IPlanning a Last-Minute Trip to Los Angeles

Most people plan vacations that see them travel 3,000 miles a little more than four weeks in advance.  But I'm an impulse kind of guy and knowing that I had two other trips to Las Vegas and San Francisco planned, I wasn't sure if could pull this off, especially going alone.

The trip actually revolved around my enjoyment of Pearl Jam and wanting to meet more fans and possibly get some more friends out of it since  not many I know share that interest. In March when they announced their tour, the original plan was to see two shows on the East (Albany and Philadelphia).  I thought that would be sufficient.  But it wasn't especially after going to the second Meadowlands show.

So a few weeks later, I posted on the messageboard that I was considering a trip out to LA to see their concert on July 9.  After a week of mentally debating it, I went with my gut and decided to go for it.  Once the exchange of addresses was done, it was time to look for a flight and hotel.

Booking my own flight was a new experience, but I was able to get one on Delta and then it was time to find a hotel.  Intially I looked at hostels but didn't feel comfortable with the setup of them.  I went with a hotel that was near the venue.  But after not feeling comfortable with the location, I moved my base to Culver City.

Before I knew it, July 7 had arrived and it was time to go.  Not knowing about airport procedures and the length of checking in, I arrived three hours early for a 9 am flight.  So that made me the first one in the boarding gate.