My rant: travel I just don't get
 

This thread is inspired by the most overrated place thread I've read with interest. There are popular vacation destinations in the US that I just don't get:

Las Vegas. I hate Las Vegas. It's fake and no one in the casinos ever looks they are having a good time. Of course, I don't gamble, so I'm sure that clouds my opinion of the place! I walked through the mall at Caesars and passed all the exact same stores at my local mall. Why shop at stores you can shop in at home?

Orlando. We've done the Orlando bit several times, and before I had kids and before I had travelled more extensively, I actually liked it. But after taking the kids through twice, and after spending a lot of time and money and patience, my youngest told me his favorite part was the hotel pool! My girlfriend just told me of a trip they just planned to Orlando in 2 weeks. They got a great deal at an on-site Disney hotel, so she is driving with her 3 young kids (youngest 18 mos) from upstate NY! Once they drive 28 hours, not counting stops - they are going to be in Orlando - in AUGUST. Whatever they saved on the hotel is going to get eaten up fast by food, exorbitant admission prices, etc. This trip makes me shudder just thinking about it, but she's really looking forward to it. To each his own.

Why do people spend lots of money and time to get to locations with beautiful beaches with lovely clear blue water, and then spend all day sitting by the pool?

Why would anyone over 25 go to Wildwood, NJ?

I also don't get beach places like Ocean City, MD, Myrtle Beach, and many beaches in Florida where the beach is lined with high rise hotels. I prefer my beaches more natural and not surrounded by high buildings. These are getting harder and harder to find, but we still love Cape Cod and Sanibel.

I know travel is subjective. I loved Sedona and its surrounding red rock country. But on our way to a jeep tour, I overheard a man snap at his wife, "Look, I am just sick of looking at red rocks!" I bet he wished he was in Las Vegas.

OK, those are my travel rants. What are yours??

My travel rant is your travel rant. Just because you don't 'get' a location or like a location, doesn't mean you should trash the place.

All of the travel locations you just mentioned, have combined about 100 million visitors annually.

Millions of people are employed in the travel industry and after 9/11, a lot of people lost jobs. Think about all of those unemployed heads of households, single parents, college students, etc trying to make a living.

If you don't like the place you certainly do not have to spend money there but please lets not trash Vegas because you don't 'get' Vegas.

Jeez, how bored are you? There's a section for travel rants, called appropriately rants & raves. Run along and give it a try instead of posting inane garbage on this forum.

I have good time at the casinos. I don't believe in easy winnings, I treat the slot machines as cartoon sources. On our last trip to Tahoe we discovered penny slots! And in Vegas we loved the nickel "I love Lucy", it was fun to click on candy at the chocolate factory!I feel like a child and behave appropriately :)

Not everybody is as fortunate as you are to have exact same stores as in Vegas. At Caesars while waiting for the statues to move I wandered into a store and got a jogging suit I was looking for for some time! And I live in San Francisco.

I timed our visit to see the "Titian to Picasso" exhibit at the Venetian, again, nothing like this I could see in SF. There is much more to Vegas then just casinos and shopping.

You like beaches? Why spend money to get there, to stay there, and then shield yourself from the sun by sunblock? It's up to you where you go and how you spend your vacation, just don't try to spoil mine!

karens, I'd be willing to bet that the places that you enjoy visiting would have some people saying "Huh? I don't get it.." I agree with Go Travel. Don't trash it because you don't "get it". Every travel destination has something for someone. And personally, I don't have any travel rants because I have never not enjoyed being at a place that I pick for vacation!!! Sure, there may have been certain isolated things I could say about each place, but I don't trash places because of one small thing.

You say Po-TAY-To

I say Po-tah-to ...

<g>

Karens, I can see your point. The first time we go to some popular place - we usually like it (if not too crowded) then- the second time - if there is not enough new stuff to do - we think - what happened, it was so much fun the first time !?!

Then that place is off the list.

But the favorites make up for it, each has their own - we just keep travelling around to find it.

Not really for the US board, but I am sick of the Caribbean islands-mediocre, dirty and pushy people (mostly). But people go crazy for them - go figure!

Karen, I share your perspective on most of the places you listed. I would also add Times Square to the list. It's literally packed with slow-moving people, chain stores and mediocre restaurants. I don't get it.

But I know WHY people would go to all these places...simply because they are DIFFERENT from home. Being a city person, I crave small towns and wilderness on my vacations, and want to be FAR from crowds. Other people may live in small towns and crave the excitement of being around lots of people on their vacations. Right now I'm dying to go someplace with cooler, drier weather! ;)

Karens: With me, it's not so much the destination but the fact that I am away from home, seeing new sights and experiencing new things, meeting new people.
Though I agree that none of the places you listed would be on my preferred list of vacation spots, I have nonetheless had fun in some of them simply because I am relaxing and getting away from my usual routine. (I have a pretty exciting and enviable job but anything gets old after a while.) So it's not so much the place but the traveling itself that turns me on. I can have fun just about anywhere!

Yikes, looks like I've stepped on some Vegas toes, huh? Like I said, to each his own. I never said that people should not go to Vegas - if you have fun there, by all means, go! I've treated my parents to 2 Las Vegas vacations - they really like it there. Like I said, I personally don't get it.

Yes, I am positive that many people would find places I love to go (national parks, art museums, hiking, biking) boring. I like cities, too, and I know people who don't like dealing with the hassles of parking, etc. or who would never ride a subway. And that's fine. What I stated was just my opinion! Your mileage may vary.

I know that mnay of the places I mentioned are visited by many people. But so is McDonalds. I'm sure many more people eat there than eat at 5 star restaurants - that doesn't make the food good!

But what does wearing sunblock at the beach or decreased tourism after 9/11 have to do with what I said?! Should I like or visit Vegas b/c tourism is down?

Personally I really like both Orlando and Vegas. I dont gamble but you never run out of things to do there. One thing I marvel at about both places is the amazing attention to detail. Just when you think they have done it all and cant get any better they out do themselves again. The architecture alone is worth a visit to Vegas. I really like to see older victorian or gothic architecture too but to marvel at the accomplishments of Vegas (and disney) is really amazing. As for shopping in the same stores as are in Caesers...I am glad you can afford them...I have seen socks that cost more than I paid for my trip! =) I say SPUDS so no arguements can arise lol

Luckily everyone likes different things and different places.
We went to Savannah GA on our honeymoon a few months ago. Most people would not have picked Savannah. Maybe somehwere in the tropics or visiting other countries.
We thought it would be nice to see The old homes,have some good southern food, be close to the ocean etc.... and WE thought it was very romantic.
Like I said we all have different tastes.
oh.... and we had a great time and would not have changed a thing.

generally, imo many locations get a lot of play because we (people) have more of an innate herding instinct than we'd like to admit. there's no other reasonable explanation for standing in line an hour to ride the tea-cups in mouseworld. as for las vegas.......it's like one big amusement park; some people like 'em, some don't.

Like Frank Sinatra: "I'm for anything that gets you through the night"
I don't care where people go even if I may not like their choice.
As long as they are happy!!!!
That makes for a healthier society.

I definitely see your point(s) karens.
I think what's made some people reply harshly is that your message comes across as saying "I don't like such and such a place, so why does anyone else like it?".
I know that's not really what you were trying to say.

The places which I don't care for are:
Branson, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Wisconsin Dells, Reno, Atlantic City, Gatlinburg etc etc.
I can extract enough good things from Las Vegas (restaurants, shows and such) that I can enjoy it for 2 days.

At the same time, I understand why many people like the places I don't. They may not have the time or money to go to places I consider more exotic or entertaining, or they may get enough pleasure out of these old familiar places that they have no inclination to look any further.
Like my father-in-law who always wants meat and potatoes anytime we go out for dinner. Ethnic food is not an option. He knows what he likes and he wants no variety.

Like you said, go figure.
Everyone's a little different in these ways.

If you dislike Vegas so much (especially since you don't like to gamble), then I wonder why you went there???? Couldn't your parents go alone? Or couldn't you and your parents go somewhere all of you would like? I take it your parents don't like biking, hiking, etc. Neither do I. I just don't get it! Why do we have forests without air conditioning? I'd go more often if they did... LOL!!

Personally, I like Vegas, but I don't go very often. The same goes for Disney World. I only go when there are new things to see and do. I agree about shopping when you go on vacation, unless they have stores/items you can't get at home.

I live in Ft. Lauderdale and went to Sanibel a couple times. I think their beaches stink! Literally!! They were full of seaweed, no-see-ums and dirty (brown) water. Give me Ft. Lauderdale beach with the highrises anytime! At least the sand is nice and the water is BLUE! Captiva was beautiful, but expensive. I enjoyed my short visit, but was glad it was short!

Some people just want to ride Space Mountain one more time, and I don't mind at all.

All of us are different and like different things. If we were all alike, this world would be extremely boring!

What the hell is the point of this again? To confirm that different people like different places?

Just checking.

Chill, everyone! I don't think karens is hell-bent on bashing certain places, but simply intrigued with how polar opposite perspectives can be of the same place. Karen, I share your perspective as well on most of those places. Of course it is subjective. I think one's impression of a place is derived from at least two things: 1) where else you have been - what you have to compare to, and 2) where you stay and what things you see and do once there which can greatly color your experience. For example, I have long heard how fabulous Destin, Florida is. What I saw there while staying nearby was undesirable to me: tacky mega-thirt stores, hoards of high-rise hotels with less than interesting architecture, traffic congestion, and lots of fast foods. However, I suspected that inside the Sandestin Resort, you could have a very pleasant experience within without ever leaving the resort. Passing through Destin, we once had kids with us and were in a hurry at lunch so stopped at two fast-food's side by side. Both were very dirty, service was anything but fast, and we stood in line next to a grossly overweight man with a tank-top on, a wet towel wrapped around his waist, and barefoot on that nasty floor! Yuck! Just a few miles up the road offered an entirely different experience.

Yes, you get what you pay for usuually, sometimes more and sometimes less. As for me, I had rather go less often and have a desirable experience than go to and stay at just wherever whenever. Isn't the point of going to have a good experience? If you do your research, you can have almost the best of both worlds. I don't mean to imply that you have to travel like a millionaire to have a good experience, but it is all relative to your standard of living.

Aren't you glad we don't all go for the same thing? Talk about crowds! :)

In all fairness Karens, why don't you post where you live so we can all trash it also? I guess you see the glass half empty. If you don't like to cut loose and have fun and enjoy good food than Las Vegas is not the place for you. Same with Orlando and any other place that you've mentioned for that matter. Just curious, what do you consider a good vacation?

Plenty of shopping around here. No craps tables, though.

It's taters.

Someone asked where do I vacation? We've been fortunate to go away 4x this year. In Feb. I went with husband on a business trip to Cancun. Last year we went to Vegas on his company's President's Club trip, and it was my idea to go tropical this year. Everyone had a great time and it was decided to go someplace tropical every year from now on. In May we flew into Vegas, then drove to the Grand Canyon. Hiked into Havasu and saw 3 of the most incredible waterfalls. Then spent time in Sedona, flew home through Phoenix. This past July we spent time in Utah/Colorado. Took my kids to Moab/Ouray/Crested Butte/Glenwood Springs/Copper Mnt. Over spring break we took the kids to San Diego and did all the touristy things around there. All four trips were fun and we enjoyed everything.

We really like roaming around west - we love Seattle, Portland, and the surrounding areas. Southern Utah (Zion, Bryce) is great,as was Banff/Glacier (probably my favorite NP). For cities, I love Manhattan, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia. For beach areas, we like Cape Cod, Sanibel/Captiva, Sarasota (Siesta Key) and the Olympic NP beaches.

Next year we're thinking Yellowstone. Still really want to see Hawaii and we have all of Europe left to explore (except for Spain). Would also like to see the USVI. Hopefully, someday!

These are the places we've enjoyed. Your mileage may vary!!

Enough with the karen bashing. She was just sharing her opinion. Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one. Lay off.

I live in western WA and can't see why people are facinated with Snoqualmie Falls. It's a waterfall. There are millions of them all over the world. I've been there once for about 30 min and that is enough for me, and I LOVE the out doors (I just got back from a camping trip a few hours ago).

Karens. I wasn't offended by your post. However, I can't seem to think of any travel rants and I've traveled to lots of u.s. states and countries. I think I'm one of those people who see positives and negatives in every place I've been, so I can't truly rant about it. Know what I mean?

I think what you find when you travel is what your preferences are. This is no different than one of the newer posts regarding resorts that didn't measure up to the hype or the post that asked people why they would ever eat at a chain on vacation. There are places we've visited that other people have raved about...and when we got there, we weren't as crazy about it, but you are there, and you find something good to like or some way to make it your own(geesh, I sound like Paula Abdul). A good example for us was a cruise to the South Pacific where we couldn't find what the hype of Moorea and Bora Bora was all about. To each his own, though, and while we might not go back, it was still an experience to visit, to explore, to observe, to learn and to say, "hey, I've been there".

Isn't it wonderful that we are all different and have different priorities! and different ideas on what makes a wonderful holiday. I think it's kind of funny that Karen doesn't 'get' some places, then states that she's been several times ( Orlando), which would make me think that she 'got' it at some point in the past, but now doesn't understand why other people 'get' it.
Also, as we get older and have more travelling under our belts, our tastes change, and there is nothing wrong with that. Karens obviously did.
Everyone do their thing and have fun..... that's the main thing, whether anyone else 'gets' it or not.

ladyjess, no one is bashing karens personally. If there is any bashing, it is about her post.

Her post comes across as "how can you blue collar peasants enjoy these horrible places?" and very elitist.

When you use the words 'fake' and 'hate' in a post to describe a locale, it doesn't set itself up as a positive post.

GoTravel, I think you are reading too much into what I wrote. I in no way meant to say or imply that the destinations I don't personally like are populated by blue collar "peasants". Many, many white collar people travel to the places I mentioned! Someone is paying very high prices to stay in the expensive hotel rooms there.

The reason I used the word hate to describe Las Vegas is b/c it seems everyone I talk to either loves or hates Las Vegas. There is little middle ground with a place like Vegas, like there would be to, like, going to be the beach. (Yes, I know there are people out there who hate the beach, but most do not dislike it intensely). Las Vegas seems to inspire a lot of emotion - both ways - and this thread and its responses certainly bears this out.

It seems that many people misread what I said. I meant no malice - but I know that many of you meant some toward me! Like I said, this posting was inspired by the most overrated places thread, and maybe I should have just posted it under there. Or I should have entitled it "Places I don't like to go - but don't mind if others go! I'm not bashing those who like these places!" And I really, really should learn to use those smiley face thingees you all use here! It would probably have softened my message.

This is an opinion question, people! There are no right or wrong answers. If your rant is that you hate to travel to the places I do, that's OK! I know my own boys travel rant would probably go something like this: Why do my parents like to take long drives when there's nothing to see but scenery? And they like to go on long hikes - that's sooo boring! My boys' favorite day on the beach would include playing in the water and sand and then spending an hour in the arcade on the boardwalk. Good dining to them is McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dennys for breakfast and Chuck E Cheese. So when we vacation we them, we do some of these things, but we also expose them to some of the stuff we like. Or when we do lots of scenic driving, say in Colorado, we make sure to ride some alpine slides or do a white water rafting trip to make it a bit more interesting to them.

So, everyone, please go and travel to the places you enjoy. I just wanted to know about places or travel stuff you do not like. (But I like to know the good stuff, too!). Like someone said - it's a good thing we all didn't like the same thing, b/c those places would be awfully crowded!! (smiley face thingee)

karens is just posting an opinion. certainly she is entitled to one.

vegas, for the smile on my face. disney, for the smile on my kid's face. humid sub-tropical beaches, for the smile on my wife's face.

a vacation destination is what you make of it. to each his own, thankfully.

Karens, this whole thread encapsulates why we have been unable to organize an extended-family vacation in over 6 years! My SO's sister chose Helen, GA for the last one, in winter, which no one enjoyed. But her family is dead set against urban areas; brother-in-law likes only urban areas and dreads a replay of Helen; my SO and I are able to hang just about anywhere, but don't want to waste scarce vacation time and money staying in a cabin all day, every day; and other sister wonders why we can't all just get along.
It's why finding travel buddies is hard: everyone seeks something different from a vacation, has unique tastes, different comfort zones, etc. I think I tend to agree with you on the subject of mega destinations like Vegas and Orlando, but they're popular for some reason...

karens....You have just as much to bitch about a destination as posters do bragging about one. They can be just as constructive. Just because lots of people go there doesn't make it great.

And,I also hate Vegas and think it is for simple mided travelers who couldn't produce a creative vacation if their life was on the line. Thats why the same morons go there every year. everything down to the air in the casinos is fabricated.

this is a good thread and the posters like Gekko,who has never said a good word about anything other than NYC,can get over it. You go girl.

"I also hate Vegas and think it is for simple mided travelers....the same morons go there every year."

that does it, ahhnold, you just lost my vote.

I like WDW because it is fun. Plain and simple fun. Whirling around in a teacup is fun. Goofy is fun.

I like Vegas because it is fun. Crazy and tacky fun.

I like hiking because it is fun. Tiring and challenging fun.

I like museums because they are fun. Thought provoking and challenging fun.

Get it?

Ahhnold,
What's your idea of a creative vacation? (Pretend that your life is on the line.)

When I first read Karens post I laughed and moved on. I thought it was quite funny and honest. I'm shocked how sensitive people, especially GoTravel got and that this thread has taken off like this. And I have to tell you people...many of you seem wrapped a little tight to be so defensive rather than put any thought into places people love, that yes, you don't get.

I don't get Cheeseburger in Paradise. It is constantly recommended, and I thought they ran up the street to McDonalds and then threw it on a plate! There's one for you Karens!!!

Gyppielou: How DARE you! I LOVE Cheeseburger in Paradise - had the best tuna melt of my life there.

Of course, I am just kidding folks! (Except it was a good tuna melt!) I just wanted to add my support to Karens and to the people who post rants - I get just as much from them as I do the raves.

We are all so different but you can can get a good idea of what might appeal to you by reading the text of a rant/rave. Did this person complain about stuff I personally would find appealing or did they love a place for reasons I would not?

That's why I love this site - it is educational in so many ways.

Happy Trails to you all!

well done!!!!! you had me thinking for a moment, st now who've I offended! Very funny! Trust me stick with the Tuna Melt, it's the best seller, changing their name to Tuna Melt in Paradise!!!! Now that's a place I could back!

Question: Am I a simple minded moron because I went to Vegas once and enjoyed it??

I don't mind someone bashing a location, but please don't be so shallow as to say everyone who likes Vegas (or any other location) is simple minded. I was there for a convention and thought it was different -- I guess I was just blinded by all the pretty flashing lights! 8-}

Karens - check out the following for the smileys, etc.

www.fodors.com/forums/smileys/

Have fun!

Karens: I don't get people visiting hot muggy zoos in the afternoon when all the animals are sleeping out of site in the shade.

We're not simple-minded morons for visiting Vegas, Heartburn3. Coulda been that trip to WDW way back when.