Places to go, Things to see: Part 1 - The North America edition

Six years ago I typed up a list of places I wanted to visit. Some of them were places I've always wanted to go, but never have been; others were old favorites that I would like to visit again (and again, and again). Today I'm going to focus on the North American destinations.

The U.S.A:
Washington D.C.* - I am nine years overdue a trip to the nation's Capital. I am jonesing a trip to the Smithsonian like I assume an addict would crave their next fix. I get shaky when I think of all of those museums and all of that history in one spot.

Williamsburg, Virginia* - It has been twenty years since I have been to Williamsburg. The last time I was there was for an American Girl tea party that introduced Felicity. I want to wander around the village and hit up Busch Gardens.

Annapolis, Maryland* - My parents saw no problem with driving down to Annapolis for lunch. It's such a pretty town and I want to find out if Buddy's Crabs still exists.

Baltimore, Maryland* - Such a cool town! It has an attitude all its own. I want to go to the Aquarium, wander around the waterfront, and pretend I'm in a John Waters' film.

Chincoteague* and Assateague* - I fell in love with Marguerite Henry's Misty series when I was little and I dreamed of going to visit Chincoteague and Assateague in order to see the wild ponies. When my parents bought our RV one of the first trips we took was to Tom's Cove Campground in Chincoteague. I still remember it as being one of the coolest campgrounds ever (only topped by one in The Keys). We went crabbing and had a ball at the wildlife preserve and the beach. Three years ago we went back down to the Islands on a whim to celebrate Mother's Day and My father's Halfway Thru Radiation Day. We stayed at a wonderful motel right on the channel, where I proceeded to shoot some of the best pictures of my life (the photo in my blog header is the view from the motel's dock at sunset), and my mother was stalked by a duck who was crushing on her. We had the most relaxing time and I've wanted to go back again ever since. I could see myself moving to Chincoteague someday.

Atlanta, Georgia - I have never been outside the Atlanta airport. I want to go to the aquarium, to the Varsity, and to The World of Coke. If I can get my brother to come with me I'll even go see a baseball game! The Braves are his favorite team.

Savannah, Georgia - I was first intrigues by the idea of Savannah when I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Then I was introduced to the world of Paula Deen. I want to eat tons of food at The Lady and Sons then wander around and take pictures of the architecture.

Hilton Head, North Carolina - Beaches and I are muy simpatico. I want to play in the dunes and see the sea grass. Someday I'll use vacation points to stay at the Disney Vacation Club Resort there and this will be given its very own star.

Charleston, South Carolina* - We stopped here once when I was too young to truly appreciate the beauty of this city. I remember going to Fort Sumter, a museum that I loved ... and I remembered the heat and the humidity:(. Next time I visit I'm going in October!

The Keys, Florida* - Visiting the Keys is the closest I've ever come to going somewhere tropical, and alas the last time I was there I was only 10, which kind of puts a damper on doing most of the traditional Keys activities. I've been to The Hogsbreath Saloon and Margaritaville, but I couldn't have a drink at either. I still managed to have a great time though. We went to the Aquarium, took a trolley tour, and I learned all about Hemingway and his cats. I had the best night sleep of my life while camping on Fiesta Key.

Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, Florida* - Three Words: Walt Disney World.

Crystal River, Florida - I want to go to the Manatee Preserve.

Memphis, Tennessee - Oh the music, oh the barbecue!!! When we drove my brother out to Texas we were supposed to stop in Memphis, but we stopped making in good time and we sped right through. No Graceland for my father, and no Beale Street for me.

Nashville, Tennessee - On the drive back from Texas we were supposed to stop in Nashville but ours plans changed.

New Orleans, Louisiana - Come on it's New Orleans - The food, the music, the history, the architecture, its strength of character... who could say no?

Austin, Texas* - My brother and sister in law lived in Austin for five years. It's such an amazingly eclectic city. I miss going there.

St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota* - Funny enough, the Twin Cities made it on my list because after reading The Girl Talk series when I was younger, I had always dreamed of seeing the Sculpture Garden. Imagine my surprise when my brother and sister in law moved to a St. Paul suburb two years ago. Minnesota is great. I can't wait to go to the Minnesota State Fair sometime. I wish I could go this year. I haven't seen my brother or sister in law in over a year and I really, really miss them.

Las Vegas, Nevada - The only reasons I want to ever go to Las Vegas is because I want to see Cirque de Soliel's production Love ... plus I'd really like to see my friend Ange again.

San Fransisco, California* - I spent two evenings in San Fransisco once and it wasn't enough time to even scratch the surface.

San Diego, California - One of my dreams is to learn how to surf and I want to do so at Surf Diva bootcamp at La Jolla Beach.

Anaheim, California - I'm a huge Disney history freak. I need to see Disneyland in person at least once in my life.

Portland, Oregon - It's supposed to be awesome here. It has beauty and Powell's books, and lest I forget, Voodoo Donuts!

Seattle, Washington - sort of the same reasons as Portland.

Hawaii - I want to go all over!!!!!! Oahu, Kuai, The Big Island, Waimea Bay, don't care where I start just get me there!!!

Alaska - I'll go anywhere. I just want to have my camera with me and about a trillion memory cards. Film of Alaska always makes me cry because it is so breathtaking.

Burlington, Vermont - Um hello, Vermont foliage (I'm a sucker for Fall), maple syrup,and Ben and Jerry's!

Boston, Massachusetts - I've never been to Boston :(. I want to walk the Freedom Trail and go to Quincy Market.

Ithaca, New York* - I'm planning an entire entry extolling the virtues of Ithaca, but in short it is truly Gorges ;)... plus it has been FAR too long since I have been back.

Lititz/Hershey, Pennsylvania* - We used to drive to Hershey and Lititz for the day when I was younger. Hershey is the "sweetest place on earth" and Lititz has the Sturgis Pretzel Factory and Wilbur's Chocolates.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania* - I'm long overdue a Philly shopping and museum adventure.

Mexico: History, Culture, and Beauty abound.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
Guadalajara, Mexico
Ixtapa, Mexico

Canada: Full disclosure I've often felt sometimes like maybe I was supposed to have been born Canadian.

Victoria, B.C - The gardens!

Vancouver, B.C. - It's supposed to be such a beautiful and chill city.

Kingston, Ontario* - Such a neat city! I compared it to Ithaca on steroids. The downtown area has the Tea Store, an Indigo books, a theatre, and a Roots clothing store, I don't think I need much else.

Ottawa, Ontario - The capital of Canada, and the home to another Tea Store!

Toronto, Ontario* - If ever I move to a big city I'm moving to Toronto. There isn't enough time to describe all of the things I love about T.O.!!!!

Montreal, Quebec - The Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, poutine, McGill University, and Old Town.

Nova Scotia, Halifax - I fell in love with Budge Wilson's version of Nova Scotia and I want to see how the real thing measures up. I also really, really want to hear the fiddlers.

Newfoundland - The sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea.

Cavendish, P.E.I. - I have dreamed of going all over Prince Edwards Island since I was seven because that is when I first fell in love with Anne of Green Gables. The ocean, the red sand, the seafood. I think I could probably die happy there.

You've Got to Be Carefully Taught

I haven't mentioned this yet, but I'm in grad school. The class that I am taking right now is about diversity, prejudice, and discrimination. I have spent the last two days quoting Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" for various assignments. The message of the song is true. We are shaped by but we learn at home. Lately I have been thinking about one lesson I learned at home more and more ...

I grew up in a very tense household, but unlike other houses, the tension wasn't between my parents but rather, caused by my grandmother. My grandmother lived with us from the time I was one until I was 14. She was a very unhappy woman and she was verbally abusive on a daily basis. Whenever my parents got some extra money together or time off from work they would take my brother and I away on a trip so we could escape. They wanted to us to have happy times. More often than not we ended up at Walt Disney World ... hey if you want to be happy where else should you go but "The Happiest Place on Earth"?, but we would also take crazy drives to D.C., Amish Country, Annapolis, Chincoteague, and Williamsburg. We kept this practice up even after my father lost his high paying job when I was 13. Dark times have followed us for years, and even though it was fiscally irresponsible we continued to travel. These experiences have left me with a few things: 1. An extreme wanderlust and a very long list of places I want to see; 2. a desire to flee to somewhere else for just a little bit whenever the going gets tough; and 3. the belief that it isn't crazy to drive three states over just for lunch.

Right now I am going through one of those times where nothing is going right and I just can't shake the cloud of doom that is hanging over me. I want to flee, because hey, that's what I have been taught to do, but I am a little more responsible. I know I'm broke and I don't want to add to my debt, so instead I stay sad and continue to read about places that I wish I was at instead of here ... and I dream and I dream, and hope that sometime life will be better.