Do you have a travel bucket list? we don’t. Most of the places we’ve travelled are the result of chance opportunities and I think that’s worked out better than making plans based on “must-see” destinations. Allow me to make the case for an anti-bucket list approach to travel.
To me, making travel a goal-oriented activity takes away from the sense of adventure that serendipitous travel provides. That’s what I’ve really enjoyed about tag-along travel on Steve’s business trips. We’ve visited places I never would have earmarked for a travel bucket list. Following are just a few examples:
Washington, D.C.
Steve’s first business trip to America’s capitol had me feeling ambivalent about tagging along. I pictured D.C. as a staid government town full of monuments. I went along with an open mind and couldn’t believe how wrong my assumptions were. We took part in innovative and entertaining walking tours, had amazing culinary experiences, and thoroughly enjoyed the Smithsonian Museums experience. As it turns out, many of the monuments were quite stunning as well.
That first trip also had us travel to Charlottesville where Steve had some meetings. Situated near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville turned out to be a real charmer with its historic downtown mall, quaint shops and the best, juiciest peaches we’ve ever tasted.
When I learned Steve was attending a conference in D.C. this past summer, I jumped at the chance to tag along, tacking on a long weekend to explore a number of things we didn’t get a chance to first time around.
Did not expect to find whimsical sculptures in D.C. like this one at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Charlottesville (right) is a lovely historic town.
Delft, The Netherlands
Amsterdam may have made my bucket list if I had one, but Delft was not remotely on my radar. I spent three days on a tag along trip here and fell completely in love with the place. Basically, it’s like stepping into a fairytale, complete with medieval towers, canals and adorable town square.
Walking around Delft feels a bit like you’ve stepped into a storybook.
Faroe Islands
A few years back, I heard a radio review of a book called The Geography of Bliss by former NPR foreign correspondent Eric Weiner and couldn’t wait to read it. Eric decided to travel to the locations that were rated as having the happiest residents. Iceland was right at the top. We decided to go shortly after I read that chapter. Consulting with a local travel agent with a specialty in the region, he suggested we tack on a trip by ferry to the Faroe Islands. We had never heard of the place. This was an incredible experience as well and exploring the region by car was unforgettably beautiful.
Before making plans to travel to Iceland, we had no idea the Faroe Islands even existed. Great place to explore interesting landscapes.
Throwing a dart at a map
The ultimate anti-bucket list approach to travel would be to choose random places to visit. We have yet to do this, but it has merit. There will always be some places that have captured your imagination and end up on your travel hit list. But, allowing outside forces to determine at least some of your destinations creates additional excitement and allows you to uncover hidden gems you may not have otherwise discovered.
Has circumstance ever resulted in you travelling to a spot that you didn’t necessarily expect to enjoy as much as you did? Tell us about it in a comment.
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