Quetico Provincial Park also known as canoe country wilderness is one of the bucket list killers for me
Bucket lists are the rave in the adventure travel world these days. Everyone wants to make a list of where they want to go before they die and then tell everyone else whether they want to know or not. I am not exception as I have done the obligatory post.
I have also examined the subject from the opposite side. I have written about the travel experiences that I felt were most precious in my travel bucket. Today, I am writing about the almighty bucket and the subsequent list from a different perspective.
Great Smoky Mountain stream
This list compromises my bucket list killers. Looking at the title you may think I am talking about work, bad health, lack of money. Those would also be considered bucket killers, but who wants to write about such negative things.
These bucket list killers are the places I love so much that I keep going back again, again, and again. They keep me from applying check marks on my bucket list because I am addicted to these destinations. Is there a place you love so much? An old reliable that is your bucket list killer? Please tell us about it in the comment section below.
Across the border in Ontario, Canada lies an amazing park also known as the canoe country wilderness. Vast lakes, granite rock outcroppings, pine forests, bald eagles, and great fishing characterize this swath of lakes and canoe trails along the U.S and Canadian border.
Shore lunch anyone?
I first canoed the Boundary Waters just south when I was in high school. Not soon after followed my first Quetico trip. I have been into Quetico about seven times since. I plan on going back soon to the detriment of some other place that I would like to go to before I die.
Quetico sunset
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The most spectacular mountain section in the Appalachians, the Great Smoky Mountains are another place that really grabs you and keeps you coming back again and again. It is a backpackers heaven with hundreds of miles of trails with great tent and shelter camping.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The mountains are awesome in their own right, but the backcountry is just as fascinating. Mountain streams cascade through stands of rhododendron and thick hardwood forest.
I first hiked the Smoky Mountains at the tender age of ten. We got lost the first night and hiked the last couple of miles up to the Appalachian ridge in the dark. Our family was charged several times by a whitetail deer as we slowly made our way in the dark. Good thing it was not a bear.
A footbridge over a Great Smoky Mountain stream
Despite the precarious first trip, I have returned too many times to count. I have been to the Great Smoky Mountains over twenty times and look forward to my next hike. I will just make sure it is not in the dark.
I think the Everglades is the only outdoor place I actually dreamed about after returning. I knew right then that I loved this place. It was not love at first sight though. I remember the first view I had of a canoe trail made me not want to even start the trip.
Florida Everglades mangrove swamp
We put our canoes in a mangrove swamp which had low lying trees that created a tunnel through the swamp. I envisioned spiders and snakes falling into our boat. We did not see one snake, but we saw many alligators and a ton of amazing birds. I have been to the Everglades four times. I look forward to my next trip in the swamps of Florida.
A roseatte spoonbill in front of white ibises in the Florida Everglades
Florida alligator
This consists of the Jack’s Fork and Current River, but you could also throw in the Buffalo River in Arkansas as it is in the same general area. It has been awhile since I have been to this old friend, but I hope to get back soon. It used to be an April tradition.
Camping along the Current River in the Ozarks
The rivers are lovely with limestone cliffs, clear water, and dogwoods blooming in the spring. On one memorable trip we adopted the family dog Barney who was a stray in the campground in Arkansas.
The Wisconsin River
This is a staple of my existence. Last year was the first time I have not canoed this river in I cannot remember when. My first trip was also at age ten, and I am sure I have averaged one Wisconsin River outing per year.
Wisconsin River
This year will make up my absence last year as a post Memorial Day trip is already penciled in the calendar. The Wisconsin River is characterized by beautiful bluffs, verdant green forests lining the river, golden sandbars, and bald eagles, which seem to fly off of every dead tree.
Growing up in Chicago, the adventure travel is limited in the area. These are the best spots for outdoor adventure within a day’s drive, except for the Everglades, which is one reason why I keep going back.
Wisconsin River sandbar
Stay tuned,
TT
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I’ve got some bucket list killers too – kayaking the west coast of Vancouver Island never gets tiring nor does hiking one more trail in the Rocky Mountains, or in the States hiking or biking in Moab or southern Utah.
Other than a quick trip through the Everglades I haven’t explored your faves – and should. The Ozark Scenic Waterway looks amazing.
Leigh recently posted..Greening Up Your Travels: What Makes a Hotel Green?
I’ve seen a few of these places pop up in your posts 🙂
For me, I would include the Lake Tahoe area. I’ve been there many times for various reasons but it’s so peaceful and beautiful!
Jeremy Branham recently posted..Can your best travel experience really change your life?
I have been to Destin, Florida, and the rest of the Florida Panhandle too many times to count, and it will always be a special place to return. When it comes to islands, I keep returning to Nevis in the West Indies, five times to date. It is my favorite island for many reasons, and one I know I will return to, even though others are on my bucket list.
Debbra Brouillette recently posted..Tenerife, Canary Islands: island of ‘eternal spring,’ day 1
My Dad really loves the Panhandle area. He spent a month in the area in March. He actually saw a panther while biking in a state park. Never been to Nevis, but I kind of like the music. Oh wait, that is Spain. After going to Trinidad, I have to say I kind of like the Caribbean.
You would love climbing Mt. Nevis and the rainforest hikes…
Debbra Brouillette recently posted..Tenerife, Canary Islands: island of ‘eternal spring,’ day 1
Of course, my bucket list killer is Vegas. That’s the way it is..
Cheers…
Charles Higgins recently posted..Vegas ranked second on smuttiest US cities list
I would have guessed that one. There is so much to do in Vegas it does not get old.
Nice twist on the bucket list! You’ve got me thinking, and my biggest bucket list killers aren’t actually the same places, but instead where my friends may go to live. For example, I just went to Seattle (from Sydney), which wasn’t in my top 50, because a friend moved there and I wanted to see her new home.
In the end it was a great move because I loved the city. But it didn’t get me any closer to seeing General Sherman in California which I had promised myself I’d do on my next USA trip. Ah well, next time!
Visiting friends is a big part of travel for me. In fact, that is one reason why the Great Smoky Mountains is on this list. Two close friends live in Knoxville and Charlotte, so I have always visited them and then gone hiking.
I went to Trinidad & Tobago this year to visit a friend who works there for the U.S. Embassy. Good point about visiting friends as part of travel. Hmmm. . . That could be a post in of itself.
I thought this was a cool concept for an entry, so I just had to read it. I guess we all have our bucket list killers. Mine used to be Vegas (I’m a blackjack lover), but I’m currently in recovery so to speak. I can easily see why you’re so fond of those places, especially in Tennessee.
Leah Travels recently posted..Lastly, I’m Going with Oh to…
Vegas is always a fun spot. I have been twice, but I would love to return for a third provided I have time to visit Death Valley or something like that nearby.
These pictures are marvelous, especially the ones from the Smoky Mountains.
As for my bucket killer list: San Francisco, Paris and my hometown of Krakow that of course I need to return to at least once a year. 🙂 Not that I’m complaining… I usually try to combine visiting these destinations with a day trip to the surrounding area.
Pola recently posted..5 wineries to visit in Sonoma, California
That is what I should do and combine something else with a trip to one of these places.
I can see why you return to these spots! They are each beautiful. For me, it would be the Lake Tahoe area and Bavaria! I just can’t get enough of either.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..Charming Mittenwald
Jeremy from Budget Travels speaks highly of Tahoe as well. Thanks for sharing Debbie.
Chilean Patagonia would be on an equivalent list for me: the landscape, the peacefulness, the remoteness – just a killer place for me (and I am a city kid!). Nice writeup and I definitely like those pix.
Raul (ilivetotravel in Twitter) recently posted..Traveling for Good – A Trek in Romania
These are some awesome photographs .. I like it a lot .. Looks like a great experience….
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