Tacky Tourist Photos

SUBMITTED BY: Ben and Sarah Cole   LOCATION: Glenwood Caverns, Colorado (2011) At the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Historic Fairy Caves, all is not magical.  The best part of this classic Tacky Tourist Photo? — it’s the acting, of course! Great job, Ben!  Looks like you could be the next James Franco. (Ben and [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Kaeli Conforti   LOCATION: Nassau, Bahamas (2011) Young women just dig guys in silk ruffled shirts and unscrupulous morals. But an honest gorilla looking for love? — Forget it! (Kaeli Conforti is a New York City travel writer with a weakness for wax museums).

SUBMITTED BY: Peggy Dillon and Adrienne Lopes   LOCATION: Ellis Island, New York (2010) A brilliant exercise in historical product placement, Mattel and Ellis Island have teamed up to let you explore your ethnic heritage through cocktail dresses and itsy bitsy pairs of shoes. “Wouldn’t Barbie have had a pink boat, complete with a hair [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Darren Garnick   LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2010) Everyone knows how to retrace the historical steps of Sylvester Stallone. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a lot more accessible to tourists than the snowbanks of Siberia — if you have your heart set on recreating Rocky IV. But did you know that you can run [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Dana Prey   LOCATION: Cairo, Egypt (2009) Wanna recreate the sensation of getting sensual with the Sphinx?  Go kiss a bucket of sand! (Dana Prey is a bacon-loving Southern belle living in New England, who documents her competitive cycling addiction on her “Wall of Pain.”) CURATOR’S PICK — Do you LOVE photographing ancient [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Raymond Hoffer    LOCATION: Paris, France (1972) Backpacking through France after his freshman year of college, Raymond hopped from youth hostel to youth hostel in his disco duds and his copy of “Europe on $5 a Day.” “As for my clothes, these were standard issue among college students at the time,” says Raymond. [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Tamar M.  LOCATION: Yellowstone National Park, Montana (2009) If Yellowstone Park were South Park, here’s what the tourism poster model would look like. More proof that deep within each and every one of us is the spirit of an 11-year-old boy! (You can recreate this pose in the privacy of your own home [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Eartha Kitsch   LOCATION: Rock City / Chattanooga, Tennessee (2007) Mr. and Mrs. Kitsch didn’t exchange matrimonial vows as their Oktoberfest alter-egos, but this fabulous photo-op was the centerpiece at their Lover’s Leap reception on Lookout Mountain. As you adjust to your new body image, you can actually see seven different states from the [...]

Thanks to NPR’s “Here and Now” program for today’s shoutout to Tacky Tourist Photos by replaying its 2010 interview with co-founders Ilya Mirman and Darren Garnick (fellow visionary Peter Koziell was with us in spirit). Amongst the FASCINATING tidbits you’ll learn are: * Strategies for invading South American countries with pretty college co-eds. * How [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Brian Henderson   LOCATION: Houston, Texas (2011) The shiny mascot of Goode’s Armadillo Palace — a local BBQ and music joint — looks sweet and innocent by day. But after nightfall, it turns evil. Be forewarned! (Brian Henderson is a photojournalist with an appetite as huge as the Golden Gate Bridge.)

SUBMITTED BY: Cosmo Macero Jr.   LOCATION: Springfield, Mass. (2011) There’s no pleasant way to say this, but the Basketball Hall of Fame has immortalized Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as an anorexic. It wasn’t Mahatma Gandhi who fought for Celtics Pride against the oppressive Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It wasn’t Nicole Richie who teamed [...]

SUBMITTED BY: The Heater Family   LOCATION: Kensington, PEI (2011) If there were such a thing as lobster filmmakers, there would be plenty of human-themed horror movies. We pluck these creatures from their homes, boil them alive and then suck out their insides. At the Prince Edward Island Lobster Festival, it was time for a little [...]

Check out today’s CBC headline: “Prince William says Canada ‘far exceeded’ expectations“ Translation: “I thought this place was going to be kinda lame.” Canada can do far better for a celebrity tourist endorsement. Meanwhile, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton each received a ceremonial white cowboy hat upon entering the city of Calgary — a [...]

According to the CBC, Kate Middleton revealed herself to be a huge fan of Canadian folk hero Anne of Green Gables during the royal vacation to Prince Edward Island. But how big of a fan could she possibly be? If Princess Kate were truly die-hard, she would have picked up one of the braided hats [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Ari Garnick   LOCATION: Salem, NH (2011) Imagine what this box would cost at the movies, where we just shelled out $7 for a large (free refills didn’t ease the pain)! Does Canobie Lake Park boast the World’s Largest Box of Popcorn? We filed an official inquiry with the Popcorn Board, the industry trade [...]