Wonders of the World

So I just got back from Rock the Universe at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and I had a ton of homework to do. So I will discuss that experience next week. But for now, here’s an old post I had meant to publish but I forgot about it.

So I was flipping through channels, and nothing good was on. Finally, I stumbled onto a show on the travel network called "The Top Ten Natural Wonders of the World. I can't remember the exact order, but the list went a little something like this:
10.Ngorongoro crater
9.Mount Everest
8.Ayers Rock
7.northern lights
6.Everglades
5.Angel Falls
4.The Sahara
3.The great barrier reef
2.Amazon River/Rainforest
1.Grand Canyon

Ok, so then I realized that a lot of these sound really boring to me. I would love to see Angel Falls, the northern lights, and possibly even Mount Everest but I really have no interest in deserts, large rock formations, or rivers with flesh-eating fish in them. So I made up MY list of top ten Wonders of Where I've Been So Far in My Life. And I'm also including man-made structures because I haven't seen many amazing feats of nature. Here’s my list:

10. Stone Mountain: located in Atlanta, Ga, this park is a family-oriented vacation hotspot that focuses on a huge carving of generals etched into the side of a mountain. Like Mount Rushmore, on a smaller scale.
9. Mont Saint-Michel: okay, so I've never actually been here, but it used to only be accessible by foot during low tide and there's a secret staircase!! Enough said
8. Florida Southern College: I grew up around this campus in Lakeland, Florida. My parents both attended FSC and my grandpa works there. It is the biggest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and it's famous for its unique, angular, contemporary construction.
7. Waters Creek: this is a waterfall located in north Georgia. Close-to-perfect circles have been carved out of the rock bottom of the waterfall by millions of years of erosion, and one part of the waterfall is slick and smooth. Which makes a perfect water slide.
6. Ringling Mansion: I went here on Saturday, and it was really interesting. Built by circus extraordinaire, John Ringling, and his wife, this mansion captures the perfect blend of Italian artifacts and high society life in the early 1900's. Everything is an explosion of colors, right down to the multicolored glass windowpanes.
5. Ruby Falls: This 145 foot waterfall is located 1120 feet beneath a mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
4. Masonic Lodge: Have you seen National Treasure? Well, the masons DO exist! This huge center is right across from the courthouse in Philly. There are seven halls for the different mason groups to meet in, and each one contains a different architectural style: oriental, gothic, ionic, Corinthian, Egyptian, Norman, renaissance
3. Scott Lake: Last year, two huge sinkholes ate up this lake and most of its wildlife in Lakeland. I mean, the thing swallowed whole gators and stuff. I thought it was really cool. And most of the people who live on the lake are super rich, and bought their property mainly for its lakeside appeal. Sucks for them.
2. Kimmel Center: This one is also located in Philadelphia. It’s an ultra-modern music hall. Giant balustrades come out from the side of the building and hold up an arched glass roof. Then, there are two separate buildings WITHIN the main building. One of them has a "rooftop" garden, but everything is still under the glass-and-steel sky. Everything in it is state of the art AND modern art
1. Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for! And the #1 spot goes to......BILTMORE!!!!! It’s the biggest house in the USA, containing 250 rooms, an indoor swimming pool, and its own bowling alley. Standing in front of it just takes your breath away.

Okay, so that’s it for my little countdown. If you ever have the opportunity to visit these places, you should!!!!!!!! Maybe I will be a travel agent......

Until next week (I can't wait to discuss Rock the Universe!!!!!),
-Caroline