What are your "AWE" places

[talkamotta]

On another thread on the Western board. Karen said "that walking up to the edge looking over the Bryce National Park was awe-inspiring & unexpected thing she had ever looked at".

I would have to agree with her. We walked through the hoodoos and I didnt want to go back to camp. My dil who is a Floridian with the beach running through her soul was right there with me.

There are many places that I have been to that I love to return for different reasons. Longboat Key because its so relaxing, Portland, Maine because of the lighthouse, Chichen Itza because of the history, Lake Louise is beautiful but Moraine Lake is more awe-inspiring to me, The Glaciers in Alaska or Kauai. Ive visited the Grand Canyon from the ridge, Im sure if I were to hike down or take a river trip the Grand Canyon that would be on the list.

What are your top 3 most AWE-INSPIRING PLACES? The places that bring tears to your eyes, touches your soul or makes want to say a prayer (if thats your thing). Pictures are welcome.

Mine would be:

1. Bryce Canyon in the middle of the hoodoos
2. Walking the back trails by Moraine Lake. The color of the lake is amazing.
3. Waimea Canyon

[Carolinian]

1. St. Marks Square (or the Grand Canal, can't decide which), Venice, Italy
2. The Charles Bridge (or Old Town Square), Prague
3. walking the medieval walls, Dubrovnik, Croatia

[Cathyb]

Chickeniza at night (Mexico) -- the Gods were singing to us

[talkamotta]

Originally Posted by Cathyb

Chickeniza at night (Mexico) -- the Gods were singing to us

Im going back to Cancun in November. How is it different at night?

I went to Webshots to look at pictures of Chichen Itza at night and it looks wonderful. How were you able to be there at night. Last time we went with Thomas Moore tours but it was during the day. We will be staying at the Royal Mayan. thanks for any info.

[Bruce W]

Waimea Canyon in Kauai. We went to the overlook and our jaws dropped.

[x3 skier]

Top of Mt Werner in Steamboat Springs on a clear day after a 18" snowfall.

Cheers

[Steve]

Here's my list (top 4):

1) Konigssee, Germany

2) Zermatt, Switzerland

3) Glacier National Park, Montana

4) East Beach, Santa Barbara, California


Good topic. It is fun reading about the places that others find inspiring.

Steve

[rickandcindy23]

#1

Waterfall hike on Kauai, near Wailua River

#2

Kauai, Waimea Canyon (That was almost my first)

#3

Napili Beach, West Maui

#4

Jefferson Lake, Park County, CO. By far the most beautiful lake and scenery in the mountains. Very remote.

#5

Dillon Reservoir, Summit County, CO.

#6

Rock Springs, WY, believe it or not. Beautiful place. Then down the road you get a real treat with the beautiful scenery of Utah, all along I-80.

So many more, especially in our own Colorado Rockies. The pine beetle is going to rid us of our beautiful lodgepole pines, so the scenery is beautiful to behold for now, but it won't last, unfortunately.

[capjak]

Yellowstone-entire park

Contorsionist Lady in Leotards at the Tommy Barlet Show....

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

Waimea Canyon
Being in the water at Hapuna Beach watching the sunset

[Cathyb]

talka: If memory serves me: It was about 10 years ago and we stayed at a small hotel near there and just drove over and bought tickets to a 'show' there. I believe I remember seating in an open arena.

[Lawlar]

Bora Bora. It still stands out as the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The water was as clear and warm as a pool and filled with amazing tropical fish. I swam next to sharks that we fed. The island itself was really green and primitive. You could ride a bike around the entire island in an hour. I slept in a hut built on stilts over the water - soooo restful. I went there twice.

[BocaBum99]

I second Bora Bora. It was quite simply the most beautiful place I've ever been.

[Happytravels]

Originally Posted by Lawlar

Bora Bora. It still stands out as the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The water was as clear and warm as a pool and filled with amazing tropical fish. I swam next to sharks that we fed. The island itself was really green and primitive. You could ride a bike around the entire island in an hour. I slept in a hut built on stilts over the water - soooo restful. I went there twice.

THIS IS OUR DREAM VACATION. We have talked about it many times. Maybe some day when we retire...

[EAM]

1. Kauai: Waimea Canyon & Na Pali
2. Glacier National Park
3. View from a ski lift (don't recall which one) at Buttermilk or Snowmass (or maybe Aspen Highlands) where you come up over a ridge, the ground seems to drop away, and there's a view of a magnificent mountain (pyramid peak?).

4. Almost forgot this one. The first time I walked into the St. Francis outdoor chapel at an Episcopalian conference/retreat center in the Appalachian mountains, I was touched deeply with its rustic beauty and felt a desire to pray. It is a rustic chapel with a stone altar and a stream running under bridges between the altar and the seating area.

[CarlK]

Hmmm, aren't we lucky to have experienced some of these sights! First three that come to mind:

1. Canadian Rockies

2. Sunset over the calderon on Santorini

3. Grand place in Brussels

Planning on adding many more after trip to Italy next week!

Carl

[Cathyb]

As yes, Bora Bora -- that is where all four of us got food poisoning because the buffet food was left out too long However, it is a beautiful spot and the color of the water sooo turquoise and clear!!!

[Dori]

Talkamotta, I have to totally agree with your choice of Moraine Lake. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

Dori

[sun starved Gayle]

Sailing around the San Juan and Gulf Islands between Washington State and British Columbia. When the sky is bright blue, with eagles over head, and orca whales if you are lucky.

[lprstn]

Kaui...The canyons .... wow
Venice/Rome...I took this trip in HS can NEVER have forgotten it, the art, the culture, the richness, and the beauty.... Hopefully, I can take my family on this one someday....

[ailin]

Originally Posted by talkamotta

I went to Webshots to look at pictures of Chichen Itza at night and it looks wonderful. How were you able to be there at night. Last time we went with Thomas Moore tours but it was during the day. We will be staying at the Royal Mayan. thanks for any info.

Just make sure you ask for the tour that includes the Light and Sound show. I think it's only offered once a week through the Royal Mayan. And it's not the in-house trip (at least not when we went), so we had to sit on the bus for well over an hour while they went to all the other hotels picking up people since the Royal Mayan is one of the earliest stops. But at least we were among the first to be dropped off when we got back exhausted around 11 pm.

Also, dinner is included, but not lunch even though pick-up is around 9 am. There's a stop to see Valladolid, but it's drive-thru only. Bring lunch or plan to eat at the buffet at Ikil.

[Talent312]

#5 - The National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, W.Virginia, with the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope.
#4 - Prince William Sound, Alaska, by tour boat from Whittier.
#3 - Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier National Park, driving West to East.
#2 - Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC, looking East to the Capitol.
#1 - Heaven on Earth: Almost any hillside in Tuscany, Italy... where I want to go when I die.

[gmarine]

In no particular order:


The views from Observation Point and Angels Landing in Zion NP.

The Grand Canyon.

Bora Bora.

[bluehende]

1. Mount Ranier
2. Delicate arch
3. view from top of Algonquin in the Adirondaks

[scotlass]

1. Slea Head, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
2. Glencoe, Highlands, Scotland
3. The Lizard, Cornwall, England