Gap of Dunloe in Eire, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and the Impressionists in the Orsay ( i had to sit down, nearly cried).
Seeing the Night Watch in 1972. Only person in the room and it was before the yahoo slashed it with a knife so you could get very close. The brush strokes, the detail and the way he painted the light. Breath taking.
In the 90’s seeing Stonehenge with 2 friends on a grey November day. Besides 5 idiots dressed in hooded white robes who had stepped over the rope to the inner circle( they wanted to ascend. Guards said “ nope.” ) there was no one else there. Have countless pictures pasted in a scrap book to prove it.
Flying over and into the Grand Canyon in a helicopter.
Venice
Other than the female guard who chatted on her phone I was the only person in the room to view the Last Supper.
My climb to the top of Yosemite Falls in college. We camped overnight.
As a child getting to hear and see “ Watch the Fire Fall, “ in Yosemite.
Alabama Foothills and Mt Whitney.
Watching Mt St Helens explode while living in Longview, Washington.
Seeing the Shuttle Land at Edwards AirBase.
On the night of Game 3 of the Earthquake World Series ( section 43, Row 21 Seat 14) when we had left and were driving back across the Golden Gate Bridge to the East Bay looking out the back window of the car and seeing nothing but fires on the Marina illuminating the darkened City by The Bay. Later that week driving into the Santa Cruz mountains to view the epicenter of the quake. Road was split in 1/2 by a huge deep crack. It was eerie.
The first time I saw Ireland after flying over from London “ Holy _____ ( bad word ) it really is that green!”
Lastly, first trip to Europe in college Flying into Amsterdam and seeing a windmill from the plane’s window “ Toto I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Being in London on the same trip and hearing Big Ben toll.
In the 80’s seated on a friend’s back patio in Kearney, watching a tornado funnel 40 miles away wipe out 1/2 of Grand Island, Nebraska
Many memories and ah moments!
EDIT: Forgot about seeing Devils Tower in Wyoming, (Close Encounters of The First Kind). Loved all the prairie dogs.
Seeing Mt Rushmore and slamming on my brakes to avoid hitting a Bison.
Driving first into Yellowstone on the day it opened after a Winter Closure. Saw elk, bison and a bald eagle. 5 people watching Old Faithful erupt.
Finding a fossil on the banks of the Thames.
Having the late British actor, Ian Holm ( think Alien )
walk by me at the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens.
Seeing Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Brenda Blythen, Charles Dance, Daniel Craig, David Tennant, Mark Ryland in different London theatre productions. Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren on Broadway. Carol Channing, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Booth, Gig Young and the original casts of Chorus Line and Hair perform in San Francisco. Al Pacino in Hughey at LA’s Mark Taper Forum.
And seeing Ernest Borgnine in the Van Nuys COSTCO.
BEST: 1.) seeing Cary Grant in An Evening with Cary Grant
2.) Meeting Anthony Hopkins
3.) meeting Brian Dennehy in Tiburon bar.
4.) having Peter Boyle ask me to pass the syrup in John O’Groats in LA
5.) In 1973 Shaking John Wayne’s hand outside his house on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. 2686 Bayshore Drive. Home demolished long ago. Some McMansion there now.
6.) Sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at Obama’s first Inaugural and attending one of the balls.
7.) seeing the Matterhorn
8.) Rodin Museum
9.) Richard Burton and Richard Harris in different stage productions of Camelot. Neither could really sing.
10.) seeing British soldiers in a field outside Belfast in the 90’s
