Seeking A Dream-Like Experience

Thanks sooo much for all your input yesterday on my cushion dilemma on the porch. So many great ideas and suggestions!

A few days ago, a couple I follow on Instagram posted a beautiful picture taken on Sea Island where they were vacationing. It was a beautiful alley of Oak trees and very similar to the iconic photo so often shared in magazines of Oak Alley Plantation.

Oak Alley Plantation, photo from Wikipedia

In the Instagram post, they described the scene as being dream-like. Then they asked, “What is the most dream-like place you have ever visited?”

Ummm, so many places popped into my mind! Of course, I thought of Oak Alley. I visited Oak Alley a few years ago with my dear friend, Linda. (See that tour here: Oak Alley.) We spent an entire week touring 13+ historic homes all throughout Louisiana and Mississippi….definitely one of the most fun trips I can ever remember!

In case you’re interested, you’ll find the tours I’ve posted so far of the homes we visited here: Louisiana and Mississippi. I still have more photos from that trip that I’ve never shared. If you would like to see more of homes we toured on that trip, let me know in the comments and I’ll work on that. I’m pretty sure I still have some homes I never got around to sharing.  (Image below is only a screen capture, click on the links above to visit the actual links to the tour posts.)

If you love touring beautiful old homes, you’ll find many more historical home tours posted here: Historic Home Tours.

So, going back to the Instagram post and the question that was asked: “What is the most dream-like place you have ever visited?” I left a comment on the post naming three places that instantly popped into my head: Oak Alley, Bonaventure Cemetary and Wormsloe.

It may seem really odd to list a cemetery as being one of the most dream-like places you’ve ever visited, but Bonaventure (which mean “Good Fortune” in Italian) is truly a beautiful place. If you ever visit Savannah, you NEED to drive over and stroll its paths. It was the location of one of the most interesting scenes in the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. (Tour that movie home here: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.)

A lot of famous folks are buried in Bonaventure including Songwriter, Johnny Mercer, and poet, Conrad Aiken, plus the statuary is amazing. It feels completely dreamlike with its many massive Oak trees dripping in Spanish moss. There’s a beautiful view of the Wilmington River, as well, since Bonaventure is located on a bluff above the river.

 

Savannah is such a wonderful place to visit. Every tour you take, every place you go has a fascinating story behind it. The whole city is very dream-like with its 24 beautiful, park-like squares. I love Savannah!

Wormsloe is another dream-like spot to visit. It’s located about a 20-minute drive outside of Savannah. I shared a post about it several years ago here: Wormsloe. In that post, you can click on the photos and they will enlarge to fill your computer screen to give you an idea of what its like to drive under that magnificent canopy of Oaks.

 

I was very tempted to mention Giraffe Manor in my comment since it also came immediately to mind, but that stay was probably more fantasy-like, than dreamlike.

 

Maybe it was a little bit of both.

 

Yeah, definitely a little of both.

 

So, tell me–what is a place (or places) that you’ve visited that was dream-like–or fantasy-like? Please share! I’m pretty obsessed now with visiting Sea Island after Googling and seeing some of the photos online. I can’t believe I’ve never visited when it’s right here in Georgia! I need to fix that! Soon!

Where else in this big, wide world would you recommend going for a dream-like experience? Can’t wait to hear your recommendations!

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Comments

  1. Your Oak House post brought back memories. My late husband and I visited Oak House several years ago. Thanks for the memories.

  2. Can’t recall any particular dreamlike experiences for me, but I’ve had a couple of nightmare experiences!

  3. Houmas House outside New Orleans and Bishops Palace with the grand conservatory in Galveston come to mind. The Biltmore is on my list, maybe, one day…..I’ve seen the outside from the Blueridge Parkway in the fall. And of course photos of the interior and grounds……….my master bedroom is done in Charleston orange (chilled cantaloupe paint) with gold and dark orange bedspread like one of their bedrooms…..my attempt at fantasy….haha.

  4. Susan from GA says

    I visited my daughter, who was working in London, a few years ago. I had never been abroad so I soaked up every second of touring London! We took a 3 day trip to Paris. She surprised me with a day trip to Versaille. Believe or not, it snowed while we were there! For this old southern girl, the whole trip was one I never dreamed of growing up in TN and GA. Truly, looking out a window as snow began to fall is a memory I will hold in my heart forever.

  5. Probably the most beautiful pristine place I have ever visited was Hallstatt in Austria. Truly it was so enchanting. Switzerland and Austria have to be some of the most beautiful country anywhere on the globe!

  6. Lisa Trahan says

    Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley is the most magical place I have ever visited. There are many acres under glass so no matter what time of year you go there are wonderful plantings indoors and out and the many fountains…as I say, just magical!

  7. Susan, I saw the IG post you are referring to and your comment. I also loved Oak Alley. I have been to Sea Island and it is definitely dream-like. I guess Venice and Santorini are my two picks for dream like! I so loved Venice the first time that we returned on a second trip. The romance of Venice with its canals and wandering its streets and to just get lost in its history and beauty! Santorini is as lovely as all the photos you see on Instagram, truly dreamy for sure. I love to travel and explore other cultures. But, the U.S. is still the most beautiful country with its Rocky Mountains and its Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coastlines.

  8. I have to agree with Bonaventure! Everyone loves the Savannah food, zipping to Tybee, etc. But wherever I go, I want to visit the cemeteries. Not weird–just a history buff. And standing on the hill looking out at Bonaventure can imbue you with a true feeling of history. At any cemetery one can see couples that died just months apart–the story of a person dying from heartbreak? In Decatur, near me, we have Revolutionary War soldiers. Westview is a huge history cemetery–some of the Candlers (Coke tycoons) buried there. My husband lived across the road from Westview as a boy and he and his buddies roamed there, never afraid, but just enjoying the quiet and cool shade trees in the summer.

  9. Bora Bora………..it is every bit as dreamlike as you may have heard. We stayed in one of the over water bungalows at the Hotel Bora Bora. It was truly amazing. It now appears to me they are over building the delicate island.
    I enjoyed hearing everyone comments about their dreamy travels!!

  10. While I love my adopted Austria and agree with Toni above, I have to vote for the deserted castle at St Andrews or Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh as the most dream-like places I’ve ever been. Although, waking up to see 360 degrees of snow-capped mountains always makes me pinch myself!

  11. Although I have travelled extensively in Europe, my favorite place to visit of all times is The Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia. My husband worked for the railroad that owned it for many years. In the 80’s and 90’s we went at least once a year and some years several times. It was conferences for my husband but a very fun time for me. I also made many friends that came at the same time so that made it special too. Now The Greenbrier is a casino owned by someone else so it’s not as enticing to me.

  12. After reading your Live Oak post, I have decided I would love to visit the region. I would love to have your agenda for your Lousiana trip and any pictures. Love your blog!

  13. Several years ago I toured Biltmore Estate at Christmas time. It was awesome.

  14. BamaCarol says

    Savannah is tops of my list as well as Monmouth in Natchez, Mississippi. We stayed there one long weekend and loved the atmosphere and dining there was a wonderful experience. Love touring all the old homes all over the South!

  15. Rome, Susan, absolutely Rome and the State of Vatican City.
    I think Rome is the most beautiful city in the world: So many churches and so much history and culture behind every corner but the smallest state in the world and especially its museums is the most overwhelming place I have ever visited. I remember that my heart skipped not one beat but several beats entering the Vatican City… everything is stunning there but seeing the Pietà by Michelangelo was too much for me… I started to cry like a baby. I tell you, it is the most emotional artwork I have ever seen in my life. It’s a shame that it needs to be protect by glass…

  16. For my 40th birthday, we stayed in a little cottage in Carmel. Falling asleep to the Pacific Ocean’s lullaby, & awakening to the ethereal morning fog, we had morning coffee seated in big comfy chairs near an outdoor fireplace. That trip included SF, Monterey, Pacific Grove & Napa, each with its’ own captivating memories, but in Carmel I was a little girl playing princess!

  17. SusanI love all your pictures of the beautiful homes you’ve toured! I hope someday to visit them. Please share any other pictures you have as I don’t know if I’ll get to tour them all. Thanks

  18. Susan, do have a link for the tour that you took to see these homes?

    • It wasn’t a tour. Linda, who lives in Texas, and I just met up in Louisiana and stayed in a hotel there, venturing out each to visit 2-3 homes each day. All the homes were fairly close to each other, so we would take our time visiting each home and lunching in between. Many were along what’s known as “The River Road.” All the homes we visited are open to the public and there are tour guides in each home. Here’s a website that will give you more information about the homes along River Road. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/louisiana/riverroad.htm
      If you google a phrase like “historic homes open to the public in Louisiana” or something similar, I’m sure you’ll find many more. There are so many beautiful homes there, unfortunately, many have deteriorated and fallen away, or been torn down.

  19. So many magical places in this beautiful world. Top of my list is a hike through Bryce Canyon Cathedral Park in Utah, Venice at night when the tourists go back to their cruise ships and the musicians continue to play to an all but empty square, any village in the Cotswolds, the Acropolis bathed in pink light, Paris in the spring and especially at 9pm when the Eiffel Tower lights come on, Carmel when the jasmin is blooming.

  20. I love Quebec City (the old city) and Holland (the countryside). Very different, and both so beautiful.

  21. Yes, Yes, Yes, post more photos of the historical homes…I SO love to do that! And, I am just thrilled to read all the places those above me have visited that I have, too!! We live in the MOST BEAUTIFUL MAGICAL world!! Aren’t we so fortunate! How about Butchart Gardens…Amalfi Coast…you know, my Blue Ridge/Shenandoah Mountains are right up there. franki

  22. We took a tour of the Navajo reservation (small, just my husband, son and one other couple), which included a part of the Grand Canyon where one else was around, even though you could see miles. It was like being the first person to discover it. The guide played Navajo flute music on the stereo as he drove. In the far distance, you could occasionally see hogans. He recited a Native American prayer to the sun. It was a desert experience that was so spare and eerily beautiful it was definitely dreamlike.

  23. Cyndi Raines says

    Fantasy vacation for me was Jamaica. Beautiful water, had a blast snorkeling, dancing to the reggae music, basking in the sun on the beautiful white sand…, oh yea, awesome time!

  24. I am not sure it qualifies, but the chateaus in the Loire Valley of France are an wondrous tour to take!!!!

  25. I love visiting our national parks and enjoying their beauty, with favorites being Yosemite, Glacier National park, Bryce, Zion, and Glacier Bay in Alaska. For that matter, there is so much beauty in Alaska, I was amazed everyday while there. I’ve been to many different places in the world, but think we have so much beauty right here that I want to continue to see more.

  26. I’m not sure about dreamlike, but the places that have stuck with me are a cottage near Tetbury in the Cotswolds, Egypt, the Olympic rain forest in Washington, a section along the middle Rhine with castles everywhere, Carlsbad caverns, and Niagara Falls. So many wonderful places to see and never enough time to see them all. Thanks for sharing!

  27. I loved my trips to England with all its history, but as a native Michigander, I have to say Mackinac Island. The island is magical and The Grand hotel is definitely dreamy. My blog has several posts about visits I’ve made.

  28. Macchu Picchu – We climbed the mountain for four days, and our guide timed it so we would enter the ruins as the sun was rising.

    Taj Mahal – The building is huge yet so delicate at the same time. There’s a love story behind its existence.

    Iguazu Falls in Argentina – It is so massive and surreal. It affected me more than seeing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

  29. I fly into San Francisco and drove down Highway 101 stopping in Carmel for three days. I visited the old mission there and drove the 17 mile drive outside Monterey. Then I drove down 101 to LA and stopped along the way to take photos of the beautiful Big Sur. It was a surreal journey and one I did alone. I had read so many poems about the area of Rod McKuen that I had to see it all myself. Carol

  30. Maya Ruins — Mexico and (Northern) Central America. Ancient Indigenous kingdoms/cities with temples, palaces and monuments. IMO, the many sites themselves in their own right are dreamlike and if embraced or admired can feel very spiritual. If you have never experienced visiting one, I encourage you to do so. -Brenda-

  31. Skiing in New Mexico – snow began falling, giant flakes, people were stopping on the mountainside, holding out their hands to catch and look at these floating giant snowflakes, talking and laughing, as if we were all at a party! Then the patrol people showed up with bullhorns (pre-cell phone days) urging everyone to get down the mountain as it was the beginning of a huge storm. We went slowly down, transversing every slope to just be in that snowfall. People outside and inside looking out the huge windows of the base. It is a beautiful lovely memory, not only visual but the amazing smell of clean air! It was fairy-tale-ish 🙂 Hot chocolate was never better, watching that snowfall!

  32. Carol O'Brennan says

    The Seychelles

  33. I have been to Savannah & Charleston numerous times and enjoyed all especially the eating establishments. I do not recommend visiting them nor the Biltmore Estate during high heat if you are planning on doing much sight seeing or walking.
    Biltmore was built pre-AC era and they only use fans.

    I would recommend St Augustine at Christmas as it’s particularly beautiful at this time of the year.
    Also recommend New Smyrna Beach as a favorite beach town of ours since we live in FL.
    Great food and easy access to the beach.
    NSB is one of the two places (Daytona also allows) where you can drive your vehicle directly on the beach which makes it convenient to unload beach paraphernalia etc.
    NSB has a great bed & breakfast we have stayed numerous times but not since the current owners purchased.

    The Night Swan Bed & Breakfast

    http://www.nightswan.com/

    We have stayed several times at a Hampton Inn in NSB which I would highly recommend as you can walk a couple of blocks direct to the ocean/beach and leave your vehicle in the hotel lot should you desire to walk.

    http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/florida/hampton-inn-new-smyrna-beach-DABNSHX/index.html

    There is also a recently opened (think 2017) SpringHill Suites by Marriott in NSB.

    http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dabsh-springhill-suites-new-smyrna-beach/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2

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