No PhotoShop Necessary - Watkins Glen State Park

Sometimes a trippy place is right in my own backyard. Such was the case with Watkins Glen State Park in New York, which features a gorge trail that looks like a computer screensaver. Everywhere you turn you're hit with another unreal view.

Cliff faces carved from thousands of years of stream erosion? Sure, they're here. Waterfalls? There's 19 of them. Beautifully carved stone bridges? Got 'em, and I'll raise you 800 spellbinding stone steps. A place like this is so lush and stunning, you'll feel like a miniature person in a carefully kept terrarium. And who hasn't fantasized about being one of those?

Land Before Time - Dinosaur Place

You never know where you might come across a dinosaur. For example, you probably didn't think they'd pop up in southeastern Connecticut, and yet that's exactly where you'll find a whole bunch of them, in all their life-size glory.

The Dinosaur Place in Montville features 40 realistic-looking dinosaurs along a shady trail that runs through a park. All of the dinosaurs stand still in their designated places, except for one, the animatronic Dilophosaurus that's tucked away in a cave. There's a sign outside the cave that warns visitors that this attraction may be frightening for small children, and after going in to view it myself, my conclusion is that they need to make that sign larger! My blood ran cold at the sound of its screeching, and when it spat "venom" at me, I almost fell over in terror. The thing is positively evil. So maybe stay away from the Dilophosaurus if you've got a heart condition.

Going Ape - Gorilla Trekking

Credit: JJ King2

If you find yourself in Rwanda with nothing to do and $750 to spare, maybe you should go on a gorilla trekking safari. You'll spend a few hours with a group of other primate enthusiasts, hiking through the rainforest and looking out for silverback gorillas in the wild.

Sounds right up your alley? Stalker. But I can't say I blame you - I'd go on a gorilla trek in a heartbeat. The only problem might be that gorilla troops tend to move around, and it may take your group several hours to find one. The trek may also involve hiking up steep slopes. So do your push-ups before you go. And maybe leave the bananas at home.

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Beach - Glass Beach

Credit: FortBragg.com

So you know how when you see broken glass at the beach your first instinct is to jump back 10 feet and rant about what the world is coming to? Well, a different set of rules applies at Glass Beach in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California, where the "sand" is largely comprised of broken glass. Visitors come by the droves every year to stroll on the shiny and colorful beach, the broken shards now harmless, polished sea glass.

Once known as "The Dumps," the area was a dumping ground for household garbage in the early 1900s. Eventually the location was closed and efforts were made to clean up the mess. The ocean did its part as well, pounding waves on top of the garbage and refining the shards of broken glass into small, smooth pieces that now cover the entire beach. Collecting the pieces of glass are prohibited, but visitors do it anyway and quantities are diminishing. In fact, there's now a movement to dump new piles of broken glass onto the beach. I'm not sure environmentalists would approve, but it does look awful pretty.

Riding on Stars - Van Gogh-Roosegaarde Bike Path

Credit: ABC News

If you've ever been to the Netherlands, you know that biking is the preferred mode of transportation there. Look the wrong way while crossing the street, and you'll get mowed down by not one bike, but an entire fleet of bikes. I know because it almost happened to me. I also tried renting a bike while I was there, which proved to be an equally humiliating experience, as the Dutch are certified giants while I'm the size of a prepubescent girl. I was finally assigned a children's bike that was still too large, because it seems that even Dutch children of bike-riding age are taller than me.

Given all this grief, the Dutch would have to come up with a pretty awesome attraction to lure me back to their country. Which they now have, dammit. The world's first glow-in-the-dark bike path can be found in Eindhoven, and it features polished, solar-charged stones arranged in the same pattern as the stars in Van Gogh's "Starry Night." Artist Daan Roosegaarde designed the path as a tribute to Eindhoven's most famed resident, and you literally get to ride across a glowing, twinkling work of art. So, yeah. I'm going back to the Netherlands. But this time I'm bringing some platform shoes with me.

Do It for the Killer Views - Huashan Trail

Credit: BlogDeliciously.com

Hiking can be fun, but it's not always very exciting. In fact, sometimes when I'm hiking it hits me that I'm actually just ... walking. On a dirt path. Whee!

If you're also experiencing hiking ennui, perhaps we should take a trip together to Huashan, one of the five sacred mountains of China, near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi province, where the hiking is decidedly more exhilarating. Steep ladders and narrow, rickety pathways lead up the mountain, and hikers must walk single file on parts of the path, sometimes without the aid of any sort of railing. (There's a rusty chain that you can grab onto in a pinch though!) And sometimes the trail disappears altogether and all you're left with are footholds that have been carved into the mountain face. Have there been fatalities? You betcha. But where else can you catch such, um, killer views, more than 7,000 feet above solid ground?

Who's Down for Some Hiking? - Haiku Stairs

Did your last vacation include physical activity beyond lifting piña coladas? Is your idea of fun doing a lap around the nearest national park? Do you own a walking stick? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I'm not sure I can be friends with you. You're probably in better shape than I am and look better than I do. But I'll let you in on a secret anyway. There exists in Oahu, Hawaii, a hike that offers fantastic views of the top of Pu'u Keahi a Kahoe. Consisting of steps, platforms and ladders (some completely vertical), the Haiku Stairs, or "Stairway to Heaven," leads visitors more than 2,300 feet up, from Haiku Valley to a peak that rises above the clouds. The rickety 4,000-step path was originally constructed during World War II to provide access to transmission stations at the top of the ridge.

Before you run to grab your walking stick, I must tell you that it's currently illegal to attempt this hike, as no one wants to see "stairway to heaven" become a literal term - although there are plans in the works to reopen the stairs to the public. Trespassers have been stopped by the police, and tickets have been issued, so you have been warned! I do not encourage or condone illegal behavior! Unless you're planning on bringing me back some spam musubi, in which case, carry on.

The Most Romantic Place on Earth is in ... the Ukraine - Tunnel of Love

Photo by Oleg Gordienko

Last Valentine's Day, did you get your significant other a dozen roses and declare yourself the greatest soul mate in the world? Prepare to be shamed. Because what you COULD have done to more adequately express your love was fly your significant other to Klevan in the Ukraine to take a stroll through the city's Tunnel of Love. The gorgeousness of the naturally occurring setting speaks for itself.

Well, don't actually fly there around Valentine's Day, because the Tunnel of Love is just a bunch of sticks at that time of year. But do go in the spring, when the leaves are blooming and the air is all full of possibilities ... and maybe some radioactive fallout? (Chernobyl is nearby.) Just be careful to avoid the train, which barrels through the tunnel three times a day. I have it on good authority that getting mowed down by a locomotive is considered not very romantic.

Got Vertigo? - Rock of Guatapé

Elevators are for wusses. Real vacationers climb stairs. At least that's what the tourism board of Antioquia, Colombia, is banking on. The town's Rock of Guatapé, a 10-million ton, 200-meter tall rock is its biggest (snicker) attraction, and those who wish to reach the top must climb up 649 steps. It's 649 steps with an awesome view, but still 649 steps. Maybe stretch a little first.

Lucky for you, there are vendors at the summit selling snacks and beers. Because the wisest thing to do before descending a massive outdoor stairwell is to throw back a few bottles of South American alcohol. I think I'll put off my visit until they decide to construct a revolving restaurant at the top. And maybe one of those motorized chairs that go up and down the handrail.

Fairy Real Estate - Mackworth Island

So you don't believe in fairies? Silly grownup. Then explain to me why there's a whole island off the coast of Portland, Maine, that's covered with fairy houses. If fairies didn't exist, they wouldn't need houses, would they? That's some foolproof logic right there.

On Mackworth Island, which is accessed via a causeway from the city, visitors are encouraged to construct fairy houses for the island's mystical inhabitants. The island is literally covered in tiny homes. But before you rush out to Home Depot, here are the rules: All the building materials have to be natural items found on the island. So twigs, shells and leaves are ok. Pavers, granite countertops, and Terrazo flooring, not so much. Even with these building restrictions visitors have constructed some pretty awesome homes. I saw some pieces of real estate that I'd pay good money for. Except then I'd probably get into a bidding war with a fairy with deep pockets and likely lose out. Story of my life.

Bridge to Middle Earth - Cherrapunji Root Bridges

Who needs to build a bridge, when nature can do it for you and make it a gajillion times cooler looking? In Cherrapunji, India, the Ficus elastica tree produces a second set of roots higher up on its trunk, and the locals encourage these roots to grow across rivers by laying down betel nut tree trunks as a base. The result is like a scene out of Lord of the Rings.

The finished product is so strong that it can hold up to 50 people, and it only gets sturdier with time, since it's still growing. The oldest ones have existed for half a century. Each new bridge takes about ten to fifteen years to grow. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to give AWESOMENESS some time to happen.

What Calm Sounds Like - Bamboo Forest

Living in America, my experience with bamboo plants was limited to the dinky “lucky bamboo” that you decorate your desk at work with. Which is why the bamboo forest on the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan, is so awesome to witness. Picture thousands of densely planted bamboo stalks, each hundreds of feet high, shading you from the sun overhead and creating an atmosphere of calm and meditation. A passing wind rustles the leaves and knocks the stems together to play a gentle tune. I’m getting all Zen just thinking about it.

I recommend running out to get your piece of tranquility now, before a rogue band of pandas comes along and gobbles it all up. It could happen.