Most overrated tourist attractions in the world
#31
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: SPG Gold, Delta Platinum
Posts: 528
#34
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 257
Niagara Falls (US side)
Navy Pier (I live in Chicago and try to avoid this at all costs)
Sears Tower Skydeck (there was a reference to the Signature Room - lunch there is just okay - probably best to avoid the buffet).
Bull & Finch in Boston (the Cheer's bar)
Statue of Liberty - much better to just cruise by on the ferry
Times Square - seems like such a cheap version of Akihabara. Akihabara is amazing, Times Square pathetic.
Navy Pier (I live in Chicago and try to avoid this at all costs)
Sears Tower Skydeck (there was a reference to the Signature Room - lunch there is just okay - probably best to avoid the buffet).
Bull & Finch in Boston (the Cheer's bar)
Statue of Liberty - much better to just cruise by on the ferry
Times Square - seems like such a cheap version of Akihabara. Akihabara is amazing, Times Square pathetic.
#35
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 599
#36
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,508
By the time I got to Hawaii - after hearing my how life how it's amazing, spectacular, blah blah blah - I kept thinking, yea it's nice here, but I've seen better. Had I gone 10 years earlier I probably would have thought differently.
#37
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: M&M
Posts: 97
Stonehenge...
...it's tiny and it's more or less in the middle of three large roads!
What is all that about?
Oh and Disney World once you've reached the age of 12. Magical for kids (I went the first time when I was 11), but a dissappointment for adults (went again when I was 23 and just didn't get "it").
...it's tiny and it's more or less in the middle of three large roads!
What is all that about?
Oh and Disney World once you've reached the age of 12. Magical for kids (I went the first time when I was 11), but a dissappointment for adults (went again when I was 23 and just didn't get "it").
#38
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BOS-TLV
Programs: Lots of them, no status
Posts: 1,318
I am going to pick 2.
The Eiffel Tower
and Salem, MA (home of the witch trials)
the Eiffel Tower is a nice viewpoint and whatnot, but it's kind of a dud overall.
Salem, MA, which is right near where I have lived the majority of my life, is somewhat educational, but there are very few authentic sites anymore. Most don't know this, but most of the actual witch trial-related sites are in what has become a separate town (Danvers, MA). Danvers was part of Salem way back when.
The House of Seven Gables is one authentic site, and that it worth seeing. However, some of the museums and "witch dungeons" and stuff are kind of tourist traps. The walking tours are generally where you're going to get your money's worth in Salem in terms of learning the history and entertainment value.
The Eiffel Tower
and Salem, MA (home of the witch trials)
the Eiffel Tower is a nice viewpoint and whatnot, but it's kind of a dud overall.
Salem, MA, which is right near where I have lived the majority of my life, is somewhat educational, but there are very few authentic sites anymore. Most don't know this, but most of the actual witch trial-related sites are in what has become a separate town (Danvers, MA). Danvers was part of Salem way back when.
The House of Seven Gables is one authentic site, and that it worth seeing. However, some of the museums and "witch dungeons" and stuff are kind of tourist traps. The walking tours are generally where you're going to get your money's worth in Salem in terms of learning the history and entertainment value.
#39
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
Hawaii all the way
I've been to Hawaii about 5 times now. I agree 100%. It's beautiful, but boring. The food is really not good at all. Hawaiin cuisine is not terribly good. The sun is so hot and dangerous that to go out in it during the day risks skin cancer. Unless you want to swim, surf, and kayak, the rest of the time is simply not terribly interesting.
#41
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
I could see that - Hawaii can be very expensive for a beach destination, especially compared to some of the closer and relatively off-the-beaten-track places you mention. On the other hand, I love the variety and spectacle of the Big Island (flowing lava to rainforests to green-sand beaches), and it's much cheaper and less crowded than Waikiki.
#43
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Texas
Programs: American Airlines British Airways
Posts: 1,752
I've been to Hawaii about 5 times now. I agree 100%. It's beautiful, but boring. The food is really not good at all. Hawaiian cuisine is not terribly good. The sun is so hot and dangerous that to go out in it during the day risks skin cancer. Unless you want to swim, surf, and kayak, the rest of the time is simply not terribly interesting.
#44
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
But yeah, fried spam with gravy and rice -- yuck.
#45
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,584
...Salem, MA, which is right near where I have lived the majority of my life, is somewhat educational, but there are very few authentic sites anymore. Most don't know this, but most of the actual witch trial-related sites are in what has become a separate town (Danvers, MA). Danvers was part of Salem way back when...
My vote is Venice Beach in CA. Unless you're looking for a prescription for medical marijuana, no need to go. It's dirty, creepy and scared my kids.