So when a post started circulating around Facebook a while back listing 100 travel destinations that were "not to be missed." I decided to take it as a new challenge...first I'll tell you where I've been, and then where is still left to see :)
1. Alamo San Antonio, Texas, USA
I visited the Alamo in 2007 with my friend Rick on a cross country roadtrip while moving from Florida to San Diego....it was HOT and we only stopped in San Antonio long enough to grab food and kept moving - but we snapped some pics in front of the Alamo!
8. Big Ben London, England
I got to see Big Ben as one of my very first sights on my first trip to Europe in 2007. I went with my college roommate Alison, and when we got out of the tube on our first night, we climbed the stairs out of the tunnel and there it was!!
I visited Amsterdam on the same EuroTrip in 2007 with Alison - it is a beautiful city, full of winding maze-like canals. I particularly enjoyed our boat ride through the city.
15. Cinque Terre National Park, Italy
EuroTrip 2007! I had been told about Cinque Terre by some college friends, and was so glad we visited it. It was amazing! The quaint little villages just hang onto the side of cliffs over the Mediterranean, and there are so many fantastic views, colors, and foods that it's almost a sensory overload.
16. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
EuroTrip 2007! I spent several days in Rome and did the tour of the Colosseum - it's a pretty interesting place with lots of history, but in the middle of summer it was painfully hot! I would love to go back and explore more of the sights of Rome in the fall or spring with cooler weather and less tourists.
18. Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan
I got to see (and float in!) the Dead Sea during my Birthright trip to Israel in December 2007. The whole trip was amazing, but floating in the EXTREMELY salty water of the Dead Sea was really a highlight.
21. Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Israel
During the same Birthright trip to Israel in December 2007, I also got to see the magnificent city of Jerusalem. The Old City is beautiful, and the glittering Dome of the Rock can be seen from a lot of angles shining over other ancient landmarks.
24. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
EuroTrip 2007! We saw it during the day, we came back and sat under it at night and watched it sparkle with hundred of lights, and we climbed ALL of its 1,600 stairs to the top! I loved every view of it and still think it's an awesome sight!
25. Empire State Building, New York City, New York, USA
I think the first time I was in the Empire State Building was in 2006 when I went to visit my Aunt Susie. It was my second or third time in the city, but I finally went to the top! The views were great, and it's fun to see the whole
27. French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
I've been through New Orleans twice: the first on my cross-country drive from FL to San Diego, but the second was for Mardi Gras in 2008 with some of my old friends from high school. New Orleans is a cool city, with a quirky vibe and a lot of great music, but I got the most RIDICULOUS food poisoning, and could barely enjoy the festivities.
I took a two week cruise from Seattle through Alaska in 2011. It was one of the most picturesque and relaxing trips! But the glaciers were even more beautiful than I expected. The colors and shapes were mesmerizing, and watching them calve and thunder into the ocean was incredible!
34. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
My first view of the Golden Gate came in 2008 when I took a road trip from San Diego to Seattle with Taylor. We rented a car and drove the whole California coast (and Oregon and Washington), and San Francisco and the bridge were beautiful!
35. Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
EuroTrip 2007! Venice is a pretty city, and the canals are cool, but I honestly didn't LOVE the city all together. It was just so crowded and touristy. Rome and Venice are two places I would like to go and re-explore in the the low season.
36. Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
I've been to the Grand Canyon twice: once with my Dad when I was a kid. It was so cool! We took a train ride from Vegas and then flew in a small plane through the canyon. The second time was as an adult on my FL to San Diego roadtrip. It's a beautiful natural wonder and totally worth a visit!
42. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, USA
In 2010 I visited the Big Island of Hawaii - it was a fantastic trip full of diving, whales, and some of the most incredible scenery....and volcanoes!! We saw lava fields, amazing formations, and even some molten lava glowing at night!
45. Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
Last summer (June 2012) I had the opportunity to go to Japan for a conference through work. It was a whirlwind two weeks of science and sightseeing, and near the end of the trip I took a few days and went to visit Kyoto! The temple of Kiyomizu-dera is a huge wooden structure that hangs off a giant hill above the city - the view is great and its a cool temple!
47. Lake Titicaca, Peru
During my stay in Peru in took a 2 week Spanish immersion class, and for a weekend trip I traveled to Lake Titicaca. I took a boat to the man-made floating islands (the Uros Islands), stayed the night in an adorable shack with a family, and went to a "traditional" party in the local duds :)
The first time I went to Vegas, I was just a kid there with my Dad. Since moving to California, I've been there quite a few more times! There really is something for everyone with lots of shows, casinos, clubs and bars for every taste. And tons of food!
50. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
EuroTrip 2007 - The Leaning Tower and the area surrounding it are one giant tourist trap. I suppose the tower is kind of cool, but we literally hopped off a train with all our luggage, dragged it through the throngs of ridiculous tourists, took pictures, then left. Maybe it's charming, but I found it quite trying under the circumstances.
51. Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Euro Trip 2007 - I'm not a huge museum fan most of the time, but like the Met in NYC, the Louve is so overwhelming huge and full of amazing works in every form, that its impossible not to find something that moves you beyond words.
52. Machu Picchu, Peru
Its really one of the only places I've seen in amazing pictures that was just if not MORE unbelievable in person. In 2010 I hiked for 4 days along the Inca Trail and arrived at Machu Picchu (you can read my earlier posts about that here).
55. Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City, New York, USA
Again, I'm not a huge museum person, but the Met is SUCH an amazing place. There is really something there for everyone. I loved the Egyptian collection! I've been a few times, but I never took any pictures.
63. Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France
Euro Trip 2007 - Alison and I took a biking tour around Paris and ended up in front of Notre Dame at sunset. We had fantastic ice cream cones and sat in front of the huge old church and just watched the sun sink behind it.
65. Pebble Beaches of Nice, France
Taylor and I went to Europe in 2009 and toured Germany, and the coasts of Italy and France. One of the places I was most looking forward to seeing was the beaches of the South of France. We had perfect weather during our time there, and enjoyed the beaches and a lot of crepes.
71. Redwood National Park California, USA
I got my first glimpse of the giant coastal redwoods on my road trip in 2008 from San Diego to Seattle. Driving and walking through the huge groves of trees was awe inspiring! I stood forever at the bases of them just staring upwards.
77. Sears Tower Chicago, Illinois, USA
I visited Chicago for my very first time in 2011 for my friend Dan's wedding - we didn't get to see too much of the city, but we did an architectural cruise! The Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower) was quite a spectacle, and we went to the top of the Hancock Center for a drink and a view of the skyline at night.
79. Sistine Chapel Vatican City, Italy
Euro Trip 2007 - One of the days we were in Rome, the Pope was scheduled to give a public address. We watched him address the masses and then stood in line forever to get to see the Sistine Chapel. Alison was bold enough to snap a few forbidden pictures!
80. Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C., USA
I went to our nation's capitol on a middle school field trip - we got to see all the major sites, including the Smithsonian. I remember LOVING the Air and Space Museum :)
81. Space Needle Seattle, Washington, USA
I saw the Space Needle for the first time at the end of our epic roadtrip from San Diego to Seattle in 2008. We even went to the top and enjoyed the view. We hung out again in
82. St. Peter's Basilica Vatican City, Italy
Euro Trip 2007 - same as #79 above. St. Peter's was definitely one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in!
83. Statue of Liberty New York City, New York, USA
The only time I ever actually visited the Statue of Liberty was when I was a little kid and in New York for my Aunt's wedding. I remember thinking that it was huge and that there were a lot of stairs :P
90. Times Square New York City, New York, USA
I had an aunt that lived near The City, so I would go and visit as much as possible during high school and college. Even though Times Square is touristy and crowded, I always loved wandering through it and just people watching or shopping for souvenirs.
93. Wailing Wall Jerusalem, Israel
On my Birthright trip to Israel in December 2007, I also got to see the old city of Jerusalem, including the Western or Wailing wall. It was a very sobering experience, and the women's and men's sections of the wall were separate. On both sides, people write down their prayers on small slips of papers and jam the tiny pieces of paper in between the bricks of the wall to have them answered.
Growing up in Florida, I made a lot of trips to WDW. Here are some pictures of one of my very first trips :) And my first broken bone....
Like #80 above, I went to our nation's capitol on a middle school field trip - we got to see all the major sites, including the Washington Monument!
97. White House Washington, D.C., USA
Ditto from #95 above.
53. Matterhorn Switzerland
Well, I didn't actually get to the Matterhorn....but the Swiss Alps are one of my favorite places in the world. I went there in 2007 with Alison and I dragged Taylor back in 2009. The town of Gimmelwald has one of my favorite hostels in the world, and the views, hikes, thunderstorms, and cows were
54. Mayan Pyramids of Chichen Itza Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Well, I didn't actually get to climb Chichen Itza, but I did go to the Yucatan and climb the pyramids of Coba and Tulum. We actually skipped Chichen Itza because it was closed to climbers when we were visiting Mexico
To tell the truth, I've never been to Napa...but I have been to the neighboring Sonoma, and it's beautiful.
87. Temple of the Golden Pavilion Kyoto, Japan
Last summer (June 2012) I had the opportunity to go to Japan for a conference through work. A previous work colleague who is Japanese dragged me all around Kyoto, including to see the famous Golden Pavillion.
99. Yosemite National Park California, USA
I finally made it to Yosemite in 2012 - the valley was amazing, the high meadows and redwood groves were beautiful, and we even detoured to the sequoias.
And although it seems like a lot of places above....there are still a LOT of places left on the list below!!
2. Alhambra Granada, Spain
3. Andros Island, Bahamas
4. Angel Falls, Venezuela
5. Angkor Wat Angkor, Cambodia
6. Atlantic City Boardwalk Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
7. Ayers Rock, Australia
9. Bora Bora, Polynesia
10. British Museum London, England
12. Cathedral of Seville Seville, Spain
13. Cave of Crystals, Mexico
14. Christ the Redeemer Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
17. Crater Lake National Park Oregon, USA
19. Death Valley National Park California, USA
20. Devil's Tower Wyoming, USA
22. Easter Island Statues, Polynesia
23. Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh, Scotland
26. Forbidden City Beijing, China
28. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
29. Gateway Arch St. Louis, Missouri, USA
30. Gettysburg Battlefield Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
32. Glacier National Park Montana, USA
33. Glowworm Cave, New Zealand
37. Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
38. Great Barrier Reef Queensland, Australia
39. Great Mosque of Córdoba Córdoba, Spain
40. Great Wall of China, China
41. Hagia Sophia Istanbul, Turkey
43. Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California, USA
44. Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
46. Kremlin Moscow, Russia
48. Las Ramblas Barcelona, Spain
56. Mount Everest, Nepal
57. Mount Fuji, Japan
58. Mount Kilimanjaro Tanzania
59. Mount Rushmore Keystone, South Dakota, USA
61. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
62. Niagara Falls New York, USA
64. Pacific Rim National Park British Columbia, Canada
66. Petra, Jordan
67. Petronas Twin Towers Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
68. Portland Head Lighthouse Portland, Maine, USA
69. Puerta Del Sol Madrid, Spain
70. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
72. Rock of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
73. Rocky Mountain National Park ,Colorado
74. Ruins of Athens Athens, Greece
75. Ruins of Pompeii Pompei, Italy
76. Sagrada Famila Barcelona, Spain
78. Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
84. Stonehenge Wiltshire County, England
85. Sydney Opera House Sydney, Australia
86. Taj Mahal Agra, India
88. Teotihuacan, Mexico
89. Tian Tan Buddha Hong Kong, China
91. Varanasi Uttar Pradesh, India
92. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
96. White Cliffs of Dover Dover, England
98. Winchester Cathedral Hampshire, England
100. Zion National Park Utah, USA
Guess I have to keep going for a while - not a bad "challenge" to accept!
~Kristyn
