UserX
Nice reply post, 2Sirius! Although you have nearly tortured me just mentioning natural mineral springs, lol! Yes, I know that natural mineral springs are very special places, and have magical powers and have many healing properties! Here's a couple of books that address this...
http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Water-Spiritual-Source-Life/dp/1587680130/ref=si...
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Springs-Ultimate-Taking-Waters/dp/0892818360
And there is also another one that I had (not recalling title at the moment) that discusses the various hot springs, the properties of the waters, and also such things as water sprites and fairies. It all boils down to the energy that is present in anything! Bathing in the ocean is also quite special, and one can consider the legends of mermaids and sirens to take it to another level!
And in line with what you are saying, there is a very long list of places that are commonly thought of as power centers and where the energy is especially strong. Consider any place where there has been a lot of healing rituals and spiritual cultivation, any place in nature (some are stronger than others), and anywhere that there has been a large congregation of people who are thriving and enjoying themselves! It is actually not as hard for people to find these sorts of locations as you have suggested. And things like the specificity and purity of an environment are not as big of a challenge as you might think! I have found little pockets of areas even in the inner city that were quite comfortable to me! I have encountered people that have the belief that in order to advance their health and their spiritual practice that they must live in sacred mountains or move to the desert. Although this is a choice that some make, and there is nothing wrong with them making it; there are also consequences for making such a place a home. Personally, I do not choose to live in isolation, and I know that there are steps that can be taken in order to raise the vibration of just about any place! This is what feng shui is about! And even things like bringing bits of nature indoors or being part of a very loving family or practicing meditation or being highly creative in a space will all raise the vibration of the energy there!
As an interesting note, I used to have a pattern of being in places that were near hospitals, funeral homes, and cemeteries, and being in a lot of clutter, and often finding myself standing near a garbage can! My taiji teacher pointed some of this out to me, and he suggested that I make a conscious effort not to be in such places. Once I became aware of this, this 'habit' actually got considerably worse for a time! I also recall reading that some Buddhist monks will do their meditation practices in cemeteries as a means of overcoming their fears of death and decay! I went through a period about a week or so ago where I felt as if all my tissue were being stripped from my bones! It is quite difficult to put this into words; I actually began drawing skeletons when this was occurring! And now I have the sense that something is very much shifting for me where I am now drawn to very different environments, space and surroundings than I was previously! It is also Not(!) a function of 'good' or 'bad', as I even experienced this in a homeless shelter surrounded by very financially poor people! The thought that comes to mind around this is that it's as if dirt is not dirty, if that makes any sense!