The Places You Never Tire of Visiting

Author: Eric Grundhauser / Source: Atlas Obscura

Who wouldn't want to keep coming back to a place like this? — Who wouldn’t want to keep coming back to a place like this?

Welcome back! Recently, we asked Atlas Obscura readers to tell us about the places they can’t stay away from. These are the destinations you keep returning to whenever you have the chance, despite the obvious appeal of using that time to go somewhere new.

Новости СМИ2

We wanted to hear about why some places continue to call to you over and over, and you came back with some truly incredible, inspirational stories.

Cities, islands, and mountains have all become travel touchstones for many of our readers. One of you has been visiting the same crumbling dam every time you see your family, and several of you wrote eloquently about the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park.

A selection of some of our other favorite responses can be found below. If you don’t already have a place like this in your life, these stories might just inspire you to keep looking.

Yellowstone National Park

“Being in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is a religious experience. I don’t believe in deities but I do believe in the power of nature to refresh and comfort. YNP bubbles with water—hot and cold—and it runs in gurgling channels and rocky streams, out of seething springs and gushing geysers; chuckling, roaring, and crashing down off the Continental Divide into big rivers that drain the backbone of the West. Water is everywhere in the park and it sparkles and scintillates. […] The entire Park lives and breathes, rising, falling and shaking as the magma beneath moves into the country rock. I go to this place every autumn, to watch the russet grasses move in the wind, to hear the elk call across the moonlit miles, to smell the fragrant steam rising from the springs, to feel the spray from an erupting geyser and to feel close to the Earth in a way that is impossible anywhere else. No, I don’t believe in deities, but Yellowstone is my church, where I go to worship the elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.” — Cindy Rose, Wyoming

Daunt Books

“I always feel safe and relaxed whenever I go there. It keeps expanding its book collection.” — Manar Altammar, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Berkeley Springs State Park

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

“It’s an in-between point between where I live and my parent’s home. I stop there to take a break from driving. In the summer I dip my feet in the spring water. All year, I walk up the stairs to view the castle on the hill and look down at the park. I fill up my water bottles with spring water.” — Elizabeth, Culpeper, Virginia

Cumberland Falls

Kentucky

“The power of the water. The beauty of the Earth. Not only is the area breathtakingly beautiful, but it is a wonderful teaching tool. There are countless examples of erosion and how powerless we are in the face of time. There is also a great little gift shop with fun trinkets. My first time there I was around 7 years old. I thought it looked like a giant chocolate milk waterfall. Now, as an adult, I take my two daughters.” —Tiffany West, Somerset, Kentucky

The Dolomites

Northeastern Italy

“The most stunning (literally weeping-it’s-so-unbelievably-breathtaking) mountain landscapes, the sheer amount of possible activities, including hiking on the countless trails of varying difficulty; rowing a boat on Lago di Braies; paragliding from one of the lookout points; window shopping in one of the many small pedestrian-only towns; or just sitting outside at a mountainside restaurant with a glass of wine and incredible regional food. I would move there in a second.” — Kevin, New York City, New York

Martha’s Vineyard

“The air feels different there. I can relax on Martha’s Vineyard in a way that I can’t in other places. I love how dynamic the ocean is. It’s ever present, but always changing. I love the relaxed, excited, gearing-up-for-summer vibe when we visit (we like to go in late June before the traffic gets crazy). I love to visit the places there that are special to me, remember other times I’ve visited, and imagine future trips as well. My heart is there!” — Amy Wyman, New Hampshire

Frederik Meijer Gardens

“Sometimes I go more for the plants, sometimes more for the art. Amazing special exhibits and events. Although it is always changing, I never fail to come away with a sense of peace and happiness.” — Julie Parker, Howell, Michigan

Block Island

“I keep going back to Block Island for its natural beauty, its simplicity, its friendly sense of community, and most importantly, for the nostalgia. Block Island was the location of my family’s summer vacation for years when I was a child/young teen, so going back to Block Island always feels like going home. From the moment I step foot on the island, I’m reminded of simpler, very happy times. What I like most about Block Island is that it barely changes. It is virtually untouched by commercialism and the same families return year after year, frequenting the same locally-owned shops and restaurants that have been open for decades. The most change I’ve seen is to the beaches, especially Mansion Beach, where erosion has become obvious.” — Julie M., New Haven, Connecticut

Tokyo

“There is something about Tokyo that is different from other large cities in the world like London, Paris, New York, or Seoul. No matter how many times you go there, there will always be something new to discover, yet you can keep going back to the same familiar places. Why do I keep going back? Tokyo to me has an effect no other city has. It can give me the feeling of falling in love for the first time, over and over and over again.” — Andrew, Toronto, Canada

Sky Meadow

“I grew up a little ways down the hill in a house my parents sold this summer. It’s a beautiful spot, peaceful and calm, and you can see FOREVER. I would go there when I was upset or needed a break or even in good times, when I just needed a moment of quiet. There’s a little house I always dreamed of owning, and about 15 years ago they built a bigger one (that I still think looks out of place, and I despise it). It’s a reminder that things change and that I literally can’t ever go ‘home’ again, but home is still there.” — Caitlin, Denver, Colorado