OT: USA Best and Worst Monument/Historical/Tourist Site

[hthusky74]

For the best (and again, this is where the west kicks the crap out of the east): Grand Canyon, Na Pali Coast, Yellowstone (even if old faithful is kind of boring, the rest is amazing), Zion, Bryce, Arches, Glacier, Redwoods, Badlands. Weirdly, I've never been to Yellowstone, but I have to imagine it rates up in that list.

Worst ever - Little Big Horn. If you leave there with a smile on your face, you're probably a serial killer.

Best that you can't drive to: Almost any mountain top in the Sierras. Cottonwood Lakes and Mt McKinley are two of my favorites.

I've been to Little Big Horn

 

[hthusky74]

The worst as a kid was "South of the Border". For years I saw tons of cars around town with South of the Border bumper stickers and decals. I had no clue what it was but I wanted to go. Finally hectored Dad enough to make him pull over during that drive to Florida and it turned out to be pretty much just a place that sold South of the Border bumper stickers. What a gyp.

Actually it is a Motel, restaurant, souvenir stand, gas station, and fireworks store. Somehow I don't think it qualifies as a national park or landmark. I agree with you about the bumper stickers and of course the "Only 4oo miles to South of the Border" billboards. Definitely an attraction for the little ones in the car. Remember too that it is south of the border, the Carolina border.

 

[huskyblooz]

Photos dont do the Grand Canyon justice, but The Oklahoma City Memorial moved me. Spent the whole afternoon there going through every possible emotion. It's a must-see.

 

[Husky25]

Really? Maybe it was the day I went - mid-October, almost no one there, crisp with a blue, blue sky and big white clouds. I though it was very cool. I was expecting disappointment but I was totally whelmed.

Yeah. It was sort of, "meh," to me. I posted in the States-Been-To thread that we got out of the van, took a picture from the parking lot, got back in, and left. When I saw a documentary a short time later, I was convinced we didn't miss much by not going on a tour. This was back in May, 1999.

Oh...I forgot to mention that on that same cross country trip, I stood on THE corner in Winslow, Arizona ("Such a fine sight to see," for you Eagles' fans...Glen Frey/Don Henley type, not those of Philadelphia).

 

[Kitaman]

I might add Niagara Falls is overrated, still haven't figured out what's the big deal with water falling off a cliff regardless of height. I felt obligated to go to say I've been there.

For those that have been to South Dakota, very underrated is the Badlands. The view is much more intimate than Grand Canyon and just as incredible. I don't know if there is anyplace like it in this country.

 

[hthusky74]

Yeah. It was sort of, "meh," to me. I posted in the States-Been-To thread that we got out of the van, took a picture from the parking lot, got back in, and left. When I saw a documentary a short time later, I was convinced we didn't miss much by not going on a tour. This was back in May, 1999.

Oh...I forgot to mention that on that same cross country trip, I stood on THE corner in Winslow, Arizona ("Such a fine sight to see," for you Eagles' fans...Glen Frey/Don Henley type, not those of Philadelphia).

You mean Jackson Browne don't you? After all, he wrote the song (and will be at the Oakdale July 9th).

 

[Husky25]

You mean Jackson Browne don't you? After all, he wrote the song (and will be at the Oakdale July 9th).

Glenn Frey has Co-writer credits with J.B. and The Eagles made it famous. They didn't write Ol' 55 either, which was penned by Tom Waits.

 

[hthusky74]

Glenn Frey has Co-writer credits with J.B. and The Eagles made it famous. They didn't write Ol' 55 either, which was penned by Tom Waits.

In his concert Jackson always mentioned how the Eagles had a much bigger hit with it than him. He says it doesn't bother him, and that he really enjoys the checks he keeps getting. I can't wait to see him again July 9th at the Oakdale. It is a solo concert. Saw him do the same thing there a few years ago. Just a rack with about 20 acoustic and electric guitars and one electric piano and of course Jackson.

 

[ScottBonz]

Went to Yosemite last year and camped on the mountain for 4 days. Great experience yet I saw no bears and everyone back in ct was seeing bears everywhere. Hiked the north ridge.

Bar Harbor and Acadia area is underrated. Worth the haul up the coast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mauconnfan]

Plymouth Rock is a freaking lawn ornament, but I still recommend the whole Plymouth/Plimouth Plantation deal as a day trip, especially if you have kids.

A couple of speed bumps - Plymouth Rock itself and the Wampanoag Customs and Immigration nonsense when you get off the Mayflower II replica. That involves a guy dressed as an Indian scaring six-year olds by asking them inane questions about guns and small pox.

Agreed for the kids Plymouth is an excellent stop with some history lessons........another great east coast trip for the kids is Ocean City MD and the Pirates trip on the ship from OC to Assoteague Island to visit the wild horses and dig up some buried treasure!!

 

[Palatine]

Then worst tourist site on the planet is that stupid tiny peeing boy in Brussels. Not only would it lose an art contest to a piece of backyard cement sculpture bought at a garden store, it is poorly maintained and surrounded by cr@po.

It really sucks.

 

[Huskybass]

The Everglades are amazing if you are into seeing some of what nature has to offer. With a pair of polarized sunglasses you will see some amazing schools of fish, turtles, birds, snakes, etc. Get a mile or two off the paved road and you might even get a quick glimpse of a panther. It is hot as can be though. Definitely better to get out there at the crack of dawn and be back in an air conditioned car by about 9 a.m.

 

[RM99]

I second Fort Jefferson, go by seaplane and I would like to add the historical site Gampel. I always seem to have a good time there and recommend a visit to all Huskies fans.

 

[Nostical]

Looking forward to Yosemite and Alaska.

Underrated:
1. Gateway Arch St Louis--awesome edifice plus underground museum is cool. Lewis and Clark journey, diary, etc plus movie on how arch was built. "Started from both sides, met at top. if they'd been 1/64th of an inch off, they would have missed." As someone who has at least 3 holes behind every picture frame, I was impressed!
2. Niagara Falls-as I stand and watch I always think about that first unlucky explorer paddling his canoe saying, " Hey Jessup, what's that sound getting louder up ahead?"
3. Franconia Notch, NH - you don't have to travel cross-country to see majesty. There's some in your backyard.

 

[storrsroars]

Maybe so, but no one intended Plymouth Rock to be a fortress from which to defend themselves against the world.

The Alamo is embarrassing. Every single soldier who was stationed there died in that battle, and when you see it, you understand exactly why. It is the functional equivalent of the Stonehenge stage set in This is Spinal Tap, but it was not intended to be a parody. I don't know why anyone would want to immortalize that event as a battle cry, condemning us to remember it.

Well, people were shorter 150 years ago. So the Alamo probably looked bigger to them

If one has been to Plymouth Rock and said rock is not #1 on your most disappointing landmark list, it can only be because you got to Old Man of the Mountains after his nose fell off.

 

[Gurleyman]

Just got to experience Yosemite and it is unbelievable. Every time I stopped to soak up a view, I'd go another 100 yards and get a better one. I did a comparatively difficult hike (full Mist Trail), but you can also just enjoy the flat walks in the valley or drive to Glacier Point for an easy hike/great views (which I didn't get to do). The drive in through Tioga Pass (closed in winter) was breathtaking too. Much like Grand Canyon, pictures just don't capture it. And if you don't like crowds, you can go to any of the more secluded areas/trails/campgrounds and do your own thing. The whole park is the size of Rhode Island.

Did Tahoe on the trip which is fantastic as well (the scenic drive around the lake is phenomenal) and if you are outdoorsy, you can either go off the beaten path or take a gondola up to go hiking at almost 10,000 feet. The top of the gondola is touristy, but the hikes were pretty quiet. There's also casinos, shows, quaint villages, cruises, etc.

I also - purely by accident - found a great little town called Mammoth Lakes an hour south (I just needed a place to stay that shortened the drive the next day) which is a sportsman's paradise - hiking, fishing, boating, mountain biking, skiing in winter. A whole series of small secluded mountain lakes 8000 feet and up (the lakes aren't mammoth, the town is named after Mammoth Mountain to the west). I was too tired after hiking in Tahoe and Yosemite to do much of anything other than drive around, but it is beautiful and a much less touristy place than, say, Tahoe. I'm going to try to go back to hike the mountain crest there next summer.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Just got to experience Yosemite and it is unbelievable. Every time I stopped to soak up a view, I'd go another 100 yards and get a better one. I did a comparatively difficult hike (full Mist Trail), but you can also just enjoy the flat walks in the valley or drive to Glacier Point for an easy hike/great views (which I didn't get to do). The drive in through Tioga Pass (closed in winter) was breathtaking too. Much like Grand Canyon, pictures just don't capture it. And if you don't like crowds, you can go to any of the more secluded areas/trails/campgrounds and do your own thing. The whole park is the size of Rhode Island.

Did Tahoe on the trip which is fantastic as well (the scenic drive around the lake is phenomenal) and if you are outdoorsy, you can either go off the beaten path or take a gondola up to go hiking at almost 10,000 feet. The top of the gondola is touristy, but the hikes were pretty quiet. There's also casinos, shows, quaint villages, cruises, etc.

I also - purely by accident - found a great little town called Mammoth Lakes an hour south (I just needed a place to stay that shortened the drive the next day) which is a sportsman's paradise - hiking, fishing, boating, mountain biking, skiing in winter. A whole series of small secluded mountain lakes 8000 feet and up (the lakes aren't mammoth, the town is named after Mammoth Mountain to the west). I was too tired after hiking in Tahoe and Yosemite to do much of anything other than drive around, but it is beautiful and a much less touristy place than, say, Tahoe. I'm going to try to go back to hike the mountain crest there next summer.

Where were you in Tahoe? Since you mentioned "touristy" a couple of times I'm guessing you spent most of your time on the south shore. You need to come back up and spend more time with the good people of north lake Tahoe. Some of the best hiking, biking, boating, golf and skiing anywhere in the world without any of the high rise casinos you experienced on the south shore. I've spent my entire adult life here and it's truly one of the most spectacular places on earth. (South shore too, just not as good as the north).

 

[jleves]

Just got to experience Yosemite and it is unbelievable. Every time I stopped to soak up a view, I'd go another 100 yards and get a better one. I did a comparatively difficult hike (full Mist Trail), but you can also just enjoy the flat walks in the valley or drive to Glacier Point for an easy hike/great views (which I didn't get to do). The drive in through Tioga Pass (closed in winter) was breathtaking too. Much like Grand Canyon, pictures just don't capture it. And if you don't like crowds, you can go to any of the more secluded areas/trails/campgrounds and do your own thing. The whole park is the size of Rhode Island.

Did Tahoe on the trip which is fantastic as well (the scenic drive around the lake is phenomenal) and if you are outdoorsy, you can either go off the beaten path or take a gondola up to go hiking at almost 10,000 feet. The top of the gondola is touristy, but the hikes were pretty quiet. There's also casinos, shows, quaint villages, cruises, etc.

I also - purely by accident - found a great little town called Mammoth Lakes an hour south (I just needed a place to stay that shortened the drive the next day) which is a sportsman's paradise - hiking, fishing, boating, mountain biking, skiing in winter. A whole series of small secluded mountain lakes 8000 feet and up (the lakes aren't mammoth, the town is named after Mammoth Mountain to the west). I was too tired after hiking in Tahoe and Yosemite to do much of anything other than drive around, but it is beautiful and a much less touristy place than, say, Tahoe. I'm going to try to go back to hike the mountain crest there next summer.

Mammoth Mountain is some of best skiing anywhere. Most of the time fresh snow is really heavy, nicknamed Sierra Cement, but you can get some really nice fluffy stuff when a cold storm blows in. I've been to Mammoth when they've gotten something like 7 feet of snow in 4 days. Fresh snow in Vail or the Utah resorts is typically much better, but if you have to ski on stuff 3 days old, nobody takes better care of their snow than Mammoth. There are so many different areas of the mountain that you can go to and one of the things I like best, if you are skiing/boarding with folks who can't do black diamond stuff, there are almost always two or three different ways down from a lift where you can have different skill levels take different routes from the top of almost every lift and meet partway down. Great place to ski/board with lots of people with different levels and still have a day together. They've also done great things with their lift capacity so you can almost always find short lift lines and even the most popular spots are no longer than 10 minutes in line on even the busiest days. After lunch, you never need to wait more than 5 minutes.

 

[Gurleyman]

Yeah - I only passed through briefly for two nights (arrived late after driving from Vegas, spent one full day there, and then out the next morning to Yosemite), so I just went with the cheap casino room rate. Was going to find some trails to hike, but the gondola idea seemed cool to go up to almost 10,000 feet, so I forked over the $40 as a "what the hell, I'm on vacation" fee. Difference is that you start hiking downward and then do the hard part coming back. I did a little of the north side too, have an old friend who lives in Incline Village (ski instructor during ski season), so I met her as a stop on my drive around the lake. I took a lot of pictures, but the one I regret not taking was the little league park at the base of the mountain - that looked so cool. Drove by it and didn't double back.

Touristy was maybe a poor choice of words. Mammoth Lakes is touristy, but purely outdoors adventure type tourists (it isn't a large town). Tahoe has the outdoors tourists too, but also the casino/shopping/sightseeing/cruise types. But the lake is big enough to handle everyone. Yosemite is the same way - there are tourists who hang out in the valley, do a short walk on flat ground and shop for souvenirs. But there are also folks with backpacks who will go days without seeing another person.

 

[Northbound]

Photos dont do the Grand Canyon justice, but The Oklahoma City Memorial moved me. Spent the whole afternoon there going through every possible emotion. It's a must-see.

A friend of mine's mother was killed in that bombing and he had a big hand in the design, etc. of that memorial. It's powerful. I also remember what it the site waslike about 4 days or so after the okc blast it's one of the more sobering things I've experienced right up there with the WTC site and surrounding areas very shortly after that tragedy.