DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Your Bucketlist

Crater Lake is beautiful...but, surprisingly a ton of mosquitoes (as it is snowy even in June I didn't think they would be there, but they are). If you do go, it is well worth hiking the mile or so down from the rim and taking the boat out to Wizard Island.

Off the top of my head my bucket list places to visit:

Vietnam
Peru
Cuba
Chile
Ecuador and then on to Galapagos Islands.
Faroe Islands
Kenyan/Tanzanian safari or into the jungle of Uganda to see the Silverbacks.

Regarding seeing and doing something before I die...I'd love to see a Great White in the wild. So, I guess that would involve going to South Africa and doing one of those shark cage excursions. That said, I'm not sure how I feel about those tourist trips. I have read a lot about the sheer volume of tourists doing it and how it is changing how sharks behave simply because they are being fed. But, I'd really love to see this most beautiful and awesome creature up close and in its natural setting.

We went to Rome, Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa for our honeymoon. When we were in Rome we actually stayed in Vatican City as it was cheaper and a short walk over the bridge into Rome. We actually saw/heard the Pope one day during one of his masses. The square was absolutely packed and yes, there were people on the pavement selling plastic Virgin Mary's. But, I love Italy. I love the fact that it is pretty chaotic, kinda dirty, people whipping around looking uber cool and ultra stylish on their mopeds, smoking cigarettes, litter blowing in the wind and there amongst all the chaos....a Donatello sculpture may be peeking its head out from beneath the weeds.

I'll PM you in the next few days. It'll be too much to fit into a PM, but I'll get the basics. I'll put in my ph # and email for questions.

#1 rule of tourism in Rome and Florence (to me), is to spend the extra money (nominal normally) to bypass lines. I don't want to go on vacation somewhere and stand in line for hours. Research the tickets and you'll see private tour tickets or something that will allow you to skip the line. I had a lady (American, go figure) go off on me for being rude because she spent 3-4 hours in line for the Vatican tour and I was able to walk directly in.

Also, if you're there on a Wednesday, reach out the the American Catholic Church there for tickets to see the Pope speak. I saw Pope Benedict XVI, and it was a pretty special experience.

Yeah, we want to do something similar. I might need to save up 2 months worth of vacation time. We want to hit a few other cities like Venice as well. Any recommendations?

Siena, Lucca and Florence are wonderful and I cannot recommend them enough. San Gimignano is also beautiful as is most of Tuscany. Pisa was mostly destroyed during the war and the only thing to see/left from the old city, really, is the tower and duomo. We only went there as we flew out of Pisa back to London. But, Pisa isn't anything to go out of your way to see. Lucca, however, is a must and you should stay within its medieval walls, eat in its ancient restaurants and walk all around the top of its wall.

Venice is packed in the summer (but a lot of Italy is during the summer) and if you go during these warm months expect that the canals are smelly. It's just the way it is in this ancient city. Don't judge them or compare them for anything they are not. Far too many Americans (and even Northern Europeans and Australians do so and it seems pointless to do so).

Things like that don't bother me. I see it as part of the charm of the city. I actually don't like hanging out in the Americanized tourist areas.

I have to agree with PDX on this. I haven't been to Lucca or Pisa, but the rest were great. I loved, loved, loved my visit to Siena and it is quite different than most of Italy in the sense it is a medieval town, and most are not. Il Palio was cool to hear about, and subsequently learn more about.

Florence was super, but very, very touristy to the point where the Italian kids were speaking in English. Wonderful history and great museums (get tickets in advance, skip the line), and excellent food...though I'd avoid the Dante museum, it was not a fun experience.

San Gimignano was cool, I love the history of the towers. This was a stop for us on a bus tour, so I can't say too much more about it.

To add on a non-Tuscany location, go to Pompeii. We took a super day trip from Rome. I could have spent multiple days there.

Lol, I'm slightly embarrassed that the most exotic place I've ever been to is Cleveland.

Portland: there's no way in hell I'd have tried to go up that cliff. Your wife shoulda beat your arse.

Places aside from NY I'd like to visit: British Isles, Italy, Paris, Northern California.

So travel. It’s worth every penny spent. And that doesn’t have to be as much as you’d think.

My buddy’s wife did it without being a whiney B. My wife just needed to ovary up. She was all about that trip. All in. Until she slipped crossing the first stream. Hit her knee. Then proceeded to whine for the next 9.5 miles. I had to carry her pack across the rest of the streams. I think there were 6 total.
It was a tough hike but the beach is spectacular. Incredibly remote. You spend your days collecting firewood, fresh water, and mango from the surrounding jungle. Bathe under a waterfall. Camp just off the beach. It’s an amazing adventure.

Just got back from there. We drove from Portland down to Arcata in Humboldt County. This is the grey, foggy, rainy area of California, however, both times I have been down there it has been gorgeous and sunny. Where the redwoods meet the rugged coast and sea. Literally.

Cool. I am a star gazer.


Near 40 years ago my wife and I went to Finland for a Reindeer safari above the Circle to see the Northern Lights in their glory.

We drove a long day by bus out of Helsinki in to Lapland, then two days with a Reinder pulling us in sleds. Two days in the camp, then back. It was splendid.

As for remaining things, pretty simple stuff at this point....never been to the Kentucky Derby....got to do that.


Maybe rent as houseboat and cruise lake Meade. We've done a lot. We both liked to travel and decided to do it when we were younger and not wait until we got old and didn't feel like doing it.

If you can reference 40 years ago, wouldn’t you be a star geezer?

I’ll apologize now.

One bucket list we all agree on is seeing the Browns win the Super Bowl. However, my ideal place to watch it would be in a bar in Cleveland rather than the actual Super Bowl. There I know I will be surrounded by real fans rather than corporate blowhards or bandwagon fans who have far too much $$ and could care less who is actually playing.

LOL....that too.



Heck, I can reference further back..40 years back is just the 80's. I can dial back to the 50's. My memory of the late 40's are very sketchy....I remember a radio and my Mom singing to me every day.

Dawg, that sounds like an absolute blast.

Talk to my daughter she spent 4 months in Florence (Firenze) at Kent State Florence campus (I paid) She's in it like a native