@oregon101, agree Mt, Hood is wonderful. DH and I hiked it (all day) to the ice line and back 20 years ago on our one and only trip to Oregon. I insisted we go there on vacation because DH was job hunting and I was hoping we’d end up there. Enjoyed Portland, the coast and Mt, Hood area. Glorious weather. I was told those were the sunniest two weeks of the entire year that year, so maybe I didn’t get the most realistic picture. (Do appreciate rain and the color green though…)
I don’t like Cape Cod. It’s too crowded in the summer…traffic is horrible. And it’s dreary in the winter. Ocean water temps are frigid. It’s just not a place I ever want to return to for a vacation.
^ Our summer was brutally hot last year. I have not heard a single complaint about our rain since!!! Glad you enjoyed our beautiful Mt. Hood. What makes it different and special is that it is very accessible. We lived in Denver for a year but could not enjoy the Rockies with a one yr. old. SIL packs up their nearly one yr old and off they can go up to Mt Hood.
I love a lake. Lake Superior was a wonder to behold last summer. My all time favorite will always be Lake George in upstate New York. But I will never understand why anyone would want to go to New York City. Maybe if you sent a car to the airport to take me directly to the theater and then whisked me out of town again I might spend an evening there. And I say this as someone who grew up in a suburb and whose father commuted into the city for 30 years. I will never willingly to to NYC again.
I liked Florence, but I’d personally classify it more as “Glad I went but no reason to go back” as opposed to “I don’t get why people love it.”
I don’t get why some don’t like Florence or Venice. Maybe next time, go “without Rick.” Wander, stop, live their lives, don’t just be a tourist.
NYC is a state of mind. Don’t dress like a tourist, do interact. Don’t just hate the crowds, lol.
I didn’t enjoy Yosemite despite there not being crowds. We went during Christmas break to try and find some snow. We found ice and too much of the same boring rock face over and over. We went back to Mariposa (but not Yosemite) in the spring and it was gorgeous. I loved living right at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains for a few years. The view of the mountains from my deck was my favorite thing… but Yosemite was just blah to me.
We’ve only ever been in the winter, but I found it magical. The ice over the ocean water in the little coves, breathtaking sunsets, no crowds anywhere, and lots of gorgeous snow all made it a family favorite.
Agreed. Particularly in Venice. If the crowds/pigeons/high water/price of bellinis in Piazza San Marco is a turn-off, there a 5 other sestieri plus outer islands, some of which are truly off the beaten path, but are beautiful, full of friendly locals who know 3 words of English, but are still willing to interact, amazing food, etc.
@artloversplus you should have gone hiking in Hong Kong! And from an urban planning perspective the downtown area is fascinating. It’s a city organized around shopping centers with the best subway system I have ever been on, though I also liked sitting on the top of the double decker buses.
Oops just notice @“great lakes mom” said exactly the same thing. 
We only had 3 days in Florence and most of one day was a trip to a Tuscan vineyard and Siena, loved both! Enjoyed Florence, hope we can go back and see more. My brother said we should have gone to Boboli Gardens. And pizza and gelato ? every day!
I have been to New Orleans many, many times and have tried to like it. I occasionally can appreciate part of the culture, but for the most part I find it a dirty, disgusting place. I have yet another business meeting there in September.
The desert. All that oppressive sun, and no trees. Plus cactuses. I hate it. Give me tall trees, coolness and shade. H keeps asking if I want to go to Bryce, Zion, Arches, Grand Canyon… nopety nope.
We rented an apartment in the heart of the city. There were throngs of tourists with selfie sticks. You could barely walk. The city was full of “mall stores” like Gap, etc. Very commercialized. No green space. to speak of. Loved the museums of course and a cute little beach bar on the river, where we played cards and drank Aperol spritz’s at one afternoon. And the tiny little deli on our side street that we ate at three times because it was that delicious. But of all the places to which we’ve traveled, I have no desire to go back to Florence.
How about Branson, MO or Gatlinburg, TN?
Greek islands. I went for some long swims there. No wildlife in the ocean and little on land.
“No green space. to speak of.”
Piazzas are the communal spaces in old Italian cities not parks.
If you hang out in the tourist center of the city, it’s going to feel touristy whether it’s Florence or NYC (Times Square), especially if you go during the height of tourist season.
Alas, the tourist season in NYC is year-round.
My daughter went to elementary and middle school in Chinatown and by 5th grade she was complaining about tourists.
In London and Paris, we rented in neighborhoods, easy enough access, but not in the thick of things. In Venice, we stayed at a BnB where the nonna was making lunch as we ate our breakfasts. Another time, we camped. On the coast of Turkey, we stayed in a BnB where the owner had everyone meet at 4, for drinks on the veranda. I’m so into the local people, people watching, and their daily routines, the spirit. Plus museums and must-sees, but haven’t carried a tour book since a long college summer abroad. (I do use tripadvisor and google, before.) I don’t think I’ve ever done more than one audio tour.
I’m going on a cruise with quick port stops (a friend chose this and I’m tagging along) and working my head around the fact the stops are short and there’s no getting around being a tourist, when you all get off the boat together and may be in a tour group.
I think it’s just personal and there is no right or wrong. I usually come back saying, wow, the people were great. I only just realized that I seem to say this about nearly every place I go. So really awful locals would be my turn off.
@toledo Man, oh man, Pidgeon Forge/Gatlinburg was one of the worst ever. We went with some humor, thought we’d look at the outside of Dollywood, a side track on a drive across country, last March. Packed with car traffic, stopped at every light, one theme restaurant after another. So bad that after about a mile or two, we turned aound (no easy feat) and got back on the highway. Not even a bathroom break or stop for a soda. The only great thing was the billboards for Delmar the Talking Dog. I had to take a pic and share with close friends. And a pic of the upside down restaurant. NOT going back.