I have done school trips when I was younger to all of the places in Philadelphia. However, recently I stayed downtown for a few nights and spent the days exploring the city, doing things that I haven't done before. Until then, I did not realize all that the city had to offer. I also appreciated the history more now.

I've been pretty bad about this over the years (San Diego, LA, Honolulu, London) and only came to see the error of my ways when I left London several years ago after a 2.5 year stay and had not been to a single museum! (The darn things are generally free, so my excuses are generally pathetic.) Lucky me, a former employer sent me to London 80% for one year and I clocked in some sights: Tate Modern, walked the Tower Bridge to/from work almost daily, National Gallery, Brick Lane, etc.

Now here in Zürich, I've been a good little resident-tourist. Top 5 here in Zürich:

1: The Lake/Belvue
2: Swiss National Museum
3: Bahnhofstrasse
4: Niederdorf
5: Uetliberg

Somewhat on the same topic: Just yesterday my company purchased a one year transportation pass ('GA') for little ol' Stoo that...get this...covers the whole of Switzerland! Trains, trams, buses and boats! I'd be a fool to not take advantage of that! My country-wide travel plans are being hatched now.

I'm from Boston, and I think the majority of my tourism was done on field trips when I was little.

Field Trips: Museum of Science (many times), Freedom Trail, Old North Church, Old South Church, Faneuil Hall, burial grounds, State House, etc.

Other Places I've Been: Fenway Park, the Common and Gardens during the summer, shopping on Newbury Street, Harvard Square, North End, etc., but those aren't museum-type touristy things to do

What I Want to Do: the Sam Adams brewery!!


The thing is, it's tough in Boston, because there are a lot of stigmas against tourists and thus touristy things. Like Cheers -- NO self-respecting Bostonian goes to Cheers, EVER.

Ive visited all places high and low in Texas, if theres a spot I havent been, Id be shocked. Same with every camp ground and wonder in this state. I hate it now of course and want to move somewhere else (pronto). The only thing I didnt see was the Reijks Mueseum in Amdsterdamn that I regret, but then again most of the collection was closed, and other reasons prevented me.
And if u didnt see a mueseum in london, my god man, most are free! Then again my Uncle in Denmarks is paying 2.5 grand on a plane ticket to cuba but never set foot in germany....strange

Cool thread!

I lived in NYC for the last five years before I came to Auckland, but before that I was born and raised outside of Philadelphia, so I did plenty of touristy trips to the city and saw basically all of the obligatory landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockafeller Center, etc). Then once I was living there I got more into the obscure corners of the city, which I LOVED. I consider myself a pretty good "native tourist" of New York City and love taking out-of-town friends around to some places they might never have otherwise seen (Vinegar Hill, a tiny little mini-neighborhood next to the Navy Yard in Brooklyn, is one of my absolute favorite spots). My main shortcoming is museums - I still haven't seen the Guggenheim, the MoMA or the Frick. But I've never once been bored in that city and I think there'll always be new and cool things to stumble upon.

Awwww...now I miss NYC!

I pass the test, but prolly not by too much. I'm lucky at the moment that I live so close to the city and work in the CBD too...but I still don't go on walks in my lunch break nearly enough!

Melbourne has a real 'secrecy' culture - where you need to wander to find the 'best' places tucked away, so that helps too.