I moved to Vancouver Island 10 years ago (from UK) and fell in love with its raw beauty. The coastline is rugged and beautiful with both rocky cliffs and some enormous sandy beaches. There are hundreds of islands just off the coast and many opportunities for whale watching, kayaking and winter surfing. The climate is temperate rain forest so inland there are forests and lakes galore with thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails. The terrain is largely mountainous, but there are also rolling pastures with lots of small farms, vineyards and an enthusiastic local food scene. I live in Duncan, known as the City of Totems, which has a large and popular Saturday farmers market. Victoria is the capital city of BC and is rich with history, good food and culture. The Inner Harbour is a lovely place to walk around to see the boats, historic buildings and the BC Museum. Vancouver is just over an hour away by car ferry or 15 minutes by float plane.

A map of the koala territories that I know of along the Murray River at Cobram & Barooga. I grew up on the banks of the Murray River in Corowa (just upstream from this map), but there was no koala population there. Since moving back to the area, it has been wonderful to find that the koalas are returning thanks to a very successful relocation and breeding program. I hope that this map will inspire people to visit our beautiful part of the world.

This place is special to me because it brings to mind such great childhood memories of road trips on the weekends with my family. My mom wanted us to soak up as much Michigan history as we could and would take us on road trips along the coast of the Lower Peninsula to see as many lighthouses as we could fit into a Summer Saturday.

A map of Arizona, the Grand Canyon state! With jaw-dropping sunsets, and natural wonders, fantastic animals, and beautiful cactus of all shapes and sizes. Arizona is my home state, and I never get tired of exploring all the natural beauty and culture it has to offer.

This place is special to me because it's where I grew up in. After living in the US for the past year, making this illustration brought memories and homesickness! These are just some of the many fun spots to visit in my home country, called the land of lakes and volcanos (cause we have sooo many!), Nicaragua. Scuba diving! A lake with freshwater sharks! Volcano boarding! Come visit!

This place is special to me because I love running here. Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA is an excellent running spot as it has birds, turtles, flowers, trees, plants and views to check out. Not into running?! There’s more to do-you can picnic, snack, rent a boat, shop for souvenirs, see Huntington Falls, sit in a pagoda, people watch and relax on a bench. A bit of Stow Lake history — the lake is man-made. An observatory existed on the top of Strawberry Hill but it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Butterflies look for mates on Strawberry Hill and there’s a ghost that haunts the lake. Come visit!

This place is special to me because I have been to the States only twice and this is a very special place I’d love to visit again next time during fall when the leaves are so wonderfully colored and one can absorb the beautiful nature on extensive walks through the Acadia National Park. There is a good chance to catch a glimpse on mooses and birds. Usually lobsters are a luxurious delicacy but here they are abundant and make for an affordable dinner.

This place is special to me because Georgia is such a magical journey in the fall! The mountains and lakes are like a jewel box with all the changing leaf colors. We just recently started taking our camper and enjoying the serenity of the woods, lakes, campfires and all beautiful state parks!

My map is part of a walk in Clitheroe that I often do in summer with my dog, it's great to see the changes, especially in the allotments as the seasons go by.

The map shows all my favourite spots to walk dogs in the North of the city of Oldenburg in Germany. There are forests, lakes, moorlands, and little villages. I added shopping facilities or cafés where you could warm up after a long walk, use the toilet, or get some water for the dog(s). You can also see my home on this map.

This place is special to me because of the magical feeling you get when you visit Inverness. I travelled there this month with my boyfriend and we loved it. The wild nature is magical itself with lots of trees of different kind everywhere. It’s easy to understand why they have so many stories about magical creatures. Although I didn’t see the Loch Ness monster it wasn’t disappointing, the lake is beautiful and so it was the Ness Islands and all the old buildings like the Chanonry Point Lighthouse or the ancient stones of Clava Cairns. My favourite story was the one about two men who spent the night in Tomnahurich partying with two fairies, the next morning they found out that a fairy’s day was equivalent to a hundred human’s years as they turned into dust when they stepped out of Tomnahurich.

Kew Gardens is one of the most special places in London. It is huge and beautiful with all kind of plants and magical gardens. My favourite places are the waterlily house, the Pagoda and the Palm house where you forget that you are in a big city. In this map you can see some of the buildings and gardens but it is much more, it’s great place to explore and discover.

This is a special place to me because it is in my neighborhood and is an oasis in a busy, growing city. The park is home to a wide variety of birds, trees, and native plants. The park hosts multiple activities including bird walks, bicycle races, outdoor concerts, and an annual box car derby. The park is a peaceful place with well marked walking/running trails and thoughtfully placed benches for viewing the city and surrounding areas.

Whale...what can I say? I love hanging out at the coast, watching for spouts and stopping in small towns all the way down Hwy 101.

Summer time in northern Michigan is full of adventure! I love crossing the Mighty Mac to go hiking in the Upper Peninsula (officially called The U.P.) or cruising on a ferry to Mackinac Island. The island does not allow vehicles, but the best way to explore is on bike or horse carriage. Plus all the water activities provide plenty of fun. The winters are long and the summers are short..so spending as much time on the Great Lakes is my favorite place!