# Where do you really want to go sightseeing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059 "2019-08-22T14:49:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/21 "2019-08-23T00:34:08Z")
Northern France, excluding Paris. I’ve been to 25 towns in southern France, but in the north only Paris, Chartres and Giverny. There are lots of other towns in the north, some with amazing cathedrals. But a week wouldn’t be nearly long enough. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/22 "2019-08-23T00:40:28Z")
The 4 corners, and over to southern Utah to take in the Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, the Paria plateau. Cruising the real back roads in my [Earthroamer](https://earthroamer.com/), getting to places void of all people, so the Mrs. and I can relax, hike, stare at the scenery in peace, rejoining civilization only when we want to. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/23 "2019-08-23T00:55:41Z")
New Zealand ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/24 "2019-08-23T03:54:53Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Slovakia. Wanna see where my people come from (I kinda feel like it’s much like western Pennsylvania, where they went to. but with prettier views). If you ever want to pull the trigger, a major branch of my family is still in Osturna and my Dad went over for months at a time before he died. I could set you up with local contacts throughout there and the whole Tetras region. As for me I am torn between the Tanguska area and possibly around China somewhere; no specific town in mind at the moment but maybe one of the areas Dad operated out of during the war. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/25 "2019-08-23T06:25:03Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The 4 corners, and over to southern Utah to take in the Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, the Paria plateau. Cruising the real back roads in my [Earthroamer](https://earthroamer.com/), getting to places void of all people, so the Mrs. and I can relax, hike, stare at the scenery in peace, rejoining civilization only when we want to. Do it, but replace 4 Corners with Horseshoe Canyon. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/26 "2019-08-23T08:00:28Z")
Turkey. Or Greece. I want to see ancient ruins. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/27 "2019-08-23T11:32:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The 4 corners, and over to southern Utah to take in the Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, the Paria plateau. Cruising the real back roads in my [Earthroamer](https://earthroamer.com/), getting to places void of all people, so the Mrs. and I can relax, hike, stare at the scenery in peace, rejoining civilization only when we want to. That machine looks awesome! Can’t tell from your wording if it’s part of the fantasy or if you have one (and haven’t been on the trip yet). Tell us about it if you have one of these, I’m really curious. We’ve done most of the trip you describe, only with a pickup pulling our camper. We used the 4WD on the pickup to travel a lot of jeep trails and visit ghost towns. Being able to get off road adds a whole new dimension to trips like these. You’d be surprised how many abandoned mines are back in those canyons. For the OP’s question: The Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway. I’ve been planning a week long trip there and outfitting my boat for it. Two weeks ago, I spent several days camping in the area and scouting good marinas to stay at (I wanted those that had good hookups for overnighting so the A/C etc. would be usable). Also explored some of it with my drone and used it to follow the pathways to open water and have a look at them too. I intend to head out occasionally for snapper fishing. I was curious about routes and how much large ship traffic each area had. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/28 "2019-08-23T12:02:35Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > That machine looks awesome! Can’t tell from your wording if it’s part of the fantasy or if you have one (and haven’t been on the trip yet). Tell us about it if you have one of these, I’m really curious. That’s my fantasy travelling machine, for sure. A bit outside my budget at the moment, though. I’d love to take it out to remote places in Nevada, Utah, AZ, etc. Touring around the Escalante area would be awesome. The Mrs. and I explored the ghost town of Paria and loved that. The “4 corners” was just my shorthand term for exploring that whole area, especially the Navajo/Hopi lands around it. Tho as a geography geek I’d have to at least visit the 4 corners itself once. I made it to Point Roberts, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/29 "2019-08-23T13:17:51Z")
It depends on what you mean by “sightseeing”. To me, that implies walking or driving around an area without getting out (hiking, skiing, biking, sailing), so that eliminates Patagonia, the Atlas mountains of Morocco, scuba diving in French Polynesia, biking through Tuscany, etc. I’d have to say Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/30 "2019-08-23T14:28:42Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > A true gem. > > Stunning alpine scenery, wonderful food & drink, (Slovakian beer in particular is one of the world’s “Undiscovered Treasures”) and warm, friendly people, all surrounded by a half-dozen other countries all with thier own unique cultures, languages and histories, making Slovakia ideal for a base to explore and discover Central and Eastern Europe. (The capital, Bratislava, is only an hour from Vienna, likely making them the two geographically closest national capitals on Earth) Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo are on the opposite sides of the (naturally) Congo River. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/31 "2019-08-23T14:30:25Z")
Italy would be my choice. It might be a bit rushed, but a week could cover Rome, Florence, and Venice, I think. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/32 "2019-08-23T14:55:39Z")
Angkor Wat is on my Bucket List, but I imagine a week is a bit much. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/33 "2019-08-23T16:29:15Z")
I’m interpreting this as I only have a week and this must include round trip travel from Chicago. I’d take the day flight to London and sleep off jet lag that night. I can’t include London as a place to visit since I’ve been there 7 times. But I can take a train or a bus to Nottingham for two days with one of them being a day trip to Lincoln. Next, I’d take a train to Leeds with a day trip to York. Then I’d take a train to Manchester for a flight back home. Can’t visit Manchester either since I’ve been there 5 times, but I assume arrival and departure airports don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/34 "2019-08-24T13:00:40Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo are on the opposite sides of the (naturally) Congo River. I assumed that if there were two closer national capitals, someone here would know about it and correct me. Thanks for the S.D. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/35 "2019-08-24T16:05:56Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Angkor Wat is on my Bucket List, but I imagine a week is a bit much. That was my first choice, but I have the same misgiving. I would like to tour Belgium and Normandy, following the line of the Western Front from the North Sea to Switzerland, to visit the Great War battlefields and memorials and pay my respects to the Honored Dead on both sides. With only a week, I’d have to go by motorcar. My preference would be to do it on a bicycle. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/36 "2019-08-24T18:56:01Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > That’s my fantasy travelling machine, for sure. A bit outside my budget at the moment, though. I’d love to take it out to remote places in Nevada, Utah, AZ, etc. Touring around the Escalante area would be awesome. The Mrs. and I explored the ghost town of Paria and loved that. > > The “4 corners” was just my shorthand term for exploring that whole area, especially the Navajo/Hopi lands around it. Tho as a geography geek I’d have to at least visit the 4 corners itself once. I made it to Point Roberts, after all. There is almost no end to Anasazi ruins in that area, as well as national parks and national monuments. I think we saw 23 different sites. There are also amazing slot canyons. An Earthroamer would be fun, but a lot of those lands belong to Native American tribes or are off limits for off-roading. I’d like to see the coast of Croatia. Or I’d opt for another safari in a country I haven’t seen; perhaps Namibia. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/37 "2019-08-24T19:58:27Z")
I don’t think Olympus Mons is all that photogenic. The slope is way too shallow. So I’ll go for Valles Marineris. I’m assuming the teleportation device is free that weekend. No boring rocket trip for me. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/38 "2019-08-24T21:48:52Z")
I’m torn on this. On one hand I’d like to go a “Grand Scandinavian Tour” From Iceland to Gotland. On the other hand I’d also like to visit Paris, Normandy, Verdun and maybe some of the Maginot fortifications. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/39 "2019-08-24T21:54:06Z")
South Georgia Island, or Cappadocia. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059/40 "2019-08-24T22:14:25Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > But my first choice would probably be to go to the Galapagos Islands and look at different wild animals. Right now this is probably near the top of my list as well. If it were a cultural trip, Istanbul might be up there but I’d likely book the Galapagos first. > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The 4 corners, and over to southern Utah to take in the Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, the Paria plateau. Cruising the real back roads in my [Earthroamer](https://earthroamer.com/), getting to places void of all people, so the Mrs. and I can relax, hike, stare at the scenery in peace, rejoining civilization only when we want to. If you haven’t been, [Mesa Verde](https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm) is reasonably nearby and awesome( though admittedly very, very popular with tourists ). I booked a cabin there once and it was a great time. In the other direction [Canyon de Chelly](https://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm) is also very pretty and less crowded( by deliberate policy ). But you can’t really go wrong in the southwest - a good bit of it is very scenic. I’ve spent some time just meandering around seldom visited parks in New Mexico and Arizona and it was pretty damn restful despite my marathon driving jags. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-really-want-to-go-sightseeing/839059.md?page=3)