More Natural Wonders

50 States so 50 wonders. We’re about 1/2 way through the list. Let’s see what we can get to today! 

27. Virginia – Great Falls

At Great Falls, the Potomac River drops 76 feet in less than a mile through a gorge that narrows from 1,000 feet wide to less than 100 feet through Mather Gorge. It is one of the steepest and most dramatic rapids of any eastern river. And there are ghosts near an abandoned canal. Don’t believe me? Check out Expedition X , season 3, episode 4, Ghosts in the Canal. 

28. New Jersey- Palisades Cliffs

I’ve been to New Jersey. I had an uncle that lived there plus I’ve been to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty but I’ve never considered Natural Wonders in New Jersey. 

What’s the best way to view these cliffs?  A search rewarded me with  the suggestion of a scenic drive. I think I’d like to do a river float or boat ride to get the best view. I will have to continue searching.

29. Michigan – Sleeping Bear Dunes

During the Ice Age, continental glaciers spread southward from Canada repeatedly burying the area under ice. Those massive glaciers enlarged river valleys and carved out the wide, deep basins of the Great Lakes. They also created “Perched Dunes” which are dunes formed by glacial sands deposited on plateaus high above the shore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes are an easily accessible, beautiful example of this type of dune.

 

30. North Carolina – Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina is a beautiful state. I vacationed there. I stayed for a week in the Sapphire Valley. My explorations took me in and out of Pisgah National Forest. There had been a lot of rain so there were numerous rapids and waterfalls to photograph and enjoy. 

31. Georgia – Lookout Mountain

OK this one threw me. I’ve been to Georgia quite a few time both for work and pleasure. I’ve visited the Georgia Aquarium, ridden a Segway, and went to a mountain, just not Lookout Mountain. My visit was to Stone Mountain where we admired Gutzon Borglum’s Robert E. Lee carving. Borglum would then go on to carve Mount Rushmore.

Lookout Mountain is a different Mountain. 

Lookout Mountain features a spectacular view with a waterfall and pool right on the side of the cliff. Although swimming there is not recommended. It does look pretty spectacular.