Last week, I talked about the places I currently wish to visit the most. So I thought this week I should do the same thing, but in the opposite direction!
I’m gonna talk about my favorite places that I’ve already been to, and why I liked them so much. Maybe it’ll inspire you to go there, too!
(The above image is from near my hometown, another of my favorite places to be!)
As I thought through everything that would go on the list, my main consideration was whether I would go back to a place again. I’ve visited quite a few areas, but I think that wanting to return again is truly an indication that it’s enjoyable!
The list is in no particular order, so let’s get into it!
Ireland
I wanted to go to Ireland for many, many years before finally going, and it was everything I hoped it would be.
Since most of my exposure to Ireland was mythology or history, I went in with very few expectations. I knew very little about the modern culture, but I knew the land would be beautiful and the culture/ history would be amazing.
Going to a place like that, I can see why their ancient cultures developed such a deep respect for nature, and why it’s called the Emerald Isle. Everywhere you go, you see lush, green scenery. (And absolutely no shortage of rainbows. We saw at least one a day!)
Even the stereotypical movie-set-in-Ireland thing happened to us! On our way to visit the Hill of Tara, some cattle crossed the street in front of our car, so we had to stop and wait for them.
My biggest regret in Ireland is that we didn’t spend more time in each location that we visited. We spent one full day in Dublin (with a partial day on arrival and another one leaving). Galway ended up mostly as a rendezvous point to go to the Cliffs of Moher, and we only went to Belfast to catch a plane. (Though we did see the Giant’s Causeway beforehand!)
One of the best parts about visiting Ireland was seeing the language absolutely everywhere. I haven’t mentioned it on this site much, but I’ve been learning Irish Gaelic for the last couple of years. Knowing that it’s an endangered language made it so cool to see it on every sign! It’s working its way back!
There’s a lot to talk about here, so I might make a longer post for the whole Ireland trip.
Scotland
Like Ireland, I wanted to go here for a long time, so it was a dream come true to finally visit!
I think that my desire to go here (and probably to Ireland, too) started with seeing Brave as a kid.
Our trip started off by landing in Glasgow from Belfast. We spent the night there and then headed up towards Inverness, hoping to find a cool place to stop on the way.
We sort of stumbled into Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, and I don’t think we could’ve picked a better option.
Like Ireland, everything was green, but since we arrived here in the fall, it was punctuated with oranges and yellows. It really added to the character and beauty of the scenery.
Another place I really wanted to see was Loch Ness, and it’s located right by Inverness. I definitely did not expect it to be so rectangular. It’s 23 miles long! We also checked out the Clava Cairns and Culloden Battlefield. (Which I will definitely write about!)
In Inverness, we also had some great food, and I tried lamb for the first time.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any encounters with the Loch Ness Monster, but we did check out the visitor’s center. It was a little cheesy, and definitely geared towards children and families, but still quite informative!
Our final stop was Edinburgh, where we got a bus tour and saw some amazing sights!
Just like Ireland, I wish we could have spent more time in each area, but I’m glad I went.
San Ignacio, Belize
This one is a little different, because I wasn’t entirely here as a tourist (except on weekends).
I’ve written extensively about this trip already, but I haven’t really touched on the more tourist-y side of things. I wrote about my time at BVAR, the archaeology field school there. I also talked about what it was like in San Ignacio, and what the field school was like.
But all in all, San Ignacio was a very cool place to visit (if a little bit unnerving at times, but that might have just been me). From here, it’s possible to easily visit the ATM Caves, Xunantunich, Caracol, and Tikal (all the way over in Guatemala).
It was so amazing to finally visit ancient ruins like these, especially while I was also working to dig one out. Knowing the work that goes into it really makes you appreciate everything archaeologists did to excavate the sites.
Even for the field school, I would absolutely go again. It was a life-changing experience and I met so many awesome people.
Zion & Bryce Canyon
Ah, Zion.
I’ve actually visited Zion in two separate video games, both after going to the real one. It features in Fallout: New Vegas and Horizon: Forbidden West, which are both post-apocalyptic games. (I’m sure that’s just a coincidence!)
Zion is such a beautiful place. Entering in from the east, all we saw at first were some mountains. Then, passing through a dark tunnel, we found a vast expanse on the other side. Zion is smaller than it seems, but feels absolutely massive!
There’s so much to do and we did not have time for it all, especially because we went to Bryce Canyon during the same trip. There are narrow crags to delve into, high-altitude hikes on precarious rocks, and scenic hikes across the valley walls.
Bryce Canyon actually also features in the Horizon game series, but in the first game, Horizon: Zero Dawn.
It is another one of many national parks scattered across Utah. Since I was traveling with family, we decided to spring for an AirB&B situated right between Zion and Bryce Canyon, allowing us to visit both.
Bryce Canyon is a lot smaller than Zion, but still absolutely worth it.
It always amazes me what nature is capable of producing, and the hoodoos all over Bryce Canyon are just one more example. Some of them resemble other things, like Thor’s Hammer or Queen Victoria, so they have special names. Others are ‘just’ hoodoos.
But beyond the hoodoos are stunning views of the Utah desert and its unique rock formations! It has a deep fossil record, too, that you can learn about by visiting their museum. (They’re fossils of sea animals! I know, crazy right?)
Yellowstone
Yellowstone is obviously one of the more popular National Parks. It needs very little introduction or explanation. But still, I thought I should talk about it.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any images from this one, as I was a lot less of a photo taker during this trip. But like I said, it’s well-known, so I’m sure you know what you’re getting into!
It’s been about 7 or 8 years since I visited Yellowstone. But the memories of lakeside walks, the travertine terraces, rainbow pools, and, of course, geysers, still stick with me.
We went camping when we visited Yellowstone, and it certainly added to the experience. There are hotels and cabins for the more housing-inclined, too. (And they’re pretty, too! They don’t take away from the scenery at all!)
It’s parks like Yellowstone, Zion, and Bryce Canyon that make me so thankful we had Teddy Roosevelt as president. The National Park Service is one of the greatest things any president could have ever created, and keep natural wonders available for everyone!
Conclusion
This list will definitely expand, probably with places from my bucket list destinations.
Like I said at the beginning, these are all places I desperately want to revisit. So, while they aren’t bucket list destinations anymore, I will be traveling to them again!
Other destinations, like Seattle, LA, DC, and Philadelphia are not on this list for the simple reason that I feel like I’ve seen everything I want to see in those places. I’m sure I’ll still end up back in Seattle and LA from time to time, though. I have family in SoCal, and there are a lot of big concerts out towards Seattle that don’t happen near me.
I hope this was an enjoyable read that inspires you to check out some new places! I know many of them are already popular spots, but I thought I’d talk about my own experiences there.
What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Let me know below, I’d love to hear it! Maybe it’ll end up on my bucket list!
If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to let me know below or contact me privately!
