Vienna. I was expecting to like Prague or Budapest more but Vienna really stole my heart.
Hawaii. If I had to travel to only one place for the rest of my life, that would be it.
Chicago. If it weren't so cold in the winter, I would move there.
Paris. Because...Paris.

Vancouver Island. I wasn't expecting to dislike it, but I was surprised how much I loved it. Hot springs, Orca whales, beautiful bike rides and hikes, waking up to the sound of the waves, great food. I want to go back! We stayed at the Wikaninnish Inn in Tofino and it was great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rome! Went last spring, expecting it to be dirty and crowded. I hadn’t been there since a high school trip 30+ years ago. It was fantastic and the people were so friendly. Maybe part of the charm was seeing it through the eyes of my husband and 10 year old son, who’d never been there. It just felt magical.

I also loved Prague when I visited way back in the late ‘90s. I’m sure it’s changed quite a bit since then, but I went in January and remember walking through the city with a light snow falling. Also magical.

+1 to Prague. Also went in late 90s. I didn’t have many expectations - someone I was studying abroad with wanted to go so we all went. But I recall thinking it was the most beautiful spot ever.

I also saw Prague for the first time in the 90s, in winter. I hadn’t travelled much at all before that and I felt like I was in a movie or something.

The Azores - basically when the plane took off, I was thinking - I hope this wasn’t a mistake to pick this random place

Anonymous wrote:Rome! Went last spring, expecting it to be dirty and crowded. I hadn’t been there since a high school trip 30+ years ago. It was fantastic and the people were so friendly. Maybe part of the charm was seeing it through the eyes of my husband and 10 year old son, who’d never been there. It just felt magical.

I also loved Prague when I visited way back in the late ‘90s. I’m sure it’s changed quite a bit since then, but I went in January and remember walking through the city with a light snow falling. Also magical.

+1 to Prague. Also went in late 90s. I didn’t have many expectations - someone I was studying abroad with wanted to go so we all went. But I recall thinking it was the most beautiful spot ever.

Rome! Went last spring, expecting it to be dirty and crowded. I hadn’t been there since a high school trip 30+ years ago. It was fantastic and the people were so friendly. Maybe part of the charm was seeing it through the eyes of my husband and 10 year old son, who’d never been there. It just felt magical.

I also loved Prague when I visited way back in the late ‘90s. I’m sure it’s changed quite a bit since then, but I went in January and remember walking through the city with a light snow falling. Also magical.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montenegro
New Brunswick
“Bourbon Trail” area in Kentucky
Colmar and surrounding area

Sure, I’d heard good things about these places but they far exceeded my expectations

Please say more. I want to visit NS and Newfoundland and I'm barely thinking about NB. I went as a teen and remember being underwhelmed.

Did you visit the Bay of Fundy? We really enjoyed kayaking and then hiking in the same place once the tide went out. Stayed in Alma at the Fundy Highlands Chalets, which were adorable. I’d do 2 days there, at most. Not too far away the St. Martens sea caves were cool. St. John was quaint and we stayed at a nice B&B, but I felt like that wasn’t worth the stop there. We camped on Grand Manan Island, which was so lovely. Took a whale watching trip from there and saw so much! Good luck planning your trip, whether you get to NB or not. It’s such a beautiful part of the world!

Anonymous wrote:Montenegro
New Brunswick
“Bourbon Trail” area in Kentucky
Colmar and surrounding area

Sure, I’d heard good things about these places but they far exceeded my expectations

Please say more. I want to visit NS and Newfoundland and I'm barely thinking about NB. I went as a teen and remember being underwhelmed.

Transylvanian Carpathians in Romania. After having a so-so time in Sofia and Bucharest, I was absolutely stunned by the beauty of the smaller mountain towns in Romania. And the amazing little medieval villages! They seemed fairly untouched by the blocky Soviet aesthetic influence.

(I also spent a good amount of time in the carpathians on the Ukrainian side and just don’t think they compare!)

Montenegro
New Brunswick
“Bourbon Trail” area in Kentucky
Colmar and surrounding area

Sure, I’d heard good things about these places but they far exceeded my expectations

Anonymous wrote:Looking at it from the “and you did not expect to” lens vs just all the spots I have loved: Lithuania. Surprisingly charming and interesting history.

+1. Very nice country, was just there.

Anonymous wrote:Vermont. It was exactly as you picture it—small towns, green mountains, laidback and friendly people. It made me want to buy hiking boots or take up skiing or do something else outdoorsy.

Why didn't you buy hiking boots?

Looking at it from the “and you did not expect to” lens vs just all the spots I have loved: Lithuania. Surprisingly charming and interesting history.

The Wild Coast, South Africa. Still my favorite place in the world.

Busan, South Korea. I didn't think I'd like it so much, but the beaches and surrounding areas are sooo clean.