I’m in the US, and everyone seems to flock to Yellowstone, NYC, DC, and maybe SF. We have a lot of other really cool places, and you’d probably have a much better experience if you avoid the top 10 tourist destinations. For example:
63 national parks, and only 2-3 are international destinations
thousands of state parks, and they’re basically completely missed by international travelers
tons of fantastic beaches all across the south, no need to go to Hawaii or Miami to get some good beach time
For anything you want to see, I could point to a half dozen places that are way less crowded and would likely get you closer to the type of thing you’re looking for. I assume the same is true for any popular destination, so I go out of my way to try to find nuggets of cool stuff (e.g. when I went to BC, CA, we went to Lynn Canyon instead of Capilano Bridge, which was super gorgeous and not crowded at all). Waiting in lines sucks, so I’d rather go to the next best option and spend more quality time there.
It absolutely is, and the off-season is the time to go. I just don’t have patience for the summer tourist season. It takes twice as long to get anywhere, I feel self-conscious about taking too much time somewhere, and the awesome views are polluted by people milling about, asking for photos, or kids whining (I get it, I have kids).
The same goes for most popular parks. I’m in Utah, and I avoid Zion and Arches in the peak season, but both parks rock in the off-season. During tourist season, I go to the less popular parks.
The entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan is pretty awesome. The Soo Locks, the Marquette ore dock, Pictured Rocks, and a whole bunch of mine tours and shipping museums. Not to mention beautiful national and state parks. Brockway Mountain is truly an experience in the fall.
Does anybody come to Michigan from abroad for holiday? Or does everybody just conflate it with Detroit?
I’m from Washington state, and if anyone goes there, they visit Seattle and the Space Needle, Experience Music Project Chihuly glass museum, and Pike Place Market. For outdoor activities, they may go whale watching, visit the warf/sound, and maybe take a ferry to one if the islands to hike.
All of those places get really crowded in the summer, and locals largely don’t go. I’ve been to each of those places once (never actually gone up the Space Needle though).
There are a ton of other cool things to see and do there that aren’t nearly as crowded.
Same is true pretty much everywhere.
I’m in the US, and everyone seems to flock to Yellowstone, NYC, DC, and maybe SF. We have a lot of other really cool places, and you’d probably have a much better experience if you avoid the top 10 tourist destinations. For example:
For anything you want to see, I could point to a half dozen places that are way less crowded and would likely get you closer to the type of thing you’re looking for. I assume the same is true for any popular destination, so I go out of my way to try to find nuggets of cool stuff (e.g. when I went to BC, CA, we went to Lynn Canyon instead of Capilano Bridge, which was super gorgeous and not crowded at all). Waiting in lines sucks, so I’d rather go to the next best option and spend more quality time there.
Ok, but Yellowstone is rad as hell. I just visit in the off season.
It absolutely is, and the off-season is the time to go. I just don’t have patience for the summer tourist season. It takes twice as long to get anywhere, I feel self-conscious about taking too much time somewhere, and the awesome views are polluted by people milling about, asking for photos, or kids whining (I get it, I have kids).
The same goes for most popular parks. I’m in Utah, and I avoid Zion and Arches in the peak season, but both parks rock in the off-season. During tourist season, I go to the less popular parks.
The entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan is pretty awesome. The Soo Locks, the Marquette ore dock, Pictured Rocks, and a whole bunch of mine tours and shipping museums. Not to mention beautiful national and state parks. Brockway Mountain is truly an experience in the fall.
Does anybody come to Michigan from abroad for holiday? Or does everybody just conflate it with Detroit?
I’m from Washington state, and if anyone goes there, they visit Seattle and the Space Needle, Experience Music Project Chihuly glass museum, and Pike Place Market. For outdoor activities, they may go whale watching, visit the warf/sound, and maybe take a ferry to one if the islands to hike.
All of those places get really crowded in the summer, and locals largely don’t go. I’ve been to each of those places once (never actually gone up the Space Needle though).
There are a ton of other cool things to see and do there that aren’t nearly as crowded.