Oilers Road Trip
- Thread starter smackdaddy
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LA is not as bad as everybody makes it out be. While you're at Staples, just walk around Downtown. The place has really cleaned up nicely in the past 10 years. There are plenty of restaurants, shops and bars within walking distance. As far as what to do around the Ponda Center, I'd ask the Duck board regulars as I've only gone to a Ducks game once and just got in, saw the game, and got out.
Do you have an idea as to where you'd like to get a hotel? Again, Downtown LA is not bad at all, although it'll probably be pretty pricey. Just as a rule of thumb, the city does get nicer the farther north and west you go. With that being said though, maybe staying in Long Beach would be your best bet. It's pretty much in between LA and Anaheim and both Staples and Honda Center can be reached from LB via public transportation.
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As far as I can tell, none. Most like to drink the piss-beer Staples serves up for at least $9 a shot (I think, because I refuse to buy the swill), and crawl all over you as they get back to their seat while play is going on. Then again, I doubt anyone gives a **** anymore about fan etiquette, this probably goes on in every arena in the league.
I must admit it was much better in the playoffs, as most fans got on others that dared to stand in their way during play.
As far as treating fans of other teams with respect, Kings fans used to have the reputation of being very respectful. I believe most still are, but the Stanley Cup win has made some of them a little more arrogant, and I have seen some distressing behavior from some fans so far this season.
Every game is going to sell out this year, so the only seats you are going to be able to purchase are probably form the third-party brokers.
Be prepared to empty your wallets for "primo" seats. My two season seats are up in the rafters (but on the red line, I ditched my aisle seats from last season thanks to the aforementioned beer guzzlers). I am paying "only" $71 for the two seats each game. Yeah, I know, that's still a bargain but I expect them to rise again after this season.
But if you want lower bowl seats its going to cost you hundreds. So don't be too sticker-shocked.
I doubt he will. Ticket prices are more expensive up there. Lived a year in Calgary and got tickets in the middle or upper bowl for the price I could have had for the upper part of the lower bowl in LA or SJ. Can't remember exact price but LA's ticket prices aren't all that bad.
Also, holy **** is Vancouver expensive. Tried planning a roadie from the bay up there to visit a friend/go to a game/drink Granville Island but tickets were $100 for the absolute nosebleeds. Per seat.
smackdaddy
x – Edmonton
Up in the northwest, we have regular verbal harassment/heckling for opposing fans, especially in the upper bowl area AKA the drinkers seats. I'm not too concerned about that, but more of the do's and don'ts of being in an opposing teams' arena.
As for ticket prices, just checking them out now and I found a few in section 119 for $150 each which has got me excited. Those seats are $300+ in Edmonton and more in Vancouver.
My road trip starts in Vancouver for the road game there and ends in Anaheim so I'm really looking forward to it! I have a friend who procured us a few nosebleeds in Van for that game and I think we're paying around $400-500 for the privilege to attend.
Are there any hotels in LA near the arena that you'd recommend? Never been to LA so I'm not sure if the PT cruiser is my best option or if I should rent a car/taxi it up everywhere. Wondering if it's better to sleep in LA and travel to ANA there and back or to watch the game in LA and stay the duration in ANA.
Anaheim really isn't the best town. If I was doing this trip, I'd stay somewhere near one of the nicer beaches and drive to the game. But that's just me.
Yes, renting or coming down here with your own car is your best option. Unless you're a broke college student like myself, the only convenient way to get around this city is with a vehicle.
As far as how to behave as a visiting fan, just use Wheaton's law i.e. don't be dick. If you do that and just play along with the friendly verbal jabs (you know, give and take) you should be fine. Besides, there are a lot of Canadian transplants down here, so maybe you'll be lucky enough to sit near a pocket of Oilers fans.
As far as how to behave as a visiting fan, just use Wheaton's law i.e. don't be dick. If you do that and just play along with the friendly verbal jabs (you know, give and take) you should be fine. Besides, there are a lot of Canadian transplants down here, so maybe you'll be lucky enough to sit near a pocket of Oilers fans.
Shootmaster_44
Registered User
LA is dirt cheap compared to Edmonton. I live two hours from Edmonton, so when the Kings are in town I head up for a game. This year I figured I'd get front row seats right against the boards. One ticket cost me $300. Comparatively, last season I went to Staples and bought a ticket in 117 9 rows from the ice and I paid $150.
Being from the OPs area, I can help a bit with the travel advice. Fly into LAX, you can fly into John Wayne Airport in the OC, but out of Edmonton, LAX can be direct on WestJet and to get into the OC, you are looking at a wait in Calgary.
As far as where to stay, it might make a difference depending what else you want to do in the LA area. If you are thinking Disneyland, you might want to stay in Anaheim, but if you are thinking Hollywood or a Dodgers game etc. stay in LA. I'm assuming you are planning to rent a car, so it is likely easier to commute to the Honda Center than Staples Center. Whatever you do, give yourself plenty of time to get there. Traffic can be a nightmare in LA, if you think the Whitemud/Yellowhead Trail is bad during rush hour, the LA freeways are much, much worse.
A tip about driving in LA, I found driving around LA was much easier if you tell your GPS to avoid highways (which is what the freeways are). Taking surface streets, traffic isn't as heavy and you see more of LA this way. You'll have to take the freeways to Anaheim though, it can be done by surface streets but Google Maps had said it was a 3 hour drive compared to 15-20 minutes (in optimal conditions) by the freeways.
I stayed at the Omni Hotel at California Plaza in downtown LA. It is fairly central to everything and offers a free towncar service that will get you to Staples Center, so it saves on parking at the arena. So might be an idea unless you feel the need (or your wallet feels the need) to stay elsewhere. There isn't much in the way of things to see or do around the hotel though, but California Plaza has a few places to eat and a convenience store. During the day, you can walk down to Broadway and there's a couple fast food places too. But even though it is a few blocks, the hotel warned me in the evening to take their towncar as it isn't safe to walk there.
I have no idea about around the Honda Center as I didn't get that far into Anaheim though. I only went to a college basketball tournament near Disneyland at the Anaheim Convention Center. But as far as places to eat go, West Katella Ave. seems to have all your chain places.
As far as the actual Kings game, I find that Kings fans are much the same type of fans as Oilers fans. What I mean is that nobody bothers the visiting team's fans unless it is their arch-rival. So I don't think you'd have any problems cheering for the Oilers. The game I went to was against the Hawks and I'd say at least 15% of the crowd was Hawks fans and I never saw any problems. The only annoying thing I noticed in LA, is that they do the in-arena promo stuff at the top of sections and block the entire exit off. I got up to use the washroom at a whistle and the top of my section was stopped and they didn't quit until play started and I missed the only Kings goal that night.
The best part of Staples Center, compared to Rexall Place, is that the concourse at Staples is very wide. You don't have to get up 5 minutes before the end of the period to go get a beer, food etc. and expect it to take well into the next period to get back. I got up during the intermission, made a lap of the building, bought my drink and sat back down and I still have 5 minutes left in the intermission.
Also, make sure to get to Staples early and check out LA Live. It was kind of cool wandering around it and there's a few bars and restaurants to eat at. Also, there's 4 or 5 statues out front of Staples that are cool to see. I'm a huge Gretzky fan and they have a Gretzky statue out front. Good for taking pictures and whatnot.
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