Tourist Trap Trip Tips! Part 6

1. Maine: Bar Harbor. Sitting on the border of Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor is a pretty seaside town, which makes it a magnet for out-of-state tourists. Like many tourist hotspots in Maine, it has its fair share of traffic jams, tacky souvenir shops, and overpriced seafood restaurants. On a Reddit thread about the most overrated towns in Maine, one user wrote, "Bar Harbor for sure. So crowded in the summer you have to wait to eat anywhere and every store is basically the same kind of tourist shop." Another echoed the sentiment, saying, "Bar Harbor in the summer is like Disneyland except instead of rides you're just overpaying for lobster." However, many visitors praise the area for it's picturesque locale, its myriad of outdoor adventures, the food and rich history. Do you enjoy visiting popular tourist spots?

2. Maryland: The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. The writer's former residence at 203 Amity Street in Baltimore, Maryland is now a National Historic Landmark. The well-preserved brick-house-turned-museum features exhibits on Edgar Allan Poe's life, work, and ties to Baltimore. Why not visit where historians believe Poe composed many of his famous poems and stories, including "MS. Found in a Bottle" and "To Elizabeth"? Because he only lived there for two years, from 1833-1835. The rooms are bare, sans period décor, and the museum is only open Thursday through Sunday, from 11am-4pm and reservations must be booked online. Adult tickets start at $12.00 and can go up if you add in things like the souvenir book guide and cell phone tour or the drop-in tour of the death exhibit at Carroll Mansion. Plus, there's no public restroom or handicapped-accessible features. Many visitors feel that this one just isn't worth it. Are you a fan of any of Poe's works?