Category 16: Vacation Spot

Derrick	Khurram	Richard	Eric
Southern California	The Caribbean	Vegas	Savannah, Georgia

Analysis and Impressions: Derrick started the round off with the selection of Southern California. This was a wise choice, as it was a way to get in multiple cities at once. Los Angeles, San Diego, and all of the goodness in between constitute Southern California. One could argue that it contains all of the elements of everyone else’s selection. The Sun and sand of The Caribbean? It’s a cloudless 75 degrees here almost year around, and the beaches, especially the view, can be spectacular. The Casinos of Vegas? Yep. There is even an Indian Casino here that is bigger than any one Vegas casino. The Rednecks of Savannah, Georgia? Okay, so maybe we don’t have those over here. Two out of three is not bad.

Khurram followed up with The Caribbean. Caribbean cruises are a big money maker for a reason. People love to head down there and enjoy the sun, the ocean, the seafood and, I’m pretty sure, a fair amount of marijuana. However, seeing as how I don’t like the vast nothingness that is the ocean, seafood makes me gag, and having had to deal with police related to a marijuana incident despite having never smoking it, I think I’d pass on a trip to the Caribbean. Objectively though, I do understand its appeal.

What can I say about Vegas? It is, without a doubt my favorite place to visit. I’ve been there 7 or 8 times and I’m always just as excited to go each time. The sounds, the lights, the free liquor, the food (buffets and gourmet restaurants) the 24 hour a day pace, and let’s not forget the gambling, I mean what could you not like about that place? At least on a three or four day trip. If you stay any longer, the list of negatives about matches the positives. The buzz from the alcohol turns into a raging headache. The adrenaline that allows you to stay up until 4 AM playing blackjack is replaced by nausea and burning eyes from lack of sleep. All of that buffet food sits in your stomach, rotting away. And let’s not forget the 5 packs of cigarette you’ve inhaled second hand. Someone once told me that if you stay long enough in Vegas, your body starts to act like a human filter for all of the contraband in Vegas, whether you choose to allow it to or not. Oh, and let’s not forget that if you are unlucky, you have a 4 hour drive home and no money in your pockets. That being said though, every time someone asks me to go to Vegas, I get that tingling sensation in my fingertips, butterflies in my stomach, a little bit of light headedness, and a gigantic grin on my face. It’s not lust. It’s not love. It’s Las Vegas, baby. Vegas.

Finally, we turn to Eric’s pick of Savannah, Georgia. I cannot really comment on this pick a whole lot. I’ve never really been to Georgia, unless you count about 20 different layovers in Atlanta. As I told Derrick on the phone the other day, Georgia strikes me as the type of place where they tie people who look like me to the backs of pick up trucks and drag them around the streets. In all seriousness though, I know its where Eric went for his honeymoon, so I cannot really argue with the pick.