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
- as a comment in this blog post, or
- 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.
- You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. Don’t miss out!
Try Pismo’s for excellent seafood and Maroo’s for sushi.
Tacos La Elegante in downtown Fresno really leads the pack in an area full of great Mexican food.
Love the Brig if you’re looking for a bar with great atmosphere. It’s a little dive-y, with an interesting mix of truckers and bikers, students and townies, professionals and bachelorette parties. No kitchen on site, but you can carry in from the burger place next door.
http://www.towerdistrict.org Many great places here including Irene’s Cafe, Grandmarie’s Chicken Pie Shop
Always fly to Fresno and travel to Yosemite by rental car!
Go to a Fresno grizzlies!
Check out FORESTIERE Underground GARDENS at 5021 W. Shaw Avenue
A hand-built network of underground rooms, courtyards and
passageways similar to ancient catacombs. Also the underground home of Sicilian visionary and self-taught artist/builder Baldassare Forestiere. Especially on a HOT day.
Check out Pho 99 on McKinley — a delicious bowl of pick-me-up!
If you spend a lot of time in trouble with the wife, make sure to check out the Dog House Grill. Ranked highly on TripAdvisor, it is sure to be a lot nicer than the dog house you are usually in.
Hang out at the Enology (winemaking) lab at Fresno State and get some samples of the student’s work. I took the class while a student there and it was the most fun ever; and I learned a lot.
The Oh Wow! Nickle arcade which bills itself as the last remaining place on earth where a nickle still buys something. http://ohwow-arcade.com/index.php
1 tip, 1 word: Yosemite.
Minor league games are so much fun!
Check out the AAA Fresno Grizzlies at Chukchansi Park if visiting in baseball season.
Fresno has great access to several awesome National parks and no less than four El Pollo Loco locations. Great food and adventure abounds!
Fresno reminds me one important thing – I have a college friend there which I have not seen him for 20 years.
Fresno State football games should be fun!
Try the (vegan) cupcakes and tomato soup at Charlotte’s Bakery!
Be sure to check out food trucks downtown every Friday. Live music and good food.
Fresno has plenty grapes of wrath
Try to make a joke about Fres “yes”
Fresno has a small town feel, but lots of activities for couples, families or adventurers! From man-made fun at Visalia Adventure park – to beautiful nature in nearby Sequoia King’s Canyon Park lots to do, see and experience.
Catch a movie or live performance at the Tower Theatre . Art Deco architecture makes it a great venue.
For baseball fans, catch a Fresno Grizzlies game (AAA affiliate of the SF Giants).
The Chaffee Zoo is well worth the visit!
check out the Forestiere Underground Gardens
Since I lived nearby to Fresno (many years ago) I took a group of homeschoolers to the lake in the town’s central park. We caught tadpoles there and took them home to be raised for a science project. What is interesting.?.?.? they were the largest tadpoles ever and the frogs that grew from them small but very loud. Go Fresno Frogs!!!
Can you still get arrested for “cruising” Blacstone?
Check out the Fresno State Farm Market for fresh vegetables and fruit.
The Forestiere Underground Gardens are great for cooling off for a few hours.
Kearney Mansion Museum is a very interesting afternoon visit. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places, and was said to be inspired by the famous Chateau de Chenonceaux in the Loire valley in France. Tours are given by charming local volunteers. Beautiful gardens too!
Wan the best coffee in Fresno? Hit up The Grind.
I recommend Grandmarie’s Chicken Pie Shop!
Great farmer’s market on Saturday mornings!
http://www.vineyardfarmersmarket.com/
One must go to Grandmarie’s Chicken Pie Shop! Great laid back atmosphere, great food, and extremely reasonably price
Catch a game at Fresno State University – one of 14 Division 1 schools (most in USA) that have the mascot of a Bulldog. Others include: Butler, MS State, Georgia, Alabama A&M, The Citadel, Drake, Gardner-Webb, Gonzaga, LA Tech, Samford, SC State, UNC-Asheville, and Yale.
Frank’s Place, the small venue at the performing arts center, is a great place to catch some jazz on arnother cool band.
Samos Kitchen, mmmmm
some Pho99 sounds great too
Go visit the Old Fresno Water Tower. It’s an old water tower that is a major landmark in downtown Fresno and one of the oldest surviving structures in the area.
The best burger, fries, and shake can be found at In-N-Out burger. There are 3 locations in town.
@Gary: I’m referring to the Picadilly Inn Shaw in the Fig Garden area, which was always one of the nicer parts of town. It was built in 1972, and it is definitely of that era. Sprawling grounds, low-slung buildings, a nine-hole putting course (!), etc. I’m exaggerating about how fancy it is, but is definitely the most local hotel that screams THIS IS FRESNO vs. a Club Carlson redemption or something sanitized.
Chaffee Zoo is good for both children and adults!
Visit Blackbeard’s mini golf: not only do they have a cool, pirate-themed course, it’s open weekends until midnight!
Yes we have become a bit of a “pho capital” (careful how you pronounce that). Also try the Boxcar Café in an older industrial area for the best Jalapeno Pulled Pork sandwich north of Calwa!
The San Joaquin River Trust has great guided canoe trips — some even include fishing!
I’ve heard great things about the Chafee Zoo
Make sure to stop by the Reno police department and say hi to Lieutenant Dangle, Deputy Trudy, Deputy Junior, and my personal favorite, Deputy Raineesha. Many of Reno 911’s opening sequences were shot on location, and the cast of characters live on!
Since Fresno is the only city in the world with that name, everything one does in Fresno is, by extension, pretty unique. However, I would recommend it as the base camp for a visit to Sequoia National Park. Top that off with a meal at the Ripe Tomato and a stroll through any one of Fresno’s many farmers’ markets.
The Forestiere Underground Gardens are super cool!