Our Bucket List
About Our List
Our bucket list is a never-ending work-in-progress. What began back in 1996 as a short-list of trip ideas has morphed into an ever-expanding collection of overstuffed notebooks and spreadsheets on all things travel. Ideas for epic multi-year journeys. Notes on places we'd like to live. Sketches of potential vehicles we hope to employ on future trips.
As Sheri and I often say, the world only seems to grow larger as we spend more time on the road. And as the world expands, so does our list. That said, there's no way to capture all our ideas here. Rather, what follows are the "Cliff Notes". A quick-and-dirty summary of our high-level travel goals and top bucket list items.
We've included our top 250 bucket list items, which are divided into six categories: Top 25 Epic Journeys; Top 25 Places to Live, Work, & Study; Top 50 Wildlife Experiences; Top 50 Outdoor Adventures; Top 50 Places to Explore; Top 50 Epic Drives/Rides).
To view a list, click on a category below. If we've completed an item, we've noted it with a strikethrough. In some cases, we've written a blog post that discusses a bucket list item in greater detail and provides useful planning information and links. You can view a post by clicking on the bucket list item.
Long Term Goals
Sample the 7
Our 1st goal (set back in 1996) - Non-Rev the worlds' geographic, cultural, and natural diversity
Explore the World Overland
Travel the world by 4WD, motorcycles, bicycles, and any other means to dig deeper & go beyond the beaten path
Become Location Independent
Eliminate obstacles limiting our ability to choose where we live and work
Sail the Other 71%
Explore the world's oceans, islands, & coasts by sailboat
Get Into the Wild
Live amongst lions & elephants, photograph wildlife, & educate ourselves about the issues threatening our wild places
Make Travel Our Lifestyle
Transform Our Passion for Travel into a healthy, active, & fulfilling lifestyle
Travel by Many Means
See the world through fresh eyes by conducting major trips by many different modes of travel
Live in Interesting Places
Live, work, & play in interesting places around the world
Develop a World View
Broaden our understanding of the world & strive to be better global citizens
Road Trip the USA
Explore the US by road - live out of a van, ride the California coast, overland the rockies...
Epic Journeys
Sail RTW. Bikepack to Australia. Ride the Sahara. This is a list of the top 25 trips on our bucket list. These are the big ideas. Extended journeys, which require months or years to complete.
Live, Work, & Study
This list is about immersing ourselves in unique places. Learning to surf in Australia. Spending a summer in Tuscany. Taking an off-shore sailing school in South Africa. Here are 25 places we'd love to live, work, play, and learn.
Essential Experiences
Epic Roads
From crossing the Bateke Plateau to riding the Carretera Austral, our Bucket list is built around epic road trips. Here are the top 50 roads currently on our list.
Wildlife Viewing
Tracking mandrills in Gabon. Free diving with humpbacks in Tonga. Walking with Elephants in Mana Pools. Here are our top 50 wildlife experiences.
Outdoor Adventures
The world’s a vast outdoor playground. Kayaking the high arctic. Climbing the Rwenzoris. Sailing the Bahamas. There are endless opportunities for adventure. Here are our top 50.
Places to Explore
Our top 50 places include getting beyond politics in Tehran, spending an evening at Shwedagon Pagoda, and traveling Kettuvallam by houseboat.