Friday, November 30, 2012

Custer State Park

Harney Peak is the highest point in South Dakota, in the scenic Black Hills. The view from here is probably amazing. There is also an epic-looking tower atop the mountain.

Also in Custer SP, there's Sylvan Lake which looks neat with all those rocks around.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Nihoa

This island, far from the main 8 of Hawaii, looks really neat. Its land slopes like an enormous slide, and its cliffs appear as if the whole island was an intricate sculpture. Seems like it'd be a worthwhile stop if I was in the area of these outer Hawaiian Islands.

Kalandula Falls

A pretty big, pretty-looking waterfall in Angola.

Tristan da Cunha

One of the most isolated places on the earth, population-wise. Also beautiful.

Cape Horn

It seems that Cape Horn is the southernmost trip of South America. The name sounds familiar, so it's probably quite a famous location among explorers. The scenery here looks mountainous and peaceful (on land).

Hobbiton

This I guess is the filming place for certain scenes in "Lord of the Rings" movies. This could be on the rise as a New Zealand tourist attraction.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Zion National Park

Zion National Park's got some really cool red rocks and rivers and other really neat scenery. The landscape here could be compared to walking on a street underneath the tops of skyscrapers... but likely way neater.

Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park is in the Great Basin Desert (I think) in Nevada... and there's a glacier on the tallest mountain in the park, Wheeler Peak (I think). Cool, huh? This mountain does look quite pretty, and its interesting location out there seems to give it a certain charm added. There are also little lakes and a natural arch. Some of these places could be very tough to get to, which could be fun perhaps. :)

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in an urban area of Ohio, around the area of Akron and Cleveland, which alone is interesting. Inside the park, there seem to be various things to do for fun. There are waterfalls and bridges and trails and overlooks. I could probably spend a happy day touring this park.

Channel Islands

The Channel Islands of California appear to offer some beautiful scenery. Getting here could be an adventure, but there are likely plenty of wonders to see.

Northern Outer Banks

Particularly, two places: Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills. Historically, the Wright Brothers flight place could be a neat trip. And touristily, Kitty Hawk might be fun to hang out at.

Chimney Rock State Park

Huh. Another place called "Chimney Rock" in the United States. This one's in North Carolina, and it look likes the top of it is not only accessible, but also has quite a lovely view below of the forested land.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Ethipothala Falls

Yes, another waterfall thing. This one's in Andhra Pradesh. The place looks pretty, though.

Mawlynnong

Mawlynnong is in one of the world's rainiest areas on land, somewhat near Cherrapunji. Something I'd like to check out around here (if it's a good day for it) are the "root bridges", which look like structures out of a fantasy world.

Pangong Tso

Pangong Lake in the Kashmir/Xizang area is surrounded by beautiful mountains that seem pretty much bare of trees. These mountains are huge, as well as the lake, and the colors here make the scene look very grand.

Khajjiar

This place in northern India is basically a beautiful setting. A flat green meadowy place with a lake at the bottom, and mountains around and above.

Matheran

I'm not exactly sure what this place in the Sahyadri Mountains is (a city? a park? a mountain?), but it does look pretty. It appears to be located on top of a mesa-like piece of land, which means there are a bunch of places to see views of the area below and in the distance, probably. There may even be a place that offers a view of Mumbai (likely a nighttime view of the city lights).

Golden Temple

In Amritsar, Punjab, India, there's a temple thing. Seems like "Sikhism Central". Might be neat to see, though.

Cocora Valley

Colombia's "Valle del Cocora" has rolling hills with a bunch of tall wax palm trees decorating the area. It looks very pretty, and seems like a very unique spectacle.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Spitzkoppe

This Namibian place has got a big arch and cool-looking mountains and stuff, I guess. It actually does look neat.

Siwa

This place in western Egypt is known for its oasis thing. It's got that, and history, and it's in the Sahara, so it's likely interesting enough to check out... maybe.

Oribi Gorge

This gorge in KwaZulu-Natal looks very pretty. Facilities here also provide some cool ways to experience the ditch, including a neat bridge over it, and something that might be the world's highest swing (whether it holds the record or not, whoa!).

Ol Doinyo Lengai

This volcano in northern Tanzania looks cool. Looking at the tall volcano from nearby looks cool, and the top of it up close also seems to look cool.

Empakaai Crater

This crater (which I assume is volcanic) of Empakaai in northern Tanzania has a lake inside it. And this place looks wonderfully beautiful. Looking round from within and from the rim is very likely to offer spectacular views.

Matobo National Park

This Zimbabwean national park has neat rock formations, including some of its famous "Balanced Rocks" I think, and, it seems, great views of them scattered throughout a large area.

Nabuiyatom

This crater of the Teleki Volcano around the southern tip of Lake Turkana in Kenya looks kinda neat where it is. It might be tough to find a good view of it from the ground, but why not try?

Bukavu

Bukavu is a city in eastern Congo-Kinshasa along Lake Kivu, near the Rwandan border. An interesting feature of this place is a peninsula that sticks out into the lake, of which there may be neat views.

Lake Assal

Lake Assal looks neat from space. It might look neat from the ground. Oh yeah, it's a salty lake with a salty-looking beach, among the mountains (or maybe rocky hills) of Djibouti.

Erta Ale

In Ethiopia's Danakil Desrt, there's a lava lake.

Blue Nile Falls

These big falls apparently have been affected by a dam project in Ethiopia. The setting of the Blue Nile Falls looks quite pretty, I think, with or without its natural flow rate.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Bhedaghat

These "Marble Rocks" at Bhedaghat around Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, seem to look quite impressive, with tall multicolored rock and a flowing river going through them. There seem to be other natural features nearby, like a balancing rock and a waterfall.

Sanchi

There are some archaeological thingamajigs here that look like half-spheres. I'm guessing they're called "stupas", from the websites I've checked out. Apparently they have something to do with Buddhism. The big one just kinds looks interesting; all domey and carvey.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad has at least a couple things that look cool enough to check out. the Golconda Fort and the Charminar. The fort looks neat with its multiple structures and stairways and pathways and such. The Charminar looks like the city's iconic structure, like Paris's Eiffel Tower or Sydney's Sydney Opera House.

Also, there are tombs that seem to be of the old kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty (not that I know what that is). Perhaps I should study Indian history.

Gateway of India

In Mumbai, this arch thing was apparently built for the visit of some royalty. Located near the water in the city, it seems like a cool icon of this huge city. It also seems to be located near the tacky-sounding "Taj Mahal Hotel", heheh.

Timbuktu

It seems that this Malian city (aka Tomboctou, I think) is often mentioned as a joke, since it's so remote from so many places. There's actually some fairly interesting history here I think, as well as the interesting-looking Sancore Mosque. Also, it may be kinda cool to say one's been to Timbuktu.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Mount Paektu

Mount Paektu, also called a bunch of other things (that was a confusing search; I don't feel I got conclusive results still) like Changbaishan or Baitou, I think, is kinda pretty despite the political and geographical confusion. It's got a lake near the top of the mountain, which is interestingly divided between China and North Korea.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Nugget Point

Nugget Point is some place in New Zealand with impressive views on the coast, with a lighthouse and a trail. Views here include the green and mountainous terrain, I think, as well as a bunch of rocky islands.

Castlepoint

Castlepoint in New Zealand appears to be a rocky peninsula on the east coast of North Island. The natural features here are beautiful. The cliffs look artistically designed; the water seems welcoming, and the rocks appear iconic and inviting (as if inviting one to climb around on them).

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

El Arco, or Land's End I suppose, looks pretty neat, at around the southern tip of the Baja peninsula of Mexico. There are neat rock formations and a pretty-looking arch.

Torre de Hercules

This lighthouse in northwest Spain was apparently first built by the Romans quite some time ago. Its grounds look quite pretty, and the rocky-looking coast nearby as well.

Brimham Rocks

A bunch of unusual-lookin' rocks in northern England.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Natural Bridge

This natural bridge in Virginia kinda seems like an odd place to find a natural bridge, with all those famous ones in Utah and such. It does look kinda pretty, though, I think. Also, Foamhenge seems to be nearby.

Enchanted Highway

In North Dakota, there's this kind of sculpture gallery along a rural highway. It interests me slightly since it's something in North Dakota, which doesn't seem very popular with tourists on average.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Normandy

The historic significance of what happened at Normandy, France, seems to make some places here an interesting visit. At Pointe du Hoc, there are views of the ocean, as well as of numerous craters from bombs, I assume. Nearby to the east is what seems to be quite a large cemetery and a memorial.

Lençóis Maranhenses

This area of sand dunes in northern Maranhão is famous for its pools of water below the dunetops, which make for an interesting pictures of many curves of sand and spots of water.

Las Lajas Sanctuary

This cathedral-like building is famous for its picturesque qualities, with a lovely-looking bridge with tall arches high above a river below.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Guggenheim Bilbao

This building's famous, 'cause it's all twisty and such, I guess. It's kinda fun being irreverent about these big attractions, heh.

Lake Retba

The water of Lake Retba (or is it Lac Rose?) in Senegal appears pink or purple. Seems like an interesting scene to view, with the surreal-looking color.

Chand Baori

This Rajasthan archaeological site (I think) features some very M.C. Escher-like stairways. Lots and lots of steps. It's a well of sorts, apparently. Looks pretty neat.