I have the blessing of being a fairly traveled person. Most people would say well traveled, but when I look at a globe all I can see is the millions of places that I haven’t been. Just today I was talking to JC about her trip to Detroit and she said, “Yeah, you go to Milan and Prague”. For the record, I have been neither of those places, but I have been fairly close to both of them. Anyway, today is a day that I feel like escaping the mundane, so I wanted to celebrate my love of journey with a post.
I love to experience new and different places, so every trip brings the opportunity for exploration. And there are some places that I just love to savor time and time again. So without over-thinking it, here are my favorite sites. Because I’ve lived in, and obviously loved, New Orleans and Houston, I won’t include them.
- San Francisco – I know, I know. It’s like the travel cliché of all time to love San Francisco, but there is a reason it’s so well regarded. This is a gorgeous city, with so many neighborhoods, restaurants and people to love. While it is packed with tourists, it is still possible to discover little treasures around every corner. When you add in the amazing scenery and the unique history and culture of it, the City by the Bay is the only city I’ve visited in California that I don’t find overrated. Check it out .
- Rome – Here’s one that took me completely by surprise. When Amanda & I began planning our trip to Italy, Rome made the itinerary as an obligatory stop. We felt that it would be impossible to make a first trip to Italy and not stop in Rome. But we thought that it would be all about seeing historical sites and museums. However, Rome was unexpected from the first moment. True it’s like walking thorough a History Channel special, but there is also this amazing sense of energy that I loved. Rome crackles with anticipation of the enjoyment you’ll find if you’re willing to go with the flow. I was sorrier to leave Rome than any of the other places in Italy I had expected to love. Check it out.
- Nassau (Paradise Island), Bahamas – It’s not hard to find peace while sitting on the beach, forgetting whatever worries you may have left at home. For me the trouble has been in truly enjoying the atmosphere of a place once leaving the beach. Most of the oceanside outposts that I’ve visited were gorgeous and eminently peaceful, but trying to find any hint of sophisticated nightlife would be completely futile. But Nassau was everything I ever wanted in a beach retreat. Clean white sand and amazing turquoise water, plus shopping, great food, and even a few nightspots that don’t bring to mind Senor Frogs during spring break. And the phenomenal part about staying on Paradise Island is that you can escape from the cruise ship excursioners when you’ve had enough. I’ve never experienced a more aptly named place. Check it out.
- Seville – Spain is a lot harder call than some of the other countries I’ve visited. Seville was my favorite only by a hair, because Granada was also amazing. Anyway, Seville was a fantastic stay where I was able to truly absorb the culture of Andalusia. A large part of it was the amazingly laid back nature of the city and it’s people (the nicest we met in Spain). And the rest was probably the experiences we had. We climbed to the top of the Giralda (bell tower) at the cathedral, shopped in the greatest little stores, carried home an extravagant meal from a neighborhood deli and laughed with the people in every place. And all of those things were done in the rain. We endured downpours and the most humid night I can remember (and I’ve lived in NOLA and H-Town) and never slowed down one bit. We had the greatest dinner conversation with a couple we met from Iceland and got an offer to visit them in Reykjavik. All in all, we had wonderful little adventures in the midst of a fantastic old place with truly generous people. That’s pretty much what travel is all about for me. Check it out.
- Vancouver – I’m not going to lie, I never particularly thought that much of Canada. I thought, sure it’s a lovely country with many delightful sights and citizens, but I was never in much of a hurry to stop by. Vancouver checked me on my attitude right off. I have never seen a cleaner metropolitan area in my life and the panoramic views are astounding. There’s cerulean water and many a scenic mountain vista. All in all a compelling city that’s hard to tear your eyes away from. And yes, the people are genuinely friendly and warm. I can see why Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. I’d want to go, except for that winter thing. LOL. Check it out.
- Rab, Croatia – Croatia in general was not at all what I expected. I think, like most people all I know about Croatia is a vague recollection of war. But, I figured that was over years ago and Vanja promised me that the country was beautiful. Boy, was she telling the truth. Croatia is a verdant, somewhat mountainous land that drops directly into the Adriatic Sea. And the most stunning place was Rab - both the island and a town on the island. When arriving (by ferry) on the far end of the island it looked, as my friend warned me, as barren as the moon. But in just a few minutes we were coasting over rolling hills with the smell of fresh lavender and laurel tickling my senses. We luxuriated in the magnificent dinners of seafood caught earlier that day and drank local wine and liqueur. I felt caught in time as we strolled through the ancient walled town that had been there since before Columbus set sail for America. I even loved the beach, which was really large boulders forming rocky outcroppings into the sea. We spent two evenings just sitting at a waterside bar staring out into the Adriatic as the Frank Sinatra I’m pretty sure they dug out just for me played in the background. It was a magical experience and I can’t wait to do it again. Check it out.
So there we are. There are some other places that I absolutely love which failed to make this list; (San Antonio, Orlando, Negril, Tulum, etc.) but I didn’t want to be here all night. And we won’t even get into the spots that I desperately want to get to but have yet to make it (Buenos Aires, Nice, Sydney, Marrakech, etc.). Hey, I’ve got time. Keep your eyes peeled for further adventures.
Happy traveling to you all!
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