Driving down a hill on a beautiful fall morning towards Lake Sammamish, we saw this incredible view of mist rising from the water, a gradually rising envelope of fog in the backdrop of trees with myriad fall colors, the sun peeking through the clouds. The whole picture had an orange yellow hue , it looked just like a postcard. While taking this all in, Indu talked about the other times when she was in a place so beautiful that time stood still and a memory of the place was indelibly created. it is forever. That inspired me to make my list of views/places that gave me the same transcendent experience.
1. Watching Glaciers calving on the Hubbard glacier at Kenai fjords National park
2. Hiking on a hilly ridge amidst vast open wilderness between stops on the road to wonder lake at Denali National park
3. Flying over and landing on Ruth Glacier, walking on the Glacier at the foot of Mt McKinley
4. Watching the whole J-Pod family of Orca Whales swimming alongside our boat on Sumer Solstice
5. Hiking near Edith Cavell, near Angel Glacier at Jasper National Park
6. Standing at the end of the trail near the plain of 6 glaciers at Lake Louise
7. Watching the continental divide on the going to the sun road at Glacier National park
8. Walking on Rialto Beach at Sunset at the Olympic National Park
9. Camping on the bluff overlooking the pacific ocean. camp fire on a starlight night watching ships go by in the distance at Kalaloch beach at the Olympic National Park
10. Watching the scraggy snow covered peaks of the Olympic range from Hurricane Ridge at the Olympic National Park
11. Hiking down the Bright Angel trail and looking up from the Grand Canyon. Heli ride over the longest portion of the canyon
12. Watching the sun rise over the clouds at 5:00 AM on Haleakala volcano at 10000 ft at the Haleakala National Park
13. Driving up to Toulumne meadows through the Sierra range in Yosemite National Park
14. Driving through the Canyon of fire in the yellowstone national park
15 Standing on the deck of the cruise boat watching puffins and other sea birds swoop down into the foggy waters of resurrection bay in Seward Alaska.
16. Watching Mt Rainier, Adams, Helens, Hood, Baker and Crater lake- all the volcanoes on the west coast ring of fire on a clear day from an airplane
17. Standing atop JungFrau looking at the Eiger Glacier and Mont Blanc in the swiss alps
18. walking amidst 300 Ft tall Sequoia trees in the Redwood national park and Mariposa in Yosemite
19. Staring into the deep blue waters of Crater lake from the lodge
20. Watching crystal clear bowman lake and lake McDonald on a clear day in Glacier National Park.
21. Seeing Mt Rainier Up close and personal at Rainier National Park on a clear day, especially near mirror lake.
