It was interesting to view BBCs recent survey on the top 50 places to visit before they die. Some choices were surprising; for example, Disney World Florida came in at number 3 and Las Vegas at number 7, New York came in at number 9. I wasnt shocked to see the Grand Canyon at number 1; although this choice was debated on the BBC message board where it was suggested that a survey of Americans would reveal a completely different picture and that Americans would put the Great Smokey Mountains above the Grand Canyon. Any views/comments?

I don't think Americans would put the Smokies above the Grand Canyon. I don't think most Americans have even heard of them, and certainly wouldn't think of them as a prime destination.

My own personal list puts Disney and Las Vegas at the top of the list of places where I might find myself after I die if I'm not a good person. What a waste of time for British tourists coming to see this fine country.

Were any other US destinations on the list?

Interesting observation, Jen... especially when the Great Smokies National Park is the most visited park in the national parks system.

I totally agree that visitors who "must" do Disney are ill advised. It`s so sad to travel so far and not ever know what Florida is like.

People become accustomed to their own surroundings and Americans will obviously weight the desirability/importamce of American sites differently from Europeans or Japanese, etc.

That said,I think the Grand Canyon is very high on most Americans' list. I've never heard anyone rave about the Great Smokies, and I beleieve there are some obvious reasons why.

1) no single place in the Smokies offers the 'wow factor' which most monuments and such offer
2) they're isolated from other accessible and desirable tourist attractions...inconvenient
3) they're located in a part of the country which is often derided as being 'backward' and full of 'hillbillies'
4) not many lodgings in the area and few restaurants, etc


Compare with NYC: easy to get to, tremendous variety of things to see/do, innumerable amenities

Grand Canyon: tremendous wow factor, not too far from Las Vegas, Sedona and Phoenix, which all offer other strong draws and great lodging/eating options. Biggest downside is remote location, but wow factor mitigates that

Disney: both are located in areas which are easy to get to, solid wow factor for kids especially, lots of other attractions nearby, lots of lodgings/restaurants, etc

Austin, the Smokies is a lovely park, and yes it has the greatest number of visitors. The number of visitors is a measure of traffic, not a measure of whether the park is a good choice for visitors from other states and other countries. Some of our national parks are very popular among locals, or even contain highways and other commuter routes. Number of visits is not a valid measure of much of anything.

I read that after the two Disneys the most visited spot in the USA is Stone Mountain near Atlanta.
Was most impressed when I saw it, but is this statistic true - what about the Grand Canyon? or Key West or Las Vegas?
Su

Although I would like to visit the Great Smokey Mountains, they aren't near the top of US places I'd like to visit. For me, Yellowstone, the Rockies, and Yosemite are much higher on the list. On a list of must see before I die, I don't know that the Smokey Mountains would be there. Possibly since I am from the west coast, I am biased.

The Smokey Mountains are beautiful. The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is a different story. Maybe it's the most visited, but most people drive through without ever getting out of their Winnebagos. You've got the sophisticated mecca of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge on one side only to come out the other side of the park in embarassing Cherokee, NC. Give me the Grand Canyon anyday.

You are forgetting about gorgeous Asheville and surrounding areas.

Is this 50 places in the U.S. to visit before they die, or 50 places in the world? (I presume it's U.S. only.)

Like you, I'm not surprised to see the Grand Canyon at #1. Years ago, I read that it's the most popular destination in the U.S. for people in many European countries.

I disagree that most Americans would rather visit the Great Smokey Mountains than the Grand Canyon. If, as someone said, Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the national parks system, it probably has far more to do with its proximity to major population centers on the East Coast than preference, per se.

Have to admit that I do find it quite peculiar that an amusement part, albeit quite an amazing one, beats a fascinating real city by six places.

Jen:

The point of my reply was to rebut your comment that most Americans wouldn't have even heard of the Great Smokies.

Personally I doubt that most Americans would put the Great Smokies above the Grand Canyon, but I would wager that most have heard of them.

Jim:

About this 'wow' factor you mentioned... Agreed. No single place offers the 'wow' factor. Instead, many places within the Great Smokies offer the wow factor. When there are a great many vistas that take one's breath away, they can all blend together, without one standing head and shoulders above the rest.

Isolated from other accessible and desirable tourist destinations? Not really. They're quite close to Asheville, actually, and near major cities and towns like Atlanta and Knoxville. Besides, as I've mentioned before, the Great Smokies National Park is the most visited in the national parks system -- which would say that they are indeed quite accessible. Too accessible even.

I do not need to tell you how utterly disgusted Southerners, and especially denizens of the Appalachian Mountains are to hear such an idiotic stereotype bandied about. Hillbillies indeed. Asheville is not a backward city by any stretch of the imagination, and neither are the college towns that are located near the Great Smokies National Park. Neither, for that matter, are Knoxville, or Oak Ridge, Tennessee. And if you would care to argue about that, then please first name Oak Ridge's claim to fame before doing so.

Regarding a lack of lodging, as anyone who has had the misfortune of visiting Gatlinburg or Cherokee will attest the region near the Smokies is awash in lodging and dining options -- most dismal, yes, but there all the same.

Lastly, why would I compare the Smokies to New York? Why would you compare the Grand Canyon to New York? Apples aren't oranges, after all. We're debating natural attractions. Of course New York has more to do than either the Smokies and the Grand Canyon combined. It's silly to compare them to a major city.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Hawaii yet. For Brits, it's such a horribly long flight that maybe they shy away from this perfect little paradise.

I have visited/hiked the Grand Canyon, Smoky Mountian NP and Yosemite NP (among others). IMO Yosemite is by far the most beautiful of these three. Did it make this survey? I also agree with a previous poster that it's silly to try comparing a big city like New York to a famous natural attraction like the Grand Canyon. Obviously, they are at opposite ends of the "destination" chart.

"The point of my reply was to rebut your comment that most Americans wouldn't have even heard of the Great Smokies."

But my point was that the number of visitors merely represents traffic and repeats by locals, and has nothing to do with Americans from all over the country visiting. So I guess there's nothing left for us to do but take a poll.

Austin, you need to look at the question being asked: "Top 50 Places to Visit Before You Die".
Not "Top 50 cities", not "Top 50 National parks", not "Top 50 Tourist Attractions".
This is a list of apples and oranges, by intent. It is NOT a a comparison of "natural attractions", as you mistakenly assert.

Second, the "wow factor" fo standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon for the first time is clearly greater than that of vista views of the GSM's. Partly because the views in the GSM's aren't limited to this park. You can find similar views in New Hampshire, Vermont, Colorado, Oregon, California, etc. The lack of uniqueness is part of what diminishes the "wow factor" IMO.

Third, when you're making a list of the nation's best destinations, places like Asheville and Knoxville and Atlanta don't belong. They'll make many people's regional lists. But you're lumping them in with the nation's greatest attractions? I don't think so.

And becuase Oak Ridge has a history of nuclear engineering, it singlehandedly transforms Appalachia into Silicon Valley? That's like saying that Albertson's Corp being based in Boise makes Idaho a commerce mecca. Not.

Gatlinburg and environs, with regard to lodging and eateries, is an embarrassment of bad taste...pun intended. It's one of the worst examples in the USA of cheap touristiness ruining a naturally beautiful area.

The survey asked for votes on worldwide places to visit before they die. For the full list visit www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle

I still can't get over the fact that Las Vegas is ranked so high on this list. After seeing the entire list, I find it even more amazing.

Steve, thanks for the clarification (that this is worldwide places, not only U.S. places as I'd assumed), and for the link to the full list.

The rankings made some sense, based on the assumption this was only U.S. places but now, like Julie, I find the ranking of not only Las Vegas, but Florida/Disney World to be quite amazing. Florida/Disney world beat Venice -- Venice?? -- by fifteen places?

We live in Europe and many of our friends are British. It's true, they LOVE Disney World, whether or not they have kids. But not just Disney World, the whole central Florida (inland and coastal) area. Why? The ease of reaching Orlando (direct flights from the UK), the choice of huge, clean hotel rooms or spacious condos, big swimming pools, SUN, big American cars (and automatic transmission), wide variety of sandy beachs (not rocky beaches where they have to fight with Germans for a place to put down their towels), not having to speak a foreign language, cheap food and big portions, the shopping, friendly, fun-loving Americans, and the whole relaxed pace of U.S. life (really, except for the lines as WDW, they find the life in the U.S. very laid back). We have British friends who have traveled the world, but make a special point of spending two weeks in central Florida every year.
Miscellaneous things Brits and Europeans tell us they like about visiting the states:
1. Washers and dryers (huge and fast by European standards)
2. Enormous supermarkets, variety of food, people who weigh your vegetables AND bag your groceries. Who also smile, say hello and how are you doing, instead of staring glumly at the cash register the entire time.
3. Friendly, chatty Americans.
4. Garbage disposals (insinkerators are very rare in Europe, I don't think I've ever seen one)
5. Big, big thunderstorms (not common in UK and Benelux)
BTilke (Brussels)