It’s tough having perma-wanderlust. Regardless of whether I’m freshly back from some amazing adventure or completely desperate for anything remotely resembling a three day weekend, I can’t stop looking ahead to where I’m going next.
So, with this inherent wanderlust I am constantly saying “oh, I’d love to go there” about places I read about, but whenever I have the means or time to actually take a trip, my mind kind of freezes up because the possibilities are endless. It’s so overwhelming that all of my previous travel aspirations just go out the window!
So, I’ve decided to create a list of my top 55 Places… some of the fantastic adventures I want to have in my lifetime. Most of them are exotic and faraway and will take some time to check off, but some are local and may seem ordinary, but still something I want to experience.
At the very least, I hope this list will provide some guidance when I’m lost and looking for places to go. I hope this helps provide you some ideas for your own trips as well (and let me know in the comments if there’s someplace I’ve left off!)
Without further ado… my 55 PLACES TRAVEL BUCKET LIST! (Also, for bucket list naysayers, here’s why I’m a fan of travel bucket lists…)
1. Visit every continent… even Antarctica
a. North America (COMPLETE, long ago!)
b. South America (COMPLETE! 10/16/09)
c. Europe (COMPLETE, long ago!)
d. Asia
e. Africa
f. Australia (COMPLETE! 4/4/10)
g. Antarctica (CLOSE… BUT NOT QUITE…)
2. Hike the Milford Track in New Zealand (COMPLETE! April 2010)
3. Spend a few days walking village to village in the Cotswolds, England
4. Pet a tortoise in the Galapagos Islands
5. Take a picture with the Moai at Easter Island
6. Visit the Steve Irwin Zoo in Australia
7. Stay in a Treehouse at an Eco-Resort
8. Hike the Cinque Terre in Italy
9. Try to paint a water lily like Monet at Giverney, France
10. Swim in the ocean in Guadeloupe
11. Stay in a hut over the ocean
12. Hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (COMPLETE! October 2010)
13. See a giraffe in the wild on an African safari
14. Eat BBQ in Memphis
15. Chill with iceburgs in Patagonia (COMPLETE! October 2009)
16. Listen to the roar of Iguazu Falls
17. Have a solo trip and rent a cabin on a lake
18. Walk across the sand to Mont St Michel
19. Explore Machu Picchu
20. Go all out with the chef’s tasting menu at CityZen in Washington, DC
21. Visit the “Shire” in New Zealand (COMPLETE! April 2010)
22. Eat Belgium chocolate in Brugge
23. Driving through Big Sur, California
24. Have a cappuccino at a café in Vieux-Montréal
25. Try not to lose my footing on a glacier (Complete! April 2010)
26. Dance in the mist of Victoria Falls
27. Soak in zen luxury at a destination spa
28. Do nothing in the Seychelles or the Maldives
29. Do something unexpected in Interlacken, Switzerland
30. Sing pub songs with the locals in Ireland
31. Look for Nessie in Loch Ness
32. Sail around the Caribbean
33. Take a picture of lava flows after hiking up an active volcano
34. Savor every bite at the French Laundry in Napa Valley
35. Learn to Scuba dive and go the Great Barrier reef for my first dive
36. Dance a waltz in Vienna
37. Stay on a working farm in Italy
38. Visit the Olympics… somewhere
39. Head to Germany for Oktoberfest and drink beer with the locals
40. Live the Medici life by renting a villa in Tuscany
41. Swim in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
42. Try the guacamole at Chicago’s Frontera Grill
43. See Glow Worms in the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand (COMPLETE! April 2010)
44. Take a picture of the Northern Lights
45. Go whale-watching in Alaska
46. Swim to the edge of an infinity pool
47. See the cherry blossoms in Japan
48. Mine for gold
49. Bet $100 at a game in Vegas (Almost, but not quite…)
50. Cheer for a horse at the Palio in Siena
51. Climb the Great Wall in China
52. Geek out at Comic Con in San Diego
53. Go on a road trip with no particular destination
54. Ponder the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright at Falling Water (COMPLETE! April 2011)
55. See the city of temples at Angkor Wat
There are a lot of fun things to do on Cape Cod. It is an exciting place where you can find amazing beaches, great lodging, good food and wonderful people!
That's a good one! I would love to go to Cape Cod… whale watching, beaches, lobster rolls… all good things!
I once looked for Nessie in Loch Ness. The water is very dark and constantly choppy, so it plays tricks on your eyes incessantly. No wonder so many people have made “sightings!”
Here's a good list of landmarks to see before you die… vote up your favorites! http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/historical-landmarks-to-see-before-i-die
When I was younger I was convinced Nessie was real. So, that bucket list spot is a nod to my childhood imagination.
That list is very comprehensive indeed… I may need to change this list to 155 places!
you made it all the way to Patagonia but not to Antartica, AHHH, so close and yet so far!
It's an expensive trip, but definitely something that is high on my list too…
Kyle, I KNOW! It was really tough being so close and having to turn around and go home. Another time, for sure… one day.
I love your bucket list! This is giving me tons of inspiration…and travel fever! Great Blog
I also have a lengthy travel bucket list, but you helped me to add three new items! Great list, and may I say, I am terribly jealous of some of your amazing trips! You sound like someone I'd have fun traveling with! Check out my site for some new ideas too!
@Wrabbit007 Thank you! I'm always looking for new ideas to add to my list. I just may need to do a 55 places – part 2!
Love your blog! We'd love to help you tick a couple more off your bucket list… have a look at http://www.activesouthamerica.com and hopefully we'll see you on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or introducing you to a giant tortoise in the Galapagos!
Thank you!! Your trips look absolutely fantastic– and I love their names. “Jaguar, “Tortuga” etc… and for both of those destinations, tours are the way to go.
I know what you mean about having endless travel ideas, I have always said the more you travel the longer the list gets! I like the idea of seven and eleven. And I would definitely reccommend hiking the Chinque Terre and Oktoberfest!
Adela… absolutely!! I actually am working on a 55 Places Bucket List – part 2! Since I wrote this in 2009, my eyes have opened to tons of other places I didn’t consider before. The Bolivian Salt Flats, seeing bears during the salmon migration in Katmai Alaska, etc.
And I’m looking forward to achieving #7 and #11 for sure
Good luck, it looks like you’re doing well! (Although I wouldn’t rush to the Steve Irwin zoo… there are better things on your list!)
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awesome list! sounds kind of like my bucket list! and so many more awesome adventures that I’d love to do- may even add them to my own list! just found your blog and love it!
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