Vacation spots your friends talked up but you hated

[Anonymous]

Can we please move on from OBX? And back to the original topic? I was enjoying it before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Florida and "beaches" in general, overrated

THIS, so much this. I enjoy a beautiful beach every once in awhile, but I've never understood people who make every vacation a beach trip. So boring. I'd much rather go to the mountains, or travel overseas. But, to each their own.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Outerbanks NC.

+1. Was so disappointed.

+2
So overrated and such a long drive.

long drive, compared to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went out to Ocean City when we first moved to this area based on the recommendation of a bunch of our neighbors. No-one told us how SUPER crowded and trashy it is. We were so disappointed. We actually left a day early because it was awful.

That said, we've gone to Rehoboth a few times in the off season when it was basically empty and had a really nice time.

+1
Rehoboth and Bethany are the polar opposites of OC - both very family friendly and clean. We go to both and never venture down to Ocean City. Did that as a high schooler during beach week - no need to relive those days.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Cruising. Just not for me.

Same. It’s a love/hate thing.

Yes. I don't ever want to go on a cruise again. Put me in the "hater" camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Outerbanks NC.

+1. Was so disappointed.

+2
So overrated and such a long drive.

long drive, compared to?

Bethany or Rehoboth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Captiva Island, specifically South Seas resort. It was just OK and it was also ALL white, no diversity. All of Sanibel/Captiva was. Never again.

Huh- I was just considering this for Spring Break? Details?

I loved Seth seas in captiva with little kids. Super easy.
Agree that Disney cruise and Atlantis are both torture.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am also not a fan of OBX. and yes i've been to several different towns and areas. I think the actual beaches are gross. The restaurant options are dismal. And the homes/rentals are just not my style. Even the nice ones. I mean I'm sure there are many homes there I would like, but in general I didn't like them.

What is gross about the beaches?

It doesn't have the good, clean sand. Most of the beaches I went to were rocky and had lots of shells too ( hard on the feet). The S. carolina beaches are bigger (wider) with better sand and waves roll in better. I also think Florida has good beaches in many places and I love the beaches in nantucket and the hamptons. I found beaches in Georgia to be a bit muddy with different sand. There are different types of sand everywhere! some is stickier, muddier, rockier etc....

I grew up on a Florida beach, and I can tell you that many of the variations you describe are seasonal or related to storm activity. Shells, erosion, pollution, etc., cause all kinds of variations in the type of "sand" that you might see on the same beach year to year, even some beach abatement projects where they bring in fill from offshore or some other dredging activity will cause the characteristics of a beach to change. Same with how wide a beach might be, the slope, depth of the water and the characteristics of the waves. You could visit the same beach two years in a row and find it quite different each time.

DP here. The beaches in OBX are not "different every time" in a good way - other areas of the U.S. have beaches that are "different every time" for better. OBX is NOT one of them. If people say that OBX is dumpy, I believe them. Most people won't share where they go to the beach, because they don't want it to become inundated with people from this area, like OBX is. ITA with PP that the restaurants in OBX are abysmal, but the OBX lovers don't seem to mind, so why should they go elsewhere. Let them enjoy what they know. You know, Duck Donuts and all that sh!t.

You are highly misinformed. The beaches can change daily. There are areas that typically are a lot sandier than others. There are great dining options in OBX, yes there are some terrible places too. Where did you eat? What beach do you go to that has a wealth of great dining options? Just because we frequent OBX it is far from the only beach town we visit.

And Duck Donuts is nasty that is why we don't go there.

Not misinformed at all. I do know there are some posters that give opinions without actual personal experience, but this is not one of them. No one wants to give alternatives to OBX, because if you are OBX type of people, you simply wouldn't enjoy other beaches. Unfortunately, I have been to OBX more than enough to compare. Like PP said, we can move on now. As OP asked, I couldn't believe the hype and the disappointment that followed, that's all.

[Anonymous]

[quotel=Anonymous]Can we please move on from OBX? And back to the original topic? I was enjoying it before.

I thought Ireland was pretty lame. People talk it up so much I don't get it. Some one up thread said they hated Morocco. I loved it. One of my favorite trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Captiva Island, specifically South Seas resort. It was just OK and it was also ALL white, no diversity. All of Sanibel/Captiva was. Never again.

Huh- I was just considering this for Spring Break? Details?

Lol, I just booked this for spring break after reading reviews here and elsewhere. And we’re AA—lucky us.

Oh wow-us too! We are white but appreciate living in a diverse area. Now rethinking!!

It used to be called south seas plantation, and it's an overpriced dump. Plus, there are sharks all over the resort (by the pier and the beaches). We didn't have to pay for our trip (relative worked there, and rooms were comped), so I can't really complain.

We went there in Dec 2017, we are of South East Asian origin. Agree with lack of diversity on the private South Seas beaches but we also visited the public beaches which were pretty diverse. People were polite and we felt comfortable. The food was good at certain places. The accommodations need a lot of work, they are just ok. We found an off season deal but would never go there during peak season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[quotel=Anonymous]Can we please move on from OBX? And back to the original topic? I was enjoying it before.

I thought Ireland was pretty lame. People talk it up so much I don't get it. Some one up thread said they hated Morocco. I loved it. One of my favorite trips.

Tell me more about Ireland- why was it lame? I wanted to plan a trip there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[quotel=Anonymous]Can we please move on from OBX? And back to the original topic? I was enjoying it before.

I thought Ireland was pretty lame. People talk it up so much I don't get it. Some one up thread said they hated Morocco. I loved it. One of my favorite trips.

Ireland was one of our most cherished family trips! Traveling really is such a personal thing. Ireland is perfect for families with kids as there is so much to see and the culture there is quite relaxed. For ex, kids can run free throughout the castles having a blast. As cliche' as it is to say, the Irish people really are so friendly and welcoming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[quotel=Anonymous]Can we please move on from OBX? And back to the original topic? I was enjoying it before.

I thought Ireland was pretty lame. People talk it up so much I don't get it. Some one up thread said they hated Morocco. I loved it. One of my favorite trips.

Tell me more about Ireland- why was it lame? I wanted to plan a trip there.

DP. I liked Ireland, but I can see not liking it. Here are the cons: (1) the weather is sort of always crappy. Light misty rain and not really warm. My husband hated it -- he was like "Why is it raining AGAIN." Some people don't mind that, but know what you're getting into. (2) It's very far north, so if you go in the fall (or maybe even late summer) the days will be very short, which is depressing. (3) The food is mostly crap. I mean, there's a bourgening Irish culinary scene, so you CAN find restaurants with very nice farm to table type food. But mostly it's very heavy fried pub food, which I really enjoy, but by Day 5 of it, I was starting to feel pretty gross. (4) It's bigger than it seams, in part because the island curves farther east west than you think, so if you're trying to drive from like Galway to Belfast, even though it looks like a reasonable drive, it's really not.
But it is quite pretty, and the historical stuff is very fun and cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[quotel=Anonymous]Can we please move on from OBX? And back to the original topic? I was enjoying it before.

I thought Ireland was pretty lame. People talk it up so much I don't get it. Some one up thread said they hated Morocco. I loved it. One of my favorite trips.

Tell me more about Ireland- why was it lame? I wanted to plan a trip there.

Depends on what you're looking for. As others pointed out, it's almost always wet to some degree, it's almost always overcast to some degree, food is indifferent and not reliable unless you do very, very careful research and are willing to go well out of your way to this or that restaurant. Dublin is small and provincial compared to, say, London or Paris and doesn't have the charms of Edinburgh or Prague or Munich. A lot of Ireland has a dreariness to it despite the very lovely countryside. Maybe it's the rain! I'd still happily go back because a part of me likes that misty gray weather, especially along the rugged west coast of Ireland. But if you're looking for interesting and different (or lots of) culture, you're not going to find that in Ireland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hawaii

I never been to Hawaii but have never heard anyone disappointed by it... what was your experience?

I'm guessing typical American tourist who went to Waikiki.