GTKY: Travel Bucket List

hoffse · January 2016

I think we've done this before, but I couldn't find it. H and I keep a travel destination bucket list. With so many travel plans for 2016, it made me wonder if anybody else does this?

If money and time were no object, what destinations would be on your bucket list?

hoffse · January 2016

Here's what ours says right now. It's long!

America

Hawaii

Alaska (cruise)

Road trip through the west

Maine

Central America/Caribbean

Costa Rica

Rent an island off the coast of Belize

Stay at Le Blanc in Mexico

Stay at Jade Mountain in St. Lucia

South America

Galapagos cruise

Peru for Machu Picchu and the Nazca lines

Ushuaia, Argentina & a cruise to Antarctica

Easter Island

Patagonia

Europe

Everywhere, but topping our list right now is Spain and Portugal

Crete in Greece to see the ruins at Knossos

Tulip fields of the Netherlands

Istanbul and a balloon ride in the Cappadocia region of Turkey

Poland

Africa

Fez, Morocco

Egypt - Nile cruise

Petra in Jordan

Jerusalem

Serengeti NP for the Great Migration

Asia

Japan when the cherry blossoms bloom

Cambodia for Angkor Wat

China - Xian, Beijing, Huangshan, and a ghost city

Jakarta, Indonesia for Borobudur

Borneo/Sumatra

Maldives

For some reason Australia has never really called to me, but obviously I wouldn't pass up the chance to go!

als1982 · January 2016

At this point, I'd like to go back to the places we're already been and spend so more time there! Otherwise, here are a few places we haven't been, that I'd like to see:

Dubai, UAE
Johannesburg, South Africa
Montreal, Canada
Cairo, Egypt
Reykjavik, Iceland
Budapest, Hungary
St. Petersburg, Russia

BlueBirdMB · January 2016

I'll give the top part of our list

US

-New Orleans (checking that off in May!)

-I'd like to do a driving trip from Tampa to TX along the Gulf

-Another driving trip would be from Charleston, to Savannah, to St. Augustine

-Yellowstone

-Alaska. I've been there, but H hasn't and I want to go back

-Hawaii (we're planning this for early 2017)

-I'd like to do a TX trip. There's a ton there I wan to see.

Mexico

I've traveled around Mexico quite a bit, but I'd like to do a trip where I do Oaxaca (and see Monte Alban of course), Veracruz, and Campeche (there are several lesser known Mayan sites in the state I want to see). I love Mexico more than any other country I have been to. I've been many times and I plan to go many more times.

Japan

India

This is pretty high on our list. H is from India. We'd go as our next trip, but I'm very sensitive to air pollution and I don't want to end up sick just when we start TTC

Israel

This is probably first on my list, but H feels unsafe about it. I'd also like to see Petra while we are there.

Greece

Croatia

Austria to Hungry

Do Vienna, to Salzburg, to Budapest

BlueBirdMB · January 2016

hoffse road tripping ME is easy, relaxing, and so beautiful. Spain was my favorite country in Europe. We ate. so. well. I loved the architecture and history, but it was worth it for the food.

als1982 Montreal is kind of disappointing. The old city is very small. Quebec City has more to do and the old city is much bigger and more European looking. You can do both cities in one trip very easily.

JoanE2012 · January 2016

Our list is neverending (there are not many places I wouldn't want to visit!), but this is the short list of places that come up over and over again:

South Africa / Tanzania (safari)

New Zealand

Australia

Thailand (Phuket)

Vietnam / Cambodia

China

Galapagos

Alaska (cruise)

Dubai

Croatia

Russia

Cook Islands

Fiji

Scandinavia

Turkey

Greece (mainland and the islands)

Chile/Easter Island

bmo88 · January 2016

We have been knocking off places slowly over the years and tend to add slowly. Our current list includes:

USA

New York City

Boston

Philadelphia

Yosemite

Abroad

Spain (been to Barcelona, want to go to Madrid)

Amsterdam

Honduras

Ecuador

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

We're determined to do a lot of travel in our lives and have a long bucket list. Most of these I think are doable to get to at some point. Like @als182, I also want to return to many places that I have been before. I know a lot of people try not to repeat, but two of the places I've been (Bonaire and New Zealand) were amazing to the point that I think about them daily, even though it's been almost a decade since New Zealand.

Another issue we have is that there are several bucket list places that H and I don't agree on. I'm trying to bring him around, but for now, when we can only do a big trip every year or two, we kind of need to limit ourselves to places we both love.

General World Travel

Spain (likely next European trip)

Scandinavia, emphasis on Norway

Scotland

Ireland (return with H)

Peru-Macchu Picchu

Chile-Hiking in the Patagonia

New Zealand (return with H)

Tokyo

Hong Kong

Iceland

Southeast Asia (H is not interested-working on it)

Africa wildlife-viewing safari (H is super not interested, and unsure I can get him there)

Dive Trips

Bonaire (want to return regularly throughout our lives)

Grand Cayman

Cozumel

The Exumas

Honduras Bay Islands

Indonesia

Fiji (return with H)

The Maldives (H is not interested)

Iceland (cold water diving, continental divide)

South Africa herring run and great white shark dive

US/Canada

Our biggest US priorities are National Parks: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Olympic

New Orleans

Austin, TX

Seattle (return with H)

Portland, OR

Banff

Miami (return-loved it)

Montreal

Toronto

hoffse · January 2016

Yeah I agree it's worth returning to places you really enjoy. H and I will definitely go back to Belgium a few times, and we'll probably pair it with the Netherlands or Paris each time. Loved all three, and we just barely scratched the surface. We're doing our first return trip to Italy this summer.

We are intentionally saving some of the closer destinations for after kids, though we might pick one of those places as a babymoon (hate the word, love the concept). I keep telling myself we'll be able to bring ourselves to travel after having kids, but I do recognize we might not be crossing oceans again anytime soon.

There are a lot of places in the Caribbean that interest me, but they don't really rise to bucket list because they are pretty easy for us to get to. Atlanta has a direct flight to almost all of the islands.

I would also like to visit all 50 states. I'm at 24 right now, and H is at 26.

Also, world cruise. Obviously.

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

hoffse said:

Yeah I agree it's worth returning to places you really enjoy. H and I will definitely go back to Belgium a few times, and we'll probably pair it with the Netherlands or Paris each time. Loved all three, and we just barely scratched the surface. We're doing our first return trip to Italy this summer.

We are intentionally saving some of the closer destinations for after kids, though we might pick one of those places as a babymoon (hate the word, love the concept). I keep telling myself we'll be able to bring ourselves to travel after having kids, but I do recognize we might not be crossing oceans again anytime soon.

There are a lot of places in the Caribbean that interest me, but they don't really rise to bucket list because they are pretty easy for us to get to. Atlanta has a direct flight to almost all of the islands.

I would also like to visit all 50 states. I'm at 24 right now, and H is at 26.

Also, world cruise. Obviously.

We really have to keep telling ourselves we'll be able to travel with kids, too (presuming we are able to have them-we don't yet). We made a deal with ourselves that starting with 2016, we'll leave the country, with a child once we have one, at least once a year. We're half a day's drive from some fun parts of Canada (Montreal, beautiful maritime areas of New Brunswick, etc.) which makes that an easier claim to make for us. We talk about leaving the kids with grandparents for travel, but realistically, I'm not sure how good I'll be at that given what a basket case I am leaving the dog for a week.

I think the National Parks will be great with kids, so I'm saving those for a kid in the 6-12 range. Same with Macchu Picchu; since we missed our window to do that pre-TTC for financial reasons, I think I'll save it for a child old enough to enjoy it with us. I also think Caribbean beach trips can work really well for children; it just means we can't be constantly diving, at least not at the same time. One of the reasons we ultimately decided not to put off TTC until after our upcoming trip is that I want to normalize in my head that we travel, and we want a family, and those two things shouldn't be mutually exclusive. I have a lot of self doubt about that choice, though.

jessica490 · January 2016

US- Some of these are repeats but there's always more to see

California

Florida

Las Vegas

Myrtle Beach

Arizona

Lake Tahoe

Ocean City

Atlantic City

North/South Carolina's

Alaska?

Hawaii?

We not into international travel as much...but we do like the Caribbean

So:

more cruises to the Caribbean- anywhere!

more Sandals locations

Turks and Caico's

Tahiti

Bora Bora

abrewer5 · January 2016

jessica490 said:

US- Some of these are repeats but there's always more to see
California
Florida
Las Vegas
Myrtle Beach
Arizona
Lake Tahoe
Ocean City
Atlantic City
North/South Carolina's
Alaska?
Hawaii?

We not into international travel as much...but we do like the Caribbean

So:
more cruises to the Caribbean- anywhere!
more Sandals locations
Turks and Caico's
Tahiti
Bora Bora

Is this Ocean City, MD by chance? I live about 2 1/2-3 hours from OCMD! I love it there. MIL has a condo there and we go about 3 times per year.

als1982 · January 2016

Xstatic3333 said:

hoffse said:

Yeah I agree it's worth returning to places you really enjoy. H and I will definitely go back to Belgium a few times, and we'll probably pair it with the Netherlands or Paris each time. Loved all three, and we just barely scratched the surface. We're doing our first return trip to Italy this summer.

We are intentionally saving some of the closer destinations for after kids, though we might pick one of those places as a babymoon (hate the word, love the concept). I keep telling myself we'll be able to bring ourselves to travel after having kids, but I do recognize we might not be crossing oceans again anytime soon.

There are a lot of places in the Caribbean that interest me, but they don't really rise to bucket list because they are pretty easy for us to get to. Atlanta has a direct flight to almost all of the islands.

I would also like to visit all 50 states. I'm at 24 right now, and H is at 26.

Also, world cruise. Obviously.

We really have to keep telling ourselves we'll be able to travel with kids, too (presuming we are able to have them-we don't yet). We made a deal with ourselves that starting with 2016, we'll leave the country, with a child once we have one, at least once a year. We're half a day's drive from some fun parts of Canada (Montreal, beautiful maritime areas of New Brunswick, etc.) which makes that an easier claim to make for us. We talk about leaving the kids with grandparents for travel, but realistically, I'm not sure how good I'll be at that given what a basket case I am leaving the dog for a week.

I think the National Parks will be great with kids, so I'm saving those for a kid in the 6-12 range. Same with Macchu Picchu; since we missed our window to do that pre-TTC for financial reasons, I think I'll save it for a child old enough to enjoy it with us. I also think Caribbean beach trips can work really well for children; it just means we can't be constantly diving, at least not at the same time. One of the reasons we ultimately decided not to put off TTC until after our upcoming trip is that I want to normalize in my head that we travel, and we want a family, and those two things shouldn't be mutually exclusive. I have a lot of self doubt about that choice, though.

I think life's "what ifs" are why we've crammed so much travel into the first parts of our lives and marriage. I always think about my dad who died at 55, before ever having the opportunity to cross the pond, or the parents of patients at my hospital, the health of whose children would impede any major travel. At this point, I've hit close to 30 countries and seen more cities and landmarks than I'd ever dreamed growing up. If something happens and we're never able to travel again, then I'd be satisfied with those memories. Of course, hoping and praying we're all happy and healthy, but I know from experience that's not always the reality.

hoffse · January 2016

Xstatic3333 said:

We really have to keep telling ourselves we'll be able to travel with kids, too (presuming we are able to have them-we don't yet). We made a deal with ourselves that starting with 2016, we'll leave the country, with a child once we have one, at least once a year. We're half a day's drive from some fun parts of Canada (Montreal, beautiful maritime areas of New Brunswick, etc.) which makes that an easier claim to make for us. We talk about leaving the kids with grandparents for travel, but realistically, I'm not sure how good I'll be at that given what a basket case I am leaving the dog for a week.

I think the National Parks will be great with kids, so I'm saving those for a kid in the 6-12 range. Same with Macchu Picchu; since we missed our window to do that pre-TTC for financial reasons, I think I'll save it for a child old enough to enjoy it with us. I also think Caribbean beach trips can work really well for children; it just means we can't be constantly diving, at least not at the same time. One of the reasons we ultimately decided not to put off TTC until after our upcoming trip is that I want to normalize in my head that we travel, and we want a family, and those two things shouldn't be mutually exclusive. I have a lot of self doubt about that choice, though.

*****SIB********

I hear you on the kids thing. I've spent the last couple of years trying to brainwash myself to believe we can do it!

Ideally I would like to be able to do a trip with them and a trip without them each year. I think it's important for parents to have a chance to recharge without their kids once in awhile, and I would like our kids to have a close relationship with their grandparents. My mom is retired and is more than capable of handling some little kids, but I do worry I won't be able to bring myself to leave them for a few days when they are little. We'll probably start with a couple nights and build up from there.

We will definitely not be doing transatlantics with them until they are old enough to 1) behave on the airplane and 2) remember it. My H did a bunch of transatlantics as a little kid to see his grandparents in Belgium, and he has very few memories of it. They took a family trip to Switzerland when he was 4, and literally the only thing he remembers is having to pull over on the side of a mountain/cliff to change his little brother's diaper because he had a blow out. Not too inspiring!

I think we're going to hold off on the more exotic places with kids until they are old enough to ask to go with us. H and I would like to still be able to go on our own though, maybe once every year or two.

We are lucky to live pretty close to the Gulf, so beach trips with little kids ought to be fairly easy. That's what most families end up doing around here every single year. I do hope we are able to branch out from that once they are a little older though.

jessica490 · January 2016

abrewer5 said:

jessica490 said:

US- Some of these are repeats but there's always more to see
California
Florida
Las Vegas
Myrtle Beach
Arizona
Lake Tahoe
Ocean City
Atlantic City
North/South Carolina's
Alaska?
Hawaii?

We not into international travel as much...but we do like the Caribbean

So:
more cruises to the Caribbean- anywhere!
more Sandals locations
Turks and Caico's
Tahiti
Bora Bora

Is this Ocean City, MD by chance? I live about 2 1/2-3 hours from OCMD! I love it there. MIL has a condo there and we go about 3 times per year.

Yes! I think I went there once when I was a kid but don't remember it...so h and I need to go! I think it will be fun

simplyelise · January 2016

I always struggle a little when this question gets posed on the forum. Most people do not earn six figures or have the ability to take more than 1 week off work a year. We certainly do not fall in that bracket. We cannot afford an international trip every year. That doesn't mean we wouldn't love to travel and value the experiences. But it just smacks of privilege when people start talking about how important travel is and how it shouldn't be sacrificed and how you should prioritize it. Well, when you don't make six figures, it's a lot harder to prioritize a luxury. We are pretty blessed and make really decent money for our neck of the woods, and maybe if we didn't have a commitment to tithing, then we would be in the same boat with others on travelling. But we're never going to be in the earning category where travel is easy.

It's important to me to acknowledge that travel is a luxury and that those who aren't travelling are most likely not holding back because they don't value travel. They're holding back because multiple (let alone yearly) international trips in a lifetime is cost prohibitive for the vast majority of families in the US. I don't begrudge anyone the trips they take with their hard-earned money, it's just frustrating sometimes when value or worth is placed on how well-traveled someone is. I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way when this topic comes up, so I wanted to throw it out there for anyone who commiserates.

That said, my goal since I was 18 was to go somewhere every year (even if it's somewhere boring to visit a friend or just a long weekend trip to a different city) and to a different country at least every 5 years. Here is a list of places I'd love to go visit:

US - Oregon Trail Road Trip (baby moon), leaf peeping on east coast, Alaskan cruise (probably in retirement), Grand Canyon & nearby parks (with kids), DC (we've been, but want to go with kids), New Orleans, and Seattle (paired with Toronto).

International - England/Scotland, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, Spain, Southeast Asia, Inca Trail, New Zealand, Egypt, Turkey (hopefully when it's safe someday I can see the Hagia Sophia!), Iceland, and a return to Ireland.

JoanE2012 - I spent two months in Tanzania in college and my #1 recommendation is Ngorongoro crater for safari. I was there working, but I had a break and went to the beach in Tanga for a couple days and it was completely worth it and way less crowded than Zanzibar but with similar views and great snorkeling. I also recommend taking 6 days if you plan to attempt Kili. My route tried to assent in 4 days (descent 1) and I got so sick I couldn't do the final summit

Still had amazing views and the most beautiful starlit sky imaginable, but if you want to summit, make sure you have time to acclimate.

hoffse · January 2016

@SimplyElise, I hear you. It's definitely a luxury, and I didn't leave the United States at all until I was in college.

I do think, however, that a lot of people write it off because they think it's more expensive than it is or because they simply aren't comfortable leaving the US bubble. There are a lot of middle income families that spend more to go to Disney World every few years than it would cost to go to Europe.

I place value on people leaving the country for two reasons - first, it can help us really appreciate how great we have it here, and second, it helps remind us that we aren't the only country in the world that matters. The sense of American superiority and isolationism that I have encountered from people who ought to know better is really appalling. H and I have both had people ask us, "What do you do if you get sick over there?" We have both had people ask us, "Where do you find food?" That second question I encountered before leaving for London. This person didn't know where you would find food in London. Seriously. It's completely ridiculous. I want those people to leave the country if only so they see that the US isn't the end-all and be-all of civilization.

But you are correct that it's expensive, and it's not something that comes before other necessities.

emily1004 · January 2016

Israel, Bora Bora, Bali, Australia, England, Scotland, Iceland, Amsterdam, Argentina, New Zealand, Ireland and Italy, (My maternal great-grandmother is from Florence).

But, the priority for me will be to visit Cuba. Also, St. Maarten for Christmas. (I want to lay on the beach while planes flying over me on Christmas day).

Most likely the next trip to be planned will be Boston.

I will be able to cross Denver and SLC off my list in a few days!

smerka · January 2016

@simplyelise it is all about choices. Some people prioritize different things. You prioritize tithing. We chose for me to stay home with the kids because we both hated daycare as kids. No one is wrong or right. It is what they have chosen. DH and I are planning a trip to the NE for our 10-year anniversary. I will be able to knock off four states off my list bringing my total to 44 states visited (most of that was done on the cheap as a geology student). It will be our first plane trip since 2010. Having a kid with autism makes traveling a really scary proposition.

brij2006 · January 2016

A better question is, where don't I want to travel to?

I seriously would love to experience anywhere and everywhere. Even different states.

Right now the top places on my list for in the states are:
Colorado
Washington

Maine

New York

Give me a convertible and weeks off work, and let me travel.

International I really haven't thought about too much. I would LOVE to go back to England and take H to show him around. Since we have DD, we know we won't be doing that long of a flight with her, and we won't be leaving her for that long of a time. I would want to do a minimum of 2 weeks anywhere.

But my running list has been:

Australia

New Zealand

Italy (Have a friend stationed in Sacile and he's offered up free lodging)

Greece (have another friend stationed in Chania right now and would love to use it as an excuse to go visit)

Netherlands

Africa (really not sure where)

cbee817 · January 2016

There are a few places that we want to go, but mainly want to plan trips for the girls as they get older.

List for them includes: NYC (a few times since it's close), Montreal, Toronto (we're close to the Canadian border), Nantucket, DC (at least twice), Chicago, Hawaii (we already went there for our honeymoon), Vancouver/Seattle, probably a 2nd Disney trip with a cruise when they're older, and a trip across the country hitting a lot of states/camp grounds/national parks (preferably in an RV over the month of July or August). I've actually been to all of these places except for Montreal- the cross country trip was with an ex-BF when I was 18, but still a pretty amazing trip.

Abroad is UK, maybe France- Amsterdam, Italy, and Greece have always been top places for me although Spain sounds pretty awesome based on that other post.

DD#1 was talking about Charles Lindbergh this morning (her elementary school opened in 1929 and was named after him)- how his plane is in a museum in Washington DC and it's called the Spirit of St. Louis.. I think DC will have to be our next trip!

als1982 · January 2016

simplyelise said:
I always struggle a little when this question gets posed on the forum. Most people do not earn six figures or have the ability to take more than 1 week off work a year. We certainly do not fall in that bracket. We cannot afford an international trip every year. That doesn't mean we wouldn't love to travel and value the experiences. But it just smacks of privilege when people start talking about how important travel is and how it shouldn't be sacrificed and how you should prioritize it. Well, when you don't make six figures, it's a lot harder to prioritize a luxury. We are pretty blessed and make really decent money for our neck of the woods, and maybe if we didn't have a commitment to tithing, then we would be in the same boat with others on travelling. But we're never going to be in the earning category where travel is easy.

It's important to me to acknowledge that travel is a luxury and that those who aren't travelling are most likely not holding back because they don't value travel. They're holding back because multiple (let alone yearly) international trips in a lifetime is cost prohibitive for the vast majority of families in the US. I don't begrudge anyone the trips they take with their hard-earned money, it's just frustrating sometimes when value or worth is placed on how well-traveled someone is. I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way when this topic comes up, so I wanted to throw it out there for anyone who commiserates.

That said, my goal since I was 18 was to go somewhere every year (even if it's somewhere boring to visit a friend or just a long weekend trip to a different city) and to a different country at least every 5 years. Here is a list of places I'd love to go visit:

US - Oregon Trail Road Trip (baby moon), leaf peeping on east coast, Alaskan cruise (probably in retirement), Grand Canyon & nearby parks (with kids), DC (we've been, but want to go with kids), New Orleans, and Seattle (paired with Toronto).

International - England/Scotland, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, Spain, Southeast Asia, Inca Trail, New Zealand, Egypt, Turkey (hopefully when it's safe someday I can see the Hagia Sophia!), Iceland, and a return to Ireland.

JoanE2012 - I spent two months in Tanzania in college and my #1 recommendation is Ngorongoro crater for safari. I was there working, but I had a break and went to the beach in Tanga for a couple days and it was completely worth it and way less crowded than Zanzibar but with similar views and great snorkeling. I also recommend taking 6 days if you plan to attempt Kili. My route tried to assent in 4 days (descent 1) and I got so sick I couldn't do the final summit Still had amazing views and the most beautiful starlit sky imaginable, but if you want to summit, make sure you have time to acclimate.

This is pretty presumptive, especially for this board.

Yes, travel is a luxury, but the average American lives a life full of luxuries. Home computers, televisions, cable, the internet, decorated homes with more than the necessary amount of rooms and space, closets full of clothes, eating out and going out, and in many areas, cars, especially more than one per family, are all luxuries, any way you slice it. Most people just prioritize these things over travel, which is fine.

Also, I'll say that personally about half of my international travel happened as a single person making FAR less than six figures, because that was my priority, and NOT some of those things mentioned above.

hoffse · January 2016

cbee817 said:

There are a few places that we want to go, but mainly want to plan trips for the girls as they get older.

List for them includes: NYC (a few times since it's close), Montreal, Toronto (we're close to the Canadian border), Nantucket, DC (at least twice), Chicago, Hawaii (we already went there for our honeymoon), Vancouver/Seattle, probably a 2nd Disney trip with a cruise when they're older, and a trip across the country hitting a lot of states/camp grounds/national parks (preferably in an RV over the month of July or August).

Abroad is UK, maybe France- Amsterdam, Italy, and Greece have always been top places for me although Spain sounds pretty awesome based on that other post.

DD#1 was talking about Charles Lindbergh this morning (her elementary school opened in 1929 and was named after him)- how his plane is in a museum in Washington DC and it's called the Spirit of St. Louis.. I think DC will have to be our next trip!

****SIB*********

That's super cute

That's the kind of interest H and I would want to see before taking our kids to these places. DC is really family friendly, since there are lots of cheap flights and the museums are free.

My family did several trips to DC growing up, and I just loved it. We usually went to Williamsburg also since it's close by, and I remember being enchanted by all the people in costume We would usually camp a few nights to save money.

cbee817 · January 2016

hoffse said:

cbee817 said:

There are a few places that we want to go, but mainly want to plan trips for the girls as they get older.

List for them includes: NYC (a few times since it's close), Montreal, Toronto (we're close to the Canadian border), Nantucket, DC (at least twice), Chicago, Hawaii (we already went there for our honeymoon), Vancouver/Seattle, probably a 2nd Disney trip with a cruise when they're older, and a trip across the country hitting a lot of states/camp grounds/national parks (preferably in an RV over the month of July or August).

Abroad is UK, maybe France- Amsterdam, Italy, and Greece have always been top places for me although Spain sounds pretty awesome based on that other post.

DD#1 was talking about Charles Lindbergh this morning (her elementary school opened in 1929 and was named after him)- how his plane is in a museum in Washington DC and it's called the Spirit of St. Louis.. I think DC will have to be our next trip!

****SIB*********

That's super cute

That's the kind of interest H and I would want to see before taking our kids to these places. DC is really family friendly, since there are lots of cheap flights and the museums are free.

My family did several trips to DC growing up, and I just loved it. We usually went to Williamsburg also since it's close by, and I remember being enchanted by all the people in costume We would usually camp a few nights to save money.

I was blown away when she started talking about it while she was brushing her teeth. She also said that he flew all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and that his nickname was Lucky Lindy. She's 5 years old... amazing!

My mom took me to DC twice and I loved it- the natural history museum with that giant elephant took my breath away when I was there the first time (I loved elephants).. I'm really looking forward to taking them. Thinking 8 and 6 might be a good age for DC trip #1- DH has never been so it'll be lots of fun to go and see everything.

orangehills · January 2016

Any Caribbean island!

Prince Edward Island- I've been there but want to go again

Another road trip of New England

DisneyWorld

road trip of state parks in the US

Kauai

Pretty much any/all of Europe

New Zealand

the islands down near Fiji/Bora Bora- all of those

julieanne912 · January 2016

All the places? I don't know.. I never made a list. I don't see myself doing a lot of international travel in the next 10 years.... not because I don't want to, but because that just isn't where my life is right now.

That being said, I have a short list of places here in the US I'd like to see:

Camping-wise:

Yellowstone

Glacier National Park

Mt Rushmore (I think this is doable for this year)

Banff

I've also never been to NYC, so I'd like to go sometime.

Would also like to visit some tropical destinations in the near future.

I'd also like to visit New England... Boston on up the coast.

Also Prince Edward Island is definitely on there... Anne of Green Gables dork here.

I guess I'm too much of a home-body to plan out big trips that I might take in 10 years... I just think about what I'd like to do in the next year or two. Usually on any trip, after about 5 days I'm ready to go back home, so I don't have a lot of interest in travelling long distances unless I can have all the comforts of home, which DOES require a lot of money.

julieanne912 · January 2016

And, while I had the money to do lots of travelling in my 20s, I didn't have the time. I worked a very high stress long hours job that didn't offer a lot of time off, and what time off I did have I used to visit my family.

Now that I have more time, I don't have the money. Funny how that works...

julieanne912 · January 2016

hoffse said:

@SimplyElise, I hear you. It's definitely a luxury, and I didn't leave the United States at all until I was in college.

I do think, however, that a lot of people write it off because they think it's more expensive than it is or because they simply aren't comfortable leaving the US bubble. There are a lot of middle income families that spend more to go to Disney World every few years than it would cost to go to Europe.

I place value on people leaving the country for two reasons - first, it can help us really appreciate how great we have it here, and second, it helps remind us that we aren't the only country in the world that matters. The sense of American superiority and isolationism that I have encountered from people who ought to know better is really appalling. H and I have both had people ask us, "What do you do if you get sick over there?" We have both had people ask us, "Where do you find food?" That second question I encountered before leaving for London. This person didn't know where you would find food in London. Seriously. It's completely ridiculous. I want those people to leave the country if only so they see that the US isn't the end-all and be-all of civilization.

But you are correct that it's expensive, and it's not something that comes before other necessities.

I will say, just because I haven't left the country doesn't mean I'm not aware of the world around us, and don't appreciate what we have here.... you don't have to actually GO to those places to know that.

But I get what you're saying, some people are very much isolated from anything outside of their small circle. I know people who have never even left their home state.... it's very sad but even in my hometown, which is 90 minutes from Yosemite, and 2.5 hours from the beach, there are kids who have never seen either.

That also being said, I think it's important to see our own country too. I have friends who are very well travelled internationally, but haven't even seen what our own country has to offer. I guess that's the benefit of growing up lower income... road trips and camping were all we ever got to do LOL!

brij2006 · January 2016

simplyelise said:

I always struggle a little when this question gets posed on the forum. Most people do not earn six figures or have the ability to take more than 1 week off work a year. We certainly do not fall in that bracket. We cannot afford an international trip every year. That doesn't mean we wouldn't love to travel and value the experiences. But it just smacks of privilege when people start talking about how important travel is and how it shouldn't be sacrificed and how you should prioritize it. Well, when you don't make six figures, it's a lot harder to prioritize a luxury. We are pretty blessed and make really decent money for our neck of the woods, and maybe if we didn't have a commitment to tithing, then we would be in the same boat with others on travelling. But we're never going to be in the earning category where travel is easy.

It's important to me to acknowledge that travel is a luxury and that those who aren't travelling are most likely not holding back because they don't value travel. They're holding back because multiple (let alone yearly) international trips in a lifetime is cost prohibitive for the vast majority of families in the US. I don't begrudge anyone the trips they take with their hard-earned money, it's just frustrating sometimes when value or worth is placed on how well-traveled someone is. I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way when this topic comes up, so I wanted to throw it out there for anyone who commiserates.

That said, my goal since I was 18 was to go somewhere every year (even if it's somewhere boring to visit a friend or just a long weekend trip to a different city) and to a different country at least every 5 years. Here is a list of places I'd love to go visit:

US - Oregon Trail Road Trip (baby moon), leaf peeping on east coast, Alaskan cruise (probably in retirement), Grand Canyon & nearby parks (with kids), DC (we've been, but want to go with kids), New Orleans, and Seattle (paired with Toronto).

International - England/Scotland, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, Spain, Southeast Asia, Inca Trail, New Zealand, Egypt, Turkey (hopefully when it's safe someday I can see the Hagia Sophia!), Iceland, and a return to Ireland.

JoanE2012 - I spent two months in Tanzania in college and my #1 recommendation is Ngorongoro crater for safari. I was there working, but I had a break and went to the beach in Tanga for a couple days and it was completely worth it and way less crowded than Zanzibar but with similar views and great snorkeling. I also recommend taking 6 days if you plan to attempt Kili. My route tried to assent in 4 days (descent 1) and I got so sick I couldn't do the final summit Still had amazing views and the most beautiful starlit sky imaginable, but if you want to summit, make sure you have time to acclimate.

I can see where you're coming from on this. I would love to travel a lot more than we do, but my H has a car hobby that he's passionate about and we utilize that to do a lot of our traveling. We have been to many places within the U.S. and have seen many different cultures, all from just a 3-4 day weekend road trip in the car. It's something we budget for and make a lot of cuts in order to do.

Yet my H doesn't have much of a desire to travel internationally, except the Caribbean. He doesn't find it an enjoyable vacation at all to cram pack as much as possible into 7 days and run ourselves ragged. He would rather spend 7 days laying on a beach and vegging out. So international travel isn't prioritized because he knows I would want to fit everything we could into that trip. He actually told me the other day that he isn't looking forward to Hawaii because he knows I will want to do a lot of stuff. So I'm trying to plan it with a happy medium of experiences and relaxation. I would just get frustrated trying to do that for a European trip.

We make a very good income and have no debt, you would think we could make travel a much larger line item in our budget. But the desire just isn't there. We do our annual trip to the lake with our family for around $2,500 each year. Then we budget another $1,500/year for the quick little car trips. If we're not pregnant next year, then we'll probably do a cheap $2,000-2,500 Caribbean or Mexico trip in the winter (all-inclusive). But right now we're prioritizing all extra money toward maxing out his Roth.

I only have 3 weeks of vacation and any time beyond that I have to take unpaid. Between days off for DD being sick, 6 days for our family vacation, and another 5 days for the random Fridays and/or Mondays off for our little weekend trips, I can't fit any international travel in.

hoffse · January 2016

julieanne912 said: I will say, just because I haven't left the country doesn't mean I'm not aware of the world around us, and don't appreciate what we have here.... you don't have to actually GO to those places to know that.
But I get what you're saying, some people are very much isolated from anything outside of their small circle. I know people who have never even left their home state.... it's very sad but even in my hometown, which is 90 minutes from Yosemite, and 2.5 hours from the beach, there are kids who have never seen either.
That also being said, I think it's important to see our own country too. I've got friends who are very well travelled internationally, but haven't even seen what our own country has to offer.

Bolded 1: No, but it's hard to understand what other parts of the world are like when filtered through the American news media. I can't even begin to describe to you how skewed it is. My mom literally can't wrap her head around the notion that we didn't feel threatened in Belgium because all she watches is Fox News, and they basically portrayed that country as a police state before we left.

That's not to say that you can't get a taste of it from staying home, but learning about the rest of the world through the internet or TV isn't the same as being there. I experience some culture shock every time we go anywhere new, because without fail, it is always different than how I imagined it would be in my head. Even places you have been before might not seem the same the next time you visit.

Bolded 2: That's appalling.

Bolded 3: I 100% agree. For sheer natural beauty, you aren't going to get much better than the landscapes we have here. H and I haven't prioritized it yet because we are trying to knock out some long-haul flights while we are childless. They just aren't going to be practical for us in a few years, so we are saving those awesome trips in our own country for after kids.

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

smerka said:

@simplyelise it is all about choices. Some people prioritize different things. You prioritize tithing. We chose for me to stay home with the kids because we both hated daycare as kids. No one is wrong or right. It is what they have chosen. DH and I are planning a trip to the NE for our 10-year anniversary. I will be able to knock off four states off my list bringing my total to 44 states visited (most of that was done on the cheap as a geology student). It will be our first plane trip since 2010. Having a kid with autism makes traveling a really scary proposition.

I agree with this, although I can also see where you are coming from @simplyelise. I think there is just a high concentration of people who are into travel around here, so it comes up frequently as a topic. I certainly don't mean to imply value judgments on people who don't want to or can't travel, and if I have I apologize.

We don't earn six figures, either (maybe just barely if you're going by the family as a whole, but it's really recent development if so). H has two weeks of paid vacation a year, which is more than most but less than many big travelers. Travel is 100% a luxury, but so are lots of other things we talk about around here, like home remodeling and pets. We've been able to do a couple of big international trips since finishing grad school and getting married primarily by keeping our expenses very low in the housing category. Many others with our income would have chosen to have a bigger house and not travel, and that's totally fine! Others would have chosen an even smaller house, but to start a family sooner and have one parent stay home. Travel is important to me, but I absolutely get that it's not possible for everybody or even desirable for everybody.

I do agree with @hoffse as well that international trips can be done much more affordably than some realize. I know many people think of $10,000 as a starting point for a European trip, but our budget for our Amsterdam trip is well under half of that, all in. Air BnB is making things so much more affordable relative to staying in a hotel. We will save a ton by eating breakfast at home, and frequently lunch as well. I remember H's mom threw us a bit of shade about our trip to Bonaire being "extravagant." We don't share budgets with her, but I know from what she's told us that she spends just as much yearly making payments on her timeshare in Orlando.

One thing I have noticed about travel is that there is always a good reason NOT to do it. We called off our planned Peru trip right before booking after H had to get a new car and it didn't seem wise to spend the saved vacation money. We might not have booked Amsterdam if we'd waited another two weeks and known that H was going to need extensive dental work, but we've been able to make it all work without interest-accruing debt or e-fund obliteration. We didn't do big trips in our 20s while we were in grad school, and I do realize how lucky we are to be able to now. Without knowing what the future holds, who knows if we'll be able to continue in the future.

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