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It seems most individuals who post on this forum find more beauty in man-made wonders, but I was wondering what specific natural wonders are really worth seeing? I hold a geology degree, so I have an affinity towards the American Southwest (This website is awesome). My top 10 (that I've been to):

1. Zion National Park (UT)

2. Alps

3. The Great Plains (I think they're awesome, I'm sure I'd get sick of them if I lived there)

4. Algodones Dunes (CA)

5. Arches (UT)

6. Niagra Falls

7. Snow Canyon State Park (UT) (Lava Caves, 4000+ Year Old Cinder Cone)

8. Canyonlands (UT)

9. Blanes, Spain

10. Sonoran Desert (AZ)

Places I'd like to see (In no particular order):

1. Lava Beds National Monument (CA)

2. Galapagos Islands

3. Grand Tetons

4. Yellowstone

5. Sahara Desert

6. Himilayas

7. Amazon

8. Mt. St. Helens

9. Alaska

10. Yosemite

11. Sequoia National Park / Kings Canyon

12. Caribbean

13. Greenland/Iceland

14. ...

In 3 months I'm going on a 12 day trip from Denver to San Francisco and stopping at:

1. Rockies

2. Colorado National Monument

3. Arches

4. Dead Horse Point S. P.

5. Canyonlands

6. Hite, UT

7. Capitol Reef

8. Grand Staircase Escalante

9. Bryce

10. Zion

11. Pink Sands

12. Snow Canyon

13. Las Vegas

14. Death Valley

15. Sequoia / King's Canyon

16. Yosemite

17. San Francisco

18. Muir Woods

What other places would anyone recommend? Anything particular (like a great slot canyon in Hite)?

Thanks,

Casey

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It seems most individuals who post on this forum find more beauty in man-made wonders, but I was wondering what specific natural wonders are really worth seeing?

I, myself, love natural wonders too....I visited Glacier National Park and Banff briefly, and found those parks a little more interesting and peaceful than Yellowstone...I do highly recommend those areas as well!

As far as the Southwest goes, your trip sounds exciting...you appear to be packing in a lot of places in a short amount of time, but sounds fun! You might want to consider stopping in Northern New Mexico if you get a chance. It's so under-rated, and you might find it interesting as a geology major. The Sangre De Cristo mountains (the southern-most tip of the Rockies) are beautiful, and the Rio Grande Gorge is amazing. I was surprised the website that you linked to didn't feature that area. You could also take a white-water rafting ride if you're up for adventure. There are many natural hot-springs if you want to relax too. (And the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado are on the way...) Maybe I am a little partial because I lived in Taos for two years and was able to get intimate with the amazing landscape, but I learned a ton of stuff about the land and geology while I lived there, and found it delightful.

And for those that prefer the man-made wonders, there are some pretty amazing houses out there to!

Check out this site for some pictures, but it doesn't do justice....

http://www.sangres.com/statenm/index.htm

--Kari

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I, myself, love natural wonders too....I visited Glacier National Park and Banff briefly, and found those parks a little more interesting and peaceful than Yellowstone...I do highly recommend those areas as well!

As far as the Southwest goes, your trip sounds exciting...you appear to be packing in a lot of places in a short amount of time, but sounds fun! You might want to consider stopping in Northern New Mexico if you get a chance. It's so under-rated, and you might find it interesting as a geology major. The Sangre De Cristo mountains (the southern-most tip of the Rockies) are beautiful, and the Rio Grande Gorge is amazing. I was surprised the website that you linked to didn't feature that area. You could also take a white-water rafting ride if you're up for adventure. There are many natural hot-springs if you want to relax too. (And the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado are on the way...) Maybe I am a little partial because I lived in Taos for two years and was able to get intimate with the amazing landscape, but I learned a ton of stuff about the land and geology while I lived there, and found it delightful.

And for those that prefer the man-made wonders, there are some pretty amazing houses out there to!

Check out this site for some pictures, but it doesn't do justice....

http://www.sangres.com/statenm/index.htm

--Kari

Those pictures are awesome. I'd love to visit during my trip but I'm pretty restricted with time. What is Banff like? I wish I could make enough money to take a year off and travel the West (which I think is much more interesting (on a variety of levels) than the landscape of the East).

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I've been to Zion and Arches. Utah really has some very beautiful country. Unfortunately, I live 500 miles northward in the desert of southern Idaho. Still some beautiful land in the valley, but not quite the same. Hope your trip goes well!

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If you get the chance I'd definitely recommend going to Hawaii to see Hale'ma'uma'u and the rest of the volcanoes there, not to mention the sandy beaches and reefs et al. I went not too long ago and it was spectacular.

I personally often find man-made wonders to be sort of dull. Why? Because they're frequently ugly, full of crowds, and badly in need of having gum scraped off them. Not to mention that they are often just like something you can see elsewhere. I enjoy natural wonders because of their quiet, solitude, and the feeling they engender of a vast world open to possibilities, a feeling often not obtainable in a close city with grimy streets.

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The summer after my senior year in high school, I went to Costa Rica. Truly a beautiful place. My fondest memory:

Sitting on a stool at one of those bars that's out in the middle of the water. The water was geothermally heated and came up to around my belly-button when seated. I was enjoying a strawberry margarita (since the legal drinking age down there is 18). Bob Marley was playing on the radio, and there was a smoking volcano in the background. I think that was the most relaxed I have felt in my entire life.

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If you're up for a hike, I say try climbing Long's Peak, the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. On a clear day, you can see 7 states from the top. But if you're gonna do it, you need to get going by 3 AM, so you can avoid the afternoon thunderstorms.

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While not on the Denver to SF route, Geiranger fjord looks nice.

Amen, brother! Who else likes fiords? Check out this picture of Milford Sound in South Island, NZ. post-1767-1142798956_thumb.jpg The bloodsucking blackflies are pretty brutal, though. They must have been photoshopped out of that picture!

NewYork, as a geologist, New Zealand should be on your list! Volcanoes, mountains, etc. Check out my gallery of NZ pictures.

http://monicabeth.squarespace.com/display/...galleryId=14118

I also rate Zion NP as one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Getting to go there regularly would actually make living in Utah worthwhile. Looks like you're taking the southwest route to San Fran. On another trip, check out Craters of the Moon National Monument(?) in Idaho:

http://monicabeth.squarespace.com/display/...galleryId=14119

Relatively close by, the descent from Yellowstone and into eastern Wyoming is really, really beautiful, too, with its red soil:

http://monicabeth.squarespace.com/display/...ictureId=162767

Yellowstone was a little crowded for my liking, and not that spectacular. The Grand Tetons are nice, though.

If you are still in NY state, I'm sure you're already aware that there are cool things nearby. Although not as spectacular, they're still cool. For instance, Chimney Bluffs near Sodus Bay.

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/images/chimney.jpg

And Tinker's Falls near Tully, NY:

http://harperkay.homestead.com/files/Tinker_falls_2.jpg

Edited by Liriodendron Tulipifera
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  • 9 months later...
It seems most individuals who post on this forum find more beauty in man-made wonders, but I was wondering what specific natural wonders are really worth seeing?

Surf breaks. Natural wonders which men can shape, add to, dominate -- that is beautiful. Big wave surfing is unbelievable. Imagine not just standing at the ocean and realizing it can be dominated, but then actually watching men and women control these wonders with skill, passion, and courage and a genius piece of highly technical equipment, a surfboard.

Mavericks, a huge break close by at Half Moon Bay, is hosting their huge big wave contest sometime between now and March. If you can't up and ship out there within 24 hours notice (all surfers are called when it's going off hard and they must show up), go to Mavericks Surf and you can watch it live for free. It's so sick, I think you'll all enjoy it.

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