Buildings that are just plain old always impress the heck out of me for some reason. The old cities in Europe (the old town in Stockholm is the only one I’ve visited personally), matt_mcl’s examples, the main campus at the University of Toronto, Harvard, San Juan Capistrano…
When I first opened this thread I also considered the strip in Las Vegas (for different reasons, obviously) but then I decided that it didn’t inspire awe so much as stunned incomprehension.
I was in Rome for my first real trip out of the country. My SO wanted to sleep after we got off the plane but I couldn’t rest. So while he napped I went for a walk by myself.
When I turned a corner and saw the Pantheon for the first time I could almost feel my heart stop. It hit me so hard I had to back up a few steps, take a deep breathe and turn the corner again. I didn’t even know what the building was at first. The obvious age and beauty of it made me cry. (or it may have been that I was in a strange country and hadn’t slept in 23 hours.)
The Taj Mahal. From a distance it is beautiful. Then you get up close and see all of the intricate designs that were hand carved from the rock then had semi-precious stones carved to fit in them. The interior is covered in them and it is amazing standing there and looking at all of the work that went into it.
The view from the top of the Rialto Towers in Melbourne, Victoria. The city just spreads out and out, looking like it will never end.
The Harbour Lights tour of Sydney Harbour at night. The skyline on both sides is lit up, and from certain places you get to see both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge with the rest of the city just to the left.
The Toronto skyline.
Well, they are man-made so I guess they go here. Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The amount of work done by hand and the amount of rock moved is unbelievable.
Rome. The Coliseum and the Forum. Standing in them and feeling the age and the history.
The lynch pin for her being moved was when her head fell off. It’s been welded back on, of course, and you can barely tell. Still, though, sheesh.
I always stop and say hello to her when I go to the ampitheater. People look at you funny when you talk to a statue, but I just can’t seem to care.
Ever climbed Mt. Battie? It’s great fun.
Las Vegas at night.
I have to back this up. The view of Washington from the back lawn of the Custis-Lee mansion in Arlington is stunning. Unlike most US cities, Washington didn’t grow ‘up’ in terms of skyscrapers and the like. From Arlington you can see the entire city, out to the horizon. You can trace Rock Creek Park, see all the monuments, and look at the capitol and mall all from one spot.
And Matt? If Stade Olympique really nauseates you I promise to blow it to flinders (in best Virginia style) if you folks in Montreal will finally ship Les Expos down here to Northern Virginia!
Really. I promise.
The Golden Gate Bridge, whether fog shrouded, sunlit or in drizzly weather. Born and raised in San Francisco but now living in Sacramento, I saw it last week with new eyes from the San Leandro Marina. A magnificent sight in the sunshine with San Francisco in the background, the San Mateo and Richmond/San Rafael bridges on either side, with the Oakland Bay Bridge tossed in for additional splendor. Awesome!
La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Gaudí died before finishing it, and they’re still working on completing it. It’s an amazing building. It’s almost impossible to get a decent photo of it, unfortunatly. If you’re ever in Spain, go see it. It’s incredible.
I also like the old towns of European cities, Stockholm is one great example.
I like the cityscape from the view of Skyline Drive in Signal Hill. Seeing all the city lights at night from the hill just gives me this feeling of peace. Also, great place to makeout! Aw yeah, baby!
Ooh! Just thought of a good one. In Paris there’s this ancient ruin that nobody really knows about, called the Arènes de Lutèce. It’s this big old Roman amphitheatre by Place Monge metro. It’s more or less hidden by apartment blocks, but my mom and I found it while in Paris. It’s vast, empty, and very quiet. Quite the place.
I came out here to San Francisco in December, just to visit. One look at the skyline from out on the Bay, looking back through the Golden Gate was enough to make me want to stay for good. So I did.
Ataraxy mentioned what I first thought of when reading this thread. Not in the city itself, but driving south on US15 at night. You come out of the mountains and suddenly a golden bracelet appears before you, floating and shimmering in the darkness. It is a sight to behold.
I’m an avowed highway geek, and one sight I love to see is the sight of the Baltimore skyline as one drives north into the city on I-95. On the left are PSINet Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards. On the right is the visible part of the harbor and the various industrial facades (yeah I dig industrial facades). It’s so much more impressive due to the fact that the road bends and inclines just as you enter the city, so it all seemingly comes into view at once.
Rio de Janeiro, especially the view from the Christ statue.
The lights of Hong Kong island and Kowloon from the peak.
Saint Chapelle (spelling?) chapel in Paris.
San Francisco at night, seen from upper deck seats down the right field line at the new baseball park. Actually, you can see over to the east bay as well, just not as pretty.
I’m a sucker for bridges[ul][li]The Golden Gate Bridge remains one of the grandest engineering feats in the world to this day.[/li]
[li]The Brooklyn Bridge is a marvel of construction as well.[/li]
[li]The Firth of Forth Bridge is a monument to the Industrial Revolution.[/li]
[li]The Sydney Harbor Bridge is a monster in its own right.[/li]
[li]Bixby Creek Bridge near Big Sur is one of the most photographed structures on earth.[/ul][/li]I’m also a huge fan of Japanese tea gardens. The one at Golden Gate park is an urban jewel. In fact the whole of Golden Gate Park is worthy of mention. Considering that it was swampy sand dunes before being sculpted by the vision of one man. The Botanical Gardens’ Tiffany style hot house will always be one of my favorite structures on earth.
Hoover dam is also a grand thing. It required an uninterrupted pour for one entire year. The cement could pave a two lane road from Los Angeles to Boston. The Art Deco bathrooms are stunning. Repleat with malachite marble and polished brass fittings they stand as a reminder of when craft and style were still firmly married.
One day I shall make a pilgrimage to Falling Water. Wright’s consummate skill fashioned one of the most beautiful private residences on this entire planet.
Walking down Strolegt(sp?) in Copenhagen is also on my top ten list. Blocked from automotive traffic, this pedestrian mall is hundreds of years old and still remains the heart of what is arguably one of the best cities in the world.
Just for grins I’ll also mention the huge fields of flowers that are grown for seed stock near Hollister, California. To drive along and suddenly encounter a living rainbow carpeting a square mile all around you is breathtaking.
The Statue of Liberty is always worthy of mention.
Zen: If you make it to Montreal, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge is very pretty; also, we have a fabulous Japanese garden at the Botanical Gardens as well as the biggest Chinese garden outside of China. The Montreal Botanical Gardens are the most important in the world second only to the Kew gardens in England.
I will second both the Japanese garden and the Chinese garden at the Botanical Gardens. When I was there a martial arts class was being held in the Japanese garden, which fit in very well. And climbing the rocks at the Chinese garden was great fun, with beautiful views as the payoff.
Cool! Next time I’m in Camden, I’m gonna tie a yellow ribbon around her neck! (As in So John untied the yellow ribbon, and Jane’s head fell off.)
I’ve never climbed Mt. Battie…actually, I’ve only used Camden as a pitstop on the way to Mt. Desert Island.