One of the things that I enjoy most about heading out of town is the chance to meet a different set of creators and artists than you'd normally get a chance to see at your local convention scene. I know the larger cons pull people from all over the country, but there's always those corners of the con where you end up finding an awesome local artist.
Since I'm currently planning a one day trip to Vegas and a full week to San Diego, I've been struck by how different the experience can be and I think they're both exciting in different ways. In Vegas, it's straight to the convention center and then into one exhibitor hall. In San Diego, you don't even really need to have an SDCC badge to spend the entire week enveloped by all the unofficial events.
That difference is really a great thing, sometime I just wander to wander the floor and enjoying checking out the crowds, costumes, and vendors. At the bigger conventions it can feel like you have to run from signing to panel to exclusive sale and back again.
Tomorrow I'll be driving up to Vegas and plan to take advantage of the A/C at the Vegas Convention Center to avoid the desert heat and have a chill experience.