My Travel Bucket List

I have always had a few travel ideas in my back pocket, but have never put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) to draft up a more complete list of all the places in the world I would like to visit . . . from vague to specific . . .

• The countries I just want to step foot in.
• The beaches I would like to sit on.
• The hikes I want to take.
• The local food I would like to eat.
• The photographs I would take in front of ____________(choose from the list below).
• The experiences I could share with my kids.
• The stories I might write about.

My travel bucket list has grown exponentially since I started following travel blogs and Instagram accounts – I got some of these ideas from lists posted by The Savvy Globetrotter and Roaming Required. Will I reach all these destinations someday? Maybe, maybe not. But that doesn’t mean I can’t try. Think of all that vacation coffee . . .

Countries

Just get me there, I’ll figure it out later:

• Vietnam
• Belize
• AUSTRALIA
• New Zealand (cover photo by Geren Photography)
• Greece
• Croatia

Cuba. Photo credit: Sophie Miller

• Singapore
• South Africa
• Ireland
• Thailand
• Indonesia

Wonders & Landmarks

• Taj Majal – Agra, India
• Pyramids – Giza, Egypt
• The Colosseum – Rome, Italy
• The Berlin Wall – Berlin, Germany
• Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain

Angkor Wat – Siem Reap, Cambodia. Photo credit: Rebecca Pattee

• Christ the Redeemer – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Tikal National Park – Guatemala
• Stonehenge – Wiltshire, England
• The Sistine Chapel – Vatican City
• The Great Wall of China
• The Eiffel Tower – Paris, France
• Petra, Jordan

Experiences

• Ride a gondola in Venice
• Shop the Spice Bazaar of Istanbul
• Hike Angel’s Landing and/or The Narrows – Zion National Park, Utah

See the Apostle Island Ice Caves. Photo credit: @taspred

• Study Abroad
• Camp in the Boundary Waters
• Drive to Hana (Maui)
• Visit the Azores
• Eat Ramen in Tokyo
• Hike the Na’Pali Coast (Kauai)
• See the glaciers of Alaska
• Climb the Haiku Stairs (Oahu)
• Swim in the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik

Cruise the fjords of Norway.  Photo credit: Luca Mazzoni

• Go to the Pemberton Music Festival (Whistler, BC)
• See an active volcano on the Big Island (Hawaii)
• Whale watching off the coast of Vancouver Island
• Road trip along the California Coast
• Attend a soccer game in another country
• Photograph any of these famous waterfalls: Iguazu Falls, Victoria Falls, Niagara Falls
• Explore the Superior Hiking Trail
• Eat foie gras in Sarlat
• Ride a bike in Amsterdam or Copenhagen

Spend time in any of these US National Parks: Acadia, Everglades, Glacier, Yosemite (pictured above). Photo credit: Jon Schoeller

• Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Walk the “Azure Trail” of Cinque Terre
• Snowboard in the Swiss Alps
• See a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater (CO), the Gorge Amphitheater (OR) or the Hearst Greek Theatre (CA)
• Cruise the Fjords of Norway
• Walk along any of the beaches of La Push, Washington
• Journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway
• Safari in South Africa
• Visit the Louvre
• Attend a World Cup or the Euros
• See the White Cliffs of Dover
• Visit the Grand Canyon
• Photograph Mt. Fuji

See the Northern Lights. Photo credit: Ben Green

• Road trip along the Gold Coast or the Great Ocean Road
• Drink a beer at the Hofbrauhaus (Munich, Germany)
• Tour the Golden Circle of Iceland
• Celebrate New Year’s Eve in another country
• Trek to view the Tepuis of Venezuela + Angel Falls
• Visit Amsterdam during tulip season
• Experience the Aokigahara Forest
• Visit the Galapagos Islands
• Tour Song Doong cave in Vietnam
• Visit Japan or Washington D.C. during cherry blossom season

Places to Return

• Kailua, Hawaii: to be there with my parents again
• Banff and Jasper National Park: to hike the Plain of Six Glaciers + Lake Louise with my kids and visit Moraine Lake.

Olympic National Park: Hoh Rainforest (pictured above) + Ruby Beach. Photo credit: Dang Travelers

• Charleston or Portland: to eat
• Colorado Rockies: with to snowboard with Ethan
• Oregon: to see Crater Lake and Mount St. Helens
• Yellowstone National Park: to road trip with my kids
• Stavanger, Norway: to hike to Priekestolen

This exercise can be defeating if you focus on the when and how of travel. But it can also be extremely invigorating to imagine all the beautiful sights and unique experiences (and people!) that are out there.

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Where would you like to visit?

Please share some of your travel bucket list countries, cities or experiences – or provide a link to your own list or places I should know about in the comments.