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Most major cities have a multitude of tourist attractions, but there are also plenty of smaller, unusual things that tourists don't get told about. Plus, small towns don't always get the credit of the attractions in their area as they are overlooked.
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#1
The castle in my hometown of Dumbarton has the longest recorded history of any fort/stronghold in Scotland, and was continuously used since the Iron Age up to the mid 1600's. The fort/town was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde, traded freely with the Romans in England (Britannia), and among other royal guests over the centuries (including James the IV of Scotland, the 1st of England) the castle provided safety for Mary Queen of Scots before she fled to France (and supposedly held William Wallace briefly before he was shipped to London to be hung, drawn and quartered). It also features the 'French Prison' built to hold prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars.
The castle itself is built upon the plug of an extinct volcano (Dumbarton Rock as it's known) thought to be 334 million years old, which sits on the banks of the River Clyde overlooking the town, and the remaining buildings are still in use as part of the attraction/visitor centre/museum on site. The rest of the volcano has long eroded away, leaving only the basalt plug standing alone among the flood plains, and which from certain angles looks like a pair of boobs. From the higher of the peaks you can see all the way to Glasgow in one direction, down to the firth of the Clyde in the other.
Final score:
12points
RELATED:
#2
Fort Whyte Alive - 1961 McCreary Road
This is for the nature lover who wants to see animals but doesn't like zoos and not into camping, and really want to experience the Canadian prairies. It's basically a marshy nature reserve with various outdoor activities for all seasons.
Walk along bog boardwalks on one of the 5 lakes, hike in the parkland. You can ride a bike on the trails. Take a sailing and paddling course.
There's bison herds, bird feeding stations, a prairie dog town.
The Interpretive Centre has additional nature exhibits and an aquarium.
If you're hearty enough for our cold winters you can go ice skating, tobogganing (sledding) and cross country skiing (I don't think they have much for downhill).
A very picturesque place for photographers. We have lovely summers, autumns and winters. Spring gets a bit muddy and dull until plants and trees start blooming.
Final score:
10points
MyOpinionHasBeenServed (Submission author) 2 years ago
I forgot to mention this in Winnipeg, Canada.
#3
in Ohakune new zealand we have a 7.5 meter tall carrot its pretty cool
Final score:
10points
#4
If you're ever driving on route 66 and drive through Tulsa on a hot day you GOTTA stop by the ice cream sandwich shop called Sweets and Cream!
Final score:
8points
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Ice cream is always good! (Well, except that I am lactose intolerant, but I'm willing to test out how much I can consume before I'm sick)
#5
I live in sparrow fart so nothing. But I will say this: We are on top of a hill and have the most beautiful view. Down below I can see woods, little villages, farms and a river meandering ....
Final score:
7points
voice of reason 2 years ago
Sparrow fart, eh? I've been thru there...very scenic. Or was that Tanniger Twit...anywhere near there? Might know someone in common.
#6
Toruń, Poland.
The medieval old town of the city in which I live is one of the most beautiful in the whole country and is full of original historic tenement houses, granaries and churches. This is where Nicolaus Copernicus was born. Toruń is also famous for numerous festivals and delicious gingerbreads. It may not be the most famous city in Poland, but it is definitely worth a visit.
Final score:
7points
#7
Not my hometown cause I’m a military kid but rn I’m a town away from a great park that overviews the Missouri River and its beautiful. It’s the same town I volunteer at
Final score:
6points
#8
https://springfieldmuseums.org/about/dr-seuss-museum/
Right now I live in Springfield Massachusetts. There are many things to see here, the MassMutual center, MGM has put in a casino in the last couple years but the thing I like about our area is it was the hometown of Dr Seuss. The local library has a Seuss museum and tour plus if you go a few streets down you can see the property where his house used to stand. It is a really cool exhibit to see if you happen to be in the area.
Final score:
6points
#9
In my hometown of Assuit, Egypt, there is the Nile River (as it is on the edges of the river)
Final score:
6points
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I really want to visit Egypt. I was very into Egyptology as a kid and teen. My uncle has visited there and other places nearby and there seem to be so many interesting and beautiful places that aren't the big tourist attractions.
#10
Melbourne has lots of laneways that have off-the-cuff attractions in them. Street art is a major one in Melbourne lanes, but there are plenty of other things to see and do as well.
Final score:
5points
#11
In my area specifically? It IS close to Washington D.C., but I think the best thing around is my mosque. It belongs to my sect of Islam, but I still think of it as my mosque. Other than that, not much to see. Unless you like suburbia, in which case WHOOOO BOY DID YOU COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!
Final score:
5points
#12
Málaga, Andalusia, Spain.
Apart from a lot of museums, we have a Roman theater and several Arab monuments (for example, the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle are the most visited) we also have a cathedral (unfinished) from the 18th century which is the symbol of the city and several palaces from the 18th-19th century. The birthplace of Pablo Picasso. The English cemetery. Kilometers of Roman aqueducts, not only in the city, but all over the province. The two most important markets have Arab facades, which are still the original ones. Several botanical gardens and natural parks.
And about 185km of beaches that almost always have warm water.
And best of all, almost everything has free admission.
Final score:
5points
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
That's a lot cool places. I particularly love castles and cathedrals.
#13
Here in Jacksonville Florida, we have adventure landing. It’s not really a great attraction but if you are nearby, it’s awesome. The wave pool is fun when you’re on and the sides are awesome. The “eye of the storm” slide leads into an 8 foot deep pool that has very little light. It looks scary but is really fun.
Final score:
5points
#14
In Leuven Belgium the old city hall in Braband Baroque, the historic city center, the old markt
Final score:
5points
#15
I live in HK and there’s plenty of cool things, but the museums are a must see, there’s a history museum, a space museum, even a railway museum!
Final score:
4points
#16
One of the last two coal-fired powerplants in France :-)
Final score:
4points
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
One of the coal power stations near me was just pulled down, now they are deciding what to do with the area, particularly the cooling pool.
#17
Either the mountains or the space needle
Final score:
4points
Carol Emory 2 years ago
Best Northwest attraction...Go to Mount Rainier to the area at Paradise Lodge in August. Take the trail up the mountain to the lookout point. Make sure to time it to where it's before 2ish in the afternoon. When you look out, it's as if the mountain is floating in the clouds with small island mountain tops in the distance. Truly a sight to behold.
#18
well i live in oahu (hawaii) and china walls (not the actual) is a great spot! its like our personal swimming pool and it is in the ocean. amazing spot to hang out/swim.
Final score:
4points
#19
There is a gigantic enclosure with a bunch of wild horses (the Mongolian kind that were never tamed) near my village. It's right past the giant solar panel farm. That's about it.
Final score:
4points
#20
Old buildings. A lot of old buildings. Though most people just come here to look at stuff that was in Inspector Morse, His Dark Materials or Harry Potter...(Oxford, England)
Final score:
3points
#21
I was raised in Southeast Texas, near Beaumont. We have Spindletop, the site of the 1st major oil strike in Texas in 1901. And a little farther south in Port Arthur, Janis Joplin's childhood home.
Final score:
3points
#22
I live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee(USA). We have the Stones River National Battlefield here. It has miles of paths through the woods, showing where one of the most important battles in the Civil War was fought. Still with original earthworks, trenches, etc. Then the museum, which has Incredible displays of weaponry, letters from soldiers, amazing (and heart-breaking) displays…my wife and I spent hours here, absolutely awe and moved. Also, totally free to explore
Final score:
3points
#23
The must see attraction is the arch that goes right over I80. If you've driven I80 thru Nebraska you've seen it. It's the only interesting thing here
Final score:
3points
#24
The Pondoland Coast (Eastern Cape, South Africa). 100s of kms of unspoiled, undeveloped coast
Final score:
3points
#25
Take your pick, Disneyland, California Adventure, The Angels, The Ducks. Check out Joe's Ice Creams if you are in the area. Adjacent is Knotts Berry Farm (my first choice, try the chicken and boysenberry pie), Soak City, Pirates dinner theater, Medieval Times, Discovery Science Museum for kids, Aquarium of the Pacific, Fullerton Arboretum, the beach (Newport's good). Avoid Garden Walk and Downtown Disney, unless you enjoy overprices malls.
Final score:
2points
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Good advice about the malls (I got caught at one in Alberta that I really wasn't interested in because my air bnb host directed me there)
#26
Hudson Ohio has an amazing historic district, with houses dating back to 1890
Final score:
2points
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Given my surname, I'm always keen to visit places with Hudson in the name :)
#27
Washington Monument, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the list goes on
Final score:
2points
#28
Don't know if this is here. My hometown has the Missouri Mater
Final score:
2points
#29
I live in CDO (Cagayan De Oro) in the phillipines and the greatest place?
Makahambus Cave. That cave leads straight to a water rafting site, and you can go in there, seriously the entire day on a boat, on a raft. It is pretty cool.
If you want to visit that place, here's a link to their site :)
https://riverraftingcdo.com/
Final score:
2points
#30
From Pune, India... it is a historic city with quite a cultural aspects too... There are quite a few things you can see here... We have many old temples in & around the city. We have quite a few old churches too... There is a synagogue here which is the biggest in Asia outside of Israel... Someone from the Sasson family is buried here. We have the Shaniwar Wada which was the home of the Peshwas, Prime Minister to the Maratha King... the place got mysteriously burned in 1819 or something but has the basics are built to understand how it was.. There is Lal Mahal which was the residence of the Maratha king Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj... nearby there is a famous Ganapati temple which is known to grant wishes.. The old city area (which is huge and divided into areas or peths) offers quite a few things in terms of shopping. We also have a famous fort nearby called Sinhagad (Fort of the Lion) which is amazing... Trekkers or hikers will have a great time since we have a lot of trekking sites nearby... Of course, foodies will also be happy.
Final score:
2points
#31
My hometown has so much
For you sports fans, there is the Bell Centre
if you want to shop, go to the Old Port
If you like rides, we got La Ronde
we even have stuff for you musical nerds
Final score:
2points
#32
Eastern Shore Maryland USA: The wild ponies that live on the barrier island of Assateague/Chincoteague. If you go very early in the morning you can see a lot of deer as well and watch the sunrise over the Atlantic.
Final score:
2points
#33
Here in Las Vegas, Nevada there are many things....however if I were to choose it would be,
1. Hoover dam. It's amazing two things they built that was not having all the high-tech tools we have now.
2. The Mob Museum at Fremont Street. (Fremont street's pretty cool too). It's the history of Las Vegas in the old Vegas courthouse building.
Final score:
2points
#34
In my Hometown of Kensington, Maryland not England has old Movie Theaters around in the surrounding area and I think maybe one in it but I know there are some in the surrounding area really close but not that much
Final score:
2points
#36
There isn't much to visit in Maryland, but I would definitely recommend the boardwalk at Ocean City during the summer.
Final score:
2points
#37
Goats on the Roof!! Coombs, BC (Canada)
An eclectic marketplace with a grass roof for the goats which literally live on the roof! A million people a year come to see these goats. Just off the Island Highway which runs through Cathedral Grove .. ahhh Beautiful British Columbia
Final score:
2points
#38
The numerous « traboules » in the old part of Lyon as well as the neighbourhood called Croix Rousse. And while you’re at it, just walking around these two areas as well as Fourvière is a nice and relaxing way to visit Lyon.
Final score:
1point
#39
Cedar Hill Nature Preserve - if you like open air and nice views. [cedar hill, tx. usa]
Final score:
1point
#40
Venice Boardwalk ig
Final score:
1point
#41
I live in Melbourne and I always have it has the N.G.V ,the old parliament house and its better than Sydney (f*ck you NSW)
Final score:
1point
#42
Stratford, CT. Lots of Revolutionary sites, huge state parks and forests, lakes, old (to US residents) cemeteries. There are so many historic sites.
Final score:
1point
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I love visiting historic places, especially when there are random bits of trivia connected with them you otherwise might not know.
#45
Black Oak Arkansas (the band). The compound of the band was destroyed by fire but the property since been turned into a resort. The owners have repaired the massive wood fence over the years but kept it as original as possible. I can see it from my driveway.
Final score:
1point
#46
Nothing cool to see BUT the name is pretty cool. Wetumpka pronounced..We-wau-tum-cau. The Creek Indians name our area. It means rumbling waters. The Coosa river runs through here. I always thought that was pretty cool. Even cooler to say. We-tump-ka
Final score:
1point
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
That is a cool name. I really like it when there are places named by the traditional custodians (I don't know if that's the correct term in the US) of the area. Some of the Australian ones I like are Ballaballa, Budgewoi and Lilli Pilli.
#47
Red Rocks Ampitheater.
Final score:
1point
#48
Alaska. Any city or town. Ravens, Magpies, and moose. Moose depend on the neighborhood. Ravens & magpies own the place.
Final score:
1point
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I would like to see a moose, as long as it could be at a respectable distance.
#49
The Musical Road
http://www.themusicalroad.com/
Final score:
1point
#50
The Goosetower, Vordingborg DK.
Build in the 1360s as part of the Vordingborg castle and worked as an observationtower.
The ruins are eroding but the tower still stands.
https://da.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gåsetårnet
Final score:
1point
What do you think ?
Troux 2 years ago (edited)
Pro tip: Visit www.atlasobscura.com to find the odd, unique, off-the-beaten-path spots in any location. Guaranteed to send you home with more interesting stories than the tourist traps! You might be surprised what's lurking in your own hometown, even...
Huddo's sister (Post author) 2 years ago
I love atlas obscura! I used it a lot when planning my trip to Canada a couple of years ago. There are a couple of things on there near my new hometown I've been meaning to visit too.
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Troux 2 years ago (edited)
Pro tip: Visit www.atlasobscura.com to find the odd, unique, off-the-beaten-path spots in any location. Guaranteed to send you home with more interesting stories than the tourist traps! You might be surprised what's lurking in your own hometown, even...
Huddo's sister (Post author) 2 years ago
I love atlas obscura! I used it a lot when planning my trip to Canada a couple of years ago. There are a couple of things on there near my new hometown I've been meaning to visit too.
Load More Replies...
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