Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman starred in the 1986 mini-series Fresno. Fresno was supposed to be this backwater place, an absurd location with which to parody soap operas. I lived there, a few years after the mini-series debuted. And I even have fond memories, there are many more things to do there than when I was there on and off from 1989 through 1996. I spent a ton of time playing $2 blackjack at the Indian casino…

What does this have to do with rental cars? As I’ve written in the past, there are only two real game changing innovations in rental cars that I can think of in my lifetime. One is keeping your information on file so that you can be pre-assigned a car and take off by showing just your driver’s license. The other is picking your own car.

The pioneer in the space, of course, is National with its Emerald Aisle. I love National’s “Go Like a Pro” slogan because their Emerald Aisle concept, to me, is the perfect frequent business renter feature.

National knows that business trips (and leisure trips, especially to visit family!) don’t always take folks to the most popular, most conventionally exciting destinations. If they did, there wouldn’t be air service to Omaha, Des Moines, Milwaukee, or Boise.

National, though, thinks that off-the-beaten path destinations can offer a lot to folks visiting, with the right inside tips. They call these places “Underrated, Over-Traveled.”

And since I used to live in Fresno, I decided to focus there. It’s also been many years since i lived there, and it’s changed a ton. So I’d love to learn the latest tips.

Prizes: When there’s something on offer from a company for me, my practice is to try to make it available to readers instead. I am not taking anything for running this contest. Instead, there’s a ‘grand prize’ in addition to five winners.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• $250 AMEX gift card
  
• National Extreme Sport Duffel
  
• National Case Logic Zippered Tech Journal
  
• National Ultimate Privacy Luggage Tag
  
• National 14oz Striped Coffee Tumbler
  
• National BicRoundstic & Notepad

Five additional winners will receive the following prize pack:

• $50 AMEX gift card
  
• National Extreme Sport Duffel
  
• National Ultimate Privacy Luggage Tag
  
• National 14oz Striped Coffee Tumbler

How to enter:

Leave a tip about Fresno, California either

1. as a comment in this blog post, or
   
2. via Twitter mentioning @garyleff and the hashtag #NationalUOT

You may leave as many tips as you’d like, but each must be a bona fide tip about Fresno.

The tip can be about anything as long as it can reasonably be put on a map. (National will be sharing tips on its Foursquare page, and by entering you explicity grant permission for this with or without attribution.)

Subject area examples include Dining, Sports/Activities, Bars/Nightlife, Outdoors/Park/Public Facilities, Arts/Films/Theater, Historical/Famous Landmarks.

If you enter via twitter, you must also follow @garyleff so that I can direct message you if you win. If you don’t follow me on twitter you won’t be eligible.

If you enter here with a comment on this blog post, the email address you identify yourself with (which won’t be published online) must be real so I can contact you if you win.

Entries must be submitted no later than Noon Eastern time on Friday, July 18. I will pick the winners.

The fine print: the contest is open to US residents only (talk to the lawyers on this, sorry!). I’m the final arbiter in all matters related to this contest and in all matters of interpretation. There is no appeal. I’m doing this because there’s an opportunity to send out some cool prizes from a brand I like, and not taking anything from them in return, so please don’t give me a hard time in the process. However do note that National Car Rental is sponsoring the prizes.

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