I am married and my best friend in the whole world is my wife, Tonya. So, when I am thinking about a travel bucket list I have to think about her, also. She has always told me that she would follow me wherever I wanted to go.
So, I thought I would make a list of places that I want to go to and why I want to go to those places. Some of the places I have been to before but I haven’t been there with Tonya.
So, here is my dream list of places to go with her.
1. Australia
I am a child of the 80s and one of my favorite music groups back in the day was Men at Work. Plus, there was the ever popular movie Crocodile Dundee and other singers like Olivia Newton John and the Bee Gees.
They are all from Australia and I figured that Australia can’t be all that bad with a line up like that.
As I have gotten older and learned more about Australia, I have a growing desire to visit there. From the beautiful Sydney Harbor to the Great Barrier Reef, I want to see those things plus much more.
My parents and other people that I know have been there or have lived there for a time. Everyone that I know that has been there has loved it.
I am not sure if I will have a Vegemite sandwich but I definitely want to go to Australia.
2. Bora Bora, French Polyonesia
Bora Bora is a place that I can’t say that I have always wanted to go to but this particular location comes out of the love of my youngest daughter’s wanting to go there.
I am not quite sure why Cassidy has always been intrigued with Bora Bora but I have done more research on Bora Bora. It is a place that looks so beautiful and there is something that speaks to me when it comes to warm tropical locales.
So, in honor of my daughter Cassidy, I would like to spend some time with my beautiful wife in Bora Bora.
3. New Zealand
If I am going to Australia, right in that neighborhood there is New Zealand. One of the things that I love about New Zealand is the diversity that it has.
You have beautiful beaches, mountains, green plush valleys, mud pools, beautiful cities, caves and most importantly Hobbiton from the movie Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.
I am a huge Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fan.
4. Greece
One of the things that I liked in school was history. So, if you ever took a world history class there was always part of the year pertaining to Greece.
It would love to go to historical sites like the Acropolis of Athens, Delphi, Ancient Olympia, Philippi, and Epidarius just to name a few of the places.
Plus, my oldest daughter Maddie and her husband Ben went to Greece and seeing pictures of the island of Santorini is just breathtaking.
I would love to experience all that Greece has to offer with Tonya.
5. Italy
Italy is a lot like Greece in the fact that when you studied ancient history in school, you dealt with the Roman Empire which of course is in modern day Italy.
There are so many different historical places that I would like to visit in Italy. Plus, my grandfather Nick, who was my mom’s dad, immigrated to America from Italy.
I don’t remember him since he passed away when I was young but it would be cool to go to the birthplace of one of my grandparents.
6. Banff, Canada
When I was a kid, our family went to Alaska and on our way back home we stopped at Banff. I just remember thinking that it was one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen.
Banff is just majestic. There are the mountains that surround the town along with Banff National Park being nearby. There is also Lake Minnewanka and the Banff Gondola.
I would love to go back to Banff with Tonya so that we could experience the beauty of the area together.
7. Mission Trip Anywhere
Tonya and I have served together in a number of different ministries over the years but the one thing that we have not done is serve on a mission trip with one another.
I personally would prefer to serve on a mission trip outside of the country but if the Lord directs us in a different direction then I am not going to balk at that.
8. US National Parks
Tonya and I have been to a number of US national parks since we have been married. We have been to Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Cuyahoga Valley, Acadia, Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, and Coral Reef.
I personally have been to a number of other national parks from going on family vacations as a kid, but I have not been to those places with my wife. Since there are 63 US national parks we have some traveling to do.
9. Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
You may be wondering why I want to go to Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. Most people probably have never heard of Thingvellir National Park.
I have to blame teaching science for this particular location. In 8th grade science, I would teach about plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics is where the earth is made of large plates that move around on the surface of the earth. The movement of the plates causes earthquakes and volcanic activity amongst other things.
I always tried to find interesting video clips to show the students pertaining to topics that we were covering. While teaching about plate tectonics I found a cool clip of Silfra Fissure which is located in the heart of Thingvellir National Park.
In the fissure, you can snorkel and scuba dive between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Not only can you swim between the two plates but there are places where you can actually touch both of the plates at the same time.
Plus, the water is crystal clear since it is meltwater from a nearby glacier. So, off to Iceland I want to go.
10. Switzerland
I live in Sugarcreek, OH and it is known as the “Little Switzerland of Ohio.” Plus, every year in the last week of September there is the annual “Swiss Festival.” So, one of the bucket list places has to be Switzerland.
Seriously though, I love the ocean but there is something about mountains that speaks to me. When I think about Switzerland, I think of green plush valleys surrounded by beautiful snow covered mountains.
Places like Lake Geneva, the Matterhorn, Interlaken and Jungfraujoch are just a few of the places that I want to see and experience.
11. Israel
I have been reading the Bible for a very long time. I have seen videos and pictures of the places that Jesus and his disciples traveled to.
I have talked to a number of people that have been to Israel and they all say the same thing. Reading the Bible goes from 2D to 3D because you can visualize the places better since you have been there.
12. New York City during Christmas Time
I have personally been to New York City a number of times. The first time was with my sister, mom and dad with our church.
We were waiting in the bus and a guy walked by with a grocery bag on his head and then later he came back with a plant on top of the grocery bag. Welcome to New York City.
Tonya has not been to New York City and I have not been there during the Christmas holiday season. So, I would love to be in the city with my wife seeing all of the different Christmas related things like the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the Bryant Park Winter Village, and taking a Christma cruise.
13. Maui and Kauai, Hawaii
Tonya and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We were on the islands of Oahu and Maui. We have always said that we want to go back but in this case we would do Maui once more and Kauai.
There are things that I would like to do that we did not do before, such as snorkeling, and whale watching. We have heard that Kauai is very laid back and beautiful.
14. The Wave, Kanab, Arizona
Going back to my science days again, when we talked about rocks I would show the students pictures of the wave. It is such a unique and beautiful rock formation and is something that I want to see in person.
We were on a family trip and we were in Kanab but I did not try to see the wave since you can only see it with a lottery system. We had 8 people in our party and I did not want a few to be able to see it and others not be able to.
Since it would just be Tonya and myself when we would go, I am hoping that chances of getting to see it would be good.
15. Yosemite National Park, California During Firefall
I have been to Yosemite National Park a number of times. Out of all the national parks that I have been to I love it the most. It is just so beautiful. You have the exposed granite mountains, lush valley and giant redwoods.
Tonya and I went there together a few years ago with our daughter Makenzie. So, you may be asking why it is on my bucket list of places to go.
Every year during the month of February the water flowing over Horsetail Fall looks like it is on fire. It is a phenomonon created from the angle of the sun, the location of the waterfall and the people looking at the fall.
I would love to be in the park when this event occurs and so it has made my list.
16. Great Pyramids, Egypt
Who hasn’t heard of the Great Pyramids of Giza? They truly are a masterpiece of engineering by ancient people. I know that the pyramids are one of those things that photos don’t do them justice.
So, I would love to see them in person and experience them with my wife.
17. Bali, Indonesia
I only know of a few people that have been to Bali. What I do know is that they all enjoyed their time there and were very glad that they went. Besides seeing some of the natural wonders of Bali, it is a great place to visit since your dollar stretches a lot there.
18. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
I went to Victoria Falls in the summer of 1988. I was on a mission trip with Sports Ambassadors. We played basketball against different club teams, high school teams, gave clinics and shared the gospel throughout Zimbabwe.
One of our stops along the way was Victoria Falls for a few days. The falls are over a mile long in length and over 350 feet high. They are spectacular to see. I would love to go back with Tonya and see them once more.
19. Jasper, Canada
One of the previous places that I listed was Banff. Jasper is located 180 miles from Banff. It was another stop on our way home from Alaska. I just remember Jasper and the surrounding area being so beautiful.
I am a sucker for mountains and the Canadian Rockies are just beautiful to see. There is also Jasper National Park and the sky tram that you can take to see some of the surrounding area.
20. Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina
Iguazu Falls borders both Brazil and Argentina. The falls are the largest set of waterfalls in the world. They stretch for 3 kms which is almost 2 miles in length. There are roughly 275 vertical drops in the falls. The drops range from 200 feet to 270 feet in length.
Pictures are spectacular of the falls but again I am sure that they don’t do it justice. So, I would love to see them with Tonya.
Final Thoughts
So, that is my list. What do you think? The places above are definite places that I would love to visit with Tonya. The list may grow over time.
What places do you want to travel to in your bucket list? Leave a comment in the comment box to let me know.
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