It's the Trashiest Place on Earth!

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Gotta add Frankenmuth, Michigan, which is supposed to be an "authentic" Bavarian town, and also has a year-round Christmas kitsch megastore.

In the Northeast, there are some tacky beach towns. Hampton Beach, NH, Seaside Heights, NJ, Wildwood, NJ, Rehoboth/Dewey Beach, DE, Ocean City, MD.

Rehoboth is most certainly not tacky.

Dewey for sure is. As is Ocean City.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

Venice Beach is downright trashy in all senses of the word, I think it deserves a spot on this list even if very different than say, Myrtle Beach. More akin to Atlantic City without the casinos.

Yes, I was thinking about Venice Beach but once you get two blocks off of the beach, and especially along the canal, the homes are very nice and expensive. I think a lot of tech and media companies are moving to Venice Beach.

[iheartthed]

Europe has a lot of those towns, but many of them hide behind historic architecture to appear more refined (especially to unwitting Americans). I haven't been to Benidorm, but I've been to nearby Alicante which also might fit in this bucket. Alicante has a little culture and history, but it is also very nightlife oriented and tourist dependent.

Ibiza is the most famous in Europe, while Mykonos is the runner-up. A lesser known one that I went to a couple years ago is Hvar Island in Croatia. If getting blackout drunk every night with British 20-somethings on a Mediterranean island surrounded by crystal clear water is your idea of fun, put Hvar at the top of your list.

[bossabreezes]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Yes, I was thinking about Venice Beach but once you get two blocks off of the beach, and especially along the canal, the homes are very nice and expensive. I think a lot of tech and media companies are moving to Venice Beach.

Oh absolutely! Very expensive and quite tranquil. Along the boardwalk is quite the gauntlet though. Also there is some tech in Venice but the majority is centered around Santa Monica and Playa Vista which is not that far from Venice proper.

Also, can't believe I forgot to mention but Nashville deserves honorable mention here.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Frankenmuth, MI has some of the most boring natural scenery in MI.

I don't think natural scenery has ever been the draw of Frankenmuth. It's all about the fried chicken, lol.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I don't think natural scenery has ever been the draw of Frankenmuth. It's all about the fried chicken, lol.

Yeah, that's another thing. Frankenmuth is supposed to be a Bavarian town, but is famous for fried chicken.

They don't eat much chicken in Germany, and fried chicken is definitely not a German thing, at all. Might as well be famous for tacos or banh mi.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Sedona?

[(four 0 four)]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

I'll see your Frankenmuth, Michigan and raise you a Helen, Georgia.

I was going to mention Helen!

And just in case there was any doubt in it's worthiness

photo from dqtravel.net

[Crawford]

Holy shit, that tops Frankenmuth.

People think Bavaria looks like that?

[202_Cyclist]

How is Leavenworth, WA? I am sure it is a bit cheesy but it is in a nice mountain setting. I want to go to Oktoberfest there as part of a Pacific Northwest trip. It also helps that Amtrak serves Leavenworth, avoiding having to drive.

[harryc]

Wall Drugs in South Dakota ( Wall South Dakota )

[SteveD]

Hahaha Helen GA. In the right frame of mind it can be a blast to get your daytime drunk on there.

[photoLith]

Easily the two most disgusting places I’ve been have been Pigeon Forge and Branson, MO. I felt disgusting, like a needed a shower after visiting those towns. Full of crazed Trumps and evangelical Christians in mini vans. Yuck.

I mean there’s obviously just run down towns that are shitholes everywhere, but nothing compares to those two for yuck factor.

[JManc]

Any touristy area that has 'adult' novelty shops, Harley Davidson stores and crappy bars that serves Margaritas to go in plastic yard cups

[bilbao58]

Everything across the street from the Alamo. Though I'm not sure I'd call it "gleefully trashy.:


Tourist Trap on Flickr

[DCReid]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Rehoboth is most certainly not tacky.

Dewey for sure is. As is Ocean City.

As for Rehoboth, DE, the boardwalk is kind of tacky as the traffic clogged and over-retailed Delaware Route 1 that runs through it. But the side streets and most of the residential neighborhood are quite nice. Still a 6 lane highway going through it is ridiculous!

[Crawford]

Some of these beach towns have tacky boardwalks but are nice overall. Ocean City, NJ has a super-cheesy boardwalk with all the stereotypical Jersey Shore touches, but once you step off the boardwalk, it's a charming, upper middle class town.

[plinko]

Solvang, CA, though they pretend well since it's Santa Barbara County and all...

I oddly have to add Pismo Beach to this as well, though that is a tale of two halves. One half is a perfectly normal beautiful central coast beach town. The other half...WTF?

It seems many of these places are very nearby natural places of amazing beauty.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

Sedona?

Yeah, Sedona definitely deserves a mention. The vortexes, oh the vortexes! I'm healed!! (or wait, is it vortices?)


source

Originally Posted by Crawford

Holy shit, that tops Frankenmuth.

People think Bavaria looks like that?

I dunno... Frankenmuth has this -


source

And this -


source

And these -


source


source

Also Bronner's - the world's largest Christmas store - (mentioned in earlier post). Maps are provided to help you not get lost -


source

Also worth mentioning, the "Bavarian Belle" paddle boat (because this reminds me of northern Bavaria) -


source

Kitschiness and all, I have lots of fond childhood memories, birthdays, etc. at this place.

Mackinaw City is pretty cringe-worthy too. Where you can eat fudge 'til you puke.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Lake Havasu City, AZ has the original (?) London Bridge and a steamboat and faux-Shakespearian village.