Des Plaines, IL or Scottsdale, AZ?

[swag]

I've got to get me some goddamned training, and I can get that goddamned training at the end of October in either Des Plaines, IL or Scottsdale, AZ.

Which place should I choose?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Do you want to be near Chicago or Phoenix?

Both Des Plaines and Scottsdale are suburban wastelands, as far as I recall. Whichever place you go, you will be locked up in some grim office park all day.

Late October in the Midwest can be lovely, assuming that they haven't cut down all the trees in Des Plaines.

If you have to go and just come back without taking any extra time, there's really little to choose between the two. If you have an extra day or two, think of it this way: Do you want to be closer to Chicago or to Phoenix?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear swag...

The end of October...

I think I'd head for Arizona...

The weather should be nice then, with the heat of the summer largely past.

Illinois might be rainy.

What sort of training?

[JoDog]

4. I agree

Late October in N. Illinois can be either crisp and pretty, or cold, dark and dreary. Don't take the gamble. Head for Arizona.

[Haole Girl]

3. What a choice!

I guess I'd go to Scottsdale, AZ. But that's just because I don't like the cold & the end of October can get cold in IL.

[XNASA]

5. Obamaland or McCainland.

You tell me.

[Patiod]

6. Scottsdale so you can eat at Cowboy Ciao

one of my favorite restaurants. Or Los Dos Molinos.

A lot of the best restaurants in Phoenix are in Scottsdale. I'm guessing that most of the great restaurants in Des Plaines are in Chicago.

You see where my priorities lie.

[Dora]

7. October? Scottsdale. nt

[PeaceNikki]

8. I used to work in Des Plaines!

It's right by the airport.

My vote is for Des Plaines cuz you might be able to squeeze in some time to visit with the multitude of awesome people in the general vicinity.

[XNASA]

10. Of course it is.

That's why they named it 'Des Plaines'. ;)

[PeaceNikki]

11. D'oh!

Of course!!

I love hearing out of towners try to pronounce it all French-like. :rofl:

[NMDemDist2]

9. in Oct?? Scottsdale, hands down n/t

[XNASA]

12. How's that?

:shrug:



Autumn in Chicago



Autumn in Phoenix

[NMDemDist2]

13. it's beautiful in AZ in Oct, a nice drive to Sedona, golf, clubs, hikes etc

Il, not so much...

[PeaceNikki]

14. IL is beautiful, too.

In addition, we've amassed a large collection of very cool Democrats in the SE WI/NE IL region.

AZ, not so much. ;)

[XNASA]

16. No it isn't. It's cold. And icy. And there's no golf.

And the restaurants are horrible. That is, if you can make it to a restaurant because of all the snow. Ask any of the 8 million people who live in the area. They'll all tell you the same thing.

:rofl:

[AngryAmish]

15. DesPlaines, as a town, is a dump.

Not really a dump but just...blah. Right next to O'Hare airport so they will stick you in an airport hotel. The food? The greatest hamburger stand in Chicagoland, Paradise Pup, is there. But other than that the food leaves much to be desired. You will be far away from downtown Chicago. Nightlife sucks.

Scottsdale I like. I have gone there twice for spring training. Some very nice hotels and resorts. The golf is great (although to be fair you can also play golf in Chicagoland in October and there are many, many nice courses here). Food, I have had some good meals there. Weather will be much nicer.

On balance, I vote Scottsdale.

on edit: end of October? Scottsdale, bigtime. Weather tends to be awful in Chicago around then.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

23. No, dump is about right. 'Downtown' DP is pretty rundown.

It's fun to play 'guess what that building used to be', though.

[EstimatedProphet]

17. AZ's great when you get away from the old people

Scottsdale's dead center in the middle of the old people. Go to IL. I'll buy you a beer if you do.

[NMDemDist2]

26. oops! the old people live in Mesa and Peoria not in Scottsdale

promise!

[EstimatedProphet]

28. Really?

I thought they were all over all the cities.

[NMDemDist2]

29. some older folks in the old section of SD next to Mesa, but north SD is quite hip n/t

[Taverner]

18. Scottsdale is nice in the fall

I like Scottsdale, but it is GOP territory

That being said, it's not that bad, as far as GOP places go

[yellowdogintexas]

20. right and it is just a short trip not a permanent move. nt

[yellowdogintexas]

19. I just went to Scottsdale to visit my daughter. I liked it. If you have never visited the desert

Southwest, it is quite interesting scenery. Mountains all around the valley that holds Scottsdale, big open sky. Suguaro cacti, Sedona not too far away, Tucson also a reasonable drive.
see link here: http://www.visitphoenix.com/visitor/index.cfm?action=trails

If you like golf, courses are everywhere..my daughter was going on about all the golf courses, like in a WTF sort of way and I said.."honey you can play all year down here! Why do you think they all want to retire here?"

If you are going to rent a car, you will find the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa area easy to navigate, all laid out on a nice grid. Good restaurants and resorts. Now my daughter says lots of people use public transportation, so it must be reasonably adequate.

If I have a choice of a location in something like this, I tend to go for the one I have never visited and if I have never visited either one then the tiebreaker is the likelihood I will ever go back there again. Opportunist, that would be me.

However, pull up the city websites, conv visitors bureaus, etc for info. It boils down to what you like to do in your off time, and what kind of weather you want. It will be nice in Arizona though. October is our best time here in North Texas so I would assume the same is true in PHoenix.

[1gobluedem]

21. My impression of Scottsdale is miles of white gravel yards

And overpriced gift shops. I'd vote for Des Plaines -- it's too early to be really cold and the trees should be gorgeous. Plus you can hop on a train and spend the evenings in Chicago.

[Tektonik]

22. Scottsdale for the weather

[Nickster]

24. Well, I live near said Des Plaines, and at the end of October, I'm going to say you'd want to be in

AZ.

[LSK]

25. I lived in Des Plaines for 30 years

Scottsdale is a no brainer.

[RetroLounge]

27. Des Plaines, IL

You can have a chicago meet-up.

Plus you'll be withing driving distance of Chicago and Milwaukee DERBY!!!

:hi:

RL

[Nickster]

31. You know one of these days I need to make it up there to your shop. I have next week off and I'll be

heading to another Milwaukee attraction sometime that week!

[Alexander]

30. Scottsdale (and most of Phoenix) is a right-wing corporate hellhole.

Chains are everywhere. Local stores, not so much.

Get used to seeing big Hummers everywhere, driven by people who shouldn't even have a license.

Any pro-Democratic, anti-war or liberal stickers on your car? Get replacements - someone will probably rip them off.

I guess the weather is nice around winter. But that's the best thing I can say about Scottsdale.