U.S.'s Most Over-Rated Tourist Traps

[fishwax]

So what's the most disappointing or over-rated tourist attraction you've been to? Here's one list on yahoo, which includes Fisherman's Wharf, The Alamo, Plymouth Rock, and a few others:

What's on your list?

[Ptah]

1. The Thing?

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2023

[Kali]

5. hey!

the Thing? is fun times!

[fishwax]

7. This made me laugh

Alas, I've never been to The Thing?--and while, as a student and scholar of road culture I appreciate it's place in the history of the American roadside, it's hard for me to imagine it *not* being disappointing :)

:hi:

[Kali]

27. I get gas up there sometimes. Its just a few miles up the road.

want a water bottle? or a bumper sticker? They have a penny squishing machine - I went and got one for a DUer a while back.

[begin_within]

8. what is it anyway?

Spoil it for me... I've passed by it but never stopped there.

[Kali]

10. it's

the Mystery of the Desert!:rofl:

[oedura]

139. Look it up on Wikipedia...

They have a picture and everything.

[begin_within]

151. Thanks, but I don't trust Wikipedia for anything.

[Strong Atheist]

2. Breezewood. nt.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. Breezewood, PA?

I never realized it was a tourist trap...
I always thought of it as the place to gas up and go before you get on the Turnpike...

[Strong Atheist]

4. All of the above. You are FORCED through it. nt.

[MrScorpio]

88. I used to get gas, something to eat and my wife got a few plates there

Even took a couple of naps in the Pizza Hut parking lot.

But I never considered it anything more than an overgrown rest stop.

[WCGreen]

49. I convinced my friends wife that Breezewood was like the confluence

of great rivers in the frontier days and that their were hookers and drugs all over the place...

[fishwax]

12. Do people actually anticipate Breezewood?

Are there signs for it for miles? Do people look forward to stopping there? (I've never been there, myself ...)

[Strong Atheist]

18. People look forward to getting out of it ... nt.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

68. Breezewood causes arguments

about which lane is the right (or left, or center) one to make the intended connection out of town. I try not to stop there, even for gas. What a zoo.

Last year, we headed south from Breezewood and saw the northbound traffic was backed up for miles. So we plotted and alternate return route and wound going through some beautiful mountainous terrain in MD and WV. We may never see Breezewood again.

:hi:

[Strong Atheist]

75. "never see Breezewood again". Yeah, I have always mentally dubbed it

"The armpit of America"...

[madinmaryland]

74. It is kind of bizarre how I-70 just dead ends with a stop light, before you

enter the turnpike. I normally get on Rt. 30 West to I-99 North, and then pick up Rt. 22 and 422 when I head out to Western PA. I avoid the turnpike at all cost.

[Strong Atheist]

76. They did it deliberately so you would have to consider stopping/spending

money in that tourist trap...

[madinmaryland]

85. Interestingly, my dad traveled through that area extensively

in the late 40's and 50's and though the turnpike did run though there, there was really nothing there, except for the small community of Breezewood.

From what I have seen, all of the turnpike exits have become mega food stops and hotels. Not really any tourist stuff.

[Strong Atheist]

91. Ok. Won't

argue...


:hug:

[Kali]

6. the one closest to me is Tombstone

It is possible to have fun there, but it runs more to ridicule and sarcasm in style.

[Ptah]

13. I like the fueding acting companies.

[Kali]

16. the stagecoach ride is amusing

with the mic'd/amplified tourist spiel, speaker inside, driver rambling on up top - complete with an announcement to tip the driver :rofl:

[Ptah]

19. Boot Hill is a good campy gag!

:applause:

[Kali]

22. and it's free!

[fishwax]

14. I remember when my grandparents went to Tombstone when I was a kid--I was jealous

they were non-plussed :) Probably the best thing about their visit to Tombstone was enjoying my excitement when they told me about it.

I'd still like to go there, though -- I'm sure I could enjoy the ridicule and sarcasm angle you speak of :)

[Kali]

39. I get stuck taking visitors there sometimes

Not sure if they are still doing it but there is a "pizza" place (do NOT order the pizza) that has a little side room running old westerns projected onto a white wall. I sat there with a friend and watched a Jimmy Stewart (Cochise?) movie one day and had a blast! Its also fun to sit and watch the tourists AND the costumed locals - they are all funny.

If only somebody would serve decent food - just one place is all I ask...

[begin_within]

9. Las Vegas

I read some of the travel sites where people ask for travel advice. I can't believe how many people travel from overseas have Las Vegas on their list of places they want to spend time. Even people from within the U.S. who should know better include Las Vegas on their itinerary. As far as I am concerned, Las Vegas is nothing more than a giant machine designed to suck all the money out of you as quickly as possible. Plus it's unbearably hot in the summer and can be pretty chilly in the winter. The only good thing about Las Vegas is that it's relatively close to some great parks that are worth going to, such as Yosemite, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon.

[Kali]

11. but it makes such a great contrast to all that desert and nature and stuff

it is worth a day/24 hour stop.

[begin_within]

15. Actually I think the Las Vegas of the 1960s was pretty cool...

...even though I was there only one time and was only 8 years old, we stopped there to eat lunch at the Dunes. I'm pretty sure the marquee at the Dunes said Dean Martin, but I didn't know who he was at that time. Back in those days it had kind of a style of its own, with lots of space, nothing seemed crowded together. Nowadays it seems like a garish, overblown, third-rate adult Disneyland crossed with Times Square, all thrown together, it just seems gaudy to me rather than stylish.

[Kali]

17. oh yeah I'm sure it was cooler then

hell, Gallup NM was too!

[begin_within]

21. I think Gallup is cool now.

Or more accurately, when I went through there in 1997. But I guess I'm easily amused.

[Kali]

24. i was there a couple years ago - stayed at the El Rancho

also stayed at another old timer further east on the strip

the bummer is all the "Indian" jewelry places are owned by Saudis now and half the crap is made in china.

[GCP]

80. Las Vegas is the real armpit of America

Seen in the daylight you get the full effect of the tawdriness and tackiness. Styrofoam concoctions trying to look like the Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, St Mark's in Venice, gondolas floating around on chlorinated canals, all piled on top of each other. It's like an insane amusement park - hell there's even a rollercoaster in front of the "Statue of Liberty". And simmering under all of it is a sense of lives on the edge, and the knowledge that everybody who works or lives there is trying to relieve you of your money.
None of the movies set in Vegas (except for maybe Leaving Las Vegas), actually show it in the daylight, and none of them give you any idea of the sheer mind-numbing noise inside a casino. Bells, electronics beeping, it's a cacophony.
The only reason I was there was to join my husband who was on a business trip, see the "Love" show, then leave for Flagstaff, which was a great place to meet my son and daughter-in-law for a few days vacation.

[Taverner]

100. [phone]!!!!

I am going to Vegas in a week - not looking forward to it or the overpriced crappy food.

Basically, I will find a Blockbuster and catch up on movies I haven't seen.

Fuck Vegas

[pitohui]

105. double post oops NT

NT

[pitohui]

106. are you really that afraid of having your own adventures?

i'll freely admit i haven't seen a movie since "sicko," and frankly if you can't have a real adventure in vegas instead of watching somebody else's, you need to look at yourself and figure out what's going on

you get one life on this planet and watching nick cage live it isn't the way to go...

live a little, for chrissake

put down the blockbuster, put down the teevee set, and get off your ass and get on the street, just once, if i can do it as a supposed high functioning autistic why can't you?

[Taverner]

107. Problem #1 - Cigarette smoke

Every time I wander around the strip, its always through clouds of fresh and stale cig smoke. By the time I'm done, I'm usually having an asthma attack

Problem #2 - crowds. I hate walking in crowds, having to wait in line for something as basic as going the toilet.

Problem #3 - Noise. That city is too noisy.

Problem #4 - The price. Everything there is way overpriced. A friggen bottle of water cost $5 at the Venetian. WTF???

[pitohui]

112. well, you just need to get out more, for starters, water is free or $1 tip, not $5

all cities have smoke, crowds, and noise, that's why they're called cities

saying you have asthma and can't be in a city is sad, but it doesn't make vegas in particular a tourist trap

as far as price, vegas is known the world over for its cheap/bargain/free prices, if someone sold you $5 bottle of water at venetian, then yes you were scammed and i'm sorry, but again, you need to get out more, the going price for water from either a hustler or a cocktail waitress is $1 and at that the tip is optional for the cocktail waitress (although i would personally never stiff my waitress)

prices in vegas are remarkably low and you can get what you need for free or even be paid to take it away, just learn how to play better, some of this information was first published in 1960 so it's kinda your own fault if you overpay

also if you're really severely affected by cigarette smoke, just learn poker, the poker rooms are smoke free and again they'll bring you the water for free, unless you're an idiot and INSIST that it has to be the special snooty fiji water instead of the free brand of the day

[Taverner]

115. Let me add I hate gambling

I don't mind their burlesque joints - except they cost 2x more than the ones in SF

Don't get me wrong - I think Vegas is the worst place in the world for me.

It may be the worlds best place for you.

[Systematic Chaos]

156. Where the hell can you still successfully count cards in this town?

(Assuming that is what you do, anyway....)

I'm glad you're still able to profit steadily from playing. I gave it up after the 6:5 single decks and automatic, infinite shufflers came out a few years back.

[Liberal_in_LA]

108. +1 more

[begin_within]

123. Maybe you could make a trip to Zion NP, Red Rock SP or Valley of Fire SP.

All 3 not that far from Vegas and all 3 worth seeing.

[pitohui]

104. jesus people you sound like a real fun crowd, las vegas is nothing if not the real america

a tourist trap is something dishonest and fake, it's there to relieve you of your $50

vegas is real, and it can relieve you of a lifetime of earnings or (in my humble case) it can provide you with substantial earnings that you couldn't otherwise get in any legal fashion

people who lose in vegas (and it's admittedly the overwhelming majority) choose to lose for reasons best known to themselves, it is possible to educate yourself and profit, either way, there is nothing "tourist trappy" about the real lives of noisy desperation, it's as real as it gets

you don't know america if you don't know vegas, it's an essential stop for any foreigner certainly

[Taverner]

117. Enjoy it then!

I just consider it overpriced and does not deliver much on the dollar...

Take roller coasters for example. I love em - so I should love Vegas right?

New York Roller Coaster. 1 ride. $20.

Six Flags, Vallejo. Unlimited rides. $25.

Which is the better deal?

Also consider the coaster at NY is jarring, not smooth at all, and it seems rickety.

Take any coaster at 6flags. Smooth, crazy and fun.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

170. I'm with you, Taverner!

As in the composer??

I can't stand to be around smokers either. I get sick. Gambling does nothing for me.

I know lots of people who see no reason to bother with Vegas.

I thought Nassau was boring. Beautiful beaches, but I don't scuba dive. I don't tan either; I freckle and burn. They had just built a new casino (Cable Beach). The shopping was mostly straw hats made by little old ladies. Yawnnn.....

[begin_within]

126. I thought the film "Lost in America" (1985) illustrated the whole Vegas scheme to a T.

The movie ended to soon, it seemed like only half of a story, but the Vegas part of it captured the whole Vegas racket in a nutshell.

[Drunken Irishman]

163. Wendover is so much cheaper, anyway.

[begin_within]

20. Salton Sea is the most disappointing place I've ever been to.

And to think at one time it was sort of a "playground" for Hollywood, but that was long ago. And real estate developers once thought it would be a boom town, like another Palm Springs but with a huge lake. They planned cities and put in many roads in places like Salton City, Desert Shores, and Salton Sea Beach, but if you go there now you see tons of roads that go nowhere, whole neighborhoods with only scattered houses here and there. It was a complete bust. It's extremely hot there for half of the year, and the Salton Sea itself is polluted and dead fish wash up on shore regularly. It has a bad smell from the algae. It's an environmental disaster and it's going go cost billions to clean it up. I was extremely disappointed when I finally made it there about 20 years ago and I think it's no better today.

[fishwax]

41. beaches like this would make resorts a pretty tough go, I would think

:scared:



I've never been there myself, but I've always thought that the images I've scene--not like the ones above, but the ones of the vacant motels, abandoned trailers, and decaying infrastructure had a certain haunting beauty, particularly in contrast with the glamorous
heyday of decades past ...

[begin_within]

83. The second picture is at Bombay Beach, on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea

and something like 300 to 350 people call Bombay Beach home, according to the last census...

[XemaSab]

56. If you're into birds, the area is pretty cool

but yeah, I was pretty shocked and grossed out the first time I went there.

[rucky]

109. That's kinda why you go.

it's a certain kind of tourism. grim but interesting.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

122. The Arroyo Tapiado mud caves

are located in that area. Lots of hikers go there to explore them. They were not carved in gypsum or limestone nor the result of flowing lava. They occurred when fast-moving groundwater worked its way through a deep layer of hardened silt and are some of the world's most interesting examples of mud caves. One of them has passages of over 1,000 feet and ceilings over 80 feet tall.

[begin_within]

127. Thanks

I'd never even heard of them until this.

[hunter]

130. The New River.

I once met a guy who fished it. Don't know if he's still alive.

If you want to see something awful, check this out:

Toxic River Becomes Path To USA

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/NewRToxicPathtoUSA.html

[begin_within]

131. Fished it?!?!

Did he know about it? I've driven on Interstate 8 many times over the bridge that goes over it, but never stopped or even slowed down - didn't want to inhale anything.

[flvegan]

23. "South of the Border"

That place sucks unless you're looking for porn and fireworks.

I love Plymouth Rock. Not for the chunk of stone representing where the Pilgrims landed but for the local area.

[Kali]

25. you are probably just talking about THE border

south of the border is NOTHING like the border.

[flvegan]

26. This is the place

http://www.thesouthoftheborder.com/

[Kali]

29. d'oh

I kind of wondered - that was sort of well... you can tell what I thought by the reply - sorry.

[flvegan]

31. Yeah, I didn't know how to better explain the place.

But I could tell what you were thinking, and figured a link to that godawful place would explain my opinion perfectly.

[Kali]

36. looks like it has potential

but oddly, it doesn't seem cheesy ENOUGH:crazy:

[flvegan]

38. What's horrid, is that driving either north or south on I95

Around 200 miles away from this black hole of suckitude, you start seeing billboards advertising the place. They seem comical, featuring this Pedro fella cracking jokes in incredibly bad (and probably somewhat racist) Spanish/English concoction. So you're really looking forward to checking this place out...but then you get there.

[mitchum]

71. "You never sausage such a place!"

[Arugula Latte]

111. There are bazillions of "South of the Border" bumperstickers in the mid-Atlantic area, too

or at least there were when I lived in DC in the early 90s.

[northzax]

54. Oh don't you be talking bad about South of the Border, now

Now you want to talk overrated place with lots of billboards, I nominate Wall Drug.

[LeftyMom]

30. I thought you meant the chain "mexican" food place.

Scare quotes because, like most chain places, the food is about as Mexican as I am.

I'm not familiar with the tourist trap, but the website says it's somewhere in the southeast, which pretty much automatically means it must suck.

[XemaSab]

57. It's right south of the North Carolina border

:P

[fishwax]

34. Isn't that kind of the Wall Drug of the southeast?

No porn at Wall Drug, though :rofl:

I've heard of South of the Border, but never been there.

[grasswire]

60. I love Plymouth, too.

And I enjoyed Plimoth Plantation as well. I have Mayflower ancestors, and it is mighty thrilling to stand where they stood, in that area. I sat and looked out to sea and tried to imagine coming to the New World as a girl (as my ancestor Elizabeth Tilley did). Wow. One of the great adventures in human history.

[flvegan]

61. I spent my childhood in Plymouth

and also had ancestors on the Mayflower. I love that whole area. Still has that very "ye olde" feel to it to this day.

[grasswire]

62. maybe we are cousins

One time I was there on a blustery fall day and complaining about the rain and then I remembered that so many Pilgrims were killed by complications of cold weather. That shut me up, pronto.

Where do you eat in the Plymouth area? I've had clams at the harborfront, but never looked for a good restaurant.

[flvegan]

65. It's been a while, but for seafood head to the bridge to Quintels.

I like Ernie's for pizza, though. Oh, the best best best pizza in the world.

[mitchum]

70. Hey, I'm swilling coffee from my South of the Border mug at this very moment!

Pedro sez: You are absolutely correct

[Tommy_Carcetti]

97. I've got one of those too.

My favorite coffee mug, courtesy of my sister.

[mitchum]

103. Excellent (you have great bad taste)...

:)
I'm also very fond of my sombrero-shaped South of the Border ashtray

[MorningGlow]

79. That's my vote

Even worse, my friends and I were driving nonstop back to the northeast from spring break in Florida, so we ended up arriving at South of the Border at dawn. Those lurid lights contrasted with the sunrise...after a night of no sleep trapped in a car that smelled vaguely of cat barf (don't ask)...:scared:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

96. I have a love/hate relationship with South of the Border.

On the one hand, it is the epitome of a tacky god-foresaken tourist trap, and it's quite racist/stereotyped against Mexicans in its premise.

On the other hand, it is intrinsically a part of my childhood and our family vacations from Maryland to Florida. Me and my sisters would always demand a stopover at South of the Border and and do a quick gift shop browse just because, well, it was there.

[appal_jack]

99. I still feel guilty about it...

I still feel guilty about demanding that we stop there on a family road trip down I-95 from NYC to Florida. The hotel was so nasty, the food so mediocre, and the whole vibe such a downer... and I could tell all this at the age of seven or so (an impressionable young age, when one can read the billboards, yet not muster the adequate level of skepticism).

OTOH, my South of the Border experience with the family may have helped engender the health skepticism of corporate claims that has steered me right for most of my life since then, so maybe I owe ol' Pedro a 'thanks.'

-app

[mitchum]

101. This may help with the guilt...

the founder of South of the Border (who just passed away a few years ago) was a lifelong Dem who gave lots of $$$ to the party.

[appal_jack]

118. oh, cool!

This assuages the guilt considerably.

:D

-app

[mitchum]

120. Good!

He also bought and revived the Blenheim Ginger Ale brand :)

[RubyDuby in GA]

132. This was the first thing I thought of when I read the post title

I think I would rather pick my own eyelashes out one by one than ever even drive past it again!

[LynneSin]

146. The only good thing about South of the Border are the signs along 95

They keep you entertained trying to find them all. Other than that there is no reason for anyone wanting to stop at "South of the Border" unless they are in dire need of cheap tacky knickknacks.

[CatholicEdHead]

28. Wall Drug, South Dakota

You see billboards for hundreds of miles and it ends up not living up to the hype.

[fishwax]

37. But they have free ice water!

:rofl:

And jackalopes!

[Kali]

40. oh I like that!

[carlyhippy]

143. LOL I have always wondered if this place was any good, there are signs all up north for hundreds

of miles every direction for Wall Drug.

[LeftyMom]

32. People actually look forward to visiting Fisherman's Wharf?

:wtf:

[LSK]

33. yes because if your from Kansas or somewhere boring, its exciting

[LeftyMom]

35. It's just a shopping area with a greater-than-normal number of panhandlers and Japanese tourists.

At least Pier 39 has the sea lions.

[WCGreen]

50. And Mimes, don't forget the mimes

[Capn Sunshine]

51. I LOVE the Wharf

maybe it's because of my memories, but I actually dig the crab stands down in the actual wharf. Buy a crab and a hot loaf of sourdough...mmm.mmmm.mmmm.

Plus, there's a restaurant down there, Scoma's, that I take los turistas to. Great place. The cable car turnaround is there too, and that cheesy Ripley's museum, plus tatoo parlors and scuzzy hustlers, what's not to like?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

171. I remember Jack London Square as being touristy from decades ago. n/t

But San Francisco has tons of cool stuff.

If you're a seamstress, Britex is AMAZING. Right off Union Square.

[GOPisEvil]

42. I agree with The Alamo.

I mean, you HAVE to see it; just because. But the overall experience is rather...meh. :shrug:

It does look nice at night all lit up however.

[grasswire]

63. the good thing about the Alamo for me...

...is that it is just steps from my favorite jazz club in the Hyatt on the Riverfront.

[carlyhippy]

144. we didn't go in, but from the outside it didn't look as big or majestic as I thought it would be

the ride on the river around town was more fun.

[peekaloo]

145. Being a rube I passed it twice before it was pointed out to me.

I also got shushed once we went inside. Didn't want to disturb the dead people I guess. :shrug:

Now the Menger Hotel (bar), that's another story. :D

[MajorChode]

167. I'm not sure it's overrated

Who is over rating it? Unless you're talking about the Billy Bob Thornton movie (which sucked) or the 60's John Wayne movie.

If you're not a Texan and/or you're not up on the history of the place, it's perhaps less interesting. However, there's still plenty more to see within walking distance so you can't really compare it to something like Mt Rushmore.

[bridgit]

43. The Madonna Inn & Solvang for two

http://www.solvangusa.com/listings/index.cfm?catid=3


http://www.madonnainn.com

[petronius]

44. Woah! Back off! The Madonna actually has very good food (as long as you tune out

the super-creepy ceiling doll). And I got some tasty cookies in Solvang once...

:)

[bridgit]

45. For kitschy food locales it has to be So. Lake Tahoe Heidi's & Pea Soup Anderson's

[XemaSab]

58. Solvang sucks

n/t

[bridgit]

153. mui suckage n/t

[FloridaJudy]

129. Come on: you gotta visit the Madonna Inn at least once

Just to check out the bathrooms! They're probably the most wonderfully weird public loos on the continent, and taking a whiz is free. Customers will even arrange it so ladies can take a quick peek in the gents and vice-versa "Hi. I'd like my mother/wife/daughter/girlfriend to see this, so can you guys hold back for just a second? Thank you".

[bridgit]

154. hahahaha, you got it!

:rofl:

[JCMach1]

46. Dubai in Summer!

The only place bearable is the mall... which is a slippery slope...

[JCMach1]

66. Oops! U.S.-

:lol:

[TokenQueer]

47. I live in Williamsburg, VA (yes, that Colonial Williamsburg).

Don't get me wrong. Colonial Williamsburg proper, should not be missed...as well as Yorktown and Jamestown to complete the experience (what the locals call the Historic Triangle).

http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/

However, please feel free to omit this oddity. Presidents Park allows you to "walk among the presidents"...the 18ft busts of presidents that is. All 42 of 'em? Surreal...

http://www.presidentspark.org/index.html

On edit: forgot links :dunce:

[grasswire]

59. I love Williamsburg and Yorktown

Some of the best times of my life have been in Colonial Williamsburg. With family, and with SO. I just love it. Many happy memories of good times there.

And Yorktown? What a beautiful spot. Is that restaurant still there, by the bridge to Gloucester? Nick's Seafood Pavilion? The food was spectacular. The decor? Well, you know what I mean.

I envy you!!

[TokenQueer]

77. You mean this Nick's Seafood Pavilion?

http://www.pbase.com/airlinerphotos/image/21276281

Sadly, it closed and the building demolished after the owners' deaths. Riverwalk Landing was erected in it's place...

http://www.riverwalklanding.com/

[grasswire]

92. ah, Ben and Jerry's has replaced Nick's.

Sad. Just another strip mall now.

[WCGreen]

48. Driving down Lombard Street stoned out of my mind on great dope

was much more fun than Fisherman's Warf...

[Capn Sunshine]

52. I usually do one, right after the other

:hippie:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

69. Walking on Fisherman's Wharf stoned out of my mind on great dope

that's the ONLY way to visit Fisherman's Wharf.

:hi:

[PJPhreak]

53. Pigeon Forge Tennensee

The traffic on U.S.441 is like the 405 at 5:00 pm.

Stores full of some of the most scholkey stuff ever.(The "As Seen on T.V" Store as an example)

Dollywood? Ummmm....

Thats enough for me,lol

[RebelOne]

141. I've been to Pigeon Forge many times.

Mainly because I love the Smokies. And there is great shopping in Seiverville at the outlet malls. I have been to Dollywood just once and that was enough for me.

[jakefrep]

158. The schlocky stuff is all I remember about Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg

Granted, I was 7 years old. Maybe I'll go back sometime to check out the mountains.

[northzax]

55. Two words: Wall Drug

Few places are worth 300 miles of hype, and Wall Drug ain't one of them. Now the Corn Palace, on the other hand...

[csziggy]

64. Disney World - all of the Orlando area

Hell, just make it the entire state of Florida.

Edited to add - I've lived in Florida all my life so I can say shit like that!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

94. You obviously don't get out enough.

Florida has so many great, non-touristy type attractions.

That being said, I'm with you 1000% on Disney World.

[csziggy]

135. The original question was about "Most Over-Rated Tourist Traps"

But I went too extreme saying the entire state. I was born here, lived for the first third of my life a few miles from Cypress Gardens, Busch Gardens and all the places that were considered the middle of the state attractions "back in the day". We visited many of the other old time attractions when relatives from out of state visited, including the seashore and lake beaches.

Yes, Florida does have some nice places to go. Bok Tower for a tourist place that is not over rated - in fact it is barely known any more. The Gardens at Cypress Gardens were amazing before they added all the crap and then went out of business.

My favorite places to go are places such as the Merritt Island, Ding Darling, St. Marks, and any number of other great National Wildlife Refuges. We do a lot of bird watching and those are top of my list - after our own farm, that is.

Lots of the state parks are great. The places along the Great Florida Birding Trail (http://www.floridabirdingtrail.com) are neat and include a wide variety of locations for spotting additional bird species.

But "attractions" generally leave me sorry I wasted the money and time. We did enjoy a behind the scenes tour of the animal part of Busch Gardens in Tampa which was a gift from my parents. The rest of it was not that interesting. I would never have spent that kind of money myself - for what my parents spent for that one day, we could have stayed in a motel, spent several days doing quiet bird and wildlife watching and had nice meals out.

I'm not into crowds, noise, theme parks, rides, or artificial crap. My idea of a great day is to spend it watching the birds and wildlife on our own farm, so it is hard to convince me to go to any of the tourist traps.

[baldguy]

67. I'm surprised no one said Niagara Falls.

All the really interesting stuff is in Canada.

[MorningGlow]

81. Last time I was there, the American side smelled reaaaalllyyyy bad

So on the spur of the moment we hotfooted it over to the Canadian side and had a much better time. Of course, that was back in the days when you COULD go to the Canadian side on the spur of the moment without having to bring seven forms of I.D., a DNA sample, a vial of blood, and your firstborn son.

[DrZeeLit]

134. I didn't see your post. I just posted mine -- same thing -- US side of Niagra Falls sucks.

Like I said below... it's dirty and yucky and commercial.

[mitchum]

72. I can't believe no one has said Times Square

as it is today

[trof]

73. Nobody said Branson, MO?

Gets my vote, although I've never been there.
Just hearing about it is enough.
Home for over-the-hill performers.

[Wapsie B]

78. That goes at the top of my list.

Over-the-hill performers and fundies galore. Once was definitely enough.
Wisconsin Dells is on my list too but for different reasons.

[hippywife]

90. Top of my list and

ditto everything you said. Wouldn't go near the place if it was the only place left to hear music in the world. I can hum, even if I can't sing. :rofl:

:hi:

[MajorChode]

168. It's kind of like Disney World for old people

You haven't missed much by not going. It's lots of blue haired old ladies riding around in duck boats and busses waving at everyone. I don't think they even know where they are or why, but they have a big shit eating grin on their face so it can't all be bad.

[LibDemAlways]

82. Hollywood. I live in LA and feel sorry for the throngs that

mill around the corner of Hollywood and Highland or take the double decker bus tour where there's really nothing to see. The whole experience is depressing as hell.

[begin_within]

84. So many tourists from outside the US seem to think that they can go to

Hollywood and Malibu and see movie stars. Or if they get one of those maps to stars' homes, or take one of the stars' homes tours, they are going to see at least one star. Maybe they might catch a glimpse of some over-the-hill and overweight actor who was in a 1980s sitcom, but he's probably not going to be friendly. And Malibu is just plain boring, in my opinion.

[LibDemAlways]

86. I live 20 minutes from Malibu just over the mountains and

agree completely. Malibu is highly overrated. A bunch of non-descript beach house garages fronting PCH or imposing iron gates warding the public off. Anyone who shows up there or in Hollywood hoping to see a movie star is going to be highly disappointed. I've lived in this area 30 years and can count on one hand the number of celebs I've encountered.

[begin_within]

87. Who? Who!

and where would be a good place to see them!
I always tell people hoping to see a celebrity to get tickets to a TV show such as the Tonight Show or Jimmy Kimmmel or something like that. Then they're likely to see at least one D-lister.

[LibDemAlways]

89. Last celeb I saw was David Duchovny at the Malibu yogurt shop. However,

I've been there many other times and never saw any other familiar faces. You're right. People who want a guaranteed celeb sighting really should get tickets for a tv show taping.

[AngryAmish]

93. I thought the basement of the Alamo was pretty cool

[Tommy_Carcetti]

95. Walt Disney World

So many terrific, drop-dead beautiful places to see in the State of Florida, yet the one "attraction" that everyone associates with Florida is a manufactured, overpriced, overcrowded tourist trap that has absolutely nothing to do with authentic Floridian culture or scenery, and what only served to turn hundreds of square miles of pristine Central Florida scenery into ugly, crowded tourist driven urban sprawl.

[TheMightyFavog]

98. Most of the Wisconsin Dells

With the exception of the H.H. Bennett Studios (a real poineer of photography) and the actual rock formations on the river. Those are really cool.

Although, be it a tourist trap, the lumberjack breakfast at Paul Bunyan's Restaurant sticks with you all day to the point where you don't NEED to eat lunch.

[dembotoz]

102. kinda like the dells

it is the land of waterparks and it does that rather well.

What i do rather like about the dells is that more and more of it is open during
winter.

Great place for hockey tornements.

[Skittles]

124. I loved the Dells as a child

wonderful memories

[madrchsod]

147. the downtown is worthless....

the river is great and a couple of the waterpark resorts are good. the real gems of the area are the state parks.

i`ve dumped thousands of dollars at the dells for over ten years and i enjoyed every year.

[PVnRT]

172. My wife made mad crazy tips as a bartender at The Wilderness

Other than that, yeah, it pretty well sucks. I prefer Devil's Lake for something to do in that area, especially when the trout are flying out of the water.

[rucky]

110. Hollywood Blvd.

and pretty much all of Orland, FL.

[KamaAina]

113. Aw, c'mon. Grab a Big Ass Beer on Bourbon, then cruise the side streets.

Similarly, at the Wharf, head for Pier 39. The seals alone are worth it, plus you can catch a streetcar back to Market instead of the jampacked cable cars.

[Skittles]

125. I did just that last month in NO

I loved it - I found Bourbon Street and the surrounding area campy and fun (although lord was the humidity awful)

[KamaAina]

137. Did you KICK NAGIN'S ASS?

You should have... :P

[ChoralScholar]

114. I can't believe they left out..... well... anything in Branson.

If you've ever been down I-44 from St. Louis to Tulsa, there's about a zillion of these signs.

[Call Me Wesley]

116. Area 51.

Just believe me.

[dembotoz]

119. warehouse 13 is pretty cool

[Call Me Wesley]

121. Never saw it, looks interesting, though.

Thanks for the tip! :hi: I'm more of a Slaughterhouse 5 guy, see my sigline. ;)

[gmoney]

128. A little disappointed about Falling Water's photo policy

Basically, you can take pictures, but you can't post them online, not even your blog, according to the paperwork. You also can't sell or publish them in any way, shape form. I'm guessing they wouldn't make a fuss about camera phone pix, but I was hoping to take real photos. I guess it's a similar policy to some art museums...

Of course, August at mid-day is a lousy time to try to shoot it, too, but the policy bugged me. Guess you gotta buy the $50 coffee table book in the gift shop.

[DrZeeLit]

133. The US side of Niagra Falls.

Yes, the falls are fascinating.
But...yuck... the streets and environs are dirty and commercial and disgusting.

Canadian side? Clean and beautiful.

[fishwax]

136. I guess I was fortunate

I went there in March one year, and apparently all the dirt and grime was buried under several feet of snow and ice :rofl:

[slampoet]

138. The entire state of Florida.

[RebelOne]

142. I'll agree with that. Especially South Florida.

I lived there most of my life before I finally wised up and moved here to the Atlanta area. I call the Miami area the "hellhole of the South."

[Tommy_Carcetti]

149. Let me guess. You never left International Drive, right?

[SteppingRazor]

155. Where do you get off posting that disgusting crap?

Florida -- the entire state, from the Keys to the panhandle -- is one gigantic hellhole. There are no exceptions.

(Do I really need the sarcasm tag?)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

157. Tell me about it.

Anyone with a brain will tell you that the average Floridian is someone spends his or her time standing in line for Space Mountain, and is a crazy spaced out geriatric who can't vote. :P

[XemaSab]

159. +1

The Keys and Tortugas were nice, and Sanibel was aight, but the rest of the state?

It's like driving through teh valley.

[sasquatch]

166. +2

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

140. Carhenge - making Nebraska a destination

http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/studyfiles/travelnebraska/scannable/carhenge.html

An inspirational site for Druidic gearheads.
:hi:

[Deep13]

148. I was in Plymouth a week and a half ago.

I saw the Plimoth Plantation and the approximate recreation of the Mayflower. We drove right past Plymouth Rock.

[seabeyond]

150. we did too. went to the mayflower, the indian/pilgram area (excellent)

and drove past and giggled at plymouth rock. i really enjoyed the town of plymouth though. pretty coastal town adn well worth the visit. and the two sites we did go to, we really liked and glad we did those

[Lydia Leftcoast]

152. 1. The Disney complex in Orlando 2. The Mall of America

1. I was in Orlando for a convention that took place in a hotel on the edge of Downtown Disney. Everything in that complex was either overtly Disney or contained Disney-themed souvenir junk to sell or advertised other Disney-themed or Disney-owned attractions. It was a Disney total information environment. :puke:

2. The Mall of America: OK, it's not exactly a tourist trap, because local teenager hang out in it, but the mind boggles that people fly in from all over the world to spend two or three days at a shopping mall, and a rather dark and depressing one at that.

[Bucky]

160. Mount Vernon, sad to say.

I love Mount Vernon, but all those damn people crowding through is just ruining it. They should only let in smart people and those with the physical stamina it takes to chop down a cherry tree.

[kwassa]

161. Disneyland and Disneyworld, hate 'em both.

[TrogL]

162. Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Dreary ghost-town. Come over to the Canadian side.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

164. The entire Texas Gulf Coast, and especially Galveston.

People go to Galveston to that dirty brown beach and the dirty brown water, and think they are going to a real beach.

They don't know any better.

I don't think of Galveston as much of a resort b/c of the dirty beach.

For a real beach, give me the Pacific coast of Mexico at Ixtapa.

[JackDragna]

165. The Empire State Building

You get run through the gauntlet of cheap souvenir stories, sales pitches to buy audio guides, etc. The view is nice, but I think I actually like the view from Rockefeller Center better.

[MajorChode]

169. The Liberty Bell