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Post by monklady123 on Jul 28, 2024 20:35:43 GMT
Especially if you live in a tourist area....how often do you go out and be a tourist? For the past two weeks I've had first my ds and his family (fiancée, and her two dds), then the three of them left, ds is still here, and now we have my dh's cousins from Denmark. In this time I have been to: -- zoo -- walking around all the monuments and memorials around/near the Tidal Basin (Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson, MLK, FDR, Vietnam, WWII, Korean, Washington) -- Pentagon 9-11 memorial -- Arlington National Cemetery -- boat ride from Alexandria to Georgetown, walk around Georgetown and to see the Exorcist steps, then back to the waterfront for lunch, then back on the boat -- Great Falls Park -- I drew the line at the Natural History Museum because I knew how crowded it would be. Omg... We still have the Portrait Gallery planned, and the Twilight Tattoo at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Also, it's a million degrees outside, although not quite as bad as a few weeks ago when it was Hell's Back Porch, as my ds says.  I am ready to be done! lol. Of course I like to see ds and family since we don't get to see them often (they live in Georgia), and we haven't seen the Danish side of the family for quite a few years. But I suggested that the next time they come they choose the fall, not the middle of the summer. omg How often do you play tour guide for visitors? Do you do everything with them, or let them go off on their own? The Danish cousins will be doing a few things on their own but of course dh wants to spend a lot of time with them since they're his family. I don't want to seem like a party pooper which is why I've also been going along with a lot of the activities. Dh is leaving for a week in August to go visit his family in New York and I plan not to leave the house once in that time. No cooking, no talking, nothing.  Dh is going to take my car because it's newer and I don't like him to take his old commuter car on such a long drive. And I won't drive his car, so that's my excuse not to leave the house while he's gone. |
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Post by lisae on Jul 28, 2024 21:27:03 GMT
You live in a fun place. There is little touristy here. There is one local museum and I took a friend last fall. We attended a small festival and went to the museum. She had never been but I had several times. We have other festivals but that is just not my thing so I might do something touristy once every 5 years or so.
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Post by Zee on Jul 28, 2024 21:39:16 GMT
Every time someone comes to visit!
I like to take them up to the mountains though, rather than all over Atlanta. Atlanta is more fun for living than touring, IMO. And Philly was the opposite, we did more tourist stuff in PA than here by far.
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Post by bc2ca on Jul 28, 2024 21:48:25 GMT
We probably do something a few times a year that would be considered touristy without a visitor giving us a reason to go. I like museums and asking my young adults to pick a lunch spot will usually get them to come along for the day. I pay attention to special exhibits/anything needing tickets and will go as far as LA without hesitation.
Because we are in such a tourist area (San Diego), we have had a lot of family and friends come through multiple times over the years. The first trips would involve a lot of the major attractions and it made sense for us to have season passes for some places. We spent multiple days at the zoos, Disney, Universal, studio tours, museums, etc., every year for those first few years going along with the visitors. I was happy when my kids were old enough to play tour guide for anyone staying with us and going to anything amusement park like so I could stay home.
These days we are more likely to spend time at the local beach and/or restaurants than something really touristy (unless a Padres game counts). With first time visitors, especially from Europe, I will still play tour guide.
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kate
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,583 
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
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Post by kate on Jul 28, 2024 22:31:10 GMT
I'm pretty bad about things like the 9/11 museum and the Statue of Liberty, but I do go hear live music even when there aren't visitors. I'm also a huge fan of the parks, and I use them as my backyard - love, love, love the parks.
Often times our visitors are here to visit *us* - if they're playing tourist, they usually stay somewhere else and we just schedule a dinner or brunch together.
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Post by katlady on Jul 28, 2024 22:43:15 GMT
When everyone was younger, when they would come visit we would take them to all the tourist spots - Legoland, Sea World, the zoo, Old Town, etc. We've been to the Midway Museum, Coronado Island, did the Duck Tours and Trolley Tours. We've driven them to Julian for apple pie, and we even went somewhere once where they kids were able to pan for gold. They don't visit as often anymore, they now head straight to Disneyland and stay up in the Orange/LA county area.
SO and I still do things like go to the local museums, and drive along the coast. But, we tend to stay away now from the really touristy places, or we try to go in the off season.
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Post by cecilia on Jul 28, 2024 22:54:45 GMT
I go to Wednesday Night Poetry some which always gets tourists. (Usually 1 or 2, sometimes up to 10ish. Depends on season).
Also volunteer at two festivals that draw tourists. Other than that not really
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Post by leannec on Jul 28, 2024 22:58:37 GMT
I just finished a whirlwind five day experience of having my childhood best friend, who now lives in another province, and her dh visit me ... I'm in Calgary so there is so much to do in the city and surrounding areas ... In five days we did the following: - Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary interactive tour near Cochrane, Alberta ... see today's (Sunday) dinner thread for photos! - Calgary Tower including having dinner at the Sky 360 restaurant that revolves ... we even saw the apartment building where my bestie grew up! - Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta ... a world famous museum for fossils and information about dinosaurs etc. - Did some shopping at CrossIron Mills ... a very large mall in Balzac, Alberta ... - Jubilations Dinner Theatre ... this is a plated, multi-course meal with a live musical performance ... this time the show was based on "Friends" (the TV show) and was really excellent! - Banff, Alberta ... we rode the Sulphur Mountain Gondola up to the top and had an awesome lunch at Sky Bistro ... took in the view ... there was a layer of smoke due to the forest fire in Jasper, Alberta but we could still see a lot! Then we did some shopping on Banff Avenue ... souvenirs and Christmas decorations were purchased! *We also did some shopping in Calgary of course! And ate at a bunch of restaurants ... there was no cooking going on!  The above are places that I go to with my family on a regular basis ... when visitors come I realize how lucky I am to have easy access to such wonderful things to do! |
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Post by ntsf on Jul 28, 2024 23:17:17 GMT
we don't get visitors too often. but when we do.. I do play tourist. cause I worked eons ago at Alcatraz and ft point..national park service. I know a lot of the history of the town and good sights to see that a visitor. may miss.
we go to museums and such occasionally. and then I drive by the "painted ladies" houses every time I go to the gym!! and cross the golden gate occasionally too.
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Post by librarylady on Jul 29, 2024 0:36:43 GMT
When we are hosting someone who is from out of town.
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Post by Lexica on Jul 29, 2024 0:41:30 GMT
When living in California, we were about a half hour from Disneyland. All of our relatives on both of my parent’s sides lived in Canada. We became the yearly vacation destination for everyone and they all wanted to go to Disneyland, mainly. My parents wouldn’t go, so I was always elected as tour guide. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have visited Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, the local beaches, and a few locations in Hollywood, depending on who was visiting. I enjoyed spending time with family members, but it always took weeks to get the “It’s a Small World” song out of my head.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jul 29, 2024 0:49:03 GMT
.how often do you go out and be a tourist? During the summer, to make summer break fun for the kids? We've been doing the touristy things, museums, exhibits, daytrips to next door states, two to three times per week. I'm kinda whooped! During the school year, it's more like one or two times per month, except for Halloween when everywhere wants to host a Halloween thing, and we hit up quite a few of them. This year I'm hoping to do a Christmas run in the holiday months, as for the majority of the past decade has been derailed by kid surgeries. pandemic closures, and Covid illnesses knocking our household down during those Decembers. I live where I do for the proximity of quality medical care and pediatric hospitals for my kids. As a side benefit, I take part in all the overpriced touristy stuff. LOL. |
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garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,770
Location: So. Calif.
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Post by garcia5050 on Jul 29, 2024 2:07:12 GMT
Growing up in Southern California, there is plenty to do. My family was poor, so we didn’t do any of them. I met DH when I was 18 and even though he was also poor, he hated staying home and we would spend weekends doing touristy (but cheap) things, like going to the arcade at the Redondo Pier, all the beaches, ports o’ call in San Pedro for shrimp and potatoes, all the local county fairs, Santa Monica pier, stuff like that.
Now that we’re older and not as poor, we find that we still like doing these things (for the places that are still open).
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Post by smasonnc on Jul 29, 2024 2:12:32 GMT
I live near the beach, so all the time. We appreciate why people come here. We moved here during the recession in 2010 when our little downtown was struggling so now when we can't get a parking space we're almost giddy because it means our beautiful little town is thriving.
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Post by needmysanity on Jul 29, 2024 13:27:18 GMT
I love playing tourist in our own town. It's easy for us here since we have only lived in Knoxville for a year and a half. I had a few weeks off early this summer when I was changing jobs, and my son and I did a bunch of things on our tourist list. It was a lot of fun.
If I lived where you are, I would totally play tourist. Probably not when it's a million degrees outside, though.
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Post by mikklynn on Jul 29, 2024 14:14:34 GMT
Everyone who visits me wants to go to the Mall of America! We have so many other wonderful places to see. I spent the day there yesterday with my grandson and his friend visiting from out of state.
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,352
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Post by artbabe on Jul 29, 2024 15:20:13 GMT
I drew the line at the Natural History Museum because I knew how crowded it would be. I was there the last week of June and it wasn't crowded, but we went right when it opened. I'm a dinosaur fan- every time I go to DC I have to visit the dinosaurs. I haven't gone to my zoo this summer but I used to have a membership and went all of the time. I am going to the adjoining waterpark next Monday, though. When I was younger I used to go to all of the museums here, too. I hit all of the touristy parts often when I was younger. |
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hannahruth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,688
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Post by hannahruth on Jul 29, 2024 16:02:50 GMT
When DS and DD were much younger we would spend weekends doing touristy stuff visiting museums, our art gallery, the Immigration museum and the like. We would drive to wine districts and the lovely towns in between. Just doing things that we would do if we travelled interstate. It certainly broadened our knowledge and appreciation of what a great state we do live in.
when we have visitors we still sometimes but not very often, be the tour guides or sometimes they will go and investigate by themselves. I’m happy to do either.
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Post by alsomsknit on Jul 29, 2024 16:09:10 GMT
There is nothing here to tour.
There is a good amount of wilderness/outdoor activity type areas within reasonable driving distance, though. My reasonable is 1.5 hours.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,417
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jul 29, 2024 16:21:45 GMT
I do frequently. We live in Munich and we’ve had a lot of family visit and I’ll often go out with them. Even after 15 years, there are still places I haven’t been to, or only once early on.
As well as that, I have a friend with a young daughter, and we will often go to the zoo or one of the many museums during school breaks.
I also sometimes just take myself to an art gallery, either for a special exhibition or just to wander around. I still haven’t been to a couple of the galleries, so they’re on my list for later this year.
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pantsonfire
Drama Llama
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 5,972
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Post by pantsonfire on Jul 29, 2024 17:08:55 GMT
In my city we have walking garden tour, walking historical homes tour, very old library, Lincoln Shrine, historical park with walking trails, gardens, and theater, glass museum, county museum, University, and I think that's it...
Never done the tours.
At the library once a week.
Visit the shrine 2x a year.
Members of the museum so there frequently.
Never been to the glass museum.
Go to the Uni a few times a year for events.
At the park from about Oct thru May to walk.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Jul 29, 2024 17:56:16 GMT
I live in “the armpit of America”. LOL. Seriously, there is very little to see or do in this town. Bless our little Visitors center hearts, they do promote a yearly “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown” event. Let’s just say it’s a very short, underwhelming list of things to do. I mean, seriously, touring the local water filtration plant? We are boring midwesterners at our very core. We do occasionally make various lists for affordable places to live. I’m guessing the lack of anything to do and crummy weather have a lot to do with that. Ha.
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Post by epeanymous on Jul 29, 2024 18:04:27 GMT
When my kids were little, a lot more! We had a zoo membership and a science center membership, so we were at those places all the time. I do live easy walking distance from the public space where the space needle, glass museum, pop culture museum, hockey stadium/concert venue, ballet, and so forth are located, and I'm probably down there every couple of weeks for an event or to just walk around. I actually really like walking around Pike Place Market and getting produce and fish there, but I avoid it in the summer when it's really touristy. A few weeks ago, I had a friend in town whose major tourist destination she wanted me to take her to was our large Asian market near the football/baseball stadiums; we made a day out of going there, visiting the attached bookstore, eating lunch in the food court, and walking to a nearby coffee shop that is popular on Instagram  . |
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Post by epeanymous on Jul 29, 2024 18:05:30 GMT
Everyone who visits me wants to go to the Mall of America! We have so many other wonderful places to see. I spent the day there yesterday with my grandson and his friend visiting from out of state. I went once and that was enough for me! I do think Minneapolis is beautiful and like walking around the lakes. |
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jul 29, 2024 18:14:17 GMT
A relative visited last year at high season for Butchart Gardens. We saw everything and the rose garden was spectacular. If you wait until late July the flowers wilt and burn out. I have been all year round and have seen the differences. I won’t go back for maybe 5 years.
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scrappyesq
Pearl Clutcher
You have always been a part of the heist. You're only mad now because you don't like your cut.
Posts: 4,060
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Post by scrappyesq on Jul 29, 2024 18:36:32 GMT
Never. Touristy areas in NYC drive me nuts, and I'm finding that tourists are popping up in unexpected (dare I say unwanted) areas. (Pea tourists are different I would never be annoyed with any of you  .) |
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,570
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Jul 29, 2024 19:29:26 GMT
My town is 4 streets by 8 streets. Nothing to see, except a grocery store, bank, post office etc never mind touristy things. That's just in the beauty of being rural. Fields, big skies, open roads.
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scrappinmama
Drama Llama
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Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
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Post by scrappinmama on Jul 29, 2024 20:10:51 GMT
Yes we make a point to visit the local museums once a year. Learn something new every visit!
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Post by Merge on Jul 29, 2024 20:38:50 GMT
Probably not often enough. Houston isn’t really a tourist town per se, but DH and I were downtown for a baseball game this weekend and commented that we couldn’t remember the last time we attended the opera, symphony, or a Broadway show. All are world class here, so we should make more of an effort.
We do better with getting to the museums and zoo. And we take great advantage of the food scene and live popular music.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 29, 2024 23:38:11 GMT
Never. But I live in a town that when you add the surrounding area we get to about 1500 (might be 2000 now) apparently we are almost to 2500.
However, if they weren't from Colorado originally, we usually end up in Estes Park for some time
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Dh is going to take my car because it's newer and I don't like him to take his old commuter car on such a long drive. And I won't drive his car, so that's my excuse not to leave the house while he's gone. 
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