Abiqua Falls, Oregon

Abiqua Falls is part of the same geological formation as the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park, and in fact is not far from there as the crow flies (although significantly longer in distance when going by road). It is completely unsigned, and the trail is a bit rough, but it’s worth it.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, south from the Canadian borders of Alberta and British Columbia. The park encompasses over 1,000,000 acres (4,000 km2) and includes parts of two mountain ranges (sub-ranges of the Rocky Mountains), over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. This vast pristine ecosystem is the centerpiece of what has been referred to as the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem”, a region of protected land encompassing 16,000 square miles (41,000 km2). The region that became Glacier National Park was first inhabited by Native Americans and upon the arrival of European explorers, was dominated by the Blackfeet in the east and the Flathead in the western regions. Soon after the establishment of the park on May 11, 1910, a number of hotels and chalets were constructed by the Great Northern Railway. These historic hotels and chalets are listed as National Historic Landmarks, and a total of 350 locations are on the National Register of Historic Places. By 1932, work was completed on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, later designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, which provided greater accessibility for automobiles into the heart of the park.

Hobbiton, New Zealand

Hobbiton is a fictional village which appeared in the novels: “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. Hobbiton village was built as a set (for the films which were based on the Novels) is located on a farm near a little town called Matamata in northern New Zealand. It was decided to keep the Hobbit holes set  as tourist attractions, (they blend smoothly into the environment), there is even a sign which says :”Welcome to Hobbiton” on the main road, directing people to this wounderful little Hobbit town.  

Devil’s Marbles, Australia

The Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve is located right in the middle of the “Northern Territory” in Australia. The Devils Marbles are a series of big round boulders some seem unlikely to stay in the position they are balanced today. Many layers of sandstone on top of the granite caused the granite to crack and then the erosion of the sandstone made the granite pop to the surface. The pressure was gone, letting the granite expand; cracks formed, and it fell apart in big, square blocks, the blocks then were shaped by wind rain and heat to the amazing round rocks known today as the Devil’s Marbles.

Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles have a high spiritual value to local Aboriginal people.

Iguassu falls, Argentina & Brazil

Iguazu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of Brazilian state Paranáand Argentine province Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River rises near the city of Curitiba. It flows through Brazil for most of its course. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil.