Do you love to travel? Are you constantly adding places to your travel bucket list? I get it. I’ve been there. In fact, I’m still there. These are my favorite travel experiences you should definitely add to your travel bucket list.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. Then, with all the things being cancelled and everyone staying in, I began to wonder if my cancelled trips really mattered.
However, that then raised a bigger question of does travel matter?
And I’m here to tell you it does. It’s critical to my well-being personally but I also truly believe it’s critical to a well-balanced world.
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So Why Does Travel Matter so Much?
During all the covid-19 mess, I kept seeing things on social media about how I shouldn’t complain about a cancelled trip because other people have lost their jobs, their homes, etc.
And while I completely understand that there are those way worse off than me, I had to learn it’s okay to have my feelings too. So far this year, we’ve had to cancel many a trip, and it has definitely been a hard pill to swallow, and that’s okay.
Now please do not get me wrong, I don’t pretend to downplay other’s pain, but I don’t downplay the importance of travel either. When you really think about it, the whole reason why we know about other’s troubles is because someone somewhere traveled and told you about it. Either that, or you’ve been there yourself.
Therefore, travel really does matter. It allows us to understand other cultures, other beliefs, and other humans in general. You can’t truly understand a place until you’ve been there.
That’s why I’ve decided to share my best travel experiences of all time. This is not to brag (okay maybe a little ;)) but to share the experiences that have shaped me. You can add them to your own bucket lists and hopefully be inspired to travel (once it’s really safe again). Every single one of these experiences is one that really stuck out to me and one that I do believe has shaped who I am.
USA Travel Bucket List
First up is USA travel. Growing up, I traveled a lot as kid, my parents took us camping in Colorado every summer and usually one more summer trip, along with a spring break and Christmas trip. I was incredibly lucky to have parents that took me many places within the US, and it fueled my wanderlust.
1. Camping Colorado
First up, camping in Colorado each year was and still is, a truly lovely trip. I have so many great memories of going a week without a shower and it’s certainly made me able to handle all types of travel. Being able to camp, really camp, will allow anyone to adjust to different situations.
2. Disney World at Christmas
Next, Disney World is great at Christmas. Yes, it’s crowded but dealing with crowds is surely a good test of your travel abilities. I’ve actually got a whole post here about why I love Disney at Christmas and why it’s totally worth it.
3. Coastal Drive in California
Now, I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t love California. San Francisco is great but I really hate L.A. (sorry!). However, I did get engaged on the coast of California and that was definitely special. The coastline is beautiful and I’d love to do more of it.
4. Hot Air Balloon Festival in New Mexico
I’ve always loved hot air balloons and so I had this New Mexico festival on my bucket list for a long while. I had been to New Mexico a lot growing up (my dad worked there all the time) but had never done this. So my husband and I took a long weekend and enjoyed this festival.
It’s so cool to be around all the balloons and I think it would be a great trip for kids. They can see how much hard work goes into the festival first hand. You can also visit the entire Enchanted Circle of New Mexico from here.
5. Yellowstone National Park
If you’ve never been to the world’s oldest National park, then you are missing out. This is such a beautiful place with so much uniqueness and it is one of my favorite travel bucket list items.
There’s hot springs, waterfalls, geysers, mud pools and more. The entire thing is a volcano so there’s a lot of weird things that go on. I also remember seeing a grizzly bear 100 yards from the road (yes, that was a bit scary), wolves, loads of buffalo, and more wildlife.
Check out my full post on Yellowstone to find out how many days you’ll need there.
6. Watching a Yankees Game from the Bleacher Seats
This next best travel experience was quite eye-opening. When I was in middle school, we took a trip to New York and the only Yankees tickets were in the bleacher seats. Since we had to go, we did it. Man, that was nuts! Little kids yelling at the players, flipping-off coaches, the Yankees are serious.
7. Exploring Alaska by Car & Plane
There’s a lot of emptiness in Alaska, and very few people. When I went as a teenager I definitely didn’t appreciate that which is why I went back and will go again in my lifetime. A lot of people do a cruise to Alaska and you honestly miss a lot that way. The real Alaska is seen by car and plane.
8. New Orleans Bowl Game
Finally, for the USA, New Orleans is certainly unique and a fun trip no matter what. However, attending a college bowl game on New Year’s Day is probably my favorite activity I’ve done there. If only the Aggies had won.
9. Watching the Sunrise on Haleakala in Hawaii
There are a lot of things I could add to this list from Hawaii. The snorkelling is fantastic, the beaches lovely, and the food exceptional. The road to Hana is also a great thing to do. However, my favorite was watching the sunrise from the top of a volcano. Haleakala National Park is beautiful and, although you have to wake up super early, it’s worth it.
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