Best Attractions in your Hometown

[katzmeow671]

I was just surfing through this forum and noticed a thread for Memphis. I was excited by all the suggestions given to the OP. When people think of Memphis, they think of Elvis. But there is so much more to do here than just go to Graceland (which by the way, everyone should experience once in their lifetime for the gaudiness factor alone).

Memphis is home of the Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals farm team. They play at Autozone Park which is a wonderful place to spend an evening in the Spring/ Fall.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is here. Its one of the largest cancer research hospitals in the US. They do wonderful things there and a tour is well worth your time.

Beale Street in Downtown Memphis is a great place to hang out with friends, drink, dance, and experience some of the greatest Rock and Roll and genuine Blues.

The Zoo... one word - Pandas!

The Mississippi River is beautiful and you can take a riverboat cruise at sunset... breathtaking.

BarBQ.. Pork BarBQ.. ain't nothin like it!

I could go on but its late. What I'd like to know is... what do you suggest I see and do when I'm in your hometown? If you aren't comfortable posting the exact location of your town, feel free to call it Anytown USA. I believe every place has their own charm and sometimes when you live there you tend to overlook all the wonderful things there are to do right there in your own backyard.

[mlfallis]

Well my home town in actually in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada.

For anyone visiting the #1 thing to see is Friday the 13th party. In the warmer months may to september, you can expect to see upwards of 100,000 people and their bike invade out little town of 1,500 people. It is quite an experience. In the past few years they have run shuttles into town as there is no room for any car in town with all the bikes.

Plus most of the bikers camp out all over town and there are beer tents everywhere as well as live bands.

[nordey]

I live in Sacramento and the best attractions are going out-of-town! The Sierras, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley, etc.

[ManteoChik]

My Hometown: Manteo, NC (on the Outer Banks)

Places to visit: The Beach, Cape Hatteras Light House, Wright Brother's Monument, The Lost Colony, The Elizabethan Gardens, The Elizabeth II, Jockey's Ridge, The Whalehead Club, Bodie Island Light House, Wild Horses

Things to do: Go to the beach, hang gliding, kayaking, parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, boating trips, offshore fishing, inshore fishing, rock climbing walls, climb the light houses, attend the play The Lost Colony, eat at great restaurants

[HeatherFL]

Well, I am originally from Miami so I consider that my hometown. But I live in Tampa Bay now, so I'll post some for both. :) (I am copying these from some of my old posts, so there will be dining recommendations too.)

Miami
Of course, South Beach (http://www.visitsouthbeachonline.com/) and all the clubs, dining and just the actual beach!
The Venetian Pool (www.venetianpool.com)
Seaquarium (www.parrotjungle.com]The Parrot Jungle[/url] used to be good, but they moved it and now I'm not sure
Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium

[url="www.coralcastle.com)
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (www.vizcayamuseum.org)
John Pennekamp Park (Key Largo) (www.pennekamppark.com)
Coconut Grove (http://www.coconutgrove.com/)
Fairchild Tropical Gardens (www.fairchildgarden.org)
Matheson Hammock Park (http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/matheson_beach.asp)
Crandon Park (Key Biscayne) (http://www.miamidade.gov/Parks/Parks/crandon_beach.asp)
The Barnacle State Historic Site (in Coconut Grove) (http://www.floridastateparks.org/thebarnacle/default.cfm)
The Big Cheese (http://www.gocitykids.com/browse/attraction.jsp?id=10012) (local restaurant-not fancy, but good food! Sometimes VERY long waits)

Of course, the Florida Keys (www.fla-keys.com) and Ft. Lauderdale (ci.ftlaud.fl.us) are also just a drive away.

Tampa Bay & Surrounding Areas
TAMPA SIDE
Jackson's Bistro (http://www.jacksonsbistro.com/backjacks.html) on Harbour Island, right next door to the Wyndham and across the street from the Marriott Waterside. They have a club attached too. Good drinks and the food is good (or at least it's always been my experience that the food is good.) Great club too!:)

Grille 29 (http://grille29.com/) in Channelside--actually there are a few places in Channelside. This is rather new, just a few months old. Great dessert bar and good food!

Also, just so you have it Channelside (www.channelside.com) is somewhere you may want to check out. It's been our experience that the food at Margarita Mama's is awful, though!

Definitely have some Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream (http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/main/index.asp) My favorite is their cake batter ice-cream. MMM (And I am not a big ice-cream eater!)--Located in Channelside.

You may have heard of a famous restaurant here called Bern's. It's a steak place. There is a "sister" restaurant to that place called Side Bern's in South Tampa. WONDERFUL FOOD!! This link will take you to both of the restaurants (http://sideberns.com/)

On Bay Street in International Plaza, there is a bunch of places too. For instance, Cheesecake Factory, Kahunaville (where the bartenders do some awesome tricks!), Bamboo Club, etc. Here is the site with a directory (look in the middle of the page kind of to the right and it will say "Restaurant Listing"
International Plaza and Bay Street (http://www.shopinternationalplaza.com/)

In Westshore Plaza you have Maggiano's (Italian), PF Chang's and such:
Westshore Plaza (http://www.westshoreplaza.com/go/dirListing.cfm?CurrCat=dining)

The name of it is Columbia's Restaurant (http://columbiarestaurant.com/). It's really famous. If you like Spanish/Cuban food (high end, but not outrageously expensive) this is a great place to go! The one in Ybor City (pronounced ee-bore). There are others, but the one in Ybor is the first one. (Ybor is also a popular place to hang out, if you want to have drinks or catch a movie. The Premiere Theater is nice. It's 21 and over only and you get free popcorn and you can buy alcohol. Not that I am a lush!) Ybor City website: YBOR (www.ybor.org).

Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens (www.buschgardens.com)

Tampa Theatre--BEAUTIFUL!!
Tampa Theatre (http://www.tampatheatre.org)
http://www.tampatheatre.org/images/auditoriumCott72.jpg

The zoo
Lowry Park Zoo (www.lowryparkzoo.com)

ST. PETE/CLEARWATER SIDE
Yes, Hurricanes is a cool place to hang out. Be sure to go to the Pier and Baywalk! Shops, restaurants and movie theaters. Also, if you like art, the Dali Museum is a must!

St. Pete Pier (www.stpete-pier.com)

Baywalk (http://www.stpete.org/baywalk.htm)

Pinellas Trail (www.pinellastrail.com)

John's Pass (www.johnspass.com)

Caladesi Island (www.abfla.com/parks/ HoneymoonIsland/honeymoonisland"Honeymoon Island

[url="www.floridastateparks.org/caladesiisland)

Dunedin (www.cityofdunedin.com)

Clearwater Marine Aquarium (www.cmaquarium.org)

Dali Museum (http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/)

Also, check out some of the beaches...Clearwater Beach and the Pier 60, Indian Rocks, etc.

Sunset at Pier 60 (www.sunsetsatpier60.com)

Spring Training! (http://www.springtrainingonline.com/) (We're the Grapefruit League)

Of course, the Orlando theme parks are also a short drive away. Go to the upside down house, check out Church Street too, I-drive (International Drive) and Giordano's for some good stuffed pizza. Also go to Jungle Jim's. Nothing fancy, but great drinks! A local favorite. :)

Popular areas are actually about 1 to 1 1/2 hours south of Tampa in the Sarasota area. It's an older population, but very pretty down there!!!! Siesta Key Beach is nearby and is wonderful! There isn't a whole lot to do, but it is really pretty!

Longboat Key info (http://www.longboatkeychamber.com/)
More Longboat Key info (http://www.longboatkey.org/home.htm)

Anna Maria Island info (http://www.annamariaislandchamber.org/)
A little more info on Anna Maria Island (http://www.amisland.com/)

Florida is just awesome altogether. Not that I am biased or anything. ;)

H.

[emmjay]

I live in Sacramento and the best attractions are going out-of-town! The Sierras, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley, etc.
That's like Denver - it's an awesome place to live but in terms of tourist attractions, most people go to the mountains!

In Denver itself -
The 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian shopping area downtown.
Tons of sporting events all year long - professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey - as well as college sports.
The Brown Palace Hotel is historic and gorgeous and a good place to have lunch downtown.
You can go kayaking on the Platte River right in Denver.

And, I just read that Denver brews more beer than any other U.S. city, so there's something to do - go to brewpubs! :D

[Graffy]

Dixon, IL~ Ronald Reagan's boyhood home. That's about it. Oh, and we're the "Petunia City". Each summer thousands of pink petunias are planted along the main thoroughfares, and then over the 4th of July is the Petunia Festival. This year's motto- "the pink, the proud, the petunias". Love the petunia festival, but that motto's gotta go.

[LDS Angel 19]

In Metro-Detroit, there's boating/beaches, lots of cool historical sites, a nice zoo, and coming up this weekend is the annual Woodward Dream Cruise (http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/).

[Aimee]

I'm from the 'burbs, but I consider New Orleans my hometown.

There's so much to do here, it's hard to narrow it down. There's the obvious stuff: the French Quarter and the Garden District. There's the music, the food, the festivals...there's always something going on. We love to have fun!

[LyLMyssChaos]

The zoo
Lowry Park Zoo (www.lowryparkzoo.com)

Of course, the Orlando theme parks are also a short drive away. Go to the upside down house, check out Church Street too, I-drive (International Drive) and Giordano's for some good stuffed pizza. Also go to Jungle Jim's. Nothing fancy, but great drinks! A local favorite. :)

Popular areas are actually about 1 to 1 1/2 hours south of Tampa in the Sarasota area. It's an older population, but very pretty down there!!!! Siesta Key Beach is nearby and is wonderful! There isn't a whole lot to do, but it is really pretty!

Longboat Key info (http://www.longboatkeychamber.com/)
More Longboat Key info (http://www.longboatkey.org/home.htm)

Anna Maria Island info (http://www.annamariaislandchamber.org/)
A little more info on Anna Maria Island (http://www.amisland.com/)

Florida is just awesome altogether. Not that I am biased or anything. ;)


*sigh* My second home! You mentioned so many great places, and just reading their names makes me miss them all the more! I-Drive can just be a vacation in itself. DH and I stayed at the Windham at the corner of Sand Lake and I-Drive for the first week of our honeymoon, and I tell ya, I totally fell in love with it! And we spent the second week in Sarasota/Bradenton because my mom lives there, and have been back every year since and I just fall more and more in love every time we go back!! :)

[daydreamer]

Best attraction in my hometown is the interstate :p
But I'm proud to say that we are becoming the mecca for concerts w/ old
rock stars (think 1970s)! The last was Ted Nugent.
I love my small town and it's only 90 minutes to OKC and Dallas (going opposite directions, of course).

[KaliLily]

The Subway restaurant! :)

We're a very small town. It was between Subway and the Gazebo. The Gazebo is nice and all, but Subway has to win out. I lived off of Subway sandwiches the last 8 months of my job (before quiting to move). Our Subway was built about a year ago. I was so happy when DH told me he found it in town - 1 mile from my house!! WOO HOO!

[sublime311]

Tucson, AZ

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
International Wildlife Museum
Mt. Lemmon
Sabino Canyon
Saguaro National Monument
Madera Canyon
Mexican food - LOTS of places to choose from!
Colossal Cave Mountain Park
4th Avenue (Historic Shopping District)
4th Avenue Street Fair (several times per year)
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (each February)
Steak houses: Pinnacle Peak, Lil' Abner's, Daisy Mae's, El Corral
Old Tucson Studios
Club Congress
University of Arizona sports events
Tucson Art Museum
Tucson Electric Park spring training (Diamondbacks, White Sox, & Rockies)
El Encantada (upscale shopping mall)

ETA: Fiesta de los Vaqueros (each February) rodeo and parade (nation's largest non-mortorized parade). This is so big here that kids actually have time off from school for it. I hear it's pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing.

[greenbunny]

I'd say what brings the most tourists in is Muskifest in August:

www.musikfest.org

I think it kinda sucks compared to how it used to be back when it was still geared towards us locals. Everything was free, the crowds were managable, and the food and trinkets were cheap. Now everything requires tickets and you can barely move for all the people they bus in.

There's also Mayfair, which is similar but with more art than music. And it's in May, so it gets rained out every year and then the board whines that the organization is broke. :rolleyes:

[betsyboop]

Well, there's really nothing too exciting in my town, but the next town over is Concord, MA. So there are all kinds of historical homes and sites to see there such as Walden Pond, Minuteman National Park, the homes and graves of Emerson, Thoreau, the Alcotts, and Hawthorne. I think there is probably a museum there as well. The whole downtown area is very quaint New England-y as well.

Actually, this reminded me that there is a parade each Patriot's Day (2nd or 3rd Monday in April, I forget) that goes right by my house. It has a whole bunch of Minuteman reenactment guys and a band and stuff. The parade traces the route the real minutemen took from my town to Concord for the first battle of the Revolutionary War. I guess that would be an attraction of sorts for my town:)

[tinkerbelljenny]

NW Montana

Glacier National Park
Glacier Lodge
Big Mountain Ski Resort
CANADA-close to the border
Grouse Mountain Lodge
Flathead Lake
City Beach

[HeatherFL]

bump

[camberne]

Virginia Beach, VA:

The Virginia Aquarium (aka: The Marine Science Museum) - it's a fun museum to go through and they also offer Dolphin & Whale watching excursions.

The Block - Which is basically a few blocks of bars that people wander through all night long.

The Boardwalk - The beach, obviously. :)

The ARE - Which is the Edgar Cayce Foundation's center... lots of interesting information regarding the paranormal.

Mt. Trashmore - It's a park that was originally made from a pile of trash, hence the name. There's a lovely place for younger kids called "Kids Cove" as well as a skateboard ramp/area. The top of the "mountain" is the most popular place in the city for flying kites. When it was originally done, Virginia Beach won several awards for recycling innovation.

SURROUNDING AREAS:

Norfolk, VA:

The Virginia Zoo - 15 years ago, not so impressive! They have done tons of work and added lots of areas and animals. We have gone several times in the last year and loved it every time! A lot of the animals are younger and more active.

Nauticus & The Maritime Museum - It's not for everyone, but it can be interesting. There are lots of hands-on exhibits for kids.

U.S.S. Wisconsin - This is right next to Nauticus, and it is FREE. It's really very interesting to walk around, up and down the battleship. She's still in "reserve status", so all the guns are operational etc, but the many of the doors have been sealed. If called, it would take a while, but she could be re-activated to service.


That's all I have time for now.

[Rosebud]

Los Angeles

I have a GoList on TripAdvisor.com called Experience Hollywood (http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i7725-Experience_Hollywood.html). "A guide to what to see and do in the movie capital of the world. Want to see the best of film and television related sights? Start with this list."

Some other favorite local stuff:

The Hollywood Bowl (http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/)- You cannot come to L.A. in the summer without going to The Hollywood Bowl! IMO, access to concerts here is one of the greatest things about living in L.A. You have to experience it. Pack a picnic basket and enjoy music under the stars.

The Santa Monica Pier (http://www.santamonicapier.org/) I might be biased because I got engaged at the top of the Ferris Wheel on the Pier, but this is a great place to take in views of the city and the ocean.

The Third Street Promenade (http://www.downtownsm.com/bshopping.html) Fun for shopping & people watching in Santa Monica.

The Getty Villa (http://www.getty.edu/visit/)- The Getty Museum is great, too. But I'm just in love with the Getty Villa, its antiquities collection and its lovely architecture.

The Griffith Observatory (http://www.griffithobs.org/)- Newly renovated, this historical site is fabulous and has great views of L.A.

Rodeo Drive (http://www.seeing-stars.com/Shop/RodeoDrive.shtml)- Super touristy, but you have to check it out. Locals hang out on Beverly Dr., just two blocks east, where there's lots of good shopping and dining.

Shopping on Robertson Blvd. (http://losangeles.citysearch.com/roundup/39163)- Forget about Melrose-- the place to be is Robertson Blvd.! Trendy designer shops, famous restaurants, celebs galore.

The Grove (http://www.thegrovela.com/)- A little bit of Vegas in the heart of L.A. It's gaudy, but just try not to love this over-the-top outdoor shopping mall. Even better, check out the adjacent Farmer's Market, which is an old L.A. classic.

Disney Hall (http://www.musiccenter.org/)- This represents some of the most interesting architecture in L.A. You can take a tour if you're interested, and I'd definitely recommend catching a concert.

Huntington Library and Gardens (http://www.huntington.org/)- The gardens are located in Pasadena, about 40 minutes east of L.A. They are so stunning and absolutely worth the drive. Pasadena actually has a ton to offer and you could spend a whole day out here exploring.

Day trips/ Overnight trips:

One of the great things about living in L.A. is that you're such a short distance from so many amazing places. Here are some popular side trips if you're in the area. They're all approx. 1.5-2.5 hours from L.A.

Catalina Island (http://www.catalina.com/main.html)
Santa Barbara (http://www.santabarbara.com/)
Laguna Beach (http://www.lagunabeach.com/)
Palm Springs & Joshua Tree National Park (http://www.nps.gov/jotr/)
Big Bear Lake (http://www.bigbear.com/)

[DelSol]

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Museum of Art
National Constitution Center
Independence Hall
Liberty Bell
Philadelphia Zoo
Reading Terminal Market
South Street
Penn's Landing
Franklin Institute Science Museum

[kari]

Wineries and hence, wine. :D

[lauren f s]

I grew up in small town east Texas (Edgewood) - only 1300 people! The only interesting thing in my town was Heritage Park (http://www.vzinet.com/heritage/index.htm), which is basically a park made up of the original buildings that were in our town/county when it was established in the 1800s. There are a few houses, an old school, different businesses, and a church that's slightly popular for weddings. It's not incredibly exciting, but aside from the Dairy Queen, that's about all there is ;).

[missy329]

Too many to name- I live in Orlando FL. :D