12 Amazing Cities I've Visited, Part Two

And now, the follow-up you’ve all been waiting for! (Here’s Part One, if you missed it. Remember, I’m going in order of sequence, not favor.)

8. Sacramento, California. Take a step back into the Gold Rush era in Sacramento’s historic district, then stroll to a few blocks away to the heart of the city for a tour of the capitol building. It’s full of historic buildings, tourist activities, and cute local restaurants and stores. Plus, the downtown’s streets are laid out on a number-and-letter grid, which makes it easy to find your way around. (Hostel recommendation: Sacramento Downtown HI Hostel is a dazzling Victorian mansion, fully restored. Plus it’s a great location.)

7. Portland, Oregon. I’m not going to lie: Portland freaks me out a bit (I’ve blogged about this before). That said, Powell’s Books is enough to make this city any bibliophile’s favorite, and some of the most amazing memories of my life involve eating Voodoo Donuts in Portland’s downtown. The best part of this city, however, is Forest Park. It contains over 5,000 acres of pure Oregon woodland— which is, as any native could tell you, some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. (Also check out the Rose Garden.)

6. Tucson, Arizona. Speaking of cities that freaked me out, Tucson is high on the list. It stands in the middle of a desert and has an eerie, arid feel to it. I can’t say I actually liked Tucson that much, but I was fascinated and drawn in by it. Sometimes it pretends to be a normal city, but it’s most beautiful when it embraces the nature of the desert with thick adobe walls and bright Southwestern colors. And it has the DeGrazia Gallery, which is still the most beautiful art gallery I’ve ever seen.

5. Denver, Colorado. I debated between this and Oklahoma City, but Denver won out because I spent more time there. (Sorry, OK City— you’re still fantastic!) Some people might call Denver a generic city, but I prefer the term “well balanced:” it has a mix of tourist districts, nice apartments, bookstores, walking paths and attractions, with a spattering of urban art in between. The best part, though, is its location: you can walk just a few miles out of town and find yourself scaling the (very tall) foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Tomorrow… the conclusion of the series (otherwise known as “the European City Blog”)!

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