Traveling is my #2 “thing” in life (behind cooking/eating, natch. ;) ) It’s what keeps me going.
The thought of my next big adventure – what I want to see, learn and experience next – is sometimes all I can think about!
No less than five times a week I’ll turn to Ben and say,
“Babe, can we go to ______ someday?”
(The “blank” being the latest locale I’ve got my heart set on seeing.)
“Uh-huh!” he’s learned to reply, less I give him the “Noooo, whyyy????” if he says otherwise. ;)
Well the list is getting long, my friends. So long that I thought I’d better document it before I forget one single place that I’ve thought, at one time or another, was important to see.
Then I thought maybe I’d share it with you. Maybe we have similar travel interests and goals. Maybe you’ve been to some of the places on my list and can fill me in on what to expect. The list is not by any means inclusive or closed, but it’s what I’ve got right now. And so…
My Life’s Wanderlist
(in alphabetical order because I’m crazy like that.)
Bali, Indonesia
I’ve got the eat taken care of – now all I need is the pray and love (in Indonesia!) to experience.
Bangkok & Phuket Thailand
I can’t imagine a world more vastly different than my own, but I love being challenged and immersed in the unfamiliar.
And my friend went to Phuket for her honeymoon and saw baby elephants on the beach. Ummm, yes please.
(source 1, source 2)
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Once of my Dad’s most favorite places in the US.
Castle Tour of Europe
I will never forget the castles I toured when I went to Germany in my teens. The sheer size of these hand-made masterpieces is incredible!
(source)
Charleston, South Carolina
My Dad lent me Charles Kuralt’s America book when Ben and I went to New Orleans a few years ago, in which Charles describes some of the most memorable places he’s been to around the country. In addition to NOLA, Charleston and it’s blooming azaleas in the spring was included. Boy I’d sure love to see those someday!
Zip-lining in Costa Rica
I zip lined once in Puerta Vallarta, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t harnessed or strapped in correctly…eeks. I’d like to do it right in the canopy of Costa Rica.
Croatia
Less touristy than it’s European coastal-city counterparts. Mmmm. :)
Dubai, UAE
I just really need to see this for myself. Plus I feel like it might rain gold coins there, or something.
Egypt
I’ve had a life-long fascination with Egypt and its pyramids, tombs, mummies and ancient structures. I would be crushed if I never got to see it in person.
Lake Louise, Banff, Canada
I learned of Lake Louise’s existence from one of the first food blogs I ever started reading and have been obsessed with getting there ever since.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Brilliant, ancient civilizations freak. me. out. but I still want to see this craziness.
Maldives
‘Nuff said.
(source)
Morocco
The colors! The sights! The sounds!
(source)
New England in the Fall
It has been a dream of mine for the last 5 years to take an autumn foliage tour down the east coast.
New Zealand
Ok, really lame, but I saw a few episode’s of America’s Next Top Model taped in NZ and it was breathtaking. I really want to sail there!
Niagara Falls
Every North American needs to see this at some point in their life, no?
Northern Lights in Alaska
I think a cruise to Alaska would be incredible too.
(source)
Paris, France
I have recently become obsessed with spending inordinate amounts of time sitting at a Parisian cafe sipping cappuccinos. I think I could stay here a month.
(source)
Petra, Jordan
If it came down to seeing either Petra or Egypt, I’d pick Petra – which is really saying something. A city carved out of the rock? It blows my mind!
(source)
Provence, France
I want to spin in fields of lavender then ride a cruiser bike to a crumbling farm house and sip red wine.
Kiss the Blarney Stone, Cork, Ireland
Just…need to.
Safari in Kenya, Africa
I think this would be the coolest thing in the entire world. Knowing that I could actually be eaten by a lion is both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Mostly terrifying though. But I still want to do it.
Sahara Dessert
I know – crazy. I just feel like I want to go for like 5 minutes.
Santorini, Greece
I sort of feel like I’m cheating on Praiano by wanting to go to Santorini, but I’ve always wanted to go, and cough I was really jealous that Lena from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants got to spend an entire summer there cough.
(source)
Savannah, Georgia
I want to hunt down Paula Deen and make her feed me macaroni and cheese.
Seychelles
I blame House Hunters International for my recent obsession with Seychelles. I feel like they’ve taped 10 episodes on this tiny island off the eastern coast of Africa in the last year. Stunning natural beauty!
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
The sheer size and meaning of this monument is something that has always intrigued me.
(source)
La Tomatina Festival, Bunol, Spain
My inner type A is petrified of the mess, but my inner wild child is winning out. :)
Tuscany, Italy
I want to explore every inch of Italy – including the picturesque wine country that reminds me of A Walk in the Clouds. I know – wrong country, but same cozy, romantic feeling!
Venice, Italy
I am literally waiting on pins and needles for the moment I arrive in Venice. I hope to the high Heavens that it hasn’t sunk by the time I get there!
(source)
Vietnam
Just feeling like I really need to see this place.
Yosemite National Park, California
North America has some of the most breathtaking scenery and landscape in the world. I’d love to check out what Yosemite has to offer!
(source)
Zanzibar
Clear water. Dolphins. Hammocks. Sign me up.
Zion National Park, Utah
The beauty of this place absolutely blows my mind – and it’s just a few states away!
(source)
Now all I have to do is convince Ben that taking a year off to travel the world is a good idea…
Raise your hand if you’re with me! ;)
~~~~~
Where do we overlap on My Life’s Wanderlist? What’s on yours?
Beth @ bethcooks 08.12.2011
I’m so glad that Banff is on your list (You should put Waterton National Park on there, too – it’s only a 3 hr drive!).
I live in Georgia, but my family is from around there, and it is my happy place. All of Western Canada for that matter. You MUST go!
I just wish I had infinite funds (and vacation days) to go everywhere!
Hope 08.12.2011
Wow! You picked some amazing places to visit! I’d have to say that you definitely picked a lot of places that I would love to see as well. New England is so beautiful in the fall! Boston is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall. There is nothing like the beautiful leaves, cool crisp air and a nice big bowl of clam chowder! :)
Jessie 08.12.2011
Love your list and pics! My oldest son use to be obsessed with Food Network. He always wanted to go to Paula Deen’s house and have her make Mac and Cheese for him while he played tractors on her deck. But of course we would have to pick up Rachael Ray on the way :)
Diana Amy 08.12.2011
Charleston, SC and Savannah are at the top of mine, as well! I also would love to go to Napa Valley/San Fransisco because I have never been to California!! I also want to go BACK to all the amazing places I’ve been – Costa Rica, Florence, alllll of England, Vienna, to name a few – obsessed.
I went to college in New England and I can attest to the fact that you have not experienced autumn until you’ve done so in New England. It is so unbelievably gorgeous! Summer and Winter ain’t too shabby either!
Amanda @FancyOatmealBlog 08.12.2011
Holy Moly!!! I want to be your travel partner! I have definitely found a few places to add to my own list. The pictures are great! I am in Alaska and have been witness to the northern lights – a definite “must.” Happy Travels!!
Kathryn 08.12.2011
Oh I LOVE your list!!
I am headed to the Maldives for our honeymoon in three weeks and seriously am hyperventilating with excitement as I have a HUGE travel bucket list and it’s been on there since day one.
I’d also love to see Petra and have been dying to visit Australia forever.
I love these travel posts – thanks for sharing your list!
Mallory 08.12.2011
Ah! Charleston, SC. Come. You won’t regret it. I grew up in Greenville, SC. Moved here after college and never looked back. That was 3.5 years ago. It is beautiful. The history, the beaches and marshes, the homes. The people are wonderfully friendly and hospitable. And the food, oh the food. Some of the best restaurants I’ve come across with a big emphasis on buying local and eating local. Do it! You will love it. And you can kill two birds with one stone. Savannah and Lady and Sons are less than two hours away. :)
Cathy 08.12.2011
My travel wish list is VERY similar! I live in South Africa so a safari is something i”ve done a lot of times and absolutely love. You have to research Cape Town! It is my favourite city in the world! I think you would adore it – beaches, mountains, wine tasting, wonderful restaurants :)
I’ve been to Santorini, kissed the Blarney Stone and been to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Planning a trip to Hong Kong & Vietnam in December – can’t wait! Another recommendation I would have for you is Istanbul, Turkey. It is one of the most fascinating cities I’ve been to!
sarah@spinach&spice 08.12.2011
I second Istanbul in addition to my comment about Croatia!
Dawn Marie 08.11.2011
My hand is raised.
OMG.. Cannon Beach made that list? Love that! I am Oregonian originally and that is a wonderful place.
And OMG again, your dad has a book by Charles Kuralt? LOVE That!!! He was my fav Sunday Morning host and traveler!
You are such a doll – I hope you get to see every one of those places Kristin!
dana @ my little celebration 08.11.2011
Oh my, all of these places look WONDERFUL and I’d love to visit any and all of them.
I’ve been to Cannon Beach, OR, and would recommend going very much. When I caught my first glimpse of its rustic beach line, it absolutely took my breath away.
Kristine @ Running On Hungry 08.11.2011
I am DYING to go on safari in Africa and then end the safari with a week in Zanzibar! Oh and honeymoon in the Maldives. I studied abroad in London in college and hit Italy, Paris, Prague, Germany, Austria, Scotland and Holland and I LOVED Europe!
You have to come to Yosemite! It’s GORGEOUS! Half Dome is risky (I’m too scared of falling to my death), but Cloud’s Rest has the same views (if not better!) and much less risk! ;-)
Lindsey 08.11.2011
All those places look beautiful! My top ones I want to visit next are (not in any order): Montreal, New York City, and then in one big trip – Greece, Monaco and Italy.
Casey @ Pocket Full of Sunshine 08.11.2011
Kissing the Blarney Stone was one of my absolute fave experiences in life. :) Do it!!
Amanda 08.11.2011
Hey Kristin – great post!!! We overlap in so many places…if you ever need a travel buddy, you know who to call haha!!
Two notes – first, I live in New England so i can say first hand how GORGEOUS the autumn is down the “I-95 corridor”. Heck, we joke that we may actually WANT to drive the turnpike/I-95/Meritt just to see the beautiful trees!
Second, I’ve spent some extensive time in Africa and can say that there are fewer places more beautiful than almost the entire continent. Although my time there has primarily been in the post-conflict regions in the East and Horn of Africa, I’ve taken a few “safaris” (some of them unofficial!), and its so incredible to see the wildlife and landscape! One tip is to make sure you research your safari provider very, very well. There are a lot of “reputable” tours available that actually allow poaching in their parks, or accept bribes from wealthy individuals to come shoot animals who have been tranquilized/incapacitated. Its awful, and not as uncommon as you’d think – even some national parks allow it to happen under the radar! Stick with true wildlife sanctuaries or orphanages and you should be on the right track, and Lonely Planet has some great recommendations!
PS – The place that I go back to every night before I close my eyes is the Virunga National Park in DRC, where the mountain gorillas live. I cried when we finally saw them after our guide tracked them for 2 days – they are truly breathtaking.
Maddie 08.11.2011
I simply adore this list! It really is fun to daydream about the places you want to go someday. Your whole list overlaps if I haven’t already been there yet :) Venice really is awesome, but if you go, make sure you go to the smaller islands around it, Murano and Lido. Murano has tons of glassblowers and cool shops, and Lido is such a cute little residential island. Rent a bike and cruise around the island and then eat some gelato after you’re done. Paris really is great, too. There is so much to do there. But bring some extra cash along because the food in the restaurants is outrageously expensive unless you get ham and cheese on a baguette for every meal, haha. There is a hole in the wall fondue place up by Sacre Couer that is super fun- You can write on the walls and drink wine out of baby bottles… because everyone secretly wants to do that, right? Anywho, I’ll stop rambling now and continue making my own travel list ;)
allison @ thesundayflog 08.11.2011
ahhhh loved this! DO THE SAFARI. i went on one in botswana and as we were driving around a turn laughing and talking, we suddenly came FACE TO FACE with a massive lion who just stood up and looked at us. our driver didnt move an inch, but very sternly warned us not to make a sound or move a muscle. terrifing and exhilarating all at the same time. i’ve also been to santorini, and let me tell you, every direction you turn looks just like a postcard. it is one of the most breathtaking places in the world. you should also add victoria falls to your list. cooler than niagara IMO, and you can even go bungee jumping! i knew i couldnt leave there without jumping and i dont regret it for a second. on my list is jordan, anywhere in south america, THAILAND, bali, egypt, colorado, seattle, texas, and back to south africa because it will always have my <3. GREAT post !
Catherine 08.11.2011
Love your list! The safari in Kenya is definitely at the top of my dream list, along with Bali. My husband and I are traveling to Dublin and Cork County in a couple of weeks and are super excited :) Best wishes for making it to all the awesome destinations!
Morgan 08.11.2011
What a great list – I, too, have many many places I’d love to visit. Hope I get to see even a fraction of them. I went to Greece last summer and spent nearly a week on Santorini. It’s stunning. I enjoyed the town of Oia more than the bigger town that has all the clubs and restaurants. What I liked even more though was Naxos, another island we spent some time on. The people were incredibly friendly, the scenery beautiful, and the gelato divine. I highly recommend it!
Stephanie 08.11.2011
Savannah is absolutely fantastic! We went for a long weekend over our anniversary last year and had a blast! The food is AMAZING and you can walk around town with drinks in your hand. It makes for great pre and post dinner walks!
Erin 08.11.2011
My husband and I road-tripped through New England last fall and I loved every minute of it. I’m dying to go back to Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine and spend more time there. I would go back this fall in a heartbeat if I could! Otherwise, I’m one of those that wants to go to all 50 states and I’d love to see just about all of Canada as well.