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I think a part of the problem is that some people may expect some "feeling" to rush over them when they see a place. It doesn't work that way. There's no magic.
That reminds me of an article I read about Japanese tourists deeply disappointed in Paris:
I wanted to love Miami and I hated Miami - at the time I was living in St. Petersburg and I couldn't wait to leave Miami and get back to St. Pete. I still want to love Miami, but I wanted relaxation and FL scenery and I had that where I already lived, plus we had equally good Cuban food. I was solo so didn't go to clubs, maybe on a group trip.
I know it's the opposite of the thread, but I was recently in Los Angeles for the first time and I absolutely loved it, which is the exact opposite of how I thought I'd feel. I stayed in Koreatown and took the metro a bit, was not anywhere near the permanent duck lip crowd so just enjoyed the city (except for the traffic). Had such a great time at the Griffith Observatory at night. Would move to LA in a heartbeat if I had the income to live similarly there as I do in NC.
The area surrounding the Bay Area in California, totally unimpressed. None of the good parts of the bay area transcend to the area within a half-hour or so, totally devoid of what makes the Bay Area special.
Pike Place Market. It's fun the first couple times but it's so overcrowded with tourists that the novelty wears off fast. Just like Times Square, it's been so hyped up by the media that you MUST go there or you will have missed something vital to Seattle if not the entire Pacific Northwest. Once or twice was enough for me.
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but didn't love the city - I felt like I was in a giant tourist display except with people on bikes wanting to kill you.
Hmmm. Are you sure you weren't delusional from the pain and really walking through downtown Potland?
Las Vegas
I love going to the desert for its infernal beauty. Then you get to Vegas, and are assaulted from all angles by a tacky sort of anti-elegance which just is not good for the soul. Does anyone really have a good time losing their shirt gambling? I am not into meth, hookers, or glitzy shows either. You can have it.
I don't gamble, ever. I only go to Vegas with my BF, for the car show in the fall. I enjoy the sights and sounds....lots of fun.
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Originally Posted by cachibatches
LOS ANGELES
What the hell exactly is Hollywood, anyway? A sign in the hills, an amusement park tour, and a sidewalk with stars all over it? Other than that, drug addicts, perverts, gang members and other assorted deadbeats give it its character. What a dump.
It was cool to see...once. It was definitely more "down-trodden" than I had expected.
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Originally Posted by cachibatches
TIME'S SQUARE
My wife did not even believe that was all there was to it--some glittzy signs and people running around in costumes.
I love NYC at the holidays, and in the spring. Times Square is part of the fun, but certainly not the end-all-be-all.
I'm not sure I've really had any disappointments in my travels. Guess I have been lucky.
Oh...San Francisco. I thought the people were incredibly rude. Don't care to ever go back there. That would be my one "meh".
We expected to find great deals on Mexican handcrafted items. Instead, all the shops carried cheap Chinese imports. Mexican nationals cross the border to buy this stuff to take home.
Makes me wonder what Mexicans must think of American aesthetics.
Pike Place Market. It's fun the first couple times but it's so overcrowded with tourists that the novelty wears off fast. Just like Times Square, it's been so hyped up by the media that you MUST go there or you will have missed something vital to Seattle if not the entire Pacific Northwest. Once or twice was enough for me.
Hmmm. Are you sure you weren't delusional from the pain and really walking through downtown Potland?
Downtown Seattle isn't that glamorous, but I keep going back to Seattle for summer vacation.
I absolutely love the San Juan Islands and Olympia National Park.
Globe, AZ. Try driving through it. You'll be stalked by cops no matter how well you drive or what you're driving. One passes Globe on Hwy 60 for the Tonto National Forest. I hate that place. It is a grave disappointment. There is literally NOTHING there.
I think Hawaii is way overrated. I get it if you aren't near any nice beaches, but I live in Alabama, and am just a few hours by car from some beaches which are every bit as nice (or nicer) than Hawaii's. Hell, I can get to the Leeward and Windward Islands faster than I get to Hawaii.
And I never liked pineapple much either.
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Globe !
