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Profile image for peregrine79

peregrine79

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2018

I've been a reader of Atlas Obscura's articles since I discovered the website about 5 years ago. When I found the discussion forums, I signed up for them. Recently AO began to offer memberships, so I became a member. I spend a lot of time perusing the fascinating stories. I'm a history lover and am especially interested in the very early Native Americans, the first settlers of the United States, and natural history. My passion is ancient cultures of Latin America, especially Peru. My interest began when I was a child and I devoured every book in the school library and in the large public library located in the county seat near my home. At the same time my interest developed in history (first grade), I also began to read books about religions of the world. Again, the libraries were my source for years of reading material. In 1973, I had the honor of spending Summer in Peru as an exchange student. My stay there broadened my horizons and changed my life. I was able to go to Cusco and Machu Picchu as well as several sites near Cusco. Sacshuaman was especially mind-boggling in its beauty and scale. I lived with a family in Lima in a nice neighborhood only a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Because school was cold and boring, I spent my days being shown around the city by two Peruvian friends. They took me to every cathedral and cultural or historical site they could think of. I was introduced to the many markets, where the prices were low, the goods were absolutely beautiful and haggling over prices was expected. Back home in Pennsylvania, my parents continued taking us on family vacations to most of the states in the Northeast. Instead of amusement parks, we went to historical sites and museums, toured factories and graveyards, watched jets take off and land at large airports, and engsged in other educational activities. A half-century later, I asked my mother why we went to such interesting places. Her reply? "Because they were free," she replied as tears welled up in her eyes. During my career as an architectural designer, I traveled on a number of business trips. How badly I wanted to explore the cities we were in, but ut time constraints ruled it out. In my life, I've been to about 35 states, 6 Canadian provinces and one foreign country. I also spent several hours killing time in the airports in Panama and Ecuador. Now that I'm 64 and a citizen of the world, I look back on these marvelous adventures very fondly. The memories of them are indelibly etched in my mind and and vividly recalled at will. At present, physical disabilities prevent me from traveling, so I depend on AO to take me to new places near and far.

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Places peregrine79 Wants to Go

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392

Places I want to go

Places on this traveler's wishlist.

Maya ruins can be seen in the background.

Mérida, Mexico

Cenote Xlacah

One of the few places where you can visit a cenote and Maya ruins at the same time.

Barton Springs Pool

Austin, Texas

Barton Springs

Home to an endangered salamander, a full moon celebration, and a large spring-fed outdoor swimming pool.

Cenote Xkeken

Dzitnup, Mexico

Cenote Xkeken

These azure waters were thought to lead to the Mayan Underworld.

Santa Rosa Blue Hole

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Santa Rosa Blue Hole

A clear blue swimming hole with hidden caves, still unexplored.

Sunlight from the dome's opening plays on the surface of the spring water, reflecting on the rock face inside

Midway, Utah

Homestead Crater

This geothermal hot spring hides beneath a slowly growing mineral dome.

Cenote Ik-Kil

Xcalacoop, Mexico

Cenote Ik-Kil

A magical sinkhole on the Yucatán Peninsula is adorned with mini waterfalls and hanging vines.

Havasupai Falls

Supai, Arizona

Havasupai Falls

This secluded aqua waterfall in the Grand Canyon is the perfect swimming hole, and the Havasupai tribe's fiercely protected natural wonder.

The Stones of Stenness

Stromness, Scotland

The Stones of Stenness

Possibly the oldest of Britain's ancient henges is also one of its most stark.

Clach an Truseil.

Baile an Truiseil, Scotland

Clach an Truseil

The 5,000-year-old megalith is believed to be Scotland's tallest standing stone.

Ring of Brodgar

Orkney, Scotland

Ring of Brodgar

The true age of this ancient stone circle is unknown, but its stunning vista isn't in question.

A close up photo of several stones in one of the larger circles.

Machrie, Scotland

Machrie Moor Standing Stones

More stones than Stonehenge, all scattered within a windswept landscape sure to enchant 'Outlander' fans.

Callanish Standing Stones.

Callanish, Scotland

Callanish Stones

The mysterious megaliths have enchanted and intrigued visitors for thousands of years.

Rainbow Falls

Manitou Springs, Colorado

Rainbow Falls

Hidden beneath a bridge, this waterfall is known for the large amounts of graffiti painted on its base.

One Blue Sky Mural

Biddeford, Maine

One Blue Sky Mural

A mural of a boy making a phone call connects a southern Maine community to a town in Iraq.

Palace Diner

Biddeford, Maine

Palace Diner

Maine's oldest diner also happens to win acclaim for its elevated comfort food.

Contemporary appearance of the Rammed Earth Pilot House.

Cabin John, Maryland

USDA Rammed Earth House

This suburban house is made of dirt, and almost sparked a revolution in home construction.

Checkerboard Mesa

Utah

Checkerboard Mesa

The unusual patterns in this rock formation result from two distinct modes of weathering.

The monks with their delicious wares.

Eagle Harbor, Michigan

The Jampot

On the shores of Lake Superior, a small group of monks makes sacred sweets.

Stone's Public House

Ashland, Massachusetts

Stone's Public House

A historic pub with traditional Irish cuisine, fine drinks, and a paranormal past.

An Egyptian god and "Mother Earth"

Chatham, New York

Taconic Sculpture Park

Three acres of mythology-inspired sculptures are visible from the highway.

A close-up of the plaque on the historical marker with a plush duck. (Wikimedia Commons)

Lebanon, Kansas

Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States

Small plaque marks the spot, but the true center is located about half a mile away on a private pig farm.

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Monument

Rapid City, South Dakota

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Monument

Calidum et Deliciose Succosum!

Pickering Pedestrian Bridge

Pickering, Ontario

Pickering Pedestrian Bridge

The longest enclosed pedestrian bridge in the world spans 14 lanes of traffic and six rail tracks, all while lighting up the night sky.

Aerial view of the tower and surrounding landscape.

Hamden, Connecticut

Sleeping Giant Observation Tower

Amazing views of Long Island Sound can be seen from this mountaintop tower.

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