My Favorite Place
Most of us can name a place that is our idea of paradise. Its allure may stem from the memories, the scenery, the wildlife, the things we do, the sounds and smells, or some combination of ingredients. We asked a number people to tell us about their favorite places, and here are five of the answers.
Jenny Pressly
Greenville, South Carolina
At the top of the list is my family's house on Wadmalaw Island, which sits on the North Edisto River in South Carolina. Surrounding us on three sides is the ACE Basin Reserve, which is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast. This will forever be my favorite place and favorite escape from the everyday, allowing me to kayak and enjoy some of the best redfish fishing holes around.
Monte Matheson
Port Orford, Oregon
My favorite place is the Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Star Valley, Wyoming. I first went there about 30 years ago, and I never seem to get tired of it. Over the last few years, I have been going in August. The high mountains are still green and lush, with wildflowers everywhere. You can usually see moose, mule deer, and elk, and the fly-fishing for native cutthroat trout is wonderful. The open country gives me a feeling of freedom, and the clean air makes the views especially spectacular.
Molly Kearns
Chatham, New Jersey
My favorite place is out my back door: a national wildlife refuge named Great Swamp. I’ve been hiking there since I was three, and it’s still fun, whether I’m with my Girl Scout troop or family members. We are only 25 miles from New York City, but there is a 3,600-acre wilderness area at Great Swamp, and I love seeing all the birds, turtles, deer, and other animals.
Bishop Ricardo Ramírez, C.S.B., Diocese of Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico
The first place that comes to mind is Mimbres, New Mexico, which is close to the Gila (Wilderness Area). Near the simple yet beautiful church of San Lorenzo is a familiar shady tree where sometimes Mass is offered. It’s near picture-perfect, the way God made it to be. Everything has its place—the pine trees, the river, the critters, and me. My mind is slowed down and my spirit renewed!
Marcy Weintraub Plunkett
Ann Arbor, Michigan
My favorite place is a family cabin on East Grand Lake in Forest City, in northeast Maine. Each and every inch of house and landscape holds precious memories. The lake has barely changed in 50 years. The water is still cool and clean and inviting for long swims and canoe rides. Loons, bald eagles, quiet, cool nights, and close family times greet us year after year. My favorite time of day there is sunset, when my husband and I sit on the dock with a glass of wine and note the subtle progression of changes in the sky colors, cloud tones, and water ripples that are both the same—and different—every night. It's infinitely reassuring and humbling.
