Overestimating the underestimate

MSNBC has just published a review of the “Top 10 underrated US cities” for travel destinations. Guess why I bring this up?

Sacramento came in as the number 10 top underrated city – which would mean that it’s the least underrated of the top 10 underrated cities. So, in effect Sacramento is the most overrated of the most underrated cities. So, like, is Sacramento really all that underrated then?

The review is provided by ShermansTravel.com (who dey newayz?). Here’s why they think Sacramento is underrated:

Governor Schwarzenegger’s much-ballyhooed magnetism aside, California’s capital has never had the same allure as say, San Fran or L.A. But with an increasingly sophisticated food scene — think farm-fresh Bolognese cuisine at Biba or maple-glazed pork chops at the clubby Esquire Grill (one of Ahnold’s favorite restaurants) — this agricultural hub appeals to even the snobbiest city-slicker. Between bites, take in the Gold Rush-era charms of Old Sacramento, bike along the banks of the Sacramento and American Rivers, and stroll amid downtown’s stately Victorian homes and tall evergreens. You may even catch a glimpse of the “Governator” himself at the impressive capitol building. Wash it all down with a visit to the Sierra Foothill wineries in the Shenandoah Valley — a mere 45-minute drive to the east.

So, in short, here are the reasons: Arnold Schwarzenegger, good food, Arnold Schwarzenegger, old bars, bike trails, big houses, big trees, Arnold Schwarzenegger (at the Capitol), and booze.

Sounds as good a reason as any to call your travel agent, no? If I were a tourist, I’d likely pass, sorry to say.

Not to worry though. Our bastions of local news, News10, have taken note and have begun leg-humping the survey:

Sacramento: A “Must-See” Destination?

ShermansTravel.com ranked 10 U.S. cities that don’t have the cache of a New York or San Francisco but still says these places are worth visiting.

At the top of the list is Baltimore, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Kansas City, Louisville, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence and Sacramento.

No one said Sac was a must-see destination, News10. Let’s kick it down a notch. All the story said was that if you come to Sacramento, you’ll eat and drink well, and you might see Arnold.

But, we already knew this. Thanks for visiting.

13 thoughts on “Overestimating the underestimate”

  2. But does San Francisco have a TRAIN MUSEUM? How about a Sutter’s Fort? Well, does it smarty pants?

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  4. I see my home town of Kansas City also makes this list.

    But what do you really make of having your city on a list like this? It’s like a nice way of saying “Top ten most mediocre cities that are a little less boring than other mediocre citites”.

    I guess it’s better than being on a “Ten most over-rated” list or a “ten worst” list. They should do a list of cities that really are as mediocre as they seem. I’d put money on Des Moines being high on that list.

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  6. i moved to sacramento without having ever visited – and after happily living here six years now, i see why.

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  7. ooh RonTopofIt, you’re gonna hear from pointfinder later. although pointfinder’s comment didn’t have anything to do with the post either. which i guess it normally doesn’t. did i just pointfinder pointfinder?

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  8. I’m actually seriously pondering leaving Sacramento in the next year in favor of Seattle. But really, it’s not because I dislike Sacramento, or that I’m caught up in the starry-eyed lust for “bohemian” cities like Seattle, either. I have my reasons, that’s all I’ll say for now.

    Really, what’s made my stay here worthwhile is the people I’ve known (pardon me for going all picket fences/field of dreams on you, here). I think there is something about this town (something that’s probably grown up in a mostly incidental way) that makes people who live here or move here sorta stick together and kind of find their own things to do for fun. But I think that a lot of people who live here don’t have that or aren’t aware of it even existing. I’m sure there are a lot of people who live here who don’t get to know a lot of people really well in that sense.

    My ex-boyfriend was here visiting last summer, and after the five days he was here he commented, in a quite positive way, that he really liked how the people he met here all get together and make their own entertainment.

    That’s really a big part of what makes living somewhere good.

    But that’s not to ignore social and civic maladies, though.

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  9. I hear you, CoolDMZ, I may get a wordful of heck from pointfinder, but I think I can handle it. You gotta have a thick skin in this world of web logging.

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  11. We’re not talking about pointfinder anymore are we? Hey, we were never talking about pointfinder, huh? I was had!

    I’ll get you next time, CoolDMZ, next time!

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