I have an aversion to heights so I probably will not visit here but thank you for your perspective…Hawkeye Point. Highest point in Iowa. Breathtaking...
What one place have you been that you would tell others to see before you die?
- Thread starter noleclone2
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Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls, WA
Most of mine already mentioned, will add driving into Sedona is pretty cool. Visited Isla Mujeres MX a couple months back and the water on the south end of the island turned into a shade of blue I'd never seen before. Could see a couple sea turtles out enjoying the waves.
I thought Santorini was a tourist trap. A dry barren rock with a bunch of people who've seemingly never seen a sunset. And... it was hot. I'll admit the views of the white houses and such are neat to see, but it was pretty overrated in my book.
Duck hunters paradise.
I saw the craziest thing out there one time. It went from 40 to like teens in minutes and the water was still fairly warm so it was a fog /steam coming off the water that froze like soft Styrofoam we were wadding through. You would see the frozen cutout of the guy in front of you in the fog like a cookie cutter out of clay.
Where you would walk it disturbed the water and instantly slushie/frozen around you but the water was still water until it was disturbed.
If your going for the stars go in the spring or fall. It will humble the shit outnof you to realize how small we really are. Don't fool around with winter out there unless you know what you are doing and have hellacious gear.
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No, but that would have been cool. I was working in a suburb of Delhi for two weeks, so we had the weekend in between. We did the Delhi - Agra - Jaipur triangle, and saw as much as we could in the time that we had.
We have been fortunate to see many amazing places. Some that stick out include:
Pitons in St. Lucia... best seen from the water.
Any of the amazing white sand beaches in the Caribbean but 7 mile in Jamaica and Cayman are great as was Flamenco in PR.
Maui has some neat views... and the black beach near Hana was pretty cool.
White Sands, NM
Cliffs/beaches in Normandy France and the US cemetery.
Coliseum in Rome
Mayan ruins in Tulum
Bavaria... the mountains and alpine villages are beautiful
Rocky Mountains... just plain majestic
This one might be a little weird... but Cabo... something about the desert meeting the ocean is neat... plus the weather and sunsets.
Pitons in St. Lucia... best seen from the water.
Any of the amazing white sand beaches in the Caribbean but 7 mile in Jamaica and Cayman are great as was Flamenco in PR.
Maui has some neat views... and the black beach near Hana was pretty cool.
White Sands, NM
Cliffs/beaches in Normandy France and the US cemetery.
Coliseum in Rome
Mayan ruins in Tulum
Bavaria... the mountains and alpine villages are beautiful
Rocky Mountains... just plain majestic
This one might be a little weird... but Cabo... something about the desert meeting the ocean is neat... plus the weather and sunsets.
Went to Sedona back in June, very cool. Would add going to Jerome while your there was really fun. It's like being in the old west.
Have to show this to the no pic wife, 20 year wedding anniversary next April and we're trying to find ideas of somewhere new to go. A lot of good ideas here.
Varanasi is the most exotic place I've ever been. The Hindu ceremonies they have on the Ganges every morning and evening is out of this world.
Are you guys just picking exotic places or are you actually picking something that will change someone before death?
The coast of Santa Cruz is beautiful but it isn't going to make you think deeper or change your life.
I mean yeah, there is certainly a good opportunity for reflection as your starring out at the ocean.
The coast of Santa Cruz is beautiful but it isn't going to make you think deeper or change your life.
I mean yeah, there is certainly a good opportunity for reflection as your starring out at the ocean.
Machu Picchu
Ang Thong Marine Park, Gulf of Thailand
I can see how some would feel that way. We went early on after things were opening back up from covid so the crowds were much less than what I've seen in a lot of pictures/video. Oia was still crowded in spots around sunset, but we had a place with a nice balcony view so just hung there at sunset then went out to dinner after the crowds dispersed.
Cane Garden Bay, BVI. It has gotten a little touristy lately, but it is still the postcard white sand beach.
I was thinking the same thing. I could list every beautiful and/or awesome place we have visited but I thought we were supposed to pick one that is supremely impactful. For me, it was either walking around in and learning about the Colosseum, or walking through and learning about all of the incredible artifacts in the Vatican museum. You literally walk past busts of scores of Roman emperors and others of note, carved from marble over a thousand years ago, and that is just the tip of the iceberg as to what is there.
Agreed, it seems to have turned into a "I've been here", thread.
I've been to the petons of St. LUCIA, I watched a dude throw up in the ocean and feed a bunch of fish. Sure, they are mountains in the ocean, but that doeant change me.
The famous "black rock" in Hawaii I could see, "bobs pillow" In Jamaica I could see. As you said, something that would bring something to someone before death. Not just a pretty postcard.
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Which "black rock" in Hawaii are you referring to? The Big Island has two different black sand beaches and they were pretty, but not life changing. Is there a black rock of particular note?
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Went to Maui a couple years ago, I drove the road to Hana with my wife and sister’s family in a Tahoe. FVCKING wild, but it was a site to see. We stopped at the black beach as well. Reminded me of the black sand beaches in Iceland. Much different climates obviously.
I've never been to Hawaii so I guess I don't know which one or both other than they, or it, seems to be associated with the Hawaiian culture and that idea of life finding a way wayyyyyyyy away from anything.
Our youngest was 4 1/2 when we went and he's now 9 and still talks about the time at the black beach so it's a vivid memory for him too. He doesn't remember much from that trip but remembers that well.
So for me, it was the latter. I've been to other foreign countries that still made you "comfortable" because they weren't too different from home, the people were familiar, and not a whole lot was different beyond the sights, and maybe the language. With India, it is COMPLETELY different than anything else I'd done. A lot of it had to do with the level of poverty, which makes you realize that most of the "poor" people here have no idea what it's like to be actually poor. They make hovels between buildings out of whatever trash they can find, while pigs and goats are wandering around freely. You're pretty much in the top 1% as soon as you get there. At the same time, the ancestors of these people built these amazing and resilient structures, and were doing things well beyond what you would think was possible. For example., in Jaipur there's this place called Jantar Mantar that I visited. It contains all these different monuments/tools for doing astronomy in the early 1700s - just amazing stuff - including the world's largest sun dial. It really ddi change how I saw/thought about things.
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur - Wikipedia
For us, the most impactful thing we did in Hawaii was the night swim the manta rays. That was crazy. If you go back and do the big island, I would make that a "must do".
A few that I thought were either stunningly beautiful or otherwise impactful:
- Auschwitz, Krakow Poland
- Killing Fields, Phnon Penh Cambodia
- Petra, Jordan
- Jerusalem, Israel
- Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
- Auschwitz, Krakow Poland
- Killing Fields, Phnon Penh Cambodia
- Petra, Jordan
- Jerusalem, Israel
- Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
I'm not sure if I would say a place so much as I would say to see a total solar eclipse.
I've been to Paris and Madrid as well as several places in the Continental US. Paris and Madrid were cool for the history, especially Paris. There are parts of the West cost of the US that are visually stunning with cliffs over the water.
There are certainly more places I would like to go. But I can't say any particular place stands out.
I've been to Paris and Madrid as well as several places in the Continental US. Paris and Madrid were cool for the history, especially Paris. There are parts of the West cost of the US that are visually stunning with cliffs over the water.
There are certainly more places I would like to go. But I can't say any particular place stands out.
Of the places I’ve been, I’d echo Santorini. Very touristy…but have to catch a sunset in Oia.
I personally mentioned St Lucia because it was one of the coolest places I've seen. We travel a lot, 3 trips a year most years. I don't think there's a place in the world I would consider "life changing" They are all just different places to see.
We've visited many of the places named in this thread. I think The David is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I think Sorrento is the nicest small city I've ever visited. I think Normandy is the saddest place in the world. I think Macchu Pichu leaves you awe-struck. I think Santorini is beautiful but no moreso than a lot of other Greek islands. The Alhambra in Granada, Spain is rich in history and impressive in stature.
Still have a lot to see.
Still have a lot to see.
You travel the world and don't think someone visiting..."Auschwitz"...
Would change ones life.......
Noted.
Don't get me wrong St Lucia is beautiful.
I’ve never been to India, but the stark contrast to the poverty levels and the upper echelon of their society makes me think of the movie district 9. They had a similar divide between the elite and the downtrodden of their alien society.So for me, it was the latter. I've been to other foreign countries that still made you "comfortable" because they weren't too different from home, the people were familiar, and not a whole lot was different beyond the sights, and maybe the language. With India, it is COMPLETELY different than anything else I'd done. A lot of it had to do with the level of poverty, which makes you realize that most of the "poor" people here have no idea what it's like to be actually poor. They make hovels between buildings out of whatever trash they can find, while pigs and goats are wandering around freely. You're pretty much in the top 1% as soon as you get there. At the same time, the ancestors of these people built these amazing and resilient structures, and were doing things well beyond what you would think was possible. For example., in Jaipur there's this place called Jantar Mantar that I visited. It contains all these different monuments/tools for doing astronomy in the early 1700s - just amazing stuff - including the world's largest sun dial. It really ddi change how I saw/thought about things.
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Pyramids - Egypt
Petra - Jordan
Rainbow Mountains - China
Zhangjiajie National Forest - China
Cal Orck’o - Belize
Torres del Paine National Park - Chile
Harbor of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
(Hot air balloon over) Victoria Falls - Zambia
Sailing across any ocean.
Petra - Jordan
Rainbow Mountains - China
Zhangjiajie National Forest - China
Cal Orck’o - Belize
Torres del Paine National Park - Chile
Harbor of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
(Hot air balloon over) Victoria Falls - Zambia
Sailing across any ocean.
