What was your favorite American travel moment of the year?
 

Missiepie started a thread over on the European board asking everyone what their single best travel moment was this last year. I am enjoying reading those responses, so I hope she won't mind if we also ask folks what their single best travel moment was in the US in 2007. Since she also travels in the US, maybe she will join in too.

I'd have to say mine was during a hike in Kings Canyon National Park. Early spring, so scattered snow on ground, crisp cool air, I was hiking alone and didn't have to go far to have the woods to myself. So magestic and peaceful walking among those giant sequoias with only the sounds of nature.

Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time--brought tears to my eyes. DH and I stood in awe the entire time we were there.

A sudden cloudburst on a sultry August day on Royale Street, waiting for my wife outside an antique shop.

staying at the Signature Hotel Las Vegas in November, which was a dream, and bumping into James Taylor in the lobby. (We were on our way to his concert that evening!) Fantastic!

Mine is rain in New Orleans too :)

My husband and I were touring the Gallier House during our trip to New Orleans in June. No one else was on the tour, so we had the guide to ourselves and were having a terrific time - asking all the questions we wanted, taking extra time in the different rooms to see what we what we wanted to see.

It was raining pretty good and when we were in the kitchen of the house, lightning struck very close to the house and electrified the air. All the metal in the kitchen sort of buzzed. It was a very strange feeling. Neat, but strange.

Watching glaciers calve in Alaska.

Sitting with my feet dangling in Lake Couer D'Alene and getting a cell phone call that my newest grandchild had been born (she is the 6th).

Tough one...

poolside with the family at The Hyatt in San Diego.

Dodger Stadium with the family.

Coors Field with the family.

Petco Park with the family.

Wrigley Field with the boyz.

Cleveland with THE WHOLE family.

A very quiet weekend in Vail with the family.

Can you tell that I love being at ballparks and with the family?

Sunrise at Bryce Canyon National Park in October.

Getting together in July with a small group of Christian Tolkien fans. We've known each other online for years, but most of us had never met face to face. It was great!

Lee Ann

Being told my mom didn't break or dislocate a single bone in her body after a horrific fall, and that if she should so choose, she could go on the cruise ship that morning.

After that, it was definitely all of us sitting at our balcony on the cruise ship as we passed Mt. Kilauea. I had a great time watching my parents and uncle enjoy the view. It was our first truly happy moment that vacation.

Watching the Naval Air and Sea Show in Ft. Lauderdale this May. What a magnificent display and made us SO proud!

Two moments-same trip

Seeing our first green flash at sunset in South Kona

Enjoying our morning coffe in the ocean-front gazebo at our vacation rental in Ke'ei and a whale breaching about 100 yards off-shore

Hiking in the southwest (utah and arizona) with my family.

Not only is the scenery awesome, but the kids liked it just as much as my husband and I.

Two: romping on the beach in Coronado with our dog on a perfect August morning. Walking along the Grand Canyon south rim on a cold morning in November and having big stretches of it all to ourselves.

Listening to my son literally cooing with delight as he waded in with the fish at Discovery Cove in Florida. Probably the single best moment of what was a very good vacation.

Watching the sunrise and the morning unfold from the end of the Hanalei pier in Hanalei, Kaua'i.

Mine happened on my solo road trip along the coast from Seattle to SF and back--while there were many great moments on that trip, the best was driving the scary, narrow dirt road off Hwy 1 north of Fort Bragg to Sinkyone Wilderness State Park and walking on the deserted beach there. The first view of the beach below from the road high above was absolutely breathtaking.

Going to the airport for a trip and seeing a soldier coming home and being reunited with his family..

Our honeymoon in Key west. We stayed at The Garden Hotel-a perfect place.

Celebrating DD's 24 bd in NYC going to dinner at Remis, Carmen at Lincoln Center, and drinks back at the Crowne Plaza where we were staying. Watching her flag down a cab like a native was a thrill, and of course, seeing her growth and excitement while she's in lawschool becoming a very amazing young woman is truly a thrill.

Yay!

Our first road trip together - our schedules are terribly off kilter, so it was tough - over Labor Day weekend. The goal was Monument Valley in southern Utah, which I've been dying to see since my days of Roadrunner cartoons.

I was a little disappointed when I saw the first few mesas - I thought - "is this it?" Turns out we were still about 10 miles away from the actual valley. We drove up the road and parked near the visitor center and there it was... Monument Valley in all its glory, stretched out before us like a Henry Ford western.

That was a great trip. This just reminded me to make sure we do another one in 2008.

Kay2, thank you so much for starting this thread, because I have some favorite US travel moments, too! It's a tie:

Although I have seen so many plays and musicals and have been in a few, I had never actually seen a show on Broadway. Our first this summer was Legally Blonde....it was so fun to sit in the theatre during that first song, knowing I was seeing a Broadway show-on Broadway-at last.

Other fantastic moment: I've always been a huge John and Abigail Adams fan. We toured the Adams properties in Quincy...it was so special for me to see the room and the desk where Abigail corresponded with John.

Mine would have to be riding mules down to Kalaupapa with my husband, my daughter and our son-in-law. They are moving to the east coast in a few weeks and this was the first, and likely only time for many years, that they were able to visit us in Hawai'i. We took the ferry over and, being early March there were whales everywhere.

Walking out the beach path through the sand dunes to see that first full panorama of the ocean stretch out before me. It was a November day in Avalon, NJ. I've done it many times before but it is still special for me.

Happy Holidays to All.

Watching my 5-yr old see NYC for the first time and especially her seeing the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. I will never forget it!

Reaching the top of the last hill on the rim road around Crater Lake in Cycle Oregon, or, stargazing from the deck of a friend's cabin on San Juan Island. http://www.pbase.com/smg9774/image/83520249

I can't think of one particular moment. But we had a great trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior (Minnesota) in July. And a very pretty drive down the Mississippi on our way home.

Two moments come to mind quickly:

1)Attending Wicked with my daughter this summer and seeing her reactions to the musical itself and to the beautiful theater in Chicago.

2)Walking around the memorials in Washington DC on Memorial Day weekend and feeling overwhelmed with emotion seeing WWII vets at the WWII memorial.

Driving over the Million Dollar Highway from Durango to Crested Butte, CO, the day after a wet snowfall early last May. Only the roadway was clear; the evergreens were all loaded with heavy snow. It was even better for me since I was a passenger and my husband was doing the driving.

Hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park. Exhilerating!

Watching the sunrise over Glen Canyon from our Lake Powell houseboat was a close 2nd.

Watching my grandson (3 yrs) on a surfboard with a little help from his dad--3rd generation to hang ten!

Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Rd through Glacier National Park.

Driving across the border from Canada to Oroville, Washington to buy Christmas turkey and a tank of diesel!

Cahokia Mounds - the contrast between the peacefulness of the park now and the gruesome events of the past.

Also, tried to take a cruise, and didn't get seasick. Hooraaaayyyyy :))

Driving up the CA coast from Bodega Bay past Mendocino.

Watching my daughter get "up" on a surfboard during her first lesson, and her "audience" on the beach applauding!

Seeing a grizzly in Yellowstone Park in September. He walked down a grassy hillside, swam across a river and wandered around for all of us watching him. Besides actually seeing the bear, the best part was that the people who stopped to see him were so quiet and nice to each other. Saw several people share binoculars with those who had none. I was so involved in the moment, I forgot to take a picture. That's okay, it's etched in my mind.

Seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time a few weeks ago. Snow on the ground, gorgeous blue skies; it was breath taking

Being with all of my family at my Mom and Dad's farm about 20 miles out of Tampa and welcoming the newest member of the clan...Flash a 7 month old Arabian stud that my 76 yr old father purchased for the grandchildren. He has already spoiled him rotten!

This is a repeat - but watching the glaciers calve in Glacier Bay.... As part of that same trip, watching a moose and her baby run in front of us (after being all over Alaska, we finally see Moose running across the highway in North Pole, Alaska....)

Spending the day at Huntington Beach State Park, SC in early November - it was sunny, warm, almost deserted - we found lots of "sea treasures", spent the day with family members and ended with a delicious meal at Bovine's in Murrells Inlet as the setting sun cast a warmth over the marsh.

Also - on a much different note - feeling the power as top-fuel rails, funny cars, motorcyles shook the stands at Brainard, MN for the Lucas Oil Nationals. Smelling the fuel, hearing the "broommm" as they took off, watching John Force & Kenny Bernstein tear down the track - a good way to spend a summer day in the Midwest!