Need HELP To Amuse Myself During a 12 Hour Layover at LAX

[Paula]

I'm headed to Boston from NZ and have a 12 hour layover at LAX. Now I know I can leave the airport and do touristy stuff but frankly with a 12 hour flight from NZ to LAX (I can't sleep on planes) I will be too tired to do tourist.

Can anyone suggest any games that will keep me entertained for quite a while? I like logic puzzles and RPG games. I already have a few things but frankly they can't keep me going for any length of time. I was thinking about Atlantis Redux and Gilbert Goodmate but I really don't know anything about them. I tried Gilbert but frankly it frustrated me because the navigation and pointing and having to do some things in a specific order made me crazy.

I have an ipaq 2215 and plenty of CF/SD card space for games and 3 batteries.

Thanks

[Ripper014]

Hi ya Paula...

Long time no see... I am not even going to ask what is in Boston.

But to answer your question... I think all these games will drive you a little crazy... Atlantis... is a nicely rendered game... more in the line of Myst... which by the way is now available.

If you into RPG... you could always try something like a Super Nintendo emulator... and games such as Chrono's Trigger... a very cute game that I have yet to get very far in (just do not have the time). But my suggestion is probably a game called Arvale Journey of Illusion... I believe that it is not overly difficult... and will keep things moving.

Here is a link to their site...
http://www.arvale.com/

And have a safe trip...

[Paula]

Hi ya Paula...

Long time no see... I am not even going to ask what is in Boston.

But my suggestion is probably a game called Arvale Journey of Illusion... I believe that it is not overly difficult... and will keep things moving.

Here is a link to their site...
http://www.arvale.com/

And have a safe trip...

Hi Ya Ripper, nice to see you.
To answer the question you didn't ask :D I'm originally from Massachusetts and am on my way to visit my family for a 3 1/2 week stay. I know I must be nuts because it's summer here in NZ and it is still snowing in Mass.

Thanks for the link to the game. I will check it out.

[Sven Johannsen]

At LAX, get to the main concourse and watch the people. It's pretty entertaining. Used to be more fun when anyone could go anywhere, but it's still pretty good.

P.S. I don't know why you think you are going to be tired, I believe you'll be getting to LAX before you ever take off in NZ ;)

[i_spock]

Yea I love people watching at LAX. William Shatner passed right by me there once. I think you can figure by my alias that it was a pretty big deal to me :D I had to go run and call my wife back home and tell her. :oops:

I'd even recommend strolling around outside. It's amazing how many different languages you hear!

[Paula]

Sven and i_spock, Oh don't worry I will be people watching alright. I used to live in LA before I moved to NZ 7 years ago. It's just that being away for so long I will feel like a tourist all over again.

This will be my first trip back to the States since 911. I'm told everything is different now. I've heard horror stories about going through the screening process at Customs.

Sven, you're right. I leave NZ Wednesday night and get into LA Wednesday morning. But on the way back I lose a day, so it evens out. :D

[Sven Johannsen]

This will be my first trip back to the States since 911. I'm told everything is different now. I've heard horror stories about going through the screening process at Customs.

Lets just say it's good you have 12 hours to do it ;)

[Mark Kenepp]

This will be my first trip back to the States since 911. I'm told everything is different now. I've heard horror stories about going through the screening process at Customs.

I don't think that the customs process has changed much, there might be a little more of a hassle at immigration, but I haven't noticed anything here at SFO. Since you are visiting family, I would suspect you would have no trouble at all. Then again, I go through the US Passport line.

The hassle is going through security to get on the plane, especially if you have a lot of carry on.

[karen]

Hey, I had the same layover going from Toronto to NZ.

The problem is that that there isn't a lot to do at LAX. Sure, there are some restaurants, but the clubs are timesharing clubs - they are Air NZ club only a couple of hours before your flight. They are Air Singapore the two hours before that and Air Nippon the two hours before that...etc.

What I did is take the bus over to the Avis counter and beg a woman there to give me a fabulous rate (someting like $20) to rent a car for 6 hours. Then I drove down to Manhattan Beach and sat in a bar over looking the ocean. I used to live in Redondo Beach, so I drove down there to have a meal at a tiny hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. Then I stopped at Kinkos to update my e-mail and went back to the airport.

If you can't rent or don't want to, you could always take a cab to Venice Beach and sit out on the patio at the Sidewalk Cafe. Now there's a place to watch people.

I wouldn't sit in LAX no matter how tired I was.

Karen

[Fishie]

Well actually it has changed a lot.
Foreign nationals all get fingerprinted and mugshot taken at immigration these days.