# Most disappointing travel destination or tourist attraction \[Edited thread title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581 "2011-03-05T15:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/81 "2011-03-07T19:53:26Z")
> [@Shamozzle](#): > > You are advising people to skip Rome? > > šŸ˜• Probably should have said I would skip Rome on my next trip to Italy, having been there already. Yes, itā€™s worth going to and there are some great things to see. But I was disappointed with some of it, and my experience was that Florence was a much more interesting place. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/82 "2011-03-07T20:06:55Z")
> [@A.Gwilliam](#): > > I think thatā€™s how the place struck me the first time I went there. But on subsequent visits, Iā€™ve come to like the place more. I may even end up loving it: I like the distinct feel to the various areas, and I love that thereā€™s all that nature right at its back door. > > Seattle, on the other handā€¦! Yes, Seattle _sucks_. It rains too much, and everyone there is a heroin addict. None of you would like it, and you should spread the word about how horrible of a place it is. Remember: _do not move to Seattle_. It _sucks_. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/83 "2011-03-07T20:07:52Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > Yes, Seattle _sucks_. It rains too much, and everyone there is a heroin addict. None of you would like it, and you should spread the word about how horrible of a place it is. Remember: _do not move to Seattle_. It _sucks_. That joke was funnier when people were doing it about Portland. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/84 "2011-03-07T20:10:12Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > That joke was funnier when people were doing it about Portland. (1) Itā€™s not a joke. Itā€™s a real ploy. (2) Seattleites did it first. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/85 "2011-03-07T20:15:51Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Iā€™m reasonably sure that I didnā€™t need to hop on the train from Nice to Niceā€¦ did you mean Monaco? Neither Monaco nor Cannes are places I have the slightest interest in seeing, sorry. Sorry, yes, I meant Monaco. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/86 "2011-03-07T20:28:23Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > Seeing the \*\* Mona Lisa\*\*, is really not that much more exciting than seeing \*\*Plymouth Rock. \*\* ā€¦In the same vein - less of a tourist destination than a destination for the curiousā€¦Sutters Mill, the spot where gold was discovered in California. There are some buildings nearby with historical artifacts, but the actual physical spot is nothing. There is a short walking path, a little sign pointing, and the bank of a river. Thatā€™s it. You could wade in, take a piss, grab a handful of mud, etc., and no one would be the wiser. ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/87 "2011-03-07T20:29:11Z")
Graceland. Donā€™t go to Memphis just to see Graceland. Itā€™s small, tacky and crowded and (at least when I was there many years ago) they didnā€™t let you see the personal areas of the house (people were still living there). The whole area near it was tacky and a bit creepy. And Paul Simon even wrote a song about going to see it! Tsk. Memphis was wonderful - fountains and Beale Street and Mud Island and hotels with ducks - but Graceland? Feh. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/88 "2011-03-07T21:10:57Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Cancun. I went there when I was fifteen and not exactly a sophisticated traveler and I still found it unbelievably boring. What I discovered from some pamphlet in the hotel was that in 1972, the Mexican government fed a bunch of data into a computer to figure out the best place to built a tourist resort and it spit out CANCUN. So they built this ginormous tourist area on what had previous been a tiny fishing village. > > And thatā€™s all Cancun is. Hotels. Thereā€™s nothing to see, nothing to do. The beach is very nice, but Iā€™m not really a beach person and can only lie around on the beach for a couple hours before I get bored. I can lie around at home! I just donā€™t get going to another country to do it. The restaurants are a bunch of fast food chains, thereā€™s no interesting cityscape, there arenā€™t any museums or anything actually worth seeing. The best thing about it is that is relatively NEAR interesting things (like Tulum and Chichen Itza) but you can stay in other places in the area and see them as well. The best vacation I ever had was when we rented a car and drove across the Yucatan. We lived out our fantasies of being modern-day explorers ā€¦ so many great archaeological sites to see along the Puuc route! Off the beaten path, many of 'em get few visitors (Tulum is nice in location but unimpressive, and Chichen Itza, while very impressive, is covered in hordes of tourists - not that one should miss it on that account!). My favorites were places like Uxmal and Kabah - the ā€œTemple of the Masksā€, while not large, is truly awesome. [Kabah (Maya site) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabah_(Maya_site)) ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/89 "2011-03-07T21:28:08Z")
Iā€™ve been to Dublin twice now, and was disappointed both times. It just sounds so lovelyā€“but isnā€™t. The Gaol was interesting, but past that, give me Cork any day. ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/90 "2011-03-07T21:34:56Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > ā€¦In the same vein - less of a tourist destination than a destination for the curiousā€¦Sutters Mill, the spot where gold was discovered in California. There are some buildings nearby with historical artifacts, but the actual physical spot is nothing. There is a short walking path, a little sign pointing, and the bank of a river. Thatā€™s it. You could wade in, take a piss, grab a handful of mud, etc., and no one would be the wiser. Damn, I was sure there was nobody around at the time! :o ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/91 "2011-03-07T21:39:18Z")
When I first moved to San Francisco, the ex and I decided to go check out the Coit Tower; we were having lunch in the area, so, shucks, why not. It smells like pee. We didnā€™t go up to the top. The odor was too strong to wait around for the elevator. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/92 "2011-03-07T21:53:34Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > When I first moved to San Francisco, the ex and I decided to go check out the Coit Tower; ā€¦ It smells like pee. Given what it looks like, I donā€™t find that surprising at all! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/93 "2011-03-07T22:09:21Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > And Iā€™ve never seen so many homeless people in a city before or since, for that matter. Yeah, when I went to San Francisco a few years ago, I was shocked at just how many homeless people there were _everywhere_. And I come from New York City, so the homeless are nothing strange to me! ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/94 "2011-03-07T22:10:53Z")
Well, I donā€™t have to travel there, but ā€¦ Salem, MA. You think ā€œWitch craft trialā€ and ā€œOlde New England village with concentrated quaintness and maybe a stock on the town green.ā€ What you get is a small, congested, somewhat down-at-its-heels city with a lot of extremely tacky witchcraft museums and occult stores. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/95 "2011-03-07T22:42:31Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > The best vacation I ever had was when we rented a car and drove across the Yucatan. We lived out our fantasies of being modern-day explorers ā€¦ so many great archaeological sites to see along the Puuc route! Off the beaten path, many of 'em get few visitors (Tulum is nice in location but unimpressive, and Chichen Itza, while very impressive, is covered in hordes of tourists - not that one should miss it on that account!). > > My favorites were places like Uxmal and Kabah - the ā€œTemple of the Masksā€, while not large, is truly awesome. [Kabah (Maya site) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabah_(Maya_site)) That does sound really cool. Iā€™ve been to the Yucatan four times, but only on family vacations with my parents, which isā€¦less than thrilling. I know Iā€™ve been to Uxmal, but it was when I was a little kid and I donā€™t remember it. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/96 "2011-03-07T22:55:14Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > That does sound really cool. Iā€™ve been to the Yucatan four times, but only on family vacations with my parents, which isā€¦less than thrilling. I know Iā€™ve been to Uxmal, but it was when I was a little kid and I donā€™t remember it. Uxmal is a great site. In general, I love the Puuc style - it is very different from the more generally known lowland Maya style, as it is composed of stone mosaics. Chichen Itza is of course a world-class site, and for sheer religious evil Iā€™ve never seen anything to compare - makes the Aztecs look like wusses. šŸ˜‰ Everywhere you look there are skull platforms and gruesome depictions of human sacrifices - and my favorite relief carvings in the Ball Court: the Maya ball game is depicted being played with a _flaming skull with a mohawk_ as the ball! How cool is that? šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/97 "2011-03-08T01:27:48Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Well, Iā€™m no teetotaler. Iā€™m not trying to imply that drinking is bad. I just find vacations that consist entirely of lying on the beach and having people bring you margaritas to be boring. Just my opinion. (Sheā€™s referring to Cancun.) > [@Malthus](#): > > The best vacation I ever had was when we rented a car and drove across the Yucatan. We lived out our fantasies of being modern-day explorers ā€¦ so many great archaeological sites to see along the Puuc route! Off the beaten path, many of 'em get few visitors (Tulum is nice in location but unimpressive, and Chichen Itza, while very impressive, is covered in hordes of tourists - not that one should miss it on that account!). And to think you can do both of these activities on the same peninsula! I kind of like to do both of these, but depending on what Iā€™m doing. Cancun proper seems kind of busy to me, but there was nothing like lying on the beach doing nothing just a bit to the south in Akumal. The _only_ reason I ventured out to Tulum on that trip was because the weather was rainy. In all, it was one of my best vacations ever. But all the same, I complained a bit earlier about Palenque, because other than the site, I was restless with nothing to do. The whole driving trip through Chiapas (as a whole) was freaking awesome. It was _also_ one of my best vacations ever! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/98 "2011-03-08T01:54:11Z")
Iā€™ve traveled a good bit ā€“ in the Stateā€™s, not internationally ā€“ and I have to say that I rarely if ever find anyplace as nice as home. Of course, I DO live in Vermontā€¦ Agree about Mount Rushmore vs. Crazy Horse. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/99 "2011-03-08T02:23:32Z")
We made the best of Branson, MO. We had no idea what we were getting into. We thought there were casinos and good shows. More like an AARP convention. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FlyingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRat)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581/100 "2011-03-08T03:37:10Z")
I have a couple: - The beach areas in Bali (Kuta, etc.). The beaches are, indeed, gorgeous, but the number of touts, the traffic, and the general press of humanity are a real drag. Go to Ubud, up in the hills, instead-- itā€™s still touristy in places, but itā€™s much more artsy and interesting to wander around (not to mention cooler). - The Mona Lisa. I second the ā€œunderwhelmingā€ assessment. - The Book of Kells, at Trinity College in Dublin (and I feel guilty for even saying this). I fully acknowledge that the Book of Kells is an amazing work of art and justifiably famous, but both times I saw it I was a little let-down by the actual physical _object_. A large part of it was the crush of people in the final room where itā€™s on display (the same problem as with the Mona Lisa) and the fact that you can (necessarily) only see a small portion at a time. I feel more fulfilled by being able to look at high-resolution scans and the like, under good light where you can really see all the detail. I will say that the whole **exhibit** at the Trinity College Library (which I last saw in about 2002, so it may have changed) was well-worth going to for the way it presented the Irish manuscript tradition. Itā€™s just the last room that I wouldnā€™t spend much time in. šŸ™‚ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-travel-destination-or-tourist-attraction-edited-thread-title/573581.md?page=6)