Bucket lists for travel

Some people have bucket lists for new experiences, like skydiving or running a marathon. Others have bucket lists for travel destinations.
I’ve taken an interest in travel bucket lists lately and I’ve started compiling my own, starting with visiting all 50 states. I’d also like to see the northern lights (aurora borealis), attend Oktoberfest in Munich and tour Ireland.
Thinking of starting your own, here are some suggestions:

28 Places to See Before You Die – the Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon and More (Smithsonian; January 2008)

Finally, the definitive bucket list: The Temples of Angkor, Great Barrier Reef and Machu Picchu lead the places you MUST see, say Lonely Planet’s adventure experts (The Daily Mail; Jan. 31, 2016)

The Great American Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in the US Before You Die (Thrillist; April 9, 2016)

The Great American Travel Bucket List (Popsugar; Nov. 27, 2017)

The 50 Most Unforgettable Things You Have to Do Abroad Before You Die (Thrillist; July 28, 2017)

The All-American Bucket List: 50 Iconic Adventures for Each of the 50 States (Reader’s Digest)

The Ultimate Gamer Bucket List (Mr. Gamez)

Photo: Oktoberfest in Munich.

Travel goal: Visiting all 50 U.S. states

Many people in the U.S. have a goal of traveling to all 50 U.S. states. I’ve decided to be one of them, but I’ve got my work cut out for me.
I’ve visited just 36 states, leaving 14 untouched.
In the Eastern U.S., I still have to visit South Carolina and Vermont. I hope to pass through South Carolina on a road trip this summer. I’ll save Vermont for an autumn leaves excursion sometime later.
In the Deep South, I have yet to visit Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Vacationing in New Orleans shouldn’t be too difficult. But I’ve had no reason to visit Arkansas and Mississippi before.
In the Plain States, I haven’t set foot in Kansas, Nebraska or Oklahoma. I should be able to pick off a couple of those if I ever do a tornado chasing tour.
That leaves Alaska, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oregon. The hardest one of those to justify will be North Dakota.
There’s even a website for people who want to document their travels: All Fifty States Club.
If you just want a U.S. map with the states you’ve visited and those left on your travel list, check out amCharts, Gas Food No Lodging, MapLoco and Visited Countries.