I was bitten by the travel bug when my aunt took me to Italy in 2005, when I was just 21 years old. During my younger years I couldn’t afford to travel much but I loved collecting travel books that were full of lists of faraway places that I could dream of going later in life. Now, at 40 years old, I’m committing to visiting the places in my books.
But how does one choose where to start? The travel gods, of course! During a random trip to Kirkland’s, I found the cutest bucket lists on clearance. I grabbed them all for gifts and kept one for myself. I put all of my book titles on slips of paper and now choose one at a time. Once I have the book title, I find one place to visit from the book. Once I visit the location, I put the selection back in the bucket, and pick another challenge. Fate, chance, call it what you may, but I’ve got the whole world to see, one bucket list choice at a time!
May 2025 – The Complete National Parks of the United States
Site Visited: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
I received the spiral-bound copy of this National Geographic book for Christmas from my mom. It lists ALL of the National Park sites, from the infamous Yosemite and Yellowstone, to the uncommon historical sites or nature reserves. It’s such a treasure of a book for those who love history and nature. You can choose from over 400 spots to explore, and includes lots of great information you can use to plan your visit.
November 2024 – Personal List: USA
Site Visited: Party Fowl in Nashville, Texas
As the holidays approached, I had a bit of time off to grab my next Bucket List Challenge spot. I had chosen another personal list, one that spans across the country. In fact, it required me to leave Texas and go explore another state. Luckily, I also had a flight credit that was expiring so I was able to find some affordable airfare for a little pre-Thanksgiving adventure.
July 2024 – Personal List: Texas
Site Visited: El Chilito in Austin, Texas
Texas is one of those states where you can live your entire life here, and not even scratch the surface of all it has to offer. In my humble attempt to try, I collect recommendations from tv shows, magazines, and social media of attractions to visit and foods to try. The puffy tacos at El Chilito were worth battling the July heat to enjoy them on a working lunch break during a business trip.
July 2024 – Texas Monthly: Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Metroplex
Site Visited: Dallas Farmers Market
I found this book for a few dollars at a book sale. Published in 1997 it still had some fun recommendations (though many of them were no longer open). Since I was born in Dallas, and attended college nearby, I had visited many of the suggestions, but it was fun finding new places, or ones I hadn’t visited since childhood. I also loved that on this adventure I could bring my dogs and enjoy the experience with them!
May 2024 – 50 States, 5000 Ideas
Sites Visited: Victoria, Vancouver, and Haida Gwaii, Canada
I love a good list to tackle, and this National Geographic book has the most beautiful images and suggestions for each of the United States. What I didn’t realize until I selected it for this challenge, was that it includes Canada too! So when I was planning a girls trip to British Columbia, I knew it was the perfect time to choose a few items from this bucket list challenge selection!
February 2024 – 1,000 Places to See Before You Die in the United States & Canada Edition
Site Visited: Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada
The original 1,000 Places to See Before You Die changed my life. My aunt showed me her copy when it was first published and I got my own for Christmas. I immediately opened to page 1 and took off to England the next chance I got on my first solo international trip. Since the first book came out, I’ve collected the rest of the series, including the United States and Canada edition. This has plenty of options in each state and province and so a fun choice in my bucket list challenge!
July 2023 – Backroads and Byways of Texas
Sites Visited: Bevers Kitchen (Chappell Hill, TX), Meyers BBQ (Elgin, TX), and Burnett, TX
Long ago, when I couldn’t get out of town on the weekends, I created a habit of visiting a local bookstore and buying a book that had places closer to home. Since then, I’ve amassed tons of Texas travel books. This one has tons of suggestions around this gigantic state. I ended up trying a few of these for my birthday (though traveling in 100+ degree weather is something to be cautious of). I definitely made memories that will stick with me for a lifetime!
August 2022 – Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Season 1
Site Visited: Mac & Ernie’s Roadside Eatery in Tarpley, Texas
So, not a book but this OG show, along with The 101 Chowdown Countdown, have inspired me to get out and explore the world of foodie travel for decades. For Christmas one year, I received the DVD set of Season 1 and decided to include that selection during my Bucket List Challenge. Luckily for me, the VERY FIRST spot that Guy Fieri visits in the inaugural episode is in Central Texas. So, after making this selection, it was an easy choice. I’m happy to say, I’m making pretty good progress on my way down the Season 1 list!
August 2022 – 100 Things to Do in Houston
Sites Visited: Chapel of St. Basil, Rothko Chapel, Cactus Music Record Store
I have lived in Houston for over 20 years and still have barely touched the surface of all the things to do here. This fun book helps me make sure I don’t get bored in my own town with a fun list of 100 sites that include some timeless spots and ones that feel a bit more recent.
June 2022 – Roadside Americana
Site Visited: Twistee Treats in Jersey Village, TX and Petrified Wood Station in Decatur, TX
I love a good road trip and have been on some epic ones! I love fun stops like the ones in this book. They’re so Instagram-worthy. I was able to find quite a few options in Texas, but wish I had more time to go explore some of the giant, kitschy places around the country.
April 2022 – Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places On Earth For a Girl to Travel Alone
Site Visited: Miami, Florida
When I started traveling solo, I loved collecting books that shared safe, fun places that other women were enjoying. This book has fun suggestions and is organized in a really creative way. There were suggestions for places to visit around the world, including some popular USA destinations too. Though I didn’t end up traveling solo on my Bucket List Challenge trip, I enjoyed Miami so much I visited later that year solo and enjoyed it just as much.
October 2021 – 501 Journeys
Sites Visited: Roosevelt Island Tramway and Financial District of in New York City
I have flipped through the pages of this book often, dreaming of far-away adventures. The first journey it describes is heading around the world in 80 days with NO PLANES and will forever be a dream of mine. So, when it was one of my first bucket list challenges I had so much fun planning which one I wanted to try first.
August 2021 – Top 10 San Antonio and Austin
Sites Visited: San Fernando Cathedral and La Villita
My VERY FIRST Bucket List Challenge! You never forget your first! I used my first “980 Friday” with my new job to take a day trip to one of my favorite Texas cities, San Antonio. There were so many great suggestions in this book, so I started from the very beginning. I had the best day exploring new spots I hadn’t been to yet. It really motivated me to start using my time off to explore new stops and use the travel books I had purchased in earlier years.
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