TripBucket Blog

To legions of thrill seekers the prospect of communing with an active volcano ranks highly on the list of “must-do” adventures. Perhaps it’s because we like to be reminded of the relativity of just who we are when struck by the awesome power of the planet and Mother Nature. Maybe it’s the spectacle of a volcanic eruption that in no small way logically contributes to man’s fascination with fireworks. Whatever the reason, travelers have been drawn to glimpses of the produce of the Earth's internal furnace since long before the Vikings documented explosions as they roamed Iceland's lunar-like landscape.

Pliny the Younger, whose uncle, Pliny the Elder, died attempting to rescue friends near Pompeii during an eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius, wrote about that fury more than 2,000 years ago. Mark Twain observed during his 1866 visit to Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano that the noise of bubbling lava "makes three distinct sounds — a rushing, a hissing and a coughing or puffing," and "the smell of sulphur is strong, but not unpleasant to a sinner.”

Trips around the globe to See an Active Volcano, of which there are roughly 60 that erupt each year, doesn’t necessarily involve a whiff of imminent peril.

Consider just some of the options.

Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica – As the centerpiece of a rich rainforest with...

"I don't think of age right now.” - Dorothy Custer

A 102-year-old Idaho woman recently celebrated her birthday in quite unconventional fashion — she chose to BASE Jump off the state’s Perrine Bridge.

Inspiration comes in many forms. Consider Dorothy Custer. Last year she celebrated her 101st birthday by riding a Zip Line in Idaho’s Snake River Canyon. This year Dorothy marked her end of May birthday by leaping off a 586-foot-high platform in a tandem jump with a professional BASE jumper at the Perrine Bridge. The bridge spans the Snake River providing passage for U.S. Highway 93 to link the Twin Falls, Idaho area with Jerome County. The Perrine Bridge is the only U.S. location where BASE jumping is allowed without a permit.

“I was thinking of going to jump out of a plane, but then I found out it was too much” Custer reportedly told a local news agency referring to the relative cost of arranging a sky dive. Custer went on to explain her thoughts after considering the expense, “Forget it, I'll just have a very calm birthday.” Calm Indeed.

Thrill seekers of every age the world over have death defying acts like BASE Jumping or...

I believe one of the really great things about our Bucket Lists is that they can constantly be changed – they’re ours to do with as we please. No approval necessary. I remember a time in my life when running 10K races in as many places as possible was a worthy component of my list. However, age, experience, physical challenges and changing interests caused me to rethink that pursuit many years ago. My focus is now heavily weighted in the direction of appreciation of the world around us; both man-made and naturally occurring wonders.

My recent visit to Washington DC had me thinking about how interesting it would be to visit other nation’s capital cities. Surely, those cities have their own versions of the US Capitol Building, White House and iconic monuments and memorials to famous events and people? Washington DC certainly belongs in a Top 10 list with other must-visit locations across the globe also serving as their nation’s capital city. Knowing that understandable nationalistic pride is the backdrop for citizens who desire their nation’s capital to be a showcase of the country’s treasures and recognition for the nation’s famous sons and daughters caused me to think that including a visit to The Top 10 World Capital Cities deserved a high-ranking place on my list. While certainly debatable, I think these cities, each a great addition to anyone’s bucket...

Here in the Northern Hemisphere summer is practically upon us. While legend has it in the USA that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, if truth be told, that maximum capacity day for air travel actually occurs on a random date sometime in July or August each year when families are rushing to or from their dream holidays. Those of us that frequent the world’s airports are only too aware that air travel just ain’t what it used to be. Gone are the days when men felt coats and ties were mandatory and ladies sported their Sunday-best when boarding an aircraft. Clothing more appropriate for an athletic endeavor is the uniform of the flying day with air travel in today’s environment involving an endless string of inconveniences such as early airport arrivals, disrobing for security personnel and the stressful boarding process that places jockeying for the best position in order to stow your wheel-aboard high on the list of needed skills. While you certainly wouldn’t call it fun, with a little advance planning and understanding you can fly to and from your TripBucket experience of the dream of a lifetime with a minimum of angst and a few more dollars left in your wallet.

U.S. airlines collected about $3.5 billion in baggage fees in 2012, the most ever. These fees, charged for a service that was mostly free years ago, are expensive and confusing. With a little understanding and some advance planning those bag fees can be avoided or seriously reduced. Airlines...

5 days after we arrived in Washington DC I boarded a plane that would begin the day-long process of returning us to our home in Palm Springs, California. My feet hurt; I don’t mean they ached a little, I mean they really, really hurt along with my hips, legs and lower back. Never in my life did I think I would welcome back-to-back 3 hour long plane flights but the whirlwind pace of the previous days trying to cram as much of the United States Capital into what proved to be too little time did not provide many opportunities for rest. A full day of forced occupation of an undersized coach seat seemed like a pretty good idea right about the time the pilot kicked our A-320 into takeoff mode.

Pretty much, I’ve always believed its hard work having fun. Our recent trip to Washington DC to visit the United States’ District of Columbia with its iconic buildings, memorials and monuments did nothing to change my opinion. Right near the top of my list of travel commandments, a concept I stole from the Boy Scouts, to “be prepared”, constantly rang true in my sub-conscious mind as we moved from awe-inducing monuments to breathtaking buildings amid priceless artwork and architectural marvels. I thought I was, prepared that is, but I really wasn’t. I did lots of homework or so it seemed. I laid out my priorities ahead of time. I read the guide books; interviewed others that had made similar trips...

Supposedly it all started with the ancient Greeks who believed the number 7 to be the representation of perfection and plenty. Originally, we were taught there was the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Or so we thought until we discovered there were at least 2 or more competing lists compiled by different Greek writers. I’m sure they didn’t refer to their list as one of the Ancient World because that was the world they lived in – it’s only now we call it ancient. And, it was heavy with Greek and Middle Eastern icons because none of the Greek compilers had ever seen The Great Wall of China or Stonehenge. Only The Great Pyramids of Egypt remain from that original list of 7. But why 7? Seven days in a week; Seven Continents (convince me that’s a coincidence); Seven colors in the rainbow; Seven Deadly Sins. Maybe there’s something to this 7 thing.

Now, there seems to be an endless supply of lists of “7 Wonders”. Among the Dreams that find their way on to the bucket lists of TripBucket users is counted the Seven Wonders of The Modern World (created by a group of American Civil Engineers) along with the New Seven Wonders of The World (I wonder how long it will be until they are the “Newer...

Pinnacles National Park and Monument, rising out of the Gabilan Mountains’ chaparral just east of central California's Salinas Valley is named for its impressive rock spires and cliffs, remnants of an ancient volcano. The volcano’s landscape eroded over millions of years as it inched northward along the San Andreas Fault with every movement of the earth’s crust. Boulders have weathered and settled, leaving behind spires of volcanic rock and talus caves strewn with rocky debris. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and challenging passageways display evidence of millions of years of erosion, quakes and tectonic plate movement. Pinnacles National Park is the newest of the 59 US National Parks to earn the prestigious designation and is popular with hikers, rock climbers, explorers and wildlife lovers. If you want to experience the park from within your only option is tent or RV camping.

If the truth be told, my tent camping days are far behind me and I know for sure they have never been present in the definition of what my primary traveling companion would include as a Dream getaway. For all that matters, RV camping ranks third last on our list of preferred options for accommodations (right behind a backpackers’ hostel). Maybe I think I earned it; maybe the Westin did it to me with the Heavenly Bed campaign, but for whatever reason having a comfortable, private room with...

I know that the older I get I fall deeper into a trap set for me long ago by my maternal grandfather. Grandpa Bastien, that’s what our clan called him. Henry was his given name and what a great man he was. He lived to be 98 years of age; born in 1895. He saw virtually all of the great changes in his lifetime that moved the USA from a farm based economy to one with manufacturing at its core before it then became service centered with families flocking to suburbia. Grandpa Bastien longed for the “good old days” of his youth when things were simpler; bread was 10 cents a loaf; watermelon was sweet and you could change your own oil in the driveway, once you owned a car. I think of him virtually every time I look at a cable TV or cell phone bill or when I am schlepping a case of water from the grocery store to the back of my SUV. I reckon he would have a stroke, right there on the spot, if he knew we were paying so dearly for many of the things we think are necessities of modern life. The idea of checking email or responding to texts would be anathema to Henry. His reality TV was Walter Cronkite.

I think a good number of my contemporaries yearn for a simpler way of life, if even for a few days, or weeks. And while there is virtually no way to escape our day-to-day existence in the wired world, the ability to unplug, unwind and relax are basic ingredients of some big dreams for many. While jetting around the world to experience the glitz and glamour of massive cities like Tokyo or London finds...

My parents retired to the Hill Country in Texas many years ago near the town of San Marcos. When my children and I would venture to visit “Grandma and Grandpa Texas “(as they were known) we were drawn to a number of nearby water oriented activities for repeat visits, year after year. Aquarena Springs, the headwaters of the San Marcos River, was a place where more than 200 springs bubbled up from below the Earth’s crust in what is known as the Edwards Aquifer. Human life in the immediate area has been documented as far back as 11,500 years and the crystal clear water attracted European visitors as long ago as the late 1600’s with the 20th century then seeing development of an underwater theater, swimming pool and an amusement park having the springs at their focus. Believe it or not, the star attraction at the underwater theater was Ralph The Swimming Pig and swim he did, accompanied by mermaid dancers. Today, the springs are considered critical habitat for a number of challenged species and most of the old structures have either been removed or are in process thereof. Ralph retired with his last “Swine Dive” performed in the early 1990’s.

Closer to my folks’ place was an old fashion swimming hole known as the “Blue Hole” complete with overhanging tree limbs and tires attached to swinging ropes. It was a place where a kid could be a kid and a Dad could too. While the Blue Hole was free in those days (it’s not anymore!) we could...

I know for many folks their first image of a Dream vacation includes palm trees swaying in a soft breeze and a limitless supply of frosty drinks served poolside. I’ve had my fair share of memorable getaways over my lifetime in sunny climates with idyllic beaches and crystal clear water reflecting every shade of blue. However, I have to admit that some of the more memorable trips I’ve taken included lots of days spent in below freezing weather availing myself of certain rules of physics that allowed for movements not otherwise possible without a frozen surface beneath me. TripBucket is loaded with Dreams that motivate those seeking winter excitement no matter what hemisphere you’re in or to which you are headed.

I suppose what makes winter activities so darn fun and challenging is the fact that when water freezes it is very, very slippery. Engineering types have spent the last couple hundred years refining equipment that makes sliding down, traversing or climbing up and over snow and ice just that much more enjoyable and safe. Other folks have done a wonderful job of designing insulated clothing and footwear that allows us to enjoy our passions in what would otherwise be unbearable conditions.

I regaled my fellow Dreamers with my abrupt introduction to Alpine Skiing during the 1970’s in...