Few things from my childhood give me that special good feeling as much as The Adventures os Tintin. I bet that is a big reason why I'm so into Poirot these days. Same sense of adventure, mystery, and capturing all the quintessential feelings of a destination.
I really didn't dig the movie as much as I thought I would, but the opening titles, Henry Mancini music, and even James Coburn in a corduroy suit (maybe velvet?) with a blue gingham shirt make it worth the watch.
I still think LA is a great quick vacation spot. Southwest & United have both been offering some great deals. Farmer's Daughter looks like a fun boutique hotel - check the wood on the room walls....
Seeing as we're going to try and build these this weekend (hopefully with Dexter's intervention), I was doing more research and found this great blog that just features bookcases.