Never Stop Exploring!
My husband and I began traveling, without kids, in our 50’s. We also started creating that notorious “bucket list.” John and I did not have the time to do all that was on our list before he died. Because I know that John is still with me in a very different way, I am determined to complete this list. However, thanks to a full year of quarantine and hundreds of YouTube travel videos, my list has grown exponentially.
In 2021, after receiving my COVID vaccination, I took the plunge and went to three of the main cities in Italy – Milan, Florence & Rome along with a short trip to Genoa.
Italy is so beautiful and diverse. As I studied and planned for the trip, I developed plans for other parts of Italy. In May 2023, I hope to visit Venice and the surrounding towns – Padua, Vicenza, and Verona – and then head north to Salzburg and Vienna, Austria. It would be great to see two countries in one trip! Another two for one plan includes Lake Como, Italy, and several cities in Switzerland. I am looking forward to train excursions in each of these areas.
I am also considering a driving tour to the small towns in Italy – Siena, Lucca, Assisi, and San Gimignano – to name just a few! Renting a car in Italy is going to take lots of courage and planning, but it is on the LIST!
Knowing the importance of my “bucket list,” my granddaughters created a map of the United States with special heart-shaped tacks as a Thank You gift for taking them to Charleston and New Orleans.
We had a GREAT time together, but school schedules limit their time to travel and with my list as big as it is, I need to plan more than one trip per year. You can see from the tacks on the USA map that I have a lot more to explore – especially in the middle of the country.
The National Parks were a big item on my husband and my “bucket list.” Of course, our dream was to do these parks in an RV. Since I’m exploring on my own, I prefer to stay in the beautiful hotels located in the parks. In April 2021, I completed a road trip in Arizona with the highlight of the trip at the El Tovar Hotel in Grand Canyon National Park. It is typical to book these hotels a year in advance to ensure accommodations. Earlier this month, I made reservations for August 2023 to stay at the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park.
Because of the many YouTube travel videos, I am learning about new places. For example, Door County, Wisconsin is on my list. It is said to be the “Cape Cod” of the west! It was through the YouTube videos that I found Mackinac Island – (see my blog titled – My Michigan Adventure). Our country is so beautiful with so much to see.
I knew I would have plenty of places to visit in the USA and Europe. Then, I found these books on Amazon!
It didn’t take long to expand my reach. How about an expedition to Antarctica? Why not? Hope to do this in 2024. But first, I want to check out the Hurtigruten cruise line by taking a trip along the coast of Norway in February 2023.
Yes, my list is long, and it is not going to be cheap to do all these things. I am sure my nursing home won’t be top of the line because of all these trips, but I will at least be able to wallpaper the walls with beautiful pictures from all my adventures!
Never Stop Exploring! And thank you for allowing me to share my adventures with all of you. Hope you are inspired to check things off your bucket list! Let me know, in the comments below, what fun and exciting places you are planning to visit.
God Bless and Remember - Sharing is Caring!
