5 of My Favorite Beautiful Nature Scenes

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5 of My Favorite Places in Nature

~”5 of My Favorite Beautiful Nature  Scenes”  is a guest post by my beautiful fiance Shannon! Enjoy! ~

 

I have been lucky enough to travel to many places and experience many different cultures. But, there is something to be said for the natural beauty that exists here, in the United States. Now, I completely understand that there are many people who will have other opinions on their top 5 favorite places to visit in the continental United States. But, these are the places that have truly touched my soul, almost haunting in the beauty that stayed with me long after I left the physical place. So, here they are in no particular order!

1. Ecola State Park: Oregon is hands down one of my absolute favorite places to exist on this planet. The beauty that is this entire state is as stunning and it is surprising. Just a small trip down the road to the market hosts gorgeous views, from plush valleys of green to soaring cliffs. Since my childhood, the place that makes me almost giddy to go visit is Ecola State Park. Long before he was my fiancé, I was asked by the man that I love where I would go if I could be anywhere. And I chose this point you can hike to at Ecola. When you get out to the point, you are high up on a cliff face, surrounded on three sides by ocean. When I am there, in that place, I remember how much more world exists outside of myself, and it truly brings into perspective that my problems aren’t nearly as big as I think they are… and there are many more people in existence that deserve our thoughts and help.

2. Yosemite National Park: Located in California, Yosemite has almost everything you might want to see, and all within easy exploring distance! It is certainly well know for its waterfalls that cascade down beautiful granite faces. But here you will also find valleys complimented by the huge, awe-inspiring granite cliffs. Vast meadows and giant sequoias, some large enough to drive a car through, are all there for exploration. It is wilderness in every sense of the word. And only in this kind of wilderness have I ever truly experienced tranquility.

3. Sedona, Arizona- Red Rock Country… a place that looks like no other. Most people would list the Grand Canyon as the place to see in Arizona and I would never imagine diminishing the greatness of this natural wonder. But, I have sat in silence at both sunrise and sunset in this beautiful, unique place and watched the rocks change from deep, blood red and burning orange before becoming the deep russet red they are in total sunlight. I have watched the clouds turn purple and teal over the natural rock formations, and I have known that I was witnessing something not even the most talented of artists could imagine. Visit here, and enjoy the many entertainments that Sedona has to offer during daylight hours. But, be sure to hike out and find a gorgeous view just in time for the sun to come up. It will literally leave you breathless.

4. Shenendoah National Park: Aw, the Blue Ridge Mountains! This gorgeous park in Virginia has been visited by my hiking shoes too many times to count. The park itself shows the beauty of Virginia perfectly. Rolling crests of mountains as far as the eye can see, dotted by deep valleys and meadows, and gorgeous rivers and waterfalls make every hike magnificent. Rest beneath the shade of the oak trees and listen to the water trickle by, discover the history of the land (it is rich in history, to be sure!) and relax in a shockingly peaceful, striking setting considering it is only a short 75 miles away from our nation’s capital!

5. Carlsbad Caverns: I remember being absolutely blown away by Carlsbad Caverns when I visited at a very young age! But, this place is not for the faint of heart!! Not only will you be hiking into caves that are home to large bat populations (which you can watch fly out of the cave’s natural entrance by the hundreds every night at sunset) but you are hiking into miles and miles of twisting corridors, hosting immense stalactites and stalagmites, some that have been forming for so long (hundreds of years), that they are grown together. The caverns also boast the second largest underground room in the world and the Bottomless Pit, an area of space that’s depth is still not completely known. Despite the beauty of this natural wonder, the chasms in the rocks and fallen boulders remind you the violence that was the formation of the caves, and will certainly get you respecting geology!

If ever you find yourselves in one of these amazing places located in our very own United States, I hope that they will affect you and stay with you in the same way they did me. I promise you, no matter where you go; you will find remarkable beauty and harmony.ihb2dmevw5

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