13th, so staying here on the Sunday if you want to is the best idear. :)

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

And makes more sense, from the airport perspective. Thank you for the offer, and I think I will take you up on it (haven't actually bought the tickets yet). I am excited to meet you!

[truejavachik.livejournal.com]

Okay, sounds great! I have put it on my calendar. We do a gathering here at my place on that Sunday night, too, if you think you'll have the energy after your big weekend!

[cofax7]

::facepalms::

[truejavachik.livejournal.com]

Come over and hang with us on Sunday evening!!

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see you, and I have nothing on my calendar for those days as of yet - Thursday night, Friday morning, Sunday night, all good for me.

Sounds like everyone has already given you better advice than I could manage as to your itinerary.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

I'd love to meet you! Do you come into the city easily?

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Easily enough. It's a longish travel time, but not particularly onerous, and with time to plan I can carve out room in the old schedule to get there. I just can't be anywhere super early or super late - unless I really really want to, of course...

[cofax7]

Um, you could totally stay with me on the 13th, as I live ten minutes from OAK. And I could get you to BART in the morning to run into the city & meet Megan or whatever.

Sunday night you can stay with me, too, and take a taxi/shuttle to the airport.

... do you like dogs?

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am tentatively staying with my cousin on the 13th, in SF, and you saw Java above. But if either falls through I will call on you! I would like to see you - have we ever even met? Maybe once in Boston when I had an infant and was therefore zombified?

(I am fine with dogs. I'm not leaping with joy about dogs, but I'm not afraid of them or anything.)

[truejavachik.livejournal.com]

I won't have the Wigglebutts here when you're here on the Sunday night. And my place (and offer) won't fall through. :)

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Well, you could have some family emergency, or break your leg, or something!