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Almost went to Stonehenge after visiting family down south. They wanted £60 and wouldn't let us take the dog in.
You can apparently get in cheaper if you're a member of English Heritage. So we looked online to see if it was a fair deal and what other sites membership grants you.
Turns out that English Heritage are a bunch of robbing bastards (they literally stole seahenge!) that enclose our historic sites in order to charge money for access to them.
I won't be visiting if I have to pay them.
English Heritage was set up by the government to protect historic sites, and then spun out as an independent charity to continue that role.
Protecting sites includes limiting the numbers who can visit, hence enclosing them. That allows visitor numbers to be capped and managed (which reduces damage from over tourism) and also prevents illicit access and vandalisn.
In the case of seahenge it was literally rotting away - the decision was made to excavate and preserve what was left. That was in response to press campaigns to do something to save seahenge; it was a controversial at the time and remains so now. They did this while still part of the UK government in 1999.
Stonehenge was gifted to the nation in 1915 and had been on private land up to that ppint. A lot of expensive work has been done to preserve the site including demolishing other structures to preserve the skyline, and even recently burying a section of road.
Visitor charges and subscriptions pay for English Heritage to continue their work and preserve our history. They're not "robbing bastards", they're a non profit with an expensive role.
When I was over there last year, we tried to shoehorn Stonehenge into our plant since we would be driving past in on the way to Bath. I heard from plenty of people that it’s almost not worth it unless you’re just really interested in its specific history. I was told it gets crowded pretty quickly (lots of tourists groups), and you can’t get very close to it anymore. We dropped it and saw it from the motorway on the way to Bath.
If it makes you feel any better, I was on a student ambassador trip to the UK and Ireland in the very early 2000's. Stonehenge wasn't on our itinerary, but we were traveling past and wanted to see it. Our local guides warned us that we might be disappointed, but we insisted. I won't say it wasn't worth it to see, but we were all pretty underwhelmed. It was still a neat and striking experience to see, but we were kept pretty far away from the stones. They were roped off in a field by the highway, and there wasn't much in the way of historical exhibits to spend time enjoying.
Alcatraz.
I've lived in the SF Bay Area my entire life, SF proper for a quarter decade. I've just never gotten around to it.
Are you me?
Almost same, I only went because some friends were visiting and they wanted to go. It's fine.
Funny thing is, I actually had to crew a barge that was provisioning the island. I've been tied up alongside, but never set foot on the rock.
The upper peninsula in Michigan. Lived in SE Michigan for 45 years.
Sorry, you mean Canada, right?
Nope. I love our northern (southern) neighbors but the UP is ‘Murica for sure.
Correct. This is but a jab at Fox News. Or maybe we had just sent in some troops from the north, armed with fresh maple Fritters and poutine.
Ahhh ok, I’m an idiot. I get it now! Oh fox.
I've always wanted to go up there Island hopping in the summer!
Edit: wow, I was off by a whole state, the below is actually in Minnesota!
I've always been a fan of map oddities. Oak Island in Michigan or fort Charles, where the closest land crossing is Canada, they seem so interesting
I spent a whole afternoon using Google maps to go around Jim's corner
I lived in NYC for a few years and never went to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, or really any of the iconic touristy things.
Why? No idea. Never seemed interesting to me.
Yeah. Visiting the tourist traps in your city are always something that you defer until somebody comes to visit and you start to think well what are we going to do? I know we'll take them to the tourist traps
I’m gonna use this as my excuse when people ask why I’ve never been to the popular places in my city. lol
Same. I only went to the Empire State building because it was a school trip.
Keep meaning to go on the tour of the Shanghai Tunnels but then forget about it. Also Mills End Park, could prob do both in one day tbh.
Centralia is like a couple hours away from me, and I've always wanted to go see it. Mostly what's stopping me is that I get the impression they don't really like or want tourists around?
I've been there. Totally fun to explore! Don't be shy. Your money spends just like anyone else's.
I've never been to the local school. A private school quite a bit away? Sure, have attended that, I even have recorded memorabilia from that if that's looked for. But the public school one can walk to in a few minutes? Never stepped inside there and it actually feels unheard of. Those barbarians.
Painted desert, petrified forest national park, monument valley.
All places off great natural beauty, less than 200 miles away, and in 40 years of living here I’ve just never made the time. Nothing keeping me from going except my own procrastination.
Natural Bridge in Virginia. My wife has been once or twice, but I’ve never gone.
C&O Trail outside of DC. I’ve been on a small part of it. Would love to do more of it.
Natural bridge is super nice I need to see C&O as well
If there is anything of significance I can reach in a day (or even 2), I only haven't been there because I am completely unaware of its existence. I've been pretty much everywhere in California and even the surrounding states and parts of Mexico. From Jupiter down to San Diego. From every trail and POI in Yosemite National Park to the entire old highway along the coast.
I fuckin' love this state, and I live pretty much right in the middle of it.
Isle of Man
Is it the kind of place you would like to have visited? But just never had the plan come together?
Yes
I've never been to Mersing, small costal town 2 hours from me. It looks nice, it looks like a pleasant drive.. I guess I need an excuse to go there, or friends who want to go to the seaside for a day..
Maybe that's what I'll do next weekend!
York - I'm in Manchester and it's really not far away (about 1hr 40) but I've never really thought to make the trip. I think I will now!
I've never been to a Leafs game despite being so close to Toronto. I'm not really a hockey fan but it feels like I should go once just because I'm Canadian.
México
I was once, years ago, 90ft from the boarder doing a site visit to a Freezer Warehouse.
My entire family & extended family have been, and my sister even got married there.
Never interested in going and now it's on an entirely different continent.
Canada. It is within a day's drive and I've even been to Niagara falls as well as a camp in northern Maine that was on a lake sharing a border. Never been across that border though.
Banff