BY JANET STEINBERG
During travel’s post-covid recovery period, a headline in Travel Weekly (“The Travel Industry’s Trusted Voice”) projected that airlines are expected to set a 4.7 billion passenger record in 2024. My first thoughts after reading that article were: Where on earth are all these people going? What’s on their bucket list… where do they still want to go?
Being the curious inquiring reporter that I am, whenever/wherever I travel, I ask fellow travelers those same questions. For this article, I included the replies of seven experienced world travelers who composed a diverse group of people from a cross section of ages, genders, nationalities, professions and locations.
ROVING REPORTER ALWAYS ASKS QUESTION
Questions asked: What is the favorite place you have been to? What made it your favorite? What’s on your bucket list… what is the dream you created and wish to explore once before you die? Note: For privacy concerns, only first names, surname initials and the states in which interviewee chose to identify are listed.
JAMES T: Ohio; Internationally Renowned Classical Concert Pianist.
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: Since I have performed around the world for so many years, my top of the list is tied. It’s a toss-up between Taormina, Italy and Salzburg, Austria. Taormina, located on the mountainous isle of Sicily, is just off the toe of Italy’s boot. The premier hotel at the top of a rugged hill has a glorious view. Nearby is the still-active volcano Mt. Vesuvius.
Salzburg is like a fairytale city, backgrounded by a medieval fortress with very friendly people and wonderful music.
21st CENTURY HOTEL TERRACE…15th CENTURY RUIN IN TAORMINA, ITALY
BUCKET LIST: My bucket list is a quintet with Budapest at the top of the list. Close runner-ups are New Zealand, Antarctica, Mainland China and Israel.
DANUBE RIVER FLOWS BY BUDAPEST PARLIAMENT IN PEST SIDE OF CITY
MARY BETH P: Tennessee; Retired Founder/CEO Media Firm.
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: Uhuru Peak (19,341 feet) Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. I climbed from the base of the mountain through multiple eco zones, sharing a tent with my daughter. A life-changing experience to reach the top, embrace each other whilst taking in the panoramic view of distant glaciers and peaks.
MARY BETH’S CLIMB TO THE TOP OF MT. KILIMANJARO
BUCKET LIST: Going to The Arctic to balance my recent trip to Antarctica. I am compelled to observe both ends of the earth and their pristine simplistic beauty.
BARRY S: Florida; Attorney.
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: Golden Prague, the city of a hundred golden spires. It is a very affordable, artsy city with very friendly people. Prague made me think of what Paris was in the 1930s. My wife and I spent a lovely afternoon in the plaza sipping coffee while watching the figures in the 15th century Astronomical Clock Tower perform their hourly march.
FIGURES IN 15TH CENTURY ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK TOWER PERFORM AN HOURLY MARCH
We strolled into a nearby art gallery and fell in love with a piece of sculpture. When the price was converted into dollars, we were amazed at how inexpensive it was. That piece of art, purchased in Prague and now showcased in our Florida home, is a daily reminder of our time in the Czech Republic.
HUNGARIAN SCULPTURE NOW RESIDES IN FLORIDA TRAVELERS’ HOME
BUCKET LIST: I want to go to Japan as I want to ride the bullet train and see all of the cultural and architectural sites Tokyo has to offer.
JODY L: Ohio; Artist
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: Italy’s Lake Como. I love the sophisticated peoples’ appreciation for beauty and the elegance that surrounds them. It offers the best quality of art, food, nature and shopping. The locals take their time to enjoy all that life has to offer.
RENOWNED HARRY’S BAR OF VENICE (ABOVE) HAS LOCATION ON BEAUTIFUL SQUARE IN CERNOBBIO, LAKE COMO
BUCKET LIST: My dream trip, at the top of my bucket list, is to explore the continent of Australia from Sydney to Perth and spots in between. I have heard such amazing things about it from friends and family. It sounds different than any place to which I have traveled.
ANDREW: New York: Studio Leader at architectural firm
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: Given the views of the Pacific Ocean, the greenery of the hills and the black rock beaches, Lima Peru is an incredibly complex vision. The history of combining Spanish, Japanese, and Peruvian cuisine results in the most memorable meal I have ever had. It’s no wonder that the Central Restaurant is rated the #1 restaurant on “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list.
VIEW FROM MIRAFLORES HILL IN LIMA, PERU
BUCKET LIST: I would like to sail on a small scuba excursion boat to view the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia.
LORETTA B: New Hampshire; Dancer/Educator
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: An all-girl’s trip to Italy’s Tuscany and Umbria regions with my mother, my sisters and my nieces. Florence was my favorite city. It had the warmth of a small Tuscan country, yet it had incredible art history, divine food and a metropolitan ambiance.
THE PONTE VECCHIO IN FLORENCE, ITALY
BUCKET LIST: There are so many places I would like to go. However, my first choice would have to be Ireland, Scotland and Wales because that is where my ancestry is.
JEFFREY: Louisiana; Executive Coach
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION: The breathtaking panorama of the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy was my favorite trip. The people that reside there… the masterful architecture of Mother Nature… the fresh seafood… the exquisite French cuisine and la dolce vita lifestyle are an unbeatable combination.
ITALY’S BREATHTAKING AMALFI COAST
BUCKET LIST: I would like to travel around Southeast Asia to experience the culture because it is so different from that of the Western world.
Perhaps now is the time to start thinking about making your own Bucket List. The hit song of the mid-20th century, “Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think”), still reminds 21st century music lovers that…
“The years go by, as quickly as a wink,
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.”
PERSONAL GOAL: EXIT THIS WORLD WITH NO REGRETS
Janet Steinberg, winner of 55 national travel-writing awards resides in Cincinnati but calls the world her home.