So, we've all done some exploring Skyrim I'm sure and found little hidden gems or cool little secrets in caves or dungeons or in the wilderness. But, undoubtedly, there has been a moment when you were going about you're travels/explorations and you came across something that made you just stop and go "holy sh*t this game is awesome". Does anyone have any good moments like that? Maybe when you came across some little detail that stood out in the wilderness or a ruin or even a moment in a city (i.e. non-quest moments/non-scripted events).

For me, I remember swimming out to the edge of the map to find something and I came across a dead body with some gold and a make-shift flag, using a canoe ore as a flag post. He was obviously a survivor of a wreck and was trying to get some attention. Or maybe he found some gold and wanted it for himself. Either way, I was like "this is why I love TES".

Several jump out to me. The first time I stopped and looked at a tree stump and noticed the ants running around. I think this was near Riverwood and I was just amazed at the detail.

While early on, all of the dungeons and ruins were exciting and scary at the same time, but the first time I walked into Blackreach was really stunning. I actually turned around and left on my first visit because after fighting to get down there, I'd depleted a good bit of my supplies and I was concerned that I wasn't prepared to face that place....whatever it may have held. And most recently, my first time reading a Black Book. It freaked me out a bit.

Edit to add: Seeing a dragon circling a mountain top off in the distance. I usually stop and watch for a bit even after all the hours I've spent playing this game.

Definitely my first visit to Blackreach.

I went WoW when I first saw ESO.

jk jk, ESO has improved a lot since then. I was wowed by Blackreach.

My first character wandered in to Bloated Man's Grotto. I looked around at a beautiful waterfall falling into a quiet pool, there was a little grassy meadow, shafts of sunlight falling on trees and rocks and fallen logs. I went "Wow". Then a couple of bears killed my budding level 3 Dragonborn.

Helgen exit for the fist time WoW, visited reach for the First time WoW, Visited Forgotten vale for the First time WoW, View From High hrothgar WoW this game has just too many of these

Stepping into Markarth (after stupid stabbing) and seeing the city built into the mountainside and that epic waterfall..... I'm a Markarth really devoted fan. DAMN!

Also Blackreach's main cavern is just so impossibly massive

The first time I saw http://i.imgur.com/Ne2Gxzl.png in a dungeon. I can not even recall which dungeon it was, though I have seen it many, many times since

I think there was a similar scene in Castle Volkihar, if I remember correctly.

There have been many more "little details" in out of the way places and I often wonder if the devs went over Skyrim millimeter by millimeter to find these places for their scenes

Every single time I see the night sky.

The two revered dragons, Naaslaarum and Vaslaarum that appear on the frozen lake in the forgotten vale certainly had the "wow" factor for me. Definitely my favourite part of the game, fantastic images.

Oh yeah, the road to Riverwood where Ralof/Hadvar shows you Bleak Falls Barrow. That place is beautiful.

Swindler's Den, was it?

When i saw the map.

My first major glitch where everybody sleeping in the College of Winterhold Hall of Attainment was spinning around in a full 360.

Blackreach for me.. that place is awesome but i didn't expect there to be a Giant though.. chased me all the way to the elevator of the Tower of Mzark

And for me Soul Cairn as well is pretty cool although creepy in its own way..

Yes good area but it always gives me the creeps!

^This^ definitely this, the scale of it just made me say 'wow' out loud.

I agree with Blackreach. Your first view of it is spectacular!

Black Reach was definitely the most spectacular environment for me, especially the town centre with the orb hanging above it.

Hearing the music from Morrowind when I got to Raven Rock.

The executioner's axe at the start of the game....

"wow that's a big axe you got there good sir... are you compensating for something?"

First time over Bard's Leap.

A few come to mind: Eldergleam Sanctuary, Blackreach and sometimes just happening onto random scenes like this:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=191118762