
Wishing Lantern Festival in San Antonio, Texas
My family bundles up for a visit to see colorful, floating lanterns fill the San Antonio Riverwalk.
My family bundles up for a visit to see colorful, floating lanterns fill the San Antonio Riverwalk.
One of my goals is to visit all of the states in the United States at least once. In order for a visit to count, I must visit some place within the state boundaries other than the airport or train station. Pretty simple.
Lately I’ve noticed that I’ve made almost no progress on my travel goals in the past few years and it’s time to change that. My travel bucket list is admittedly huge, but it’s the journey that counts. So, I’ve decided just to focus on the U.S. list for the next year and cross some of these local places off the list.
To be honest, I’m far less excited about visiting any place in the United States. Europe is where it’s at for me right now. Plus, I admit, some U.S. states have actually managed to completely turn me off with their politics and/or culture. For example, some of the Southern states still run rich with racial tension. The air is thick with hate, and honestly, I don’t like being around it.
However, I do still have an overall goal of visiting all of the United States and have quite a few to go. So, why visit those places first and get them out of the way.
Here’s where I’m at… I’ve visited 22 of 50 states so far and I’m hoping to hit Colorado next.
Visited 22 out of 50
Visited States in Pink
States Not Visited in Green
One of my favorite little hideaways in the world is one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Located not too far from the bustling Southern Italian city of Bari, the tiny historic town of Alberobello remains an historic wonder.
The houses seem to be from some long lost alien planet. I also love that it represents a group of people who thought outside the box to make the best of their situation, people who weren’t afraid to challenge the expected.
Home to less than 11,000 people, the little town is famous for their cluster of trulli, a particular type of small structure. And wow, aren’t they are adorable!
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, the Trulli of Alberobello are indeed, truly unique. At the time they were constructed, trulli were typically used as temporary field shelters or storehouses. However, in Alberobello the trulli a tax was placed on homes and by not having a permanent roof, one could avoid their home or business being taxed as permanent property. So cool! Built of stacked rocks with no mortar, the roofs could be easily knocked over in the case that the authorities show up.
While the town was founded as early as 1000 AD, the trulli date back as far back as the 1400s. They were all built on land that was granted to a feudal lord, who ordered the people to build temporary structures instead of permanent ones to avoid having to pay taxes as city. Alberobello was not officially recognized as a permanent town until 1797.
There’s not a whole lot to do here, but there is enough to fill at least a long afternoon. The town museum here is definitely worth a visit.
There are also plenty of shops with a wide variety of souvenirs, if you’re into that sort of thing. Choose to support a local business selling things made locally and your money will go the further towards helping this place survive. This community thrives on tourism.\
If you get a chance to make it to Southern Italy, be sure to stop in and visit this little town. It’s one of the most unique places you’ll ever visit.
Have you been to Alberobello? Did you like it? I’d love to hear about your experience. Please post it in the comment section below.
Let’s face it. Cruising the high seas is by no means a green or eco-friendly method of transportation. Cruise ships waste more and pollute more than most all other forms of travel. But if you find yourself taking a cruise, there are a few ways that you make your trip a little more eco-friendly than it might have been.
Never buy water sold in disposable water bottles. Also, you can take these reusable containers to the restaurants on the boat with you. And of course, you will also want to carry them when you go into port. As an added benefit, carrying a reusable water bottle can also help you stay consistently hydrated while traveling, which can be difficult and often gets overlooked in all the fun.
If you can use it several times before tossing it to the dirty laundry, that would be best. I tend to use my towels for at least a few washes before discarding them. One thing that helps is that I am careful to hang them up properly to allow them to air out properly. This prevents mildew and bacteria from growing, allowing for more uses.
Yep! There I said it. A little pee never hurt anyone, but the excessive flushing of toilets is wasting an unbelievable amount of precious water resources. So, unless you go two, don’t flush the loo.
Speaking of wasting water resources, it’s best if you can reduce the amount of waste water you produce on the ship, you can reduce the amount of pollution going into the ocean.
Don’t leave your power appliance plugged in, as many of them still use a little bit of energy. This is good habit to practice everywhere you go and at home, too.
Especially the cheap, plastic souvenirs both on the ship and in port, too. Instead, take lots of photos and make videos. These photos and videos will work better as souvenir replacements if you put yourself and your travel mates in them. Don’t try to take a great landscape for your desktop background. You can get those photos all over the internet. Don’t waste the opportunity. Put people in the pictures. These are the photos you can never replace and can never take again.
When you go to port, walk if you can. If you can’t walk or bicycle, opt for mass transit travel options as much as possible. This is an obviously greener option.
If you are going to shop when you travel, be sure to throw a few reusable shopping bags in your backpack or travel pack, so you can avoid collecting new ones.
While all cruise ships are big polluters, some companies are attempting to take a more responsible approach and are taking small steps to make their ships more eco-friendly.
In 2012, a Neilsen survey on global corporate responsibility found 46% of consumers are willing to pay extra for products and services from companies that show a commitment to social responsibility. 66% ranked environmental sustainability as more important than any other cause listed.
Ask anyone who’s ever really known me and they’ll tell you I’m ambitious, to say the least. That’s what life is for, right?! So, after much thought, I have decided to share my travel bucket list with you. I hope you’ll follow along with me on my adventures across the globe.
I’ve visited 22 of 50 states so far and am hoping to hit Colorado next. See my whole list of US Travel Goals.
Visited: Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy
Still Need to Visit: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine, Vatican City
Visited: North America, Europe
Want to Visit: Asia, South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia
Visited: Glacier Bay, Hot Springs, Mammoth Cave
Want to Visit: Acadia, American Samoa, Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Reef, Carlsbad Caverns, Islands, Congaree, Lake, Valley, Death Valley, Denali National Park & Preserve, Dry Tortugas, Everglades, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes, Isle Royale, Tree, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords, Kings Canyon, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, National Park of American Samoa, North Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Saguaro, Sequoia, Shenandoah, Theodore Roosevelt, Virgin Islands, Voyageurs, Wind Cave, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion