I also polled mrAru since he is reading over my shoulder=)
He loves the arctic ocean for a couple of reasons - it is both salt and fresh water, and it is fun surfacing a sub through the ice=) Oh, and he says standing a topside watch is fascinating…total silence except for wind, people sounds get muffled by the absorbtion of the snow, and the occasiona; animal/bird sound is startling because of the overall silence. The snow crunches underfoot, and ice creaks like a haunted house. He has his vial of arctic sea water on the shelf by my desk and I can look over and see it as I type=)
My favorite is actually 2. My family had some summer cottages on a small lake in western NY called Silver Lake, which has the odd distinction of the inlet and outlet at the same end=) It is also partially spring fed so the water is ice cold from about 2 feet under the surface to the bottom. It had a hoax-sea serpent in the late 1800s. Perry, NY That factory in the picture? Perry Knitting Mills - the family business before we sold it to Pendleton=)
My second favorite body of water Lake Geveva … I spent 2 of the happiest months of my life there=)
I already said Lake Michigan was my favorite, but it’s for sentimental reasons as much as anything. Other notable bodies of water I loved include:
Lake Superior Lake Tahoe Lake Louise Mono Lake The Chesapeake Bay The Atlantic Coast up by Acadia National Park The waters around the Dry Tortugas west of Key West
I think I have to give a nod to Lake of the Woods in Ontario, as well. I never stayed there more than long enough to fill up the tank with gas, but the scenery is breathtaking.
Cataract Gorge is stunning – and so close to the middle of Launceston.
For me, it’s Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island, in Queensland. Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island – it’s an entire ecosystem growing on sand. There are no roads on the island, so most parts are only accessible by 4WD. Sea water trickles through kilometres of sand to reach the inland lakes, so it’s crystal clear and pure by the time it reaches Lake McKenzie. The lake is bath-warm and its sand pure white.
The only downside to Lake McKenzie is the hordes of Pommie backpackers it attracts in summer.
Yes, really close, when I was at Launceston College (high school) we used to be able to pop over to the Gorge during lunchtime. Now I realize exactly how spoiled we were.
I haven’t seen Lake McKenzie -I regret not seeing any of the North of Australia before taking off out of there.
The Irish sea, at the Giant’s Causeway(http://en.voyagevirtuel.info/irlande/ulster4.php)
especially in winter, when the waves are tipped with ice and you can really get a sense of the power of the sea.
A vote here for poor, much-maligned Lake Erie. Canadian side, midway between Windsor and Point Pelee.
Nothing terribly special about it, but I spent most summers there during my childhood. Waking up to the waves on the shore is still a big part of my vision of heaven.
Chefguy, that sure looks like Emerald Lake in the Yukon Territory. Take a look and see if you don’t agree. I’ts one of three I was going to mention. Driving the AlCan, I was giving a hitcher a ride to his cabin and he turned me on to it. Beautiful.
Another is Muncho Lake, also in Canada. I woke up at about 3 am camped on it’s shores by a strange sound. Looking out across it’s moonlit surface to white mountains beyond I realized that a light breeze was starting to move millions of little ice crystals across the lake and they made to most beautiful stereophonic “tingling” as they bumped into each other. Awesome moment that I’ll never forget.
My Favorite though is the Iveshak River that flows north past ANWR to empty in the Arctic. It’s a long way from any road or town and extremely difficult to get to. Flying over it’s glacial milk, it presents the most beautiful milky blue I’ve ever seen in water. Travelling down it’s length you look beyond it into beautiful, pristine mountain passes. We fished it for ling cod, grayling, etc. It’s perfect and untouched and long may it remain just that way.
