Top Five Before 35 - Domestic

In a previous post I shared my "Top Five Before 35" list of international destinations.  But my travel bug isn't limited to just foreign or exotic countries; there are many places in the United States that I haven't yet seen!  We are blessed to live in a country that has such a wide variety of people, culture, landscapes, and adventures.  Even without a passport, you can find many travel destinations here in the good ol' U.S. of A!

"Top Five Before 35 - Domestic"

(c) AlaskaCruiseNorthernDream.com

1.  Alaska:  Pristine wilderness.  Untouched forests.  Whale watching, grizzly bear sightings, and wolf spotting.  Dog sledding, igloo building, and marveling at the Aurora Borealis.  I can't decide whether Alaskan winters or Alaskan summers appeal to me more - they both have their appeal, so I suppose I'll have to visit at least twice.  Ideally, I'd rent an RV and camp my way through Alaska in the summer, fitting in some time for a glacier cruise (or two) and some salmon fishing.  In the winter I'd try to get in some skiing, watch dogsled races, and enjoy local festivals.

Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone
(c) SecondGlobe.com

2.  Montana:  Glacier National Park and Yellowstone are calling my name!  I want to feast my eyes on the Montana Rockies, try my hand at fly fishing, do some whitewater rafting, reflect at the memorial to the Battle of Little Bighorn, and visit a few Native American museums.  Perhaps I'll use Montana as a "destination excuse" to finally plan a cross-country road trip. 

3.  Hawaii:  Some places don't need any reason to visit.  Hawaii is one of those places.  Paradise on earth!

4.  National Parks in the Southwestern States:  I concede that this is a cop-out answer since it includes several states!  The Grand Canyon (AZ), Joshua Tree National Park (CA), Mesa Verde (CO - ok, kind of a stretch to call this a "southwestern" state!), Zion National Park (UT), and Aztec Ruins National Monument (AZ) are all on my list of places to see.

From top left clockwise: Grand Canyon National Park, Mesa Verde, Zion National Park, & Joshua Tree National Park
From top left clockwise: (c) TravelTheRockies.com, (c) Wikipedia.org, (c) NationalGeographic.com & (c) GlobeImages.net

5.  Louisiana:  I'm ready for a bayou adventure.  Although frog legs and alligator don't really sound appetizing on paper, I'm willing to try Cajun cuisine when I find myself in New Orleans (when in Rome, right?).  I've never visited the Deep South, but have always been fascinated with the unique culture associated with Louisiana.

With a little digging, I'm sure I could find dozens of other reasons to visit these states, but I'll save that for when I actually am planning a trip there.  Have you been to these places?  What places/states would make your top five in the U.S.?

~ Just a Thrifty Gypsy

Top Five Before 35 - International

I love lists.  In fact I love them almost as much as traveling, so it shouldn't be surprising that I've got at least half a dozen travel wish-lists.  When I'm not on vacation (or even when I am!), I'm envisioning the next destination and adding places to my list of where to go, what to do and see.  Although my body may be confined to my office desk, my mind may be thousands of miles away at one of my wish-list destinations - touring Roman ruins, or sipping a Mai-tai in Polynesia, or watching cloggers in Wales. 

Now that's not to say that I've accomplished even half the lists I've started!  My very first travel list was my "Top Five Before 25" destination list, composed when I was fifteen.  Unfortunately, I only went to one place on that list before I turned 25, and that was our honeymoon trip to Germany in 2010.  However, I've made some progress, and by my 27th birthday this August, I will have visited three more places on the list: Italy (July 2014), London (February 2014), and Prague (August 2012).  Wish-lists don't have to be realistic - they're just fun to make and give you a general goal!

Up until recently, Mr. Gypsy and I have only been able to afford one international trip every other year with several regional or domestic trips each year, but that doesn't stop me from adding more destinations to my list.  My current wish-list is quite extensive (pretty much the whole world is on it!), but I've been narrowing it down for my "Top Five Before 35" lists - an international version and a domestic one.  I'll write about my domestic list in a later blog post.  For now, here is my wish-list for international destinations!


"Top Five Before 35 - International"

Source.

1.  Sweden:  I am of Swedish descent on my father's side, and I have always identified strongly with my Swedish heritage.  I grew up in southeastern Massachusetts, an area that at one time was populated by many Scandinavian immigrants and to this day has many Swedish heritage gift shops (Dala horse, anyone?).  I love celebrating traditional Swedish holidays like St. Lucia's Day or Waffle Day (aka, Our Lady's Day), and I was tickled pink to discover that my wedding day was the same day as Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden.  From the beautiful coastal scenery to the cities, the woodlands to the mountains, I have a plethora of reasons why I would love to visit Sweden.

Jerusalem - Picture from
http://blog.pe.com/political-empire/2013/08/03/congress-ruiz-takano-visiting-israel/

2.  Israel:  The Promised Land.  History.  Culture.  Where do I start?  As both a Christian and a history buff, there are so many reasons for me to put Israel high on my wish-list.  I want to see the Temple Mount, walk in the Gardens of Gethsemane, reflect at Golgotha, and rejoice at the empty Garden Tomb.  I want to float in the Dead Sea, experience the vibrancy of Tel Aviv, and marvel at the fact that I am standing in the same places where so much history took place!

3.  The United Kingdom & Ireland:  What can I say - the United Kingdom is the mecca for English majors (such as I was!).  My weekend trip to London this past February merely whet my appetite to see and experience more of what the UK has to offer.  From the lochs and highlands of Scotland, to the mountains of Wales, to the castles of England, and the green allure of Ireland, I want to see it all. 



4.  Greece:  Whenever I think of Greece, I envision white-washed houses perched on a cliff overlooking an azure sea.  How stunning.  Again, the history factor draws me to Greece; I studied classics in college as a minor, and I'd love to see Grecian ruins in person rather than just in my history books.  The Parthenon.  The Temples at Delphi.  Myrtos Beach.  There is something just divinely exotic about Greece.  Besides, Mr. Gypsy really wants to stand in Sparta and proclaim: THIS IS SPARTA!!! 

Picture from Adventures by Disney.

5.  New Zealand:  Adventure is the name of the game for New Zealand's placement on my wish-list!  (And visiting the film sites for The Lord of the Rings may also be a contributing factor.)  New Zealand has such a wide variety of natural beauty, and invariably any "most beautiful places in the world" list features at least one place from New Zealand.  My ideal trip to New Zealand would include back-packing, camping, kayaking, boating, and maybe even a horse-back tour (if I can convince Mr. Gypsy!).  Unfortunately, New Zealand is one of the most expensive places to reach from the east coast of the U.S., but a girl can dream, can't she?!

Bonus Destination:  Caribbean
Because... beach!

"Some beach....somewhere."
Dreamstime.com

Now it's your turn!  If you were to make a "Top 5" list for international sites, what places would be on it?

Linking up with Van for #TravelTuesday!

Updated July 29, 2014