This isn’t quite a “bucket list” in the sense of things to do before I die. Rather, it’s a less morbid compilation of all the cool and interesting travel-related things I come across on the Internet. I share them here so they don’t clutter up my bookmarks bar or get forgotten, and you might find some ideas that you can incorporate into your own travels. Please feel free to submit suggestions below or email them to me.
Places to See
- All of the “50 Most Important Landmarks of the World.” It’s easy to follow a list.
- Michael Garnier’s Out ‘n’ About Treesort in rural Orgeon. Watch the 20-minute video tour of his tree houses on YouTube.
- The Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It has sharks that eat other sharks whole!
- Some of the most famous trees in the world. And most are pretty big, too. I’ll have to take a second mileage run to Bahrain to see the Tree of Life in the middle of the desert, go to Freeport to see the Cotton Tree, and Madagascar for the Avenue of the Baobabs.
- The enormous “ghost cities” of China. I can’t believe they just built these things and expected people to buy! I guess it’s no different than in the U.S.–just on a much larger scale.
- Visit ancient Greece, birthplace of modern philosophy and science. After seeing the Antikythera Mechanism in real life, I’d recreate it in Lego. (All those pieces are collecting dust right now
). - Texas. Everything really is bigger–not always for the best, but often in a way that makes it interesting. Cadillac Ranch looks so much more appealing in that photo when it’s not a muddy spring, and I’m sure Megan will want me to take her picture under the giant Aggie Ring.
- Visit New Zealand. It just looks like an awesome place, and it was the set for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Need I say more?
- Go to Oktoberfest and get wicked drunk. I think a group trip is necessary. A group that likes to drink. But most of my friends probably don’t want to fly halfway across the world just to get beer… What if I made it a stopover on the way to Thailand?
- Visit the “10 Coolest Subway Stations in the World.” I love public transportation. Even though I’m a suburban guy at heart, I find the intricacies of large urban infrastructures amazing. So far the only one I’ve seen on this list was in Barcelona, and my sister gave me hell for dragging her out there.
Things to Do
- Skydiving. Maybe not for me–I’m still not sure. But thanks to SMAY for the suggestion!
- Take a flight in a hot air balloon. I’ll try to do this sometime soon now that my dad lives in the Sonoma/Napa Valley area. Thanks to Lynn for the suggestion!
- Parahawking. I had to look this one up. Apparently it’s just like paragliding, but you bring along a hawk to guide you toward thermals. Makes sense. Thanks to Pat O for the suggestion!
- Make snow art with Simon Beck in Savoie, France. See his Facebook page, too.
- Make a periodic table table with samples from around the world (I totally geeked out watching this movie)! I’ve already been to see the big display at London’s Science Museum, one of the best science museums in the world.
- Read the books that everyone should read. I used to be a voracious reader before grad school and blogging got in the way. Heck, I’m still a voracious reader, only now I’m limited to a dozen blogs, two daily papers, and a weekly news magazine. If I had the time to read books again, I think my favorite place to while away the days would be the Alisal in Solvang, CA.
- Go paragliding and bungee jumping in New Zealand. I’m something of a coward when it comes to dangerous activities–even roller coasters scared me for a long time. But hey, I’ve got to break a bone eventually, and it should be when I’m still young enough for it to heal properly!
- Travel to Canada and hack the lottery. Gambling is always more fun when the numbers are on your side.
- Buy a doughnut carrying case in Tokyo. I can’t convince myself to pay the shipping for one of these, but they look awesome!
- Walk the length of a roller coaster. I hated roller coasters when I was little, but now I appreciate them for their mathematical complexity. After adding a little potential energy, the rest of the ride relies entirely on passive physical properties to control the ride. This one isn’t nearly so fast, but it would still be fun to walk around and see how sharp some of those turns can be.
- See a murmuration. This is one of the most mesmerizing and beautiful videos ever. But I’m not sure I could ever see something like this unless I camped out in the right place for the opportunity to catch it in the act.
- I could never get tired of visiting Zurich Airport. Check the video around t = 3:46 to see the guy waving as one plane taxies and the other takes off.
- Visit the Museum of Fakes. The amount of effort some people go to in order to appear to have the real thing is amazing. And some of the things they copy! I don’t know that it would feel the same for me if I knew I only owned a knockoff.
Food to Eat
This is a list in progress. Let’s just say durian fruit for now, and you can all write in with more interesting ideas.
Plus there are local restaurants I’ve been meaning to try (again, a poor list for now):
Seattle
- Sitka & Spruce in Seattle. Megan has been wanting to go here for a while. I don’t know why we don’t just go here when we keep trying all these other places that are just as expensive.
- Book Bindery in Seattle. A book-themed restaurant. Need I say more?
San Francisco Bay Area
- Boba Guys in San Francisco. I spent the first 22 years of my life in California cities that were more than 50% Asian (Seattle is so white). While I don’t necessarily love boba, I know when it’s good. This seems like a place worth checking out.
