Very cheap travel to the US

[smokie]

For any of you who are considering Road Atlanta or any other US event, and not travelling as a party, if you buy a box of Ernest & Julio Leaf something wine at Threshers (about £37) you can fly to selected US destinations for free (well, except airport tax). It's a limited offer and flights have to be taken before 1 March 2005, no flights over Christmas (and there were some other exclusions).

I wish I had enough holiday left...

[Fax]

Good grief! Thats a hell of a deal.  Smokie, I think your presence is going to be required at the Petit.
The Petit Le Mans at the end of Sept. would be a perfect excuse to take this offer up.  I know we've beaten this into the gound before but the Petit may be the most fun event of the season (excluding Le Mans of course).  Road Atlanta is arguably the most fan friendly venue in all of motor racing, and the event itself is tremendous.  Nice end of term feel to it, championships on the line, lovely north Georgia autumn weather...doesn'y get any better.  Phil, are you coming down.  I know Dave, Matt and I are deffo for it.
Fax

[Robbo SPS]

Roughly when is Sebring ?

[Fax]

Hi Robbo,
Sebring is in mid March, usually around St. Paddy's day.
That may be after the cut-off date for flights, but if you came over a few weeks early?  Sebring is obviously a superb choice, Amercia'a great sportscar race.  A serious party with 200,000 spectators, the kick-off of the ALMS season, all of the LM contenders are there.  More hot college chicks on spring break than the eyes can handle.
John

[Snoring Rhino]

Fax-- Matt, any other US friends
 any recomendations inside these dates.
Family florida trip canceled  due to sudden berevment(mother in law - no pun, she was a great lady)  Brad and I may be able to hook up with some other guys.

[Dave H]

Rhino:

Are you thinking of coming across for a race?  If so, I'd very strongly recommend a mid-September trip to Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans.  It's everything that's missing about Le Mans - i.e. insanely close contact with the cars, drivers and race.  I live in Indy so usually fly down, though like a couple of years ago, I'm going to do the drive down this year.  Fax, hold onto your hat!

If you're not interested in a race date, there's obviously countless places to go and things to see.  Let me know what you're interested in.

Matt, I'm assuming you're bringing your Vette up to RA.  Finally, we can have a little fun!

Dave

[Matt Harper]

Wow - buy a couple of bottles of El Plonko and get a free trans-atlantic flight! That's got to be the best deal since the Hoover free flights debacle.
I can't help feeling there must be a catch - but that's just the miseable cynic in me. Perhaps it's one way to Anchorage AK - or Detroit.
That notwithstanding, flights to Hotlanta in Sept are not insane anyway - around 300 quid if booked now.
Yes, I will be driving my scummy, crappy, won't go around corners car up from Orlando for the petit - and yes, I will look forward to a little horse (power) play with Dave H's road-toad, but this is not a challenge, you understand Dave. For all my bragging, I've never claimed performance superiority over a 996 Turbo, for fuckssakes.
As I'll be making the 6 hour drive solo, here's something to think about...
How about, if one of my good-natured UK based C5 non-believers flys into Orlando, rather than Atlanta on the Thursday preceding the Petit Le Mans, stays at my house (to sample the obvious delights of the world famous Sho-Boat Tavern) and then shares the drive up to RA, returning on the Sunday and flying back out on the Monday.
Just a thought - and obviously I'd rather avoid social lepers, axe-weilding psychopaths, tee-totalers and phantom pissers. There are a number of folks who contribute to this forum who spring to mind as all-round good guys - and some to whom I owe a favour.
Let me know if this could be an option

[smokie]

I wish....

Insufficient leave left at work unfortunately...  

[Steve Pyro]

Hmmm, tempted.  Kind offer.
However, I intend to be 100 ft below the surface of the Red Sea about that time.

[smokie]

Well I took a decision to apply for a free flight. I decided to forego Sebring next year in favour of going to the New Orleans Mardi gras (nudge nudge). Mrs S agreed to it, to my surprise. The Mardi Gras is in early Feb and the closest airport was Atlanta, so that's what I asked for.


I am now the proud owner of a free flight to Washington DC on 27 Feb. Thanks Ernest and Julio. For nothing.


Is there anything to do there at that time of year? Or thereabouts? I don't mind a fair bit of driving (no back seat drivers with me!).

Or would I be better to let the ticket go and go to Sebring,  preceded again by a few days of Spring Break in Daytona (as per the last two years).

[Canada Phil]

Hi Smokie,
                I vote for Sebring. Come on you know you had a good time WashingtonDC has lots to see and do if you like museums. There are flights to New Orleans via Atlanta for US4104 each way plus Tax ofcourse. Orlando at $79 each way.
Canada Phil

[Andy Zarse]

Smokie

DC is not a total disaster (I refer to the city not the racing driver with the same initials, who is of course hopeless) provided you watch out which street you walk down. You must go to the Smithsonian and esp the Aerospace Museum which I found fascinating. Baltimore's fun and the Maryland area's acool too.

Don't forget to say hi to Dubbya too!

[Matt Harper]

Baltimore's fun

This man is clearly as mad as cheese.
Baltimore is the US equivilant of Scunthorpe, without the charm and picturesque views. Regrettably, I have to go back there on business next week. I do not look forward to the experience.

Smokey - internal flights are pretty cheap, you could probably get down to The Big Easy from DC for around $250.00 round trip. That said, I must agree with the Moose - Sebring is more attractive than rivers of po'boy vomit on rat infested Bourbon Street. (New Orleans is nearly as skanky as Baltimore!)

[Fax]

Baltimore is a great town if your looking to score some smack, its the fricking heroin capital of the US.  Catching a Orioles game at Camden Yards would be about the only reason to go to that sh*t-hole, its almost as bad as Philly.   DC's nice but watch where you go!  You can get just a few blocks from the capital and you'll need a AK-47 to protect yourself.
Fax

[Andy Zarse]

Baltimore's fun

This man is clearly as mad as cheese.
Baltimore is the US equivilant of Sc**nthorpe, without the charm and picturesque views. Regrettably, I have to go back there on business next week. I do not look forward to the experience.

Smokey - internal flights are pretty cheap, you could probably get down to The Big Easy from DC for around $250.00 round trip. That said, I must agree with the Moose - Sebring is more attractive than rivers of po'boy vomit on rat infested Bourbon Street. (New Orleans is nearly as skanky as Baltimore!)

Shop doorbell rings:

Customer: "Ah Good day."

Cheese shop owner: "Yes sir, can I help you"

Customer: "Well, I was sitting in Thurmon Street Public Library just now, skimming through Rogue Herries by Sir Horace Walpole when I came over a trifle essurient and I thought a little fermented curd would do the trick. Thus, I curtailed my Walpoling activities, sallied forth and perpetrated your place of purveyance to negotiate the vending of some cheesy comestibles."

Cheese shop owner: "Come again?"

Man: "I want to buy some cheese...."

Or something like that... Monty Python at their best IMO.

I never said Balters was nice, I said it was fun! Home to some of the finest specimens of hobo's and railroad bums I've ever seen. But if you want real bad Smokie, try downtown Detroit. Actually Baltimore Harbour area is reasonably swanky, and there's some good bars and the best Hooters I've ever been in.

DC, what a town! who remebers chang snortin' Mayor Marion Barry who managed to get re-elected after being done for coke dealing?