There’s nothing quite like doing stuff in places! But not everybody likes to do the same stuff in all the places which is why this map created by FamilyBreakFinder.co.uk is so wonderfully controversial. The website, which boasts “deals on cheap family holidays,” took each of TripAdvisor’s number one “Things To Do” in all of the fifty, nifty United States and stuck them on a map. Now we will go through and examine some of the opinions of TripAdvisor reviewers!
First, the map:
Now, let’s acknowledge that not all of these number one “Things To Do” are particularly difficult to agree with. For example, White Sands National Monument is very cool and as of yesterday, dogs love it:
We brought our dogs here and they LOVED it
It was a nice day with little wind sonno blowing sand which was a good thing.
They sell or rent sleds for sledding down the dunes. We didn’t do this but saw many others reciting this activity.
I highly recommend bare feet. The sand feels so good!
How can you not be interested in West Virginia’s lunatic asylum? And the Blue Ridge Parkway is special, so we’re glad the only negative things people could say reflect their own bad planning:
I was impressed with the diversity – cow pastures, quaint cabins, and frequent lookout points. However, this was “terrible” because fog rolled in the day we went…. and it stayed the whole day. My advice is make sure the forecast says “clear” before the journey. I will return one day for the views I’m sure I missed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMO0_ERAN9m/?taken-by=lkaiwen
Let’s also acknowledge that this map is based on “Things To Do” and it’s not limited to monuments, museums, or landmarks, which makes the lack of creativity and excessive prevalence of athletic stadiums all the more disappointing. We’re looking at you, Lambeau Field, Fenway Park, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with your fans who seem to be “obliterated on beer,” and your “luke warm boiled dogs“:
On Lambeau:
The overall experience over a game a year for the last ten years is I would rather be at home. Just too many loud foolish drunk people. It is something that needs to be said. It is like that secret evryone knows but no one wants to say anything. Many fans seem to think they need to be obliterated on beer before they even enter the Stadium.
Gasp!
On Oriole Park:
This ballpark has the worst hot dogs I have ever had.
they should be embaressed. A beautiful park… with luke warm boiled dogs…
Seriously, how’d you guys get on this list?
And let’s not ignore the fact that Connecticut’s most well rated “Thing To Do” is the Yale University Art Gallery. Don’t get us wrong…there’s a time and place for fine art appreciation but we don’t necessarily believe that time or that place are at the top of a 2016 “Things To Do” in Connecticut list. Granted, the art gallery’s toughest competition for the number one spot is a museum featuring the history of submarines, followed by yet another museum about regular boats and sailboats. Damn, Connecticut sounds stuffy.
Here’s one: Nebraska. You’re telling me the best thing to do in all the 77,358 square miles of Nebraska is go to a zoo? It’s not even the best zoo in the country! And only one polar bear!
For a zoo that is suppose to be #1 in the world I was surely disappointed. They have no Elephants, Hippos, Grizzly Bears. They only have ONE Polar bear.
But, Iowa’s capitol building? That’s it?! Isn’t there anything else? Do you know what TripAdvisor reviewers have made the number two attraction in Iowa? A trucking museum!
Oh and Alcatraz. People love to talk sh*t about Alcatraz. Among all the things to do in California, Alcatraz is the most popular, with more than 35,000 reviews on TripAdvisor including this amazingly quippy critique — whose single star is due to the weather and has nothing at all to do with the island itself:
I have given this attraction one star and that was because the weather was good. Firstly it is really expensive to participate in a trip to Alcatraz. The only positive action is an audio tour beyond that there is nothing done that visitors can get a sense of being on a prisoner island. National Park Service is responsible for the administration of the island and has apparently assumed the role of formerly thieves who stayed on the island many years back by stealing the visitors money.
Needless to say, the more you look into these reviews, the more you learn about reviewers. More likely than not you’re reading something your grandparents composed after their cross-country roadtrip from Tampa to the Grand Canyon and back, so a lot of what you read should be taken with a grain of salt. Plus sometimes grandparents have good opinions.
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