11 Most Amazing Discoveries of 2010

I planned to write a quick post on the "10 Most Amazing Discoveries of 2010" in our travels, but just couldn't narrow it down to ten. It was hard enough to list just eleven. But eleven will have to do. Even so, it leaves out so many wonderful discoveries, like the Tomb of Hatshepsut in Egypt, the beautiful city of Strasbourg (especially Petit France) in France, and Heidelberg and Mount Nebo, and more! It's hard to believe all the wonderful experiences we had in 2010.

But here are eleven of the best:

11. Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon.

We couldn't make a visit to Portland without visiting one of the most famous and enjoyable bookstores in the world, now, could we? I only wish we had had a few more DAYS to spend there.

10. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Bridal Veil Falls. Among Others.

In the company of Don and Arvilla, we visited some of the most scenic places in the world, in this amazingly beautiful area. Bridal Veil Falls was one of numerous falls we gaped at that day.

9. Beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.

We performed the beautiful wedding of a beautiful bride last Summer, and squeezed in a little walking tour of Charleston's historic district. Wow.

8. The Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

We love this resort in Gatlinburg, not only because it's beautiful and fun, but also because we spend time there with our children and grandchildren. Nothing better on God's green earth.

7. The giant sycamore leaves in Herborn, Germany.

We were astounded to see the size of the Fall leaves in this picturesque town in Germany. I thought they were maple leaves, but when I described them to a friend, he suggested they were probably sycamore leaves. Whatever. They were huge.

6. The village of St.-Marie-Aux-Mines in Alsace, France.

It was so cool to walk the streets and visit the shops of this town in the Alsatian valley, where we know my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather once lived, sometime before 1712.

5. Petra.

2010 was not quite a month old when the lovely Robin and I laid eyes on the ancient city of Petra for the first time. Mind boggling.

4. The pyramids at Giza.

We also visited Egypt for the first time in 2010, and of course got to visit the Great Pyramids at Giza, as well as others in the area. And the Sphinx. And Memphis. And Luxor. Oh my.

3. The Western Wall at night.

I've been to the Western Wall numerous times, but never at night. It was a brand new experience, and (as always) holy and moving.

2. Sunset on the Sea of Galilee.

I've also sailed the Sea of Galilee several times before, but always in the morning. This year, I was part of a group that set sail just before sunset. Three words: Wow. Just wow.

1. The Nile.

On our early 2010 sojourn in Egypt, we had the thrill of enjoying a felucca ride on the Nile. It sounds so exotic just to say that, and it was.

I've had many amazing travel experiences in my life, but this past year HAS to rank as the most memorable year of travel.