Jack, I like your style!

And what is the purpose of displaying euro stickers? Are they for people who have never been to Europe who want to look like they have?

Well, they don't display eurostickers. They are shaped like eurostickers, but unlike eurostickers, they bear the initials of an American destination rather than European, for example, OBX, a popular one, is for Outer Banks, NC. They are most frequently found on huge SUV's, and I think they are meant to convey the message:

A) I am "cosmopolitan" because I know what a eurosticker is, but I don't drink "cosmopolitans" because that is so "Sex & the City 2001"

B) I can afford to take weekend jaunts to expensive places that you can't afford.

C) I own a pair of Nike ACG's which are 5 years old but look brand new.

D) These stickers go well with the "Brown" and "Harvard" university stickers on my window.

E) Stop complaining about the gas mileage of this SUV because my boat is 5X worse!

OK, fess up you guys I know you're out there!

I can't put a eurosticker (or US sticker) on my car bumper because it would clash with my bumper sticker which reads: "Honk if Something Falls Off."

Perhaps a good idea.. Lots of ppl come to 'the Wine Country' (for them that seems to be Hwy 29 In Napa County) and wonder why it's crowded and they are quickly bored with wine tasting & restaurants. IME That is like choosing a destination based on romantic marketing hype-There is so much more to here that you could avoid the wineries altogether if you desired...but you would have to research it. I've witnessed advice given by locals on many destinations and then totally ignored and the trip report reflects their dissapointment. This forum is a first point of research-you've got to dig deeper and know what you like/dislike and what you do/don't want from your travels.
R5

JackOneill: HA-HA-HA, I want that bumper sticker!
R5

I sure hope that when I ask for advice about an upcoming destination that I would get the good with the bad (if there is any). Please, any questions from me, here is your open invitation to tell me all kinds of opinions. But only about my destination. Not about me.... 8-)

I wish people would post more details about destinations and hotels . . . it's more helpful than saying "the hotel room was gorgeous!" since that is subjective. If the poster wrote "the hotel room was gorgeous, with a huge four-poster bed, antique cabinets full of Hummel statues, gilded dressing table, lavender sachets in the dresser drawers . . . " then that would be a big help to all of us (I'd stay the heck away from that "gorgeous" room).

Also, it would be great to get a tidbit of info from each poster, a barometer of their travel likes/dislikes. If someone wrote, "I'm 50, married 25 years; our favorite vacation was Disneyworld with the kids; we've road tripped all over this great land but have not been outside the U.S. and Canada" -- THEN proceeded to write a trip report about Miami or Mexico or San Francisco that was very very negative, you'd at least have some perspective.

I'm rambling, I know, I know. Just thinking out loud. I've actually gotten some fantastic and accurate info from this forum, and I've tried to give that back when possible.

"Gorgeous" or any other superlative is always subjective!

Hm... I've seen lots of those stickers around where I live, but I couldn't put one on my truck because a.) I've never been to any of these places -- the Outer Banks of NC are farther from where I live in Asheville than the beaches of both South Carolina and Virginia and that's where we mountaineers go. And b.) it would clash with my bumper sticker that says "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?"

Needless to say, at the hotel where I work, the make me back up against a wall to park.

Yeah, and while we're on the topic of unintelligible oval-sticky-thingies, how about the pseuds that only use airport codes for town names? "I arrive at GEG too late to connect to MSY. Should I wait for the DL flight to OBX via ATL or jump on AQ to KOA instead?" If you want to see this habit unleashed and scary, hop over to www.flyertalk.com.

I think the eurosticker thing is a snob appeal device. Except I'm never clear if "HB" is advertising Huntington Beach, Hermosa Beach, or to announce that you've got semi-soft lead in your pencil. If you get the reference. TTFN.

The airport codes and airline abbreviations are used on flyertalk to save time and are no different than IMO, BTW, LOL, or TTFN used on this board. Everyone on flyertalk knows what everyone else is saying.

Okay, I know the IMO and LOL. What do the others mean? Signed, out of the loop for computer-speak.

Loki-Real boaters wouldn't be caught dead driving a monster SUV. :-0. People that drive big SUV's own jet skis.

BTW = by the way
TTFN = ta ta for now

See this link for more:

http://pengs.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=190

"Message: Please supply us with examples of such overhyped/oversold destinations, so we can be educated. Enlighten us!

San Jose.

Ha, ha, ha..."

LOL

Travelcritic:

I tend to agree with you. Whenever someone posts a negative travel experience, or simply one that is less than glowing, people seem to jump all over them with both feet. It is not surprising that people have differing opinions about a destination--it's that many choose to criticize the poster rather than simply offer an alternate viewpoint.

Same goes if someone says they were treated badly or rudely. People automatically assume they are unsophisticated, overly sensitive, elitist, or did something to cause it, none of which may be true.

"...some breathtakingly gorgeous natural beauty within a 2 hour drive...>

Jack, there might be one or two in the climate controlled buildings too ;)