Where are the top 5 places you have visited?

Mine would be San Francisco for a lot of reasons like Alcatraz, cable cars,Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge and Fishermans wharf. The Hearst Castle on the same trip. Bar Harbor,ME on MT. Desert Island (where did they ever get that name?).Then the Salem Witch Museum in Salem, MA very enlightening. Lake Wales,Fl especially Spook Hill where the car appears to roll uphill and Brisbee,AZ which has a number of artisans and a defunct copper mine which you can tour.

Bar Harbor, Maine, and the whole Acadia Park area is great. My favorite trip was to Jasper and Banff in Alberta. Camped for a few weeks, got chased by a huge male elk, hiked on the Columbia Icefield. Vancouver Island is beautiful, too. Beautiful parks and gardens in Victoria! Another great trip was Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. A Really beautiful place. I've always loved the outer banks of N. Carolina, too.

Washington DC because of the history of our nation. My DIL'S mother worked for a Senator from Va. and knew all the places to see. I had my picture made with Ronald Reagan. Oh by the way it was a wooden figure.LOL

The mountains of Tn. because of the beauty that can't be topped in October when the leaves are changing.

The mountains of Tn. in the summer time when you can take your shoes off and put your feet in that icy water that runs down the mountains. So cool and relaxing and free.

The Gulf of Mexico and deep sea fishing. Boy was I sick but wanted to go back the next day.

I love Va. just the beauty of the green pastures and ponds.

Barbados, it had the most freshest air I have every smelled in my life! The plant life was just awsome and the cliffs were breathtaking.

Cozumel,MX., dh and I love to scuba dive! The Caribbean Sea is most beautiful!

The mountains of TN.

My dads old fishing camp on the bayou where I was raised.

Glacier National Park, White Sands National Park, The Grand Canyon, Washington D.C., and the whole area where we live. The mountains are so beautiful here - all seasons. vic

My all time favorite is Scotland. I liked it so much that I went there twice. In order after that would be Australia, Greece, England, Wales, Ireland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Mexico, Belgium, Alaska, and the place I have been the most, Hawaii. I really liked Australia since my son-in-law is from there and we got the grand tour and met his wonderful family. I have always thought that I would visit mostly other countries until I get old and then I will visit more of my own country with all of the senior citizens tours. It takes a lot of energy to "do" the foreign trips the way we do them. We do our own thing, ride the trains and subways and don't usually take many tours. Usually that is just the day tours of different cities. It takes a bit more energy than we will probably have when we get older. I am 65 now so it is probably time to see more of the good old USA. Considering the dangers of traveling, I may just be looking at a lot more of my wonderful state of Tennessee for awhile.

LOL, geeze make my measly little trips around town seem uneventful! I have a wish list however!

Hawaii went there twice LOVED it, Switzerland Loved it to, New York N.Y. for three days and had the time of my life, and I'm so glad I got to see it before the attack. Then we went to the finger lakes stayed in a B&B for my first time and really enjoyed it. We did some of the wineries and saw the beautiful rolling hills and such nice people all around. Then DH and I did the Erie Barge Canal which start's at Buffalo all the way down the state of New York and then dumps us out into the Hudson River. Took the Hudson River right to the Atlantic Ocean right past the Staue of Liberty, the sky line of Manhatten I'd always seen it on tv but to see it like that well, we were just in AWE. We then travelled along the NJ shores until we got to Delaware Bay we made three stops along the way before we arrived at Delaware Bay. From there we did the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk where we saw a lot of your naval ships "WOW" That's where we entered the Inner Coastal Waterway and took it right down to the St. Lucy River and cut across to Lake Ockeechobee to the Caloosahacee River to Fort Myers Beach that was a trip!!!!!!

San Fransisco,Plymouth Mass,Painted Desert and Meteor Crater in New Mexico and Arizona,New Orleans,LA,and Washington DC.

No particular order,they all have unique attractions that can't be duplicated.

As for the smaller places that no one's heard of... First off..I love where I live here in West KY.You all should visit.Lots of history and things to do. Mountain View ,Arkansas.A small Ozark town that just got their first stop light last year.It is the Folk Music Capital of the World.
Nazereth,PA,where they make Martin Guitars.The Shenandoah Valley in the spring when the Dogwoods are blooming, and Northern California where the Redwood trees are.

We've been about everywhere in the US and thee's so many places that I could list.The best thing is to not do the 'touristy' stuff and get to know the people in each place you go.It really makes a visit memorable.

i feel so "at home" in western New York. we were really considering moving there until DHs ex-wife moved there first, ut!!
Next on the list would be lead or deadwood south dakota. i think ive been reincarnated from that era : )what a neat place.

Driving across the SF Bay Bridge in 1947 (3x in one day!); driving through upstate NY towards the 1,000 islands in the wee hours and seeing all the huindreds of deer along the roadsides; picking wild strawberries by the gallons near Bear Mountain, NY (along the Hudson); feeling intensely the clean smell of the air after a hurricane in Florida... (all the negative ions?)... and the seeing the incredible double rainbow across the French Broad River here at home about 2 years ago.

Gee, this is a hard one. I loved Brentwood, Tennessee when I was younger. We took a cruise, pre-children, and I loved St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Barbados........just realized I haven't been anywhere farther away than Indiana in a LONG time. Maybe in about twenty five years, when the kids are older, I'll find some new places. For now, HOME is my most favorite place anywhere. :)
Michele

Canada for Expo 68 (hey! I was a baby:), and we went to see the changing of the guard. Niagra Falls, Puerto Rico- lived there for a year, Smithsonian Institute and Williamsburg.

Well, the downside is DH travels a lot, up side is that I get to go with him sometimes!

Favorites so far - France (Paris, Provence, South), San Francisco, Palm Beach Florida. I also like the area where we live along the Hudson River, and almost anywhere in New England.

The Czech Republic is awesome, not just because I have family there. DH's relatives took mountain bikes and rode them all over the country and loved it. The kids thought Prague was the coolest.
Then there would have to be Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Awesome area to visit. Buffalo, trout fishing, camping, Badlands. Neat places.

The Whole US of A!!

"eyes"

In no particular order ... San Francisco, CA for Big Cities... Broxton, GA for Tiny Towns... Savannah, GA in the spring - dogwood, azaleas, wysteria and jazz along the river front... The Atriums at the Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN... The Redwood Forests and Mountains of Coastal Northern CA... DISNEYLAND! (apparently, I'm not very good at math!)

Mine is Jackson Hole,Wyoming, Alex Bay NY (thousandIslands)Charlotte and Rockingham area (nascar brings you such wonderful places)And the back roads thru Georgia.Oh how could I forget Florida!!!And Shirkston in Canada,a beautiful beach!!CC

Tennessee in the autumn.
Tennessee in the winter.
Tennessee in the spring.
Tennessee in the summer.
Next in line: Tuscany, Italy; and Bend, Oregon.

I only ever had one bad visit and that was with a school. I like everywhere I go, there is always something new and different.

As the saying goes, people are people everywhere and while that is true in the basics, each place and people of that area has a uniqueness which makes a journey worthwhile.

To be honest, I live in one of the most beautiful places on this earth. I am so very lucky.

Well, I like it here in western NY, which is good, because we're not great travelors. Cape May NJ was a beautiful place to go when I was a kid and most recently, western Kentucky where it looks like my youngest is going to settle. I love the Atlantic Ocean, was born near it, but have only visited since then. Sometime I would like to go to Rhode Island as an adult, don't remember it at all as I was just there as an infant. first, we have to get rid of the cows!

I enjoyed all of my visits to these places, so they are not in any particular order. Keukenhof Gardens, The Netherlands; Key West, Florida; Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC; Paris, France; and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. I wish we weren't limited to five because I would have added the Blue Ridge Mountains, Mojave Desert, Upstate New York, and Sequoia National Park... I guess I cheated here didn't I? lol

Yeah those doggone limits will put a cramp in your style every time LOL.Of course since I started this thread I wouldn't think of cheating but if I WAS going to I might add beautiful Montreal and Bromont,Qe (I still have several friends among the Quebecois there)and Niagara Falls in Canada.Key West,St. Maartens,New Yorks Adirondacks, Pennsylvania's Poconos and Virginia's Shenandoah regions oh and The White and Green mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont plus a few dozen more.

Kikisdad, I'm 25 miles from Bisbee and they have some FUN festivals there. For a day of history I like to visit Tombstone, AZ. For a small city of beauty...Sedona, AZ!Favorite large city...San Francisco. Nature spots? San Anabell, Fl, Grand Canyon, The Senora Desert Museum (Tucson, AZ...all exhibits alive and native to AZ and Sonora area of Mexico)Painted Desert, and White Sands, NM.OOOPS! I have so many more.....Jo

I love the beach & salt water. Hilton Head SC was nice (but haven't been there in at least 12 years). Love Marblehead & North Shore MA area (where I was born). Upstate NY is also nice (where I grew up). In Iowa now, which has it's nice points but no beach :-(. Always dreamed of having a beach house. Would love to see Italy, Portugal & Australia, not to mention the Carribean!

1. Springsteens opening world Tour in Barcelona, Spain
2. Everywhere in the Carribbean - St. Thomas in particular
3. Hawaii, can't get enough if the islands
4. Arizona, Vegas and of course;
5. The Grand Canyon
And, and, and, and - everywhere I go, I find something to love about it!

I have lots of favorites, in no particular order, they include: Maui and Kaui; Sodona, AZ; Vancouver, Canada; Seattle, WA; Boston, MA; Santa Fe, NM, and more.

I also love many places in my state of CA: San Diego, Cambria, Big Sur, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe, Mendocino, Eureka, The Gold Country, Sonoma, Napa, Santa Monica, Malibu, Cayucos, Oceano Sand Dunes, Monterey, Carmel … oh heck, I love this entire state. That must be why I moved here (from WI) and liked it enough to stay for 23 years!

Roadrunner when we were in AZ for my brother's 25th anniversary we visited Tombstone, The Sonora Desert Museum, Sedona, Bisbee,of course, and drove all over the place. Actually saw a couple roadrunners and some jackrabits while we were waiting for the cattle to wander out of the road near Benson. Open range country...really different for me.
Also have been to Sanibel Island many times. We always stay at the Snook and get the #2 cottage. Right on the beach and you can hear the breakers from the Gulf all night. Super spot. Got to get back out there(AZ) again soon!

Vicki_CA I have a pottery bird feeder that I bought from a potter named Miller in Cambria, CA that is one of my most prized possessions. Just delightful people there!

Cantung, North West Territories. COLD in winter but a wonderful hot spring and pools, it is wonderful in summer with miles of tundra to explore. I worked there for a while when this mine town was in operation, produceing Tungston.

Lake Atitlan, Guatamala, Tikal, Guatamala, Pt lookout MI, Meares Island, BC, Red River Gorge, KY are the best 5 places I've been.

Lake Atitlan may be the deepest lake in the world and is rimmed by 3 volcanos-way pretty. The down side to the place is it was the first place I ever got dysentary.

Tikal is a massive acient Mayan City with massive towers and a lot of jungle/rainforest all around. A really magical place.

Pt Lookout on the shores of Saginaw bay is the place where I spent every summer of my life until I was 30. My Dad now lives there year 'round. Got lake Huron to the south and woods to the north. I love Northern Michgan.

Meares Island on the western edge of Vancouver Island, near Tofino, is a place that belongs to the Nu Cha'a Nulth people (Nootka Indians). It has been in despute with the big logging concerns as the corporations want to clear cut the island and the natives claim to be the rightful stewards of the area. They see the place as sacred and to walk among the towering trees (some are 300+') you can see why they do.

I haven't been to the gorge in years but remember it as an exceedingly beautiful place (Most of KY is exceedingly beautiful) and wild too.

The Picardy region, France; San Francisco; Longwood Gardens and the grounds of Winterthur, near home; Thousand Islands, on the St. Laurence river; St. Martin

St. John, Virgin Island (2/3 is a national park) http://www.usvi.net/usvi/stj.html

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada http://www.banfflakelouise.com/

Acadia National Park, Mount Desert, Maine (hiking, lobster at an unbelievable price, whale watching...) http://www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo/ac/

Highlands Sanctuary, Bainbridge, Ohio (a nature sanctuary whose cause I strongly support) http://www.highlandssanctuary.org/

Wow tough question for a travel agent LOL... I love everywhere I have been people and places never cease to amaze me. But I am always thrilled to get back to Michigan I love it here. Favorite big city is Chicago. Love the red rock area of AZ the 17mile (think that is how long it is) down to coast to Carmel CA. Love the coffee in France and felt at home the second I stepped off the train in Baden Baden Germany many many years later I found out that is where my family was from so in a way I guess I was home just didn't know it. If I ever had to leave michigan I would move to TN can't get over the beauty of that state now if it was just on the water it would be perfect... Better quit previewing this and just post cause I keep thinking of places to add.. edited to add: oh yeah the doors in Amsterdam actually the architecture in general in Amsterdam.

This message was edited Jul 7, 2004 1:39 PM

old_rose,

A friend just told me about Traverse City , MI. What do you think of it? I wonder if it is easy to fly in and out of Traverse City. Too far for me to drive from Central Ohio.

Grand Teton National Park (got engaged there at Blacktail Pond Overlook!).

St John USVI - Trunk Bay-gorgeous beach!!

Bahia Honda State Park - Florida Keys

Smith Mountain Lake, Va

New England in Fall

Hey Drop I love Traverse City. You just missed Cherry Festival it was last weekend. It is pretty tough to fly in there but might be worth it it is about 4 hours northwest of Toledo. Or you could fly into my local airport Saginaw then it is only about 2 hrs and you could stop by and say Hey!!

edited to say. I just checked airfare for you from Columbus (that is your closest airport right) anyway United is $240.00 round trip just one plane change in Chicago.. Not as bad as I thought

This message was edited Jul 7, 2004 2:11 PM

In no particular order;

*Rome, Italy
*Mexico-Morelia, Monterey, Leon, San Luis Potosi, Guadalajara, Quitupan, Valle de Juarez, Tonola
*Colorado-Denver, Colorado Springs
*Wyoming-Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons & Yellowstone
*New York City '96
*Boston, Massachusetts


Just correcting a misspelling ;)

This message was edited Jul 7, 2004 2:59 PM

Wow... this is a hard question...

The road to Hana on Maui and the seven waterfalls there
Oberammergau, Germany - a delightfully quaint village
Old St. Charles, MO - cobblestone streets and lovely shops
Strasburg, France and the amazing cathedral there
Estes Park, CO - scenery like you can't imagine

I could list a dozen more places, and then a dozen more.

Thank you old_rose, $240 is not bad. And two hours of drive is acceptable. It takes that long to drive from Bangor Airport to Bar Harbor, Maine anyway. And I enjoyed that ride.

* --- * ---
Gardengirl1204, Truck Bay is amazing. I sat at the wateredge on the beach. The water was so clear. Tiny little fish swarm close to me and kissed my toes. Wish I were there!

* --- * ---
Gemila, my boss' favorite place is Jackson Hole! May be I should check it out.

Joshua Tree National Park
Death Valley National Park
central coast of California
Sequoia National Park
ancient bristlecone pine forest of the White Mtns. of CA