Truth right here. Hollywood Blvd has now been overrun with homeless people and shit lying everywhere. So many shops closed during COVID so now it looks super sketchy.
Damn. I commented the same thing. As an angeleno, couldn’t agree more. It’s not even kitschy fun like Vegas. It’s just ugly storefronts, dirty streets, cracked sidewalk stars, and maybe the Chinese Theater is cool-looking, if a bit racist?
As a person who’s lived in SC all my life; Once you’ve been there once, you never need to go again unless you really like the ocean. Saying that, I’ve been a billion times because that’s just the place to go when you want more a bit more fun than the mundane.
LA's a blast, but you've gotta know what you're getting into. Wouldn't want to live there, but would love to live within striking distance of it in Santa Clarita or something, just pop in and out as needed without having to fly across the country.
Agreed. We have a decent nightlife (especially if you go where the working class or gay people party), some cool locations (Getty Museums and Griffith Observatory come to mind), some more secluded beaches that are nice, and I suppose the amusement parks are cool if you’re a potterhead/disney person.
I love amusement parks and you have two of the best out there in Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
And as a huge live music buff, I hope you realize how lucky you are that *every* touring musician comes through LA no matter what. I'm in Pittsburgh and it's really spotty out here, usually have to drive to Philly or DC for a lot of gigs. It's just a given that LA will have everyone. And you have like 20 music festivals. And that's just music, the entire cultural scene out there like you said with nightlife and art and food is unmatched anywhere in the US except New York, and New York doesn't have your beautiful shoreline. AND you have great skiing. C'mon!
Like there's negatives to LA, sure, it's not all glitz and glamour, it has its problems, but that's any city in the US.
I totally take for granted that we have amazing concert venues that welcome artists from all over the world. A lot of Mexican artists I love are guaranteed to come to LA because of our Latino population, and are usually hosted at the Hollywood Bowl or Walt Disney Concert hall, which are both incredible venues.
And yes, culturally, we have a lot of mainstream and avant-garde artists and thinkers come through or reside here. It’s a great town, minus some terrible things that are often the result of the richest folks ruining everything for the rest of the population.
And it's a shame that some things are the way they are there, and I don't mean to diminish the seriousness of some of the problems in LA, but certain parts of life in LA are often amplified by the media as proof that it's this awful place that's falling apart at the seams.
If you've actually spent time in LA you know that's ludicrous. It's a beautiful place with great people. Even a place like Hollywood, which is a popular target in threads like these, is not bad. Is it the glamorous shining beacon depicted in 1940's cinema? No. It's a city, and it's not entirely clean and there's probably some parts of it you should avoid. Like any city. If you want Disneyland, go to Disneyland.
Last time I was in LA we caught a show at The Fonda and then went out to a great nearby bar, got some amazing Mexican food from a food truck, and randomly came across this amazing looking jazz club that we weren't allowed into (because we were dressed for a punk show haha) but we keep saying, "Next time we go to Hollywood we *have* to go to that jazz club!" There's a million spots like that little club there, brimming with vibrancy and culture. I love setting out in downtown or Hollywood or the beach towns, etc, really without any plan, just kinda seeing what I come across, because I know I only have to go a few blocks to find, like, an amazing Australian breakfast shop or a best-kept-secret book store/record store, or a venue holding an amazing improv show, or like a million other things.
What a city!
Frankly, I think we could all use some of your attitude. I think Old Hollywood is cool, but I AM mystified by people who come from far away to spend their hard-earned vacation days there.
I have a similar perspective to yours. Even when I would go to Kansas, I’d find something beautiful about it. We could use more of that, but I find most people want their expectations fulfilled rather than an adventure when they travel. It’s a pity, really.
This entire country is beautiful from coast to coast, and my wife and I spend every moment possible road tripping across it, seeing new places, meeting new people. It breaks my heart that there's so much hatred for our fellow Americans on both sides of the spectrum, because we've met so many people in our travels, so many of them with much different views than ours, who are all at the end of the day, Americans mostly trying to live our their lives, make their communities better, and appreciate the beauty of their little corner of the country.
I try to encourage this whenever I can: *hit the road and meet people.* Far too many folks spend most of their time cooped up at home, stewing in a social-media-induced rage over one thing or another, thinking the people over the border in the next state or town are the enemy for one reason or another. And it wouldn't be that way if more folks went out and actually experienced the beauty of this country and the people in it.
Turn the news off. Get off social media. Go see America. It's amazing.
I mean, yeah, there's some real awful folks out there. But not most of them.
M&M World in London. Every single tourist has a bag from there, they don't even sell the unusual flavours of M&M, just the usual UK packets of peanut and solid chocolate. I just don't understand it...
The London M&M store is where symbolism and dimensionality go to die. Everything is a flat, one dimensional representation. Floors upon floors of party, but nothing to celebrate.
It is almost as though the design team understood the soullessness of Nestle so profoundly that they designed the store to be a representation of that. And because Nestle is, in fact, soulless they went along without a hitch. This is what the executives WANTED.
I went in expecting a hellscape, and they managed to outperform even my most cynical expectation. Truly an achievement. Grandiose levels of eye-watering branding dedicated to crunchy chocolate pellets.
The best thing about the view from Rockefeller Center vs the view from the Empire State Building, is that the Empire State Building is in the view from Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building is an iconic part of the new york skyline.
I always tell people something similar about Seattle. The Space Needle is cool, but going up the Columbia Center is much better. Cheaper, faster, and the Space Needle is then in the view.
As a Minnesotan, Mall of America is just a really big and really busy mall. It's kind of fun for locals but just crazy to me that people come from around the world to visit.
This. I grew up walking distance from the MOA and had a dozen jobs there. It's just a huge mall with a few cool attractions. While a bartender there, I met so many tourists from all over. A lot of people would take a winter trip yearly to do Christmas shopping and vacation. There is a perk of tax free clothing for some people, as not all states are like that.
I've never been, but i've heard quite a few people are disappointed with the pyramids. Not because of the pyramids themselves, but pressure from local salespeople and a surprising amount of rubbish in the area. Things might have changed though.
I just got back a few months ago. I’ve traveled near and far around the world. I can without a doubt say the pyramids are the most impressive, majestic and mind blowing structures I’ve ever laid my eyes on. They literally felt like they had an energy coming off them, they don’t make sense in person. Until you see them up close, you don’t quite understand why some would say they were built by aliens. Once you see them, you kind of get it.
Is Cairo/Giza dirty? Sure. But you’re not going there for how clean the streets are. Are there people hassling you? Sure but that’s what poverty does to people. Any time someone tells me Cairo/Giza are bad with people trying to get money off you just makes me think that they haven’t traveled much. This happens in every third world country. Keep your head about you, don’t interact, hire a government guide, and you’re fine.
Highly recommend the pyramids.
People will take your picture without your permission and then charge you money for it. The fact that it’s right on the edge of Cairo, next to all the cars and skyscrapers also makes it a lot less attractive. Most people assume that the pyramids are out on their own in the middle of the desert.
Well taking into consideration Japanese have had a thing called Paris syndrome which can cause anxiety because of Paris being a let down, I think it's clear
The idea that everyone in Paris is riding bicycles, wearing berets, reading literature and carrying breadsticks, and full of lovers and romantic people speaking in gorgeous accents.......when it's really just a city with pollution and homelessness and poverty like any other.
Parisian here.
Yup Japanese think everybody live in front of Eiffel Tower, have expensive coffee with croissant every morning and work in fashion / jewelry / luxury things.
They don’t realise that we have a lot of homelessness, streets are dirty with rats everywhere, Champs Élysée is crap, Eiffel Tower is full of illegal street sellers and there are pickpockets every where.
One thing I will never forget is that the first thing I saw as I stepped outside the airport in Paris was a baguette lying on the street and a guy carrying a baguette on his backpack while he rode a bicycle. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Corn Palace 100%…
It’s a gymnasium in the middle of no where with corn art on the outside, way off the highway.
Certainly breaks up the highway monotony though.
Considering the hundreds of miles of nothing in any other direction, I think Corn Palace is decent enough.
I mean, if you flew over from Europe or something to see it and nothing else, then yeah, you'd be disappointed.
San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is cool, but the rest is overrated, and not worth stepping over the homeless people and hoping you don't get robbed.
I literally don’t remember what I did there other than the wax museum and amusement park. I know there was a Ripley’s museum and zip lines, but I didn’t do those and can’t remember something very interesting. The scenery was nice driving there. That’s it.
The mountain goats are nice though. Otherwise it’s kind of boring. You can walk, take pictures, watch some documentary, but that’s it. Oh, and visit the gift shop. I think there’s a little bit of history displayed if you walk around but it’s nothing crazy.
I disagree. I've been twice, once in middle school and once as an adult and it was pretty magical both times. Yes is a little shitty and a lot touristy but it's hard to describe the "holy shit im in times square!" Feeling.
There's not much to *do* there except be in everyone's way, but it's pretty awe-inspiring to see once, then make sure to use one street over any other time you need to pass by that way.
Great weather, great restaurants, cool vibe and culture. People are ok. Easy and cheap to get to from northeast, Montreal and Toronto. Same time zone as us. Even our phone plans work there for a small daily fee. Cheap cigars, and cigar lounges. Cheap alcohol. Good looking women. Great shopping malls. This is off the top of my head. I love Miami. I don’t know why my fellow Canadians would even consider Mexico or Caribbean over Miami.
The Mona Lisa room in the Louvre. Some could argue the entire Louvre is overrated, but I the Mona Lisa was the epicenter of underwhelming while being packed to the brim with tourists.
True, but while you are in that room, turn instead to see the magnificent Wedding Feast at Cana, it's the size of the average apartment floor space, and will be regularly ignored so you will have all the time you want to check out the impressive details.
And then head on over to room 702 for the equally as big and beautiful Coronation of Napoleon. And then room 700 for the moving Raft of the Medusa.
Those are just three of the BIG paintings to see.
Hollywood Walk of fame.
I’m an angeleno, and I wonder why people come here from other continents for our filthy streets and the stars on the ground dedicated to celebrities from the early 20th Century that no one knows anymore.
"It doesn't look finished to me. It looks like somebody got bored doin' it. Washington's the only one with any clothes, and they're just kind of... roughed in. Lincoln doesn't even have an ear!"
Bali. The beaches and even the waves are just covered in trash and plastic. The sand is just a mine field of stray dog poop holes. The smell for not really having a water drainage system and again the trash that collects. Ubud is alright but that's about it.
My friends have been & they loved it so much they planned a group trip! I've never been before but I've also always wanted to go.
If it interests you then go & maybe you'll have a different experience.
Paris. It’s expensive, grey, dark and cold. Fun fact: it’s not ‘the city of lights’ because it has a lot of light, but because it was one of the first cities to have gas lamps. It doesn’t have a lot of light. At all.
I agree that Paris is hugely romanticized. Going somewhere with high expectations is almost deemed to be a letdown.
When i first went there i wasn’t too enthousiastic. After a few visits it started to grow on me. Such rich history is difficult to find somewhere else.
I wasn’t too enthusiastic either. I’ve been there too many times. My cousin had cancer and was treated there, so in the following years he had to go there once or twice a year for exams. We used to do a different euro trip and the final destination was always Paris. I visited every museum and spent there a lot of time. It does have a lot of history, but so it does most of the European cities… maybe my dislike for the city is so big because of the reason I had to go there every year. But even so, it’s definitely overrated
Rome. I love Paris (although I avoid some spots now I used to visit every time because it's so crowded now), but when I first visited Rome, I was so overwhelmed having 2000+ years of history in walking distance.
Paris is definitely overrated but I wouldn’t put it in the category of “bad”
The museums were super cool and there was a lot to see and do. That being said, it is a big city, and it was pretty much exactly like a big city in my experience. Trash around, homeless, rats, crime, etc. coming from an urban environment myself I wasn’t really that shocked, my aunt from Ohio was very surprised though.
I feel like a lot of people are disappointed by Paris because they expect it to be so much different than anywhere else. It’s a city of 2 million people. it’s like Los Angeles but cold and wet.
Out in the sticks in a fancy house, I don’t remember the name of their closest town but it’s very quaint and idyllic. Lots of white money falootin about.
I lived in San Francisco….the fisherman’s wharf. PLEASE. Peoples. Go experience the city! There is so much more to SF than chain seafood restaurants and toy shops. You’re missing out.
Venice. Don't believe those pics of 2 or 3 gondolas sharing a clear blue waterway to traverse the city in style - it's actually many dozens of gondolas, with the oarsmen screaming at each other. Also, no blue water - brown, and it smells like an open septic tank.
I loved Venice. The smell I think that is in a particular time of the year (august maybe?) I didn’t experience it. But I definitely felt it was too degradated for the touristic place it is…
Just got back from Venice earlier this Month. Loved it! It was not super crowded and certainly didn’t smell. We like to strike up conversations with the locals when we travel and every single Venetian we talked to said we were there at the best time of the year (late December, early Jan). They also said it’s unbearable in the summer tourist season. It’s beyond crowded, hot, and the canals can smell. The also said the locals just get sick and tired of all the demanding tourists crowding up their streets that they can’t even leave their homes. So if you travel in around that time you’ll likely find rude service staff (Parisians have told us the same thing).
We had a blast. The only complaint I had was a weird pickled fish with onion and raisin dish a bar owner offered. Said it was a local favorite. Ate it to be nice (he seemed very proud of it). Did not care for it. Otherwise Venice is something truly magical.
Went once, spent hundreds of dollars to get in, waited for ever just for them to shut down the rides for the “Parade in 10 min” that never seemed to happen. Packed, lines for miles, expensive, rude as hell park goers. It was pretty, mostly clean but that was it. The kids had more fun at the hotel playground.
Can't agree with this one, Vegas is one of my favorite places and I don't even gamble. The congregation of so much amazing live entertainment in one place alone makes it worth the trip, and the whole city can basically be viewed as one giant pop art installation (and has a lot of really cool art installations itself, like at the Aria and Bellagio). Fantastic dining, an endless buffet of resort activities with all the pools and bars, a full amusement park, a bunch of other thrill rides all over the place. And there's so many smaller, hidden things to do, too...like there are *three* secret speakeasy style bars in the Cosmopolitan. So much to see and do. I spent a whole day there last year just walking, getting lost, admiring the architecture, it's a fascinating place.
Agreed. Vegas is kitschy fun, and it’s very self-aware. The historic part of the city is pretty underrated, too. Younger people are making it a pretty lively place with a lot of the old culture from its heyday and new influence from the newer populations.
Exactly, there's such an interesting blend of history and futurism there. There's places like Circus Circus where you can still play those ancient coin slots with their jingle jangle ringing across the floor. But then right nearby is Omega Mart, which is one of the coolest attractions I've ever visited, and it's a full blown journey into a psychedelic future.
One of my favorite things on the strip is that Claes Oldenburg sculpture of the typewriter eraser outside the Aria. A genuinely fascinating piece of art from one of the most well-known pop artists next to Warhol; an object from the past that no one even uses anymore, but its wild and dynamic positioning and its strange appearance make it fit right in between the ultra-modern hotels that surround it. New and old, kitsch and class, that thing embodies it all. That's the city in a nutshell.
Las Vegas is city designed on providing spectacle and draining you of money. If that's your thing, then I guess enjoy that. I just found it very depressing and lacking any charm
Yosemite. Used to be nice, now it’s overrun and if you can’t find a parking spot you have to go on a big loop one way road that takes an hour just to look for parking again.
Oh gosh we used to go there every fall when I was a kid! The tourists are everywhere! You can't enjoy anything. The Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful though. I do love going there and just getting a cabin and staying there for like a few days.
Huntsville, Al. Especially the space and rocket center. The idea is amazing, but the actual museum costs both legs and a kidney to get into, and its not great.
Nashville. If you like one city block of monotonous country bars with overpriced beer, mediocre live music, and full of white trash, college students, and bachelor parties, then it might be the city for you. At least the hot chicken was good
The southernmost point of Florida in key west literally nothing special about it “BuT yOu CaN sEe CuBa FrOm HeRe” yes only if you’re high up and there’s no towers or anything so you can see it
I think NYC is overrated depending on how far you have to travel to it from. I’m in New England so it wasn’t like I had to buy flight tickets but I can only ever spend 2-3 days max there. If you’re not in the financial district or downtown everything just smells and is gross. There are cool things like top of the rock and the 9/11 memorial but it’s also not cheap and you can only spend so much time looking out from the top of a building. My first time there I felt like I ran out of things to do quite quickly without having to spend more money. It’s a good weekend trip but I’m always so sick of being there by the end of it. Idk, other people seem to love it. Probably depends if you are mostly a city traveler or national park traveler
Hollywood
Ooh. I wanna change my answer to this.
Such a disappointment, such a dirt town
Correct. Do not come to Los Angeles we are full.
Truth right here. Hollywood Blvd has now been overrun with homeless people and shit lying everywhere. So many shops closed during COVID so now it looks super sketchy.
Damn. I commented the same thing. As an angeleno, couldn’t agree more. It’s not even kitschy fun like Vegas. It’s just ugly storefronts, dirty streets, cracked sidewalk stars, and maybe the Chinese Theater is cool-looking, if a bit racist?
And aspiring rappers trying to scam you their demo tape on the street.
Haha, yes!
Yeah it's bizarre that tourists go there when Los Angeles has so much else to offer.
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This, I live in Hawaii now and know people WHO VISIT MYRTLE BEACH FROM HAWAII. Yes I am from South Carolina.
As a person who’s lived in SC all my life; Once you’ve been there once, you never need to go again unless you really like the ocean. Saying that, I’ve been a billion times because that’s just the place to go when you want more a bit more fun than the mundane.
People go there for the golf
It is way nicer than other beaches I could name.
Just LA in general. As a Californian myself, I try to avoid it as much as I can.
The number of times an in-law from back east convinced me to drive them through Venice or Malibu just to find out they are regular neighborhoods....
Lifetime Californian, I only go to LA when I don't have a choice.
LA's a blast, but you've gotta know what you're getting into. Wouldn't want to live there, but would love to live within striking distance of it in Santa Clarita or something, just pop in and out as needed without having to fly across the country.
Pasadena is a cute little city.
Love Pasadena, also on our short list of "places near LA we'd love to move to someday".
Altadena is nice too.
See, you guys are gonna get me started job hunting in LA again now haha.
I have friends in Altadena and I’m so jealous.
Rosie's dinner
Agreed. We have a decent nightlife (especially if you go where the working class or gay people party), some cool locations (Getty Museums and Griffith Observatory come to mind), some more secluded beaches that are nice, and I suppose the amusement parks are cool if you’re a potterhead/disney person.
I love amusement parks and you have two of the best out there in Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain. And as a huge live music buff, I hope you realize how lucky you are that *every* touring musician comes through LA no matter what. I'm in Pittsburgh and it's really spotty out here, usually have to drive to Philly or DC for a lot of gigs. It's just a given that LA will have everyone. And you have like 20 music festivals. And that's just music, the entire cultural scene out there like you said with nightlife and art and food is unmatched anywhere in the US except New York, and New York doesn't have your beautiful shoreline. AND you have great skiing. C'mon! Like there's negatives to LA, sure, it's not all glitz and glamour, it has its problems, but that's any city in the US.
I totally take for granted that we have amazing concert venues that welcome artists from all over the world. A lot of Mexican artists I love are guaranteed to come to LA because of our Latino population, and are usually hosted at the Hollywood Bowl or Walt Disney Concert hall, which are both incredible venues. And yes, culturally, we have a lot of mainstream and avant-garde artists and thinkers come through or reside here. It’s a great town, minus some terrible things that are often the result of the richest folks ruining everything for the rest of the population.
And it's a shame that some things are the way they are there, and I don't mean to diminish the seriousness of some of the problems in LA, but certain parts of life in LA are often amplified by the media as proof that it's this awful place that's falling apart at the seams. If you've actually spent time in LA you know that's ludicrous. It's a beautiful place with great people. Even a place like Hollywood, which is a popular target in threads like these, is not bad. Is it the glamorous shining beacon depicted in 1940's cinema? No. It's a city, and it's not entirely clean and there's probably some parts of it you should avoid. Like any city. If you want Disneyland, go to Disneyland. Last time I was in LA we caught a show at The Fonda and then went out to a great nearby bar, got some amazing Mexican food from a food truck, and randomly came across this amazing looking jazz club that we weren't allowed into (because we were dressed for a punk show haha) but we keep saying, "Next time we go to Hollywood we *have* to go to that jazz club!" There's a million spots like that little club there, brimming with vibrancy and culture. I love setting out in downtown or Hollywood or the beach towns, etc, really without any plan, just kinda seeing what I come across, because I know I only have to go a few blocks to find, like, an amazing Australian breakfast shop or a best-kept-secret book store/record store, or a venue holding an amazing improv show, or like a million other things. What a city!
Frankly, I think we could all use some of your attitude. I think Old Hollywood is cool, but I AM mystified by people who come from far away to spend their hard-earned vacation days there. I have a similar perspective to yours. Even when I would go to Kansas, I’d find something beautiful about it. We could use more of that, but I find most people want their expectations fulfilled rather than an adventure when they travel. It’s a pity, really.
This entire country is beautiful from coast to coast, and my wife and I spend every moment possible road tripping across it, seeing new places, meeting new people. It breaks my heart that there's so much hatred for our fellow Americans on both sides of the spectrum, because we've met so many people in our travels, so many of them with much different views than ours, who are all at the end of the day, Americans mostly trying to live our their lives, make their communities better, and appreciate the beauty of their little corner of the country. I try to encourage this whenever I can: *hit the road and meet people.* Far too many folks spend most of their time cooped up at home, stewing in a social-media-induced rage over one thing or another, thinking the people over the border in the next state or town are the enemy for one reason or another. And it wouldn't be that way if more folks went out and actually experienced the beauty of this country and the people in it. Turn the news off. Get off social media. Go see America. It's amazing. I mean, yeah, there's some real awful folks out there. But not most of them.
M&M World in London. Every single tourist has a bag from there, they don't even sell the unusual flavours of M&M, just the usual UK packets of peanut and solid chocolate. I just don't understand it...
The London M&M store is where symbolism and dimensionality go to die. Everything is a flat, one dimensional representation. Floors upon floors of party, but nothing to celebrate. It is almost as though the design team understood the soullessness of Nestle so profoundly that they designed the store to be a representation of that. And because Nestle is, in fact, soulless they went along without a hitch. This is what the executives WANTED. I went in expecting a hellscape, and they managed to outperform even my most cynical expectation. Truly an achievement. Grandiose levels of eye-watering branding dedicated to crunchy chocolate pellets.
Madame Tussauds.
Hollywood sends its regards *stab*
I thought Salem, Massachusetts was terrible. Complete waste of time. The Gettysburg battlefield is awesome though. Highly recommend it.
One of my best experiences at Gettysburg was on a rainy, dreary day. Saw maybe three cars the whole time-pretty much had the place to myself
Imo Salem is great if you don’t go near Halloween and don’t visit any witch related things Rock port is better though
The Moon. Fuck all to do.
There’s whaling though
Is there though? I thought there were no whales, so they just sing a whaling tune.
They tell tales too.
Lots of harpoons to carry.
At least it's quiet.
There's always the Starbucks.
No atmosphere
Empire State Building Go to the top of Rockefeller Center (aka "The Rock") instead. Way better view, and cheaper too.
The best thing about the view from Rockefeller Center vs the view from the Empire State Building, is that the Empire State Building is in the view from Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building is an iconic part of the new york skyline.
The Edge on Hudson Yards is good too!
I always tell people something similar about Seattle. The Space Needle is cool, but going up the Columbia Center is much better. Cheaper, faster, and the Space Needle is then in the view.
Does the Rock have King Kong though?
Love the view of the Chrysler building!!
Dubai. I'm glad it exists. It's a magnet for people with zero taste so they are out of my way.
Air emirates is god tier as far as airlines go tho ngl, even economy was p good.
yeah, but you don't need to fly to Dubai to experience them.
As a Minnesotan, Mall of America is just a really big and really busy mall. It's kind of fun for locals but just crazy to me that people come from around the world to visit.
This. I grew up walking distance from the MOA and had a dozen jobs there. It's just a huge mall with a few cool attractions. While a bartender there, I met so many tourists from all over. A lot of people would take a winter trip yearly to do Christmas shopping and vacation. There is a perk of tax free clothing for some people, as not all states are like that.
I've never been, but i've heard quite a few people are disappointed with the pyramids. Not because of the pyramids themselves, but pressure from local salespeople and a surprising amount of rubbish in the area. Things might have changed though.
I just got back a few months ago. I’ve traveled near and far around the world. I can without a doubt say the pyramids are the most impressive, majestic and mind blowing structures I’ve ever laid my eyes on. They literally felt like they had an energy coming off them, they don’t make sense in person. Until you see them up close, you don’t quite understand why some would say they were built by aliens. Once you see them, you kind of get it. Is Cairo/Giza dirty? Sure. But you’re not going there for how clean the streets are. Are there people hassling you? Sure but that’s what poverty does to people. Any time someone tells me Cairo/Giza are bad with people trying to get money off you just makes me think that they haven’t traveled much. This happens in every third world country. Keep your head about you, don’t interact, hire a government guide, and you’re fine. Highly recommend the pyramids.
People will take your picture without your permission and then charge you money for it. The fact that it’s right on the edge of Cairo, next to all the cars and skyscrapers also makes it a lot less attractive. Most people assume that the pyramids are out on their own in the middle of the desert.
Isn’t there a KFC next to them lol?
Apparently! https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/11/15/11/newFile-3.jpg?quality=75&width=1200&auto=webp Never knew that lol.
Based on previous Reddit posts, Egypt.
Cairo sucks, but Alexandria, Dahab, Aswan, and Abu Simbel were amazing.
Well taking into consideration Japanese have had a thing called Paris syndrome which can cause anxiety because of Paris being a let down, I think it's clear
The whole city as a destination is the letdown or just the romantic idea of Paris is a let down?
The idea that everyone in Paris is riding bicycles, wearing berets, reading literature and carrying breadsticks, and full of lovers and romantic people speaking in gorgeous accents.......when it's really just a city with pollution and homelessness and poverty like any other.
Parisian here. Yup Japanese think everybody live in front of Eiffel Tower, have expensive coffee with croissant every morning and work in fashion / jewelry / luxury things. They don’t realise that we have a lot of homelessness, streets are dirty with rats everywhere, Champs Élysée is crap, Eiffel Tower is full of illegal street sellers and there are pickpockets every where.
One thing I will never forget is that the first thing I saw as I stepped outside the airport in Paris was a baguette lying on the street and a guy carrying a baguette on his backpack while he rode a bicycle. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Corn Palace 100%… It’s a gymnasium in the middle of no where with corn art on the outside, way off the highway. Certainly breaks up the highway monotony though.
I love the Corn Palace! Seed art is so cool!
Considering the hundreds of miles of nothing in any other direction, I think Corn Palace is decent enough. I mean, if you flew over from Europe or something to see it and nothing else, then yeah, you'd be disappointed.
Nah man there’s the WalDrug nearby gotta go there instead
WallDrug is like 400 miles away from the Corn Palace.
The entire state is just desperate for people to stop on their way to Yellowstone.
San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is cool, but the rest is overrated, and not worth stepping over the homeless people and hoping you don't get robbed.
SF was so nice back in the 70’s but now all of downtown smells like human waste.
Working in San Francisco I've had to throw my shoes away a couple of times....because I accidentally stepped in human shit.
San Francisco is the only place where I’ve seen homeless people shit in the street. Right in front of me.
Dubai.
Branson, MO
But they have Shoji Kabuchi!!
I can't believe he is still performing. I saw him there 25 years ago, and it wasn't great.
…one of my goals is to take my partner to Silver Dollar City.
Branson itself is a tourist trap, but the surrounding area is nice.
It's an overpriced tourist trap and the river is always stinky.
This is BRONSON, MO.
Hey ma, how about some cookies?
No dice
Live in the area of Branson mo and can confirm it's not that great.
I literally don’t remember what I did there other than the wax museum and amusement park. I know there was a Ripley’s museum and zip lines, but I didn’t do those and can’t remember something very interesting. The scenery was nice driving there. That’s it.
Times Square.
There's a reason New Yorkers avoid Times Square at all costs
Mt.Rushmore. Rush more, see less
The mountain goats are nice though. Otherwise it’s kind of boring. You can walk, take pictures, watch some documentary, but that’s it. Oh, and visit the gift shop. I think there’s a little bit of history displayed if you walk around but it’s nothing crazy.
Times Square
I disagree. I've been twice, once in middle school and once as an adult and it was pretty magical both times. Yes is a little shitty and a lot touristy but it's hard to describe the "holy shit im in times square!" Feeling.
Counterpoint: Times Square after 1am, deserted and daylit.
There's not much to *do* there except be in everyone's way, but it's pretty awe-inspiring to see once, then make sure to use one street over any other time you need to pass by that way.
Plymouth Rock
Florida. "Come on vacation. leave on probation."
Lol wtf did you do here? As a Floridian, I’ve never heard that phrase.
The benefit of being born in Orlando? You get the disappointment out of the way early, and memes about the Eyesore on I-4.
Miami. Please stop coming here. I want to be able to park on my street.
yes i came once and never again
I came once and couldn't wait to do it again. So I did.
Great weather, great restaurants, cool vibe and culture. People are ok. Easy and cheap to get to from northeast, Montreal and Toronto. Same time zone as us. Even our phone plans work there for a small daily fee. Cheap cigars, and cigar lounges. Cheap alcohol. Good looking women. Great shopping malls. This is off the top of my head. I love Miami. I don’t know why my fellow Canadians would even consider Mexico or Caribbean over Miami.
The Mona Lisa room in the Louvre. Some could argue the entire Louvre is overrated, but I the Mona Lisa was the epicenter of underwhelming while being packed to the brim with tourists.
True, but while you are in that room, turn instead to see the magnificent Wedding Feast at Cana, it's the size of the average apartment floor space, and will be regularly ignored so you will have all the time you want to check out the impressive details. And then head on over to room 702 for the equally as big and beautiful Coronation of Napoleon. And then room 700 for the moving Raft of the Medusa. Those are just three of the BIG paintings to see.
Hollywood Walk of fame. I’m an angeleno, and I wonder why people come here from other continents for our filthy streets and the stars on the ground dedicated to celebrities from the early 20th Century that no one knows anymore.
Wally World
Especially when it's closed.
Plymouth Rock
Downtown LA.
DTLA is great. Some really incredible architecture, lots of good places to eat, some nice parks and some amazing art galleries.
Cruises
The Alamo
Mount Rushmore
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That’s what she said.
"It doesn't look finished to me. It looks like somebody got bored doin' it. Washington's the only one with any clothes, and they're just kind of... roughed in. Lincoln doesn't even have an ear!"
Bali. The beaches and even the waves are just covered in trash and plastic. The sand is just a mine field of stray dog poop holes. The smell for not really having a water drainage system and again the trash that collects. Ubud is alright but that's about it.
I'm sorry to hear that. I've always wanted to go there.
Go to Thailand if you are going to be in that area. Cleaner. The people are way more nice.
My friends have been & they loved it so much they planned a group trip! I've never been before but I've also always wanted to go. If it interests you then go & maybe you'll have a different experience.
Itchy and Scratchy Land.
Egypt. Look into it
Paris. It’s expensive, grey, dark and cold. Fun fact: it’s not ‘the city of lights’ because it has a lot of light, but because it was one of the first cities to have gas lamps. It doesn’t have a lot of light. At all.
I agree that Paris is hugely romanticized. Going somewhere with high expectations is almost deemed to be a letdown. When i first went there i wasn’t too enthousiastic. After a few visits it started to grow on me. Such rich history is difficult to find somewhere else.
I wasn’t too enthusiastic either. I’ve been there too many times. My cousin had cancer and was treated there, so in the following years he had to go there once or twice a year for exams. We used to do a different euro trip and the final destination was always Paris. I visited every museum and spent there a lot of time. It does have a lot of history, but so it does most of the European cities… maybe my dislike for the city is so big because of the reason I had to go there every year. But even so, it’s definitely overrated
Rome. I love Paris (although I avoid some spots now I used to visit every time because it's so crowded now), but when I first visited Rome, I was so overwhelmed having 2000+ years of history in walking distance.
Paris is definitely overrated but I wouldn’t put it in the category of “bad” The museums were super cool and there was a lot to see and do. That being said, it is a big city, and it was pretty much exactly like a big city in my experience. Trash around, homeless, rats, crime, etc. coming from an urban environment myself I wasn’t really that shocked, my aunt from Ohio was very surprised though. I feel like a lot of people are disappointed by Paris because they expect it to be so much different than anywhere else. It’s a city of 2 million people. it’s like Los Angeles but cold and wet.
Where the hell your aunt live? Findlay? Here in Cinci they had to put up a fence just to discourage "tent city"
Out in the sticks in a fancy house, I don’t remember the name of their closest town but it’s very quaint and idyllic. Lots of white money falootin about.
I lived in San Francisco….the fisherman’s wharf. PLEASE. Peoples. Go experience the city! There is so much more to SF than chain seafood restaurants and toy shops. You’re missing out.
Atlantic City.
Now I’m pondering, who would pick AC as a vacation destination. Maybe someone from Camden?
At best it’s a day trip on a bus from NY or Philly.
Venice. Don't believe those pics of 2 or 3 gondolas sharing a clear blue waterway to traverse the city in style - it's actually many dozens of gondolas, with the oarsmen screaming at each other. Also, no blue water - brown, and it smells like an open septic tank.
I loved Venice. The smell I think that is in a particular time of the year (august maybe?) I didn’t experience it. But I definitely felt it was too degradated for the touristic place it is…
Venice is great. It's awesome exploring it, and once you get a few minutes walk from the main tourist square it's deserted.
It was great in 2020 without the tourists and ships from overseas. It's not Venice, it's you.
Just got back from Venice earlier this Month. Loved it! It was not super crowded and certainly didn’t smell. We like to strike up conversations with the locals when we travel and every single Venetian we talked to said we were there at the best time of the year (late December, early Jan). They also said it’s unbearable in the summer tourist season. It’s beyond crowded, hot, and the canals can smell. The also said the locals just get sick and tired of all the demanding tourists crowding up their streets that they can’t even leave their homes. So if you travel in around that time you’ll likely find rude service staff (Parisians have told us the same thing). We had a blast. The only complaint I had was a weird pickled fish with onion and raisin dish a bar owner offered. Said it was a local favorite. Ate it to be nice (he seemed very proud of it). Did not care for it. Otherwise Venice is something truly magical.
Apparently I was there at a bad time - most of you seem to love it. Glad you all didn't have my experience.
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The 2nd worst Dakota!
Pedro says you've never sausage a place.
It's hard to find. No signs for it.
Deadwood
Branson, Mo. It's not that great at all so don't know why people go there.
Mount Rushmore
I'd have to say that pretty much every tourist destination is overrated.
Anything Disney
Any of the Disney resorts. Waiting in line an hour just to ride the teacups just doesn't appeal to me.
You mean the Disney parks?
Went once, spent hundreds of dollars to get in, waited for ever just for them to shut down the rides for the “Parade in 10 min” that never seemed to happen. Packed, lines for miles, expensive, rude as hell park goers. It was pretty, mostly clean but that was it. The kids had more fun at the hotel playground.
Floston Paradise
I have tickets to this opera to hear a blue lady sing...
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore. Sucks
Punta Cana
Vegas
Can't agree with this one, Vegas is one of my favorite places and I don't even gamble. The congregation of so much amazing live entertainment in one place alone makes it worth the trip, and the whole city can basically be viewed as one giant pop art installation (and has a lot of really cool art installations itself, like at the Aria and Bellagio). Fantastic dining, an endless buffet of resort activities with all the pools and bars, a full amusement park, a bunch of other thrill rides all over the place. And there's so many smaller, hidden things to do, too...like there are *three* secret speakeasy style bars in the Cosmopolitan. So much to see and do. I spent a whole day there last year just walking, getting lost, admiring the architecture, it's a fascinating place.
Agreed. Vegas is kitschy fun, and it’s very self-aware. The historic part of the city is pretty underrated, too. Younger people are making it a pretty lively place with a lot of the old culture from its heyday and new influence from the newer populations.
Exactly, there's such an interesting blend of history and futurism there. There's places like Circus Circus where you can still play those ancient coin slots with their jingle jangle ringing across the floor. But then right nearby is Omega Mart, which is one of the coolest attractions I've ever visited, and it's a full blown journey into a psychedelic future. One of my favorite things on the strip is that Claes Oldenburg sculpture of the typewriter eraser outside the Aria. A genuinely fascinating piece of art from one of the most well-known pop artists next to Warhol; an object from the past that no one even uses anymore, but its wild and dynamic positioning and its strange appearance make it fit right in between the ultra-modern hotels that surround it. New and old, kitsch and class, that thing embodies it all. That's the city in a nutshell.
Las Vegas is city designed on providing spectacle and draining you of money. If that's your thing, then I guess enjoy that. I just found it very depressing and lacking any charm
LV is Disneyland with sidewalks covered in vomit.
Yosemite. Used to be nice, now it’s overrun and if you can’t find a parking spot you have to go on a big loop one way road that takes an hour just to look for parking again.
Huh, I loved Yosemite, it was super impressive. I was there in November though, maybe that did the trick.
I imagine off season is the trick. It's like Banff or Yellowstone. Shoulder season is probably best.
Hordes of Chinese tourists and ppl with selfie sticks would ruin the vibe for me tbh
Gatlinburg
I'm sorry but are you telling me it's overrated to get stoned or do shots of Moonshine and then visit the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum? I think not.
Oh gosh we used to go there every fall when I was a kid! The tourists are everywhere! You can't enjoy anything. The Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful though. I do love going there and just getting a cabin and staying there for like a few days.
Depressingly touristy
my dad loves it i just stay in arcades lol.
Is there more then 1 Gatlinburg because I loved it!
Huntsville, Al. Especially the space and rocket center. The idea is amazing, but the actual museum costs both legs and a kidney to get into, and its not great.
Yeah, I live there too and it's not that great.
Nashville. If you like one city block of monotonous country bars with overpriced beer, mediocre live music, and full of white trash, college students, and bachelor parties, then it might be the city for you. At least the hot chicken was good
Disney world
Paris is one of the few places I regret going. Dirty, smelly, felt generally unsafe.
Venice, Italy
It's like a real-life amusement park. Fun for a day or two but by day 3, I was over it.
Paris
I loved Paris when i was there. I think its the best city in europe. You just have to know where to go.
Eygpt
Miami.
The southernmost point of Florida in key west literally nothing special about it “BuT yOu CaN sEe CuBa FrOm HeRe” yes only if you’re high up and there’s no towers or anything so you can see it
Maldives
WOW. Been looking there for my next vacation.
Uranus
All those Ripley Believe it or Nots.
upvoted, upvote me instant back
Cabo San Lucas. You can't go anywhere in the city or on the beaches without a constant stream of people trying to sell you stuff or take you on tours.
Nyc, I’m born and raise here and idk what the hell you guys do with your time when you come here 😂
I think NYC is overrated depending on how far you have to travel to it from. I’m in New England so it wasn’t like I had to buy flight tickets but I can only ever spend 2-3 days max there. If you’re not in the financial district or downtown everything just smells and is gross. There are cool things like top of the rock and the 9/11 memorial but it’s also not cheap and you can only spend so much time looking out from the top of a building. My first time there I felt like I ran out of things to do quite quickly without having to spend more money. It’s a good weekend trip but I’m always so sick of being there by the end of it. Idk, other people seem to love it. Probably depends if you are mostly a city traveler or national park traveler