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The Top 10 Western Wonders of the World From the Travel Channel 200310. Death Valley - California09. Columbia River Gorge - Oregon 08. Arches - Utah 07. Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico 06. Channel Islands - California 05. Mt. Hood - Oregon 04. Redwoods - California 03. Yosemite - California 02. Yellowstone - Wyoming 01. Grand Canyon - Arizona 10. Death Valley - California Death Valley has harsh, extreme conditions. Many years ago the area used to be the bottom of a tropical sea near the earth's equator. Having the highest mean temperatures on earth, it averages 120 degrees in the summer. More than 1 million visitors per year come to Death Valley to see the lowest, dryest place on earth. I've driven near Death Valley countless times on trips between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Having never stopped to see the area up close, I am looking forward to visiting the area one of these winters when the temperature is cooler. 09. Columbia River Gorge - Oregon Slightly east of Portland, the Columbia River Gorge has waterfalls everywhere. 650,000 visitors come each year to see this area that was formed by volcanic eruptions and raging waters. In 1916 the first highway in the United States was built around the Columbia River Gorge. It is said to be one of the most scenic drives in the world. 620 foot Multnomah Falls is the second highest year round waterfall in the United States. Wind Surfing was discovered in Hood River County and anyone visiting the area can see why. I've been lucky enough to see the Columbia River Gorge after flying into Portland. I'd like to take a longer trip to the area to see more of the scenic waterfalls. 08. Arches - Utah Eastern Utah has 2000 natural arches. Arches National Park gets 1.5 million visitors per year. Extreme Mountain Biking was invented in Arches and the legendary "slick rock trail" is a formidable challenge. 07. Carlsbad Caverns - New Mexico Having 300 known caves, the Guadalupe Mountains are full of adventures. The Carlsbad Park alone has 120 caves and 30 miles of caverns. The caves were formed by half a million years of dripping water. The "big room" in one of the caves is the size of 6 football fields. The big cave is 75 stories in and out but the journey is now easy thanks to an elevator. Mexican freetail bats are a key attraction. Having seen the Carlsbad Caverns in person, I would recommend the area to anyone interested in seeing unique underground colors and formations. 06. Channel Islands - California One of my favorite t shirts shortly after high school featured the Channel Islands on the front. I've been to Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles but never to the Channel Islands. They are only 90 miles outside of Los Angeles yet nature is intact and one would never know that such a large city is nearby. The chain of 5 miles has 177 miles of coastline and is known as the American Galapagos Islands. Peter Fish, Travel Editor of Sunset Magazine, says the area is one of the most beautifu places in the world. Blue Whales and 17 different shark species frequent the waters around the island. Although the Great White Shark is found near the islands, the area is one of the top diving sites in the world. 05. Mt. Hood - Oregon Mt. Hood is a sleeping volcano in the ice of a dozen glaciers. The icy surface is great for skiing and snowboarding but the mountain has fire in its belly. Skiing is popular in the area as late in the year as the 4th of July. Built during the Great Depression, the historic Timberline Lodge is said to be a must-see. Hopefully my next snowboarding trip can be at Mt. Hood. 04. Redwoods - California Trees are said to be the oldest living things on earth. Some of the California Redwoods are over 2,200 years old! 300,000 visitors come each year to see these enormous trees. The redwoods are from 8 to 20 feet around and as tall as 35 story buildings. The average age of each tree is 600 years old. The marine climate contributes to the logevity of the trees. The redwoods are able to survive fire, floods and insects among other things. 03. Yosemite - California Meadows, waterfalls and forests make Yosemite Valley one of the most recognized vistas in the world. Almost 4 million visitors flock to the area each year. The area has been stunning America for over 150 years. The glacier carved canyon has been called the incomperable valley. John Muir said that every rock in the wall seems to glow with life. Known around the world, Half Dome is 4,000 feet above the valley floor and it is widely recognized from Glacier Point. El Capitan is the largest monolith of granite in the world. Yosemite Falls is the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. Our Yosemite Photos page has pictures from this National Treasure. The LA Photos site has many posters from the area on the Yosemite Posters I and Yosemite Posters II pages. Ansel Adams took some of his best photographs in the Yosemite Valley. LA Photos has them on the Ansel Adams Yosemite page. 02. Yellowstone - Wyoming Anyone who has seen the Yogi Bear cartoons is familiar with Yellowstone. I've never been to "Old Faithful" but I've been very close. Having been skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on 2 separate trips, I've been very close to Yellowstone Park. 01. Grand Canyon - Arizona The biggest, most spectacular canyon on earth, the Grand Canyon is 1 mile deep, 10 miles wide and 1 million acres long. The Colorado River has been carving out the canyon for the last 20 million years. Bright Angel Trail and Rim Trail are somewhat scary as there are steep cliffs. One of the best river rafting trips of my life was when we went down the Grand Canyon on a multi-day trip. I've visited the Grand Canyon many times as it is not very far from Los Angeles. It is so close to Las Vegas that many of the hotels and casinos offer enticing day trips to the area. LA Photos has a nice section of posters and prints of the Grand Canyon on the Grand Canyon Posters and Prints page. |
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