"Worst" and "most overrated" are different groups for me, because overrated implies that you thought it would be great and wasn't.
Worst places I have ever vacationed:
Gatlinburg -- As mentioned, just a giant tourist trap at this point. Drive the extra 40 mins and go to the casino in Cherokee. At least there you can sit at the sports book, bet games and drink liquor.
Atlantic City/Jersey Shore -- Gross in pretty much all aspects. Rude people, bad traffic, dirty beaches, run down casinos, lots of boarded up businesses.
Disney -- Hated it as a kid, hated it as an adult, pretty much awful unless you are one of those Disney weirdos that thinks cartoon characters are the be all, end all. Take out a second mortgage to come see our theme park in the 90 degree heat with thousands of people who you will end up hating by lunch time.
Most overrated places I have ever vacationed:
New York City -- You expect Times Square, Central Park, Yankee Stadium, the MET, etc to be awesome, and yes, you get to see those. But the mean times are spent in a vast cement sprawl with people crammed everywhere.
South Beach -- The media shows you gorgeous 20-somethings tanning and partying 24/7. In reality, it's a bunch of old rich foreign people who are just as annoyed by the tourists as they are the humidity.
Grand Canyon/Niagara Falls -- Any natural attraction is probably a good day trip but not a good vacation spot. You get there, you see "it" and after an hour you've seen it.
For a bonus, here are the 3 best vacation spots I have been to as an adult (in the US).
Napa area, California -- Yes everything is expensive, but Northern California is beautiful and if you are cool with smoking a good cigar, drinking a good bottle of cab, and relaxing it's great.
Hilton Head -- Way nicer/more upscale than Myrtle Beach, less crowded and cheaper than Charleston.
Colorado -- Driving through the Rockies is beautiful and there are plenty of small mountain towns to check out. Vail, Telluride, Aspen, etc get all the press, but I'd rather pick other places that are less tourist-driven so I can be a tourist all on my own.
Worst places I have ever vacationed:
Gatlinburg -- As mentioned, just a giant tourist trap at this point. Drive the extra 40 mins and go to the casino in Cherokee. At least there you can sit at the sports book, bet games and drink liquor.
Atlantic City/Jersey Shore -- Gross in pretty much all aspects. Rude people, bad traffic, dirty beaches, run down casinos, lots of boarded up businesses.
Disney -- Hated it as a kid, hated it as an adult, pretty much awful unless you are one of those Disney weirdos that thinks cartoon characters are the be all, end all. Take out a second mortgage to come see our theme park in the 90 degree heat with thousands of people who you will end up hating by lunch time.
Most overrated places I have ever vacationed:
New York City -- You expect Times Square, Central Park, Yankee Stadium, the MET, etc to be awesome, and yes, you get to see those. But the mean times are spent in a vast cement sprawl with people crammed everywhere.
South Beach -- The media shows you gorgeous 20-somethings tanning and partying 24/7. In reality, it's a bunch of old rich foreign people who are just as annoyed by the tourists as they are the humidity.
Grand Canyon/Niagara Falls -- Any natural attraction is probably a good day trip but not a good vacation spot. You get there, you see "it" and after an hour you've seen it.
For a bonus, here are the 3 best vacation spots I have been to as an adult (in the US).
Napa area, California -- Yes everything is expensive, but Northern California is beautiful and if you are cool with smoking a good cigar, drinking a good bottle of cab, and relaxing it's great.
Hilton Head -- Way nicer/more upscale than Myrtle Beach, less crowded and cheaper than Charleston.
Colorado -- Driving through the Rockies is beautiful and there are plenty of small mountain towns to check out. Vail, Telluride, Aspen, etc get all the press, but I'd rather pick other places that are less tourist-driven so I can be a tourist all on my own.
