What's On Your Travel Bucket List?

Whats On Your Bucket List?

Did you ever see that movie The Bucket List starring two of my favorite actors, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman?  Ever since that movie came out, every time I turn around someone is promoting or talking about their “bucket list”.  It’s especially true in travel circles.

The travel agency consortium that we belong to, vacation.com, had an article in this months newsletter regarding the new “7 Wonders of the World”.    This 7 Wonders of the World Foundation announced a selection of world treasures based on the results of a global Internet poll.  Maybe you’ve been to one or more of these seven, or just maybe you’ll make it your travel bucket list to visit them all in the near future.

Here they are, starting with Chichen Itza.  This is closest to us, on the Yucatan region of Mexico, and you can get there from Cancun, Merida, or Cozumel.  These are famous pyramids, built hundreds of years ago, but still attractive today.

Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.  This 130-foot statue with arms outstreached atop the Corcovado Mountain overlooks that beautiful city and beaches.

The Great Wall of China which covers 5,500 miles is a collection of short walls winding up and down deserts, grasslands, mountains, and plateaus along the southern edge of the Mongolian plain. It is one of the objects on earth that was easily spotted by our astronauts, and one of the attractions when visiting Beijing.

The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum in Agra that was built in 1630 to  enshrine the body of the Emperor’s queen.  It is one of India’s most revered landmarks.

Built in the 1400’s, the complex of palaces, plazas, temples, and homes, Machu Picchu lies on a high ridge in Peru, surrounded on 3 sides by the Urubamba River, about 2000 feet below.  Most travelers reach the site by train and bus, but some are energetic and conditioned enough to hike to it.  It sits about 12,000 feet in the air, and the oxygen is very thin, so ;you can bet they hike very slowly.

Petra, located in Jordan, where among its architectural achievements are the hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs adorned with intricate carvings.  To adequately see it takes 2-3 days.

The 2000-year-old elliptical amphitheater, the Roman Colosseum, was used for gladiator contests as well as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions and dramas based on classical mythology.  Using your imagination as you visit this site will certainly bring ancient history into focus.

Well, there you have it!!   The “new” 7 Wonders of the World.  How many have you visited?  If you want to get started on this bucket list, please call on the expertise of the travel agents at The Travel Factory, and you can easily find us at 698-1421, or physically visit us at 4150 Southwest Dr., or on the web at www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com.