Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not hate but don’t understand the current appeal of Martha’s Vineyard (boring, overpriced, cold beaches).

I love that there are no boardwalks and busy type beaches there

Plenty of superior beaches fit this criteria.

Any city that is so overrun with tourists at that particular time of year that you can’t grab a meal (even breakfast) without a 2-3 hour wait. The city itself can be amazing, but this sucks the life out of the experience for me, especially with little kids. Porto is an amazing city but was like that for is when we visited one year in mid-August. I recall one night we ended up skipping dinner as it was either that or keep our small pre-elementary aged kids out way past their bedtime to wait 2-3 hrs for a table for dinner. (We cobbled together an assortment of fruit and snacks for the kids for dinner). I guess you could get around this by getting an Airbnb and making plans to cook each meal, but a big part of the fun for me is trying regional cuisine. (And as the main cook at home, taking a break from cooking every single meal lol)

Anonymous wrote:Not hate but don’t understand the current appeal of Martha’s Vineyard (boring, overpriced, cold beaches).

I love that there are no boardwalks and busy type beaches there

Anonymous wrote:Spain. I’m of Puerto Rican descent so the disdain is pretty deep-seated, but the Spanish are hostile to Americans (even when they speak fluent Spanish, as I do) and generally racist. Overall not a welcoming or warm experience. Just really not enjoyable.

Madrid>Barcelona>Valencia

Oh wow - so sorry to hear this- my experience has been quite the opposite. I am always blown away by the hospitality in Spain (Galicia region, where my family and I travel every summer) and I’m as American as they come. Didn’t the Americans stage a large smear campaign against the Spaniards when they took over Puerto Rico, with the goal of making Puerto Ricans reject Spain and Spanish culture? Is it possible some of that is at play here?

Someone else mentioned Clearwater Beach, FL, +100, such a sketchy place.

Not hate but don’t understand the current appeal of Martha’s Vineyard (boring, overpriced, cold beaches).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't care for Paris. Too ancient looking for me! I didn't like their sandwiches with thick buttered bread and hardly any cheese or meat. No ice in drinks. Milk purchased on the shelf at room temperature. Their pastries and confections were beautiful looking, but the taste did not equal the appearance. And the Mona Lisa was small!

You think Paris is “ancient”? Have you been to Rome? Greece?

Not yet, however I expect Rome and Greece to be old. I studied Art History in school. I wasn't prepared for Paris.

Hmmm and you never studied Baron Haussmann? Paris had a glow up in the mid-1800s. The baron would be offended you called is city ancient. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris

Have to laugh at the idea of an art history major who studied Rome and Greece describing Paris as ancient.

Anonymous wrote:Bar Harbor and/or Acadia on a weekend in the summer.

We were only there for a quick weekend but I could not believe how crowded it was. I felt like I was on the boardwalk in OC while walking the streets of Bar Harbor. It definitely wasn't a quaint fishing village that I was hoping for. And at Acadia, we couldn't even find a place to park that wasn't a 2+ mile walk to whatever site we wanted to see.

Aw! Acadia has a special place in my heart. It is however exactly as you shared, not quaint and even during Covid without cruise ships it was “quietly bustling” in summer and spring. It’s gorgeous though ♥️

Anonymous wrote:I found Denver sort of drab and dull, though the surrounding area was gorgeous. It just didn't seem to have a defining character. I didn't hate it - but I just expected to like it more.

Didn't understand the appeal of Nashville at all. Not walkable, kind of shabby/tacky downtown, oddly sprawling with "nice" areas tucked away and inaccessible...seemed like Vegas lite.

I agree about Denver. Boulder is so much prettier.

DH and I got horrible food poisoning in Fajardo, Puerto Rico from seafood. First night of our trip. It was brutal.

I found Denver sort of drab and dull, though the surrounding area was gorgeous. It just didn't seem to have a defining character. I didn't hate it - but I just expected to like it more.

Didn't understand the appeal of Nashville at all. Not walkable, kind of shabby/tacky downtown, oddly sprawling with "nice" areas tucked away and inaccessible...seemed like Vegas lite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't care for Paris. Too ancient looking for me! I didn't like their sandwiches with thick buttered bread and hardly any cheese or meat. No ice in drinks. Milk purchased on the shelf at room temperature. Their pastries and confections were beautiful looking, but the taste did not equal the appearance. And the Mona Lisa was small!

You think Paris is “ancient”? Have you been to Rome? Greece?

Not yet, however I expect Rome and Greece to be old. I studied Art History in school. I wasn't prepared for Paris.

Hmmm and you never studied Baron Haussmann? Paris had a glow up in the mid-1800s. The baron would be offended you called is city ancient. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris

Bar Harbor and/or Acadia on a weekend in the summer.

We were only there for a quick weekend but I could not believe how crowded it was. I felt like I was on the boardwalk in OC while walking the streets of Bar Harbor. It definitely wasn't a quaint fishing village that I was hoping for. And at Acadia, we couldn't even find a place to park that wasn't a 2+ mile walk to whatever site we wanted to see.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jordan. The sexism is awful.

What? I went there for 8 days as a woman traveling alone (like I rented a car and drove around by myself) and found myself completely respected. It was great!

+1. Jordan and Turkey are great to travel as a female. I had zero issues driving around in Turkey and went from Adana to Istanbul. No issues whatsoever. And at the time, I had dyed my hair pink, though not completely. Never had an issue.

Yeah. I’m legitimately confused by these comments as someone who lived in Turkey and traveled around the region quite as a bit as a young woman— including Jordan. I really enjoyed it. Istanbul in particular was far safer than many other cities I lived in, including U.S. cities.

I've noticed in some of these threads that there are posters who will do anything to disparage MENA countries. Not sure if they're trolls or honest travelers but it has been a trend. Glad to hear that others have had an equally enjoyable experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jordan. The sexism is awful.

What? I went there for 8 days as a woman traveling alone (like I rented a car and drove around by myself) and found myself completely respected. It was great!

+1. Jordan and Turkey are great to travel as a female. I had zero issues driving around in Turkey and went from Adana to Istanbul. No issues whatsoever. And at the time, I had dyed my hair pink, though not completely. Never had an issue.

Yeah. I’m legitimately confused by these comments as someone who lived in Turkey and traveled around the region quite as a bit as a young woman— including Jordan. I really enjoyed it. Istanbul in particular was far safer than many other cities I lived in, including U.S. cities.