Eleuthera

Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas that offers all of the relaxation, serenity, and beauty typically associated with this archipelago country. The name “Eleuthera” is derived from the Greek word meaning free, and when you go there and feel the stresses from everyday life melt away – once you finally get through the seemingly impossibly tiny airport and an inevitable issue with a rental car transaction – you’ll probably come to feel that the name is an apt description of how you feel during your stay.

In addition to the scenic beauty of its choral reefs and crystal clear water, Eleuthera is one of the only places in the world with pink sand beaches, a really interesting sight for most people who are used to, well, sand colored sand. Lending an additional air of wonder to an island already full of it, the pink hue of the sand on some of the beaches is caused by thousands or millions of broken coral pieces, shells, and calcium carbonate left behind by tiny marine creatures with red and pink shells that live in the coral reefs that surround the beach.

One really interesting institution on Eleuthera is The Island School, where high school students from around the world can go for a semester to learn about how to be green, how to snorkel, and most importantly how to be engaged global citizens. With the campus and the surrounding ocean as their laboratories, The Island School partners with a world class science research facility to explore Eleuthera both culturally and environmentally. If a short vacation in Eleuthera is amazing, imagine how lucky the students who attend this school are to spend a whole semester or summer there, and to learn more thoroughly about its ecology and culture.

The Grand Canyon is truly a wonder. It absolutely deserves its place on the list of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. There is a classic American myth that the canyon was made when Paul Bunyan absent-mindedly dragged his ax behind him. While a fun little story, the real way the Grand Canyon was made – being carved by the Colorado River over thousands of years – is just as fascinating.

This is truly one of the most scenically beautiful places on the planet, which explains why, without too much by way of major additional attractions, it remains such a popular tourist destination. Actually, if there were such attractions, it would completely detract from the experience and the beauty. One of the highlights of a trip there, if you have the opportunity, is a flight over the Canyon. Flying in a small plane gives just the right perspective to enjoy this natural wonder – on foot you may lose site of how huge it is, and while flying over in a commercial flight you miss all the details. In a small plane you get a sense of both.

That is not to disparage a hike through the Grand Canyon. This is another terrific experience that you should definitely participate in if you visit. It can get hot and tiresome, so make sure to bring plenty of water, and certain passages seems so steep and narrow you can’t believe they bring tourists on them, but it is an experience you will not forget. There are, of course, different hikes for people of varying levels of ability and comfortability with heights. Even a simple walk around the rim is incredible.

As mentioned before on this site, trips to National Parks prove to be some of the most enjoyable vacations you can take. Grand Canyon National Park is chief among these parks, and if you have never vacationed to a National Park, this is maybe the best place to start.