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Okay, what is the not widely known attraction that blew you away?

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Okay, what is the not widely known attraction that blew you away?

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Old Feb 14, 2011, 10:15 pm
  #1  
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Okay, what is the not widely known attraction that blew you away?

For me it would have to be the Columbia Tower observation deck in Seattle. Absolutely stunning 280 degree views of Seattle from level higher than the space needle for 5 bucks, with almost nobody up there because it's in a office building and they don't advertise it.
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Old Feb 14, 2011, 11:12 pm
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Hearst's Castle (I think that's how its' spelt)?
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 12:21 am
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The waiting room at L.A. Union Station. Totally wasn't expecting an art deco masterpiece when I arrived there for the first time.

Milwaukee Art Museum, while in town for a few hours on a mileage run. The building itself is stunning, and they have a surprisingly good collection.
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 12:34 am
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Cappadocia in Turkey, including the underground city at Kaymakli.
Masonic temple in Alexandria, VA
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 12:41 am
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Taughannock Falls, outside of Ithaca, New York. It's well known locally, but not so much elsewhere. Because it is not a wide waterfall, it does not exude the power of the world's more famous falls, but the setting is extraordinarily beautiful. Here's one view; Google "Taughannock Falls" for others.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nock_Falls.JPG
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 1:28 am
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1) Counterfeit mall in Shenzhen China. At least 5 floors of bogus products with a a large banner accross the atrium saying "Protect intellectual property rights strike hard against fake selling"

2) Monkok Hong Kong, the people>.?.! Jesus christ. That was a definate w...TF moment.
(in hong kong they can slice a fish right down the center, leaving it with a half a body and made it live for 15 minutes, a must see at the fish market there besides giant 6 ft clams. It's literally FISH HELL)

Last edited by scwam; Feb 15, 2011 at 1:37 am
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 1:32 am
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The Taj Mahal in northern India. I entered the atrium barefoot, went up the little gateway, about 1000 yards from the actual building and crossed the threshold to see the white building shimmering in reflection in the pool. Unbelievable... to a guy from a little town in West Virginia, that view, I can honestly say took my breath away.
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 2:20 am
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El Djem in Tunisia - in much better shape than the Colisseum in Rome and you could go everywhere in it and get a real understanding of what the ancient Roman Gladiator events were like.

Al Deir at Petra - most people ooh and ahh over the Treasury, but if you take the time to make the long hike to Al Deir, you will get a fantastic view across a canyon to an amazing building carved completely out of stone, more magnificent than the Treasury in my opinion.
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 3:36 am
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I was at the Kyoto Steam Train museum last Friday. I loved it. There is a massive turntable leading into 20 sheds.

They did the whole 360 degree turning of a couple of steam trains with lots of steam etc.

Heaps of steam trains and you're right next to the main tracks watching normal trains and Shinkansen going alongside.

I was one of a very few westerners there and made very welcome.
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 3:44 am
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Jökulsárlón in Iceland
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 3:54 am
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Akshardham Temple in Delhi. Absolutely mind blowing. Sadly also very frustrating for me as a keen photographer as you are not allowed to take cameras in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshardham_%28Delhi%29
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 4:29 am
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The biobay in Vieques, Puerto Rico. One of the most unreal sights I have ever seen!
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 5:13 am
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If I can stretch the definition of attraction a bit to include an entire city, I can truly say that Wellington, New Zealand blew me away. I've never seen a more beautiful city.
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 8:15 am
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Cabinet War Rooms in London. Not exactly a secret, but far lower on most travelers' priority lists than they should be. People I've spoken to are usually surprised at how much more interesting they are than they had originally expected them to be.

Originally Posted by 11yaa
The Taj Mahal in northern India...
A great place, but "not widely known?"
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Old Feb 15, 2011, 8:37 am
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Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate - A great way to learn about the Industrial Revolution from the worker's perspective.

Soest, Germany - A walled German town near Dortmund, which while popular with local German tourists, is virtually unknown to international travelers.

Wuppertal Schebebahn - Suspended monorail that isn't just a tourist attraction, but a real, functioning mass transit system

Bologna, Italy - Less famous than Venice, Florence, and Milan, but packed with history, art, and architecture, and better food than any of them.
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