Advertisement
Published: September 24th 2020
Edit Blog Post
Just for the record, I never had or wanted a proverbial "bucket list" that has become so popular with travelers. I rarely compiled a list of places I wanted to go. Visiting all fifty of our states was almost by accident, until the total reached the low forties or thereabouts. Trips to places around the world were never planned more than eight to nine months ahead. Much of this I owe to my travel buddy Mike. He rarely wants to commit to a location, too far in advance. When we drove Chile from top to bottom, it all came together just a few months before. Same for our trek to Africa for the safaris and visiting Barry the V. I have seen other people's bucket list, and thought I would give you my "water pail" **list, which I consider complete at this point in my life. About the only trips left, that I can even think about are a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, the Tour de France, and perhaps the four eastern Canadian provinces. There will be some revisits, such as the Oktoberfest in Munich, wine regions in various European countries, and some cycling trips.
In no particular order of importance or sense of accomplishment: Trek the Amazon Rainforest, PeruVisit Angkor Wat, Cambodia (3 times)Cross the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie (sorry, you cannot do that anymore!)Take the Trans Siberian Railway across RussiaVisit my ancestor's home city of Nagoya, JapanVisit all 50 U.S. statesTaste champagne in Champagne, FranceSpend two weeks at Wimbledon, EnglandDo the tango in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaAmtrak across the country (several times)Visit most of the western National ParksSee the Aurora Borealis in AlaskaSee the witches of Salem, MA on HalloweenVisit all the ballparks in the westSee a play on Broadway, NYCTraverse Chile from top to bottom (by air, land, and sea)Visit Fenway and WrigleyDive the Great Barrier Reef, AustraliaJet boat in Queenstown, New ZealandBike down Haleakala Crater, MauiZipline in the Costa Rica cloudforestWatch a lion hunt in the SerengetiPlay golf at St. Andrews, ScotlandShop at Harrod's for wine gummies, LondonVisit the "Girl from Ipanema", Rio de JaneiroSip wine in Mendoza, ArgentinaCruise Halong Bay, VietnamSee peak bloom Cherry Blossoms in DCHear the roar at Sturgis, SDVisit Tsukiji Fish Market, TokyoFind rare ports on the Algarve, PortugalAttend a concert at Royal Albert Hall, LondonDrink many beers at the Oktoberfest in Munich, GermanyEat smoked omul at
Lake Baikal, RussiaAttend the U.S. Opens, golf and tennisClimb Eiffel Tower, ParisMake homemade Italian sausageDine on pork knuckle in PragueEat stone crabs at Joe's in MiamiWine tasting in Stellenbosch with Barry the VEnjoy Grand Marnier soufflé in Zurich, SwitzerlandGo hiking at Torres del Paine, Patagonia, ChileWalk on the parquet floor at the Boston GardenWin a ski race at AspenRide/walk across the Golden Gate BridgeShake hands with Arnold PalmerAttend Paul Simon's farewell concertAttend a Tom Douglas farm to table dinnerMake my own umeshu (sour plum vodka)Drive over 100 mph on the German autobahnSip Tokaji in BudapestVisit Dracula's castle in Brasov, RomaniaStare at the ceiling of the Sistine ChapelEat black hoof jamon in Porto BanusGive a new pair of Nike's to my tuk tuk driver in Chiang MaiAttend the Grand Ole OpryDine in the Surgeon General's private dining roomRun the Bay to Breakers (world's largest footrace)Enjoy Shabu Shabu in TokyoTaste the best salmon sushi in Queensland, AustraliaStroll the medina in MoroccoVisit Ebenezer Baptist Church and childhood home of MLKVisit both Capes (Horn and Good Hope)See the Rose ParadeEat beignets at Cafe' Du MondeVisit Alcatraz IslandMarvel at the great Willie MaysShop at the Grand Bazaar, IstanbulCycle and taste wine in BordeauxCross the Continental
DivideEnjoy several custom tailored suits in BangkokAdopt the most beautiful Labradoodle in the worldWrite a book (several)Visit a Relocation camp of my ancestorsComplete my lifetime sports-fecta (a separate email a few years ago) What Have I been unable to do:Hole in one (got close several times)Publish my autobiographyVisit all of the Canadian provincesPlay on the grass court at WimbledonImpeach a President!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.443s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 34; qc: 157; dbt: 0.3166s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.4mb