Monday, December 16, 2019

When tourism overcomes the attraction




LUCY BURDETTE: We were toying with the idea of going to Iceland next year, but reading articles about how tourists have overrun the island was discouraging. Apparently Justin Bieber's video caused some of the tourist crush on Iceland, along with the filming of Game of Thrones.



At the New England Crimebake this year, our guest of honor Ann Cleeves mentioned that the person who owns the house where she pictured Jimmy Perez living agreed to allow the home to be used in the shooting of Shetland, the TV series. He’s regretting that now, as people are constantly knocking on his door. He finally put up a sign that says “Jimmy Perez does not live here.” Here's a screenshot of a tour called "Jimmy Perez's Shetland." (I admit that I love Jimmy and would probably take this tour even if it's hokey.)





And when we made an overnight stop to Ireland this summer as part of our Scotland vacation, we did experience some of the big crowds at a world heritage site called the Giants Causeway. Here are a couple of pictures John took when he hiked up high.




And here's what we saw as we walked along the path at the bottom (photo by my sister, Susan Cerulean.)



I’ve been thinking about this because of the book that I’m currently writing taking place in Scotland. Can I come up with a plot based on this kind of tourism conflict? We shall see. Have you had this kind of experience while traveling? Are there places you would choose not to go because too many people have ruined the attraction?


HALLIE EPHRON: We encountered this issue visiting Croatia. Dubrovnik, for instance, is SO crowded with tourists. Venice, too. Ketchikan. I imagine you have the same thing in Key West. It’s a particular a problem visiting any coastal city that’s got cruise ships docking. One of those massive ships docks, and THOUSANDS of passengers spill out overwhelming the town. A few hours later they swarm back to the boat and the town is deserted. 


Reykjavik handles tourist crowds remarkably well. Tourism (along with fish and electric power) is what fuels their economy. 


The thing about these places is that they’re spectacular. (Loved Giants Causeway!) 


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Wasn’t there just something about the Mona Lisa? Deep in my brain--that they--took it down, because of something like that? Maybe I dreamed it. Or--Beyonce got a private tour and everyone is mad? I have a terrible cold and my brain is not working.


But what if the tourism conflict is about a FABULOUS place (a restaurant?) where it used to be booked years in advance that for some reason suddenly NO ONE wants to visit, because of,  I don’t know, bad romaine? (or whatever, kidding) and the sleuth (is it Hayley?) has to figure out what really happened and who’s trying to ruin where ever it is?


We went to a restaurant in Florence called Enotecca Pincchiori that was incredible (but so expensive, yeeessh)  and you had to book a year in advance.


 (That was the time where at the next table there were two truly chic American parents, with their two INCREDIBLY entitled teenaged girls, and when they ordered, the girls told the waiter to put the sauce on the side and asked for all manner of changes to the menu. The waiter politely took the order, and then five minutes later came back and said (in pretty fabulous English)  “The chef says to tell you he makes his food the way the makes his food and he cannot cook the way you tell him. The dishes are prepared as they are on the menu. And he says to tell you, you are no longer welcome and please leave.”


AND THEY HAD TO LEAVE!


(Lucy, feel free to use that!)

LUCY: Wow, thanks Hank, what an amazing story!

DEBS: I absolutely LOVE this!! Hooray for the chef!


RHYS BOWEN: I spent a lot of time in Venice last summer and experienced the tourist overload. One day there were six cruise ships docked  SIX!!! Trying to walk between St Marks and Rialto was impossible. And the wash from those giant ships passing a few feet from the buildings is certainly contributing to the damage. Luckily they all disappear by 4:pm and the city returns to normality. 


But the interesting thing I’ve always found is that I only have to walk a few yards off the tourist track and it’s absolute peace. Never had problems with restaurants over on the other side of the Grand Canal.


We found this in Yosemite once when I camped with the children. We hiked half a mile down the river and got a little beach to ourselves when the park was jam packed. 
Another tip is to go to popular sites early in the morning!


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’ve had the experience of getting close to or climbing on archeological remains that are now closed to the public not once, but twice. I visited Stonehenge in the early eighties, when you could wander around the site and touch the stones. And in the early nineties, Ross and I went to Chichen Itza, and climbed El Castillo (the Temple of Kukulcan) some of the smaller step pyramids, and walked through the Ball Court. Of course, lots and lots and LOTS of visitors liked to do the same, and now both sites are severely restricted. 


One thing I’ve noticed about many of the tourist-endangered attractions - they’re UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In fact, I just checked - with the exception of Shetland and Reykjavik, every place we’ve mentioned in the discussion so far is a World Heritage Site (and Reykjavik is the only city close to several named sites in Iceland.) It’s an incredible program and treaty, and very important in rallying conservation efforts, but it also does seem to put a large bullseye on targets that are shortly overwhelmed by tourists who’ve put -------- on their must-see list.

JENN McKINLAY: This is likely why I’ll never kiss the Blarney Stone! I’ve discovered I’m a big believer in off season travel. We did London and Bath in early June (still cold) and it was lovely and not overly crowded. We also went to Stonehenge and while we couldn’t get near the stones because of restrictions, it wasn’t a zoo and I really enjoyed the audio tour. We went to Paris in mid October this year (also on the chilly side) and while there were crowds, it wasn’t the intense height of summer nonsense that ruins the trip. Down in the Catacombs, it wasn’t crowded at all! Go figure. I can’t think of a place I wouldn’t go because of crowds but I can definitely see the appeal of choosing places that are not trending! Ugh! I mean I love people, but I go on vacation to get away from them!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Julia, I got to see Stonehenge before it was restricted, too. It was amazing. I've also been more recently, and while I understand that the fencing is necessary, it's not the same experience.

Somehow I seldom end up in England in the high season, but some of the times I've been in London in August have been miserable. Not only crowds but unexpected heat waves, no air-conditioning. Same with Paris. I did live in a very touristy city, Chester, and the crowds and tour buses in the summer made doing any ordinary thing in the town almost impossible. It was not a happy experience.

Reds, have you had this kind of experience while traveling? Are there places you would choose not to go because too many people have ruined the attraction?

62 comments:

  1. While I haven’t had this happen when I’ve traveled [just lucky, I guess, considering the stories you’ve all shared], I hope I wouldn’t let myself be dissuaded by too many people if it was a place I really wanted to go . . . .

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    1. Joan, I think that's what most of us do. If you really want to see something (and for many travelers, there may be only one chance ever to do so) you're just going to suck it up and endure the crowds or the long wait in line.

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  2. I love Disneyland, but that can certainly happen there. When you can't even walk from one attraction line to another, it's definitely too many people.

    But as someone who works for a cruise company, I must say I think that when a cruise ship comes into a port, it is wonderful and the best thing ever. ;) (Seriously, I do get your points.)

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    1. Our daughter is a Disney fiend Mark, she takes her kids there a lot. It's a mob scene, but they love it. (I didn't know you worked for a cruise company...Jungle Red Cruise?)

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    2. Have your company come to Portland, Maine, Mark! We're so welcoming of cruise ships, the city constructed a brand new expanded terminal so the port could accommodate larger ships and more cruisers. Until recently, Portland has largely missed out on the tourism that drives the economy of the mid Coast region and Downeast, so we're happy to see those big ships.

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  3. Ugh, yes, I took my kids to see Bryce Canyon in Southern Utah on the way home from a family reunion in August. The place was so packed we couldn't find a spot to park. I don't know what the answer is because I feel like travel is good. I think especially visiting other countries and becoming familiar with other cultures is good for a person. But it would be nice if we can find a way to visit without ruining the place.

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    1. It sure would be Amy! Bryce Canyon is so stunning but hard to appreciate with too many people...

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    2. When I worked on the reservation, I helped deliver a set of twin, last name Canyon. They got named Bryce and Grant. I always wondered if there came another baby who got called "Zion."

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    3. Lucy, I'm lucky my parents took me to see Bryce, Zions, and Grand canyons when I was a kid, before they were so packed in the summers.

      Ann, that's great!

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  4. I hate crowds. In the seventies, when I lived in Japan for two years and hiked a lot, my (American) boyfriend and I and another friend climbed Mt. Fuji. The south side is crowded, has little tourist shops along the path, and is littered. So we hiked up (and down) the north side. We were the only ones, except for when the Japanese Marines jogged by (going up) in rubber-soled slippers. It was foggy and craggy and I felt like I was on the moon. So let's hear it for no crowds!

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    1. I must have had better lungs then, too - just checked, it's 12000 feet high!

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    2. What a contrast Edith, and I do envy you two years in Japan!

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    3. Edith, I had the same experience, in reverse, at Machu Picchu. We were hiking to the Sun Gate (1,000 feet above the old city), and on the way down were six native guides/bearers, carrying a disabled man on a super fancy, ultralight stretcher. They were so nimble.

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  5. My travel "plans" include Ireland, Scotland and England. But I don't want to kiss the Blarney Stone (biblical style plague from all the biological contamination being the chief reason) or do anything overly tourist like. Hell, in England I just want to visit the Sherlock Holmes museum and the record and book shops that I'm sure to find in London.

    Scotland - it would be nice to actually see the Highlander statue but otherwise I'd really need to read up more on what might interest me to do.

    Ireland - I'd love to visit some pubs (funny since I don't drink) but for the music and food more than anything else. I've got the Ireland of the Welcomes tourist magazine to pick and choose some stuff I'd like to do, like visit the English market (in County Cork, if I remember right).

    Hawaii would be for the beaches and simply to say that I went there because my mom always wanted to visit but never got to do so.

    Beyond that, any other travel plans would revolve around going to a big music festival or visiting a Hall of Fame for a sport. They get their visitors for sure but nothing so outrageous as to destroy the attraction.

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    1. Your proposed trips sound wonderful Jay! You'll just have to choose your timing right to avoid the tourist hordes in the Highlands...

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    2. Jay, have you thought about planning a trip to the UK - for however long it is the UK :-) - around the crime fiction festival Harrogate?

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    3. Or the one in Bristol? Great idea.

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    4. Lucy, yes the least amount of people to have to deal with is always good for someone who gets annoyed by them easily. Hard to believe I used to work retail, eh? LOL

      Julia and Deborah, I haven't thought of planning a trip around a UK book convention. It's a great idea but probably not one that is in the offing anytime soon. Hell, I'm still hoping I can pull off New England Crimebake next year and that's less than two hours from me.

      Oh and I just learned that the theme for Christmas party a friend throws each year will be 'British Invasion' for next year! (This year's was Alice in Wonderland, held this past Saturday). Now I have to decide between the only two options for me, Sherlock Holmes or The Doctor, assuming I decide to do a costume.

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  6. We travel off-peak to avoid the crowds. Rome the last week of October was overrun with tourists. We marched ten across through the Vatican Museum, not able to admire anything. The Vatican Gardens were lovely and serene; we had booked months in advance. Venice and Florence were full of Europeans and Italian school children (who were delightful--polite with nary an electronic device). London in November was wonderful, particularly with the Christmas decorations, concerts, and theatre. Paris in November was gray and chilly, only a few hardy souls seated in the outdoor cafes under electric heaters. Lastly, Egypt was brutally hot the third week of October, but with many fewer tourists. we visited the tombs, temples, and pyramids in the early morning to avoid the heat and crowds.

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    1. I think you're right Margaret, timing is everything. The Vatican Museum sounds horrifying...

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  7. I live in Boston, which is touristy on its own! But when the tourist crowd say, Faneuil hall, that makes me happy… Because of all the small businesses that get helped. Though on marathon weekend, the whole thing is absolutely impossible, and native Bostonians just stay home .

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    1. Same here in Maine. In the peak summer season, there are places and roads most Mainers try to avoid if at all possible. But yes, love to see the money flowing into local businesses.

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    2. I'm with Hallie, summer on the Cape is a nightmare of epic proportions. I don't cross the bridges Wednesday through Sunday from the end of May until the end of September if I can avoid doing so.

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  8. I've lived in the Florida Keys, Miami, and now in SW Florida. We developed the habit of hibernating during snowbird season. We don't go to shops (other than necessities) or to any attractions. It's simply too crowded and the traffic too awful. I was lucky enough to live in the Caribbean before the cruise ships were quite so large - I think the Norway was the largest then, and ships today make that look like a skiff. I would love to go back to Sint Maarten, and St. Barts, but I wonder if I would recognize those places, same with Statia. Saba is still wonderful from what I've heard, so that's a maybe.

    Like Jenn, most of my travel is off season, and I have a tendency to avoid larger cities for the most part. I make a list, hit my highlights, hire a car, and I'm headed for green pastures - literally. There are few things prettier than being in Paris during a heavy snowfall. It's magical.

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    1. Sure enough Snowbird season makes Key West a lot more challenging. You have to book restaurants way ahead for example. But on the other hand, tourists are the island's livelihood so it's part of the deal. Have never been to Paris in the snow!

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  9. I that story, Hank. I wish I'd been there to see it!

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    1. Oh, it was AMAZINGLY hilarious. we felt like standing and applauding, but feared Chef would not approve.

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    2. LOL. I'm imagining all kinds of scenarios now.

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  10. I can't do crowds, just can't. Several years ago we went to the Statue of Liberty and were climbing up, jam-packed. It was suffocatingly hot and not a good experience at all so we turned around mid-climb and went back down.
    Whenever I see those pictures of lines of climbers going up or down Mt. Everest all I can think is why? Reminds me of what my kids used to do with dominoes.

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    1. I have the same thoughts about Everest--those people are different from me in a fundamental way. Nothing about that trip seems appealing!

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  11. Like Jenn, I travel off season, usually in the spring . I visited Giants Causeway, Stonehenge and saw Blarney Stone without kissing it but most important is with no crowd.
    I went on the Australian Great Reefs Barrier but it is sad that climate changes and tourism is destroying them.
    In France I visited the exact replica of " Grottes de Lascaux" . For preservation of the original site , they closed it and made a new one for tourism but even there, you have to go in a little guided group but the feeling is so powerful that you forget it is not the original.
    I saw Mona Lisa but could not go near because of the crowd, very unpleasant.
    You won't see me in a big crowd ( Bouchercon being the exception)

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    1. Danielle, you bring up aother point - how much tourism in the next few decades will be of the "See it before it's gone" variety due to climate change?

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    2. We were so glad to see you at Bouchercon! Julia, I hate to think that way, but I'm afraid that may be part of the reason the crush of people has gotten so bad. I do think it's wonderful that so many people want to travel and see other lands but...

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  12. I discovered the same thing you did about the cruise ship tourists, Rhys, when I visited Bermuda. The big cruise ships would pull up to the dock and everyone would get off, but they didn't really go all that far. Hamilton, the main city, strings out a long way along the bay shore and up a steep hill, but the tourists only seemed to go five blocks in either direction from the ship. Prices took a steep drop the farther you got from the ship, and all the cool art and antique galleries were just slightly out of range. We stayed in a guest house and found a lot of wonderful shops and restaurants frequented by the folks who actually lived and worked there--much more interesting to my mind and loads cheaper than the places that catered to the ships.

    I'm a fan of off season travel, too, Jenn. I spent a couple of days at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, but it was in October, after all the American families had their children back in school, so the crowds were small, and mostly German or Japanese college students.

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    1. Someday, Gigi, you must visit the North Rim, not accessible except in the summer, but it is gorgeous and far less touristy than the South Rim. I can smell the pines as we speak.

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  13. I hate to be the one to point to the elephant in the room, but this is about overpopulation. Is it any wonder that there is so much unrest in the world? The pressures of intense competition just for space to breathe and move around is the highest it's ever been, and added to our ability to travel more freely than ever before, it is not surprising that we have such angst, worldwide.

    When I was in Europe, it was almost impossible to take a photo without having a human being in the picture. I wondered how many of others' vacation photos I ended up in.

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    1. This is exactly what I think, too, Karen - everyone complains about too much traffic and too much plastic in the ocean and and and... none of it would be a problem if we didn't have TOO MANY PEOPLE. All of the algorithms about what happens when there's overpopulation (think lemmings) predict grim consequences. And on that happy note...

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    2. Hey, I've done my part. I have not procreated! And people got upset with what Thanos did so it's kind of at an impasse, no?*

      *The preceding message is brought to you all from the "Jay Is Just Being a Wiseass, Inc."

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    3. Hallie, I think that is a big reason why so many people are just so ANGRY.

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  14. When you live near a tourist attraction, in my case Niagara Falls, you have a love-hate relationship with tourists. They are vital for the economy but make it difficult to enjoy the attraction and you worry about the impact millions of people (about 30 million a year) make. Fortunately, locals know the best times to enjoy the attractions. The Falls is most spectacular in the winter when tourists are scarce.

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    1. I live close by too, but usually we skip the falls and go to NOTL.

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  15. We never travel in the high season. Europe is lovely in the spring and fall. Let the tourists have the summer months. My first trip to Paris was in January, rainy and cold, but not one line anywhere.

    Hallie, have you seen Ann Cleeve's book, SHETLAND? It's photography with the text written by Ann in her inimitable style. I love it. And I feel like Jimmy Perez is my guide.

    We did the Three Pines trip a few years ago. It was October and gorgeous. We stayed in Knowlton, and there were a number of tourists although I can't say it was overly crowded. I asked some of the residents how they felt about the new found fame of the Eastern Townships. They all said they were very pleased and that Louise Penny was the reason their economy was booming. There were tons of shops and restaurants and Rosas everywhere, little maps showing the different places that had inspired the books, and lots of B&Bs doing a land office business. I can imagine all these tiny towns were dying on the vine, businesses going out of business, kids growing up and leaving for more exciting venues. I told Louise Penny about my unofficial poll and she got teary, said that the town had got behind her when Michael was deteriorating so fast, had supported her and that she was delighted that they didn't think she'd spoiled their bucolic area with her books.

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  16. Hello,

    I work with the Visitor Center in the southern Yosemite entrance and we work hard to promote the off season to our area which is gorgeous and not as crowded as summer. Thank you for saying that by getting off the popular path you can find peace and coming in early is a great tip. My husband and I love to travel and really try to pick the "off season" times wherever we go around the world.

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    1. It's so great when you CAN travel off season... LOVE Yosemite! Welcome to Jungle Red, Rhonda!

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  17. I declined the 'opportunity' to do the forced march between the five towns of the Cinque Terre and I'm so glad I did! My travellng companions who did it needed almost three days to recover from the heat and the jostling. I had a wonderful time in Venice a few years ago, in early October. My hotel was two blocks from St. Marks Square and the weather while cool was temperate enough for enjoyment. I did enjoy a guided walk of the terrain of the first three Donna Leon books, which began at the La Fenice and ended at the foot of the Rialto Bridge, and there were only 10 of us in that group. I also spent a few days in Lerwick, but most of that revolved around wool, fiber arts and the excellent museum; the always-brisk and chilly wind made seaside strolls not so desireable. One of my best travel experiences was in Budapest, attending a cooking school-- going marketing at the great covered market and prepping/chatting/eating with the teachers and other local and travelling students. I welcome the company of travellers; highlight-bound, checkboxing tourists not so much.

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    1. I walked DUE of the Terra's CINQUE - So spectacular.

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  18. Great post! I am a big believer in travelling off season too. And yes, the best time to visit popular sites is early in the morning! I visited Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy at 5 am in the morning!

    When I visited Venice in the autumn of 2006, I did not see any cruise ships. We walked around Venice and the crowds seemed to hang out at places like McDonald's, a fast food cafe?

    San Francisco is so crowded all year, especially during the Christmas season. I think everywhere is crowded during the Christmas season with many people shopping?

    Wondering how Iceland deals with crowds better than other places?

    Diana

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  19. Iceland has a population of about 300K, and two-thirds of them live in Reykjavik which is the country's only major city. They get more than TWO MILLION tourist visitors a year. Tourism is what they do.

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  20. I love Key West (hello, Lucy), but when you go, you know there will be crowds. However, it's a different type of crowd, much more relaxed, so it makes being in a crowd much easier. I will say that my first trip to Key West was a bit ill-timed though. It was Poker Run weekend while I was there, when multitudes of motorcyclists descend on the island and you can hear the revving up of motors all weekend. I've not been there during Fantasy Fest, but I know it's especially crowded, too. Lucy can tell us more about that. My favorite visit to Key West was spending a Christmas there, not overcrowded and the decorations were wonderful.

    Of course, any theme park visit should come with the expectation of crowds and waiting in line. I took my daughter's family to Universal Studios Park a couple of years ago for the Harry Potter attractions, and the crowds were, of course, ever present. But, we all enjoyed it so much, and I had planned ahead and gotten some reservations for certain things, like the portrait session, so the crowds didn't take away from the wonder of it all. It helped that it was the end of May and first of June so the weather wasn't horribly hot.

    I do prefer a quieter setting though and a more relaxed pace for vacation, but in thinking about where I've been over the years, it doesn't seem like I've had much of that. I need to plan a tranquil getaway one of these days. Of course, that will have to come after a trip to England, where I want to get in as much as possible.

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    1. Yes Kathy, Fantasy Fest (leading up to Halloween) is not a time I'd recommend for a visit unless that excitement is what you're after. Ditto New Year's and spring break. But you can always get away from the crowds if you know how!

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  21. I'm another off season traveler. I hate crowds. I hate long lines. When we've visited places not during tourist season the folks who live there seem more relaxed and friendly.

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    1. I think that's right Pat, the folks who live there can breathe more deeply in the off season

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  22. I would imagine the same thing happened in New Zealand after all the Lord of the Rings movies.

    We travel off-season, like Jenn mentioned. We are going to Killington, VT in January, but will arrive on a Monday and leave on a Friday, thus missing the crowds of people. Seems like the best strategy.

    I remember San Juan when one of those huge cruise ships would dock. Madness!

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    1. We used to go skiing in VT with the kids on Martin Luther King weekend--holy yikes it was a mob scene, not to mention so cold!!

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    2. We are arriving on MLK Day. When I booked the trip, the travel agent said, "It'll be comparitively dead. You'll have a much better time."

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  23. I love England and I get so far off the beaten path that the locals ask me why I’m there! Here in the States my favorite place is Key West where I spent a month every year; like Rhys said about Venice if you just get a few blocks off the tourist path there’s peace and quiet.

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    1. Love that Emily, that locals ask why you're there! and see you in Key West...

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  24. I loved all my years of traveling but am happy to stay home now and get my travel fix from books, TV, and movies. Much less hassle. I used to work for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. They were always wanting to get out in the woods. I said "I'll just stay home and enjoy my garden. No trampling the plants or scaring the animals" LOL

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