in 2005 I thought aboout going to ComicCon so much I almost hopped a plane at the last minute, planning to attend one day and flay back that night. Almost. I never got as far as looking at flights, but I did debate about it a lot. Finally, i rationalized myself out of it because of the cost.

2006. Why was it important to go? If I was going to go, I had to know why I was going.
Was it to buy comics - no i could do that at any store.
Was it to buy toys - no, there is a very good used toy store near here.
Besides, I could buy that stuff on line if I wanted.
What about the convention experience? I've been to a convention before, and once again, they exist closer to home.

It came down to one thing. People. It was the people. I could meet the folks from Mattel and tell them in person what I thought about my favorite toy line. And I could meet fans who I would not meet anywhere else.

So that was it. I had to go. And I did.

SDCC as a Family Vacation.

10 years ago, my bosses at Hasbro went to the southwest (Vegas?) for a management retreat. They came back with tales of the San Diego Zoo that made me want to go.

ActionFigureInsider.com started. I started interacting with a lot of great people on this site. AFI invited me to be part of the staff. I decided that meeting these people in person, SDCC, and the Zoo were enough to make the trip. So we went to AAA, got the tourbook for southern California, and made a list of attractions to see. The day came and we left.

More in part II.

Friday
Leaving on an Airplane
We boarded the plane and then sat on the tarmac for an hour. My wife thinks we could have saved money if we had booked the plane tickets more in advance. Southwest has ‘internet’ fares. Southwest doesn’t connect with some of those travel sites, but they are cheap. We had a stop in LA on the way to SD.

The Rule
There is an unwritten rule that if you are from Rhode Island and go anywhere, you will meet someone else from RI. It happened two weeks ago on a scouting trip to New Hampshire. It happened that day too. On the rental car shuttle, a small boy pointed out my Batman shirt. I hadn’t planned on bringing it. I couldn’t decide what to wear that day and had just thrown it on. “Can you guess why I’m wearing this shirt?” I asked him. His father spoke up. “I bet you are going to ComicCon.” I said yes and explained about going as a reporter for AFI. He thought that was cool. “I’m a presenter. I’m from Hasbro.” There we were, thousands of miles away from home and I met a guy whom I could have driven 20 minutes to meet.

Saturday
Wild Animal Park
We bought a 3 park 5 day pass covering the Animal Park, Sea World, and the Zoo. The animal park is outside the city. This extension of the Zoo was worth the drive. hot. the refill drink bottle we bought was good for the Zoo itself too. There are a lot of trails to hike, but it was great. As good or better than expected. If you love animals, highly recommended.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html

Sunday
Sea World
They have a roller coaster into the water ride, Atlantis. slow and clam enough for most who don't really like coasters. Like us. But it wasn't bad. The animal shows, including Shamu the killer whale, are spectacular.
http://www.seaworld.com/SWC/default.aspx

Monday
Knotts Soak City water park
We love water parks. As we got closer, it got more overcast. we debted upon going in so much we turned around and then turned back. Apparently I was afraid of rain for nothing. It almost NEVER rains in San Diego. Lazy river is always a hit. Tube rides are another favorite. We had a great day.
http://www.knotts.com/soakcity/sd/index.shtml

Tuesday
San Diego Zoo.
Having just been to the animal Park a few days earlier, made this less impressive. It was still great. The good stuff. Lots of animals. 5 spots throughout the zoo where you can get a ride to any of the other spots in a loop. Too far from the Pandas? hop the shuttle. The Pandas were cool. (The Zoo grows its own bamboo to feed them.) The tour bus was very good. Koalas smell like cough drops. Overall, really great.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

hey i'm from Rhode Island!

more proof to "the rule".