why do you all want to go to the same places?
 

I've noticed since signing back on here that most folks seem interested in the same boring glamour spots. I live in Southern Oregon, a visual wonderland, and there are a few folks interested, but by the by, most folks want to go glitzy. I guess my question is: Am I out of sync, or is everone else? Are there no explorers out there anymore who want to discover new things, see new places, have new experiences? Maybe I'm out of my element here, but jeez, there's so much of our country to explore. Why does everyone want to go to San Francisco, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and usually in one day, or so it seems. I love small town Oregon and moved here to love and live life. I'm just wondering if there are any adventurers anymore.

Amen, I live in the East hills of San Miguel de Allende, MX.
The views are really beyond belief.
M

Everyone has differing tastes. What you find worthy of exploration or "adventuresome", the guy next to you might find boring.

I don't see reason to imply that people that don't share your interests are not adventurous.

I used to wonder why some people always went to the same place...and had no interest in new places. But then I went to Mexico, and now it's hard for me to get as enthusiastic over any other destination! Kinda like finding true love, lol!

We just spent 10 days in Oregon in September. Totally loved it (there's a trip report somewhere, I think, may be under my old ID: uhoh_busted) It was extraordinary

Be glad your little part of heaven hasn't been "discovered" by the hordes who go to the same places!

Hello bbqboy (wow, I love that name!!)

I wonder the same things sometimes. Take Vegas, for example. Filled with tons of people gambling and shopping, many are Americans like myself.

However, take the next step from there and head to Grand Canyon or Zion/Bryce, and it seems like it's mostly Europeans and Asians. Last time I was in Bryce, we stayed at Ruby's, and it was filled with a couple German tours. Good for them. I'm happy they're there and love talking to them.

Sometimes I feel people just go where they're comfortable. Getting outside the comfort zone takes work.

That's why this forum is so wonderful. Everyone loves to travel, and sharing experiences only adds to the enjoyment and anticipation of what's to come.

Happy travels!

chepar, don't misunderstand. I'm not upset about this idea. I'm more wondering what makes for a satisfying time for folks, and why so many seem to want to hop from one well known spot to another. I guess I'm wondering more about my own tastes than others.

bbqboy -

I didn't think you were upset, but I do think that the destination choices people make come down to personal taste and what they enjoy doing.

Another reason could be that the very fact that these places are well known is what makes people want to visit them - to find out what the "hype" is about. Repeat visitors may just have fallen in love with the area.

I imagine that it is harder to find a lot of information on less traveled destinations. I think some people find that a plethora of information makes them more confident that the destination is suited to their tastes - hence, a lack of information might cause them to abandon the idea in favor of a more well known place.

I think part of this apparent phenomenon of everybody wanting to go to the same places is just an artifact of the nature of this discussion board.

People who are accustomed to going to unusual places, or having adventures, don't come to boards like Fodors for their information. This board, being a generic resource, draws many people who are unfamiliar wiyh making travel plans, and with doing research on their own -- witness the DAILY repeated questions about hotels in major cities, and the chronic vague questions about what to do, or thwether something is "worth it." These aren't experienced, adventuresome travelers, but we chat with them anyway.

bbqboy,

Where do you like to travel to?

-Bill

>why so many seem to want to hop from one well known spot to another <

They are well-known for a reason! With lesser known places, it could be hit or miss and its far more difficult to get info about Southern Oregan than about Olympic National Park. I'm not against off-the-beaten-path places and usually tack one on to a vacation, but my vacation is going to be centered around a major destination usually.

For example:
I have a vacation planned to the Grand Canyon in a couple of weeks (hurray!). I will be backpacking in the inner canyon for 3 nights and then in one of the lesser known hikes (Secret Canyon) in the Sedona area for another 2 days. It doesn't matter that many others have visited the Grand Canyon, I haven't. (Well, technically I have, but it was just one evening for a sunset in the middle of winter some 6 years ago) I may be leaving the US and moving to Europe within a year, the GC and a week long trip to Hawaii are my dreams.

I'm a little surprised by your surprise though, If you visited, say England, would you visit some out of the way place that some people say is lovely before you visit London? Wouldn't you include most of the popular places and then add on some of the less frequented locations? Or am I the only one who operates this way?

Maybe none of is in sync, and the best part is, we don't need to be in order to get what we each want.

:)

bbq:

I 100% agree with you. At my last employment one lady told me she wished she could go w/friends/family to the Wheeling Jamboree but they rent a condo in NC every year at that time. I always thought that was silly, if you like something go to it and not do what every single solitary person does and flock to NE & SE shores every summer. Personally, I'd like to go back to the Blue Ridge of VA and go through Skyline Drive. In 1995, we were travelling back to PA and stopped at the Peaks of Otter and it was gorgeous. Wish I would have planned a vacation here instead of Myrtle Beach.

BBQ- I'll take a shot at an answer. I had typed up a long response but scrapped it in favor of this simple reply- say a higher power gives a person one last day to live, on the condition that you can't spend it at home and you can't spend it with friends or relatives, you have to travel somewhere in the US. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is using that last day driving around a small town in Oregon.

I disagree with Anonymous. I extensively plan all our vacations myself - everything from plane flights to what we do. That's not what I come here for.

It does seem that there are fewer here who do the outdoors type stuff. (There certainly are outdoor people here, but I think we are in the minority). Questions about hiking or mountain biking do not draw the same number of responses as what to do in Vegas.

I understand where you're coming from, bbqboy. Some of my favorite vacations in the US have been to places many people haven't heard of - Havasu, Columbia River Gorge. I live in the east, and when I told people I was going to Oregon, some wondered what would make me choose to go there if I didn't have any family there!

I disagree with anonymous as well .... I do all my own planning , never use a travel agent , and usually go to places a bit off the beaten track . I do not do A.I. 's , usually fly air only with no hotels booked , and just follow my nose . ( with 2 kids in tow ) I mean if the grand canyons awesome , it's awesome right ? I am not going to say that I will not see a spectacular place because I am a tracvel snob and too many people go there thus I should not ......

Oops ! after the " 2 kids in tow " should have been " on the other hand " ( got ahead of myself )

bbqboy,

You are not out of sync. People have diferent interest. I , for example, can't understand why anyone would spend a week off hiking in the wilderness instead of in Paris.

But I'm fine with that. God help me if the people who always goes to LV, Hawaii, and Disney all decided to start spending their annual vacations in Paris instead. Yikes!

What some find adventurous others find boring and vice versa.

Generally, the better traveled you are the more likely you are to get off the beaten path.

Also, the demographics of one's family often dictates vacation location.

I have a tremendous Europe fetish (particularly Paris). Part of my travel criteria is that another trip has to be cheaper than what it would cost me to go to Europe, or, I go to Europe. I would love to get out to Oregon & Washington but have not fit that in as of yet. It is however, "on the list". Right now behind new destinations Iceland & an island in the Caribbean that has yet to be determined.