Sometimes, a single place can take your breath away. So beautiful, que palabras fail. There are certain travel vistas that hit so deep en nuestros corazones that we spend all the rest of our travels chasing that feeling of wonder. Amiright, mi gente?

Yea. Me too.

As I think about the año nuevo and what I want to experience this year, I find myself trying to recreate those speechless moments, in new places of course. Desafortunadamente, that may not yet be possible… and maybe not for quite some time. SO, I thought it’d be a good time to take un viaje down memory lane instead. Both to feel those warm fuzzies again and to inspire me (and maybe you too) to look ahead. Sometimes, all we need to move forward is a clear vision of what we want, of what brings us joy. And vistas, supremely magnificent vistas, always bring me that clarity. You feel me? Sientes lo mismo?

A gorgeous view can put all things right in the world, remind me of my purpose, restore my faith, and fill mi corazon with gratitude….en un solo instante.

So while I have so many spectacular vistas in so many fantastic places YET to see, I’d like to share with you the ones I HAVE experienced. The ones that gave me a song in my heart y un pep in my step! Vamonos ya!

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1. Buachaille Etiv Mòr, Scotland

Have you ever stood in a spot and felt the landscape transform you into a different person entirely? This spot hizo eso para mi. Buachaille Etiv Mòr, in it’s rugged vastness, transformó Joana into a Scottish clanswoman from ancient times. Standing in this spot, imaginé what it was like for the people who walked the same, undisturbed paths all those years ago. Te juro, I swear, I could even hear bagpipes in my mind. That’s how strong the feeling was!

No te ries! Dont laugh at me! I was living out my best Outlander fantasies out there. 🙂

This prolly won’t come as una sopresa but Buachaille Etiv Mòr is the most photographed spot in all of Scotland. I mean, of course it is! What you see en esta foto is Glen Etiv, the valley between Scotland’s most loved Munro peaks and maybe even more striking than the peaks themselves.

The idyllic path, is actually a 6.8 mile loop trail que va en un circulo around the peak, which stands at 3,351 feet high. Guys, if you are ever traveling near the Ballachulish area of the Scottish Highlands, visita este lugar and take in thespectacular 360 degree vistas. It will channel the raw, primal parts of you! Oh, and maybe bring the Braveheart soundtrack with you…. just sayin. 🙂

Fun fact: This area can be seen in the James Bond movie Skyfall, several Harry Potter movies, AND Mighty Python. Que divertido, no?

Have you ever been transported to another place and time, just by standing in one spot? Where’d you go (both physically and mentally)?

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2. Valley Of Fire State Park, Nevada

Nunca pensé que I’d fall in deep love with the desert (I mean, I’m a beach babe) but, what can I say? Pasó! I fell hard for the Valley Of Fire State Park when I visited last yr. Cause of enamorement: It took me to church!

Maybe it’s the way that everywhere you look in any given direción you see magnificence. Maybe es el contraste of the bright red sandstone against the brilliant blue sky. Maybe it’s the way you feel like there’s not another soul for miles and miles, it’s just you and la naturaleza. Maybe its the vastness of the panorama que te hace sentir chiquita; reminding you of just how big this world is. No se! Its probably all of it. All I know is, I loved it so much, I wrote a blog post dedicated entirely to my time there. Check it out here.

I think of this spot, Rainbow Vista, as “nature church” porque it stilled my soul. Made me feel small in all the best ways. It restored my faith and my hope and my feeling of wonder. No soy religiosa, but that’s CHURCH for me.

Fun facts: The park is HUGE, spanning 40,000 acres! El parque es VIEJO, try 2,000 years old… Jurassic period old! It actually contains petrified trees and petroglyphs (pictures carved into rock) drawn by the Basketmaker Culture that inhabited the area thousands of years ago. Interesante verdad?

Do you think that nature can provide a “spiritual” experience?

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“The Earth has its music for those who will listen.”

-George Santayana

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3. Paradise Cove, Labadee, Haiti

Paradise Cove, Haiti is most beautiful spot I’ve ever beheld with my own eyes. PERIODT. Dediqué mi very first blog post to this spot because it changed my life. I encountered this impressive Caribbean vista while on an excursion, The Paradise Cove Cultural Tour, during a Royal Caribbean cruise. Labadee is actually leased and used exclusively by the cruiseline. Anyway… no sabia that my socks were gunna be blown off, but alas… that’s how things went down.

The island of Haiti is legit naturally gorgeous, yall. La agua, a perfect color of turquoise. The landscape, lush with fruit trees and palms. La costa, soft and brilliantly white. By it’s own right, the place is heavenly. But that’s not why it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. Por lo menos, not the only reason.

The thing that made Paradise Cove so damn bello? La gente! The Haitan people who ran the cultural tour at Le Village were just the loveliest humans you’d ever meet. Strong, resourceful, radiant, kind, proud. They changed the landscape for me totalmente. If I was impressed when I arrived on the island, I was fascinated by the time when we rode away.

La gente cambio todo. The people changed the impact of the view, and for the better!

This view, for me, is inextricably tied to the beautiful people who inhabit the island of Haiti. Do you have a place that you find MORE beautiful because of it’s people? Where is it?

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4. Rapeseed field, Cotswolds, England

If you ask mis ninos, “Whats the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen?”, they would likely tell you: the English countryside. My babies were completamente taken with the rolling hills of England. Why? Rapeseed.

Rapeseed es una planta que tiene sunny, yellow flowers on it. It’s in the mustard/cabbage family and it grows all over the UK (about a million acres of it). From late Spring to early Summer, you can spot vast fields of it along your drives through the British piasaje. De verdad que, they make for the most brilliant vistas. Cheery yellow as far as the eye can see. It’s no wonder que mis ninos loved them so much.

Well, that, and the fact that we let them run through the fields gleefully. Imagine races down the lines of a rapeseed field! Yay, totally dope. Y, por supuesto, I did it too! Wouldn’t you? 🙂

Fun facts: Rapeseed is the largest producer of vegetable oil en el mundo and the second largest producer of protein meal. Also, it only blooms for about 2 weeks! And in addition to oil and protein meal, it is used to make animal feed and biodiesel. Cool huh? Lastly, rapeseed farms have actually transitioned from being strict farms to tourist attractions, because they are so damn pretty. #themoreyouknow

If you could sit and stare at a field of flowers…what type of flowers would they be? And what color?

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5. Cat Bells Mountain, Keswick, England.

I first learned about this glorious spot because of a Rick Steves “Passport to Europe” episode about England’s Lake District. You remember Rick Steves, verdad? He was the BEST travel guide ever, antes de que travel bloggers were a thing, showcasing todos los mejores places in the world on PBS.

Anyway, Rick said that Catbells Mountain and the view from it’s peak of Derwentwater Lake below was worth a trip to the town of Keswick alone. El tambien dijo que the “moderately difficult”, 3.5 mile Catbells Hike up the mountain was full of the kind of views one only dreams about. Worth every step.

Primero, moderately difficult MY ASS! We hiked it in the rain, in the POURING rain…with wind blowing us all over the place. Dejame decirte, it was tough! Con ninos, especially tough. Scrambling on inclines that go straight up and are covered with slippery, small rocks….the TOUGHEST.

He was right about la segunda cosa, though. The panoramic vistas over Keswick and the Newlands Valley really ARE the stuff of dreams. Absolutamente preciosos. As if you stepped into Pride and Prejudice as Elizabeth Bennett (when she stands on that cliff overlooking that astounding valley). You know the one!:)

Listen to Rick. Vete a Keswick. Climb Catbells Mountain. Do it, and live your best Regency era fantasies with a bad bitch twist. It certainly takes un poquito de gumption to get up there, but it’s super worth it!

I found this spot because of a Rick Steves Travel Guide. Do you still use travel guides? Which ones are your favorites?

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“It is in nature where we truly connect with The Mother and ourselves.”

-Shikoba

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6. El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is called “La Isla De El Encanto” for a reason. A very GOOD reason. It’s By-God ENCHANTING! I learned that for myself when I visited San Juan with mi familia a few years back. Decidimos caminar the 1 mile path on the Paseo Del Morro trail that leads around the walls of the Castillo San Felipe Del Morro. The fortified coastline of the paseo were nice, and they offered striking views of the old castillo, but they weren’t enchanting, per say.

El ENCANTO came when we went “off road” on the way to el Cementario Santa Maria Magdelena de Pazzi. We saw a dirt path that seemed to jut off into the sea (in the general direction that we knew the famed cemetery to be) and we took it without hesitation.

Que placer! I felt like an explorer discovering the island’s secrets by way of a sandy footpath along el mar. The sea reflected back at me like a mirror of light through the leaves of sea grape trees. Las palmas swayed in the warm ocean breeze. It was the very vision of “tropical paraiso”. A total Caribbean vibe.

Fun fact: The footpath actually originated sometime in the 1630s as a maintenance road for the masons who built the city walls when San Juan was established. Also, It is overwhelmed with cats! YEP! Hundreds of gatos roam free along the paseo because the city feeds and cares for them. Crazy, huh?

This path brought about a totally surprising view. I had no idea what to expect when I started walking upon it but me tomó por sopresa!

Do you like epic, wide-open spaces or tighter types of spaces that surprise you with their beauty after a bit of exploration?

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7. Estes Park, Colorado

If “serenity” were a picture… it’d be this for me. I mean, a babbling brook at the base of expansive mountains?Yes PLEASE! Eso es como the ideal view for a Bob Ross painting, right? Totally calming in it’s gorgeousness.

Estes Park, Colorado (the town) is the base for exploring the Rocky Mountains and this river is actually una combinacion of 2 rios, the Big Thompson & Fall rivers. The town itself is 100 years old. Yea, you read that right; it’s relatively young. It’s adorable, though. Crisp mountain air, cutesy shops and galleries, beautiful every season of the year, and it has the loveliest Riverwalk que he visto en mi vida. Perfect for quiet strolls of reflection.

There are rustic benches to sit on, interesting statues to peruse, mural-covered utility boxes pintados by local artists, and even windchimes placed along the river to delight touristas. It’s all very charming, but el rio steals the show with its gentle presence. Es el tipo de lugar that just makes you want to whip out a journal to write in, or a drawing pad to sketch on, or a guitar to sing along to.

Me? Well, I didn’t have the chance to do any of those things on my visit. Bummer. I did sit, though. Me senté por un rato; I sat for a nice long time just watching the water flow, letting it take my thoughts and worries downstream with it.

One of my favorite memories, for sure.

Fun fact: The town of Estes Park, CO is devoid of chain stores. Every shop, restaurant, or gallery is independently owned. Pretty cool, huh?

Are you more about the babbling brooks or the coursing rivers? Serenity or adrenaline?

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8. White Domes Trail, Valley of Fire, Nevada

I know I already showcased a vista from within the Valley of Fire National Park, I know I did! La cosa es… the park is chock full of vastly different types of views! This one struck me for a completely different reason than the first. This one EXCITED ME!

This particular vista came with a hike. No tan dificil; a fairly easy hike, the guidebooks say. I saw dogs and children traversing the rocks so I’m thinking most people wouldn’t be scared off by White Domes Trail. I’m not “most people” tho. I like to stay on a safe trail most days, steady trails…. ones with pavement. 🙂

Este no fue así! White Domes was a friggin challenge. The domes, ridges, canyons, and slopes forced me out of my cozy comfort zone. They made me WORK for the views. Y cuando terminé, I overlooked this vista you see here with a full sense of pride. I DID THAT! I CAN DO HARD THINGS!

I felt exhilarated! Like I could write a new story for myself from that day forward. Posiblemente give myself a new title: Joana The Brave Adventurer! Yea, I like the sound of that! 🙂

Have you ever been challenged by a place? Forced into action…right outta your comfort zone? Tell me about it!

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“The world is big and I want to get a good look at it before it gets dark.”

-John Muir

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9. Loch Leven Sunset, Glencoe, Scotland

Look at this sunset guys!! I was able to capture the last bit of glorious daylight as it fell upon Loch Leven and the city of Glencoe, Scotland during my stay at our amazing hotel, The Isles of Glencoe Hotel. One of the most magical places I’ve ever been. En una parte because of its striking beauty, pero tambien because of what the area has seen…the stories it had to tell.

It’s no secret that Scotland has some riveting history; esto lo sabemos muy bien. But this area had some historical gems that I wasn’t aware of that propelled this beautiful lake, or loch, into EPIC standing.

Primero, The land itself was used for all sorts of rituals. Los miembros de los clans would symbolically settle disputes on the little isles on Loch Leven. They would row across the loch to the Isle of Discussion with a few supplies, only to be rescued when those on the mainland agreed. QUE!? I know! Juicy right? Luego, they’d sail out to the Isle of Reconciliation para celebrar their agreement.

Segundo, Eilean Munde is a small island that can be seen close to the shores of Loch Leven. Es un lugar sagrado (sacred) where for hundreds of years Highland clans laid their dead to rest in peace. Even in times of conflict, Eilean Munde remained a place of peace and sanctity with clans sharing the maintenance of the island. Que intersante, verdad?

OH! AND Mary Queen of Scots fue imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle on this very lake! Yes she was!

Now that you know the things that took place in this spot, doesn’t it enrich la vista? Doesn’t it change how to see the view? It does para me! It makes the memory of the vista that much stronger in my mind!

Tell me about a place that you went to that only got cooler once you learned about its history! Has the history of a place ever changed how you felt about its views?

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10. Appalachian Trail, Virginia

Take a look at Shenandoah National Park. Precioso, no? This overlook of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia has truly splendid views of the tree-filled mountains that have come to represent this country. I loved getting un chancé to witness it with my own eyes.

Years ago, a man named Benton MacKaye envisioned this nature trail. I kid you not, he actually dreamed it up in 1921 while sitting in a tree! El estaba enamorado de la naturaleza, he was in love with nature, and he wanted it to be preserved and accessible to the American people. So he thought up the trail and marketed it as a way for todos los seres humanos (human beings) to find solace, optimism, and rejuvenation… especialmente durante hard times.  (He was speaking primarily of the hardship of the Spanish Flu.). How friggin’ appropriate and relatable!

He wrote about the importance of “providing opportunities not only for recreation, but also for health, recuperation, and connections with nature in an increasingly industrialized world.”

Funcionó! It worked! We now have the notorious Appalachian Trail, which extends from Georgia to Maine, spanning 14 states and extending 2,200 miles.

Thank you, Mr. MacKaye.

What’s your favorite spot to “get away” to run to when you need an extra dose of optimism and hope? Tell me about your nature “safe space”.

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Mi gente, I hope that 2021 takes you places. That you are able to find glorious spots that take your breath away. Maybe you’ll find them right in your hometown. Maybe you’ll encounter them at your neighborhood park. Maybe you rediscover old pictures that bring them back to the fore front of your mind. Or MAYBE we’ll all get lucky and travel will be safe for us again soon.

Whatever the case, my hope is that, in 2021, nature brings you joy and that you seek out that joy with intention. I wish for you the same serenity, awe, challenge, and peace that nature has brought to me! Let’s go out and find new vistas, eh? Who’s with me!

Los quiero!

Until next time,

Joana