LA Con IV 2006

Worldcon was in Los Angeles, California in 2006. Well, actually it was the same place as the last couple, in Anaheim, across the street from Disneyland. The hotels and convention center are very nice, but they really are not in LA.

Having done Disneyland when I went to LA Con III in 1996, I decided to explore a bit more of the state this time. Limited time and money kept me from doing too much, but looking at various maps and atlases, I decided to rent a car and head for Sequoia National Park.

I only had a few hours to explore a small part of the National Park, but it was well worth the time it took to get there. Climbing Moro Rock was a bit strenuous, but the view from the top was great, even with the haze. And it is impossible to capture what it was like walking through the forest, surrounded by huge trees with no other humans in sight.

mean

After spending the night in Lindsay, I drove back down to LA, and visited the Santa Monica National Recreation Area. This is a huge area, with everything from National Parks, to State Parks, to private lands, all mixed together, with outdoor activities of all sorts available. It would be easy to spend weeks exploring the hiking trails and various parks.

After the 2 days of sampling the area National Parks, it was time to head for the convention. The programming at the convention was a great success. The first 2 days, I found 4 panels on each day I really wanted to attend. On both days all 4 were at the same time. I spent most of my days in the Dealer's Room, trying to convince people they wanted to buy books. It was a fun time, even if most of the panels I wanted to see were at the same time.