Best Vistas of the World: Milford Sound
The Maori attribute the creation of the New Zealand fjords, such as Milford Sound, to Tute Rakiwhanoa, who cut the steep-sided valleys with his adze. What other explanation could there be for these spectacularly steep, sheer cliffs that rise nearly vertically from the ocean? In 1883, explorer James Hingston wrote, "For thousands of feet upwards the eye looks upon straight cut rocky frontages, not worn smooth by time, or by wind or water, but as sharply defined and as fresh looking in all respects as if riven asunder but yesterday by the stupendous wedges of Titanic Masons.” Milford Sound is the best known of the fjords, running nearly 10 miles from its head to the open sea. But being here is just half the fun. The steep and sinuous Milford Road makes the 74-mile drive from Te Anau a stunning immersion in numerous viewpoints of alpine scenery and massive scale, all of which build to the joyous, breathtaking sight of Milford Sound.
Best Vistas of the World: Sahara Desert
Think of the size of the United States: that is the size of the Sahara Desert, which comprises 3.5 million square miles. No wonder Westerners often say “Timbuktu” when they mean “the middle of nowhere.” Eleven nations lie at least partly in the desert. Large swaths are utterly desolate, though the Sahara supports 2 million people, not counting those who live along the Nile and Niger rivers. And the extremes! As hot as 136 degrees Fahrenheit and as cold as 22 degrees; supporting sand gazelles and ants, palm trees and grasses; fairly flat, rocky terrain and the wind-sculpted dunes that loom over it; the vast, shimmering sky and the way it makes a person look inconsequential.
Best Vistas of the World: Olga Mountains
Once they see Uluru, many visitors are satisfied with their time in Australia's Outback, ignoring the Olga Mountains. But those who can stand the sometimes wretchedly harsh conditions are rewarded with the sight of the Olgas, just 15.5 miles west of Uluru. These 36 stunning peaks in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park were formed by rain and wind erosion. The light jabs and jukes at the rocks at sunrise, and you can see Uluru in the distance.
Best Vistas of the World: Iguazu Falls
Shared by Brazil and Argentina, Iguazu Falls is one of the most imposing natural wonders in South America. The indigenous Guarani people called this “great waters” long before Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca stumbled across it in 1541. The Iguazu River runs 745 miles along a smooth plateau, then reaches a series of faults that turn it into a semicircular thundering mass of mist. The falls are actually a group of 270 waterfalls with cliffs and islets. You can take a boat to the base of the falls and really feel the mist, or walk along two footbridges to revel in the panoramic view.
Best Vistas of the World: Oregon Coast
The Oregon coast is the People’s Coast, thanks to the 1967 Oregon Beach Bill, which granted free beach access to everyone. And the people make the most of their coastline, which stretches 363 miles from the Columbia River to California; there are almost too many activities, including hiking, sport fishing, cycling, kite flying, scuba diving, surfing, sand boarding, boating, camping, clam digging, surf fishing, horseback riding and body boarding. Many people are drawn by the scenery, the ghostly sea stacks emerging from the fog, the views from the many headlands of the rock and sand beaches and the sea cliffs; the historic lighthouses, most of which were built before 1900, commissioned to aid in navigating the Graveyard of the Pacific; and the marine life of seals, sea lions and migrating gray and humpback whales.
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