# Was a famous place disappointing or as wonderful as you hoped?



## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Las Vegas was as wonderful as I hoped, at least when I first saw it driving towards it at night from the desert.  All the lights, the excited people in the casinos, the coins tinkling from the slot machines.  I loved it completely.  But when I first went to Las Vegas was over 40 years ago and, while I enjoyed subsequent trips it never was as thrilling to me as my glimpse of all the lights the very first time.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Graceland.....ughh it was like someone enshrined the worst of the 60s-70's. Ankle deep shag carpeting?  Carpeted walls?
ick


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## Jennybeanses (Jan 27, 2011)

A few years ago I went to the Winchester Mansion on a Halloween flashlight tour. It was pretty cool, but I hated that they were so restrictive about where you could go in the house, even with a guide. Still, it was neat.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I was underwhelmed by Niagara Falls when I visited many years ago during a family vacation: just too many people and businesses to appreciate it as a natural wonder. However, we then drove downriver on the Canadian side, and the river gorge was spectacular. We had lunch at a restaurant atop the gorge, eating on a patio that overlooked it, and I still remember it vividly almost 40 years later. (For all I know after all that time, the whole gorge has been built up now, but I sure hope not.)


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

PS: Driving through Rocky Mountain Nat.'l Park was every bit as spectacular as I'd hoped:


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Washington DC. I've been there once. My husband and I went a few years ago. The reflecting pool was empty. The Washington monument was getting a facelift. The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial was covered in plywood. I was sad.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

The Grand Canyon was a great as I expected.
Machu Pichu was a bit disappointing, but that may have been due to altitude issues.
Sydney Opera House-amazing!
Western Wall (in fact, most of Jerusalem), bit of a let down.
Seeing elephants and giraffees and lions from 10 feet away- as incredible as I could have dreamed.
Ayre's Rock- 98% of expectation.
Galapagos Islands- 95% 
Rodeo Drive?  Tacky beyond belief.
Penguins?  Always fun!


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## caracara (May 23, 2010)

Disney World. It was amazing, loved it.
Costa Rica, hiking through the rain forest. It was the best. Entirely breath taking.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

caracara said:


> Disney World. It was amazing, loved it.


I had fun at Disney, but wanted to kill my sister after 3 days.
My last trip to DC was fun, for once all the places I wanted to see were open!
Paris was a bit disappointing, but that may have been because my companion and I were both getting sick.
Kew Gardens outside of London was wonderful, even if the peacocks scared me!


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Africa... at least for the "big 5" wildlife was a "meh" moment for me. What I _did_ fall in love with though was the culture (aside from the rampant crime and unrest), food... glorious food, and the _smaller_ animals. To be fair, I went over on a 3 month working contract (that somehow turned into 4 years), so I wasn't there for seeing the big animals.

Paul.


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

The Tower of London. Awesome. I wished I could stay for a year.


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

For years I dreamed of visiting London.  On the plane over I was afraid I'd be disappointed...I wasn't.  It's still one of my favourite cities.

The place that makes me cry, however, isn't in London.  It's Coventry Cathedral, St. Michael's Church.  I love the architecture of old churches/cathedrals but the first time I walked into the new cathedral built after WWII (when the old cathedral was destroyed in the bombings) I burst into tears.  I've visited three more times and I have the same tearful reaction each time I set foot into the cathedral.


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

This is only a famous place if you're a book nerd but...Seattle Public Library.

It was awesome. They've got an automated book drop that I stared at for a good five minutes without moving. The Space Needle was alright too.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park were so awesome that my wife and I have been back twice since our first trip, most recently just a few months ago.

The Oxbow Bend of the Snake River, one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen, especially in Autumn.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

And how can Old Faithful ever disappoint?


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

My fave spots, didn't disappoint, are Yosemite in California and Shadow Ranch in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Biggest letdown?  Mount Rushmore.  I finally got to see it and I couldn't believe how much bigger I expected it to be from seeing it in photographs.  Of course, the circumstances weren't optimal, maybe I was in a bad mood...


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

daveconifer said:


> My fave spots, didn't disappoint, are Yosemite in California and Shadow Ranch in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
> 
> Biggest letdown? Mount Rushmore. I finally got to see it and I couldn't believe how much bigger I expected it to be from seeing it in photographs. Of course, the circumstances weren't optimal, maybe I was in a bad mood...


Okay, so now I'll try not to be too disappointed in Mount Rushmore when I get there.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

scarlet said:


> Okay, so now I'll try not to be too disappointed in Mount Rushmore when I get there.


Well, now you're going to be thrilled because Conifer told you Washington's head was the same size as it is on a coin -- and it isn't quite that small on Rushmore. Reverse psychology!


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

St. Louis Arch... kinda =meh= once you're there...


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Thumper said:


> St. Louis Arch... kinda =meh= once you're there...


I thought it was pretty cool, but then I was pretty young (young teens, maybe?) and it was still pretty new. Going up inside was the best part -- at least to that younger me.


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

The CN Tower in Toronto is one of the best "omg-look-how-high-we-are-I-think-I'm-gonna-faint" attractions out there. They've got a transparent floor.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

My husband and I travel for a living, so I get to see a lot of famous locations. Usually by the time I get to a place, I've done so much research that I've not been disappointed by much because I already know the good and the bad.

What really stands out in my mind are the places that exceeded my expectations. I have two...Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park and a snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park.



scarlet said:


> Okay, so now I'll try not to be too disappointed in Mount Rushmore when I get there.


It you want to be impressed with Mount Rushmore. See it in the daytime then go back and see it at night. The night view was pretty amazing! We went on Super Bowl Sunday several years ago and we were the only people there.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

We went to the Grand Canyon when I was 7 and I really didn't enjoy it.  I remember it rained as we went to the Painted Desert, and then my memories of the Canyon have to do with my Dad stepping over and around barriers to take "that awesome shot".  It made me nearly sick with fear.

As an adult, it made me burst into tears.  Best family vacation ever.


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

I have 3 amazingly amazing places that I've been to... And 2 surprisingly great place near Vegas...

First, and my fave, was Hawai'i. I went for 15 days and stayed with a good friend who took me the entire permiter of the island and we cut through the middle. It was the most awesome trip (and best tour guide) ever! I was so sad when I had to leave and when the plane touched down in Vegas, I actually cried. (Which is the top of my list of "Meh Places".)

The Grand Canyon. I've been 3 times now and still want more. The next time I go, I'd like to go to the bottom of the canyon and see the ranch that was listed earlier... Sound fantabulous! The vastness of it makes me cry every time...

And finally, Great Basin National Park. I got to touch some trees older than Christianity! And they were ALIVE! It was amazing. The park has a glacier and I got a peek at it at the top of the "easy" hike. I'd like to go back to check it out. It's a smaller park in Nevada.

http://www.nps.gov/grba/index.htm

As much as I was NOT impressed by Vegas - during any of the 3 visits or the 2 years I lived there - I did find a wonderfully amazing place right outside of it: Red Rock Canyon. A gorgeous 13 mile trip through beautiful rock formations stained red by iron many millions of years ago.

http://www.redrock.org/

The other place, about 2 hours west of Vegas, is Tecopa Hot Springs in California (closer to Baker, CA). I found it sort of accidentally on a random drive through the desert. A small hot springs/resort area that has a very cool local art scene...

http://www.tecopahotsprings.org/


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## Margaret (Jan 1, 2010)

I visited the Grand Canyon three summers ago and I was truly awed.  We went onto the Skywalk and although it was expensive, I thought it was worth every penny.  We walked out over the canyon and could look through to the bottom of the gorge.  In this case, the experience definitely exceeded my expectations.

My biggest disappointment in a place I visited came during the time I lived in Germay.  I had taken German in school and read about the legend of the Lorelei, sirens that lured sailors to their death on the Rhine River.  We even learned a song about them.  We took a cruise on the Rhine and one of the highlights was supposed to be a view of the Lorelei.  Well, we did get to see the rocks, and that is what they looked like - rocks. There was nothing special about them as far as I could see. I am not sure what I expected them to look like, but I would not have even looked at these rocks if the tour director had not pointed them out.  The wine they served on the cruise more than made up for the Lorelei though.  I am still a big fan of Rhine wines.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

sebat said:


> Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park...


One of my all-time favorites too. My wife and I were in Glacier in early Autumn a number of years ago, and we saw the first snow of the season at Logan Pass.

As a 40-year veteran of designing highways, my hat is off to those who designed and built that amazing road.


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

sebat said:


> What really stands out in my mind are the places that exceeded my expectations. ...
> 
> a snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park.


Yeah, I'd agree with that!! Spectacular.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I was more than impressed with the Golden Gate bridge.










Just sayin....


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I haven't done much travelling as an adult. When I was 13, I did a school exchange and we drove with a bus, yes bus  , for 3 days  from Germany to Wales. We saw London on the way, The Pissing fountain in brussels. My eyes where like saucers I am sure in London. Woah it was colorful. It was the 80's too. But the food, ack the food  . 

Wales was so green it didn't even look real. Looked and felt just like the postcards. Everything. The people, the houses, the grass, the ocean the bagpipes. 

My first time in the ocean and I threw myself in it, it was coooold and so salty, strange. So Wales lived up to everything. I wish I had been there as an adult though. Hormones you know  .

I can still sing the Welsh anthem to this day, in Welsh  . Don't ask me to write it though  

I always kind of liked the Alps too. We went every year when I was a child. Even though my dad who is afraid of the lifts always designated me to crawl up the side of the mountains with him while my mom and siblings where waving from above  . Nothing like sitting up at the Alp house and drinking home made Buttermilk while eating cheese plates. Yum. Austria also, just like the postcards  . At least where we were. 
We always stayed in cheap places, hostels I guess. So you get to know the people there. 
Being from Bavaria, going to Austria I guess isn't that big of a stretch. But the views from up there. Nothing like it, nothing. 
When you are above the clouds its like nothing can touch you. 

I went to Florida for a few days once, Miami, Everglades, Orlando. It was a little letdown. I loved Disney World. Pretty amazing. Was a bit dirty though everywhere I went.  
Other than than, it was nice and hot in December so I loved it  

Now I live in San Antonio and the first time I was exited to see the Alamo. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't a tiny  room that is the Alamo and another room that is the selling of trinkets. Thats it. We only go there now when we have visitors. But it can be nice to walk around the Riverwalk. We just don't eat there. Its really nice around Christmas with all the lights. 

So the Alamo was a big let down for me.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I have always been blown away by nature.
So I love the national parks.
And one of my favorites is Muir Woods just north of San Francisco.
When you visit the redwoods (not the Sequioas) you know there is a greater power.

















Just sayin......


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Muir woods was lovely, indeed.  Only one problem.  Guess who it turns out is allergic to redwoods?


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I was seriously dissappointed with Tijuana.
Expected a pretty, exciting place.
Just a lot of shopping and depressing place when you got off the main drag.
Got tired of being asked it I wanted to go see a donkey and ...... (never mind).

I relate this just to prove that there are some places that disappointed me.

And I am so sorry for you Scarlet.
'cause the redwoods are soooo neat.

Just sayin.....


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> And I am so sorry for you Scarlet.
> 'cause the redwoods are soooo neat.
> 
> Just sayin.....


Oh, yeah, I had a great time. And some incredible black and white pictures (must find those). Didn't realize until I got back on the bus and couldn't breath and then started itching.

I'm allergic to the weirdest stuff.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

Atunah said:


> Wales was so green it didn't even look real. Looked and felt just like the postcards. Everything. The people, the houses, the grass, the ocean the bagpipes.


Yes, Wales is a magical place. I don't think most folks know how gorgeous and unspoiled much of it is. Most of it is very rustic, so it's like stepping back in time and getting away from the rat race. Loved the Welsh hill sheep ambling across the road. You don't dare drive too fast, because you never know when you're going to turn a hairpin corner and find one of those black woolies just staring you down, daring you to make them get out of the way.

I also found the Orkneys off the northern coast of Scotland to be fascinating. There was a church on the main island we went to that was built in the time of the Vikings. I was sure there was a time portal there somewhere behind one of the timber columns. The Standing Stones were absolutely surreal to see, when you think of how long they'd been there and wonder how on earth an ancient people got them there.

In the U.S., I thought Bryce Canyon was fantastic. The place had a pink/orange glow to it and looked very not-of-this-world. I could've stood there for hours at the lookout, watching the colors shift among the formations.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I found Stonehenge to be wonderful.
Pictures do not do it justice.
when we visited you were still allowed to wander amongst the stones.










Just sayin.....


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> I was more than impressed with the Golden Gate bridge.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love the GGB...but I have to admit, walking across it when it's brutally cold and windy, and after you walked 20 miles the day before--well, it loses its charm for the day 

Even so, every time I'm in SF, I have to find a spot to at least see it from a distance.


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## bobdev (Dec 7, 2010)

Rome, far more wonderful than expected.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

Yosemite and the Tetons and Yellowstone were absolutely amazing!



> The CN Tower in Toronto is one of the best "omg-look-how-high-we-are-I-think-I'm-gonna-faint" attractions out there. They've got a transparent floor.


When my son was in 6th grade, we took a trip to Toronto, where he was playing in a basketball tournament. He decided to be funny and JUMPED as hard as he could on that glass floor . People scurried in all sorts of directions--it seemed like the whole tower shook. If looks could have killed, he would be dead . We left rather quickly after that .


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I visited Pakistan more than once.
But on one occasion, I managed to actuall see the sights.
Historically, Lahore has been a center of cultural heritage for many civilizations. It was the capital of the Punjab region under the British Raj in the mid 19th and early 20th century. There is a lot to see.






























The Bahshahi Mosque is the fifth largest in the world and it is across the street from the "tulip gates" of the Lahore Fort which is HUGE and across the other side of the Lahore Fort is the Shalimar Gardens (created by Shah Jehan) and finally - perhaps the most neat for me- Kim's Gun mentioned often by Rudyard Kipling in his works about the British Raj.

Exceeded my expectations.

just sayin.....


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## Robin (Dec 11, 2008)

So many that were wonderful. Best for me was Zambia. Victoria Falls, animals in their natural habitat (I believe those elephants had a spring in their step that you never see in the zoo or circus), and best of all visiting with family in the villages.


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## maryannaevans (Apr 10, 2010)

The Acropolis of Athens was everything I expected and more.  I kept thinking of all the famous people who had stood there, from St. Paul to Mark Twain.

Rome is my favorite city in the world.  I love seeing ancient ruins in juxtaposition with a functioning modern city.

Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.  I loved the trip to Rio in general, although the city was looking a bit shabby at the time.  (1990.)  The mountains looming over the ocean, with the statue of Christ atop it all, were just magical.

Yosemite.  I kept thinking what it would have been like to be a Native American walking through the forest and just...stumbling...across something like that.  (Although hopefully not stumbling over the edge...)

The California redwoods.

And much more.  I really love to travel.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Still gives me goosebumps when I think about La Alhambra in Granada, Espana. There's a mystery about it today . . . what it must have been like back when. I could wander through there dreaming for days and days.

And this blows my mind:

















Guess anyone?



Spoiler



It's the headwaters of the Mississippi River. To the left of the rocks across the river is huge Lake Itasca. (Those are just reeds in the water.) The other photo is very slightly down stream from the rocks. That stream IS the Mighty Mississippi River. Those rocks are where the Mississippi actually starts flowing!


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## cmg.sweet (Jul 6, 2010)

Wales and England were beautiful, so were the Rockies, Yellowstone, Alaska, Grand Canyon and the coast of Oregon.

Las Vegas was fun, NYC was cool (really didn't think I'd like it but now I can't wait to go back), DC was educational and neat.

Paris was dirty and rude but the Sacre Cour (sp) was amazing. Belgium wasn't anything real special, but the lacewears were beautiful and the people were very friendly.

I love the water in the Bahamas and the slower pace.


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## Robin (Dec 11, 2008)

Next stop for me: Prague, Czech Republic.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Don't feel bad T.L Haddix. I don't go anywhere. My travelling has all been done pretty much as a child and younger woman, and it wasn't like fancy vacations either. My mom and dad just packed us in the Combi (stationwagon) and we drove a few hours south. That was our once a year vacation. We always stayed with others and never at a hotel. You know the places where the bathroom is down the hall  

Then most of the rest of it was done in one trip where I lived with the family in Wales. I always say my one actual planned vacation I ever had was when I went for 8 days to Florida. That was one of those all inclusive tourist trip. That was 20 years ago. 

Now with my cats I don't even want to leave overnight. We don't know anyone to cat sit and I don't want anyone to come in my place. I am very private like that. Plus it all just costs so much money now. We go to the beach once in a while, but its not really a vacation as we drive back home. Still nice though  

I think I had the advantage of growing up in Europe where countries are much closer together. So I been to France, Austria, Czech Republic, Wales, England, Brussels, Luxemburgh, I think thats all. Might be missing something lol. But its like me driving from Texas to Oklahoma now. This Country is just so big that it seems like you are driving to another.  .
I actually preferred living in Oklahoma to Texas. I miss the Longhorns and Buffalo's that just roam freely everywhere near my home there. I prefer smaller towns with green and trees. All I see now is the building of a bridge when I look out the window. 

I just love seeing all these pictures though. I don't have any pictures of anything.


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## skyblue (Dec 23, 2009)

I absolutely adore traveling!  I have been to some amazing places.  I find something wonderful in each place we go.  The sights, sounds, people, food offer great experiences for the senses.  I am ready to go again!


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## John Dax (May 21, 2010)

The Anne Frank house was perhaps the most ... unsettling experience I've ever had. Words can't begin to describe it, so I won't even try.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

I thought the Alamo was disappointing, I guess I was expecting more. It also didn't help that it was during Spring Break. Hard to enjoy anything when you're shoulder to shoulder with people.

I've never been all that impressed by the Grand Canyon, it's a big hole in the ground    

I liked Disneyland, but that was 25 years ago and I was 14 at the time.  I like Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs, great place to visit, but probably really expensive to live there.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

In 1974 I spent some time in Venice, Italy......everything, the weather, the people, the sights, the food, was just perfect.  The memory is still clear after 30+ years later....I will never go back as I know it would be disspointing.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

skyblue said:


> I absolutely adore traveling! I have been to some amazing places:
> 
> I find something wonderful in each place we go. The sights, sounds, people, food offer great experiences for the senses. I am ready to go again!


Love your attitude !! 
I have a list like yours.....and also love the thrill of the adventure


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

geoffthomas said:


> I was more than impressed with the Golden Gate bridge.


That's an awesome photo of the bridge. Amazingly, on my only visit to San Francisco, it was a beautiful day with no fog or low-lying clouds.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Cliff Ball said:


> I've never been all that impressed by the Grand Canyon, it's a big hole in the ground


GASP !!! What a terrible thing to say in front of a geologist !!! Ha!


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I love to visit places here in the U.S. also.
Really like the Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C.
Lots of other nice things there also like Cherokee, N.C. and Galinburg, TN and you can visit the Smoky Mountains too.










just sayin.....


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I was disappointed with Mount Fuji the day we went, it was cloudy and we couldn't see the peak from the base or anything from the 5th Station.  And it was grey on the lake, so it wasn't the view I was used to in pictures.

HOWEVER, the day we took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto it was clear and I got the gorgeous view of Fuji-san that I always wanted.


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> I found Stonehenge to be wonderful.
> Pictures do not do it justice.
> when we visited you were still allowed to wander amongst the stones.
> 
> ...


 I was extremely impressed by Stonehenge and we weren't allowed to wander amongst the stones. But I have to say that Salisbury Plain is the coldest place I have ever been. The wind just strips your bones... I took a picture which is just like all the other pictures you see, but it is special because I was there..


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## skyblue (Dec 23, 2009)

NapCat said:


> Love your attitude !!
> I have a list like yours.....and also love the thrill of the adventure


Ah, a kindred spirit! The experience is truly what you make of it! You can have these experiences in your own backyard if you are open to it.

So where would you like to go next? I would love to see Greece!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

skyblue said:


> Ah, a kindred spirit! The experience is truly what you make of it! You can have these experiences in your own backyard if you are open to it.
> 
> So where would you like to go next? I would love to see Greece!


I haven't done Greece yet either. ROAD TRIP!!!

Actually, I'm staying in the US this year.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I really liked:
Cape May, NJ








Charleston, SC








and Savanah, GA









The U.S. has great places.
Just sayin......


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

NapCat said:


> GASP !!! What a terrible thing to say in front of a geologist !!! Ha!


Right?! Cha!


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## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

I recognized Sandpiper's post of the Mississippi headwaters.  It brought back memories of several trips to a fishing resort on Third Crow Wing Lake.  While there we almost always paid a visit to the headwaters.  Minnesota never disappointed us as a vacation destination.

Colorado Springs has always been a favorite place, but part of the draw there are relatives.

I was not disappointed with Savannah, Georgia or NYC either.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

When in Amman, Jordan I drove down a street and looked out the window at this Roman "theater". Amman was the capital of the Ammonites around 1200 B.C.









Cool? or what?

Just sayin.....


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## skyblue (Dec 23, 2009)

I would love to go to San Fran, too.  Trying to talk hubby into going soon.

I love all these travel photos!


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## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

geoffthomas said:


> I love to visit places here in the U.S. also.
> Really like the Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C.
> Lots of other nice things there also like Cherokee, N.C. and Galinburg, TN and you can visit the Smoky Mountains too.
> 
> ...


Downtown Gatlinburg is the seventh circle of hell...any place that has that many Ripley's Believe it or Not franchises is something unholy.


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## skyblue (Dec 23, 2009)

I really wish the weather had been more accommodating when we were at Stonehenge.  It was so damp, cold and rainy.  I swear you could see my knees knocking in the photos! . We couldn't walk amongst the stones, but it was still a thrill.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

NapCat said:


> GASP !!! What a terrible thing to say in front of a geologist !!! Ha!


I'm from Arizona, I don't remember how many times my parents dragged us to the Grand Canyon. So.. meh...


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## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

Cliff Ball said:


> I'm from Arizona, I don't remember how many times my parents dragged us to the Grand Canyon. So.. meh...


I've never been to the GC since the skywalk thing was built, but I've been there a few times, even hiked down and camped at the bottom. I went for a run the next morning and saved those shoes for years because they got stained from the colored sand along the river--that strange pinkish orange. I have to say, the place didn't impress me much until I walked down into it. But even then, it doesn't compare to some other places I've seen.

D.C. just has an amazing vibe when you're among all the monuments and buildings where many momentous events have happened.

Mammoth Cave is amazing in some parts, but underwhelming in others. I think part of that is because of the high traffic volume that has damaged some of the beauty of the cave system.

I didn't really feel that way about Mammoth Cave until I saw Kartchner Caverns in AZ, though. Amazing.

Yosemite is my favorite place on earth. J-tree was cool, too, but nothing like Yosemite, especially from on top of the mountains! Just don't spit off the edge into an updraft.


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## skyblue (Dec 23, 2009)

Monument Valley in Utah is beautiful, too!  I guess that's why they film so many car commercials there.


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## Aylett (Feb 19, 2011)

patrisha #150 said:


> I was extremely impressed by Stonehenge and we weren't allowed to wander amongst the stones. But I have to say that Salisbury Plain is the coldest place I have ever been. The wind just strips your bones... I took a picture which is just like all the other pictures you see, but it is special because I was there..


It is possible to get inside the Stones, you have to contact English Heritage


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

The place I remember being the most surprised by visiting was Bali.  I adored it.  

Malta was underwhelming for me.  Too crowded.

Seeing Klimts The Kiss in Vienna was a very special trip for me, I really loved it.

I absolutely despise Vegas. I have been four times and hope to never go again.  Last time I went with my brother, his wife, and 2 kids.  My brother went gambling and I went with my SIL and the kids to walk along the strip and see all the nightly outdoor shows.  The sidewalks and road was littered with nasty flyers promoting sex shows (and I do mean sexually explicit flyers, stuff even playboy wouldn't show).  I almost lost my temper when a man walked up to me and tried to give me a flyer.  I said, "you realize you are handing this to two women with two young kids, right?"  Vegas makes my skin crawl, I just want to scrub myself in a hot shower after spening time there.

NOLa after Katrina was disappointing.  I love the history, music, food and culture of New Orleans but it felt different.  I am hoping to take my niece sometime in March and maybe it will feel a little bit like its old self.

Some of the places I am still hoping to see

The Rock n Roll museum (Janice Joplins psychedelic porsche is there right now)
Istanbul, Turkey...so much history.
The Great Wall of China and hopefully some of the terra cotta soldiers.
Redo the Smithsonian in DC, havent been in 20 years.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

KindleChickie said:


> I absolutely despise Vegas. I have been four times and hope to never go again.


I live about 130 miles NW of Vegas and have lived in the Vegas Valley in the past.....Your comments are so right !! "Back in the Day", Vegas had a certain amount of "Class". but now it is just a sewer both morally and literally. About the only time I go in is for major shopping or to go to the airport.

I do not understand why anyone who enjoys gaming would choose Vegas, when there are so many other options.

********************

That said...... Rural Nevada is a beautiful with spectacular scenery and some wonderful older folks descendants of the original pioneers who have incredible first hand history tales to tell.


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

I've been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places. I think I've managed to forget the ones that were disappointing.

Picking just two very different ones that were as stunning as I could have hoped:

- Venice. I've been lucky enough to visit it four times now, and each time has been more wonderful than the last. Wander just a little off the beaten track and you find yourself in tiny, hidden squares, where no one else is in sight, and past and present weave in and out of one another. Walk the quiet lanes and alleys at night, when almost all the visitors have gone, and the loudest sound is the soft lapping of water.
- Uluru/Ayers Rock: truly awe-inspiring, and it really does have all those amazing colours. We visited at sunrise, and the colours change every few seconds. Then when daylight had come we walked around part of the base, finding pools and caves and simply absorbing the ancient silence.


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

I am surprised no one has mentioned Plymouth Rock yet. I went to school in California. We did all the obligatory lessons on the Pilgrims. However, when the story of Plymouth Rock moved west, the rock grew to gargantuan size. I was so disappointed to see it is barely a stepping stone!

Glacier Park always amazes me. I was fortunate to live many years only a few hours away from Glacier. 

Salzburg, Austria was in a different, magical world. 

For some reason the Eiffel Tower was disappointing.


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

A few years ago, DH and I went on a trip to the Mexican Riviera. It was gorgeous, and I loved taking a day trip to Chichen Itza. HOWEVER, we made our reservations through a travel agent, and she gave us all of the information on the resort. It looked beautiful. The hotel was stunning with a swim up bar in the pool, lots of restaurants, beautiful rooms.

But she neglected to mention that the beautiful, white, sandy beach in the photographs was no longer there. It was washed away by a hurricane the season before. Had we known that, we never would have gone there. Called to complain when we got back, and she basically said "Tough." Last time we'd ever book through them again.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

Martel47 said:


> I've never been to the GC since the skywalk thing was built, but I've been there a few times, even hiked down and camped at the bottom. I went for a run the next morning and saved those shoes for years because they got stained from the colored sand along the river--that strange pinkish orange. I have to say, the place didn't impress me much until I walked down into it. But even then, it doesn't compare to some other places I've seen.


So, you got to go see Shadow Ranch down at the bottom? My parents were always afraid to hike that trail with two kids, so all I saw was the top of the Canyon and hundreds of Japanese tourists


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I loved DisneyWorld - both times we went there.
The just get it right.


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