Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia, Turkey, located in eastern Anatolia which is in the center of Turkey, is a wonderful place linked with history dating all the way back to the biblical times.

These vast mountain ranges was previously a kingdom to various rising and then falling empires.  In present day it is a popular tourist attractions and one of the most desired locations in the world to go hot air ballooning.

I believe I have said this before, but for the new and recent readers I will say it again, I am not a big fan of heights.  I would without a doubt in my mind though, hop on one of those giant balloons if the chance ever came my way.  A bird's eye view of the mountain ranges that resemble castles would be breathtaking.  Even if someone was too afraid to get in a hot air balloon, I am sure the view at dawn when all these contraptions first set off from the ground would be a magical sight worth seeing as well.

Keukenhof, Netherlands

Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world's largest flower garden.  I personally love flowers and think it would be a beautiful sight to see so many colorful flowers in one place.  It is located in South Holland, in a small town called Lisse.

 The official website for the Keukenhof Park states that, approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually in the park, which covers an area of 79 acres.  There is a variety of flowers, gardens, and garden styles throughout the park.  Many visitors expect to see the long fields of tulips and I actually thought so too before I did further research on Keukenhof.  The fields of tulips in the Netherlands are actually not too far from the Garden of Europe, but most of the fields are privately owned resulting in limited access.  

The Garden of Europe is open annually from mid-March to mid-May, but the best time to go would be around mid April depending upon the weather.  There is also a flower parade held annually and this year will be on May 3rd.  Although some people may not think this is an exciting place to visit, I think that admiring the beauty of 79 acres worth of flowers would be a nice experience and would end with a bunch of colorful, happy photos. 

Belgium

There are many fascinating places to visit in Belgium, located in Western Europe.  But if I ever make it to Belgium some day it will be for the sole reason of attending the largest and globally notable electronic music festival of my life!  In Boom, Belgium located in between Antwerp and Brussels, is where Tomorrowland is held every summer for two weekends in July.  The waiting list is long to even have the chance to buy the tickets and it is also an expensive adventure, costing thousands of dollars for tickets, travel, and other expenses.
Below is a video, although is a little over a half hour long, if you are into these kind of events you will sit down and watch it.  It is the official aftermovie of last summer's event.  I enjoy going to shows because they are so much fun, but this festival would take it to a whole new level for me and I would jump at the opportunity of ever being able to go.

Santorini, Greece

Next stop Santorini, Greece! This is an absolutely beautiful group of islands located in the southernmost part of Cyclades.  What makes the islands of Santorini unique is that the whole complex of islands is still an active volcano.  Santorini was also created by intensive volcanic eruptions, but no worries there hasn't been one in about 3,600 years.  The clear, beautiful water is enough of a sight to make anyone jump at the opportunity to travel to Santorini.

I definitely know I will be staying in a house cave throughout my stay in Santorini when I finally get to go there.  They are a historical part of the island because the people who lived there long ago built them on the edge of the cliffs to protect themselves from the winds.  They have now been modernized and are absolutely luxurious places to stay also facing the Aegean Sea.

There are many places to go sightseeing, beaches, historical places, and activities to do while at Santorini.  It is also a beautiful place to just relax and soak up the breathtaking views.  Since I enjoy hiking the activity I would really want to do is hike from Fira to Oia.  The cave houses above are actually located in the Oia area so it would not be too hard to find transportation to pick up the trail.  This is a hiking trail along the Black Mountain's cliff, the views are said to be beautiful and I would personally choose to hike it in the late afternoon to catch the sunset.  The hike is 3.35 miles and between and one to two hour hike.  It is a pretty easy going hike and make sure to bring a camera to try and capture the panoramic views.  

 The perfect combination of relaxation and adventure for me!

Arizona, USA

The past few posts I have made have been on international places.  I thought this week I would take it back home to the United States of America because there are also beautiful places to visit in our own country.  I have never made it to the west side of the country before, but when I do I will definitely be visiting Arizona.  Arizona is hot and sunny, but I would not recommend going to visit during the monsoon season between mid June to the end of September if you want to do outdoor activities and stay dry while doing it.  Upon arrival, I would make my first stop at the Grand Canyon in the northwest corner of Arizona, but who wouldn't right?  I do not think I would trust a mule carrying me through the canyon, but I would love to go for a day hike to see the intense beauty of this national park.  According to the http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm site the hikes are very physically and mentally demanding, therefore preparing yourself for something like that is a good idea.

Another beautiful sight to see in Arizona is the Antelope Canyons, located in the center of Page, Arizona.  This canyon is on Navajo reservation land, they give tours of each section of the canyon.  It is canyon like Grand Canyon yes, but it's make up looks like almost a smoother type of rock most likely due to flooding during monsoon season.  This canyon is unique in it's own way and I would love to walk through and take amazing pictures of of the experience.

The good news is that from the Grand Canyon to Page, AZ is only about three hours of driving distance!  Someday when I go to Arizona, I think road tripping to each cool hiking canyon spot during my stay will be my plan.

Baños, Ecuador

Baños is one of the most popular tourist spots in Ecuador because of it's beautiful natural beauty and also because there are many adventure sports to enjoy here including kayaking, hiking, biking, rafting, and bridge jumping.  There are over 60 waterfalls in this part of Ecuador.  This spot is well known as the "Getaway to the Amazon" because it is located right in the Amazon River basin.  

I started looking into Ecuador after a friend of mine came back from being on a study abroad trip to there.  He said he loved being in Ecuador, it was beautiful, and many adventurous activities to try.  That sounded good enough for me to start exploring on the internet.  From looking at various things to do in Ecuador, I found the picture above.  This is known as the Swing at the End of the World.......probably for obvious reasons.  I have said before that I love to hike and would someday like to reach that 2,660 meters where I will find this swing.  I would definitely swing a few times to enjoy the breathtaking view of surroundings, but that would be adventurous enough for me because I would also be taking a chance of falling off a side of a cliff.  I am sure this would be one of the most adrenaline pumping moments of my life and cannot wait to make this one happen.

Paris, France

Paris, France is definitely on my list of places to visit.  Mostly to see the Eiffel Tower and to put a lock on one of the Love Lock Bridges with someone special.

Day or night the Eiffel Tower is a beautiful structure to be seen.  I took a French class all through middle school and high school.  Along with learning the language, we also learned about the culture and the famous tourist attractions all around the country, but I was always most interested in Paris.  The tower represents Paris to me with its elegance.  My dream would be to get to go to the top of it and indulge in their top-rate dining.

The Love Lock Bridges in Paris are an unusual sight to see.  This is what goes down; a couple buys a padlock, put their initials on it, lock it on to the bridge as seen in the picture above, and then toss the key to your lock into the Seine river symbolizing your undying love for each other.  There are two different bridges that mean two different things, Pont des Arts would be for your committed love and Pont des l'Archeveche would be for your lover.  I know it may sound cheesy to some of you, but I am a hopeless romantic and would be so excited to do this one day when I visit Paris also known as the "romance capital".  Although authorities now clean the locks off the bridges around every six months because they are nervous about an accident happening due to how much weight all the padlocks put on the bridge.   

Lake Retba in Senegal

Now here is a sight to see!  This is Lake Retba in Senegal, located in northwest Africa.  I would have a blast visiting this lake, mostly because my favorite color is pink just like the color of this lake.  The lake is pink because of an algae in the water that gives off a red pigment, but when absorbing the sun it creates energy and turns it to a pink color.  There is also a very high salt content which makes it easy for people to float in the water.  Which is good for me because I am an absolute terrible swimmer.  The areas near the lake have created a small salt collecting industry, where salt collectors work 6-7 hours a day collecting salt.  I can imagine that being in this water all the time is not very good for your skin because the salt probably dries it out quite a bit.  I guess that is what lotion is for though.  But to jump in it one time, float around for a few minutes, and take some memorable photos in it would be all I want.  So here it is!  My first post about where I would love to visit someday if I had the chance.  

Squam Lake

Before I begin to post all the places I want to go some day, I thought I would start with a picture of a beautiful place I have already been.  The picture you are looking at is of Squam Lake, which is not that far of a drive from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.  If you are a student of PSU and have not hiked up Rattlesnake Mountain in Holderness, N.H., I suggest you do.  I love to hike and this is by far one of the prettiest pictures I have ever taken of the view at the end of a hike.  The hike up to this view is fairly easy and about an hour both ways.  I remember the day I went up here with my friends, at the top there is a huge boulder you need to climb up to see the view and I was scared to climb up the rock.  They all said that I absolutely needed to see the view so I pushed aside my fear and it was totally worth it.  The lakes region is a gorgeous area in New England and it is pictures like these that make me happy to be from here.

Welcome!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my personal blog devoted to amazing places all over the world I plan to visit in the future and also some places I have already been.  It has been a dream of mine to travel all over and experience everything I possibly can.  I think of this blog as a plan or outline of what I will be pursuing later in my life.  I will be posting once a week about a different place every time, with fascinating information to go along with the chosen destination of that particular week.  Enjoy!