What is your favourite local destination?

[Nick]

Hi everyone,

In times like this, when it is more difficult to travel internationally (if at all), I think it is time to reclaim the beauty we can find in our own countries of residence.

Why not be each other's passport, taking a virtual journey through our shared photographs and experiences? 

What is your favourite destination within your country?

Wherever you are in the world I would love to know more about your favourite local travelling destinations. 

Maybe we can give ourselves some good ideas for our next respective trips by discovering places which we would not have thought of visiting otherwise.🙂

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Nick

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

Here are photos from my trips.

The Tongyeong (2017) trip was with Henry and a group of our friends. We just stayed in Tongyeong, mostly at the guesthouse since it had a great view and was a 5 min walk to the beach which connected to several hiking trails along the coast.

The Somaemuldo (2019) trip was with a group of co-workers for a team building exercise. 

Tongyeong) Near Dongpirang, view from a cafe where we were having coffee & breakfastTongyeong) View from the guesthouseTongyeong) On one of the easy hiking (more like walking) trail along the coastTongyeong) At Yi Sun-sin ParkTongyeong) At Yi Sun-sin Park

Somaemuldo) Ferry from Tongyeong-Bijindo-Somaemuldo, anywhere from 2~4 round trips per daySomaemuldo) Sunset from our guesthouseSomaemuldo) At the lighthouseSomaemuldo) Hiking to Deungdae-seom, to the lighthouseSomaemuldo) Ferry route stops at BijindoSomaemuldo) Dinner!!!! Too busy eating to take any more photos after this

[Helen427]

@Jessica-and-Henry0

What year was the lighthouse built do you know?

Lighthouses have an incredible history to them and tended to be built across the world like that in the late 1800's.

Did you know that prior to then people relied on hollowed out circles dug in rows on hilltops with bonfires and Trees that grew tall that were visible in the distance to alert them land was nearby?

They also had small tunnels in the side of hills where when it was high water they could go into their sailing vessels.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Helen427 

I had to look it up :-)) The lighthouse was built in 1917 by the Japanese..... during a time when Korea was forcefully colonized by Japan prior to WW2. 

[Sally221]

(I STILL can't access pix on computer!) but, Death Valley, surreal, magical, beautiful, another planet a day's drive from S. Cal cities, don't be a badass & go in the Summer tho! The West Marin, Sonoma & Mendocino coastline, gorgeous, dramatic pocket beaches strung like an exquisite necklace against the ever changing Pacific Ocean. Spectacular cheeses, succulent sea food & wonderful wines & craft beers. (Check out the Mendocino Botanical gardens) The Eel river & redwoods in Humboldt county, the insanely beautiful "Lost coast", the Sequoias  in the Sierras, Andrew Molera  beach camping on hwy 1, The Pinnacles in central California, home of the California Condors, Monterey bay, my old home town of Santa Cruz with it's surfers & historic wooden roller coaster,  sigh. We just had a major uptick in cases mostly driven by construction work  being resumed. 2020 seems like it's been around about a decade already.

[Louise0]

I'd nominate Mossman Gorge, in the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland.  It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen and the air smells incredible.

[Helen427]

hello @Louise0 across the ocean from Auckland, New Zealand did you take that photograph?

  It's beautiful, wish we would have the Today Show back on Television here as they used to do nice tourist snippets from memory.

All those little creatures and moss types are incredible how they grow, aren't they?

[J-Renato0]

.

Arraial do Cabo

Arrail do Cabo

The small town of Arraial do Cabo is about 3 hours away (by bus or car) from Rio de Janeiro city.

In 1503 the Navigator Americo Vespucci and its crew it was the fist navigator to land there where today is known as Arrail do Cabo, an small village.
There, 24 men remained with the mission of founding a settlement and colonizing the place. Then, Americo Vespúcio continued his journey towards the South, until the Rio da Prata.
And there is a hypothesis that the small settlements of the first settlers who stayed in Arraial do Cabo would have served as a model for the book "Utopia" by Thomas Morus.

Rio de Janeiro CIty - Aerial View

[Helen427]

@J-Renato0 

Thank you for sharing a little background history of your beautiful spot in the world.

Have you ever swum from the beach to the part that looks like an island at Arrial do Cabo?

Or is it too deep?

What type of fish 🐟 are there?

Do you know who designed and built the statue of Jesus?

What year was it built?

They have a tall statue on a hill in New Caledonia to, they are a nice touch and I'm sure will have many visit at these times to seek religious comfort.

[J-Renato0]

Hello @Helen427 

Arraial do Cabo village is known as one of the best places for scuba diving in Brazil. So, beyond having clear waters it also has lots of beautful fishes.

I don't practice scuba diving and I don't know very well about fishes 🙂

No, I never swam from the beach to that island... I am an amatuer swimmer 🙂

The huge art deco J. Christ statue that is on the top of Corcovado Mountain, where there is a belvedere, it was designed by a brazilian engineer.  The statue is 38 meter high. However Corcovado peak is 710 meters high.

Once there, you have great views to the city.

Once in a while, the normal ilumination is change.

Once in awhile they change the normal illumination for something thematic. The flags projected on the statue are the flag of all countries that are affected by c-virus.

[Nick]

Very powerful image @J-Renato0 thanks for sharing!

[Nick]

Arraial do Cabo added on the bucket list @J-Renato0 

[Patricia2156]

@J-Renato0 It's impressive! I didn't know yet! It is in my wishlist to visit from right now!

[Ann72]

Incredible, @J-Renato0.  I can't get over how white that sand is and how clear the water.

I also didn't know how anything about Vespucci except that the Americas were named for him.  Thanks for the history lesson - fascinating!

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Helen350 , the narrow boating is very cool, we have the same here and I have a friend that does 2 weeks on the New York State canal system in one every fall.  You can go a very long ways in one in lots of directions with the lock system in place, Im not a huge boating ;lover but it seems pretty cool all the same.  

[Helen350]

Wow! I had no idea there were canals in New York State @Melodie-And-John0 ! Definitely my preferred method of travel!