My Travel Bucket List

These are currently the top ten things on my Travel Bucket List

ALASKA – Without a doubt Alaska tops my list of places I want to visit. There are a few National Parks there that I would love to visit. Katmai National Park tops that list. Ever since I’ve seen photos of Alaskan Brown Bears feasting on salmon in the Brooks River I have wanted to go there. I would also like to go to Denali National Park to catch a glimpse of the tallest mountain in North America. Kenai Fjords and Glacier Bay National Parks could be options if we take an Alaskan cruise. Considering I have two young children, a trip to Alaska may have to wait a while, but I will eventually make it there.

See the Northern Lights – I find the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights fascinating. Photos of the colorful streaks and swirls spread out across the night sky mesmerize me. Alaska is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights, so maybe I could cross off two things at once.

Hawaii – I’d like to make it to Hawaii one day. The weather and scenery are an attractive mix in Hawaii. I like the idea of going to beautiful beaches, seeing volcanos, and hiking through rain forests. The flight time from Buffalo, NY scares me a bit though.

Redwood National Park, California – I’ve seen mighty Sequoia trees in Yosemite, but have yet to see the towering Redwoods. Many of the soaring trees are over 300 feet tall and are several hundred years old. The fact that the park includes 40 miles of pristine coastline along the Pacific Ocean puts the park high on my list.

North Cascades and Mount Ranier National Parks, Washington – I have loved each of the mountainous National Parks I have visited so far and these two are far less crowded than parks like Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite. They are full of alpine meadows, glaciers, and scenic rivers.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts – I haven’t spent much time on the Atlantic Coast and the idea of Cape Cod is much more appealing than some of the busier areas like Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach. I get the feeling Cape Cod is more relaxed and family friendly, which appeals to me at this time in my life.

Switzerland – I don’t see this happening for a while, if ever, but everything I’ve seen and read makes the country look amazing. There is plenty of mountain scenery and it sounds like a rather friendly country.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California – These two connected parks are often referred to as one (called Seki). They are located in the southern Sierra Nevada in central California. The parks are home to colossal mountains, deep canyons, and enormous trees.

Go on an African Safari – I would love to go on a safari tour and see incredible animals in the wild. I’ve seen bears, rams, moose, mountain goats, and elk; but I cannot imagine seeing lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, hippos and more moving throughout their own habitat. There are a couple of factors that make this one a little unlikely. First off, most African Safari Tours are ridiculously expensive. Also, the idea of traveling to Africa sounds like a headache.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado – I have never been to a historic site quite like this. The park protects some of the best preserved Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites in the country. There are thousands of archeological sites within the park, including 600 cliff dwellings.

Honorable Mention:

Please comment and feel free to offer any suggestions. Thanks!

21 thoughts on “My Travel Bucket List”