For the past few months, Jeff and I have been sharing with you our thoughts about our upcoming trip, frequently focusing on all the places we want to go and the sites we want to see. Now it’s your turn. If you’re reading this, please leave a comment listing the top three places you would like to travel in your lifetime. It can be a faraway exotic land difficult to reach. It can be an awesome national park not far from your home. It doesn’t matter to us, so long as it’s where you’d like to go. You can supply reasons if you like, but feel free to just list them if you’d prefer. Maybe you’ll inspire us or a fellow reader. It is a big world out there after all.
Then after you post your three places, take a minute to consider why you’re not making plans to take one of these trips (unless, of course, you already are). As far as I’m aware, this is the only life we get and there are no guarantees. Carpe Diem!
(Seriously, post your three places. Don’t just read and move on to another site. Read, click the comment button, and share your list. We want to know where you, our readers, dream of going. Please? And thank you.)
I would just like to point out that I am a faithful commenter and I’m usually the first person to comment. Maybe that means I have too much free time, maybe its means I really like commenting. I don’t know. But how about a “Frequent Commenters Club” or an award. Just saying. Oh yeah, three places I want to travel. Time for me to check out the gregorydowell.com archives as the genesis of this blog inspired me to list five (count ’em 5) places I want to make it…eventually. Most of these are architecture related.
Machu Picchu- Hopefully I’ll be able to join you and Jeff at this Peruvian marvel during my winter break. I know you plan on being in South American during that time, so if things work out that would be great.
Angkor Wat- Simply stunning architecture and detailing.
Istanbul, Turkey- Particularly to see the architectural masterpiece that is Hagia Sophia.
2 BONUS destinations…
Serengeti (Tanzania)- LIONS, TIGERS, and BEARS…OH MY!
Italy- The entire boot. I’ve see the earliest traces of architecture in Egypt and Greece so the next progression is obviously the architectural feats of the Roman Empire.
I’m pretty sure I’m not adding any possible destinations for you all to check out. Sorry
HA! Like you ever have trouble getting opinions from this crew!
1. Pyramids at Giza (I know, you guys have been there, rub it in)
2. An active volcano, preferably in Hawaii
3. The Arkansas River in July of 2011 (Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the installation artists who did “The Gates” and “Surrounded Islands,” have the exhibition “Over the River” there at that time)
I really enjoy seeing natural wonders (regardless of whether those wonders make any official lists), but I’m not one to linger. I went to the Grand Canyon and was ready to leave in about five minutes. Still, I want to see these places in person, even though to feel that I’ve experienced them may not take as long as it would for some people.
Why am I not making plans to go to any of these places? Well, it’s probably a good idea to get a job before you plan to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation. Secondly, and most importantly, I have no desire to go to these places by myself. I want someone to share them with!
Unlike you two, I am perfectly content to do absolutely nothing on vacation. That’s probably why most of my previous vacations have involved a beach…or maybe it’s BECAUSE most of my previous vacations have involved a beach that I’m content to do nothing on vacation!
Hello – I found your blog from the nest and have been reading ever since – I love it!
My 3 places:
1. Russia (probably Moscow and St. Petersburg) – I’ve always been fascinated with Russian history, so I’d love to see some of the places where everything went down…
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – it just looks so beautiful there!
3. Northern California – I’d like to go to Napa Valley and Sonoma, and some of the towns on the coast, back to Yosemite (I went as a child), to see San Franscisco… and so much more.
As for why I’m not planning a trip to one of these places, I am still deciding where my husband and I should go on our next big trip (which will be spring/summer 2009) – I really just can’t decide. There are so many places I want to go! We might go to one of the places listed above, we just have to figure out what the budget is, and how much time we can get off work…
This is a fun post, it really got me thinking. Most of my travels seem to revolve around food and these are no different:
1. India – to see the country (eat real indian food) then spend time studying at an Ashram in Mysore.
2. Thailand – to taste real thai food, be in a beautiful country. Plus i love the King and I.
3. Alaska – because it seems to be dramatically different from the rest of the US. Access to wild salmon is a bonus.
My places:
1. Polynesia (French or any of the islands)- after living in Hawaii for a year, I have really come to appreciate the polynesian culture. I’d love to see more! Plus, I think I could convince my husband because there’s surf there.
2. New Zealand – Again, I have a huge interest in the Maoris there. Plus, it seems so pristine. I’d love to see a glacier or two as well.
3. Thailand – I’ve heard raves about the beaches there, and the food would be to die for. Plus, I’ve seen The King and I a few times too many.
Honorable mentions – going to Turkey again, spending more time in Australia (we are currently trying to go there for a study abroad program with dh’s grad school), and anywhere with beautiful beaches (bonus if dh can surf there).
Hmm, always a hard choice because there are so many places I have yet to go.
1. The Serengetti- I have always had a strong appreciation for animals and wildlife, so where better to see amazing animals in their natural habitat. A safari would be my dream vacation.
2. Brazil – Big city life one day, dense remote jungle. I can imagine nothing more exciting then living it up in Rio for a couple nights then setting into the Amazon for a hike and boat ride.
3. Italy- Art and history. Two of my favorite things and who has better art and history that Italy? Not many places. So this is high on my list.
If I can substitute overarching adventures for specific places, then these three adventures remain consistently at the top of my ‘Travel Next’ list:
1. African Safari – I’ve always wanted to do an authentic African safari, carving a wide swath across Southern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique over to Namibia and down to South Africa (Cape Town). As much for seeing wild animals in their natural habitats as to experience the people and cultures of the countries, cities and villages along the way.
2. Southern South America – Argentina & Chile intrigue me, so I’d start in Buenos Aries (with a quick trip to Montevideo, Uruguay) then over to Santiago and down the coast to Patagonia. The grand finale would be a boat trip over to Antarctica.
3. Grand Canyon – doesn’t seem like it’s a tough place to get to, but I’ve had 4 attempts in 12 years mysteriously thwarted. That includes a complete government shutdown in ’05 that closed all national parks days before I was to go, and an incapacitating back injury a few hundred miles from the North Rim a decade later. It’s my travel kryptonite, so it remains atop the list until I conquer it.
Not far down the list would be Petra, Morocco, Costa Rica, Tahiti and hiking the Camino del Santiago in Spain/Portugal.
I’m on a mission to find out where the silly billys are. Once I know where they are, I will know where I want to travel.
Until I find out that elusive information, I will pass the time by sharing my choices. Amanda and I tend to have this conversation in terms of domestic and international travel, so I’ll break the rules(as Greg also did) and list 6 locations. Interestingly Amanda and I agree on the top 3 international travel destinations, which are(in no order):
1. Chile
2. New Zealand
3. The Iberian Peninsula
As for my domestic choices, I favor(in no order):
1. Pacific Northwest(Oregon, Washington)
2. New England(Maine, Vermont, NH)
3. San Francisco
As for making these locales, Amanda and I have been bantering around the idea of a road trip to Portland, Oregon. It all depends on what’s going on in the Summer of ’09 in regards to our work/school. It would be a road trip and not a plane trip, because there would also be stops in Denver; Grand Junction, CO; and Medford, OR.
I’ll let Amanda speak for her domestic choices, but I know one of them has to do with some small island where the people talk funny. Amanda’s weird.
[Greg not only comments alot, but he also drops inappropriate F-bombs from time to time. I enjoy those occurrences.]
Love the post! I have a list in my head that I update continuously. Today the winners are:
1. Argentina: Buenos Aires, then Patagonia, and down to Tierra del Fuego.
2. Croatia: Dubrovnik, Split.
3. Israel.
Or maybe South Africa. Or Madagascar. Or China….
Wait, I pretty much want to go all the places I haven’t been. Except places where there’s a good chance I’ll get shot.
Corey and I are currently planning our trip for this summer, and we’re trying to combine a trip to Egypt and Croatia–even though I’ve already been to Egypt, I think it’s maybe one of the coolest places I’ve ever been, and I would truly enjoy going back. We’re going to try to do one big trip a year–maybe not all of them international, so we’ll see how it goes!
I’m going Matthew’s route with both a worldwide and domestic list.
Domestic:
1. Mt. St. Helens – I’ve been fascinated with this mountain since it blew in 1980.
2. New York City – I must get to Chinatown
3. Asheville, North Carolina – I need to see The Biltmore. I’ve been to Newport, Rhode Island (which may just be my favorite place) and The Breakers – the summer home so now I must see the Vanderbilt’s official residence.
WorldWide:
1. Florence, Italy – to see the actual painting of The Birth of Venus.
2. Israel – since we are Jewish, I need to go to the Homeland.
3. Ireland – since it’s the other homeland and I am planning trips to other countries that begin with “I.”
or an “I”mmersion trip to Mexico which we hope to take in the next few years. – it begins with an “I” as well!
Right now there are 2 places I really really really want to go to:
Ireland
Alaska
I don’t care which one I visit first but I definitely want to go to both of them ,hopefully in the not too far future.
Of course I will travel anywhere anytime. I love to visit new places.
1. Ireland, the homeland
2. Switzerland, the other homeland–Lisa take note
3. a road trip across all of Canada ending in Alaska on the road west and then travel across the United States on the road home,preferably in an RV, but I would be happy in an aqua mini-van and Mary Jane has said she will go with me.
hmmm…
my three would be:
some village in africa -have no idea which, but i want to hangout with that bizarre & wonderful culture.
australia- do some camping & hopping around with kangaroos. if i survive the heat & alligators i’d also like to visit sydney & go to their amazing theater.
london- i think london is my perfect place. accents, cool towns… or maybe the movies have just painted me a great picture & it involved hugh grant as my tour guide.
within the states:
jackson hole, wyoming. so many outdoor adventures that i’m dying to get there.
coastal town in maine. beautiful landscapes. hang out with some fisherman.
alaska. the northern lights. the fact that most of it is still so untouched.
& i’m working on visiting those places…
for example:
if there’s ever a honeymoon in my future it’ll be to Australia 🙂 this much we’ve agreed on!
Well, I want to go pretty much everywhere I haven’t been. And back to all the places I have been to. Most of my dream trips aren’t necessarily a single place, but more of a long journey. The top choices at the moment are:
1. Overland from Istanbul to Beijing along the silk route, going through the Caucuses, Iran, and all the Stans.
2. Sail on a dhow from Lamu, Kenya to Zanzibar, Tanzania.
3. Pretty much everywhere in Africa. I haven’t been to West Africa or Northern Africa yet and would love to go. I’ve been to parts of South Africa, but want to visit Namibia, Botswana, and spend a lot more time in S.Africa & Zimbabwe. Basically, an overland trip from Tangier to Cape Town would be perfect.
The three places on my long-term list are:
1. Australia in general and Ayers Rock in particular, with a stop-over on the Cook Islands
2. Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Africa ( I did a safari in Kenya years ago and it was wonderful – the best experience ever!)
3. India
The three places on my short-term list are:
1. Icefield Parkway in the Canadian Rockies between Jasper National Park and Banff, Alberta (slightly off-season, though, …as we despise tourist crowds)
2. Kodiak Island, Alaska – to observe Grizzly Bears in the wild
3. Norway and Germany, back to our homelands for a family visit
The only place I have zero interest in is China, despite the Great Wall. I’d only consider going there as an alternative to bariatric surgery. 🙂
1. Vietnam and Thailand – I put them together because I’d really like to do this in one trip. And like previous commenters some of the biggest draws for me are food and beaches 🙂 I’d also like to ride an elephant, but I hear that they don’t treat them very well
2. Africa – all of it!
3. Japan – I’d really like to learn more about where my ancestors come from
southeastern Turkey (Gaziantep and around) – bec. I’ve loved every other region of Turkey and I’ve been told the pple here are the friendliest and the food the best
Algiers – to see and hear rai performed in the birthplace of rai
Hokkaido – southernmost Japanese islands, because it’s hard to imagine a sub-tropical Japan
Oops – scratch Hokkaido. I’d started out to recommend northern Japan but switched to southern mid-comment.
Cheers
I’m loving all the destinations guys. There’s some great ideas here. I’ve definitely added a few more to my lifetime list that I’d never really thought of before. Hopefully the same is true for you guys.