What locations in Middle Earth do you want to visit the most? Doesn’t have to be limited to just Middle Earth proper, could also be the Undying Lands or Numenor.
Places I’d like to visit:
The mountains of Mirkwood. Just think about what the view from the top of those mountains must be like. It would be just a sea of dark woods for as far as you can see, in all directions.
The Sea of Rhun. We never really get much information about this, so just exploring an obscure part of Middle Earth would be kinda cool. Imagine being on the forest side of the sea, looking out over the water. To your back you’ve got the woods, and in front of your eyes, across the vast water is a mountain chain.
Lake Town. A peacefu,l prosperous town located on an artificial island on the River Running. Imagine climbing to the rooftop of one of the buildings, and off in the distance you can see a lone mountain and nearby are the Iron Hills. Looking down from the roof you can see all the dockworkers milling around, going about their business. And then off in the west you can just vageuly make out the treeline of Mirkwood.
I’ll go with you to Moria, Chronos. In happier times, as you say.
I’m not a woodsy guy, but I’d go into Fangorn with Legolas as guide. I would love to see the caves of Helm’s Deep after Gimli moved in and became the Lord of the Glittering Caves.
More than any other place, however, I’d like to see Angbad when Luthien and Beren break in and steal the Silmaril. From a safe, comfortable distance–of course.
Call me a homebody type, but I would like to visit Hobbiton, and to be a guest at Bag End. Something about all those pantries of food and drink. Maybe I could have been a good housekeeper for the Baggins clan.
Everywhere! I want to take a long, quiet, vacation in the Shire, then spend a month or two raiding Elrond’s library in Rivendell. I want to see what Lothlorien really looks like (it’s the only location that the movie folks got wrong). The Argonath. Henneth Annun at sunset. From the Silm, Nargothrond (mostly because Finrod is one of my favorite characters). Oh, I don’t know, everywhere!
I have to confess a curious desire to travel to the East of East until I come to the Last Desert (so named, presumably, because you have to go through at least two other deserts to get there–although if you were traveling west, I guess it would be the “First Desert” by the same logic), and find out just what the hell a “Were-Worm” is. Surely it can’t be what it sounds like: “Oh no! The desert moon is full, and suddenly I have the desire to aerate the lawn! I’m…I’m turning into a worm!”
I’ve always visualized the Were-Worms as sort of dragon- or lizard-men, although that seems a bit un-Tolkienlike somehow. Whatever they are, I’m sure they have a fascinating culture.
JRRT was a fair hand at drawing landscapes, but admitted himself that he really sucked at portraying people, so he seldom tried. Somewhere in HOMES I think there are descriptions of what the various peoples looked like. I might dig into it later if I have time, and noone else has popped in to answer this.
Among Tolkein’s illustrations for The Hobbit is a picture of Bilbo at Bag End; it’s right at the end of the edition I bought recently for my niece and nephew. I don’t know if it’s online, but I’ll have a look and see if I can find it.
I’d love to live in the Shire, but a vacation at Lothlorien would be wonderful.
Minas Tirith.
A walk through the Barrow Downs–on a sunny day–might be interesting.
I’d also like to see the Long Lake and Lonely Mountain after they got the place cleaned up after Smaug’s demise. Do you suppose the dragon’s bones are much of a tourist attraction?
i’d like to have a few toddies with goldberry and tom.
~still grumbling about their being left out of the movie~
(hullo - i’m new here & on leave from ship of fools as it’s docked this weekend undergoing maintenance)
