Welcome to Roadtrippers Featured Instagram Places

What the what? These stacks of colorful rocks right in the middle of nowhere is called "the Seven Magic Mountains." It's a large scale desert artwork, created by internationally renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. As the name suggests, it’s composed of 7 piles of neon-colored rocks, each over 30 feet high... giving a striking contrast to Nevada’s barren landscape and a great stop for those traveling along I-15.

If walks through massive trees, straight out of some Game of Thrones kingdom appeal to you, then the Monterey Cypress tree tunnel is what you're looking for. In fact, the Point Reyes National Seashore in California is loaded with insanely cool natural wonders to explore. The park is a natural sanctuary with beaches, open grasslands, forested ridges, waterfalls and over 1,500 species of plants and animals! The Cypress Tree Tunnel is halfway between the lighthouse and visitors center with the road leading towards a building that houses the Point Reyes National Seashore North District Operations Center.

Bellisimo! Positano is just one of those places you really have to visit at least once in your life. This small cliffside fishing village features dramatic, colorful buildings accessible only through steep flights of steps. According to legend, the name "Positano" is said to come from a painting of the Virgin Mary that was being transported on a Turkish ship. When the ship ran aground in what would become Positano, crewmates claim the painting whispered "posa, posa", which means "set me down." The captain allegedly threw the painting into the sea, and the ship miraculously floated away. When the painting washed ashore, locals viewed it as a sign that the Virgin Mary had chosen their town as her resting place, and they built the church of Santa Maria Assunta, and named the town Positano. Anyhow, I thought that was a pretty cool story, and if I was a painting of the Virgin Mary, I'd want to live in Positano too.

Ahh, it’s that magical time of year again, when everyone's dreaming of turquoise blue waters, white sand beaches, and tropical weather... Well, if that's your idea of a perfect summer escape, then the island of La Digue in the Indian Ocean (just off the coast of Africa) is probably the perfect paradise. And if that’s not enough, rare giant tortoises hang out all over the island! Not to mention the massive boulders dotting along the beaches. I’m not sure why there’s so much giant stuff here, but it makes me feel a little like Gulliver...

Wondering what ancient volcanoes look like once they’re all dried out and eroded? Then the Shiprock or “Tsé Bitʼaʼí” to the Navajo people should be on your next trip. It’s said to be the throat of a 27 million year old volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion. It's also easy to find… just look around for outlandish fin-like rocks jutting out of the high-desert plains of San Juan County... in New Mexico. But probably an easier way would be... to use the roadtrippers app!!

Ever heard of Cenotes? A lot of them can be found around Mexico. You can swim, dive, just hang around them to cool down from the summer heat or some are meant for those seeking adventure… speaking of adventure, the Miguel Colorado Cenote is awesome!! Zipline? Kayak? Hiking? Wildlife watching? Yeap you can do all of that here and enjoy great views as well so don’t forget to put this on your list the next time you visit Campeche Mexico.

Stroll through 40-acres of fully-bloomed tulips with views of vineyards and Mt. Hood as backdrop in this Spring time Tulip Fest from late March to early May each year. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm began in the 1950’s and in 1985, they decided to start opening the fields to visitors during Easter weekends… and people have been flocking to the farm ever since. A Gift Shop, Wine Tasting Room and a garden have been added in recent years and visitors can order tulip bulbs, cut flowers and potted tulips plus all sorts of food and activities during weekends for the entire duration of the Tulip Fest. It’s definitely a beautiful slice of Holland in Woodburn Oregon.

In honor of National Donut Day, please show some love for the big O. Randy's Donuts in LA. This is probably the worlds most famous donut store, and an LA Road trip institution since 1953. It's located on W Manchester Blvd right near LAX. An essential stop on your next California trip!

Can you imagine driving through 99 bends in a span of just 6.8 miles of steep cliffs, ravines and mountain roads? You can experience this on the road to Tianmen Mountain in the province of Hunan in Central China. Tianmen which means Heaven’s Door is named after a large natural arch or cave about 30 meters in height near the top of the mountain. For those who would like to skip the dizzying number of bends, the world’s longest cable car system is also an option, it takes about 30 minutes and over 7 kilometers to reach the top, giving you a bird's eye view of the mountain ridges and the 99 bends below. The cave can be reached by walking a further 999 steps up a steep and narrow stairway. A Temple and a couple of glass skywalk hanging over 1,400 meters on the side of the mountain are also a must see attractions in the area. The best time to visit is around April to October as temperatures are warmer making it easier to explore the area.

This unusual and historic structure spiraling down a couple of meters towards the earth like an inverted tower is called an Initiation Well. This particular well with a Knights Templar cross at the bottom landing, is the bigger of two wells in an estate classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Quinta da Regaleira. The estate includes a palace, chapel, park and a system of tunnels located in Sintra Portugal. These wells were never used as water sources but instead believed to have been used for ceremonial purposes, however very little is known as to how or what exactly went on inside these structures before. Visitors can access these wells all year round and guided tours are also available.

Fancy scaling a 3,922 step ladder and hiking trail? The Haiku Stairs also known as the Stairway to Heaven is a steep hiking trail first constructed in 1942 by the US Navy as part of the Haiku Radio Station, a top secret facility built on top of the Ko’olau mountain range in Oahu Hawaii used for sending radio signals to Navy Ships around the Pacific. After the radio station was decommissioned in the 1950’s, it was used by the US Coast Guard and the wooden stairs were replaced with metal steps and ramps in various sections. The stairs was eventually closed to the public by 1987 and although repaired by the city in 2003, it was never officially opened to the public again. To this day, adventurous people still climb the stairs knowing they could be caught trespassing… just to experience the exhilarating view from the top.

A chalk headland formed about a 100 million years ago and rising up to 162 meters above sea level with spectacular cliff tops and picturesque views is Beachy Head. It is the UK’s highest chalk sea cliff and a must see for visitors of Eastbourne, East Sussex. As the area tends to be covered in mist and low clouds, a lighthouse was built on sea level in 1902 to guide seafarers around the headlands and it is still standing today. Due to the area’s natural beauty, it is a popular spot for shooting movies and commercials with some scenes from James Bond’s The Living Daylights and Harry Potter’s The Goblet of Fire being shot there.

Lofoten Islands are located inside the Arctic Circle in the Northern part of Norway along the Norwegian Sea. The area has a long history dating back to the Viking Age with a mix of stunning sceneries, deep fjords and beautiful islands greeting you as you make your way towards this rare wilderness outpost. The diverse landscape is perfect for various outdoor activities and home to one of the world’s northernmost surfing area... a great place to experience the arctic, the midnight sun between May and July, and the northern lights from September to mid-April.

The Figure 8 Pools are natural wonders located on a rock ledge within the Royal National Park in New South Wales Australia. As the name suggests, the area is dotted with natural rock pools with the one in this photo shaped in a figure eight. Getting there is a bit of a challenge, as the pools are only accessible during low tide and the quickest way is via a 2.1 mile walk down some steep and extremely challenging rock cliffs… but those who dare to venture out can expect a refreshing experience submerging themselves in crystal clear ocean pools.

The world’s first double-decker cable car with an open upper deck called CabriO awaits guests at Mount Stanserhorn near Lucerne Switzerland. The lower deck has wall to ceiling windows and space for up to 60 people while the upper open deck can accommodate up to 30 people. The ride lets you enjoy unobstructed 360-degree views of the surrounding area and feel the fresh mountain breeze. Only open during the summer, getting there is a journey through local history in itself, one has to ride up an old-time funicular from Stans to Kälti built in 1893 and used to be the longest in the world before taking this amazing ride to the summit of Mount Stanserhorn. The new CabriO may not be the longest today, but it certainly is the most unique…

Located on the famous Zocalo Plaza in Mexico City, the hotel is adorned with turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau decor, caged-elevators and very colorful stained-glass lobby ceiling designed by renowned French artisan, Jacques Gruber. The Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico is a historic 5-star hotel of Old World elegance built in 1899 and considered to be one of the top Mexican hotels.

An awesome place worthy of a roadtrip to Arizona is a massive sandstone formation aptly called The Wave. Located near the northern border with Utah, the colorful rocks and unique wavy patterns that looked like stretched taffy are hardened Navajo Sandstone dunes. As the formation is very fragile, only the lucky few who gets one of the 20 permits issued by the Bureau of Land Management can visit the site per day. The Wave can be challenging to locate and the shortest route is a 3 mile hike from the Wire Pass Trailhead across open desert. This area can get very hot during the day and starting early on your hike is recommended.

As Finland's second largest lake, Lake Päijänne is a roadtripper's paradise. Cottage tourism is pretty big along the lakeshore here, and it's also home to world-class sailing, canoeing, rowing, trekking, ice-skating, snow mobiling and hiking. Plus there are two national parksto visit, Päijänne and Leivonmäki.

Deep in the heart of southern Indiana sits a hotel so beautiful, so magnificent it’s hard to believe went from being dubbed the “8th Wonder of the World” to total disrepair, in danger of completely falling apart. When a fire destroyed the original West Baden Springs Hotel in 1901, owner Lee Sinclair wanted a to rebuild with the hotel of his dreams… The new hotel was built in just a year and featured a 200 ft. diameter atrium and fireplace that burned massive 14 ft logs. The new West Baden Springs Hotel opened in 1902 to extremely positive reviews, and its mineral water baths were said to cure darn-near anything. The hotel featured a casino, live performances each night, movies, bowling, and billiards. Outdoor activities included golf, the largest oval bicycle track in the country, horseback riding, and more. For their abundance of wealthy clients they featured a bank and stock brokerage on-site.

The hotel was known worldwide as a playground for the wealthy, and then everything changed. The stock market crash of 1929 cleared the hotel almost immediately. No one had money to spend a week at the ultra-luxurious hotel anymore.

The hotel was sold to the Jesuits for $1, who, in true Jesuit-style, took out much of the fancy furniture, and used it as their seminary, West Baden College. By the 1960s, the seminary closed and the hotel was eventually donated to a private college, the Northwood Institute, who ran the place into the 1980s. The college took decent care of the place, but when they sold it to a real estate firm that would quickly go bankrupt, all hell broke loose. In the mid-nineties the hotel was sold to investors who saved both the West Baden Springs Hotel and the nearby French Lick Resort. By 2007 both hotels had been renovated to their original grandeur and reopened.

Xcaret is an adventurous wonderland, complete with subterranean rivers, cave swimming, canyon inner tubing, and more..it's pretty much the perfect vacation destination. This archaeological park in Cancun has been made into a tourist experience that combines learning about ancient history with a fun day at the beach, and there's a little bit of an eco-tourism and theme park atmosphere thrown in as well. One of the must-see attractions at Xcaret is, without a doubt, the underground rivers. They take you past Mayan ruins and into mysterious caves, and all you have to do is put on your life jacket, sit back and relax because the refreshing stream's current will just carry you along. You can even bring along a snorkel to do some underwater exploring.