Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Top 10 list

While we were visiting Larry and Mary Ellen, Mary Ellen asked a simple question that momentarily stumped us both, "What are your favorite places as you travel?"  Seems like it should have been an easy and quick answer, but both of us were silent and stammering.  We have never exactly looked at it like that.  We enjoy the entire experience, including the drive as well as the destination.  It's true we go back to many places again and again so that would indicate it would be a favorite, right?  Not necessarily, we may go back to the same place for other reasons, a visit, maintenance, fuel, particular food, etc.  Well, Jan and I have been talking about our favorite 10 places and decided to break it up into 2 Top 10 lists, one for the destination and area, and the other for our favorite 10 campgrounds.  As we made our lists it was apparent we could not put them in any particular order.  Also, we have many more favorite places, but these are what we would put in our top 10.

Yellowstone National Park
The diversity of the terrain, the wildlife, scenery, hiking, and breathtaking beauty.

Durango, CO
The topography, 4wd roads and trails, mountains, proximity to mining history and towns such as Silverton and Ouray to mention two, hiking, biking, and it feels good.

Las Vegas, NV
Odd one, but fun for a visit, intriguing, great people watching, shows, bigger than life, and great food.

Austin, TX
The whole area of the Hill Country, the ranches, the openness, great variety of food, and of course friends, and don't forget the BBQ.

Venice/Sarasota, FL
Our "home", feels like home, comfortable, nice weather, tons to do, family and friends, lots of great restaurants.

Santa Fe, NM
Scenic, artsy, in a good way, nice feel, great food, close to family.

Maine coast, from Kittery to Acadia National Park
Spectacular mountainous coastline down east to wide open beaches down south, the ocean, walking, hiking, biking.  Kittery with its shopping and food, Wells with its superb beach, Freeport with its harbor and shopping, Portland, a fantastic city, Casco and Penobscot bays, absolutely beautiful, Bar Harbor, a cool touristy down east town, and Acadia National Park with its scenery, biking, hiking, and Cadillac Mountain.

Banff-Jasper, and the Canadian Rockies
Awesome scenery, rugged, rocky, severe mountains, glaciers, aqua colored lakes, high class town, and quite remote.

Denver, CO
Mountains, scenery, nice comfortable city, lots to do and see, hiking, biking.

Alaska
What can you say?  It has it all, scenery, wildlife, fishing, hiking, exploring, absolute serenity, solitude, mountains, glaciers, bald eagles, salmon, halibut, wilderness, extreme  weather and topography, the last frontier!

So this is our list, and as I said we have many more favorite places, in fact, everywhere we've been we have been able to find something interesting to explore or experience.  But this is a start.  Thanks Mary Ellen for making us think about this.  What are some of your favorites?

Our top 10 campgrounds will follow soon.

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