# Have you ever chosen to visit (or avoid visiting) someplace because of a TV show or movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, documentary-bio\ **Created:** [April 30, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703 "2025-04-30T13:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/81 "2025-05-01T18:05:00Z")
**Robin Hood Prince of Thieves** - The water rapids battle scene between Robin and Little John. My parents went to a great deal of effort to get us to that specific England park in the 90’s and it was all lovely. **Last of the Mohicans** - Much of the mountain scenes were filmed in Appalachian Parks I have chosen to walk though. Worth it. **Picture of last helicopter out of Saigon** - I looked for the better part of the day in HCMC to find that exact roof top. I did find it! At least in 2005 it was still there and looks the same. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/82 "2025-05-01T18:16:14Z")
Other way around. Once I visited Chicago. Then, shortly after getting home from that trip, I went to see _When Harry Met Sally,_ and right at the beginning was an establishing shot of the Chicago Water Tower. I exclaimed, “Hey, I was just there!” I live in the Washington, DC, area, and for me it’s home, but for moviemakers, familiar scenes in DC are a great favorite for establishing shots in the movies, so I’m constantly saying, “Hey, I was just there!” ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/83 "2025-05-01T18:22:47Z")
And becasue of the movie Godzilla our team had to make a special trip to the bridge over Tokyo Bay, even though we had no business reason to go there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/84 "2025-05-01T18:31:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > At one time the organization **Road Scholar** _(Clever name, eh? Better than the original name, Elderhostel.)_ Somewhat off topic, but I’ve been the bus driver for a few Road Scholar trips in and around Austin and San Antonio. They’re a fun bunch. I’d recommend them to anyone interested in that sort of trip. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/85 "2025-05-01T18:32:37Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > “Hey, I was just there!” On that note, on my aforementioned trip to SoCal I stayed at the [Safari Inn](https://www.coasthotels.com/safari-inn-a-coast-hotel) in Burbank, a very fun vintage motel. I knew several movies and TV shows had been filmed there. But it was still a surprise when I decided to watch the Apple TV+ series _The Morning Show_ and saw the Safari Inn featured very prominently in a season 1 episode. I’m pretty sure even the interior shots were actual rooms at the motel. On a different note, that episode had the fictional reporters traveling to California to cover a fictional wildfire, but one that sounded eerily similar to the actual recent LA fires which were going on when I watched that episode. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/86 "2025-05-01T18:53:36Z")
For Christmas I was given a ‘London Bond Map’. Fairly self-explanatory, really. Maps out various filming locations from the series, along with a handful of other places like the ‘Lazenby Lamppost’ where George was photographed for a publicity shot. Haven’t gone to check them out yet but it’s on my to-do list. I had always wanted to visit San Francisco and that has to be due to films like Bullitt, Vertigo and The Rock. Got to do it about ten years ago which was a thrill. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/87 "2025-05-01T19:03:04Z")
Am I the only one who wandered the Las Vegas strip drunk in part because of **Leaving Las Vegas**? Or do I just have a problem? ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/88 "2025-05-01T19:44:17Z")
Doune Castle was a must-see stop on Mrs. Martian’s and my ABC tour (Another Bloody Castle tour - we visited 24 castles in two weeks, starting with Tintagel Castle in Cornwall up to Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness). Primary filming location for all castle-related scenes in _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ (except for Castle Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh). Great audio guide narrated by Michael Palin and Terry Jones. The gift shop would lend you a pair of coconut halves upon request. > **[Doune Castle | Monty Python and the Holy Grail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doune_Castle#Monty_Python_and_the_Holy_Grail)** > > The British comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail – a parody of the legends of King Arthur by the Monty Python team – was filmed on location in Scotland in 1974. The film's producers had gained permission from the National Trust for Scotland to film scenes at several of their Scottish castles, as well as the permission of Lord Moray to film at Doune Castle. However, the National Trust later withdrew their permission, leaving the producers with little time to find new locations. Instead, ... ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/89 "2025-05-01T20:16:39Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > I had always wanted to visit San Francisco and that has to be due to films In 1974, I was in Vallejo, CA for some Navy training, and one night, a classmate and I went into San Francisco when they were filming some exteriors for _The Towering Inferno._ But there was just a lot of standing around, so I couldn’t even watch the movie and say “I saw them film that part!” Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/90 "2025-05-01T20:39:01Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > On a different note, that episode had the fictional reporters traveling to California to cover a fictional wildfire, but one that sounded eerily similar to the actual recent LA fires which were going on when I watched that episode. There have been many significant fires in the LA Basin over many years, some of them in the area that was just burned this year, including the Woolsey fire as recently as 2018. The episode may or may not have been inspired by the recent fires. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/91 "2025-05-01T20:43:52Z")
The episode was released years before the recent fires, so clearly it wasn’t. It was just a weird coincidence that that I happened to watch it when the real fires were happening. ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/92 "2025-05-01T21:21:39Z")
Did you see that the famous tree at Sycamore Gap which features in a scene from Robin Hood, was felled a couple of years ago by a pair of vandals, currently on trial for the act in London. > **[Sycamore Gap tree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore_Gap_tree)** > > The Sycamore Gap tree or Robin Hood tree was a 150-year-old sycamore tree next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland, England. It was illegally felled in 2023, but has since sprouted from the stump. Standing in a dramatic dip in the landscape created by glacial meltwater, it was one of the country's most photographed trees and an emblem for the North East of England. It derived its alternative name from featuring in a prominent scene in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.... ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/93 "2025-05-01T21:25:46Z")
Sex Education on Netflix makes Wales look insanely picturesque and I’ve put it on the ol’ bucket list Business travel made it easier to visit lots of places I was “kind of” interested in but probably wouldn’t’ve paid to go to… We went to the Pawn Stars pawnshop and it was… a pawn shop (meaning we didn’t really see anything especially interesting there…) We went to Waco to check out Magnolia town or whatever it’s called and it seemed pretty much like a tourist trap… a “quaint” tourist trap, but overpriced junk all the same. Crazy Rich Asians is obviously a very specific aspect of Singapore, but SG is pretty amazing anyway (except for the heat) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/94 "2025-05-01T21:49:18Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Am I the only one who wandered the Las Vegas strip drunk in part because of **Leaving Las Vegas**? > > Or do I just have a problem? At least, unlike the guy in the movie, you left Las Vegas vertical and breathing. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/95 "2025-05-01T22:05:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > My sister didn’t go to London, England just for this, but she has visited Platform 9 3/4 from the “Harry Potter” series. The one at Universal Theme Park in Orlando (Florida) works better in that you can really pass through and get on a train bound for Hogwarts. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/96 "2025-05-01T22:13:35Z")
In high school, some friends and I traced the route of the car chase in the original _Gone in 60 Seconds_ (1974) - not the geographically incoherent Nicholas Cage version. This was only 6 or 7 years after the film came out, but a lot had changed in the South Bay during that time. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/97 "2025-05-01T22:38:14Z")
That reminds me, when we moved to Fort Worth I went down to see the Water Gardens so I could see where Logan’s Run ended. It’s a pretty cool place, there wasn’t a ton to do nearby, but worth the visit if you liked/have nostalgia about the movie. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/98 "2025-05-01T22:44:31Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Went to Norte Dame in Paris in part because of watching the Humpback of Norte Dame as a kid. Beautiful typo. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/99 "2025-05-01T22:53:18Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > But admittedly I’ve always wanted to know what would happen if I took a “left toin at Albekoikey”. 🤯 You’ll end up very close to my house- if you take a left onto Alameda Blvd. from northbound I-25 and go a few miles. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703/100 "2025-05-01T22:59:56Z")
I used to watch the show, _Picket Fences_, and thought Rome, Wisconsin looked like a nice place to visit. Turns out that fictional town was actually Monrovia, CA, which was only a 40 minute drive away, and still looks pretty much like it did on the show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-chosen-to-visit-or-avoid-visiting-someplace-because-of-a-tv-show-or-movie/1017703.md?page=6)