I’ve been a fan of lists in every aspect of my life, but for some reason I’ve never kept a life to-do list, otherwise known as a bucket list. I’ve finally given in, thanks to inspiration from Stacey’s fourth novel “This is 35,” which is based on a bucket list of items for the main character to accomplish before she turns 35.
I’m also inspired by my 40th birthday on Jan. 8, 2017. I’m not getting any younger, and it’s time I start organizing all these things I want to do in life. This list will be added to as we go along.
The list is somewhat in no particular order.
Travel/Experience:
General Travel Experiences:
Stay in an ice hotel
Visit every state:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Visit all seven continents
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Australia
Antarctica
Walk on a glacier
Visit an all-inclusive resort (again)
Attend a crab boil
Have a white Christmas travel experience
Winter vacation
Fly fishing
Snow ski
Go on a cruise
Go camping
Watch sunrise and sunset in one day
Whale watching
Ride an airboat in the Everglades
Flyboarding
Stand Up Paddle Board
Rappel
Snorkel
Attend a big music festival
Alcatraz at night
Zip line in a rainforest
Propose in an awesome place
Travel internationally (first time in 1998)
Sleep in a hostel
Explore a rainforest
Climb a lighthouse
Deep-sea fishing
U.S. Travel Experiences:
See Alaskan glaciers
Kenai Peninsula (Alaska)
Denali National Park (Alaska)
Ride a dog sled (Alaska)
Go ice fishing
Drive Route 66 (Chicago to Santa Monica)
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
See Redwoods
Ride train in U.S.
Whitewater rafting
Chase a tornado
Great Salt Lake
Sedona in Arizona
Drive Pacific Coast Highway in California (SoCal to NoCal)
Yosemite National Park
Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado
Sea experience/Mystic Seaport in Connecticut
Kauai
Maui
Oahu
Acadia National Park in Maine
Cape Cod
Martha’s Vineyard
Drive Natchez Trace
Glacier National Park
Fall road trip in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire
Adirondacks
Catskills
Finger Lakes
Cooperstown
Asheville and Biltmore Estate North Carolina
Outer Banks
Crater Lake National Park
Portland, Oregon
Newport, Rhode Island, cliff walk
Charleston, South Carolina
Badlands
Black Hills
Mount Rushmore
Vermont winter (like movie “White Christmas”)
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Glacier National Park
Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan Islands, Washington
San Antonio River Walk
Bryce Canyon National Park
Moab Utah and Arches National Park
Monument Valley
Zion National Park
Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, Philadelphia
Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland
New York City
Walk Brooklyn Bridge
Oregon coast
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Taos Pueblo
Boston Freedom Trail
Disneyland
Disney World
Savannah
Drive across Continental Divide in Colorado
Hotel del Coronado, San Diego
Napa/Sonoma
Death Valley National Park, Califonria
Carmel by the Sea
Eat Philly Cheesesteak in South Philadelphia
Pike Place Market
DC memorials and monuments
White House
Las Vegas
Niagara Falls (Technically from Canada)
Broadway Musical
Drive Golden Gate Bridge
Hollywood (sign and walk of fame)
Santa Monica Pier
Drive to Big Sur
Ride cable car in San Francisco
Puerto Rico
Alamo
Bike San Antonio mission trail
Swim in the Pacific Ocean
Swim in the Atlantic Ocean
Europe Travel Experiences:
Ride a bike in Amsterdam
Visit the Amalfi Coast
Auschwitz
Visit Iceland
Swim in Blue Lagoon
See the Northern Lights (from anywhere)
Munich (Oktoberfest optional)
Christmas market in Germany
Italy’s Lake District
Pompeii
Santorini
Take iconic photo of white houses and sunset in Oia Santorini
Walk the Camino de Santiago across Spain
Sleep in Tuscan Villa
United Kingdom:
Cotswolds
Canterbury
The Lake District
Hadrian’s Wall
Windsor Castle
Land’s End (England)
Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
Ireland:
Kinsale seaside village
Dublin
Guinness Brewery
Dingle Peninsula
Ring of Kerry
Cliffs of Moher
Austrian Alps
Vienna Austria, especially at Christmas
Belgium breweries
Amsterdam (Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum)
La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
Madrid Spain
France:
Bordeaux wine region
Day in Reims in Champagne region
Mont-Saint-Michel
Provencal Experience
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Germany:
The German Alpine Road (Deutsche Alpenstrasse): through the Bavarian Alps along the border between Germany and Austria
The Romantic Road (Romantische Strasse): stretches for 180 miles from Wurzburg south to Fussen on the border with Austria. Lined by dozens of medieval towns, villages and castles.
Munich at Christmas
Berlin
Rhine Valley, specifically 50-mile stretch from Mainz to Koblenz with vineyards, forests, castles and tiny villages
Greece:
Crete
Mykonos
Santorini
Athens: Acropolis
Delphi
Italy:
Naples National Archaeological Museum
Pompeii
Amalfi Coast
Lake Como
Florence Italy
Venice
Ride a gondola in Venice
Walk the Roman Forum
Visit Roman Colosseum
Chianti region
San Gimignano
Siena
See Normandy D-Day beaches (Omaha and Utah; American cemetery)
Paris
Walk up the Eiffel Tower
Versailles
Giverny and Monet’s Gardens
Bath
Straford-Upon-Avon
Stonehenge
Drive through Yorkshire
York
Scotland castles
Edinburgh Castle
Visit the Highlands
Walk the Normandy D-Day beaches
Other International Experiences:
Great Wall of China
Beijing
Hong Kong
Tokyo
Thailand beaches
Great Barrier Reef
Great Ocean Road, near Melbourne Australia
Cable Beach, Australia
The Bay of Islands, New Zealand
New Zealand’s Milford Sound
Mount Cook National Park New Zealand
Fiji Islands
Stay in an overwater bungalow in South Pacific, possibly in Bora Bora
Brazil
Machu Picchu
Float the Dead Sea
Jerusalem, Israel
African safari
Egyptian Pyramids
Cuba
Montreal
Newfoundland
Acapulco
Mexico City
Costa Rica
Panama Canal
Iguazu Falls in Argentina
Rio de Janerio
Chile wine region
Chile Easter Island
Machu Picchu, Peru
Antarctica
Bahamas
Sports Experiences:
Cooperstown
Spring training
Attend World Cup
Super Bowl
Attend a championship parade
Attend Kentucky Derby
Indianapolis 500
NASCAR Sunday race
Attend baseball all-star game
Attend every MLB ballpark
Baltimore Camden Yards
Boston Fenway Park
Toronto Rodgers Center
Tampa Tropicana Field
New York Yankee Stadium
Detroit Comerica Park
Chicago White Sox Guaranteed Rate Field
Kansas City Kauffman Stadium
Cleveland Progressive Field
Minneapolis Target Field
Anaheim Angel Stadium
Arlington Globe Life Park
Houston Minute Maid Park
Oakland Coliseum
Seattle Safeco Field
New York Mets Citi Field
Philadelphia Citizens Bank Park
Miami Marlins Park
Washington Nationals Park
Atlanta Turner Field
St. Louis Busch Stadium
Cincinnati Great American Ballpark
Milwaukee Miller Park
Pittsburgh PNC Park
Chicago Wrigley Field
San Francisco AT&T Park
Phoenix Chase Field
Denver Coors Field
Los Angeles Dodger Stadium
San Diego Petco Park
Tour de France
Wimbledon
NBA courtside seats
College World Series in Omaha
Attend game at Lambeau Field
Minor league baseball road trip
Attend the Olympics (Atlanta 1996)
Attend the World Series (2010)
Attend the Olympics (again)
Attend English Premier League game
Attend at least one game of all four North American major sports leagues