30 in 30 - Day 5 - 5 Places I Want to Visit

There are lots of places I would love to visit, but I will limit my list to five for today’s challenge.

The first place I would love to visit is anywhere in Australia. When I was a child, my dad was going to move the family to somewhere in the Outback in Australia. He would talk about all of the things we were going to do – start a farm and a motorcycle shop and live in the middle of nowhere. He talked about the kangaroos and the koala bears and told us kids that we could have as many of them as we wanted as pets. He thought Australia would be the perfect place to raise his daughters. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer and this dream went unfounded. Since then, I have always wanted to travel there in my dad’s honor. One of these days, I will get there.

I would also love to visit New York City. I want to see Times Square. I just want to be a part of the hustle and bustle that is New York. I want to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I want to see the Empire State Building and Central Park. I just want to see everything there is to see. I want to visit each of the boroughs. I would love to go during the Christmas season and be there for New Year’s Eve to see the ball drop. Or maybe for the Thanksgiving Day parade. But I would love to visit any time of the year! I want to see a Broadway show – and an off Broadway show.

I want to visit New Orleans. My husband has been there before and loved it. I want to see the French Quarter and see the history in the buildings there. I want to walk around and sample the food and try things I have never tried before. I would love to visit during Mardi Gras and be a part of the craziness. I want to stay in one of the hotels that have been around forever. I want to shop at the street vendors and shops that are uniquely New Orleans. I would love to visit the stately homes and the cemeteries. I want to go shrimping or boating. I just want to see everything!

I want to drive through Yellowstone Park. I want to see the animals that are around. I want to see the geysers – especially Old Faithful. I want to see a bear – from a great distance – but I would love to see one. I just want to drive and enjoy the view. Maybe stay in a lodge – or just camp out in a tent. It would be great to see the different things as you drive through the park.

I would also love to see Mount Rushmore and the area surrounding it. I want to see it for myself and not just through pictures. Of course, I would take hundreds of my own pictures. I would love to see the Crazy Horse monument, as well. I want to buy authentic Native American crafts and visit a reservation. Again, I would love to camp out somewhere and stay in a lodge. Be a part of nature.

There are many, many more places I would love to visit – St. Croix, Chicago, Paris – just to name a few. But I would like to start with these five!