What’s the most disappointing place you’ve ever visited? - General Discussion Discussion

[–] mikethemartian (6996) 4 years ago

Maybe the Petrified Forest. The first time I ever heard about it was from the Humphrey Bogart movie which I remember playing on TV in the mid 80s. Maybe I just remembered it wrong but I thought in the movie they actually drove through a standing petrified forest. But around 2003 when I went to see it the only thing I saw were pieces of petrified timber laying on the ground.

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[–] sslssg (35166) 4 years ago

Hmmm.

Vegas

MarineLand @ Niagra Falls. Contrary to the commercials, not everyone loves MarineLand.

I'm usually not disappointed when I travel as I usually avoid the touristy things. The few times that I haven't, it's been a little meh. Like why is this THE attraction here?

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[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

There is an attraction on the coast here called Sea Lion Caves.
You descend into a cavern to observe a bunch of Sea Lions dozing away, and the stench is overwhelming.
You smell it just driving past.
Never been inside, no thank you, not paying for that.
There is a different area called Strawberry (something) further North up the coast which often has Sea Lions hanging out, and last I checked it's free and in the fresh air. One of the first places I visited after moving here and always a favorite stop.

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[–] Kazak (2199) 4 years ago

I would love to visit Stone Henge! Did you know those stones were moved some 300 to 400 miles before the wheel was invented?!!

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

Stonehenge was well worth the visit. Not for people not educated in history though.

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[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Niagara Falls, NY. It was a shithole, not at all living up to its legend as a romantic place where couples would go to for their honeymoon!

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[–] 102000 (6347) 4 years ago

Cape Cod was nothing like I expected - huge disappointment! Then a few years later I went to Bar Harbor, Maine and it was everything I thought New England should be - quaint buildings, spectacular coastline, and great food.

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[–] Otter (24464) 4 years ago

Well, Bar Harbor struck me as more the tourist-trap imitation of a quaint New England town than the real thing, but it was an upscale tourist trap and it had some lovely walks, and was so pretty I forgave it everything. Maybe I'll go again this fall if the fucking pandemic allows, I liked Maine, and there are other towns along the coast I need to stroll through, if I the this rotten broken leg heals by then.

Santiago, Chile was my least favorite part of the country, I can add it to the list of huge cities I didn't like (headed by NYC, see page 1). Huge, sprawling, choked with traffic, hundreds of people at every bus stop spending all their free time trying to get from one place to another, homeless everywhere, grubby streets, smog, crowds, all the ills of big city life in another hemisphere. Now the place had some fantastic architecture, I mean every other building seemed to be unique and interesting, and I stumbled across Santa Lucia Hill Park and absolutely adored it. But I was incredibly glad to leave the big city and get out to the coast, and then to the peace and beauty of the Atacama Desert.

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[–] BillySlater (4281) 4 years ago

I live in Santiago and I 100% agree. Although if you think Santiago is bad, you mustn´t be that well travelled because it doesn´t hold a candle to Lima or La Paz. Buenos Aires is quite dirty too. Out of all the South American big cities, I have been too, I would say Santiago is the cleanest!

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[–] Otter (24464) 4 years ago

I'm not nearly as well-traveleld as I'd like to be, and have seen sadly little of South America. But I don't know if I'll ever see Buenos Aires or Lima proper (I've seen the inside of the Lima airport) because the older I get, the less I want to visit big cities. Sure, I have to pass through some because all the international airports are attached to big cities, but it seems that all the big cities of the world are now plagued with extreme income inequality and overcrowding, with all the social ills those conditions bring, and they aren't my idea of fun.

Of course I understand there are exceptions like Tokyo and Singapore, where litter isn't allowed, but now I want to see wild places and nature's wonders. like the southern Andes. When the damn pandemic is over and my broken leg heals, anyway.

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

Where have you been in SA?

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[–] Otter (24464) 4 years ago

Just Chile, twice, and changing planes in Lima, Peru. I certainly want to see more of the continent, especially the southern Andes, but now is not the best time for international travel.

Have you seen everything?

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

No. Everything? Like all 258 countries? How many are there now? Why did you layover in Lima?

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[–] Otter (24464) 4 years ago

Oh, I meant everything in South America, or maybe everything the average tourist would like to see. Only 14 countries there, including the Falkland Islands which aren't part of the continent, but I've been there on my way to Antarctica! \

Have you been to the rain forests of Brazil, or other equatorial countries? It sounds fascinating, but I've read enough books about explorers to limit my time there as I'm not that fond of parasitic and fungal diseases.

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

Haha no. Did you read about the guy who recently walked across the continent in crocs?

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[–] Otter (24464) 4 years ago

No. The wide part of the continent, or the narrow part?

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[–] bobbydallas (8681) 4 years ago

honestly Paris kinda sucked.
this was in like 2015..

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

Must be like that aphorism. "To bad boys school is a punishment, to good boys it is a reward."

Paris was totally and utterly awesome every time I visited but it helped to know a couple Parisians.

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[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

I thought it strange but beautiful when The Sopranos dedicated part of one episode having Carmen (or is it Carmella? Edie Falco) visit Paris and how rapturously beautiful it was. It was so overtly a nod to the loveliness of the city, there was no other purpose for having that scenario, although there was a concurrent story line going on with Tony, iirc.
Like the show creator just said, eff it, I'm taking a personal detour, thank you very much.

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

When I first went to Europe I got neck ache craning at all the amazing architecture. It's like a Disneyland for adults.

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[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

Wasn't sure there were many Adults participating here. Thanks for the affirmation.

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

Not sure what you mean.

I never watched the Sopranos but would like to see what you mean. Paris is like a living Van Gogh painting to me.

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[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

I'm not good at linking things, but if you can follow The Sopranos, there is a later episode that follows what I described above.
A Love Letter to Paris is how I see it, and completely out of character with the show in general.

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

Still don't follow your quip about adults.

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[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

Okay. I don't even know what you are referring to anymore.

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[–] TriumphReq (1857) 4 years ago

This: snepts: Wasn't sure there were many Adults participating here.

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[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

Indeed

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[–] BillySlater (4281) 4 years ago

Paris is just kinda gross and overpriced. If you take away the mystique of its famous landmark buildings, its just another dirty big city. Oh and they need more public toilets because the constant smell of urine in the street is awful too!

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[–] chilidoggg (14589) 4 years ago

I love to just watch people make out on the banks of the Seine (and everywhere else.) Everyone is just better looking there.

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[–] trevorh321 (5495) 4 years ago

[deleted]

[–] AndyKing1967 (39835) 4 years ago

General Discussion
Talk about anything here...except politics.

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[–] BullSchmidt (3189) 4 years ago

A long time ago, maybe twenty-five years, a college buddy and I vacationed together in Atlanta. One of the things we went to see was the Margaret Mitchell Museum. Ms. Mitchell was the woman who wrote the novel, Gone With The Wind, and the museum is the house where she lived. Most of the house is roped off, we could only see two or three rooms, and they were quite ordinary. It was as if the occupants of an unimpressive, average 1940s home had stepped out and we were permitted to take a peek at the living room and kitchen. If someone is such a rabid fan that he or she would get a thrill out of seeing Margaret Mitchell's actual coffee cup, that person might consider it worth the money, but otherwise -- very boring. There were a couple of posters up with some newspaper clippings, mostly about her death after being struck by a drunk driver while she was crossing the street.

I've never heard of anyone who has visited the Margaret Mitchell Museum who didn't consider themselves ripped off. Apparently it's been damaged several times by arsonists. I can understand why.

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