Vacation spots your friends talked up but you hated

[Anonymous]

Locally, I find Annapolis very overrated. I don't need to see it again.

Also, Tangier Island. The boat to it was fun, and I am glad I got to spend two hours riding around it on a golf cart before it is lost to rising water, but I don't understand why anyone would stay overnight for a few days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We love the Outer Banks, but we go to Hatteras (Frisco area) in September or October when the air and water are warm (but not too hot), and there aren't many tourists. We've splurged for houses with pools, and sometimes right on the ocean. It is beautiful and relaxing. But, I agree that the northern part of the outer banks isn't as great.

I've also always stayed at Hatteras. I love the OBX - I love relaxing beach vacations where you see very few people. We are also very sporty and love to fish and kayak.

I imagine the kind of people who hate it are the kind of people who love getting drunk and bro-ing it up at Do-me beach or Ocean City.

[Anonymous]

Disney world resort theme parks-SO crowded even on a "non crowded" day.

I really enjoyed the Disney world resort hotels more than I expected though.

[Anonymous]

Costa Rica. Reminded me of the Atlantic City - overdeveloped and trashy. It seemed that all authenticity was taken away by the American, European, and Israeli developers. Did not helped that we got robbed there.

[Anonymous]

Miami, and West Palm Beach. Hoping Siesta Key will be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Locally, I find Annapolis very overrated. I don't need to see it again.

Also, Tangier Island. The boat to it was fun, and I am glad I got to spend two hours riding around it on a golf cart before it is lost to rising water, but I don't understand why anyone would stay overnight for a few days.

I live in Annapolis and 100% agree with you. No good food at all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The first time I went to Los Angeles I was like “what”??? I feel like popular culture plays it up as this glamorous and super cool place and to be honest I found it very dirty, too spread out/car centric, and not particularly pretty. I liked San Diego 10x better.

Yes! I am originally from Asia and had this image in my mind of LA that did not match reality.

[Anonymous]

?? Jamaica..ugh cesspool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also thought Hawaii was just ok. for the amount of time it took to get there, I really wanted everything to be just over the top amazing, and while it was all really nice, I was a little underwhelmed.

+100. And the cost of everything! Outrageous. The Caribbean is way better, closer, more beautiful and less expensive.

[Anonymous]

Another one for the Outer Banks here. Was royally disappointed both times. And, it attracts some real weirdos. I’ll stick with the Jersey Shore for a beach to drive to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another one for the Outer Banks here. Was royally disappointed both times. And, it attracts some real weirdos. I’ll stick with the Jersey Shore for a beach to drive to.

OBX is about 100 miles of coast line with different towns that appeal to different expectations are. I can understand not liking certain areas or towns, and can respect people saying they dont like OBX at all. But my guess is that people generally experience one small portion and decide that they don't like all of OBX.

[Anonymous]

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.

This is the weirdest vacation criteria ever. Nice weather - check, nice beaches - check, nice accommodations - check, good food - check, convenient to fly in/out - check, good value - check. Not enough diversity? Oh, then I guess we won't go there. I've been to beaches all over the world, and I've got news for you, it's ALWAYS mostly white people.

Aren't you privileged. It makes people uncomfortable to be the only minority in a vacation destination, as if we can't relaxed. Plus, you must lead a very sheltered life if you only vacation where it is only mostly white people.

I’m the South Seas PP who didn’t like it. Yes, this. I’m actually white but my DH and kids are not. People stared and were not overly friendly. The not-overly-friendly part isn’t a big deal, we live in the DC metro so we are used to that. But we literally saw ONE black family and one Asian family the whole week we were there. So while it’s not like people were overtly rude or racist, DH felt uncomfortable as as “only,” which I understand as I’ve been in reverse situations with him where I’m the only white person, so I get it.

Besides that, I think I’m just not a fan of the Gulf side of Florida. We went in the summer so the water was like bath water. The food on the island wasn’t very good. The accommodations were just OK, nothing special. It wasn’t like it was the worst vacation ever or anything, but we had never been and we had high hopes. YMMV.

I'm not singling you out specifically because I want people to do what they're comfortable with and go where they're comfortable. But there is a certain irony involved here. I'm white but I regularly travel to remote, out of way places in distant countries where I'm often the only white person around or one of very few white tourists and yes I can get stared and yes quite often people will attempt to fleece me because they think I'm a rich white tourist, at but I shrug at it. Being outside the comfort zone teaches one about dealing with the world and a range of people and you also soon learn the difference between being overly self-conscious and the actual reality of your context.

Many regions of the US are still heavily white and people of different color, especially non AA heritage, are still a novelty. But there's no point criticizing or judging people based on that. After all, even you admitted people weren't rude or racist. If you were self-conscious, it was your problem, not theirs.

[Anonymous]

Some of you come off as very spoiled. Coming from the perspective of someone who can’t afford to travel much at all, I would seriously be over the moon to travel to all of these places. I think you need to take a lesson from the Pollyanna poster and get some perspective. We pulled enough money to go to Rehoboth for a long weekend last year and it was so much fun. Not disgusting at all. I can see labeling a hotel bad, but an entire tourist locale?

—green with jealousy, but a happy positive person in general

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you come off as very spoiled. Coming from the perspective of someone who can’t afford to travel much at all, I would seriously be over the moon to travel to all of these places. I think you need to take a lesson from the Pollyanna poster and get some perspective. We pulled enough money to go to Rehoboth for a long weekend last year and it was so much fun. Not disgusting at all. I can see labeling a hotel bad, but an entire tourist locale?

—green with jealousy, but a happy positive person in general

Like you, our family tends to have fun wherever we go and we are always grateful that we are able to travel.

Having said that, imagine how you would feel if you saved up for years for a big trip and then were disappointed. Imagine dropping $10k to schlep to Hawaii and then having a bad time. Waikiki used to be decent, but now it is really dirty and overrun with addicts on the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you come off as very spoiled. Coming from the perspective of someone who can’t afford to travel much at all, I would seriously be over the moon to travel to all of these places. I think you need to take a lesson from the Pollyanna poster and get some perspective. We pulled enough money to go to Rehoboth for a long weekend last year and it was so much fun. Not disgusting at all. I can see labeling a hotel bad, but an entire tourist locale?

—green with jealousy, but a happy positive person in general

Like you, our family tends to have fun wherever we go and we are always grateful that we are able to travel.

Having said that, imagine how you would feel if you saved up for years for a big trip and then were disappointed. Imagine dropping $10k to schlep to Hawaii and then having a bad time. Waikiki used to be decent, but now it is really dirty and overrun with addicts on the street.

Pp here, you have a fair point. Because travel for us is so few and far between, it would be a big blow to be severely disappointed.