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These Are SO Not the World’s Worst Tourist Traps
By MountainMama | May 1, 2008
So I came across this MSN.com slide show depicting the “World’s Worst Tourist Traps.” Maybe I had tacky on the brain, but I was thinking I’d see shots of cheesey roadside stands selling kitschy souvenirs — not the beloved Leaning Tower of Pisa!
Basically, MSN contends that some of the locales listed below are overpriced, not worth the trip or not worth the crowds. Indeed, I’m all about going off the beaten path and I seek out “authentic” experiences” when I travel, but I do take issue at the inclusion of some of these world-renowned and historic sites:
1. Leaning Tower of Pisa: Yes, everyone takes those goofy pictures pretending to “hold up” the tippy bell tower, but come on! It’s legendary!
2. Times Square: Yes, there are crowds, yes there are corporate advertisements. But it’s also an awesome place to feel the pulse of the fast-paced city. And famous Broadway theaters are steps away.
3. South of the Border/Pedroland: This Mexican-themed attraction/amusement park — in South Carolina of all places — is a tacky tourist trap. I’m not arguing this one.
4. Madame Tussaud’s: I’ve never been to one of these museums, now found in London, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Amsterdam. But I think I’d spend the dollars to get that requisite shot of me next to Brad Pitt.
5. Wall Drug: What else is there to do along Highway 90 in South Dakota? if I’m road-tripping through, of course I’m gonna stop and gawk at the silly souvenirs.
6. Blue Grotto, Capri, Italy: I’ve never been. Anyone? Bueller? MSN questions why anyone would pay the exorbitant fee to take a seasick-inducing rowboat ride to a section of the Mediterranean that is just as beautifully blue as many other areas around Capri.
7. Seattle’s Experience Music Project & Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame: If my son (now 6) grows up to be a guitar-playing, Star Trek-loving teenager, and we head on a family trip to the Pacific Northwest, heck, yeah, we’ll go to this museum. A Jimi Hendrix exhibit runs through April 2010.
8. Fisherman’s Wharf: It’s San Francisco’s most popular destination. Can it really be that bad? I remember getting a kick out of the sea lions on a visit there about 10 years ago…
9. Gateway Arch in St. Louis: If you’re not afraid of heights, why not spend the $10 to go to the top of the nation’s tallest monument at 630 feet?
10. Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market in Boston: I love downtown Boston and this historic site. I have great childhood memories of taking special shopping trips down here from my NH home. Just last year my mom, my children, and I had a relaxing al fresco lunch on the cobblestone pedestrian area, and had a ball people-watching! Street performers entertained the kids.
11. Bourbon Street: Oooooh. I bet CajunMama and DesertMama, both of whom visited New Orleans recently, might have something to say about this one!
How about you?
Topics: Destinations, The Cookie Jar |
May 1st, 2008 at
Gimme Bourbon Street and some Mardi Gras beads any day. I think it’s synonymous with New Orleans. To tell you the truth, I adore Royal Street even more.
I have memories from when I was a kid walking the French Quarter, but my parents pushed us along really quickly when we approached Bourbon Street. I wonder why?
I also love the St. Louis Arch. I can’t wait to take my kids up there. The views of the river on a clear day are spectacular.
May 3rd, 2008 at
The Acropolis, the Pyramids and Stonehenge get my vote for the world’s worst … not for the attractions themselves, but for the tacky. catchpenny way they’re exploited.