Do you have a bucket list? One of the most popular travel trends today is traveling off the bucket list. Create a list of the things you want to see and experience before you die, then travel to make those dreams come true.
A little girl with big travel dreams. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
I have a large bucket list. Some of my items may seem unattainable, but I keep them on the list. You just never know where life can take you. I'm going to share my list here and I'll keep checking back and marking off items as I achieve them — and adding more as great things come to mind.
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(Note: Anything in italics with a ♥ indicates that I've accomplished that item on my bucket list.)
Destinations I most want to visit…
The Hofburg in Vienna. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- South of France ♥
- Thailand ♥
- Fiji
- Bali/Indonesia ♥
Beach at Ayana Resort, Jimbaran Bay, Bali. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Castle tour of Scotland and Ireland
- Whitsundays in Australia
- New Zealand ♥
Lake Taupo in New Zealand. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Greek Isles
- Japan
- Cuba
- Slovakia ♥
The so-called “UFO Bridge” over the Danube River as seen from the Bratislava Castle in Slovakia. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Croatia ♥
- Slovenia ♥
- Czech Republic ♥
CĚŚesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Istanbul
- Disney World – but this time with all 5Â grandkids
- Hawaii ♥
Plumeria blooming in Hawaii. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- New Orleans ♥
- Egypt ♥
The Sphinx and Pyramid at Giza, Egypt Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Madagascar
- Paris ♥
- Costa Brava, Spain ♥
- Prague
- Seychelles
- Nice, France ♥
View of Nice from Hotel Negresco. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Key West
- San Francisco ♥
Sailing in San Francisco Bay. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Jamaica ♥
Jamaica. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Quebec ♥
- Amsterdam ♥
Amsterdam. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Dubai
Things I want to experience…
- Hot air balloon ride ♥
From inside a hot air balloon. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Train ride across Canada's Rocky Mountains ♥
Onboard the Rocky Mountaineer. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Stroll along the Seine in Paris ♥
- African Safari ♥
Zebra and Elephants in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Ride on the Orient Express
- Go pub-hopping in Ireland
- Barefoot cruise in the Caribbean
- Stay in a villa in Italy ♥
Montestigliano in Tuscany. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Spend a week in the English countryside ♥
- See Angkor Wat in Cambodia
- Play with dolphins ♥
Dolphins play off the coast of Catalina Island. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Barge cruise in France ♥
- Shop in a street market in Istanbul
- Cruise to Alaska
- Take a luxury cruise ♥
- Stand in Red Square in Moscow
- See the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an, China
- Train ride up the California coast – in first class
- See Ground Zero in NYC ♥
- Visit the Christmas market in Nuremberg, Germany
- Visit Stonehenge
- Visit Petra, Jordan
- Visit the Panama Canal
- See the Dalai Lama
- Visit the Mayan ruins in Mexico ♥ (I visited Tulum)
Temple at Tulum, Mayan Riviera. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Ride in a race car ♥
- Take a European river cruise ♥
- Take a jungle ride on an elephant ♥
- Hear a lion roar – in the wild ♥
- Stand in Tiananmen Square in China
- Visit the Taj Mahal
- Return to Trier and Bitburg in Germany
- See the cathedral in Cologne, Germany ♥
- See the Sagrada Familia, Spain ♥
- Visit Kennedy Space Center ♥
- Visit the Eiffel Tower ♥
- Shop at Harrod's in London ♥
- See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- See the glass factories in Murano, Italy ♥
- Celebrate Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Ride in a helicopter ♥
- Visit Times Square ♥
- Visit the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum ♥
- Visit the Ice Hotel ♥
Ice Hotel in Quebec. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Take an off-the-beaten-path cross-country trip ♥
- Sail the Caribbean
- Stay at the Armani Hotel Dubai
- A week-long writing retreat with my 3 writing critique partners ♥
- Take a spa trip with my mom (we went to the Mexican Riviera north of Tulum) ♥
Esencia Resort, Mexico. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
Luxury desires…
- Experience a Personal Journey at Mii amo spa in Sedona, AZ ♥
- Stay in a villa with a private butler ♥ (Did this twice in Bali – at Villas at Ayana Resort and Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud)
- Go sailing off the coast of the French Riviera ♥
Sailing off the coast of France. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
- Take an around-the-world cruise
- Stay in a suite at the Ritz in Paris
- Fly first class on Singapore Airlines
- Stay at a chateau in France (This was Chateau de la Messardiere in St. Tropez) ♥
Chateau de la Messardiere, St. Tropez. Photo courtesy Chateau de la Messardiere
- Spend a luxury week in New York City — hotel, shopping, shows, food, the works
- Explore Europe with my husband, traveling by boat and train across multiple countries ♥
- Spend a week in Provence to experience the best food and wine ♥
- Stay at Amanpuri Resort in Phuket, Thailand
- Fly first class to Europe ♥
- Spend Christmas in London
- Spend Christmas at a mountain lodge with snow, fireplace, someone serving meals, complete luxury experience
- Rent a Caribbean island for a week
- Stay at Hotel del Coronado in San Diego
- Stay at the Beverly Wilshire
Eat, drink and be merry…
- Dinner at French Laundry in California
- Sushi prepared by Chef Morimoto (personally, not just at one of his restaurants)
- Eat sushi in Tokyo
- Dine at Jose Andres' Minibar in Washington, DC
- Take a champagne tasting tour in France's Champagne region ♥
- Take a wine tour through France ♥
- Take a champagne tour through France ♥
- Take a wine tour of Australia
- Take a wine and food tour of Santa Barbara, CAÂ ♥
- Take a tequila tour in Mexico
- Take a wine and food tour in Northern California ♥
- Eat an entire truffle-themed dinner (This was at a lovely chateau in the South of France) ♥
Natural wonders/great monuments…
- Explore the Great Wall of China
- See the Great Pyramids in Egypt ♥
The Sphinx and Pyramid at Giza
- Visit Stonehenge in England
- See the Panama Canal
- See the Great Barrier Reef
- See (but NOT climb) Mount Everest
- Visit Teotihuacan in Mexico
- View Niagara Falls from both sides of the falls ♥
- See the Grand Canyon ♥
- Visit an active volcano
I'm sure there's more to come…