Churchill Downs is the spot of the world-famous Kentucky Derby and has been around in bigger and better forms since 1875. And during the Kentucky Derby, the place is packed full of race fans, tourists, gamblers, and even some celebrities.
If you aren’t a part of any of those groups, or if crowds give you the fits, this isn’t the place for you. It’s a pricey destination, too, with fees reaching above a hundred dollars per person. While Churchill Downs does have numerous events throughout the year, the Derby is the big one, and it’s the kind of place you really have to want to be.
He's Pointing the Way Toward Funner Things
Vulcan was the famous architect of the gods in Greek mythology, and he's downgraded from Mount Olympus to make a new home in Birmingham, Alabama. It's a testament to the city's metalworking and construction history.
The statue is the world's largest iron-ore statue, standing fifty-six feet tall and weighing in at over eleven thousand pounds, more than ten and a half tons. It's in the middle of a nice park in this bustling city, but unless you enjoy craning your neck up to look at a statue that's been around for more than forty years, it isn't much of a draw.
Bean There, Done That
The shiny, metallic Chicago Bean – its actual name is “Cloud Gate” – was made by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor, and the sculpture now resides as the centerpiece of AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park in Chicago. It's free to visit, and certainly an attractive item.
But, that's all it really is. You can take a selfie with your warped reflection in the background – it will go great on your dating profile – but crowds are dense, especially during the day, and other than photographic evidence and a story that starts and ends with “I've been there,” this attraction has little to offer.
He Just Wants to be Left Alone
This rock formation kinda looks like a dude, doesn't it? It's a series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and from the right spot, it appears to be the jagged profile of an old man, hence the name Old Man of the Mountain.
Unless you're looking at it from the right angle, there's nothing to see. Even climbing on the face itself doesn't look great. But we should have used the past tense – in 2003 the ridges collapsed, leaving a much more boring mountain to look at. Take this one off the list of places to visit.
It's Not Out of This World
The Space Needle is one of Seattle's – and Washington state's – most famous attractions. Mental images have it stretching up toward the stars as you dine in the famous SkyCity restaurant as it spins atop the Needle.
In actuality, the Needle is only six hundred feet high. What's worse, the restaurant is regularly packed to the gills and extra expensive to book. If you have the time and money, it might be worth the trip, but otherwise, see the sights, take a pic, and then get away from the large pockets of tourists that always crowd the windows.