Okay, I'll bite. For me, it was the Outer Banks of NC. I guess I had the wrong mental image of what they would be -- I sure wasn't expecting wall to wall megamansions along the beachfront! Eventually we drove south to Okracoke, and discovered more what we had expected...

Ok, I'll probably get flack for this but Colonial Williamsburg. Went once when I was a kid and liked it so I thought I'd go back with my boyfriend a couple of years ago. Not worth the money they charge to go inside the buildings. It's almost the price of getting into Disneyworld just to be able to actual go in a few buildings. You can walk around for free so I would recommend that.
Also, disappointed in the Boston Aquarium.

The best ones are already taken, so I'll just say 'yep' to Plymouth Rock (is that all there is???), Salem (at least if you're looking for witches - the new PEM is awesome), and the French Quarter (tacky, tawdry, and the smell will kill you).

At the risk of offending residents of the following two cities, I will add Atlanta and Houston to the list of "you gotta be kidding" places. Both try very hard to position themselves as tourist attractions, both are simply sprawling metropolises with a dearth of interesting things to do.

With all due respect, TedTurner, the World's Largest Ball of Twine is in Cawker City, KS, not Minnesota. Kansas is also home to the worlds deepest hand-dug well (Greensburg), and the largest hail stone. Don't you all want to come to Kansas now? :)

Having heard soooo much negative about Houston, primarily from this site, I was not looking forward to our Super Bowl trip in January, nor could I understand how the GM's wife from that Hyatt, a good friend, and a gal born and raised in Palos Verdes, could possibly be so happy there she doesn't want to be transferred. Ergo...I was very pleasantly surprised at what we <i>did</i> find during those 5 days. It was not nearly the &quot;dump&quot; it has been made out to be, and the suburb my husband's brother lives in, Kingwood, is actually quite beautiful--heavily treed, winding roads, big lots, parks!

The problem lies more with our expectations. Things can either be built up so much that the actual attraction (Grand Canyon for instance) can't possibly live up to all its hype, or in my case, beaten down so far beyond what it deserved that the city turns out to be a pleasant surprise in contrast to what we had been expecting. I had been ready for the 8th circle of Hell!

Nobody else has said it.....and I hate to say it.....but San Francisco did nothing for me.
I was sorely underwhelmed.

This post makes me smile once again at our individual experiences! Thanks to everyone for keeping it nice!

Upon reading the previous posts (and not having the same reaction) I wonder if anyone agrees that sometimes it's not just the place but who you are with, why you are there and your overall mood?

Lily -

&quot;I wonder if anyone agrees that sometimes it's not just the place but who you are with, why you are there and your overall mood?&quot;

You got that right, sister! There are some people in my life that I could have fun with looking at a mud puddle. And there are other people in my life that could ruin a walk across the GG Bridge or a trip to Yosemite.

Have to agree with LilyLace. We stopped at Lookout Mountain with the family when I was a teenager and couldn't believe how lame it was. I stopped again several years later with my husband and found it very interesting - not a destination, but worth a stop. The second time, I had much more interest in, and knowledge of, the Civil War and the battle that took place there.

How about the opposite? There are some places I thought would be OK, and I ended up loving them. Key West and New Orleans are two - goes to show we all like different things.

I couldn't think of a really disappointing experience but I had the opposite experience when we visited the Eiffel Tower. Before we went I thought that there was no bigger travel cliche than the Eiffel Tower but I ended up being fascinated by it - the steel looked like elaborate spider webs and was quite beautiful.

You are probably so right LilyLace, I remember upon arriving how tired, cold and hungry my 10 year old was; upon reflection I'm sure it distracted from the &quot;moment&quot;.

At the risk of being flamed by readers younger than I (which means damn near everybody), may I suggest some of this disappointment in long-awaited experiences can be laid at the feet of television.

I was 12 or 13 before we got our first TV and what was on TV then was mostly low quality and local. Before TV, everything new was an adventure. People didn't travel nearly as much as we do now and so when you did, you were likely to see things and have experiences that were completely novel and, thus, exciting.

Now, we have all been everywhere and seen everything, vicariously, through television and now the web. As a result, we have become jaded and it takes more and more to stimulate us.

The solution, I think, is to work at finding things new and interesting about places and experiences we might otherwise find boring.

As examples, Disneyland really isn't a great destination - unless you are accompanied by a child who has never seen it before. Then, it is a wonderful adventure. The Mona Lisa might be more interesting if viewed through a prism of art history or art criticism rather than as just another painting.

In summary, I think we will be bored or excited depending on our own attitudes and efforts rather than anything intrinsic in the experience.

dwooddon has hit the nail squarely on the head (as usual-- hi, d!!) regarding this topic. I would also add that Disneyland can be a helluva lot of fun for the right group of adults; note that a little alcohol beforehand can also help. Tee-hee.

Now, the city of Orlando absolutely underwhelms me-- but I do love DisneyWorld and all the parks. Again, because I experienced them with the right people. And I have to agree with Neal-- Atlanta and Houston are non-starters in my book (but very BIG non-starters indeed). And when I first moved to southern CA, my impression of Hollywood was, and still is, &quot;big deal&quot;. But I still manage to have fun in Hollywood when I go-- I find things to do that I like, instead of hoping the place itself will thrill me. I manage my own expectations now, and have a better time in my travels.

Well stated, dwooddon! I was about 8 when we got the first TV in the whole entire neighborhood. Every kid for several blocks came to watch after school everyday. My mom won the TV in a poetry writing contest! Life was so much more filled w/anticipation and wonder then, because there was only so much you could learn and do in your own backyard. We traveled every summer on a vacation, sometimes as far away as California to see grandparents. But mostly we stayed in the midwest (where I am to this day).

But I digress...
My &quot;is that all?&quot; moment of disappointment I would say was Ipanema Beach, Rio. Copacabana was a little bit better, but now I can say &quot;...been there, done that...&quot; and I don't intend to return.

I was in awe of Niagara Falls when I saw it, though. Also, the Redwood Forest and the Avenue of the Giants in northern California.

I agree with Dwooden and would also add taht the homogenization of the U.S.can cause the &quot;so what&quot; moments.

When I was a kid, we used to go to Florida every year and it seemed like a different country to me (from the midwest). The stores were different, the restaurants were different, the motels were different.

Now when I go back to the same place, it has the same chains we have at home. Seeing the same things you see everyday can make a place seem less special.

Also, the availability of items that used to be unique to an area has increased. When I was a kid, my mom would always look for baskets in Florida because they weren't easy to find at home.

Now, I can buy baskets, ghirardelli chocolate, Cafe DuMonde coffee, etc., here in the midwest.

To travelisfun: the title of World's Largest Ball of Twine is claimed by no less than three sites: Darwin MN, Cawker City KS, and Branson MO. The Darwin ball is the heaviest, the Branson ball is largest at 41.5 feet around, and the Cawker ball is only 40 feet around and lighter than the Darwin ball.

WillTravel: the largest balls of twine are only slightly less fascinating than the Great Pyramids. But better than the world's largest church made solely of straw in Arthur, NE.

Yes, Beatle, SMALL! I expected a much grander sized portrait. And to have it protected by glass-although I understand the purpose-diminished my expectations as well. &quot;eye of the beholder&quot;

Another vote for Plymouth Rock.
Why was I expecting it be more than...well, a rock??? I guess I was half expecting to see little pilgrims dancing around it or something.

I feel bad for the people who hated Cape Cod. I think you just unfortunately went to the wrong towns - Cape Cod has some cute little towns (Welfleet, Ptown, Chatham) and awesome beaches (from Orleans on out).

TedTurner--I'm shocked that I was decieved by my Kansas History class in Junior High. Here I was, growing up in Kansas, proud to be living in the proud home of the Largest Ball of Twine, and now I find out it's all a lie. Talk about disappointment.

;)

You've got that right Buttercup! The chain thing that is! Whenever we travel on vacation I insist that we not eat at chain places and try instead to always find &quot;local&quot; establishments. it makes the experience a little more cultural. This also explains some of our desire to stay at B&amp;B's from time to time.