Beautiful places to visit & experience

**kimmee** · 10-06-2004, 04:52 PM

The kids and I have a favorite place we go every year - Montezuma's Well (not the castle!!) in Arizona. We go to visit my friends and soak up the sun in scottsdale every year at  Spring Break (we drive) and we always pack a picnic lunch to have down at the bottom of the well. It is absolutely beautiful. It is an Indian ruin and an oasis in the desert. You have to climb a desert covered hill and then when you crest the top you see a whole other world - a glistening lake at the bottom and trees and ruins and little animals everywhere. we spiral down to the bottom and skip rocks, picnic, and feed the birds and squirrels/chipmunks. It is so connected to nature.

Another beautiful place is Silver Falls in Oregon. It is lush and gorgeous and you can hike for hours. water falls and the smell of pine all around you.

And my special secret place since I was very little and where I go to mentally when something is troubling me (my safe place ) is off highway 101 just southeast of the sealion caves In Oregon - It s a rock wall the ocean has carved out and the waves splash in and straight up - the walls are covered in Barnavles and when you are little you can feel like the only person on Earth when you are in there - like you've discovered the most beautiful spot with no sounds but the ocean and the spray of salty water on your face, the warmth of the sun on your face (when its out). I was born in Portland and I usually only remember the sunny days - how weird.

Do you have a special place that you like to visit? where - describe it for us...

**guest2** · 10-07-2004, 03:16 PM

We go to Montana to my parent's place on the lake there. It's simply gorgeous! They are on a little canal with a little island separating them from the lake. There is a dead old snag on the island that the bald eagles and osprey love to nest in. There is also a beaver dam that a beaver family and a musrat family share. This year there was a mother doe with her 2 babies on the island along with a family of racoons. We could watch all of them from the porch or the windows. We take the kayaks out and go explore the other islands and go over to Turtle Cove where we watch the turtles sunbathing on some old felled trees and then head off up the lake to explore other coves or down the river and raft that. The water simply sparkles there and we are surrounded by pine forests and lots and lots of wildlife. It's so peaceful and it has become my "healing place". Whenever I get stressed, that is where I want to go.

**kimmee** · 10-15-2004, 06:02 PM

THis is the place the kids and I go to - the website doesn't give you the same connectedness to nature as when you are there though.

http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/aug/s...montzwell.html

http://www.sedonadreammaker.com/nati...umas_well.html

**Chea** · 10-16-2004, 12:03 AM

Here's my new fave place.....

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=2766679/K=hoc...z/hocking.html

Nature really is an awesome wonder!

**kimmee** · 10-16-2004, 02:00 AM

Oh my gosh I could get lost there - I LOVE the sound of water and the breeze on your face - what a beautiful place you have found. If I lived close I would sneak off every day whle the kids were at school and I would do yoga and then paint and dream and really feel what the world was telling me to do!!! Absolutely breathtaking!!

**Chea** · 11-09-2004, 07:54 PM

Oh we went back again this weekend. It was WONDERFUL and the falls were alot more impressive!

**kimmee** · 11-09-2004, 08:10 PM

I would love to go there sometime. This is where the kids and I stay in Phoenix - isnt it beautiful- its built into the mountain and they've kept it pretty natural with falls and what not - if you go in the summer you can stay for $50 a night!!

http://buttes-resort.wyndham-hotels....u/tour_01.html

**pqb52** · 11-09-2004, 08:21 PM

In the middle of New York State is a series of lakes called the Finger Lakes. It is also the heart of wine making country. Barb and I try to get there at least once a year.

**Ellise** · 11-10-2004, 08:18 AM

I just love going to the Mountains in NC. We go a couple times a year.

**COUNTRYBUMPKIN** · 11-10-2004, 08:53 AM

Dh and I visited Montazuemas Well last year and had a great time doing so. We also love to go and camp in Sedona. But our all time favorite place is at our friends down in Cabo San Lucas. Their place is right at the very tip and on the Sea Of Cortez. I love to sit out on their deck and lounge and watch the Whales jump! And we love to snorkle while there.