How do you define a tourist trap? It seems lots of people have varying viewpoints and even double standards where this is concerned.
I was dining with strangers at a bed and breakfast in Ohio’s Amish country last month when I began to ruminate on this topic. At my table, we had a lovely Asian woman who was entertaining a friend visiting from Thailand. The friend was here for six weeks and they were doing long weekends and day trips to see the sights around the midwest and southern US.
The other two people at my table were a nice older couple from Ohio who are retirees and who enjoy traveling. They said they visit Amish Country a few times every year. The three of us were sharing ideas for experiences near and far from the Cincinnati market. Since her homeland doesn’t see cold weather, I suggested ice skating in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square where hot chocolate and holiday music would make the experience especially festive. They were soon headed to see the amazing holiday decor at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and were looking for some more Christmasy things to do.
I recommended looking into Michigan and shared some about my experience in Frankenmuth. I enjoyed the German themes of this small town and shopping at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. I told them about the gorgeous nineteenth century church that took my breath away and about the holiday light display outside Bronner’s.
The man rolled his eyes and said “yeah, but that’s kind of a tourist trap.”
I was taken aback and couldn’t think of a polite thing to say so I said the first impolite thing that came to mind. “I suppose it is but it’s no more a tourist trap than Amish country,” I said with a smile that may have resembled a barring of teeth. After all, the main things to do here are shop and eat and it feels more like a caricature than an authentic experience.
Lots of people love Amish Country but it stresses me out and makes me wonder what the Amish residents think of all these crazy English people coming in droves to eat noodles and buy the foreign made craft items sold in gift shops. The entire place feels like a giant tourist trap to me and that’s ok. I feel the same way about other popular destinations like Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach and anything with the word Disney in it.
In fact, if a place is a tourist trap, that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to visit if you like that kind of thing. I know people who only ever vacation in Gatlinburg but have never been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That’s the thing I like best about that area but they prefer the hillbilly shows, restaurants and shopping. You know, the things I don’t really want to do in abundance.
Frankenmuth wasn’t created only to sell stuff. The town was founded by Germans in 1845. Their downtown strip is lined by shops and restaurants with fun designs and they do a nice job commercializing their heritage. The Christmas store is on the outskirts of town and attracts swarms of Christmas enthusiasts every day. It’s festive and fun. It’s kind of an oddity but visiting was a pleasant experience I would repeat if given the chance.
Tourist trap? Maybe. Still worth a visit? You bet.
What places do you enjoy that might be classified as a tourist trap? After all, I may want to go.