Plymouth, MA, is a big letdown. First, you have that stupid rock-nobody knows if anybody from the Mayflower actually stepped on it-I guess you have to “take it on faith”-the rock was engraved in 1880 or so…only 260 years after the “maybe” event.
Then you have the replica “Mayflower”-wait in line, pay $8.00…to see…a replica.
Other than that, its a typical tourist own, with the usual overpriced restaurants serving lousy food. You can buy the same knicknacks (made in China) at similar places anywhere. Plimoth Plantation is OK…but very expensive…you can actually participate in a fake “Thanksgiving” feast…with actors pretending to be Mayflower immigrants. If your thing is half raw, half burnt food, with ashes and (probable) dirt mixed in, go for it.
Almost anywhere with tourists is going to be hellish for me. I go to Cancun all the time, because I have family there, but they live downtown, not out in the tourist zone. Downtown Cancun is about as charming as downtown Boise, but with lots better weather. The city is entirely modern and cosmopolitan and could be anywhere. I have no interest in lying on the beach drinking for hours, so visits to Cancun are usually pretty boring for me, except I do enjoy visiting family there.
I had never heard of Timbuktoo being a tourist destination anyway. I always thought it was synonymous with “the ends of the Earth.” I’d go there though, after reading evensven’s description. But she’s a good writer and could probably make Cancun sound fascinating. (Actually there are fascinating things in and around Cancun, but you have to speak Spanish and know some locals to get at them.)
Greece for me. Very very crowded, and the ruins are, well, ruined. Many of the “treasure” are not on display for a myriad of reasons, and it just seemed dirty to me.
Now Turkey, I LOVED Turkey
I work about 20 minutes from Plymouth and have never been there but I hear it is pretty in its own way. Some people seem to eat it up. You would be surprised what some people think is a great tourist destination. One of my best friends recently got a job as a manager at Plymouth foundation and they certainly seem to put a lot of work into making it a great place to visit. I don’t care about the rock in particular but I would like to see the recreation of the Mayflower even if it isn’t completely accurate. No one knows exactly what the real ship looked like but I like all recreations that try hard based on designs of the period.
My nomination is Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I have never understood New Englander’s fascination with their beaches and their willingness to spend huge amounts of money to stay a week 50 miles away from home. It is slightly classier than the Jersey Shore but not by much. You can look at the water but don’t get in for long because the water is freezing even in August and you might be 2 feet over the line on a private beach and get chased off. I can go there any day of the week in less than an hour and it would never occur to me to do such a thing.
I have been forced to go by friends a few times and never could wait to get back home. I always wanted to walk the beaches with signs pointing to the Caribbean or at least North Carolina where the real ones are. I have taken my family day trips to Martha’s Vineyard as well. All of us well traveled. It isn’t exactly terrible but it is extremely overrated and way too high priced compared to really desirable destinations in other parts of the country and around the world. The best I can figure out about Cape Cod and the islands is that really Northeastern rich people used to go there before plane travel was invented and the idea that it is a good place to go has persisted into the present day.
Another vote for Belize, the Mona Lisa & Plymouth Rock. Mona Lisa and Plymouth Rock were just underwhelming, but Belize was filthy and terrifying (and I’ve had awesome experiences in Jamaica, Bahamas, & everywhere else in the Caribbean.
But Rome, San Francisco, Istanbul, Cancun, Athens, Dublin, Vegas, & Miami Fl all rock. And an awesome surprise was Honduras. Not sure what I was expecting, but was stunned at the beautiful beaches, excellent food and drink, and awesome, warm people. Would go there again in a heartbeat.
I have seen Mona Lisa, but it’s impossible for me to have an opinion about her as there were 150 Japanese (at least) tourists between her an me so I didn’t get a close up look.
I first saw the Alamo as a kid. Of course I’d already studied Texas History in school & had even seen Davy Crockett die there, thanks to Walt Disney. But I remember just being amazed by such an ancient building in the middle of a Texas city. There’s a lot more to the mission(& the other missions in San Antonio) than That Battle. (Even as kids, we found the giftshop tacky fun…
We first visited the River Walk before it was revitalized (for HemisFair) but found it charming; highly commercialized & sometimes overcrowded, it retains charm. Thank the San Antonio Conservation Society for the River Walk, the mission parks & other parts of Old San Antonio that remain. But it’s living history–most of the missions are also functioning churches & they keep expanding the River Walk…
Really? It was literally awe inspiring to me, nothing like the post cards.
For me, it was Bourbon Street in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of cool stuff to do in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, but not standing shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of raucous drunks, all who are looking for some place to pee. Especially if you don’t drink.
I did it that once just to mark it off my list.
Lenin’s tomb was a bit of a disappointment for me. I shuffled in line for almost an hour before descending into a dark room that was perhaps 20’ x 20’. Lenin was quite small in stature and looked like a wax figure. Four very large soldiers with guns kept the line moving and ensured that no one spoke or touched the glass case.
At least it was free…
I didn’t have an entry in this until Bourbon Street was mentioned. During the night it was pretty much what I expected: party until late in the evening (i.e. way after 2 am), which was cool because that’s exactly what I did. What no one mentioned was that the party starts early in the morning as well. Waking up to loud blues rock being played outside your door at 10 am is not fun, even if your hotel is right on Bourbon Street!
If you didn’t like Lenin’s tomb, you might want to take a pass on Mao’s mausoleum as well!
And Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi! Although I found him interesting.
Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas had some interesting things to say about Timbuktoo.
And Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi! Although I found him interesting.
Lake Havasu City. I was rather underwhelmed by the bridge there. I’d have thought that, after spending all that money to have it shipped half way across the world and then rebuilt, it might be a bit more interesting. Moving parts maybe…
I saw a newspaper article whinging how many people saw the Mona Lisa and were underwhelmed. Sometimes it is impossible to live up to the hype. But I quite liked the painting. Some people might be disappointed by anything.
Once hiked to Machu Picchu. The three day hike was surprisingly steep and difficult. I love archaeology and was enchanted to arrive at the ruins, and the beautiful views after climbing Huayna Picchu. My companion was unimpressed, which amazed and puzzled me.
Anyway, decided to resurrect an old thread. And old fashioned digging! By Gar, it’s been a while!
Look up TripAdvisor reviews of ANYWHERE famous and most of the 1 star reviews complain about either it’s overcrowded or there’s no free Wi-Fi.
Us locals in the know much prefer Cape Ann. Gloucester, Newburyport, Rockport, Plum Island, Halibut Point. As much great seafood as you can hold.
Since the thread’s been resurrected, I’ll mention the Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College in Dublin (Actually, I see someone already mentioned 13 years ago, but I’ll mention it again).
It’s not the book itself. As a probably more than 1000 year old manuscript, it’s an incredibly important artifact, as well as a beautiful work of art. It’s the experience of seeing the Book of Kells. First you go through some exhibits about the book and its history. Once you’ve had your fill of that, you stand in a long line of people to get into the room to view the book. Once you’re in, you get to see exactly one page, inside a glass case, from behind a velvet rope. And you feel sort of rushed, because there are other people behind you waiting to see it, so you just kind of walk past it with the rest of the conga line of people, and then exit. And you’re not even allowed to take pictures.