[Windswept]

I thought it would be nice to have a thread showing pics of cool places you've been... OR... of places you'd *like* to go. If you don't 'have' a pic of your place, please google up an image for us.

Tell us what you especially love about your particular place.

I'll start off with one of the coolest places in the world - Machu Picchu - *the* Inca ruins in the misty mountains of Peru. I spent a day there and took some great shots. Then my camera was stolen in the airport gift shop in Lima just before I flew to Los Angeles. I *definitely* plan to go back and retake all those pics. Just look at it! Isn't it magnificent?

[Ryan]

I got nothin'.

[709]

Machu Picchu is definitely on my short list of places to see in this lifetime. I spend a year in the southwest doing some independent study of Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, etc. and it was one of the most fulfilling times of my life. There's something about all these places that just *gets* me. I need to get out there again soon...

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Ryan I got nothin'.

Aw, c'mon, Ryan!!!

Places you WANT to go??? HELLOOO...!!!

Just google some images of your dream location, silly goose.

[Ebby]

Alaska. Cool enough for 'ya.


We rented a boat for 2 weeks cruised around islands, whales and glaciers. We had an awesome time.

[Majost]

One of the best places I've been was to the top of Pico Duarte in the Dominican Republic. It's the tallest mountain in North America East of the Mississippi. Of course, just being there really wasn't the great part... it was the five day trek on mule-back (and getting to know our amazing guides) that really made it great. And then getting there for the sunrise.

It was quite spectacular.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by 709 Machu Picchu is definitely on my short list of places to see in this lifetime. I spend a year in the southwest doing some independent study of Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, etc. and it was one of the most fulfilling times of my life. There's something about all these places that just *gets* me. I need to get out there again soon...

Heh. No matter *how* I try spelling it, it's always wrong!

Yeah, Mesa Verde is cool. Have you ever been to Montezuma Castle? I really love imagining what it was like to live then, and try to imagine what I'd be thinking and doing if I were living in such a place.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by Windswept Aw, c'mon, Ryan!!! Places you WANT to go??? HELLOOO...!!! Just google some images of your dream location, silly goose.

Okay, places I *want* to go. That's easy.



Europe is definitely on the top of that list. My current history teacher told me about the summer he spent in Europe back in college, and that convinced me to do the same in a few years. London, Paris, Berner Oberland, Cinque Terre, Amsterdam (), Barcelona, Rome, Prague.

New Orleans was also near the top of the list, but now I'm not so sure.

I plan on visiting Austin now that I'm moving to Houston. I might even go to UT Austin for college.

Ah, I've got it. I've been backstage at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, where I believe the Grateful Dead had their first concert. I was backstage to meet the comedian Brian Regan, but the guy leading us down was telling us the history of the building while we waited. It used to be a speakeasy back in the 20's.

[turbulentfurball]

I went to Turkey in 2004 and saw (What remains of) 2 of the seven wonders of the world. I'll steal a pic from wikipedia since I don't have my own online:



That's what's left of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. (It's the single column) We also saw what's claimed to be the world's first advertisement (for a prostitute no less), a church where Mary, mother of Jesus is said to have spent her twilight years and some utterly amazing amphitheatres. When we were at the largest of them, an opera singer got onto the stage and started singing. The acoustics were fantastic; it really gave me a shiver up my spine.

The second wonder we 'saw' was the location of the Mausoleum of Mausollos in Bodrum (formerly Halicarnassus). It has been built over so there wasn't much to see.

I have my own pictures somewhere, I'll try to find them once I've had some sleep

One of my life ambitions is to see all of the seven wonders of the world. Two down, five to go!

[Windswept]

Okay, this is Havasu Falls. It's down at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The round trip to get to this spot is a 22-mile backpack. Not bad going down, but going back up is a bit more *interesting*.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Ebby Alaska. Cool enough for 'ya. We rented a boat for 2 weeks cruised around islands, whales and glaciers. We had an awesome time.

Wow! Gorgeous blue ice.

What kind of boat was it? A cabin cruiser type thing? Did you operate it yourself, or were you a passenger with a small group?

Pardon me for all the questions, but it sounds so wonderful to do what you did. I'd *love* to do something like that.

Was the boat out of Ketchikan?

[709]

Originally Posted by Windswept Yeah, Mesa Verde is cool. Have you ever been to Montezuma Castle? I really love imagining what it was like to live then, and try to imagine what I'd be thinking and doing if I were living in such a place.

Of course...and I'm sure you'd be a high priestess. Though, out of all the places I studied I think Chaco Canyon was my favourite. The culture, the mythologies, the architecture...just fascinating.

Anyways, I was in Paris years ago with my then-lover visiting her mother, and saw all the 'should see' sites, but I took a day on my own to see the '709 wants to see' sites. The two that really thrilled me were:

La Madeleine (The church devoted to St. Mary Magdalene):


And the Isle of Javiaux (sorry, I couldn't Google a photo for the life of me). Basically, it's a small island in the Seine where Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay were burnt slowly because of that fucking bastard Pope Clement the fifth (in cahouts with the asshole that was King Philip the fourth).

Unfortunately I didn't have the time to make it South. There's a bunch of sites there I still need to visit.

[Messiahtosh]

Thunder Hole (I know, I know), Acadia National Park, Maine.

Really awesome vacation...

The New England Music Camp in Maine.

The best place in the world. I know I sound weird saying that, but you'd understand if you went there.

[Ryan]

I suppose I should have included Yellowstone in the list of places I've been. Sure, it's standard fare among family summer vacations, but it really is a great area.





(I think I've posted these here about a dozen times already )

Originally Posted by macsforever The New England Music Camp in Maine. The best place in the world. I know I sound weird saying that, but you'd understand if you went there.

Have you ever heard of the Pacific Music Camp at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA? I go there every year.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Majost

That is a stunning view.

Five days on mule-back to get there? Omigosh!

Bet you got a little sore, eh?

I had no idea the Dominican Republic had the kind of terrain shown in your pic. I guess I thought it was more tropical.

So, did the guides cook the meals, and if so, what did they serve up? Rice and beans, I imagine?

[atomicbartbeans]

Originally Posted by macsforever The New England Music Camp in Maine.

Band camp eh?

For me, Cranberry Lake Biological Station up in the Adirondacks. Best week of my life. I met so many interesting people last August, and the scenery is awesome. Most of the area is pristine wilderness... it's a 2-hour boat ride back to civilization, and the nearest car-passable road is about 15 miles away. Bears are a very real presence, and no less than three sightings occurred that week (I always had my camera ready, but wasn't lucky enough). The staff there are awesome, and I learned more about biology during that week than I did over an entire year in class.

Imagine waking up to a melodic rock instrumental playing on your iPod... you open your eyes and roll over in your sleeping bag, and watch the sun rise over a beautiful lake surrounded by towering mountains, all untainted by human civilization... the scenery felt like something from the LOTR trilogy.

[Majost]

Originally Posted by Windswept That is a stunning view. Five days on mule-back to get there? Omigosh! Bet you got a little sore, eh? I had no idea the Dominican Republic had the kind of terrain shown in your pic. I guess I thought it was more tropical. So, did the guides cook the meals, and if so, what did they serve up? Rice and beans, I imagine?

Nah, we didn't get too terribly sore. We would go about 30 miles each day, but it was never too much more than a walking pace, and so we'd occasionally get off the mules and walk alongside of them. They have the most ingenious way of riding the mules - it almost feels like you're sitting on a couch. Here's a photo:


All our stuff (tents, sleeping bags, food, etc) is packed along side the mule, so you don't straddle the mule. It's quite comfy. Of course, there's a saying in Spanish that if you're walking awkwardly, you're walking like a mule. They don't have the most graceful stride. But they are amazingly strong. It felt like I was in an ATV at times the way they would power up some of the steep slopes.

The guides did cook us a few meals, all of which consisted of their amazing rice and beans... and then we cooked them hot dogs and Mac 'n' Cheese over the campfire. They were good sports, and ate with us, but it was quite obvious they weren't big fans.

Yeah, I suppose most people seem to think of the beach when they think of the DR. And there's plenty of those, too. This one was my favorite:



Playa Rincon. You have to get there by boat or a two hour drive, so there's never anyone there. And perfectly smooth sands, turquoise waters, coconut trees, and mountains in the background. Perfect

[billybobsky]

Costa Rica... got pics, none of them particularly good... spent several days in Corcovado carry a consumer digicam... bad low level light response and contrast...

Yucatan and surrounding states, Mexico... No pics... they were part of the sacrifice of a relationship past...

European trip... more of the above....

Planning a trip to Morocco/Germany in may... we will see... Lots of places better than band camp...

[Windswept]

Corcovado Costa Rica - how about this one? I googled it. Wow! Gorgeous! You lucky dog.

[BlueRabbit]

I went to Halong Bay in Vietnam last summer; it's really beautiful there. We ended up buying some fish + shrimp + crabs from one of the boats in the picture, cooking them, and eating them. Fun stuff.

[billybobsky]

That's about right...

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by billybobsky Lots of places better than band camp...

Hey, hey, hey. Don't knock if you haven't been there.

[GSpotter]

This Saturday, I was at a (literally ) cool place:


Just 10 minutes away from my home: The world's first TV tower (built in 1954). Damn, it was freezing up there...

Other cool places I visited:

Srinagar (Kashmere / India), I didn't have the time to upload my own pics, so here's a googled placeholder:


Ladakh (also a province of India): Here's a googled placeholder of the monastery Lamayuru:


Australia. Here's my own pic from the Remarkable Rocks in Kangaroo Island, Australia:


So much for now (must check my other pics of great places I've been)

[stevegong]

I took this pic 2 years ago in Malaysia. Notice how the Indian dude is doing some naturalistic observation.

[Ebby]

I can only imagine what he must have been thinking about you with that camera.

[Bryson]

Another vote for Alaska here:



Most amazing place I've been to - a little hiking and you can be in the middle of nowhere - with no evidence that humans have even existed. We also took a helicopter and went up to where the glaciers first form. That was cool too.



Costa Rica was pretty nice. Shortly after taking that photo, we zip-lined across the valley.



The weather was the worst I've ever experienced (hot rain? 98% humidity? What?) but the Panama Canal is one hell of a piece of engineering.



I'll say Aruba too, for sheer beachy loveliness.



Paris is nice too.

[Barto]

The helicopter pic is.... uh.... interesting

[chucker]

Most of my pics aren't on my hard drive so I can't upload them yet, but I suppose Mont Tremblant (about 90 minutes from Montréal, Québec, Canada) works.



We didn't have a digital camera at that point (mine had gotten stolen/lost/whatever-it-was-that-happened) and the only film we had was ISO 400 for some reason, so the picture quality is a little lacking, and we didn't really have any space battery-/film-wise for landscape photos.

As soon as you get bored of my face while browsing those picture, I'll leave finding more interesting pics up as an exercise for you.

[scratt]

HAY GUYS! I am back.....

16,000 feet over Prachuab Kiri Ken (Thailand) jumping out of a Hercules.... backwards!

[ img] Link broken [ /img]-alcimedes