Anonymous wrote:I loved Savannah, New Orleans, and Paris. Another city people are often let down by that I loved was Venice.

Places that didn't live up to expectations include Rome, Bali, Varanasi, and Chicago.

I've lived overseas for quite a while and I finally figured out what made me like or dislike a place: weather.

My favorite places in Europe turned out to be the ones I visited in the September/early October. Blue skies, mild weather, and window boxes still in bloom.

Loved Venice--but one time I visited, and it was flooded. Had that been my only visit, I would have hated it.

Hated Berlin. I went in February and I have never been as cold in my life.

I did not realize why I liked or disliked a place until I reflected on it years later.

As for Paris, I was not charmed like some people. Might have been getting flashed by a pervert on the subway. Also, might have been because it is not as romantic when you visit with friends and not romantic interest.

The outer banks. A lot of it feels trashy. The parts that don't are newly built cookie cutter type neighborhoods. I don't get it.

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Anonymous wrote:Disneyworld. What a s—show.

I enjoyed Disney as a whole more than expected, but the Magic Kingdom was kind of a disappointment. Way too many "rides" that were really just sitting and looking at animatronic crap. I don't need to wait 45 minutes to see a bunch of dolls in a cave sing It's a Small World.

Thank you for saying this so I don’t feel insane. That thread about spending 14k on a Disney vacation made me feel nuts because I cannot imagine spending that much to see Small World and the Hall of Presidents, sit in the Tiki Room, etc. I don’t get the appeal at all, and I have been as a child and adult.

I also don't get it. It's not Magical at all. WAY TOO MANY people running over people with their scooter chairs. Everyone is "executive" line skippers. The best I can say about any Disney park - they are clean and provide a lot of jobs. I would never spend any money to go to any of them again. Never.

+1 Disney is the worst. I truly don't understand it.

I used to love NY and lived there for several years, but then I got old and ornery and decided I hate being around so many people all the time.

Anonymous wrote:Egypt. Disgusting. McDonald’s by the pyramids. Blegh

Buenos Aires. Never been so bored in my life and I don’t eat red meat

Munich. So boring. I just can’t.

Geneva. I just fell asleep remembering when I lived there and have never been so bored in my entire life

Monaco. Why bother.

With your attitude, why do you even bother to go anywhere?

For people saying NYC is cold probably never ventured outside of Times Sq.

But I do somewhat agree it can be hard to get the appeal of NYC on just a quick visit doing only touristy things. It’s definitely not for everyone. But I’ve lived here for 15+ years and still get a tingle down my spine coming down the FDR at night, going around the curves and seeing the East River to my left and the NYC skyline to my right and seeing the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges coming into view and then being over top of you. Going around the on ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge, seeing the lower Manhattan and WTC in the background, going across the river and seeing the lights of Brooklyn Bridge Park and downtown Brooklyn coming closer and closer. It just seems so vast and awesome and the view never gets old.

I don’t care what anyone says, will always be the best city in the US hands down.

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Anonymous wrote:Paris, for a reason that hasn't been mentioned yet. There is a ton of racism against anyone perceived to be Arab or Middle Eastern there (which I'm not, but I look like I could be). I would never go back.

Mackinac Island. I thought it was boring AF, and it takes forever and a day to drive there from civilization.

Las Vegas. So tacky and gross and smells like cigarettes everywhere. Completely depressing to see all the compulsive gamblers feeding their money into slot machines. I thought there would at least be something redeeming about it, but I liked pretty much nothing about it.

The Berkshires. Boring. What is the appeal?

+1 Totally agree. Go on a hike, see a concert at Tanglewood - that's about it. You're done in 12 hours.

I love the Berkshires. Visit all the different little towns. New England-y charm. Great farm to table restaurants. Crisp air/nature. Thick sweaters. Warm cozy lodges/fireplaces. Wine tasting. Cider donuts. But I’m coming from NYC so open/quiet/uncrowded spaces are like a sanctuary to me.

Anonymous wrote:The Great Barrier Reef. Washed out corals.

+1
It must have been something 30 years ago. So much of it is dead now.

Although I went all around Australia and had some wonderful moments, I felt like it wasn't *that* different from the US & was disappointed by it.

Costa Rica

I felt like I was in a Spanish speaking Daytona. Most disappointing vacation ever.

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Anonymous wrote:Ocean City.

For the first couple of years I lived in DC, people were always talking about going to OC. When I finally went there I was so disappointed. Spent a few hours and never went back.

Yes. And Rehoboth, too… sorry not sorry.

Lol, Rehoboth is my childhood place, but I give you props for knowing how to spell it!

The Great Barrier Reef. Washed out corals.

Anonymous wrote:Cabo (worst by far)
Milan (sterile, unfriendly)
Vienna (felt dead)
NYC (lack of natural beauty, too crowded)
DC (bland)
LA (visiting left me cold, though could see appeal of living there)


Liked quite a bit:
Philadelphia
Rome
San Francisco (albeit 15 years ago)

Agree with LA. "Cold" is the right word. Also kind of depressing. I do enjoy NYC. Love the food, the energy, the vibe, which for me is odd since most of my favorite places are usually out in wilderness areas.

Anonymous wrote:Ocean City.

For the first couple of years I lived in DC, people were always talking about going to OC. When I finally went there I was so disappointed. Spent a few hours and never went back.

Yes. And Rehoboth, too… sorry not sorry.

Cabo (worst by far)
Milan (sterile, unfriendly)
Vienna (felt dead)
NYC (lack of natural beauty, too crowded)
DC (bland)
LA (visiting left me cold, though could see appeal of living there)


Liked quite a bit:
Philadelphia
Rome
San Francisco (albeit 15 years ago)

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I still have nightmares about the stuff I saw on the streets of New Orleans. So violent and disgusting.

Tell me more. New Orleans is so divisive. People seem to either love it or think it’s the most disgusting city ever. I’ve never been but am thinking about spending a few nights there in April.

It is divisive. It's my favorite city, the place I think of as home, and my husband can't stand it. For him, New Orleans is too loud, too dirty, too disorderly, too everything. He loves the food, but that's it.

I say you should go! April is a beautiful time to be in New Orleans. Just don't spend all of your time in the Quarter. There are a lot of other great parts of the city. I don't actually spend much time in the Quarter at all when I'm there. I might do some window shopping at the antique stores on Royal, visit the Historic New Orleans Collection, or have dinner at Galatoires, but that's about it. The Quarter has too many people who feel like coming to New Orleans gives them license to act like idiots, too much drinking. It's like Debauchery Disneyland.