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This is about places I’ve been that would make my bucket list if I hadn’t.

1 - First would have to be my favorite vacation spot, Grand Teton National Park.

Place to stay: Jackson Lake Lodge, on Jackson Lake.

It has always been the top spot for moose watching, but it also is a hiker’s paradise.

We took a boat across the lake and it dropped us off at a trailhead that wound its way between two of the mountain peaks.

We had walked about a mile and when turning a corner in the path we ran into two bull moose that cautiously eyed us as if we shouldn’t be there. 

We scurried behind a large boulder for safety. However the moose were only interested in us in passing.

Add drift trips on the Snake River, always with a clear view 

 of the jagged mountain peaks in the background.

2- Kyoto, Japan: I took the “Bullet Express” train from Tokyo to what I would argue is one of  the most beautiful cities in the world. While Kyota is a city of more than a million people, it is primarily a city of gardens.

I checked in at my hotel and was led through a beautiful Japanese garden to my stand-alone cottage.

I spent the next day roaming from shrine to shrine and garden to garden. You hardly knew you were in a city.

3 - Canyon DeChelly in Arizona. We got to the edge of the canyon just in time to see a native girl herd some sheep down a path to the valley below. We quickly  followed, and when we got to the bottom, we could look over and see the historic and very old Indian ruins. At the time, the valley floor had been flooded and we didn’t feel like wading to the other side. The 

Ruins, referred to as the “White House,” are carved into the sandstone cliff.

4 - Angkor Wat in northern Cambodia. I was able to wind my way through the temple complex without any interference. The temple complex was built hundreds of years ago and now is on a lot of travelers’ lists.  You can drop into Siem Reap by air, and it is only a short hike to the ruins. 

5 - Arlington National Cemetery: I’ve made two stops there, and it is humbling to know that I am in a solemn place where hundreds of national heroes are buried. 

One stop most people make is the burial site of Jack Kennedy. 

There was never enough time to wander all the way through the rows of gravestones, reading the names. 6 - Hong Kong: No language barrier here. The food is wonderful, and cheap. Shopping in old-style stalls is interesting, and there are opportunities to find real 

bargains. Be cautious of low prices on expensive watches. Lots to do. You can have a suit of clothes made and take it with you in a couple of days with maybe two fittings. 

7 - Niagara Falls: This was an astonishing stop on a drive to the east coast. We spent a day there enjoying a look at the falls from several viewpoints, and getting wet from the spray is, in a sense, fun. I would return in a wink. The falls are breathtaking and the noise is terrific.

8 - Yellowstone Park is one of those places that keep drawing you back. We made our first visit to the park in 1953, working for a time just 50 miles from the park.  We drove down every weekend and have visited Yellowstone probably a couple dozen times.

Wildlife is probably the biggest draw. We have seen scores of grizzlies, wolves, etc. And don’t forget the scenery.

9 - Kodiak, Alaska: I made several trips to Kodiak while doing a consulting job there. I visited when the sun barely showed up and when it never got fully dark. The island is beautiful, with mountains and coastal scenery. I have to add that the fishing is outstanding, with one halibut fishing trip I will always remember. 

10 - The Hearst Castle in California - I have made three of the four tours available there. The Hearst property is managed by the state.

It is a place of splendor. Hearst once found a room in Europe he liked, so he bought it and had it taken apart and reassembled in the castle.

You could argue Hearst’s lifestyle or the waste of wealth, but it is still an interesting place to visit.