smitty333

I’d love to visit White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns – I’ve seen friends’ pics and they were extraordinary!

Someday I hope to travel to Istanbul to smell the spices in the air, wander through the markets, and pay my respects at the Blue Mosque

and spend time in Barcelona and Madrid…

Ever since I saw a photo of the Canterbury Plains in a geography textbook, I’ve wanted to travel to New Zealand…

and trek to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls

Almost had a chance to go this year, but had to postpone. Someday I’ll go walk on the Great Wall, tour the Forbidden City, etc.

I grew up in rural Oregon but pretended that my backyard was the Outback. Someday I hope to make it south of the equator to visit the land of my made-up childhood stories: Sydney (and its opera house), Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth, Melbourne, Ayers Rock, and, of course, the Outback.

What I wouldn’t give to spend time in Rio – listen to bossa nova, trek up to Corcovado, dance in a quiet cafe, avoid the beaches except in early mornings when I can see the waves and not just the bikinis. :)

So some people complain that it isn’t the biggest or most spectacular. That’s only in comparison though to the overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells Yellowstone has to offer. Old Faithful is still extraordinary and if you really need to find the magic in it, go at 4am on a night with a full moon. With no other tourists there, zero ambient light (nights in Yellowstone are so dark you can’t see the rearview mirror of your car), and the eruption all to yourself by the light of a shimmering moon, there is no question of natural wonder…

I’d love to spend some time in Joshua Tree, as well as Death Valley.