Jan 9th, 2013 at 11:00AM: Of course I knew that Four Corners – the spot where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona meet – would be a tourist trap. But on a recent road trip from Durango to Monument Valley, Utah, I passed just five miles away from this geographically auspicious place and found that I couldn't resist the temptation to stop and see the only spot in America where four states meet.
The Navajo ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
TouristTraps posts
Four Corners: A Delightfully Confusing Tourist Trap
Jan 9th, 2013 at 11:00AM: Of course I knew that Four Corners – the spot where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona meet – would be a tourist trap. But on a recent road trip from Durango to Monument Valley, Utah, I passed just five miles away from this geographically auspicious place and found that I couldn't resist the temptation to stop and see the only spot in America where four states meet.
The Navajo ...A Sunset Mosh Pit In Santorini
Jun 21st, 2012 at 11:00AM: Tourism is supposed to be way down in Greece this year, right? Then perhaps someone can explain why there were approximately 35,000 tourists jostling and clawing for space to capture the perfect shot of the setting sun last night in Oia, on the island of Santorini?
I knew before we arrived that Santorini is the most popular (and expensive) of the 200 or so inhabited Greek islands, and I visited ...Instead Of Looking At A Map, Why Not Listen To One?
May 26th, 2012 at 1:00PM: How many times when traveling have you looked a map and wondered what a certain area of a city was really like. I don't mean where the nearest bakery was or how many square-feet a certain park held, but the actual ambiance of a place.
Listen Here, a product developed by University of Dundee student Nicola Hume, uses microphones and audio feed to help you get a feeling of what a certain section ...Video: animatronic recreation of the Gunfight at the OK Corral
Mar 11th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
I've been in a Wild West mood lately. I used to live in Tucson, Arizona, and loved the tales of gunfights, gold strikes, and crooked gamblers. I've been rediscovering some of that lately and my thoughts turned to Tombstone, the West's quintessential tough town. It was here that the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday faced off against the notorious Cowboys and shot them to pieces just outside the ...
Amsterdam's Torture Museum
Nov 25th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Like many travelers, I have a soft spot in my heart for tourist traps. Whether it's the politically incorrect cheesiness of South of the Border or the shabby weirdness of The Thing, nothing brings a smile to my face better than some cheap, gaudy attempt to capture my attention.
Amsterdam's Torture Museum fits the bill perfectly. Behind a pseudo-spooky facade are reproductions of torture ...The Country's Biggest Tourist Trap: South of the Border
Jul 15th, 2011 at 9:30AM:
There is a tourist trap in South Carolina called South of the Border. A combination truck stop, motel, roadside attraction, carnival and snack stand, it's high kitsch of the first order, bordering on exploitative with its stereotypically Mexican "mascot" Pedro. A couple days before the Fourth of July, when I drove through, it's also a bonanza for fireworks, all manner of which are legal in ...Why Plymouth Rock Is New England's Biggest Tourist Trap
Jun 29th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Have you ever been to a tourist trap? A scam of a site, something over-hyped and talked about until it can't possibly be worth it? The sort of thing you walk up to, snap a photo of and curse as you walk back to your car?
I saw one just the other day. It was Plymouth Rock, the lump of granite that supposedly marks the spot where a ragged band of English religious refugees washed up on ...Top ten overrated U.S. travel destinations/attractions
Oct 14th, 2010 at 4:30PM: Whether or not you're an American, there are certain places that are on almost everyone's must-visit list. Some tourist traps, like the Grand Canyon or Disneyland, are worth joining the masses and ponying up the entrance fee (although I just checked the Magic Kingdom's website, and Mickey and friends are bilking the parents of children under nine for $68 a pop).
Other much-lauded, highly ...7 travel rules you should break
Jul 14th, 2010 at 9:26AM: I am not what you would call a rebel. I floss nightly. I chew each bite of food at least 20 times before swallowing, for fear of choking. As a kid, I colored between the lines. In short: I obey the rules. I always have.
But lately, I've noticed a little rebellious streak has emerged within me, particularly in the realm of travel. I've realized that a lot of people like to issue travel rules. ...GADLING TAKE FIVE: Week of October 13-19
Oct 19th, 2007 at 9:35PM: If you missed that big things happened at Gadling this week, then all I have to say is, "Where have you been?" Gadling has a brand new look and we're enjoying it. It's kind of like a shiny new toy. Wow! What does this drop down menu do on the left? The information we used to have is all here, it's just relocated and gussied up. Also, perhaps you've noticed the slight name change. Instead of the ...The world's tourist traps and how to avoid them
Oct 19th, 2007 at 2:31PM: What constitutes a tourist trap? Forbes Traveler's Chris Colin argues that it's a place that eclipses the genuine article. Postcard racks block the actual view, and prices are considerably higher than they might be a few miles (or blocks) away. They leave you drained financially, asking yourself, "Why did I do this?" How do you spot a tourist trap? Colin suggests that anywhere a cruise ship docks ...
