Charleston And Sacramento-Similar In Many Ways But Different Histories

The most pleasant thing happened to me recently. I reconnected with an old girl friend. Pleasant, in that we have alot of shared history, and old, in that we first met when I was nineteen and she was seventeen. The last time we saw each other was 24 years ago back in Ohio. It has been enjoyable and enlightening catching up on the missed years and recalling past events. Unfortunately, all of this has thus far transpired over the phone because she lives in the Sacramento area of California. I have been to California, but not Sacramento. So, I decided to do some research on what Sacramento offers to the vacationer. I know this takes me out of the boundaries of Charleston and the Southeast, but it was worth a look-see and may be useful information to anyone interested in visiting the Sacramento area.

The first thing that caught my attention as I began to research, and I should have known this, was the fact Sacramento is the capital city of California. I pride myself on knowing the capitals of each of the states and this threw me for a loop because it somehow escaped my notice. In its early years, John Sutter played a large part in its establishment with the contruction of Sutter's Fort in 1839. Sacramento grew quickly and during the California Gold Rush was a major distribution point, a commercial and agricultural center, and a terminus for wagon trains, stagecoaches, riverboats, the telegraph, the Pony Express, and the First Transcontinental Railroad. In 2002, Time magazine featured an article recognizing Sacramento as the most diverse and integrated city in America.

In one of our conversations, my friend told me about an old part of Sacramento located along the Sacramento River where there are carriage rides and riverboat excursions. It is rightfully called Old Sacramento and is one of the top points of interest you would not want to miss when visiting the city. Old Sacramento consists of historical attractions and world-renowned museums set within the time of the California Gold Rush. There are also Underground Tours, Steam-Powered Excursion Train Rides, plenty of shopping, and plenty of dining with a river view. The Firehouse Restaurant is a popular Sacramento dining spot and is rated among the best in the city. The Melting Pot is considered one of the top romantic dinner restaurants and Biba's is highly rated for Italian cuisine. For a complete list check these out. Places to stay, check these accommodations.

Golfland Sunsplash is a popular family fun center located in Roseville outside of Sacramento. The main attractions at the park are the miniature golf courses and the water park. The water park contains some of the top water thrill rides called the Vortex, Revolution and StormRider. Other must-sees include the Tower Bridge, Sacramento Zoo, McKinley Park, Crocker Art Museum, Fairytale Town, Sutter's Fort, and Miller Park.

Sacramento is also centrally located near other places of interest in California such as Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley, and San Francisco, each within a two hours drive. One of its biggest celebrations will occur 9/2/2011 when more than 200 tons of dirt will be dumped on the streets of Old Sacramento as the annual festival, Gold Rush Days in Old Sacramento, "turns back the clock," transforming Sacramento’s historic district into a scene straight out of the 1850s with costumed re-enactors and gun fights.

Sacramento is similar to Charleston in many ways including its weather, with hot summers and no snow, but with different histories that influenced its growth and culture. I hope to be visiting soon.

Seinfeld Paying Charleston A Visit For Some Lowcountry Laughs

Very few half hour sitcoms have ever grabbed my attention, but there was this one that caught my interest and to this day remains my all-time top favorite. I can watch rerun episodes over and over and still find something to laugh at. That being said, I must be completely forthcoming on my total feelings at this point. When it first began I thought the script was alittle slow and the characters somewhat unbelievable, but after the actors began to meld together as one cohesive group, with their own distinct personalities, I couldn't stop watching. The name of the show was "Seinfeld".

The premise of the sitcom evolved around the idea that life is meaningless. Many of its episodes focused on the minutiae of everyday life, minor or incidental daily happenings that when all is said and done mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme. Often it is these little minor happenings we find humorous because they are the spontaneous, unscripted part of our lives we don't plan for, requiring nothing more than a knee jerk response from us.

Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer were a cross section of our society that displayed qualities we are often repulsed by. Individuals who are at times completely without any moral conscience, superficial in their relationships with other people, often lying about what they do for a living, unappreciative of gifts given to them, rude, inconsiderate, and a host of other social abnormalities. Despite their disturbing behavior, you couldn't help but laugh. We see these quirks in our own acquaintances and if we are honest, in ourselves. I often find myself referring to various episodes when I see something simuliar happen in my own insignificant, mundane, everyday existence and yada, yada, yada, no explanation needed.

Jerry Seinfeld, prior to his popular sitcom, was a successful stand-up comedian and since has returned to his roots. He has written several books, the most notable being "Seinlanguage". He has received numerous awards, all associated with his sitcom. Recently he was hailed as 'the master stand-up comic of his generation' and 'the best comedian of our time' in a Washington Post article by Tom Shales. If you are a Lowcountry Seinfeld fan, he will be appearing at the North Charleston Coliseum Performing Arts Center August 12, time 7:00 PM. You can click on this link for ticket information.

Don't forget American Idol is coming to the North Charleston Coliseum July 20-22. Fun for everyone.

Charleston Is An Attractive Place To Play In More Ways Than One

One recent Friday night I sat outside of the Southend Brewery to watch the crowds of people go by. As a refresher, I ordered the popular beer sampler the brewery makes available and sat back. The purpose behind this was to satisfy my curiosity that Charleston is the city with the most attractive people. My rather insignificant study evolved around the female gender because in my narrow male thinking the poll done by "Travel and Leisure" based their results on women only. The reason for that conclusion was derived from the fact that pictures published in articles about this study showed exclusively women, but the usage of the word "people" would seem to imply including both genders. Anyways, it goes against my grain to see it any other way.

The female nightlife crowd did not disappoint. The challenge was distinguishing between vacationers and locals. Vacationers obviously wouldn't count since they are not from Charleston. Groups of four dressed to the hilt and around the same age was pretty much a given they were locals. Other groups consisting of various ages were more difficult, but there are obvious indicators that give away visitors, one being cameras and another alot of pointing. Couples presented the greatest challenge. With the sampler polished off and my evaluations completed, my final summation was ready. The poll done by "Travel and Leisure" in my thinking was verified, if attractive was based solely on looks. Other cities may disagree, like Miami and San Diego, but somebody had to be number one and it might as well be Charleston.

Other top honors pulled in by Charleston were in categories such as antiques shopping, cool boutique hotels, cozy bed and breakfasts and awesome neighborhoods. These results were based on what visitors had to say. Charleston was also ranked number one in friendly. Like every thing in life, these findings are subjective. I am also from Northeast Ohio and if you were to plant yourself outside of Playhouse Square in Cleveland or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame you may come to the same conclusion. Although, there is a huge difference in what you may call a city, because I do not consider Charleston a city type city, meaning high rise buildings, concrete structures, huge city streets, business people focused completely on self, and all else.

So, what do the attractive people of Charleston do on a Friday night? There is no shortage of partying in Charleston. Vacationers looking for a good time, college students looking to blow off some steam, and knowledgeable locals all converge on the downtown area where the watering-holes and sports bars are willing cater to their needs. If you are seeking a more sophisticated release the district's higher-end restaurants, such as High Cotton and McCrady's, and swanky cocktail joints like Torch Velvet Lounge are there to please. Also, local bars and music halls offer an enviable lineup of live entertainment. Topping out the long list are Pavillion Bar and Cafe, King Street Grille, Henry's on the Market, Rooftop at the Vendue, Music Farm, Torch Lounge, Blind Tiger Pub, Windjammer, McGrady's, and JB Pivot's Beach Club.