Perhaps you are a citizen visiting your country and traveling around the US. You can perhaps be visiting from abroad to experience what America has to offer. In either case, you want to maximize your vacation opportunities.
Others are just disappointing tourist traps, while some tourist destinations across the nation have become iconic sights that everyone should visit. They should be avoided at all costs because some of them are clear attempts to make money and others are just plain odd. By avoiding these tourist traps, you may save time, money, and your sanity.
Tourist Traps to Avoid on Your Travel
ALABAMA: Ave Maria Grotto
Ave Maria Grotto, in Cullman, Alabama. (Source: Flickr/Daniel Thornton)
A hunchbacked Benedictine monk named Brother Joseph (formerly Michael Zoettl) constructed this little city out of cement and rubbish. The little settlement, also known as “Little Jerusalem,” is home to 125 tiny religious monuments, grottos, and sacred sites. It’s essentially a bizarre, four-acre sacred shrine; Legoland could be a better choice.
THE NORTH POLE: Alaska
The North Pole in Alaska. (Source: Flickr/Neverbutterfly)
Did you travel all the way here to one of the most stunning, uninhabited, wild, and untamed areas just to witness a fake Christmas village? In addition, the North Pole experiences extreme cold during the winter and extreme heat during the summer.
The Four Corners of Arizona
The Four Corners are in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. (Source: Flickr/Tinyfroglet)
Naturally, it seems amazing to officially be in New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah all at once, but you’ll end up in the middle of nowhere, far from anywhere you’d ever want to go, in a blazing desert, with only a tacky photo to show for it. Even better, it’s supposedly 1,800 feet away from the actual intersection of those four states and is simply a brass disk that resembles a CD.
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. (Source: Flickr/Kathy)
The park is reportedly the only publicly accessible source of natural diamonds in the US, but mining for diamonds is just a 37-12-acre expanse of plowed earth. Since it has been operating since 1906, the likelihood of discovering a diamond seems incredibly remote.
Hollywood Walk of Fame, California
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, California. (Source: Andrew Zarivny/Shutterstock)
One of the most popular attractions for visitors to California is the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Unfortunately, the stars that celebs are so proud of are on a grubby, congested sidewalk, surrounded by cheesy street performers, and far from anything else worthwhile to visit.
Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum in Colorado
Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum in Golden, Colorado. (Source: Flickr/Bradley Gordon)
Even if it is the final resting place of one of the most well-known cowboys in history, who was also an excellent hunter and talented showman, a grave is a grave. Additionally, the Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum hasn’t changed much since it was opened in 1921.
Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Store in Connecticut
Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Store in Middletown, Connecticut (SourceTripAdvisor/Jennifer P)
People from all over the nation stop at this odd roadside pop culture shrine, which is best known for housing the allegedly largest Jack-in-the-Box in the world. The store is a little like an over-the-top flea market, with most of the oddities being for sale.
DELAWARE: Boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach
Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Store in Middletown, Connecticut (Source: TripAdvisor/Jennifer P)
Rehoboth Beach’s boardwalk, which is technically not overrated but is undeniably congested, made this list because it is thronged with tourists and brimming with souvenirs marketed toward them. Many complain about inflated costs and label the boardwalk as “average” or even “extremely average” and it seems that finding a parking spot is about as rare as seeing a unicorn.
World of Coca-Cola in Georgia
Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Store in Middletown, Connecticut (Source: TripAdvisor/Jennifer P)
Millions of people visit this massive tourist attraction in the center of Atlanta every year. Visitors can sample several of the company’s other beverages while taking pictures with the well-known polar bear and viewing how the soda is packaged. Although the tickets are not overly expensive—adults pay $17 and kids pay $13—fighting through the massive crowds and long lines only to pass through what is effectively a massive commercial is downright absurd.
