My top 5 list...

Of places to see before, well you know.

I have this book sitting on my window sill entitled 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. (As a side note, I'll be honest: 4 years of college and I still can't remember if a title should be underlined or in italics. I know.) Inside are incredible places throughout the world that would be amazing to visit. Unfortunately for us Washingtonians, there are only a handful in the Pacific North West.

So, to begin, please note that there are not just 5 places out of the entire book I'd like to see, but possibly over one hundred little flag scattered throughout the pages. Two more lists of places 6-10 and 11-15 are to come in the following few posts. And, please also keep in mind that this is if there was no budget in place.

1. The Northern Lights - Tromso, Norway
"The same extreme reaches of northern Europe that provide endless days of summer sunshine promise something just as remarkable during the otherwise daunting winter months: the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, an eerie, silent display of dancing lights in the heavens above." Evidently, as the book goes on to say, that on most clear winter nights Arctic winds collide with the electron-charges atmosphere of the earth, creating an aurora of these swirling apparitions around the magnetic North Pole.
It just sounds like it would be amazing. I think I recall seeing glimpses of them on TV, but to see it in person would be incredible.

2. Sydney Opera House and the Harbor - New South Wales, Australia
The Opera House was a design chosen in 1957 and took 15 years to complete. It was such a controversial project that during the construction, designed Joern Utzon removed himself from the project, never to see it completed.
I would love to someday cross the Harbor Bridge and at least see the opera house. It is such a symbol of Australia. Andrew really wants to visit the land down under, too, so hopefully someday we'll make it down there!

3. Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand
Welcome to the home of bungee jumping and jet boating! In this location you can do many things. First, the bungee jumping. There are many high bridges here that drop you down into an oasis of plants, and jungle of species or over a waterway. As the book says, at least at publication time, everyone had lived to tell about it! Next is the jet boating. This seems to pretty much be like white water rafting. It says they take you over steep rock walls, and white-water rapids in flat bottom boats. I'd just be going for the bungee jumping, though!

4. Horseshoe Bay Beach - Matangi Island, Figi
What part of that doesn't sound enticing? Beach, Fiji...sounds great to me! This location is a horseshoe-shaped, 240 acre island that is the remains of an ancient volcano that fell into the sea creating one of the finest beaches in Fiji. The thing I love most about the island, is that the accommodations were built to house only 28 people at a time. There are 14 circular Polynesian-influenced bures and also three honeymoon tree houses built in enormous almond trees. This place sounds like the best getaway yet, I may have to slip this one into first place!

5. The Great Amish Country Auction- Pennsylvania
We were just so close to it, too! Unfortunately, not enough time reserved in our trip to make it up there bust next time. The Amish just fascinate me. Mostly because they are still using horses for transportation and for work.
The auction the book talks of occurs weekly and people begin to arrive before daybreak. People come to purchase other people's items, sort of like a big rummage sale. Things range from kitchen items to hand powered tools, horses to antiques.
I would love to just take a day and be a tourist here. Although, it would be even more amazing to take that day and be on someones farm and see what really goes on. Probably not too much of a vacation, but rather a learning experience.

So what about you? Even without the book, or with it if you own a copy, where are your top 5 travel destinations?