NoJoMo Day 16

Okey Dokey… real quick, today’s challenge:

Tourist? Or the real thing?

If someone were coming to your city, that had never been there before, what would you show them? Where would you take them? Would you stick to the tourist attractions, or show them the ‘real’ city?

Well, now good question.  We’d go the tourist attraction route I think.  Old Sacramento is just TOO cool not to take people to.  But that reminds me, when Ellen and Kathleen came for the baby shower, we took them wine tasting in Lodi, where the Mondavi brothers have their wineries.  I couldn’t partake but a sip, but it was fun nonetheless, and that was kind of both tourist AND the "real" California.  Lodi makes some pretty good wine, though SOME (snobbish) people would have you believe wine can ONLY be made in Napa.  GAH!  It was fun.  The thing about this area is that there is SO much to do in such a small area.  I mean, whatever your tastes are, you won’t have to drive far to enjoy them.  Want to gamble?  Okay, an hour to Indian gambling, 2-3.5 hours if you want Nevada gambling at either Reno or Lake Tahoe… and if you want nature, then South Lake Tahoe is your answer, it’s GORGEOUS.  Want to shop?  2-3 hours will get you to San Francisco.  Concerts?  Bay Area, 2-3 hours.  The seashore?  2-3 hours.  Oh, you want to go to Disneyland?  Well, that’s more like a 6-8 hour drive, depending on pit stops (usually depends on how many children you have in the car, lol… and when you get started…)  But if you just want an amusement park and any will do… there are 2 in the Bay Area, one is about an hour and a half away, the other about 2 and a half hours…easily driveable.  If you want to see snow, then that’s an hour or so up to the Big Trees, though snow can certainly be had closer, if you want.  The point being… this area is INCREDIBLE.  It’s beautiful, mild weather, if you want snow, it can be had, but if you’d prefer the beach… that can be had too.  Huge redwoods, fine dining, world class ANYTHING… can be had within 1-3 hours, sometimes sooner, if all it reuqires is a trip into Sacramento.  I love this area, and think it’s great.  It could be… safer, and it’s safe enough, but… well, it could just be safer.

Oh HELL.  I just looked at the time.  I’m going to bed (it’s 3:30… and I despereately need to change my internal clock)  We went grocery shopping tonight, and it wired me a bit.  Hopefully being in the dark will get me sleepy.