Travel seems to hold a special place in the hearts and minds of most of us, whether it is the vacation to get away from work or the lifetime memory created by visiting a special place or having a unique experience. This is Part 4 of Stephen’s 200 travel bucket list ideas – my own personal memory-makers from a lifetime of travel to 54 countries.
It is a long list with a lot of photos, so I have segmented the list into four parts, each one with links to the other three. What follows is Part 4, #151 – 200 of the list.
151. Find that there are plenty of things to do, even if you never gamble in Las Vegas, Nevada
I have several posts on things to do in Las Vegas: 8 Las Vegas attractions for non-gamblers. Also: Neon signs live forever in Las Vegas Also: National Atomic Testing Museum is in Las Vegas?
152. Learn to drive on the left side, with stick shift on the left, on a road trip through Great Britain
153. Take a helicopter ride over the waterfalls, forests and spectacular coastline of Kauai, Hawaii
154. Watch Beijing Olympic Stadium be built in record time for the Summer Olympics, Beijing, China
155. Complete a half-marathon overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Huntington Beach, California
I used to be a runner, but over the years the toll on the body evolved into fast walking. As a result, there is a sense of accomplishment when you can complete a half-marathon in your 60s, even at 4mph. And if you are going to torture yourself, there are few places more beautiful to do it than along the Pacific Coast Highway in Orange County, California.
156. Relive Lord Byron’s poem inside the Chateau de Chillon, near Montreux, Switzerland
157. Watch Tony Bennett from Symphony Hall backstage, sing “I left my heart in San Francisco”
158. Put on a parka to enjoy a drink in a glass made of ice at Icebar, Stockholm, Sweden
159. Experience a human sea of scooters that somehow traverse the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam
160. Experience a white Christmas in the American southwest, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
When one thinks of the American southwest, thoughts of the Grand Canyon, saguaro-covered deserts, and Monument Valley come to mind. But in the heart of the region is the art and cultural jewel of Santa Fe. And with an altitude of 7,000 feet (2,100 meters), there is plenty of precipitation, including a lovely snowfall on Christmas day.
161. Watch 500 performers in a Naxi show at the gorgeous snow mountain near Lijiang, China
162. Peer through the window of a typical silver shop at the rooftops of Taxco, Mexico
163. Gather at the Royal Palace to mourn the death of Thailand’s king, Bangkok, Thailand
164. Take a road trip through New England’s covered bridges, such as Hemlock, Fryeburg, Maine
165. Watch “Evita” and “Wicked” both in the West End of London and on Broadway, New York City
I will admit to being a fan of stage musicals, have seen dozens when I lived in the New York metro area in the 1970s. Over time, I have seen some classics around the world. Nothing quite compares to the intimacy and yet, bigger than life, experience of seeing shows like “Phantom” and “Les Mis” in both a Broadway and West End theater.
166. Celebrate winning the struggle for independence at the capital city of Riga, Latvia
167. Be an honored guest attending the Thadingyut Festival (of lights), Yangon, Myanmar
168. Spend a week immersed in the Neo-Gothic art and architecture of Florence, Italy
169. Munch on an egg tart baked in traditional earthenware at Ko Kret Island, Thailand
170. Walk the beach where the Wright Brothers invented airplane flight, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
I like to walk in the footsteps of history, and Kitty Hawk is no exception. We think of the Wright Brothers’ flight as a remarkable aviation advancement – the first machine to fly under its own power. Setting foot on the sand of North Carolina is a reminder of how far we have come so quickly, as their 1903 flight was only 12 seconds and covered less than the length of a modern passenger aircraft.
171. Discover two lions digging for warthogs at Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Read more about Africa in my post: 8 mistakes we made on our first safari
172. Manage to escape from the category 4 super typhoon, Lawin, in Ilocos, Philippines
173. Admire the rooftop view from the top of Munster Church in the heart of Bern, Switzerland
174. Spend an evening with astronauts, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama
175. Almost drown snorkeling from a boat off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico
Sometimes you wonder why you do things. I have a fear of drowning and also acrophobia, a fear of heights. So, when I signed up for a snorkeling activity in Mexico, I should have known better. What I didn’t realize was that we would motor far from shore to an area where the water was both clear and very deep, like falling off the side of tall building for me. Then, when the “spotters” took off to do their own thing, I suddenly felt myself drifting further away from the boat, with no help in sight. Two fears for the price of one! I lived to tell the story, but never again.
176. Brave the elements for a grueling bike tour through the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney, Ireland
177. See the Forbidden City in a different light during a rare autumn snowstorm in Beijing, China
178. Be invited to rub elbows with the rich and famous in the Casino at Monte Carlo
179. Take a bicycle and explore the typically Dutch town of Volendam, Netherlands
180. Go island hopping in the French Polynesian islands, including Tahiti and Bora Bora
Just mentioning the word Tahiti brings the phrase “tropical paradise” to mind for most people. Close your eyes and visions of paintings by Paul Gauguin, beaches, lagoons, waterfalls appear. This lush island chain that once attracted Captain James Cook is remote enough, yet still accessible.
181. Wait for the swallows to come back to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, California
182. Soak in colonial history with visits to Williamsburg and to Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts
183. Toboggan down the Chutes Terrasse Dufferin at the Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City
184. Explore the Tyrolean wonderland of mountains, valleys, and the city of Innsbruck, Austria
185. Reach the southernmost point in the U.S., at America’s “Margaritaville”, Key West, Florida
There is nothing especially significant about the buoy that marks the southernmost point of the United States. The fun part is the drive through the Florida keys to get to the funky town of Key West, where I can pretend to be Jimmy Buffett for a few days, searchin’ for my lost shaker of salt.
186. Join Buster Kelley and other Elvis impersonators, in wigs and jumpsuits in Las Vegas, Nevada
187. View the city in every direction from the second level of the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
188. Go back in time, maneuvering the ancient canal towns of Zhouzhuang and Tongli, China
189. Be mesmerized by the whimsical art at the Chapel of Jimmy Ray, Guanajuato, Mexico
You can read about this fascinating place in my post: 5 unusual things to do in San Miguel de Allende
190. Attend the grand opening of Walt Disney’s vision, EPCOT Center, Oct. 1, 1982, Orlando, Florida
191. Climb to the top of Mount Phou Si for sunset over the Mekong River, Luang Prabang, Laos
You can read more about this in my post: Time is now to visit Luang Prabang, Laos
192. Dine on a souffle for every course of a memorable meal at Le Souffle, in Paris, France
193. Get an up-close look at Mardi Gras floats before the parades, New Orleans, Louisiana
194. Travel south to the place considered to be China’s Hawaii, Hainan Island, China
195. Watch surfers a long way from the ocean, on a river in Munich, Germany
You can read about this in my post: How to walk Munich with Old Town as your hub
196. Get a lovely town view and a great stay and meal at Chateau Gutsch, Luzern, Switzerland
197. Watch the 4th of July Boston Pops concert, parade, and fireworks, in Boston, Massachusetts
198. Eat hump and hoof of camel, deer tendon, and other delicacies served in Beijing, China
199. Experience the old tradition of goats paraded through town, in Zermatt, Switzerland
200. Faithfully visit the surprisingly colorful geysers of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
