This exact cynicism is what he pushes against.

We can collect superlative pictures of unique places-- sometimes jostling among hundreds of tourists to do so. There's certainly joy in this.

But we can also let our curiosity be engaged, and find surprise and wander right next door.

Unless... it's the Powerline trail in Kauai. Then my friends and family will think I'm special for having visited there.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/kaua-i--2/powerline-t...

Well, to me the "unless..." is doing some heavy lifting. I run under electric pylons nearly every day (there is a soft surface trail under the power lines). Sure, they're man-made, represent civilization, or whatever. But they're there, and that's part of the adventure, too. The pylons are in a different setting nearly every day, be it fog or sun, or just the usual PNW drizzle. And really, how often have you taken a good look at those pylons? How often are you even near them? How they're built, how would you put one together, how heavy are those power lines? Anyone with an engineering mindset could ponder those pylons for quite a while.

And despite all of that "civilization", I see deer, coyotes, and a beer on very rare occasions. Despite using that trail for over twenty years, it's a new adventure every time I go down it.