Top Views of 2025 (so far)

I've still got a few more trips in 2025, so the Top 10 list is still in progress, but here's where my mind wanders to when I'm at my desk trying to get work done.

This year’s travels offered plenty of reminders that perspective isn’t always about altitude; sometimes it’s about awareness.

From fire pits to floatplanes, balconies to bedroom windows, here are the views that stand out in 2025 — each one tied to a moment of clarity, calm, or creative spark.

1. Lake Clark Alaska — The Floatplane Ballet

Every morning, I woke to the sound of floatplanes skimming across the water — pilots fueling up for another day in the Alaskan wild. From my room, the lake framed the scene like a live painting. It wasn’t just beautiful; it was movement, purpose, and freedom in one frame.

2. Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island — Sunrise From the Balcony

The sky went from indigo to tangerine in seconds, and the sound of the ocean synced with my coffee sip. It’s impossible to feel rushed watching the world wake up here. A sunrise that doesn’t demand attention, but earns it.

3. Half-Mile Farm, Highlands, NC — Still Water, Still Mind

The view from my bedroom window could’ve been a screensaver — the lake perfectly still, fog curling at its edges. But what made it special wasn’t the postcard beauty; it was the quiet. The kind that lets your ideas catch up with you. I reluctantly left my cozy room to capture this view of the lake from the private dock.

4. Hotel Belleclaire, NYC — Timeless + Historic

From the corner suite, you can take in the skyline and the water. Vintage architecture meets the timeless rhythm of New York. The kind of view that makes you want to write something, start something, be something. And if you frequent NYC, you know that great views from hotel windows are few and far between!

5. Fairmont Grand Del Mar, San Diego — Fire pit & Fresh Perspective

From our balcony, the view rolled out in layers — fountains, flowers, canyons — all wrapped in California gold light. Add a firepit and a glass of wine, and suddenly, work emails don’t feel so heavy.

6. Bolt Farm Treehouse, Tennessee — Elevated Everything

The view wasn’t just panoramic; it was grounding. Mist lifting from the valley, sunlight breaking through trees, the hush before the day begins. The kind of view that makes you rethink how you define luxury.

7. Kimpton Armory, Bozeman — Where Mountains Meet Meetings

Bleisure, embodied. From the rooftop pool, you get a full sweep of snow-dusted peaks — a reminder that productivity and peace can share the same skyline. This property has become a go-to when I'm headed to Montana.

8. The Airplane Window — The View Between Worlds

The most constant view of my year — the one that signals both endings and beginnings. A window seat reminder that the in-between matters too.

Views like these aren’t just backdrops; they’re prompts. They ask questions:

Where are you headed?

What are you building?

Who are you becoming while you get there?

That’s what 2025 is teaching me — the right view can change my perspective.