The 6 Most Disappointing Places We've Visited (And Why)

We’ve got a new list for you: it’s not a list of our favorite places like we’ve done before, but instead, we’re getting real with you about the most disappointing places we’ve visited.

In our last video, we shared our recap of favorite state parks and a national park that we actually got to stay in. It was a very positive, feel-good video—we were just remembering all these amazing places, and we could have gone back to any of them in a heartbeat.

But today? Today is a different story. This list is about the six places that didn’t quite live up to expectations. We were really excited to visit these spots, but after going, we felt… disappointed.

Disclaimer: It's Not About Being Terrible

Before we dive in, I want to make something clear: none of the places on this list are terrible. No "rat-hole" cities or sketchy spots to worry about.

In fact, many of these places have redeeming qualities.

But after traveling with three young kids, some of these spots just didn’t hit the mark for us. We wanted to be honest about our experience.

We’re sure you’re going to disagree with some of these picks (and that’s okay), but hey—this is our real, honest list of places we probably won’t rush back to with kids in tow. That doesn’t mean we won’t return in the future once our kids are older, or maybe just the two of us.

So let’s get into it!

1. Four Corners

Ah, Four Corners. It’s such a popular spot—it’s the only place in the U.S. where four states meet, which sounds cool, right?

We were pretty excited to check it out, especially since we were driving through the area on our way from Durango, Colorado to Monument Valley. We could’ve taken a more direct route, but we thought, “Hey, we’re here—let’s go see it!”

But the reality? It’s out in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive down a sketchy gravel road, pay to get to the medallion, and wait in line for your turn to take the obligatory photo. And that’s it.

While the concept is cool, the experience was definitely not worth the detour. If this place were 20 minutes away in a town, sure, we’d visit—but making a special trip out of it? Not again.

2. Tombstone, Arizona

Next up: Tombstone, Arizona. We were pretty excited to check out this iconic Western town. It’s a place that gets a lot of attention online, and people rave about the Wild West atmosphere.

But when we got there? It felt like a tourist trap.

It’s all about the reenactments and cheesy Western experiences, but everything is disjointed. There’s no cohesive experience—it’s just a bunch of people trying to get you to buy tickets for different reenactments, and most of them weren’t even happening in the main town.

If you're a huge Western fan and love the movie Tombstone, maybe this would be for you, but for us? We walked around for about an hour and then just left. Not going back.

3. Santa Barbara, California (With Kids)

Santa Barbara is gorgeous—no doubt about it. If Brian and I went without kids, we’d be there in a heartbeat. Beautiful ocean views, trendy boutiques, and all the restaurants you could dream of. But with three kids? Not so much.

A lot of the attractions were either too expensive for our family of five or just weren’t really geared toward children. Plus, some restaurants didn’t even allow kids.

It’s a beautiful spot for a getaway—just not with little ones. If you’re traveling without kids, go for it. But if you’ve got young ones, you might want to rethink this one.

4. The Grand Canyon

I know, I know—this one is going to stir the pot. The Grand Canyon is a bucket-list destination for a reason: it’s awe-inspiring, massive, and so beautiful you can’t even comprehend it when you first see it.

We were beyond excited to visit, and at first, it was breathtaking. But then came the stress.

The Grand Canyon has no guardrails in a lot of areas, and it’s a place where people fall to their deaths every year. When you’re traveling with small children, that’s a huge concern.

I’m terrified of heights as it is, and having my kids running around near the edge was absolutely terrifying. We had to use leash harnesses, which helped a bit, but it was still a stressful experience.

We had to leave after only half a day, and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it for families with young kids. Maybe when our kids are older, we’ll go back and explore properly, but for now? It’s too dangerous for little ones.

5. San Francisco, California

San Francisco is one of those iconic American cities that you see everywhere—on TV, in movies, in travel ads.

We were super excited to check it out, and we did have a great time seeing all the touristy spots like Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge.

But there was an element of San Francisco that was really hard to ignore: the disparity of wealth. You can literally walk by people eating out of trash cans while passing multi-million dollar buildings, and that’s tough to explain to kids.

It’s also a very dirty city, and the cost of everything is insane.

Don’t get me wrong, we had a good time, but it was just more difficult than we anticipated. I can’t say I’m dying to go back—though the views from the Golden Gate Bridge were incredible.

6. New England (With Our RV)

New England is one of our favorite places in the world, with some of our best memories and family trips.

But—there’s a catch. We took our RV through New England, and it was a nightmare.

New England roads are tight, and there are so many low overpasses, narrow roads, and tricky turns that we spent hours planning our route just to avoid getting stuck.

If we had a smaller vehicle, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but with our large RV, it was a stressful experience. While we’d love to go back—maybe in a smaller vehicle or even just for a weekend trip without the rig—we won’t be doing that again with the RV.

Bonus: WonderWorks

Finally, I have a bonus entry for you. WonderWorks is a tourist attraction with those upside-down buildings that you see all over places like Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach. We visited with our older daughter, and it was a huge letdown.

It’s essentially a poor man’s science museum with none of the charm. It’s expensive, the exhibits are outdated, and our daughter—who usually loves this kind of stuff—was over it in about 30 minutes.

Total waste of money and time. Save your cash and visit a real science museum instead.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it—our six most disappointing places we’ve visited (with a bonus to boot).

Again, we’re not saying these places are bad, but for us, they just didn’t live up to the hype, especially when traveling with small children.

We’d love to hear your thoughts—did we miss anything? Are we totally off-base? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re traveling with kids, maybe this will help you plan your next trip with a little more thought!

Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time!

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