Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Been There, Done That, Don't Bother

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I had to laugh at Terry's portrayal of Plymouth Rock as "Plymouth Pebble". That's exactly what my husband and I call it. We drove out of our way to see it and were expecting something huge that you could actually step on. I don't know how the Pilgrims found it let alone set foot on it.

Take it easy! People were smaller back then.

TWEET! NoToTexas, I'll have to flag you for illegal procedure. You slammed a whole state, not a destination. Normally, the penalty is a measly 5 yards, but Texas is really big, so let's make it 20 yards and loss of down.

Some more things to know about Plymouth Rock, making it even less interesting as a tourist site: 1) the ONLY evidence that the Mayflower landed near the rock is a statement in the early 1800's: almost 200 years after the fact!! An man in his 90s CLAIMED that, as a boy, his grandfather had told him this story; and the grandfather admitted that HE had only heard it from HIS grandfather as a young boy. In terms of credible history, this account is worthless. 2) the rock was moved far from its original resting point in order to be more accessible to tourists. So, the site you visit has nothing to do with the landing site. 3) during its moving, the rock broke in two. What you see now is only a fragment of the original. The only reason to see this site of no historical value whatsoever is that there is no cost to do so.

Has'nt anyone been to The Winchester Castle in San Jose? I guess not, other wise I'd see the postings! This is a house that Sarah Winchester built with the Winchester gun family fortune . Apparently she was a major nut who built stairs and doors that did'nt go anywhere and it lasted almost as long as our tour through the Vatican! She was clearly someone with far to much time and money on her hands. We went thinking it would be fun for the kids to break up our road trip, what a mistake! After waiting about 30 minutes in line we were then herded into a wating area for our tour. Well once our tour guide showed she was a wealth of knowledge, it was quite comical actually, she memorized everything and if anyone interrupted to ask a question she had to start all over! Also it was'nt cheap at all, so beware the Winchester Castle!

Liz, Yoo Hoo, over here! That was me on your tour of the Winchester House, so you are not the only person who has been there. I went with my fiance over a decade ago for reasons I cannot possibly begin to explain. What a hoot! Big bucks to see a screwed up house. "Over here you see a staircase that goes nowhere. Over there you see a half-finished wall." Well, maybe they should have given everyone a hammer, nails and some spackle and had them get to work. As it was, it was kind of pitiful.

Hooray! Finally someone recognizes that Canada is full of nice people! We sometimes think of the US as the older sibling that everybody likes, while we are the runt little brother that everybody ignores! Canada is an awesome place, and friendly,too .

I love Canada!! I've been there twice in the past year for different reasons. Once to Montreal which I thought was spectacular. People were friendly, food was delicious, money went a long way. The next time we took a train from Niagara Falls, where we were attending a wedding, to Toronto. Again, great visit. Friendly people everywhere, good food and wonderfully clean streets. Yes, Niagara Falls has all the same things they have in Gatlinburg, Branson and a dozen other places, but it was still great! I say hooray for Canada

In response to Laura... I went to the Queen Mary/Spruce Goose in @ 1985 - it was neat. However, I went in @ 1993 and the Spruce Goose, as I recall, was no longer there. Therefore, the Queen Mary DEFINITELY is NOT worth the time/trouble.

1) There are nice things to see in New Orleans, but you have to work so hard to find them that you stand there thinking "why am I working this hard on a vacation?" 2) With a couple of exceptions, every winery in Napa Valley: boring, sterile, non-informative (unless you care about how to bottle 4 billion gallons of wine an hour) and a prelude to buying from their store (they figure you'll be so bored by the tour that shopping will seem exciting). 3) Along with Waikiki, almost all of Honolulu - busloads upon busloads of tourists moving like schools of fish from one souvenir stand to another (despite these horrors, the area is still beautiful, but the rest of the island/islands offer more beauty without the bubbas). 4) I agree with the Everglades review; had a much better trip at Loxahatchee State Park where volunteer guides take you through the park's waterways. 5) And the all-time worst, over-rated, rip-off, crappy tourist sight - drumroll please - TOMBSTONE ARIZONA AND THE OK CORRAL. You have to pay to go into the corral, there's nothing that's free, so the whole thing can be skipped.

NBC, Pebble Beach, Mt Rushmore, St. Louis First of all, if you go to ANY major attraction during a busy season or in the middle of the day, you can DEFINITELY expect a long wait. So, don't post an attraction to this board based primarily on the long wait. After waiting hour(s) ANYTHING will be disappointing. Now, regarding NBC - we toured NBC in NY - skip. Just like Gary said, it wasn't worth the money -- you don't get to see much for the $$. Visit/tour Radio City Music Hall instead (and see a show there after)! Pebble Beach -- the 17 mile drive is absolutely BREATHTAKING! But then, the entire drive up the 101 is! For golf hounds, Pebble Beach is a "not to be missed." For the rest of us, it is beautiful. Mt. Rushmore...been 2x. It is unbelievable! For those of you who didn't like it - what were you expecting? The size and story that goes along with it is amazing. Crazy Horse is another feat of determination, expense and beauty. While in the area, stop at Bear Country USA - a WONDERFUL drive-thru "zoo," for animal lovers such as us. Also, the Badlands are amazing - almost as beautiful as the Grand Canyon. St. Louis ... again, the Arch is an architectural feat. A holdover from the World's Fair, I believe, it gives you a wonderful aerial view of downtown St. Louis. However, other good finds in St. Louis are Union Station, the Couples house, the Science place (can't think of the name at the moment), and teh Botanical Gardens, as well as the zoo. St. Louis is NOT a drive-by place! Now for those attractions to SKIP -- Kissimee, Florida -- skip the Medeival dinner places. Instead go to GATORLAND! The kids will LOVE it!! Puerto Rico -- SKIP!!!!! The "rain forest" is okay, Bacardi Rum Factory -- well, what can you say?, the fort -- okay. Other than that, it is simply a sunbathers paradise. Padre Island, TX - SKIP - unless you're looking for sun/fun. Alaska (Sitka?) - SKIP the Yukon Train ride. Although it was neat throwing snow balls at the end where we turned aroung to head back, it was fairly unimpressive. Spend your money on helicopter rides to the glaciers or whale watching -- GREAT! Washington, DC -- the White House tour. It isn't all that. Spend your time at the Smithsonian.

Universal Studios, California. Don't know if they've improved it since our visit in 1985, but it was so boring my sons and I went next door to the cinemas and almost missed the tour bus back to our hotel.

I also cast a vote for Plymouth Rock. As I recall, it was in what looked like a cage and was covered with graffiti.

boy, do folks like to complain. what i see is this, almost everything you mention here has been around long enough to merit great support and therefore, crowds! this is irritating but a fact of life-for everything negative said, there will be more positive responses, i'll bet. keep venting-mount rushmore, disneyworld, the alamo and myriad others will be here after we are long gone>

bankr: That doubtless is true, but Plymouth Rock and "myriad others" will still suck--and I'm sure my grandchildren will agree.

Savannah's "River Street"...the penultimate tourist rip-off, with wall-to-wall t-shirt shops, tacky candy and psuedo restaurants and a flimsy reference to Street's "historical roots". To be avoided at all costs!

has no one been forced to spend the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu? It's a set of fake polynesian villages staffed by students from the nearby Mormon college who certainly mean well, but after 20 minutes i had heard enough ALO---HA!s to last a lifetime. plus, we went on their bus, so we were trapped, just hour after hour, with bad buffet food that had no connection to hawaii, las-vegasy-style island dances, and craft demonstrations that put even my parents to sleep... OK, now just to prove I'm not a total poor sport, i did like another Oahu tourist trap _ Diamond Head. we hiked to the top one morning at dawn _ beating most of our fellow tourists by leaving so early _ and had a great view of the island.

Has anyone else been to Solvang, CA? Visited in the summer of 1988 with some relatives who didn't know what else to do with a 20 year old college student. Perhaps it was that bored coed ennui, but this embarassingly tacky, fake Danish town (I haven't been to Denmark, but it was really stomach-churningly awful) took the cake!

Atlantic City, NJ, pre/post legalized gambling. As a child we always spent a month at the NJ 'shore'. Sea Isle City was our 'home' but we always would take day trip to Atlantic City. I will never figure out 'why'. The boardwalk was always too crowded (and the junk food very pricey), the beach was filled w/litter and the amusement park rides were often not operating (I'm talking way back in the '50s). Ventured back post casino and found it worse than I recalled. Garish buildings abound and AC is obviously no longer a 'beach' destination. The South Jersey shore is lovely and deserves to be seen. From Ocean City to Cape May there are wonderful beaches, restaurants, bits of history and wonderful people. If I could pick a 'second worse' it would definitely be the Poconos.

You are right on the money when it comes to the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu and also Solvang, California. Common to both is a total, absolute lack of authenticity and a burning desire to escape and try to salvage the rest of one's precious vacation time!