Most Overrated Attractions in the US

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I just glanced at this list of over and underrated attractions in each state. It was shocking, in a state as diverse as California, that two theme parks were selected. Overrated was Disneyland, and underrated was Legoland. I guess they forgot about the Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, Yosemite, the beaches on the Pacific Ocean, and Lake Tahoe. Even worse, they picked two of my favorite places in Arizona. They (Far and Wide) think the Grand Canyon is over rated, and Sedona is underrated. Both are simply beautiful. Do they realize how magical my first trip to Disneyland was when I was about 10 years old? Legoland did not exist back then! And if you ask any foreigner, where they want to visit on their very first visit to the US, both Yosemite and the Grand Canyon are at the top of the list. It ranks higher than Times Square, Las Vegas, cherry blossom time in DC, or Graceland. How is it even possible (Colorado) to say the great ski resorts of Aspen and Vail are overrated? And I agree the rather disappointing Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is correctly underrated. The ski resorts in Colorado are magical. Aspen Village is a delight. The mountain has great skiing. Garden of the Gods takes about 20 minutes, and then, finito! Moving on to one of my favorite places on earth, Hawaii, leads us to Waikiki Beach as most overrated. While I agree, the beach is beautiful, whether empty or full of tourists. It is quintessential Hawaii. But I would hardly rate the many hiking trails on all of the islands as an underrated attraction. The hike up Diamond Head, the traverse of Waimea Canyon on Kauai, or the road to Haleakala on Maui are simply breath taking. Back home again in Indiana, somehow rates the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as overrated. I disagree, as it is the experience of a lifetime. To this point, I went FIVE times. Likewise, in Kentucky, they think the Kentucky Derby is overrated. Both the 500 and the Derby are worthy of your bucket or water pail list, I assure you. How is it even possible to say Yellowstone National Park is overrated? Montana is a diverse and beautiful state. Equally weird is rating Glacier National Park was underrated. The beauty of this state is truly overwhelming. I would be interested in knowing what our friends, Megan and Kathleen think about this. They might choose Big Fork, and Swan Lake! Another place we visit often is Nevada. And you knew, of course, that the famous Las Vegas Strip would be overrated. But every tourist from Asia puts Vegas at the top of their list. And we love underrated Red Rock Canyon east of Vegas, a truly beautiful wonderland so close to the city. We rarely visit the Strip anymore on our visits. When you visit the Big Apple, New York offers a plethora of attractions. And you just knew the Statue of Liberty would be overrated, however majestic she appears. I would give the nod to Times Square. Yet, they say Niagara Falls is underrated. I would give the nod to West Point, or Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In our neighbor Oregon, they got it backwards. VooDoo Doughnuts is overrated, and Crater Lake is underrated. I would flip flop them in a second. I love VooDoo Donuts, no matter how you spell it. South Dakota is a state that sneaks up on you. The beautiful, but rather strange Badlands National Park is underrated, and of course, the tourist laden Mount Rushmore is overrated. I agree. Rushmore is almost a rip off. Badlands is strangely majestic. Another favorite state is Utah. The Mormon Temple is a big attraction, and unless you are Mormon, tends to underwhelm. So, that must leave their beautiful national parks are underrated. We love Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks, perhaps the best set of national parks in the entire world!!! I could live in St. George, if it was not so darn cold in the winter.We visit Seattle, Washington every year, and I would expect the Space Needle to be overrated. But really, the Gorge, for outdoor summer concerts, as their underrated attraction. What about Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, Snoqualmie, Puget Sound, the Cascades, and Pike Place Market? We have visited Washington over 25 times, and we just love all of it. You have your own, I am certain. But whatever, however, whenever, I respect your opinion. Feel free to add or subtract from this list. But whatever you do, never stop traveling!

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