Discussing
The common grace of fake vacation destinations

The trend of fake vacation destinations might give us pause, but it also exhibits a certain common grace.

I've always enjoyed the adventure of going somewhere I don't know, somewhere unfamiliar. The idea that going to a "fake" spot has no draw for me because it saps the adventure out of the experience. I agree that vacation is more than seeing the sights but the memory that lives on.

The fake destinations sound like someone who walked through Disneyland's New Orleans Square claiming they've been to Mardi Gras. Not the same. Then again, I'd rather go to Disneyland anyway.

Tim, I agree that they don't stand in as adequate substitutes for being in the actual location, but that doesn't mean they're bad in and of themselves. I think it's a matter of tempering expectations - like when a friend of mine told me while on a vegetarian kick to stop thinking of meat substitutes as meat substitutes but to start thinking of them in and of their own right. While that Falafurger has nothing on a perfectly cooked hamburger, it is actually pretty good on its own. I think the same with fake vacation destinations - the worth is in the execution. It won't compare to the real thing, but it may very well have a flavor all its own worth tasting.

I actually think they might be quite adequate substitute experiences. My main point was just that they are not the same experiences. Well, that and that I'd still rather be in Disneyland.