UPDATE (10/31/2020): COVID-19 has curtailed the prospect of international travel for millions of people around this Earth, so lists such as ths remain as dreams for the wanderlusters of the world. However, there's nothing wrong to dream. For a lot of countries, domestic travel is allowed, albeit with many establishments, parks, outdoor areas having to follow standard operating procedures (SOP's) to curb the spread of this novel coronavirus. So, stay safe my Ramblers! Stay safe! Social distance! Wear masks to help curb the spread when social distancing is not possible in certain situations. Some of these places may not allow tourists to enter. Check with your desired destination's tourism websites for more information. Thank you!
I just want to wish all of my Ramblers a very Happy 2017. For my Ramblers in the US, us here at Ramblings look forward to Father's Day. This day celebrates all things father. As a young boy, I used to look forward to this day, as it meant that summer vacation had finally begun! Now, the long carefree days will beckon many a traveler to distant and exotic lands.
There are so many interesting places on this globe that it can seem overwhelming to try to figure out where to spend their summer holidays. Many people have called upon the concept of: the BUCKET LIST! The 2007 movie "Bucket List" had introduced this concept. It awakened something by popularizing the namesake phrase. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman starred as two terminally ill men that went on a road trip with a list of things that they wanted to experience before the "kicked the bucket". A bucket list is basically a list of places that you want to see in your lifetime before you pass on. It could also include novel activities, experiences, foods, whatever you want. It can be a lot of fun imagining all of the cool places you want to travel to and writing a list of them on paper. Imagining that you are watching the Northern Lights while staying at an actual hotel made of ice; or traveling to the island paradise known as Hawai'i to see an actual erupting volcano is enough to give even the least intrepid soul a sense of wanderlust. To that end, my wife and I have made such a bucket list. My list contains A LOT of places that I want to sojourn to before my last breath. I want to introduce 10 items straight from that list. Maybe some of these places could make it onto your bucket list, as well. 10 is always a good number to start off with, as any more at one time would cause even my most die-hard Rambler to drool on his keyboard as he snored (rhyme!!). Haha! 1) HAWAI'I
Image by Meet Hawai'i
"Pele's Lake" 2013 by United States Geological Survey via Hawaiipictureoftheday.com
"OAHU.jpg" by Overseas Travel
First bucket list item of mine would be to visit the island paradise of Hawai'i. I would love to sojourn to the Aloha State to see, among other things, the ever-active Kilauea volcano; which has been in a state of continuous eruption since 1986. Geology has always been an interest of mine ever since I was a little, so I thought that I would love to see an actual active volcano. 2) SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
"o-NORTHERN-LIGHTS-facebook" Photo by Shawn Malone, Lake Superior via HuffPost "Icehotel" 2017. Art Suite Acanthus. Design Tomasz Czajkowski & Eryk Marks. IceHotel.com
The second is one that I am sure is on a lot of other bucket lists is to go and see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. Sure, I'd have to travel to the frozen North (or could wait for intense solar activity to bring the aurorae to lower latitudes), but seeing the ethereal shimmering curtains of green (and rarer, red) flit across the dark and frigid polar skies would be a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.
Of course, what better way to experience such a phenomenon is to stay at the Ice Hotel--a hotel constructed entirely of ice! Can you imagine traversing a structure that looks and feels like a traditional hotel, but is one where you could leave your ice cream cone sitting out all night and it will not melt? Hmmm.... 3)LONDON
Image courtesy of Atom Travel Service, 2017
Of course, I would love nothing more than to visit the capitol city of the British Empire. Classical sights such as Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Nelson's Column, etc beckon many a traveler to this ever-bustling city. A friend of mine recently visited ol' Londontown. Since he is a big Beatles fan, he elected to visit sites pertaining to the ever-popular British rock group. Sites such as Abbey Road and the place where they originally performed in nearby Liverpool are a must for any fan of the Fab Four. Of course, who could go to this place without trying the quintessential fish n chips (french fries to Americans) or bangers and mash while visiting a traditional English pub. Of course, he was raving about the English breakfasts. He has published a photo book of his travels there. It is titled Street Photography and his name is Jerry Kolnick. For the price of a large beverage at a certain very large coffee chain, you can have this masterpiece adorn your coffee table and impress your guests! You can purchase it on the Apple Store, as well as his other works. 4) 'ROUND THE WORLD CRUISE
"worldmap.jpg" image, courtesy of cruise-connections.com
"World Cruise" image by Shannon Pierce, How to Prepare for an Around the World Cruise, Travel Blat.com
Can you imagine traversing the globe on a floating city; sailing from exotic port to exotic port for weeks at a time? Well, you can do such a thing. Cunard, Princess and P&O are three cruise lines that offer this type of cruise. Plus, many travel agencies do offer exciting packages and itineraries for various round the world cruises. To get you started, Virgin Holiday Cruises offers a 65-night world cruise package. Of course, that's not all that they offer (and no, I do not work for Virgin in case you were asking..hehe). If Virgin is not your cup o' tea, then this Google search that I have done for you can help steer you in the right direction. 5) GRAND CANYON
Any trip to the USA wouldn't be complete without a visit to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World (#2 is another Natural Wonder)...the Grand Canyon. This mile-deep gorge was carved into the Colorado Plateau over millions of years by the Colorado River. Upon entering the park, you do not see anything out of the ordinary. When you arrive at the Rim, that is when the majesty of this landmark begins to take hold of your brain. Multi-colored rock layers, each depicting a period of Earth's history, unfold before you. They are even more spectacular when viewed at the time the Sun touches either horizon. There are a number of accommodations, both inside and outside the park. Oh, did I mention that there is a Polar Express-style train that will take you to the Grand Canyon from the nearby town of Williams, Arizona about 40 miles south of the park entrance? 6) THE CANALS OF VENICE
Image by Italy Guides
Thousands of miles away, on a whole other continent, is another choice of bucket lists. (It is certainly on my wife's). I am referring to the city of Venice, in northern Italy. Built on a series of marshy islands hundreds of years ago, the "streets" are a series of canals interlinking the city. Plying these waterways are a number of small craft, mainly speedboats and the more venerated, gondolas. One can imagine being with your partner being serenaded on a gondola as the twinkling lights of this beautiful place ensconce you. A perfect setting for any romantic endeavour. 7) HOLLYWOOD:
We travel back to North America and make our way to a large metropolis on it's Pacific coast. Just north of that lies the entertainment capitol of the world. Upon first setting upon this place, you are greeted by the distinct Hollywood sign. While you cannot get too close to the sign anymore (due to measures taken by nearby residents tired of the constant tourist traffic), there are plenty to see and do once you step foot onto the famous Hollywood Boulevard.
There you will find the Walk of Fame, a series of stars set into the sidewalk of many a celebrity, both old and young; living and deceased. At the venerable Grauman Chinese Theater, you can find casts of celebrity foot and hand prints set into once-wet cement. Plus, wandering "the Boulevard", one can find various beloved characters that will love you more for a $5 photograph. Characters such as SpiderMan can be found along the sidewalk. You can also go on a guided bus tour of nearby Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, etc. 8) STARGAZING AND FULL MOON HIKE, BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, UTAH, USA
Milky Way Galaxy above Mossy Cave Trail by Derek Demeter, June 2015 via Bryce Canyon National Park
In the rugged hinterlands of central Utah lies the beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park. I have had the privilege of seeing two different faces of this mystical and gorgeous jewel of America. The first time was during a summer's warm day in 2009 when a controlled burn on the south end of the park closed that end of it. It was an amazing sight to behold. Imagine my amazement to return to this magical park almost eight years later, but fully dressed by winter's chill as a white blanket of snowy fluff covered everything as far as the eye could see. And that was before the snowstorm moved back in! Anyways, although I didn't get to camp overnight both times, those overnight patrons that do, get to participate in "Full Moon Hikes". As the name denotes, these hikes take place during a full moon. Park rangers lead campers on a 1-2 mile trek into the natural amphitheater (Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon) to see the moonlight lend an air of mystic to the famous hoodoos. More information can be found on the Full Moon Hikes page of the Bryce Canyon National Park website.
Note: Speaking of hikes, there is a great resource that details the numerous trails found throughout Bryce Canyon, as well as the surrounding areas. A group called 10Adventures has a number of regional hiking guides on their site that contain detailed information about these hikes: including trailhead locations, length of trail, expected sights along the way, strenuous level, etc. You can also obtain GPS and up-to-date trail reports anytime on their site. Be sure to check them out as well if you are planning to hike in that area.
UPDATE: The Annual Astronomy Festival was cancelled for 2020. Check back in 2021 to see if it will be reinstated. The park may conduct dark-sky programs in July if deemed feasible.
Another night-sky-related event is the Annual Astronomy Festival to take place June 21-24, 2017 (you better hurry and get up there!). There will be telescopes set up where you can view the wonders of the cosmos. For my night- and astrophotographer Ramblers, this is an excellent opportunity to hone your skills, plus network with other astrophotogs. More information on this event can be found on it's respective page at the Bryce Canyon National Park website.
9) ZIP LINING
Photo courtesy of Adventure Park Ziplines of Sevierville
A very popular outdoor activity is the zipline. There are many zipline parks located in many countries around the globe. They come in various lengths, heights and angles of incline. Basically, for those not in the know, a zipline consists of a properly-tensioned steel cable supported by platforms at both ends of an angled incline. Users are strapped in a harness firmly secured to the cable. They stand on the upper platform looking down and before they know it, they are flying through the air like the mighty hawk sailing over the treetops. Wind is brushing by you as you take in views that you thought you'd never get to take. You feel free, liberated from the earth soaring down only to have it end when you reach the bottom platform and get bear-hugged by the operator to stop you. Of course, I don't speak from experience, but I do want to try this.
10) ANCIENT ROME
"Colosseum in Rome, Italy - April 2007" photo by David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia.
"Ancient roman ruins, Rome, Italy; Roman forum, Rome, Italy" by matteo photography.
"Temple of Bacchus" by Chris Richardson, 48adventure.com, January 4, 2012
Video still courtesy "Colosseum & Ancient City Tour Rome" by Roman Candle Tours.
No, not the actual ancient Rome (although that would be very interesting to see history live before your eyes) because of a pesky little fact that time machines have not been invented yet.) I mean, to go see the ruins of ancient Rome and have the next best thing to a time machine. Imagine standing in company with structures that have survived the ravages of time. Structures that have stood for over 2,000 years. The Colosseum, Roman Forum, plus many old Roman columns, aqueducts, baths, villas, etc can be found throughout the modern metropolis. You can feel the history, can imagine the days when the Roman Empire covered most of Europe and Asia Minor; the people that walked the old streets, the smells, the sounds, the foods. History is a most fascinating subject to me, and to travel to the capitol of the old Roman Empire would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Maybe you can use Item #5 to reach there, or you can just hop on the ol' jetliner and fly-y-y-y-y-y!
I hope that this list helped inspire you to start, or add to, your bucket list. This planet is a big one and there is a lot to explore on it's surface. Be sure to tune into this space for another exciting bucket list journey around our great Spaceship Earth. Remember, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to message me here.
All non-captioned images (except for flying jet gif) are original works of the author. All rights reserved.
©2017 Ramblings of Robert
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