Model Railroading > Nmra 2021 national convention santa clara

I was try to get information about this convention from the nmra conventions web page and discovered that there is not a link to the convention website !

After a little research, I located the convention web site. It is

Nmra2021.com

Or Google rails by the bay

The convention location is the santa clara Marriott convention center.

Given that convention is in silicon valley, where a run of the mill hotelsnormally goes for over $200 per night, can any one recomend a good/safe but more moderately priced hotel within a 10 - 15 minute drive? I am coming from Canada, so I have an exchange rate $1.35 to deal with...... :-(




Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/20 13:55 by dxm332.

Ha, ha, ha, typical Canadian humour! Best bet might be the Motel 6 in Gilroy near the end of the CalTrain commute line. :) (My suggestion is to pay the inn keeper the $200 a night and save time, worry and hassle. :) That's what I would do having lived in the neighborhood. :(

The Avatar Hotel at 4200 Great American Parkway in Santa Clara is within walking distance of the NMRA 2021 convention hotel and is currently offering rooms in July 2021 for $99 per night.   The hotel has an excellent rating on several third party booking sites.

Okay, I  was just joking! If you can get a hotel room within walking distance of the 2021 NMRA convention--grab it! But bring warm jacket. Remember what Mark Twain wrote: "The coldest Winter I've spent was Summer in San Francisco!"  When I first visited San Francisco, a lifetime of Summers ago, it was 99 F. in Sacramento but 52 F. in The City."

Thanks 4 the hotel advice, definately motel 6 in gilroy is not for me :-)

Based on the feedback, I am planning/hoping to stay at the convention hotel provided the convention rate is not too ridiculous. If not I'll try finding more budget worthy accomation near the convention.

Thanks for the warning of sfo weather extremes... I am used to crazy summer weather having spent the last few summers on the atlantic coast of nova scotia.... high one July day was 33 c few days later it was 8 c ... I've got lots of god given insulation.




Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/20 15:52 by dxm332.

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But bring warm jacket.
> Remember what Mark Twain wrote: "The coldest
> Winter I've spent was Summer in San Francisco!" 
> When I first visited San Francisco, a lifetime of
> Summers ago, it was 99 F. in Sacramento but 52 F.
> in The City."

So true. I've been to SF many times during my teens while living in Davis near Sacramento. But memories faded and many years later after living in NY State I took a trip back and only packed on sweat shirt cause my memories were if mostly 90s or 100s in the valley. My sister was in half Moon Bay down the coast from SF. It was a cold visit!

Posted from Android

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, I  was just joking! If you can get a hotel
> room within walking distance of the 2021 NMRA
> convention--grab it! But bring warm jacket.
> Remember what Mark Twain wrote: "The coldest
> Winter I've spent was Summer in San Francisco!" 
> When I first visited San Francisco, a lifetime of
> Summers ago, it was 99 F. in Sacramento but 52 F.
> in The City."

Yes, but, Santa Clara is not San Francisco.  It's an different climate (heck, I'd have to bring a different wardrobe just leaving the Western Addition to visit a friend in the Sunset).  July in Santa Clara is typically much hotter than July in The City, even through it's just an hour drive between the two (rush hour excluded).

Elizabeth

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, I  was just joking! If you can get a hotel
> room within walking distance of the 2021 NMRA
> convention--grab it! But bring warm jacket.
> Remember what Mark Twain wrote: "The coldest
> Winter I've spent was Summer in San Francisco!" 
> When I first visited San Francisco, a lifetime of
> Summers ago, it was 99 F. in Sacramento but 52 F.
> in The City."

Second what Betsy said above. Temperature difference can be 20-25 F between Santa Clara and San Francisco, about 45 miles apart. I won't be so nice. If you don't know how San Francisco Bay Area's microclimates behave, don't be a fake expert.

I wouldn't worry about the budget for the hotel. I'd worry about the budget for the inevitable visit to The Train Shop in Santa Clara!

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL

 If you don't know how San Francisco Bay
> Area's microclimates behave, don't be a fake
> expert.

Woah Big Fella! I have spent my best years in the Bay Area: college, railfanning, working, railfanning, dating and railfanning. I do Know the: "Way To San Jose" and adjacent Santa Clara and it can be very hot in the Summer in that sprawl, so I can't imagine that a conventioneer from out of this country would want to spend most of his time there instead of "The City", "Baghdad by the Bay" and don't call it "Frisco"! Sure the Ticky-Tacky South Bay has one of the best Train Shops anywhere still going, plus the Winchester Mystery House and the Rosicrucians' Museum--wow. But once the boy rides a "Cable Car to the Stars" he will be smitten as he was with his first girlfriend and never get over it--so he better pack a coat and a hat too!       



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/20 21:36 by RRBaron.

Sounds like the same facility ,and hotel they held the 2004 Narrow Gauge convention.Wonderful hotel and convention site.
Regards,dK

Whatever you do, do NOT use those third party booking sites. Call the hotel directly and talk to their front desk. They can suggest options for rooms and if there is a problem, they can take care of it on the spot. Booking third party is a poor option.

MWPerkins

Posted from Android

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Remember what Mark Twain wrote: "The coldest
> Winter I've spent was Summer in San Francisco!" 

Although that quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, there is no evidence he said it.

See

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/and-never-the-twain-shall-tweet/

and this from Anchor Brewing:

https://www.anchorbrewing.com/blog/the-coldest-winter-i-ever-spent-was-a-summer-in-san-francisco-say-what-says-who/

From the end of the Anchor Brewing's webpage:

“The coldest beer you’ll ever drink is a Summer in San Francisco!”

EMD2024 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Whatever you do, do NOT use those third party
> booking sites. Call the hotel directly and talk to
> their front desk. They can suggest options for
> rooms and if there is a problem, they can take
> care of it on the spot. Booking third party is a
> poor option.
>
> MWPerkins
>
> Posted from Android

i agree 100%, I'm in the hotel business and I would call the front desk to make reservations, If you use the other option you would need to call them to handle any issues with rooms or other things. NOT recommended to use those people. 

EL-SD45-3632 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> EMD2024 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Whatever you do, do NOT use those third party
> > booking sites. Call the hotel directly and talk
> to
> > their front desk. They can suggest options for
> > rooms and if there is a problem, they can take
> > care of it on the spot. Booking third party is
> a
> > poor option.
> >
> > MWPerkins
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> i agree 100%, I'm in the hotel business and I
> would call the front desk to make reservations, If
> you use the other option you would need to call
> them to handle any issues with rooms or other
> things. NOT recommended to use those people. 

Especially if you're going to be there for a convention and there's a block of rooms at a special rate set aside.
The third party guys would know nothing about them.

Ok here is the deal, I have been going to O Scale west as a commity memeber doing check in for four years.  Make your reservations at that hotel its a good deal in the long run, you pay for parking now almost every where including there.  Its a first class place to stay and use as home baise easy to get to all the model railroads that will be open for it in the evening. The room rates are very good if you book before they are out of them because they only block so many at the convention price.  And again due to daytime traffic that starts about 6-7AM and lasts until about 6PM moving around is like watching grass grow. In the evening a person can visit at least four great model RRs. I have a friend who lives not far from there who is also part of that event guide me but have also used by myself a GPS and right to the house every time.  I would not try staying anywhere else due to traffic during the day. And when its time to head back to OR, 5AM Sunday moring departure, no traffic on any freeway or surface street either hom by one PM.  Oh and arrival seems that during the day getting to it is easy due to flow on the freeways its just off of several major ones. Just a been there done that deal. Its after you get off onto surface streets, oh and going to that train shop, dont do it during the middle of the day did it once.  Good luck on the event hope it turns out well for every one. Boyd in Chiloquin OR a little town where Train Mountain is.

Based on everyones advice, I will definately spend the extra $ to book the convention hotel. I plan to stay for the convention week plus another week to do the tourist thing.


Given the good local attractions (day trips to sfo, 1/2 moon bay, santa Cruz, Monterey for the scenery and a trip to the
l h s), it looks like I'll be leaving my $$$ not my heart in san Francisco.....

Posted from Android

RRBaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, I  was just joking! If you can get a hotel
> room within walking distance of the 2021 NMRA
> convention--grab it! But bring warm jacket.
> Remember what Mark Twain wrote: "The coldest
> Winter I've spent was Summer in San Francisco!" 
> When I first visited San Francisco, a lifetime of
> Summers ago, it was 99 F. in Sacramento but 52 F.
> in The City."

You won't need a warm jacket in Santa Clara in July -- a light jacket will be more than adequate for Santa Clara evenings.   The city is at the far southern end of San Francisco Bay and a long, long way from the fog of San Francisco.
Santa Clara average temperatures for July are  a high of 82 F and a low of 58 F, with no rain on any day.   In the 45 years that I have lived in the SF Bay Area, I think it has rained twice
in July.

But if you plan to visit San Francisco in July, then definitely bring along that warm jacket.

Enjoy the Bay Area, kinda wish I was going as I had so much fun here at the Salt Lake convention last year. If things are back to normal, expect plenty of traffic as mentioned. It may not be as bad as LA, but it’s close!

As for the trips, be prepared for cool weather along the coast At Santa Cruz, Monterey, it in San Francisco. Even if it’s 80 or 90 in San Jose, it can be much cooler on the coast. I still remember walking past the temperature sign on Montgomery St in the Financial District of San Francisco one July evening after a work dinner - it was 48 degrees!

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Even in San Francisco itself you can have big differences in temps, as in 50's at Ocean Beach while it's in the 70's at Coit Tower and in the 60's at the Ferry Building.
Just as in real estate it's location, location, location.