After living for years in Munich we finally visited the Hofbräuhaus, that up to then I had been omitting like the plaque, it being the very prototype of the touristic German stereotype, Lederhosen and all.
And what should I say, we had a suprising amount of fun, not the least because we met some US tourists who were there to just meet some of us natives and have fun :-)
The key to somewhere like that is to enjoy it for what it is, overlooking the “over-the-top” (or simply embracing it).
Medieval Times in the US is that way. We all know it’s not even close to any kind of real - it’s a stage play with dinner. Fun for the kids.
You gotta finish your g, buddy. Plaque and plague are two super different things.
Although if you’re a dentist or you like flossing, I get it.
I blame the handwriting recognition here, my "I"s are also often "l"s, and my "O"s "0"s…
I looked this up out of curiosity and discovered that there’s a Hofbräuhaus in my town, and several throughout the US. Might have to visit…wouldn’t be the same as going to Munich but might still be fun.
Yes, I meant the word “prototype” quite literal - there probably are 100s of Hofbräuhäuser all over the world.
(Saw a report about one in China some time ago.)
Each trying to emulate a slightly different hilariously wrong image of German culture.
But honestly, who cares.
Go and have some fun, the slight cringeness is part of it! :-)
The House on the Rock in Wisconsin was a lot funner than I thought it would be. I happened to visit when there was hardly anyone there, so that helped greatly. There’s a huge room with a full size whale statue in the middle. And a suspended triangular room with a window on the floor overlooking treetops. Plus all sorts of other random stuff.
Came here to post this. Early in our relationship, my girlfriend “dragged” me into this place, promising I wouldn’t regret it. 3 hours later, we walked out in a daze. It is almost impossible to describe to anyone. Just talking about the things you see in there in no way does justice to the experience of being inside. You mention the whale… But neglect that said whale is fighting a giant octopus? And that all of this is surrounded by a 3 story ramp lined with hundreds of huge model ships? Or the giant carousel? Or the plinth room that juts from the front of the place high above the trees you can feel bouncing as you approach the end? Those are just a few of the highlights. There’s absolutely no way to understand what you’re walking into… It just needs to be experienced.
I’m not really into guns but the gun collection they have there is cooler than any other gun collection in the world. One gun is a prosthetic leg.
One of my favorite memories. That place is so weird.
A work colleague was telling me about this place not too long ago. It sounds fun! And eclectic to say the least lol
The fudge factory in Uranus, Missouri has a lot of great t-shirts and magnets. Just make sure you turn the right way when exiting the highway because Uranus is one way and Dixon is the other.
There was a place in South Dakota, somewhere near Mount Rushmore, where optical illusions made it look like a ball rolled uphill and chairs could stand on edge. Can’t remember thr name of it, though.
If you’re driving a road trip in the Dakotas or thereabouts, do not bother with Wall Drug.
I ❤️ Uranus
Best Fudge Packers union in the tri-county area!
Always pay my dues when passing through Missouri.
Just make sure you turn the right way when exiting the highway because Uranus is one way and Dixon is the other.
Dixon has the most amazing cider bar. I hear your mother loved it.
#####sorry…couldn’t help myself…
“If it’s clear and yellow, you’ve got juice there fellow! If it’s tangy and brown, you’re in cider town.”
I went to the mystery shack in Gravity Falls, Oregon and definitely didn’t get ripped off. It was a great time
optical illusions made it look like a ball rolled uphill and chairs could stand on edge
I went to one like this in Ohio in the 80’s as a kid. Balls rolled uphill, you could lean a ladder against a wall & climb it, when you went into the little house you walked leaning sideways…
I always thought it was a trick in how they built the place, but never figured it out.
I think the one we went in Ohio was called Mystery Hill.
That sounds right; I think it was next to Dinosaur Forest, with a bunch of statues and animatronics.
I actually loved Mont St. Michel.
i actually thought about that one aswell. Though I’m not sure if it really is a tourist trap like others since it’s actually a special place.
aswell
Not a word, my dude.
Edit: downvotes don’t make it a word either.
Not really that cheesy, but Johnson Space Center south of Houston. I spent an entire day there, and visiting the restored Mission Control from the lunar landings was amazing.
The Corn Palace (in… Kansas, I think) was so cheesy it was cool.
Mitchell, South Dakota
Sounds pretty corny, if you ask me
Yes. And I loved it so much I never left. I live here now. But I’m not gonna tell you where I live 😉
You could have said what the place is without mentioning you live there
True. I got so excited about it, I botched the assignment 😞
was it Disneyland ?
No and I don’t think people live at Disneyland. That’s a theme park. But between ages 7-17 I have been there 25 times 😄 1992 was the last time I went to Disneyland.
Honestly the last few cities I’ve lived in I’ve found it a fun thing to have “tourist day” and see all the “highlights” of the place.
If I have to choose one, the architecture tour by river boat in Chicago guided by someone who is clearly deeply nerdy about architecture (told us about city planning meetings) was pretty stellar.
Train-O-Rama in Ohio has been permanently closed for a for a while now but I’m glad to have gone. It was a building full of model train sets. It felt like it existed more for the love of the game than to make money.
I visited that once, years ago. I wasn’t into trains, but we were in the neighborhood, so we checked it out, and it was kinda cool. Sorry it’s gone.
What’s that saying? It’s better to have loved and gone than to never have gone at all.
Carhenge!
World’s biggest Apple in Colbourne, Ontario. Has any apple or apple accessories you need, but I did fuck with them and told them there was a bigger apple in Osaka, Japan.
I don’t know how well this house off the side of the road really fits the traditional definition, but if you’re visiting Iceland you probably like fancy rocks and this place definitely has those.
All of those physical illusion spots are pretty cool. In California its the mystery spot and confusion hill.
Rock City Gardens near Chattanooga would be my recommendation. Super cool cave system, canyon and trail with waterfalls and scenic views. We decided to stop there on a whim after seeing billboards advertising it from hundreds of miles away. It was a welcome break from a long drive!
The pyramids of Giza were pretty cool
