On Location: Dream Trips – Illustrated Travel Bucket List vol.1
It’s no secret that I have a severe case of wanderlust! Just show me a world map and I can day dream for hours of all the far off locations and once-in-a-lifetime adventures I would love to experience or have tucked away in my travel memories. To further explore these travel dreams, I’ve decided to embark on a daily art project of sketching one of these bucket list locations a day, for the next 100 days.
Below are the first 10 of my illustrated travel bucket list – some very well known sites and some very far away… some near by and some at the ends of the earth. Please join me on this illustrative adventure and of share your travel dreams with me!
(Want a daily illustrated travel bucket list fix? Come follow me on Instagram (@wanderlustdesigner) and be inspired!)
Marvel at the Pyramids of Giza – El Giza, Egypt
Naysayers complain that there’s a Kentucky Fried Chicken within spitting distance, but that does not deter me from wanting to see this incredible world wonder for myself. It has been debated for centuries how these huge structures could ever have been built over 4,500 years ago, but researcher estimate the pyramids were built over a 20 year period, by up to 100,000 workers. Given the timeline to build, the number of workers and the amount of limestones (and once casing stones) estimated to construct the largest of the 3 pyramids, the Great Pyramid, it is projected that more than 12 (averaging 2.5 tons each with some up to 16 tons) blocks were moved each hour of every day and night! The sheer accomplishment of creating this World Wonder, makes the Pyramids of Giza a hands-down winner for anyone’s travel bucket list!
More Stories and Links
Great Pyramid of Giza – wikipedia
Discovering Ancient Egypt – The Pyramids of Giza
Great Pyramid – National Geographic
Contemplate the Architectural Feat of Petra, Jordan
Petra was a thriving trading center between 400B.C. to 106A.D. It’s quite amazing to think of who and how these structures and facades were carved, and even more fascinating to realize that some say over 85% is still underground! The movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade made Petra known to me over 25 years ago, and to this day I still have it ranked high on my travel bucket list to visit.
More Stories and Links
Lost City of Petra Still Has Secrets to Reveal – National Geographic
Petra, Jordan UNESCO World Heritage Site
Gaze at Gorillas in their Habitat – Bwindi Forest National Park, Uganda
I’ve heard that trekking through the Bwindi Forest in Uganda to see gorillas in their own habitat is a once in a lifetime experience like no other. After a fairly strenuous hike through the jungle, a guide will try to take you to where mountain gorilla families live so you can see them in their own environment. From what I have read, there is nothing quite like the moment when you can sit an observe these peaceful animals going about their daily lives.
More Stories and Links
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on Trip Advisor
Ponder Darwin’s Discoveries – Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
An expedition to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador is a travel bucket list-must for any naturalist! Although the sea lions will win your heart with cuteness, the marine iguanas are absolutely fascinating. They pile up 20 or more together and warm up on the black rocks of the shores after they swim and dive deep in the cold waters to get their food. They are the only iguana to do this and they are only found in the Galápagos.
More Stories and Links
The Playful Personality of the Galápagos Sea Lion
The Galápagos Islands – A Family Adventure of a Lifetime
Galápagos Islands World Heritage Site
Discover a Lost City – Machu Picchu, Peru
Walking through the gate and into the ruins of Machu Picchu truly is a breathtaking experience. It’s incredible to comprehend how this mountain top city was built. The mammoth, precisely chiseled stones were apparently quarried from several mountains away and brought here to build an estate for an Incan emperor. I can only imagine the exhilaration of Hiram Bingham in 1911 when he stumbled upon this overgrown “lost city” treasure while being lead by a local. A true Indiana Jones-like story!
More Stories and Links
On Location: Machu Picchu After the Tourists Have Gone
This Day in History – Discovery (rediscovery) of Machu Picchu
Turn Right at Machu Picchu (book)
Explore the Wild West – Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona/Utah
One of the most iconic locations in the West and the set of many movies, a road trip though Monument Valley and this part of Arizona and Utah really show just how vast and spectacular the Wild West really is! The stunning sandstone buttes rise majestically above the flat terrain and boldly contrast with the bright blue skies that go for miles and miles. It’s easy to get lost in the views and imagine yourself riding off into the sunset!
More Stories and Links
Wild West Horseback Riding in Utah
Watch Emperor & King Penguins – Antarctica
It’s definitely a goal of mind to get to that illusive 7th continent and watch the King Penguins and mighty Emperor Penguins play. (King Penguins and Emperor Penguins look very much alike, but vary in size and where they live on Antarctica. King Penguins are the second largest penguin species to Emperor Penguins. King Penguins are approximately 70-100cm tall and weigh between 24-35lbs, while Emperor Penguins can reach 122cm (48in) tall and weigh between 45-99lbs.) Most Antarctic excursions take passengers to areas heavily populated by King Penguins, as it is much harder to get to where the Emperor Penguins live.
More Stories and Links
11 Animals to Spot on an Antarctic Cruise
Stroll Along the Copacabana – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The humid, warm air, the wavy patterned tile walkway, the fruit drink vendors, the people playing sports on the beach, and those teeny tiny bikinis – a stroll along the Copacabana is one I will never forget! This world famous beach is teeming with energy. Lined with hotels and with a view of Sugar Loaf mountain to one side and Ipanema to the next, this urban tropical location is a must for any traveler.
More Stories and Links
Copacabana Beach on Rio de Janeiro Travel Site
Meditate at Tiger’s Nest – Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan
Located at 10,240′, and hanging on the edge of a cliff is the sacred Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan. The reported 2-3 hour strenuous hike to visit this monastery doesn’t deter me from wanting to experience this serenity myself. In fact, it makes it even more alluring!
More Stories and Links
Paro Taktsang (aka Tiger’s Nest)
Ascending Bhutan’s Sacred Tiger’s Nest
Taktsang – Tiger’s Nest Monastery Website
Revel at the Whimsy of Saint Basil’s Cathedral – Moscow, Russia
It’s hard to comprehend that this colorful and spectacular building was built in the mid-1500’s and even more ironic that it was commissioned by the notorious Ivan the Terrible. There is a legend that Ivan had the architects of this wonder blinded after is was built so they could never create anything as spectacular… Even though this is a myth, it sure does create just another tantalizing reason to go see this sacred cathedral in person.
More Stories and Links
Saint Basil’s Cathedral on Lonely Planet
2 Comments
Jenny McCulloch
4 out of 10 done on your bucket list!! Time to tick off another! Let’s do it!! Awesome commentary on your picks…and the watercolor drawings are beautiful…I especially love the cute face on the marine iguana (when they actually aren’t cute at all!!)
Pingback: