Grand Canyon Named Most Beautiful

[erpowers]

The Today Show has been doing a series looking at the most beautiful places in America. This morning they named the Grand Canyon as the most beautiful place in America. How do DUers feel about this pick and the list as a whole. I think the list was good; however, Niagara Falls was 10th on the list and I think it should have been higher on the list. I think it should have been somewhere around 5th. I think the fact that Niagara Falls seems so simple caused the people at NBC to place it so low. The link below gives more information about the places on the list.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19709843/

[aikoaiko]

1. I prefer Savannah, GA to the list's Charleston, SC.

But thats just me.

[Captain Hilts]

2. I'd choose the coast of Maine. The Canyon looks dead. nt

[Warpy]

13. It took me a while to appreciate the stark beauty

of the desert southwest. Now when I go back east, everything looks frightfully overgrown.

[Captain Hilts]

32. I know I'd love it too. I'd like to see Monument Valley too. nt

[aikoaiko]

3. The Grand Canyon is unparalled in the US

There are smaller parks with more interesting formations, but the size of the Grand Canyon takes your breathe away. Standing on a ledge and peering out is like flying through an impressionist painting.

[bunkerbuster1]

39. It's unparalleled in the world, no?

I don't believe anything else really compares to it in terms of scale, anyway.

And yeah, it does take your breath away. I've been there within the past coupla years; wish I could've seen more of it than the allotted half-day permitted.

[pocoloco]

4. Awesome!

Plus, no drug can get you higher than you get when you step off the rim and hike it!

[Quixote1818]

5. I use to work at the Grand Canyon

It's incredible especially if you hike to the bottom and explore the North Rim which is over 9,000 ft high in places and covered in dense lush forest. Havasupi Falls is truly a paradise and there is NOTHING like getting caught in a flash flood at the bottom and watching 3,000 foot waterfalls cascade off the giant cliffs above you.

I don't put the Grand Canyon first though. Here is my list but it's based only on personal opinion:

1. Olympic Rain Forest
2. Grand Tetons
3. Kauai's NaPali Coast
4. Yosemite
5. Zion
6. The coast of Maine
7. The Grand Canyon
8. Desert around Santa Fe
9. Everglades
10. California Wine Country

[Bluebear]

6. I wish they would spell "NIAGRA" correctly at least. It does not rhyme with Viagra, MSNBC!

Also, misspelled "cemetery" ... some travel "journalist"! :eyes:


America the Beautiful: Top 10 most beautiful places

1. Grand Canyon
2. The Gulf Coast
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. Hawaii
5. Pacific Coast Highway
6. 'Amber waves of grain'
7. America's historic ballparks
8. Arlington National cemetary
9. Charleston, S.C.
10. Niagra Falls



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20726068/

[karlrschneider]

14. I didn't see Niagara misspelled in the piece...and 'cemetary' is correct.

:eyes:

[Bluebear]

15. Niagara is misspelled in the list. "And cemetary is correct"

Roll your eyes elsewhere, it certainly is NOT correct.

[begin_within]

19. It's correct if you mean "a place where cemets are housed"

But as you say, it's incorrect if you mean "a place where dead bodies are buried"

[Bluebear]

20. Indeed.

And Viagra has forever changed Niagara amongst young copy writers, evidently!

[begin_within]

21. I hate seeing "Niagra"

[connecticut yankee]

7. I don't agree with several of the choices

I certainly don't think that ball parks can in any way compare with the natural wonders on the list. They may be historic, and possibly interesting, but beautiful?

The same with Arlington. It's symbolic of our heritage, and awe-inspiring, but I don't believe it belongs on this list.

I would add Bryce Canyon, for one, and the Canyon de Chelly for another.

And, yes, I agree that Niagara Falls could have been placed higher.

[madmom]

8. The first time I saw the canyon I was (for the first time in my life) speechless!

totally awe inspiring.:thumbsup:

[sandnsea]

9. dumb list

OR & WA 101 is much more beautiful than CA's Hwy 1. North Dakota? Oh my god shoot me now. And the Gulf Coast, #2? But Going to the Sun Road, no MT road, is on the list? And he got paid for this. *sigh*

[Semi_subversive]

26. I agree 100%

I rode up the Oregon and Washington Coasts up to the Strait of Juan de Fuca a little over a month ago and had ridden the Oregon Coast in the past. Highly superior scenery, access, roads, etc. I know that when you get on Hwy 1 from Monterey going south, you can't cut over to any other highway for 130 miles, or else you have to turn around and head back however many miles. My only complaint about the Oregon Coast is that it's sometimes difficult riding an 800 pound machine while holding one's nose. There are lots of dairies in the Tillamook area.

[sandnsea]

38. Did you get cheese or ice cream?

Once people stop at one of the dairies, they usually don't complain about the smell anymore. Tillamook Cheese is famous, but there's also a small cheese factory, Blue Heron. YUM!!

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Zion national park is better. n/t

[edhopper]

11. I don't get the Gulf Coast as #2

It's lovely to be sure. But it doesn't share half the grandeur of the Pacific Coast or the Coast of Maine(as another poster pointed out.)
The list seems more political (in the broad sense of the word) than aesthetic.

[Warpy]

12. They could have left out the ballparks and the

National Cemetery. Those places might have sentimental value, but none of them is particularly beautiful.

They should have included the Smokies (or any part of the Appalachians) and the northwest coast rain forest, or even the unspoiled parts of Alaska.

Other than that, it was OK. I'm sure NOLA would have taken the place of Charleston had Brownie not done such a heckuva job.

[WinkyDink]

16. Been there. "Beautiful" is a huge stretch, IMO, let alone "most".

[electron_blue]

17. Have you been to the GC?

I've been to both and would definitely rank GC 1 and NF 10. GC is number one in my book. I've yet to see anything top that for me.

[erpowers]

23. No, But Hope To

I have not been to either GC or NF, but I hope to go to each. I hope I can go to at least NF this year. I thought NF should have been higher on the list based on the other things on the list. I thought NF was more beautiful than the ballparks, Arlington, and the grains. I realize that there are many places in this country that are more beautiful than NF, but for this list I thought it should have been higher.

[Cha]

18. I'm goin' for Polihale

Beach on Kauai because I like the Pacific in my most beautiful place.

This picture doesn't do it justice but I've seen it when there's double rainbows with the sunrise shells on the beach.

http://www.kauaidiscovery.com/virtual_kauai_tour/hanapepe+waimea+kekaha/page10/

Mahaulepu Beach is equally as beautiful..
http://www.explorekauai.com/mahaulepu.html

[erpowers]

24. The Beaches

My response to the first picture of Polihale Beach was Ooh pretty, pretty, pretty. So yes it is very pretty. For the second beach I like the picture of the rocks with the water splashing against it. So I like Polihale Beach more than Mahaulepu Beach as a result of the pictures. Hopefully I can visit each some time in the future.

[Cha]

25. You have to! They are not on the

usual travel guides on Kauai..very out of the way.

The thing about Mahaulepu is when you walk back from the beach there are hidden white sand dunes that you can run all around, sun, have a picnic..whatever! And the water is crystal clear blue, aquamarine so you can see the turtles swimming about. The Ocean is rougher so you have to be careful, though.

Polihale is very long beach that you can run forever along the shore and you can camp there and look for Sunrise shells in the morning(the only place on Earth)..it's also more water friendly in that you can Boogie Board, Body Surf, Swim, & Surf! It's the last beach at the end of the Island(West) where the road stops.

Mahaulepu is on the South side and is accessible through the old Sugarcane Fields. B-)

[TahitiNut]

22. Well, Niagara Falls is really one of the more beautiful places in ....

... Canada. But Canada has many beautiful places. :eyes:

[Captain Hilts]

30. The Falls are surprisinginly enticing. They're neat. nt

[Cha]

37. YEah, Nova Scotia,

all the Maritime Islands!

[MichaelHarris]

27. Did they use touch screen voting machines?

Photos by me.

[Blue_In_AK]

28. I'm not buying this...

These places are all okay, but where is the entire state of Alaska???? I guess it was too far for these "experts" to come up here and check it out, or maybe they've forgotten that Alaska is part of America.


They should check out Denali National Park, Katmai National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, all of Southeast Alaska -- hell, even 20 miles south of Anchorage.

Pfffttt..........

[MichaelHarris]

29. I agree

Alaska is flat out a beautiful place. Around every corner there is something wonderful to see.

[Blue_In_AK]

31. Thanks, MichaelHarris

and, by the way, I've been enjoying your Yellowstone photos. They're wonderful. :)

[MichaelHarris]

36. Thank you blue

I've always loved Alaska and hope to see more of it very soon. The whole state should have been on that list.

[Balbus]

34. Alaska isn't part of America.

And neither is Hawaii..

"To be a state you have to touch a state..." That's my America.

[Blue_In_AK]

35. ....

:rofl: I can tell you from our shipping charges, that a lot of people feel that way.

[Atman]

33. I dunno...The Grand Canyon certainly is breath taking.

I made my first pilgrimage a couple of years ago and I remember getting that first view from the South Rim. I didn't expect to be so stunned by a hole in the ground, but I was just speechless. It is soooooooooooo mind-boggling. But is it the "most beautiful" place? Heck, a couple of places we stopped on the way from Sedona to the canyon were far more "beautiful." But I don't think I've ever seen anyplace as impressive as the Grand Canyon.

.

[Wilderness Sportsman]

40. Glacier National Park or Grand Teton National Park

IMHo both of those rate over the Grand Canyon. The scenery is just as spectacular, but far more varied. There is more water, and those parks have all the original animals present before European settlement. They are simply much wilder than the Grand Canyon and a more "complete" experience.

Everyone I met who works in the park system over the years wants to work at Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion or Olympic.

[BlooInBloo]

41. It's pretty damned impressive. People will of course have their favs...

... But I couldn't argue with someone who chose the GC.

[Clark2008]

42. Mount LeConte

[taught_me_patience]

43. Tough to argue against it

and it's definitely in the top 5. My tops would be:

1) Denali National Park
2) (tie) Yosemite & Sequioa National Park
3) Na Pali Coast Kauai
4) Grand Canyon
5) Northern Cascades