Guys’ trip this winter to the southwest United States. Three architects. Looking for a unique city with an offbeat spirit and a real sense of place. What do you recommend?
The brief: The three of us were college buddies and roommates in the late 1990’s; twenty-odd years later, we are all ~40-year-old practicing architects and have remained really good friends. We get together with our families every summer, but once a year feels like too long an interval. So we’re starting a tradition of an annual guys’ reunion weekend. We’re using it as an opportunity to not only catch up and recapitulate inside jokes, but also discover new places. We live in various cities on the East Coast U.S. and like the idea of escaping the winter to someplace warmer.
What we’re looking for: a fun, interesting city in the southwest U.S. So much of the American landscape has become homogenized, so we would gravitate toward places that feel unique, singular, authentic. We also don’t take ourselves too seriously, so quirky, unusual, strange, goofy are OK too.
Interests: Diverse and varied. In order of significance: Architecture (both historic and modern), cityscapes, regional food, beer/booze, art, music (a mix of indie/alternative and vintage 1970's-1990's rock), vintage vinyl, vintage cars, books, movies, stand-up comedy, industrial landscapes, gardening, etc..... I personally like hiking and the outdoors but I don’t know that we'd structure a full day around a hike. However if there are must-see landscapes outside the city we would definitely consider a side trip.
Oh, and when we get together we tend to drink. A lot.
Timeframe: Most likely January or February.
Trip duration: Probably a long weekend, so fly in on a Weds or Thurs night and fly out Sunday afternoon. We would be flying out from the East Coast so direct flights are a plus; airports served by Southwest Airlines even more so.
Budget: We’re working professionals, but we all have families and young children so budget is a consideration. It’s hard to put a number to it, but if possible it would be nice to keep it in the hundreds, not thousands. We like good food but are ok with cheap and cheerful. A cool hotel would be nice but we don’t want to break the bank, and we will probably share a suite or pair of doubles. We would definitely consider renting a car if it’s necessary or worth the expense.
Cities under consideration: Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, etc.
Cities not under consideration: Las Vegas. It’s a fascinating place, and definitely checks a lot of boxes (unique, singular, quirky, strange, etc.) but the majority of us have already been there.
Thanks in advance for your input!
Submitted August 28, 2017 at 04:34PM by lampredotto http://ift.tt/2vCWy26
0 Response to "Guys’ trip this winter to the southwest United States. Three architects. Looking for a unique city with an offbeat spirit and a real sense of place. What do you recommend?"
Post a Comment