The Bucket List Thread!

[Frothingslosh]

Some of the things I'd like to do some day:

• Visit London
• Drive around Scotland
• Visit the Louvre
• Visit Norway, Sweden, and/or Finland
• Visit Iceland
• Visit Munich (preferably during Oktoberfest)
• Hike a bit in the Schwartzwald
• Visit Neuschwanstein
• Visit Cern and the LHC (yeah, I'm a geek, sue me)
• Visit Rome and see the Colosseum and the Pantheon
• Visit Greece and see the Parthenon
• Visit Japan and see Mt Fuji
• Move back to Seattle (again)
• Pilot my own BattleMech
• Skydive (note: I am acrophobic, so it's harder than it sounds)

Those are just some things that come to mind right off the bat - I've never actually created a bucket list.

Also, Connor, I keep forgetting how young you are! And the other folks are right - as America is the 4th largest nation in the world, you definitely need to be more specific. There is no such thing as an overall American 'culture' simply because we have so many regional ones. NYC, N'Awlins (New Orleans), Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, LA, Vegas, and Seattle (just to pull names from a hat) are all WILDLY different places with different feels and attitudes. I can tell you that from experience, having lived in/near Detroit, Flint, Chicago, St. Louis, Richmond VA, Washington DC, and Bellingham (north of Seattle) WA, as well has having visited 30 or 35 of the 50 states. You could spend years traveling the US without visiting all there is to see.

 

[ConnorGiles]

Sorry I was a little grumpy - this is why I'd avoid the tours . Navigating your own way around, using the transport system, finding your own cafes /restaurants is as much part of it for me.

Connor next to the pantheon is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_sopra_Minerva one of the many spectacular churches of Rome with real artistic treasure within.

I'd also recommend a trip to the pincio for the view - you may get a Pulcinella show thrown in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pincian_Hill
as maybe a walk just beyond the Trevi fountain and Spanish steps (mind the pickpockets - you can literally see them at work here if you sit for a while!)

Maybe try some salmon gnocchi in Piazza Navona and some carciofi in the Jewish neighbourhood.

Also a nice bar - at the end of the night - a good mix of locals and home style pints. Trinity College - Irish pub - a few minutes walk from the pantheon.


Enjoy it! Lucky devil.

Very good Advice Anthony, I thank you for your input, and all of these places are further added to my list when I go!

Have you been before then Anthony? because you seem to know a lot of places - where and how long did you go during your stay ?

And I'm Sure I'll love it from all of your reviews !!!

Thanks so much for all your input!

anything else suggested will also be added if I can fit it on my days

 

[ConnorGiles]

What can I say it's a Fetish of mine..

Don't tell Scarlett..

I may let it slip on the odd occasion scott

 

[ConnorGiles]

Some of the things I'd like to do some day:

• Visit London
• Drive around Scotland
• Visit the Louvre
• Visit Norway, Sweden, and/or Finland
• Visit Iceland
• Visit Munich (preferably during Oktoberfest)
• Hike a bit in the Schwartzwald
• Visit Neuschwanstein
• Visit Cern and the LHC (yeah, I'm a geek, sue me)
• Visit Rome and see the Colosseum and the Pantheon
• Visit Greece and see the Parthenon
• Visit Japan and see Mt Fuji
• Move back to Seattle (again)
• Pilot my own BattleMech
• Skydive (note: I am acrophobic, so it's harder than it sounds)

Those are just some things that come to mind right off the bat - I've never actually created a bucket list.

Also, Connor, I keep forgetting how young you are! And the other folks are right - as America is the 4th largest nation in the world, you definitely need to be more specific. There is no such thing as an overall American 'culture' simply because we have so many regional ones. NYC, N'Awlins (New Orleans), Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, LA, Vegas, and Seattle (just to pull names from a hat) are all WILDLY different places with different feels and attitudes. I can tell you that from experience, having lived in/near Detroit, Flint, Chicago, St. Louis, Richmond VA, Washington DC, and Bellingham (north of Seattle) WA, as well has having visited 30 or 35 of the 50 states. You could spend years traveling the US without visiting all there is to see.

That's a lot of flying! haha

I guess I am the same as I would like to travel. Have you ticked any off yet Frothingslosh?

I know America has many cultures, I think I said something about diverse cultures in my post on the first page

I'm not too sure where to go in America yet, I would love to see the statue of liberty! so maybe that's a start?

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

Very good Advice Anthony, I thank you for your input, and all of these places are further added to my list when I go!

Have you been before then Anthony? because you seem to know a lot of places - where and how long did you go during your stay ?

And I'm Sure I'll love it from all of your reviews !!!

Thanks so much for all your input!

anything else suggested will also be added if I can fit it on my days

I think I've been 4 times - from a couple of days through to two weeks at a time, just as a tourist.

A good guide book, and a bit of reading before you go - and you're sorted. Stayed a couple of miles out in a B&B once - walked in everyday. Stayed next to Piazza Navona once and a couple of times in an apartment just near the pantheon.

As I said - my favourite place.

The more you know of the place before you go the better you will enjoy it I think. How long do you have there?

 

[ConnorGiles]

I think I've been 4 times - from a couple of days through to two weeks at a time, just as a tourist.

A good guide book, and a bit of reading before you go - and you're sorted. Stayed a couple of miles out in a B&B once - walked in everyday. Stayed next to Piazza Navona once and a couple of times in an apartment just near the pantheon.

As I said - my favourite place.

The more you know of the place before you go the better you will enjoy it I think. How long do you have there?

We are going for 5 nights 6 days - Our hotel is in the heart of rome - I forget the name (will have to have a look when I'm home) 4* hotel with bed and breakfast everyday. can't be too bad - (I hear there isn't much difference between 4* and 5* these days - but the price!!)

So travel wont be a problem, We haven't got all inclusive because we would like to sample the cuisine of our choosing from whatever restaurant we choose and can adventure to our hearts content!

Would you like to potentially move there some day? or is it just a holiday location?

 

[Frothingslosh]

That's a lot of flying! haha

I guess I am the same as I would like to travel. Have you ticked any off yet Frothingslosh?

I know America has many cultures, I think I said something about diverse cultures in my post on the first page

I'm not too sure where to go in America yet, I would love to see the statue of liberty! so maybe that's a start?

Not so much - my life hasn't precisely gone the way I'd intended when I was your age.

Yeah, a lot of people, especially Europeans, enter American through NYC, and Lady Liberty is probably the biggest tourist location in the country. If you visit there, you should probably plan to be at it most of the day.

If you start there, I'd also recommend heading from NYC down the coast to Washington DC. It's only 220-ish miles, but with traffic you're talking anywhere from 4 hours (at night) to 6-8 hours (during weekdays) if you drive or take a bus. You can visit the Smithsonian, the National Air and Space Museum, the International Spy Museum, and some of our national monuments like Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial (both are on The Mall, and it's absolutely gorgeous). During March, the thousands upon thousands of cherry trees gifted to us by the Emperor of Japan a hundred or hundred fifty years ago all bloom, making the city both gorgeous and nice-smelling.

Farther south in Virginia you can find a ton of battlefields from our Civil War if you're into that kind of thing, including the locations of the first and last battles fought. There was also a lot of fighting in VA during the American Revolution, many of which locations you can find and visit.

Even farther south you can visit Atlanta in Georgia. In Florida, lots of tourists visit Miami and Tampa, and Orlando is home to Disney World and Sea World.

If you go West instead, in Pennsylvania you can visit Philadelphia, which was our capital during the Revolution. You also have the Appalachian mountains running down the east coast, which while not incredibly tall are gorgeous, especially around Pittsburgh and in the Smoky Mountains in the Carolinas.

Farther west, you should at the very least visit Niagara Falls (in western New York) as well as the Great Lakes (in Michigan). They will both likely blow your mind. Michigan also has a 5 mile long suspension bridge connecting the two peninsulas, along with an island near the bridge where cars aren't allowed. That whole area was important in the War of 1812 (aka the Other War With England), so there are a number of historical sites if you're interested in that.

If you visit just before Lent, you absolutely should visit New Orleans and see Mardi Gras. That's one thing I forgot to add to my own list.

Even farther west, you have the Badlands in Wyoming, the Rocky Mountains (which may not impress you if you've seen the Alps or Himalayas, but will impress the HELL out of you otherwise), Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and the Grand Canyon. Vegas is popular for tourists, as is Hollywood.

Seattle is another gorgeous city, with a culture nothing like the rest of the US - it's way more laid back, and there really are coffee shops EVERYWHERE. It's also in the Cascade mountain range, which is an offshoot of the Rockies. Slightly lower, but heavily forested. If you do visit the Pacific Northwest, make sure to see the redwoods - they really do have to be seen to be believed.

There are cruises that run from the lower 48 up to Alaska and back that are pretty popular.

And then there's Hawaii, our very own tropical island state. The state economy really is based on tourism, and it's pretty much a paradise.

And for the record, all that above just barely scratches the surface. When a nation takes up half a continent, there is a LOT to visit.

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

We are going for 5 nights 6 days - Our hotel is in the heart of rome - I forget the name (will have to have a look when I'm home) 4* hotel with bed and breakfast everyday. can't be too bad - (I hear there isn't much difference between 4* and 5* these days - but the price!!)

So travel wont be a problem, We haven't got all inclusive because we would like to sample the cuisine of our choosing from whatever restaurant we choose and can adventure to our hearts content!

Would you like to potentially move there some day? or is it just a holiday location?

If I win the lottery I will have an apartment in Rome - amongst other homes obviously!

 

[ConnorGiles]

Not so much - my life hasn't precisely gone the way I'd intended when I was your age.

Yeah, a lot of people, especially Europeans, enter American through NYC, and Lady Liberty is probably the biggest tourist location in the country. If you visit there, you should probably plan to be at it most of the day.

If you start there, I'd also recommend heading from NYC down the coast to Washington DC. It's only 220-ish miles, but with traffic you're talking anywhere from 4 hours (at night) to 6-8 hours (during weekdays) if you drive or take a bus. You can visit the Smithsonian, the National Air and Space Museum, the International Spy Museum, and some of our national monuments like Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial (both are on The Mall, and it's absolutely gorgeous). During March, the thousands upon thousands of cherry trees gifted to us by the Emperor of Japan a hundred or hundred fifty years ago all bloom, making the city both gorgeous and nice-smelling.

Farther south in Virginia you can find a ton of battlefields from our Civil War if you're into that kind of thing, including the locations of the first and last battles fought. There was also a lot of fighting in VA during the American Revolution, many of which locations you can find and visit.

Even farther south you can visit Atlanta in Georgia. In Florida, lots of tourists visit Miami and Tampa, and Orlando is home to Disney World and Sea World.

If you go West instead, in Pennsylvania you can visit Philadelphia, which was our capital during the Revolution. You also have the Appalachian mountains running down the east coast, which while not incredibly tall are gorgeous, especially around Pittsburgh and in the Smoky Mountains in the Carolinas.

Farther west, you should at the very least visit Niagara Falls (in western New York) as well as the Great Lakes (in Michigan). They will both likely blow your mind. Michigan also has a 5 mile long suspension bridge connecting the two peninsulas, along with an island near the bridge where cars aren't allowed. That whole area was important in the War of 1812 (aka the Other War With England), so there are a number of historical sites if you're interested in that.

If you visit just before Lent, you absolutely should visit New Orleans and see Mardi Gras. That's one thing I forgot to add to my own list.

Even farther west, you have the Badlands in Wyoming, the Rocky Mountains (which may not impress you if you've seen the Alps or Himalayas, but will impress the HELL out of you otherwise), Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and the Grand Canyon. Vegas is popular for tourists, as is Hollywood.

Seattle is another gorgeous city, with a culture nothing like the rest of the US - it's way more laid back, and there really are coffee shops EVERYWHERE. It's also in the Cascade mountain range, which is an offshoot of the Rockies. Slightly lower, but heavily forested. If you do visit the Pacific Northwest, make sure to see the redwoods - they really do have to be seen to be believed.

There are cruises that run from the lower 48 up to Alaska and back that are pretty popular.

And then there's Hawaii, our very own tropical island state. The state economy really is based on tourism, and it's pretty much a paradise.

And for the record, all that above just barely scratches the surface. When a nation takes up half a continent, there is a LOT to visit.

*Copies and Pastes and places in Bucket List Folder* - You sir just planned my American Voyage. We shall make a travel agent from you yet Frothingslosh!

Niagra falls is one of the many wonders I plan to visit anyway

Would like to visit those tropical islands everyone so much adores also, But at this moment I'm not one for the beach and staying in a resort (Currently in a sightseeing frame of mind!)

Those cherry trees also sound beautiful to see at that time of year, so that is a must see for me.

I once heard from a friend that they went to the USA (New York) and they went a walk around the park, which for us in the UK is a 15 minute walk maybe an hour at best! but it took them 4 hours... I mean it really put my mind in perspective of how big New York actually is! Well now I know why they call it the concrete jungle!

The Grand Canyon is another wonder I WILL see!

Thank you very much for your post Frothingslosh! I very much appreciate your input and it will be added to my "To Do List"

Have you visited all of those places?

 

[ConnorGiles]

If I win the lottery I will have an apartment in Rome - amongst other homes obviously!

So just a holiday location I'm guessing? and another thing - I can not speak a lick of Italian, I'll take an educated guess that it would be wise to buy a phrase booklet?

 

[Frothingslosh]

Central Park? LOL That is a rather misleading name. There are towns that are smaller!

Keep in mind a saying another British friend of mine once told me - "Americans think 200 years is a long time, while Brits think 200 miles is a long distance." That should tell you a LOT about how we think.

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

So just a holiday location I'm guessing? and another thing - I can not speak a lick of Italian, I'll take an educated guess that it would be wise to buy a phrase booklet?

Ahhh to be 18 - and to have a realistic chance of moving wherever you fancied!

Practicalities say its a place to visit or retire to if very lucky for me!

 

[Frothingslosh]

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention in my 'travel guide' post - if you do take the trip from NYC to DC by ground, welcome to the Northeast Megalopolis. It is effectively one city that stretches from Boston to DC.

 

[Brianwarnock]

Central Park? LOL That is a rather misleading name. There are towns that are smaller!

Keep in mind a saying another British friend of mine once told me - "Americans think 200 years is a long time, while Brits think 200 miles is a long distance." That should tell you a LOT about how we think.

It is however much quicker and more relaxing to drive 200 miles in America than in England. On one of our trips a guy from the forum arranged to meet us, he and his wife drove over 50 miles to have an evening meal with a couple of strangers.

Central Park is almost 4 times the size of the English park that inspired it, but then you do have smidgen more space than us.

Brian

 

[Brianwarnock]

I can not speak a lick of Italian, I'll take an educated guess that it would be wise to buy a phrase booklet?

A phrase book is most useful in America.

The locals always like you to try even if they immediately come back in English.

Brian

 

[Frothingslosh]

Heh, honestly, in the American South, especially around N'Awlins, a phrase book might not be a bad idea. ;-)

As to driving, it really depends on where you are. My previous job had a 40 mile commute that took 1.5 hours to get to work and 3 hours to get home. When I lived outside DC, my commute was 7 whole miles, and it took an hour to get to work and 2 hours to get home. Going opposite the direction of most traffic. On an expressway because the other roads were WORSE.

 

[Brianwarnock]

Ok my mistake, I hadn't thought of a 200 mile drive as being a city commute.

Brian

 

[Frothingslosh]

LOL I actually worked with someone who did that kind of drive! We all thought he was nuts.

My longest commute has been 70 miles, and believe me it sucked.

I was really just saying that commuting in one of our big cities is an exercise in frustration due to how slowly the traffic moves thanks to obsolete infrastructure. Outside of the metro areas, though, you're right - we do get to move places in a hurry once we're out of metro traffic.

 

[kevlray]

Back in one of the early posts, Yosemite was mentioned. I lived and worked there for three years. Still visit when I can. The valley can be somewhat boring, but there is so much just there I have not seen yet. I am not sure my knees are up to long hikes anymore, but I would love to backpack into the wilderness sometime. That could take most of my remaining lifetime.

 

[ConnorGiles]

200 miles to work!

Mine is 9 miles commute and that seems a life time !!!

I feel for the guy, I really do.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, really appreciate them