As you can see in this photo, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (more info below), located in Newark NJ, is both beautiful and trippy–especially when you look at it up close. The winner of this round of the Trippy Travel Photo Game guessed it after paying attention to the clues and tapping into his knowledge of art history and architecture. He followed these steps in order to win.
1. Look at the Photo/Study the Details
2. Guess what it is and where I was when I took the photo. Check out the clues.
What is this and where was I when I took the photo? I know that it might be hard to pinpoint the exact location, so I may bend the rules later and give you additional clues.
For now, I will give you two clues:
1. You might be able to figure out what this is relatively quickly. However, you’ll probably think I was somewhere other than where I actually was. 
2. Tourists do visit this particular place, but not millions and millions of them.
Note: To be declared the winner, you’ll need to provide a lot of details and a solid explanation re: why you believe your answer is correct.
3. Check Back Later!
–Post your guesses here in the Comments Section (tweets and FB comments don’t count–sorry)
–Keep checking and guessing as the guessing gets good…
–See who won…maybe it will be you!
The Prize?
A mention of your name and a link to your site from within this post.
And the Winner Is…
Jeruen of Memoirs of a Traveling Linguist! This is not the first time he’s won this game. In fact, he’s one of two current champions.
The Answer: The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, NJ
This close-up photo is of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, NJ, which is the fifth-largest cathedral in North America. It is home the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Originally, it was going to be designed as an English/Irish-gothic church, the decision was made to go with the French-gothic revival style. Here’s another photo so you can see the cathedral in its entirety.
Can’t get enough?
Like this game? Want to see things from a unique angle? Enjoy learning about new places? Here are all of the Trippy Travel Photos–guesses and winners–all on one page. If you like photography in general, then check out my Photo of the Day feature. You’ll find cool photos from all over the world. Enjoy!
So, it’s a rose window, typical of Gothic architecture. It must be a church. But it is interesting that the rose window is boarded up or closed; maybe it is a former church? If it is a former church, then it’s either a former church because another religion took it (now it is a mosque?) or is now a building that is totally secular. It might be somewhere in Turkey.
Now are any of my guesses correct?
Jeruen recently posted..Cavorting in the Caucasus: Saint Gayane Church in Echmiadzin
Great guess, Jeruen–and like the detailed explanation. Love the idea of the building possibly being a former church, one taken over by another religion.
However, that is not the case, and Turkey is not the place.
Unfortunately, guessing the place will be extremely tricky. PS: We’ve also ruled out Latin American as its location.
I’m with Jeruen in that it must be from a Gothic style church.
Not sure the window is boarded up though, the whole photo seems a little gray so maybe it was just a cloudy day or the window is dirty. The shot seems to be from the outside as opposed to the inside so that is difficult to judge.
Where is it? Well gosh, that could be just about any country where romance languages are spoken but knowing ChickyBus travels from this site I’ll guess at South America.
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Yes, the regular stonework is a little rough-hewn, so Central or South America is probably going to be the general location.
Sorry, Robert. You’ve got the wrong location. It’s neither.
I am losing my edge!
*pouts
LOL
I blame it on Jeruen!
#toomuchvampireromanceediting
Gothic style church, yes! Good guess re: the location, but no…
Well, it sure looks like it is intended to be a window, but there is no glass in it, so I’m with Jeruen that it is covered up.
Being covered up, it wouldn’t be in a ‘rich’ country, so I would rule out Europe.
it looks like a church or library
Hogga recently posted..Seeing Montreal with Le St. Martin
Good guess, Hogga! Definitely a church.
Vampire romance?
Anyway, our driver never negated the boarded-up-suggesting-it-is-not-a-church-anymore idea, so I am sticking with my current secular building hypothesis. Since Turkey, as well as Latin America is now out, I will place this somewhere in North America (my 7 years in Buffalo allowed me to encounter re-purposed churches, and some of them are Gothic Revival). And yes, if it is North America, then I say it’s Gothic Revival, a former Catholic Church that is re-purposed for something else.
Now, if our driver says that the rose window is indeed not boarded up, and it just looked that way because of the glare, then I would say this is Gothic (as opposed to Gothic Revival) somewhere in Europe. But given the two clues originally given, I don’t bet high on this possibility.
Jeruen recently posted..Cavorting in the Caucasus: Mother Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin
You are SO smart!! Yes, Gothic Revival…and yes, in North America. Robert just guessed Canada, but that’s not it. So…that leaves two possibilities, right?
I have a feeling you might win this. Shhh…don’t tell Robert I said so.
Gah! This is so hard, given that Gothic Revival is so all over the place in North America. I need to narrow the location, at least. Since it is not Canada, is it within New York State? More precisely, is it within New York City?
Jeruen recently posted..Book Review: Northern Lights: His Dark Materials Vol. I by Philip Pullman
This is hard. The next one will have to be easy and on the beaten path–LOL.
Not in NYC, but I’d saw 30 minutes west of it.
Maybe I’ll include another photo of it in the post–not zoomed in as much.
OK, Jeruen is a smart thinker, and I recall that there was a recent Chicky Bus destination of Toronto, Canada and Niagara Falls. So I will cleverly offer up two suggestions.
He IS smart–yes. And I’m sorry to say that Canada is not the N American location of this particular Gothic Revival church.
Ok, how about a wild-yet-educated-hopefully guess: this is the rose window of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, located at 89 Ridge St, Newark, NJ? This is 17 miles away from Manhattan, about 30 minutes driving time.
Jeruen recently posted..Book Review: Northern Lights: His Dark Materials Vol. I by Philip Pullman
But, but, but… Newark isn’t far enough from the Chicky Bus’s home to be consider a “travel” photo.
So, if it is N America, and not Canada, then it must be Mexico, or some place in the Caribbean.
Well, Robert, I do sometimes break my own rules.
When I visited this particular place, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in…yes, Newark, NJ…I was with a friend who was traveling. After I met her at the airport, we stopped by to check out the basilica. As we wandered around, on that gorgeous day, we felt like we were on vacation together. There were plenty of others checking out the cathedral. And so, it felt similar to a travel experience… 
PS: Is Jeruen now the champion?? I’ll have to pick something easier next time so you can wine. Ha ha #justkidding
You are amazing, Jeruen (I know…some credit may go to Google–still, you knew where to look…ha ha)! You are 100% right. It is the the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark! I just explained in my comment to Robert (poor guy…keeps losing) that on the day I took the photo, I was with a friend who was traveling and how we felt like we were traveling together. That’s how I justify calling it a ‘travel photo.’ Also, there were ‘tourists’ there that day, too.
Congrats on yet another win!