Thursday, July 17, 2008

Views from the Top

    posted by Aunty Cindy

    Yes, any Bandita will verify that yer olde Aunty is a gadabout. I love to travel just about anywhere, though in spite of rumors to the contrary, I have not quite been everywhere... YET! Destination doesn’t matter because I can always find something interesting and worthwhile where ever I go.

    One of the things I really enjoy is a breath-taking view. I’m not quite sure how or when this started, but in thinking about topics for this post, I realized how many tall buildings and structures (natural and man-made) I have ascended. Whether it was the view of Honolulu from the top of the Aloha tower, St. Peter’s square from the cuppola of the basilica, or Seattle from the Space Needle, Aunty has been there and looked at that. Yes, I even have pictures of me on the roof of the Twin Towers circa 1996. I treasure those and will never forget the spectacular views in every direction.

    Heights don’t normally bother me, but I will admit that I didn’t have the nerve to put on the helmet and ropes and climb to the top of the Sydney harbor bridge. And it was quite claustrophobic inside that St. Louis Arch, plus the windows were really small. I also prefer elevators or other mechanical conveyances, but if I have to take the stairs, I will.

    So here then, are Aunty Cindy’s Top 10 best views:

    1. Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, especially at sunset. But for those of you who can’t hack being crowded into that glass elevator (and it was pretty scary), hop on the Metro or take a cab to Sacre Coeur. The view from the cathedral’s front steps is almost as amazing. And speaking of cathedrals…

    2. Florence from the top of the Duomo. Yes, the stairs were endless, winding, narrow, and traffic flows both ways. You will be up close and rubbing body parts with way more tourists than you want to think about, and your feet will ache for days but che bella! The view is worth it!

    3. Toronto including Lake Ontario from the observation platform of the CN Tower. Technically not a building, this is the tallest structure in North America. They have an interesting glass “window” in the floor that children were jumping and sprawling across, but was too spooky for Aunty to step on! And another tower…

    4. The Centrepoint Tower in Sydney, which like the Space Needle and the CN Tower, has a revolving restaurant. Okay, so the view is undoubtedly better from the Harbor Bridge. The Tower has an elevator and you don’t need a safety harness for the winds.

    5. The Leleiwi overlook at the crater of the extinct Haleakala volcano on Maui. Looking down on that dark barren landscape, you could be on the moon (except you can breathe, though at 10,000 feet flat-lander Aunty wheezed a lot!)

    6. The Stratosphere in Las Vegas, another revolving restaurant, this one complete with a roller coaster outside. Nope, Aunty did NOT ride it! I’m not THAT foolhardy.

    7. Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge from the top of Chimney Rock. All right, I’ll confess, it was too hazy to see the lake the day I was there but it was still wonderful!

    8. Chicago and Lake Michigan from the observation platform in the Hancock building. Yeah, yeah, I know the Sears Tower is taller but when Aunty was there, a Cheesecake Factory was on the ground floor of the Hancock. Priorities after all.

    And finally, these last two Aunty has NOT personally visited to take in the view. Hey! A person needs goals.

    9. The Mexican jungle from the top of the Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza.

    10. Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, currently the tallest buildings in the world. Now who could resist a view like that?

    What are some of your favorite views? Maybe you've seen a few Aunty has not. Please do tell! Source URL: http://extravagancedeplumes.blogspot.com/2008/07/views-from-top.html
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