BootsnAll Travel Community

I blogged about this today, but I thought it something my fellow Booties might be interested in.

It seems that, no matter where I visit, the locals almost universally have never visited the most popular places/landmarks/historical spots in their hometown. This includes the majority of natives of Montreal who've never visited Mont Royal; Dubliners who'd never seen the inside of the Guinness Brewery/Storehouse; and myself - having never seen some of the most beautiful spots in and around my hometown of Providence and surrounding New England, despite having lived here for over fifteen years.

What about you? Think of the top five big attractions in your hometown. How many of them have you visited?

P.S. This topic doesn't fall neatly in any of the BnA forum categories (I don't think), but I figured RTW Travel is as good as any.

I've been told that the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is one of the best art/culture museums in the country. I've lived in in Southern California almost my whole life and never been there.

I have done the Disney Land, Venice Beach, and Universal Studios.

Though I don't think I've ever actually gotten out and seen the Mann Chinese Theatre, or Rodeo Drive.

this is really funny...i was just talking about this with my friend the other day...I'm from long island, a stones throw from manhattan and the rest of NYC, and while I've been to a bunch of things in New York, definitely not enough! I dont think ive ever been to the MET, Gugenheim, and other places like the top of the empire state building...

great thread!

Hmmmm well I live in London...and the top five are (I think):

1) Buckingham Palace
2) Tower of London
3) Westminster and Big Ben
4) St Paul's Cathedral
5) Oxford Street and Selfridges

Well I have done all the above but not since I was little (so about 13-14 years ago)...

That's soooo not good, I need to spend a weekend in London I think...only problem is that it's so bloody expensive!! LoL

I don't know what the top 5 attractions in Antwerp are, but I'm sure I've visited most if not all of them. I've only been inside the cathedral once though. I've actually worked in the most visited museum (Rubenshuis) for one summer when I was a student, and have visited all the other important museums at least once. And I suppose the zoo would be in the top 5 too, I've been there many, many times.

Interesting topic--and so true! When I first came to the UK, I spent a few days dashing around London, seeing most of the sights (there can be long queues), but when I moved there, I never bothered. Still have to do the Tower of London.

From what I hear, most Londoners only see the sights on school trips or when they show visitors around.

An almost universal truth, I'd wager. I could equally well do such a list for any of the places I've lived, but for Edinburgh:
The Castle (visited = no - not the full tour anyway)
Dynamic Earth (no - tried once but it was shut)
Mary King's Close (nearly went once but was cancelled, so no)
Fringe (yes, loads)
Botanic Gardens (yes)
Zoo (no)
Arthur's Seat (yes)
Scottish Parliament building (yes)
Military Tattoo (no, but going this year when my folks visit)
NYE / Street Party (yes)
Beltane Fire Festival (no - especially poor since I live down the hill from where this happens each May)

And so on. Actually not a bad ratio for me. I plan on doing most of these in the next two years, however, as I realise I now have only two summers left here.

The only time I see "the sights" in my hometown is when guests come in to town. That and grade school field trips...

I was not ever much of a tourist in San Francisco, but a couple of years ago I had a job driving a taxi there. Seeing San Francisco though tourist's eyes are like seeing Christmas with a small child, but with a lot less whining.

I have to say that (even for a jaded old bastard like myself) San Francisco is pretty cool.

A very similar thread can be found here.

For me, I've pretty much done the Seattle stuff. Fortunately, I'm old and feeble and am losing my memory. Another year or so, and it'll all be new again!

I live in New Jersey so I can't really say there is a major tourist attraction here of note other than maybe Atlantic City and Cape May, both places I have been to!

I know some of my family members who come to town want to go on the Soprano's tour, this I have not done

Of course.
"Well, it's so close, and I can go anytime, so why go now?"


Whenever I visit friends in other cities they always remark about finally getting (being forced) to see all the places they've always wanted to see but just "haven't had the time to".

So if you want to explore more of your hometown, invite some friends or maybe some booties, and you'll have no choice but to learn more about your city and show them around.

I grew up just outside of NYC and went to all the art museums and galleries and Broadway shows heaps--I was an art-and-drama student. But it wasn't until recently that I went to the Empire State Building--which was really cool, I could even pick out my block!

I've never:
taken the Staten Island ferry
gone to the Statue of Liberty

If any BNAers ever come to town and want to do either of those, I'll be a tourist with you. I heard going up in the Statue of Liberty sucks so that's why I've never done it.

I live in New York and I've never made it to about half of the musuems and the Statue of Liberty. The lines are just way too long! I also despise the tourists that come here. I just wish they would all go home!

I grew up in the country area of South Australia but have lived in Adelaide for 10 years.
The main attractions of this city would be - (in no particular order)
1 - State Library with 'The Bradman Collection'
2 - Art Gallery of South Australia
3 - Adelaide Oval (Brilliant place to watch International Cricket.)
4 - Adelaide Botanic Gardens
5 - Adelaide Zoo (Did go there when I was about 5 or 6 years old)

So 2 out of 5 aint bad.

South Australia has some excellent attractions which I have been to quite a few times.

The Flinders and Gammon Ranges - Great for camping, hiking, 4wd etc.
Kangaroo Island - Excellent fishing
Barossa and Clare Valleys (Great place, although I'm not a wine drinker)
The coastline of Yorke and Eyre Peninsula's - Great fishing and surfing beaches.
River Murray - For Water skiing and relaxing.

Oh, I forgot that I've been a good "home tourist" recently. I just went to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which although is a bastion of Reagan/Republican propaganda, it has the old Air Force One that you can take a tour of, which is pretty darn cool.

I have lived in and around San Francisco (grew up 20 minutes away)almost all of my life, and there are a bunch of things here that I haven't done...the whole it's there and I'll get to it sometime applies.

When I lived in Sevilla, there were several things I didn't do. I kind of regret it now. Since I was living there, I figured I would get around to it at some point...plus I didn't want to seem like too much of a tourist.

I've only gone to Alcatraz once in my life (we never even did it on field trips)...it is awesome. I've never gone to the Coit Tower. Never been to Muir Woods/Stinson Beach. Didn't really go across the Golden Gate Bridge until I was an adult (east bay folks have little use for it); didn't walk across it until I was in a race a few years ago. I tend to avoid the Haight Ashbury like the plague.

I keep waiting for someone to come here so they can tell me what they'd like to see, so I know what is popular with the tourists and what I should also see.

ETA: I was thinking about this thread as I walked around today, as well as cherie's thread about being guilty about traveling. When people are traveling, they are often encouraged to buy local, only go to local shops, etc. But I wonder if people do the same in their own locale? Buying only small shop/local produce, small clothing shops, etc. Or is there a different standard?

I thought I was a pretty good one, until I read the Lonely Planet Philadelphia guidebook.

I have yet to see many good things there, though I've seen the biggest.

The ones I keep saying I will visit?:

The Muller Museum
An auction house for high class items
A real soup kitchen

The Barnes collection(In my defense, it needs a car. I don't have one)

Hmmn.. I have seen most of what I wanted to see.

That's not to say there aren't great things to see, I've just seen most of the featured items.

Also, I show people around the city on occasion, which helps.

I live in Scottsdale AZ, and have been to most of the typical tourist sites in AZ, Four Corners, Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Montezumas Castle around the state, in Scottsdale there's really not a whole lot touristy things to do, we used to have Rawhide up north which was a recreated western town, but that moved to Queen Creek about an hour south. I used to like going there once a year or so with relatives. But the thing is, unless it's a changing place, why bother going there more than once unless it has special meaning for you?

I have to admit, I don't tend to visit any of the local attractions anymore, because the cost is so prohibitive. When I was in primary school, through school excursions I went to Soverign Hill, Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo etc. I haven't been back to any of them since I was a child, though, and am probably not likely to.
There's just a different feeling in visiting an attraction overseas, as opposed to visiting an attraction in your own Country/State.