One place that has consistently fascinated me, and has been at the top of my travel wishlist for the past few years, is Alaska. Although it has been a state for over 50 years, for many Americans, Alaska still represents the untamed wild frontier that we read about in the Jack London books from our middle school days.

Courtesy Lonely Planet

It now seems even more accessible since I’ve moved to Seattle, long known as the gateway to Alaska. One of the primary reasons for Seattle’s transformation from a small backwater town to thriving center of trade was due to the Alaska and Yukon gold rushes in the late 1800s, when Seattle merchants sold equipment to gullible miners headed north. Although the gold rush is over, in many respects Seattle still serves as the gateway to Alaska. It is the home of Alaskan Airlines, with direct flights to Anchorage several times per day. Further north, in Bellingham, Washington, you can catch one of the Alaska Marine Highway System’s ferries to Ketchikan, Alaska. If you don’t book early enough to reserve a cabin, however, you may find yourself pitching a tent on the ferry’s deck, which could be quite adventurous, albeit cold.

(Courtesy PRWeb)

Another option is to take a cruise. Several cruise lines operate out of Seattle for their Alaska bound cruises, including Princess cruises, Carnival, Holland America, and Celebrity. Now, I am not your typical cruise ship aficionado. In fact, I’ve never been on a cruise ship as none of the typical Caribbean or Greek island hopping itineraries have appealed to me. However, I think I would quite enjoy an Alaskan cruise. Walking onto a ship that is departing from the Seattle waterfront just a few miles from my apartment, and (for once) not having to hassle with airports, the TSA, delayed flights, rental cars, etc sounds ideal. A typical cruise ship itinerary includes Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau (home to one of my favorite breweries – Alaskan Brewing Company), Skagway, and Victoria, British Columbia (a great little city that we previously visited this past New Year’s). The only downside of the cruise is that you wouldn’t see much of the Alaskan interior – I’d like to visit Denali, for instance. So if I could just find a cruise that would let me disembark and wander around Alaska for a few weeks then hitch a ride back to Seattle, then that would be perfect

Following up on my previous post regarding my desire to visit Menorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, another Spanish island that I have on my “wishlist” is Tenerife, one of seven Canary Islands located off the northwest coast of Africa. Known as the “Island of Eternal Spring”, holidays to Tenerife are perfect for a wide variety of travelers. Those looking for an active nightlife should plan to visit during the island’s Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which apparently rivals that found in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Since I’m more of a nature lover, I’d probably opt to go at a quieter time to enjoy the beaches and mountains. Tenerife is the home of Mount Teide, the highest point in Spain. Still an active volcano, Teide is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited national parks in the world. Cable cars take park visitors to about 500 feet below the summit, offering incredible views of Tenerife.

For those more inclined towards watersports, Tenerife offers a variety of breaks for beginner to experienced surfers as well as plentiful opportunities to snorkel or SCUBA dive. Of course, there is always the option of simply laying on the beach absorbing some much needed Vitamin D, with cocktail in hand.

As you might expect, the local cuisine in Tenerife is heavy in seafood. Canarian dishes also incorporate pork and meat (The popular Cuban dish “ropa vieja”, Spanish for “Old Clothes” was actually a Canarian dish that was introduced to Cuba by Canarian emigrants). Although I am a steadfast beer fan, I’d have to try Tenerife’s wines while I was there; this island is so renown for its wines that William Shakespeare often referenced them in his works.

Though my travels usually take place in Eastern Europe, I have been increasingly fascinated by the Mediterranean region since visiting Croatia and Montenegro. The beautiful scenery, extremely hospitable people, and delicious food I experienced there are just some of the reasons that I wish to return to that area. In particular, I’d like to visit some of the many islands that dot the Mediterranean, such as Menorca. Unfortunately, Menorca isn’t the easiest island for me to get to, requiring multiple flights and at least two days of travel. Once you’ve reached the island, though finding car hire in Menorca is relatively easy, so you will be able to explore the island at your own leisurely place rather than rely on public transportation.

Considered the most peaceful and undeveloped of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Menorca has miles of unspoiled beaches with far fewer visitors than neighboring Ibiza and Mallorca. In October 1993, UNESCO designated the island a biosphere reserve in an effort to protect Menorca’s unique wetlands and archaeological sites. The island is well-known for its stone monuments that date back to the Bronze Age, and the island was once invaded and occupied by the Roman empire (and, subsequently, the Moors and British).

In addition to its beaches and historical sights, Menorca offers its visitors plenty of outdoor activities, including scuba diving and horseback riding. And, what better way to end your day than by enjoying a sumptuous feast of caldereta de llagosta (lobster stew) and paella, with a few tall glasses of Gin Xoriguer?

(Courtesy of the Chicago Wikipedia entry)

Despite traveling to the far reaches of the world, from Pyongyang to Cairo to Rome to London, there are a surprisingly large number of major U.S. cities that I have yet to visit. One of these would be Chicago. I’ve been pretty close; I once had a business meeting in Rosemont, just outside chicago, near O’Hare airport. But, as with most business trips, I had no time to myself, so never made it the actual city of Chicago.

So, why Chicago? Easy. Sports and food. Growing up, I was a HUGE Cubs fan. My mom’s side of the family is from Illinois, so that’s probably why. I was seriously obsessed with the Cubs as a little kid. Jersey, posters of Ryne Sandberg, a signed Ernie Banks ball – yep, I had all of it. I would love to see a game at Wrigley Field someday, and if someone wanted to offer me Bears tickets, well I certainly wouldn’t turn those down. Since I would probably opt to visit Chicago in the summer, I’m leaning toward the Cubs tickets (which I am sure will cost me an arm and a leg).

Second, the food. Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza, hot dogs, steakhouses, and Polish food. Granted, none of these foods are particularly healthy, but when on vacation, that doesn’t really matter. And besides, are any “famous” foods from an American city particularly healthy? None that I can think of.

So, the above are just a few of the reasons why I would like to visit Chicago (the WWII U-boat at the Museum of Science and Industry would also be cool to see). I’m sure I’ll get to visit the city eventually!

Despite living in Southern California for 18 years, I have only made it to Mexico once, when I was in middle school. We spent our summers in Oceanside, north of San Diego, and one day my mom and some of her friends decided that we should take a daytrip to Tijuana. I really don’t think that one day trip counts as visiting Mexico, though, and would like to take another trip there, particularly to see the Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula and hike through the jungle. I’d like to spend some time on the coast, also, perhaps near bella sirena rocky point mexico on the Sea of Cortez. As a Mexican food aficionado, one of the things I would be looking forward to the most, of course, is partaking in authentic Mexican food, beer, and tequila. Since Mexico is also known for its miles of unspoiled, uncrowded beaches, I’d also like to go surfing down there, but I’m not sure if my surfing ability is up to the task. I hope to visit Mexico soon, perhaps over the next couple of years. It is only a short flight from Seattle (well, compared to Europe), so that definitely adds to the appeal of Mexico.

I’ve always had a desire to visit the Maldives, a group of remote islands located in the Indian Ocean, 435 miles south-west of Sri Lanka and 250 miles south-west of India. The main draw of the Maldives, of course, are the 1,000 uninhabited islets. Yes, you could literally have a remote island all to yourself. I’m not sure how much better life could get than having your own beach and a cooler full of beer.

Thanks to its white sand beaches, coral reefs, clear warm waters, and abundance of marine life, the Maldives has transformed itself into a premier travel destination, with tourism taking its place as the Maldives’ top industry. Water sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving are incredibly popular, and many travel companies offer all-inclusive packages to Maldives that include airfare, lodging, transportation, and activities such as fishing, scuba diving, and windsurfing. Personally, I’ve never been scuba diving, but that, too, is on my list of activities to try someday. Many dive shops and even hotels offer multi-day packages where you can earn your scuba certification while learning to dive in the beautiful clear waters. After a day of diving or lying on the beach, you can then feast on freshly caught seafood. Yeah, not a bad way to spend a few weeks of vacation.

Back in 2007 I posted a list of destinations that were high on my wishlist at the same time. Since posting that list, I’ve managed to cross off three of those destinations: China, North Korea, and Ukraine. I’ve decided to once again highlight a few of the destinations that are high on my travel wishlist. This has been prompted by two things: 1) my inability to actually travel anywhere internationally since being laid off, so instead I must dream; and 2) Hearing the word “list” too many times, as is to be expected around Christmas time.

First up is South Africa. This trip was originally proposed by one of my friends who is also a hardcore travel nut. We had yet to really nail down the details, but a rough sketch of the trip included diving with Great White Sharks (you’ll, uh, be in a cage and thus protected from death), going on a safari, and then staying in a Mozambique fishing village for a few days.

Ideally, I would like to have visited South Africa a few months ago while the World Cup was going on, but I’ll have to settle for a trip in the (hopefully) near future. Traveling within South Africa is generally quite inexpensive, however flights to Cape Town can be quite expensive ($1,300+) depending on the season.

Iraq is officially welcoming tourists:

Well, here she was in the lobby of a Baghdad hotel, ending a 17-day tour around one of the world’s ultimate danger destinations.

“It had always been on my list,” said Ms. Gilbert, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with a cartoon cat and the phrase “Life Is Good.” “If it opened up, I wanted to go.”

Whether Iraq can be described as open is debatable. But Ms. Gilbert is a member of a group, mostly middle-aged and older, that has the honor of being on the first officially sanctioned tour of Westerners in Iraq since 2003 (outside of the much safer enclave of Kurdistan).

Well, WTF. If a 79 year old is hanging out in Baghdad, then I don’t see why I shouldn’t as well.
Just kidding. My mom would KILL me. And much respect for Ms. Gilbert. I hope I am still traveling when I am her age.

I have never been on a cruise and I have absolutely no desire to go on one. I imagine a huge boat filled with drunk people gorging themselves on boring food, playing slot machines, laying by a pool, and occasionally getting off the boat to visit random bars in some port city. Aside from the drinking, that sounds incredibly dull. I think I’d rather be dropped off the coast of Somali, in a rowboat, with a bottle of vodka.

Antarctica, though, is one place that I wouldn’t mind going to on a cruise ship because that’s pretty much the only way to get there. If I’m going, though, I have to do it in true Lindsay style and hop aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov, a Russian icebreaker:

Perched high on the ship’s bridge (open to passengers most of the time) you’ll marvel at the ease with which the Khlebnikov crushes a swath through meter-thick ice pans. Where other ships must turn around, the Khlebnikov plows forward through ice-choked waters, taking up to 108 passengers to remote fjords, channels and shores where precious few, if any, people have ever visited. And, with its on-board helicopters and fleet of Zodiacs, the range of possible destinations to explore is expanded even further. Helicopters are used for ice navigation, scouting landing sites, “flightseeing” and to land passengers in out-of-the-way places. Zodiacs whisk passengers ashore to observe wildlife and explore and archaeological and historical sites.

Helicopters! The ship has freakin’ helicopters!

The downside of cruising around Antarctica on this awesome ship is the price, which, depending on the length of the trip, ranges from $13,890 to $22,490 for a spot in a triple cabin. So, basically, the only way I can afford this trip is if I win the lottery (which I don’t actually play) or start saving enough money so I can eventually go when I’m, like, 80 years old. Awesome.

Dudes, I’ve got a serious case of wanderlust right now. As such, I’ve spent way too much time researching possible travel destinations. I’d love to go to Turkmenistan…maybe in 2010. According to the WSJ, Turkmenistan is becoming more “tourist friendly”:

Since Mr. Niyazov died in 2006, the country has tentatively begun to open up. Regular visitors say it used to take two hours, and wads of dollars in bribes, to get out of the arrivals lounge of Ashgabat airport. Now passengers are waved through in minutes.

Tourist visas are a bit easier to come by — though you still require a letter of invitation that can take up to three weeks to arrive — and Turkmenistan is now a fixture for specialist tour operators geared to Central Asia. Ashgabat-based Ayan Travel says it handled 2,200 tourists in 2008, up from 1,500 in 2007. “People’s perception of Turkmenistan is changing — it’s seen as safer and more accessible,” says Ayan sales manager Dovran Orazgeldiev.

Certainly access isn’t a problem for the capital’s sights. The city comes across as a kind of Soviet Disneyland, with Mr. Niyazov taking the place of Mickey Mouse. The manicured parks and squares are full of golden statues of the portly president, who called himself Turkmenbashi, or Leader of the Turkmens. (He named one month of the calendar after himself, another after his mother.)

Must. Go. Soon.