Most beautiful or memorable place you have been?

[Siliconjunkie]

I was watching the local HDTV showoff channel the other day, where the show all these grand nature scenes and such. It got me thinking about places I have visited and what I remember about them. Thought it would be interesting to hear from the people here as well.

So, my question is:
What is the most beautiful or memorable place you have been and why?

For me:
Most beautiful by far would be Alaska. It is one of those things that you just have to see to understand and believe. Everywhere you look there is something wonderful to see.

Most memorable would be Northern Ireland. Mostly for culture shock reasons. Being from the US I was not exactly used to passing military checkpoints while driving like the ones they have between the Republic and N. Ireland. I spent a couple of days in Armagh and even in the city there were things to remind you of the history of where you are. Large concrete and barbed wire walls surrounding the courthouse, very well armed RUC personnel patrolling the streets, graffiti/memorials. Just very different than what we see here, at least now. Somewhere I have some pics from both. Perhaps I will scan some and post some links.

[ShawnD1]

Most memorable place I've ever been to was Fort McMurray in Canada, one of the world's largest tar sands. Some of the equipment is just huge there. I was able to stand inside a bucket used by a crane to move tar sand, it had to be at least 30 feet deep and 20 feet wide.

[Jonty]

West Coast of Scotland to name but one, must go back ther one day. Also the Lake District in England.

[rubyred]

Crazy Horse Momument in SD was great, run on donations only and being built by family for years it is going to be built out of the mountain as is this model. Who knows when it wll be finished but seeing it was fantastic.

[Redwolf]

Most memorable place I've been is Maine. Such a different place, but it's so beautiful (the landscape, not the cities ) The view from Acadia (can't remember the name of the maountain for the life of me) is grand. Being there during the 91 'little storm' was also memorable, but not exactly beautiful.

Mount Mitchel is also a very beutiful place, but the acid-rain soaked trees take away from the experience.

[rubyred]

I forgot to attach a picture of the model.

[Knothead]

Great thread! Since I can't imagine any place more beautiful the Yosemite National Park, I like reading about what our more travelled friends have to say about other places!

But Yosemite...what can one say about a place that is so beautiful that it seems to narrow the scope of its vastly rich sensory overload of almost unearthly beauty by trying to describe it with words??

First, there is her majesty...the place is HUGE! Then, the silence, as if the serenity just DARES you to break that up with human chittering...ahhhh....the smells of pine and camp smoke (on the valley floor)...the herbal smells in the back country...

...and every mile you hike, you will see that ...majesty... as though she is speaking seductively to your soul, saying, "just look, and let your senses take it all in, and now, further, and there's even MORE..."

There is a place that you can easily get to called "Happy Isles" where Vernal Falls comes crashing through enormous boulders and then settles down into a delightful wide rushing stream...it is noisy and wild, and yet incredibly soothing all at the same time.

If you like strenuous hiking, I recommend the experience of walking over Half-Dome, you will see a sight at the summit that will stay with you for the rest of your life...one that will link you with the primeival origins of the earth, our flowering as a species, and our link to that earth!

She will definitely change you, and bestow an incredible blessing of life's hope, just because of the vastness of the place combined with her timelessness, which you have gotten a soul-searing peek of.

Man, I'm ripe to get back there. Sorry for the rant...LOL

[vass0922]

Most beautiful.. dunno
Grand Canyon/Painted desert... driving through northern Ontario (have some pics in my gallery).. I'm not a writer like some of us in our midsty (cough^^^^^^cough ) so I won't even insult the sites with my poor explanation

Most memorable.
dunno.. lots of memories

[sixf00t4]

i have been to alot of the places above, and completely agree. it is really hard to pick just one place... as far as nation parks go, Mt. rushmore was memorable cuz i saw it at 1 am in my underwear, and Mt St helens is just nuts too see, and try and imagine what once was. but really, if i must pick one, i would say a clubhouse my grandparents are part of called Yankanuck. (mix of yankee and canuck) it is in canada, and it is just a huge body of water dotted with islands, people live on these islands all year round, and there is an island that is the post office and market, and everyone just drives their boats like cars. really cool place. it is a nice escape from "reality" i will try to find out more information as far as location and gets some pictures up for you guys to see too. so much to do there, like jumping off 40 ft cliffs into the water

w00t! found some good stuff online, you can see an old pic of the club house here http://www.breakawayclassicadventure...ONT/Ontao1.htm (3rd pic down)

ahh...the Georgian bay, that is what it is called. http://www.georgianbay.ca/gbaimages/index.htm

[Sweeper]

ummm.... well I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lived there for the first 2 years of my life. So, I guess that would HAVE to be the nicest place I have been. Though the only thing I can remember is a black sand beach.