Kiri Wagstaff

I spent four years in Ithaca attending graduate school, and I absolutely fell in love with the town. It has a lovely, tight-knit feel to it, and it’s largely populated by highly educated people who are passionate about doing the right thing. It’s secluded and remote, and the natural beauty of the area is stunning no matter the season. I experienced my first New England fall in Ithaca, astonished at the brilliant reds, golds, and even purples that blazed on the trees. Winter brings oversized helpings of piled-up snow, ice-frosted tree branches, and crystallized waterfalls. Spring bursts with green everywhere: vines, bushes, trees… The summer can be very humid, but there’s always Cayuga Lake or pools at the base of waterfalls for swimming.

• The multiple gorges, carved by pounding waterfalls that flow to Cayuga Lake
• The Farmer’s Market, still the best example of a farmer’s market I’ve ever encountered, wildy popular with locals and visitors
• Moosewood Restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant that doesn’t skimp on flavor or creativity; I’ve never had anything there that I didn’t absolutely love (they sell cookbooks, too!)
• Cornell University, with several charming old buildings (try the library) and its characteristic clock tower (still played manually, and quite a treat to watch)

I spent nine fabulous days visiting the Big Island and Kauai, mostly hiking and sight-seeing. I went to the top of Mauna Kea, explored Kilauea in Volcanoes National Park, drove all the way around the island, snorkeled off the Na Pali Coast on Kauai, and hiked along the Kalalau Trail on the north shore. The rain that persisted throughout my trip (early May) could not dim my delight in the absolutely stunning local geology, laid-back daily rhythms, and beautiful greenery. I highly recommend the My Island B&B in Volcano and the Rosewood B&B on Kauai.

I’m headed to Berlin in September for a conference. This will be an opportunity to immerse myself in a completely new language (and country). I’m looking forward to the challenges and the sights. This might just be the impetus I need to upgrade my digital camera.

Moab is in the heart of redrock country, a fabulous destination for mountain biking, jeeping, river rafting, hiking, or just taking in the sights.

I was born here. Can’t get more life-changing than that!

Utah is friendly and sports some of the most fabulous natural lithologic beauty in the entire country. Due to the arid nature of most of the state, vegetation often takes a back seat to the cliffs and mountains, leaving them in glorious exposure. If you haven’t visited Arches or Canyonlands or Zion or Bryce National Parks, you’re missing out!

Castles, scottish dancing, and a smorgasbord of geology—what’s not to love?

I spent five days visiting Girdwood, AK, and the Kenai Peninsula. The wildlife cruise out of Seward was great, though not overwhelming, but visiting Exit Glacier was really amazing. This whole area (when I visited, in late July) is cool, heavily wooded, with frequent cloud cover; it makes you feel like you’re up in the mountains, though you’re actually almost at sea level. It is a wonderful place to find solitude and beauty. Despite other rumors, mosquitos were not a problem at all—I saw just one the entire time I was there, and it was innocently sitting on a wall not bothering anyone.

I spent a year in Melbourne, Victoria (southern coast of Australia), attending the University of Melbourne. The coast was beautiful: green and humid, with gorgeous beaches and bays. I also enjoyed heading into the “interior” (past the mountains), where the climate does a 180-degree turn and becomes hot, dry, and desert-like.