TTWLA in NYC:
The view from the Empire State Building
The Staten Island ferry ride (both ways)
Brooklyn's Bargemusic
Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night's Swing
Sing-along Messiah with the Met
Central Parks' The Great Lawn on Saturdays

Posted By Adrienne Matt on September 6, 2007, 3:21 PM

Dear Adrienne,
Thanks for your comment. You'll make readers fall in love with NYC all over again!

Posted By Blog Editor on September 6, 2007, 3:57 PM

As "the Grandma" I totally agree with you about Cliff House. Lucky break the cab came so swiftly. Sorry to haul you over to Stanford Ct. for drinks. Definitely a You Can't Go Home Again!

Posted By Marilyn Feild on September 7, 2007, 12:33 PM

Mackinac Island is a total tourist trap and I love it. Renting a bike and riding around the island. Touring the fort and watching the guides shoot the cannon. Taking the horse-and-buggy ride. And, of course, buying fudge.

Posted By Carol Feider on September 10, 2007, 1:22 PM

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland. I think most Icelanders go to Reykjavik's public pools (which are great as well), but there is no experience as relaxing as the one you'll have at the Blue Lagoon. Stand under the waterfall, rub silica sand all over your body, relax in the warm waters and enjoy the scenery...sure, you'll be surrounded by other tourists, but you'll be too serene to care.

Posted By Rachel on September 10, 2007, 1:29 PM

South Seas Resort, Captiva Island, FL is one of my favorite resorts. I haven't visited there since it suffered severe hurricane damage a few years back but I am sure that now that it has been fully restored, I would fall in love with it all over again.

Posted By Susan on September 10, 2007, 1:43 PM

My favorite tourist trap is Venice, Italy. I never tire of going there.

Posted By m.herrick on September 10, 2007, 1:47 PM

Da Yooper Tourist Trap is a wonderful place for Yoopers who do not live in the U.P. (upper Peninsula of Michigan) anymore. It is on the road between Marquette and Micigan. The plate on the front of my car came from there!!

Posted By merie on September 10, 2007, 1:53 PM

I-Drive in Orlando is EXTREMELY tourist-y but we absolutely love it. Everyone is there on vacation from all over the world and the happiness is contagious! :)

Posted By Aviva on September 10, 2007, 1:57 PM

Every year my husband and I go to Key West for a quick pick-me-up vacation and every year we continue to go to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration. It is such a wonderful tourist trap but the sites are well worth it. The sunsets are always something special to watch, but the fun is in watching the street performers as well as their audiences who both entertain while you wait. We wouldn't miss it!

Posted By Patti on September 10, 2007, 2:18 PM

Seaport Village in San Diego.

Posted By Bianca on September 10, 2007, 3:18 PM

The Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole. It is located on Town Square, and the bar stools are saddles. The rest of the bar is decorated with a taxidermy (a grizzly bear and a bobcat are my favorites), old photos featuring famous actors and singers from the 50s and 60s, and other random cowboy memorabilia. But on any given day you are just as likely to meet a tourist as a local having a beer on the saddle next to you.

Posted By Lauryn S on September 10, 2007, 3:49 PM

Can't disagree with you more about the Cliff House. Was there for Labor Day weekend; it was sunny and glorious. We ate at Sutro's at the Cliff House, which is the more high end restaurant. Everything was delicious.

Posted By Carol on September 10, 2007, 7:16 PM

Wall Drug, South Dakota. It was here I first discovered what a tourist trap really is! Now, it is so camp and nostalgic, it just makes us laugh. Reading the billboards all across the state is still the most interesting thing about the drive to the Black Hills. Oh, and don't forget the prairie dog town!

Posted By Corie on September 10, 2007, 7:30 PM

The Space Needle in Seattle. You only go there when you have out-of-town guests (of which I am now one), but you enjoy it each time, as do your guests. An unparalleled view of Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula, and Elliott Bay.

Posted By Larry Johnson on September 10, 2007, 9:26 PM

Pigeon Forge Tennessee is absolute fun and enjoyment. Lots of shows: breakfast shows, lunch shows, dinner shows. Great restaurants, nationally known ribs, and wonderful, reasonably priced food at dinners, like Mel?s. Plenty to keep you and your family enjoyably entertained. Don?t miss the Dixieland Stampede show. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and the warm pool with waterfall and the hot tub were a welcome comfort after each day of being a tourist and kids are restricted after 11:00PM so adults can just relax. We were there for a week and plan to return ASAP. We are 60 years old and can truly say it was the most enjoyable vacation we ever had.

Posted By Carl Wisnesky on September 10, 2007, 9:46 PM

The biggest tourist trap of them all .... South of the Border. This stop sits at the border of North and South Carolina on I-95. You can't miss it because Pedro warns you of its coming (from both directions) with bill boards from Florida to NY.

Posted By Amanda Glass on September 10, 2007, 10:15 PM

The Cliff House is great! Actually, not so much the actual house, but underneath, where there's a mechanical museum of antique coin-operated novelty machines of all sorts, and outside where there's a walk-in camera obscura! I hope you didn't miss these - to get that far and not have all that fun would be a real shame.

Posted By Sarah on September 11, 2007, 1:08 PM

My favorite tourist trap is Carmel, CA. On the weekend following Thanksgiving it's so crowded it's sometimes hard to walk on the sidewalk. However, the air smells of pine, there are lots of good places to eat, and it's a very dog friendly town, with lots of happy pet owners.
Malinda

Posted By malinda wright on September 11, 2007, 2:17 PM

Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. I took my brother there during his recent visit and we had more fun than two adults should - playing dress up in the costumes, then taking photos beside our favorite floats. We laughed like we were kids! Too much fun - I'll be bringing other visitors there!

Posted By Melissa on September 11, 2007, 2:59 PM

Where in the world is more touristy than all of Las Vegas? I love it every visit and as soon as I leave, can't wait to go back.

Posted By Rosalie on September 11, 2007, 7:21 PM

in Chicago:

an architectural boat tour along the Chicago river

the "bean" in Millennium Park

drinks on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building

Posted By Susan on September 12, 2007, 4:05 PM

I love Hoover Dam just outside of Las Vegas in Boulder City, Nevada. I don't know if Hoover Dam qualifies as a tourist trap, but there are a lot of tourists on the dam tour. It's really a fascinating tour and the enormity of the structure is awesome. Plus the the souvenir t-shirts are great - "I went on the dam tour at Hoover Dam."

Posted By Sally on September 12, 2007, 10:24 PM

My favorite tourist trap to date is The Louvre. As an art history buff, it was a must for my first trip to Paris.
The crowds were terrible though, I had to fight my way to see my favorite art works.

Posted By Kaci on September 13, 2007, 3:17 PM

come on, the Eiffel Tower is the biggest tourist trap in the world, almost. But so, so cool, just to walk underneath it and around it and take dozens of photos. Go up in it (when it isn't too crowded) and you see Paris from the sky. Ice skating on the first level up in the winter, art exhibits hung outside, just an amazing structure.

Posted By jag on September 18, 2007, 9:08 PM

All great comments and places but why hasn't anyone mentioned the one place we all love and hate because of the crowds...Disney World! #1 attraction in the US followed by Yellowstone, Williamsburg, and Washington DC!

Posted By Kathy on April 17, 2008, 1:12 PM

The BOATHOUSE Oyster BAR - Destin FL

If you ever vacation in Destin FL, be sure to look up the Boathouse. It's a little hole in the wall bar that is definitely a tourist trap but you will have a great time. The Boathouse sits right on the water and you can watch the sun set on the East Pass as you enjoy a cold beer, some awesome gumbo or fresh oyters. Kelly and Tom keep you entertained with songs you know and love...Tom will loan you a tamborine or you can join the conga line...The ambiance is "red neck beach" with bras, license plates and dollar bills hanging from the rafters but don't let the shabby chic scare you away. You will meet people from all around the country who have returned just like we have year after year for a night of good clean fun.

Posted By LS on April 17, 2008, 1:58 PM

Wisconsin Dells, WI....filled with water parks, go-carts, kitschy t-shirt stores, fudge and all that goes with a tourist trap. A great place to go in summer as well as winter now that they have multiple indoor waterparks!

Posted By Lori on April 17, 2008, 2:01 PM

In Boston:

boat ride out to George's Island, and Civil War fort on hot day

Durgin-Park Restaurant: really a great example of traditional New England food: heavy and simple, but good. Don't miss Grape Nut pudding.

Singing on Friday nights at Jacob Wirth's restaurant (actually, more a local handout.)

Tour of the Christian Science mother church, especially the Mapparium.

This is a great topic! There are so many: Grand Canyon, most of Key West.

Posted By SN on April 17, 2008, 3:10 PM

Tops on my list are:

Gatorland, 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail, Kissimmee, FL, http://www.gatorland.com/
No explanation needed.

The Liberace Museum, Liberace Plaza at 1775 E. Tropicana Avenue (at Spencer Avenue), http://www.liberace.org/liberace_museum/
Great, great place.

Sea Shell City, Mackinaw City Michigan,
http://seashellcitymi.com/public/storefront/index.php
What the heck is this doing in Northern Michigan! Did somebody take a wrong turn going to Florida?

Posted By George on April 17, 2008, 3:15 PM

I agree about Vegas! We were married there 11 years ago and go every year for shows, shopping, food and to gawk at the poseurs! Ditto for South of the Border! But no one mentioned the most fun tourist trap of all - Disneyworld!!

Posted By KaZ on April 17, 2008, 3:24 PM

The locals in France think Mont Saint-Michel is a tourist trap, and it feels like one during the day. But we found that an overnight stay transforms the island into an almost deserted wonderland.

Posted By ram on April 17, 2008, 4:34 PM

If you get to Australia the biggest tourist trap is Ayers Rock, surrounded every sunset by hordes of busses and tourists. But they are completely dwarfed by the stunning glorious Rock, which made me think of the Parthenon.

Posted By HaP on April 17, 2008, 5:29 PM

HAWAII - I never even wanted to go there until I did and now I can not go back enough. I love to just cruise from island to island.

Posted By Judi on April 17, 2008, 5:48 PM

The ultimate tourist trap is the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Hours and hours of waiting in line just to have a glimpse to absolute beauty in a very crowded room. But once you are there you love every second of it and bless God you had the patience to wait all that time.

Posted By Massimo on April 17, 2008, 10:43 PM

I think South of the Border has to be the BIGGEST tourist trap of all times! Someone else left a comment about this one too. There really are signs going all the way from Florida to New York. I have lived near this place my entire life and every year thousands of tourists stop here. The one cool thing about it is that a part of Forces of Nature was filmed here (Ben Aflec and Sandra Bullock). It's also great if the kids need a break. They have an arcade and a couple of rides.

Posted By Becky on April 18, 2008, 8:11 AM

I just had a log cabin built 13 miles south of Mackinaw City. Whenever I have visitors during the summer, I recommend a trip to Mackinac Island. The boat trip over is wonderful, the views of the Big Mac bridge are great, and it is fun to walk around the island, horse poop and all. You have to have fudge for sure. Another local favorite are "pasties." Don't ask; just try one.

Posted By Donald Plagens on April 18, 2008, 1:55 PM

wisconsin dells- when you get off the interstate, the smell of pine fueled campfires and the site of numerous rollercoasters and waterslides can make even the most serious of us turn into giggly little kids. Don't forget to get on the river, that's where the real beauty is.

Posted By joe liszek on April 18, 2008, 6:01 PM

I remember Muir Park in San Francisco during the summers when they had concerts. Ever since then, whenever I traveled through wooded areas, I HAVE to turn on classical music. Nothing else seems to fit the mood. But that was long ago, and I don't know if they still have those concerts. However, it's one of the happiest, most contented memories I have of my youth.

Posted By Manay Aya on April 19, 2008, 10:31 PM

How do you spell tranquility? Karpathos Island, Greece. It's remote; it's rocky. There's not much to do but wander the goat trails or swim. We loved it so much, we moved here!

Posted By Rober on April 23, 2008, 7:26 PM

the first thing is to define a tourist trap as that could be good or bad and i identified with many mentioned places. i think that anything popular will end up being that even if they are wonderful like yosemite, key west, niagara falls (canadian side),venice, tower of london (crowns), tivoli, etc. so wonderful and everyone should see them as often as possible!

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