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Author Topic: "Little Gem" #10 - LA Times 2/4  (Read 8548 times)
okieinla
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« on: February 08, 2007, 03:03:51 am »

Los Angeles Times, Sunday 2/4 Travel Section
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-underrated4feb04,1,3637880.story?coll=la-travel-headlines

FINDING LITTLE GEMS
Unsung cities full of surprises
By Avital Binshtock, Special to The Times
February 4, 2007

EVERYONE HAS a travel wish list; perhaps yours includes Washington, D.C., or New York City.
But less well-known cities can be equally riveting. Here are 10 underrated cities with unexpected appeal.

1. Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas City's downtown is undergoing a $4.5-billion face-lift that includes a nine-block entertainment and shopping neighborhood. You'll find Art Deco architecture, public art and a lot of affordable sightseeing. Then you can unwind among friendly locals at one of many renowned barbecue joints.

2. Cleveland
There are tons of family-oriented things to do in this Midwestern jewel on Lake Erie's south shore. Leave the little ones at home, though, for Cleveland's main attraction: the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

3. Truth or Consequences, N.M.
Kathy Clark of the town's Chamber of Commerce describes T or C as "the most outrageous, fun, eccentric, funky 1950s town in America — with hot mineral water." Others call it America's most affordable spa town.

4. Fredericksburg, Va.
Fredericksburg, where George Washington grew up, is a historic town that was at the Civil War's crossroads and blends Colonial and Victorian influences. History buffs love it.

5. Makawao, Hawaii
Who knew there would be an Old Western town in the middle of Maui? Hawaii's cowboy town, Makawao, has a main street lined with frontier-style storefronts occupied by trendy boutiques and galleries.

6. Pittsburgh
No longer a steel town (the mills closed in the 1970s), Pittsburgh is clean, vibrant and blessed with physical beauty: three rivers, five huge parks and gorgeous views from just about anywhere. It also has several first-rate museums, including the four Carnegies.

7. Charleston, S.C.
Charleston is the South's gem and has streets so fresh and clean they almost sparkle. It also has upscale dining and shopping, Ft. Sumter (where the Civil War began), and several military-themed museums

8. Asheville, N.C.
Locals call it the Paris of the South. Its reverence for aesthetics is manifest in well-preserved architecture and the buzzing River Arts District. Visit America's biggest private residence (George Vanderbilt's 250-room Biltmore Estate) or take in stunning Blue Ridge Mountain scenery.

9. Davis, Calif.
Intellectual, progressive locals mingle in bustling cafes while others stroll around the tree-lined University of California campus. Take in a performance at the worldclass Mondavi Center (yes, as in the winemaker).

10. Tulsa, Okla.
Tulsa's on the rise. Its industrial-chic Blue Dome District ends any idea of provincialism, as do its Performing Arts Center (by the architect of New York's World Trade Center) and its spectacular Philbrook and Gilcrease museums. Best of all, Tulsans make you feel at home.
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cannon_fodder
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« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2007, 10:18:07 am »

That's some interesting company we are in.  Of the cities listed, Tulsa is the only one that isnt a designed tourist destination, have unholy gobs of money, or a professional sports team.   Even got props for the Blue Dome!

and it does feel like home. [Cheesy]
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guido911
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« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2007, 10:54:10 am »

Well don't let those "studied approved" geniuses at KFAQ hear about this...
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tim huntzinger
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« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2007, 12:24:55 pm »

That is a great plug!  Did not someone from the LA Times do a travelogue of their visit downtown not too long ago?
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Steve
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« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2007, 12:50:10 pm »

Great to hear of some good publicity for a change.  It's nice to have Tulsa mentioned in a publication from the west coast that doesn't refer to violent weather, smoking/divorce/teen pregnancy rates, Indian gaming, or an abundance of citizens with excess adipose tissue!
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waterboy
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« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2007, 01:37:09 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

Great to hear of some good publicity for a change.  It's nice to have Tulsa mentioned in a publication from the west coast that doesn't refer to violent weather, smoking/divorce/teen pregnancy rates, Indian gaming, or an abundance of citizens with excess adipose tissue!




Did you have to remind me? So much for the buzz [Tongue]. Why weren't we higher on the list?[Wink]
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Renaissance
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« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2007, 02:22:30 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by tim huntzinger

That is a great plug!  Did not someone from the LA Times do a travelogue of their visit downtown not too long ago?



Yes, I'm sure this mention directly stemmed from that columnist's experience.
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okieinla
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« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2007, 03:14:42 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by Floyd

quote:
Originally posted by tim huntzinger

That is a great plug!  Did not someone from the LA Times do a travelogue of their visit downtown not too long ago?



Yes, I'm sure this mention directly stemmed from that columnist's experience.


I searched the LA Times Travel archive.. looks like there was a TravelBlog taking place a few months ago. The blog doesn't appear to be active anymore, so I wasn't able to find a specific entry for Tulsa except:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/travelwest/

"A Post-Trip Roundup and Thank You.
It's been a few weeks since Jen and I returned to our everyday lives in California, but I wanted to post one last blog in thanks to all who contributed their ideas and thoughts to our trip. First, here's a roundup of what we did and saw:
....Tulsa:
-Dwelling Spaces
-May Rooms Gallery
-James E. McNellie's...."

- And this article relating to the their travels .. will only cut/paste part of the intro & pertinent Tulsa related comments.
(full story - http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-twofortheroad31dec31,1,7604658.story)

TRAVELER'S JOURNAL
Touring is nice -- but talking is better
How can two friends make it from coast to coast unscathed? By making miles and miles of memories.
By Avital Binshtock, Special to The Times
December 31, 2006

"...My favorite? Wow. What a question. A slide show of all we had done since we started driving west from New York began playing in my head. It had been a little more than a week since we had begun our cross-country journey, but there had been so many in-the-moment moments that choosing just one seemed as impossible as picking one highlight of the fading year on New Year's Eve...."

"...Perhaps the crowning experience was discovering the unexpected charms of Tulsa, Okla. Or maybe it was just watching spectacular scenery as we zoomed down the open road."

".....But we did find good (and sometimes bad) company once we immersed ourselves in the destinations. Those aforementioned stories we'll tell our grandchildren? They'll be peppered with a rotating cast of characters: the Tulsa gallery curator who invited us to stay overnight at her house (eager to get to the Austin music festival in time, we politely declined), my brother's party-loving friends at the University of Wisconsin, the menacing Chicago thug whom we escaped by ducking into a gay bar until he went away."
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Steve
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« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2007, 03:41:14 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by waterboy

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

Great to hear of some good publicity for a change.  It's nice to have Tulsa mentioned in a publication from the west coast that doesn't refer to violent weather, smoking/divorce/teen pregnancy rates, Indian gaming, or an abundance of citizens with excess adipose tissue!




Did you have to remind me? So much for the buzz [Tongue]. Why weren't we higher on the list?[Wink]



My take on the list is that it is simply a list, not a ranking.  Items 8-9-10 are not necessarily less worthy that items 1-2-3, and order does not indicate importance.
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waterboy
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« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2007, 03:47:39 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by waterboy

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

Great to hear of some good publicity for a change.  It's nice to have Tulsa mentioned in a publication from the west coast that doesn't refer to violent weather, smoking/divorce/teen pregnancy rates, Indian gaming, or an abundance of citizens with excess adipose tissue!




Did you have to remind me? So much for the buzz [Tongue]. Why weren't we higher on the list?[Wink]



My take on the list is that it is simply a list, not a ranking.  Items 8-9-10 are not necessarily less worthy that items 1-2-3, and order does not indicate importance.



Yeah, I know. Just trying to be cute. Apparently failed.
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inteller
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« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2007, 06:29:49 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by tim huntzinger

That is a great plug!  Did not someone from the LA Times do a travelogue of their visit downtown not too long ago?



yeah this ranking is just a hangover from that.

nothing to see here..... move along....

i agree with Makawao though, that place is cool.
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Johnboy976
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« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2007, 07:19:01 pm »

Asheville, NC? Hmmmmm... it wasn't bad. But this is great publicity for the city. When I lived in Chicago, anyone who visited Tulsa called it, "a well needed and pleasant retreat from the Metro city life." Sure they thought of it as a big city, but a big city with a small-town feel.
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