I enjoy Vegas in very short doses, like 2 nights max. I did not enjoy my time in El Paso, or Dallas for that matter.
A few hours of driving around Cancun made me firmly decide that I would not want to go back. There are several lovely resorts further down the coast near Tulum, but to get to them, one pretty much has to go through the horrid Cancun airport.
This is a really interesting thread.
Well, i’ve visited Costa Rica…and LOVED It…but we also did a family trip to Bermuda and it just wasn’t great…i remembered the Bermuda from twenty years ago…it’s much more crowded now.
And in general terms, I wouldn’t go anywhere on a cruise…well, maybe the Arctic because that would be the best way to travel…other than that, well, read the book “Day Four: The Novel.” Creepy, hilariously terrifying about a cruise trip …even Stephen King loved it.
Re post 31 on Florida air–a Floridian would get off a plane and say “FINALLY–real air!” Honest, anything less is gasping.
Love New Orleans.
Wouldn’t go back to Mexico in any way, shape or form. Got sick every time and just not worth it (especially these days).
Gotta read “Day Four”–I love travel novels.
I’ll be in Johannesburg next week, just flying through, and then again week after next, visiting a family friend for one day. I agree that I could do without it! One time, we were driving through down Jo’burg and my mom rolled down the car window to take a photo. “CLOSE THE WINDOW! CLOSE THE WINDOW!” our friend shrieked. And while we admire our friend’s tennis court, swimming pool, live-in maid, and gardener, we wouldn’t trade places with him. He has a very tall wall (barbed wire on top) surrounding his house. EVERY house has a security system. Yikes. He’s not considered wealthy - he’s an assistant professor.
Dominica, a Caribbean Island (not the Dominican Republic!) is the other place I have no desire to visit again. Except for a couple of beautiful beaches we visited, we saw a lot of ugly cities. It’s also dangerous - a woman on our cruise was knocked down and robbed just a block from the ship.
Within the US, I don’t particularly care for Los Angeles as far as cities go. There’s no charm or sense of history in it to me; I much prefer the northeast cities with lots of history behind them.
Within Europe, the most recent places that I’ve been to that I think were only “eh” were Madrid, Spain and Cologne, Germany. I’d go to Barcelona or Berlin over those.
Cities I’ve really enjoyed were Paris, Rome, Budapest, Vienna, and St Petersburg. I am planning to go to Prague next year - I’ve heard great things.
I will never go back to any place in India aside from Mumbai, ever again, after being taken ill outside of Allahabad.
As for Asia, I much prefer Beijing over Shanghai and Kyoto over Tokyo.
Within South America, the only place I’ve been is Sao Paolo which also rates an “eh” from me. I’d like to travel elsewhere in South America but it just hasn’t happened yet.
Oh - also, I would be quite happy if I never saw Las Vegas again.
I live near Los Angeles and I don’t care for LA.
Yes, D and S went to school in LA. S was happy to leave. Every time D leaves LA, she looks up and says, “Oh, I forgot how pretty the sky is everywhere outside of LA.” She said that in SF and also when she visits Honolulu. She plans to move back to Oahu when she’s gotten a bigger skill set from LA.
Is there a separate “Places I really liked” thread that’s active?
Because … New Zealand!
This is a very interesting thread. I’ve traveled pretty much (mostly US, but many Virgin Island vacations and some European business trips/vacations) and I try to find the good parts of most of the places.
I don’t want to go back to Hawaii (Big Island) again. Most of my reasons have to do with the horrific travel from Tennessee, but also my own personal experience last October that wasn’t the fault of Hawaii or any locals at all.
I’ve enjoyed Las Vegas (lots of conventions I’ve attended and a best friend who lives in the area) but I can only handle it for a couple of days.
I spent 3 days in Sandusky, Ohio in February and don’t care to go back- even in the summer when the amusement park is open.
College Station, Texas is pretty awful, but I found a lot of good in most other Texas cities (well, maybe not Wichita Falls or Waco).
Des Moines, Iowa did nothing for me, but that was years ago and I would give it another chance.
Knoxville, TN- For a college town, it leaves me cold. The plus is that it has great access to the Smokies.
I am not a huge Florida fan at all, but manage to enjoy some beach time since my sister has a house in Ft. Myers. I had a business conference on Amelia Island in May and it is a whole different deal. I loved it. Of course, it feels more like Georgia than Florida and was just lovely.
There are three “airports” in Cancun. The private and the charter ones, plus the newer international terminals. Arriving in Mexico always creates some annoyances, but one gets used to it. One of the best expenses is to find a way to get advance boarding and access to lounges. Regular travelers are not so lucky.
@abasket , I lived in Michigan and really disliked the climate. There were only a couple places I enjoyed being in. (Also, the city I lived in was at the time notoriously racist. I moved there from peace-and-love Northern California, and on my first day of school (high school) someone said to me, “we call them n****s.”)
As for the other states that I listed, I simply don’t like areas with little ethnic diversity, with no ocean, mountains or deserts and with few (if any) vibrant cities. That’s why I said “most of --” because clearly these states have areas I’d like (Chicago!) but they’re few and far between in these states. Just a personal thing. As is this whole thread.
Martinique… Natives were rude. Barbados…overrated.
It is entirely personal and subjective.
samana…anyone who has been on a royal carribean cruise will tell you that is a port stop to miss!
Where is samana?
Of course it is all subjective! I rate these places more along the lines “would I pay my own money to visit place X as a tourist, not to attend a convention, run a race, etc.” SF is still on my list, and so is Cancun.
I liked Cancun but if not for the security thing, but the beach is rough, rocky, not as nice as Hawaii.
I’m not in a big rush to go back to swim at any of the beaches anywhere that have experienced shark attacks last few weeks.
If anyone has been putting off a return visit to Florida…we’ve got something new for you to see…pretty roaches. There’s a new type of roach in Florida now that one bug researcher has described as pretty because it has ruby-like jewels on its wings and it looks super fabulous. http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/just-what-florida-needs----a-new-cockroach/2236051