Franklin, Tennessee, USA

What: Franklin
Where: Franklin, Tennessee, USA
Lists: 1000 Places to See Before You Die: US& Canada

Again, I am somewhat partial to Franklin. It just so happens to be my hometown. Franklin is more than just a quaint little town. It is a town steeped in tradition and history. Franklin is located approximately 20 miles south of Nashville in Williamson County. It has a population of roughly 62,000. Franklin was founded on October 26, 1799 and the town was named after Benjamin Franklin.

One of Frankin's biggest draws is it's Civil War history. The battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864 where a little more than 1,750 men were killed. Those of you who are history buffs would enjoy visits to the Carnton Mansion. This old mansion was turned into a field hospital for the Confederacy and was one of its largest hospitals. It is said to be haunted. If you are an avid reader and have heard of The Widow of the South, Carnton is where the book is based. Another area of Civil War history is the Carter House. Located near Carnton, the Carter House is open to visitors and you can view the houses with hundreds of bullet holes.
If the Civil War isn't you thing, a simple stroll around the square will send you back in time. The quaint shops and peacefull scenery and historic churches remind you to slow down and really look around. Perhaps you will catch a show at the Franklin Theater, which is an old 2 projector movie theater that has been converted into a performance space. But by far my favorite thing about Franklin happens once a year. The Main Street Festival is a fantastic place to find art, crafts, clothes and just little things. There is also fantastic street food and live music. It happens the last weekend in April and the entire downtown square is shut down. It is the most fantastic way to spend a weekend.

If you would like more information about Franklin, please visit www.historicfranklin.com

Walt Disney World!

What: Walt Disney World
Location: Orlando, FL, USA
Lists: 1000 Places to See Before You Die and 1000 Places to See Before You Die: US & Canada

Walt Disney World! The Happiest Place on Earth! I felt that this is the best place to start. Not only does WDW truly represent what America is, the mouse is also currently my employer. Yes, thats right, I am a cast member. Need help planning a family vacation? Let me know I can hook you up with some awesome tips! Anywho back to the real reason for this post.
Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971 with Magic Kingdom. Sadly, Walt Disney passed away before he could see it completed. Magic Kingdom has 6 themed lands (Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland) that each offer distinctive theming and attractions. WDW was expanded in 1982 with the opening of EPCOT, then Hollywood Studios in 1989 and finally Animal Kingdom in 1998. WDW also contains two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) and the Downtown Disney Shopping Area.
Disney World is the most visited theme park in the world and the 189 feet tall Cinderella Castle is the most photographed building in the world. The parks are filled with magic and wonder. I think that is the thing I love most is the wonder of the little kids that walk down Main Street and their eyes light up seeing that castle. Heck, my one of my old roommates who had never been to Disney World before she was 23, screamed and then started crying the first time she saw the castle. So many memories are created there - I know some of mine were. Seeing Cinderella for the first time or making my mom wait hours in the sun so I could meet the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Sadly, they are no longer available for meet and greets) are some of my favorite stories to tell. The characters make the magic. And still at 25 years old I go character hunting and try to meet all the characters I can.
Another fantastic thing about Disney World is that you can come everyday and still notice things that you have never seen before. I have worked at Disney for 2 years and there are still details I haven't noticed or restaurants I haven't eaten at. Plus, the parks are always changing and evolving. Look at the new Fantasyland Expansion that is going on now.
I just think that Walt Disney World is a place that can't be explained. It is something that needs to be experienced. And if you are planning a Disney Vacation, make sure you plan at least a week. This way you won't be stressed out and you can still see everything that is a don't miss attraction. So there it is. Walt Disney World. The Happiest Most Magical Place on Earth. Where everyone screams at the sight of a mouse. Where everyone is Happy no matter what their name is. Where the Incredible happens everyday. Where happily ever after happens every day. Where a cup of tea can bring us together. And apart. And together again. Where everyone is dying to meet you. Where the night is as bright as the day. Where dreams come true.

I've Been Thinking....

So I realized that this whole idea is a little bit crazy. The fact that I want to accomplish over 4,400 different places/experiences. Granted, some of these things can be accomplished in the same cities or areas so I could knock a few out at a time. Sadly though, since I have a meager salary my international traveling is going to be limited for a while. However, hopefully my travels within the US will expand greatly. So while I will post about my international travels already, after those the posts will be mainly about the US until funds improve. So I hope you can join me on my travels.

Hello World

Hello world...or whoever is reading this. I would hope one is reading this because they have a sense of adventure. Adventure to me is traveling and getting out of our comfort zone. If we stay in our own little bubble, what life are we living? But here is the hard part...how do we travel? In the lap of luxury or backpacking and roughing it? Perhaps a bit of both? Which would you learn more from? But going even further than that where do you go? What places are the best? What experiences should you have before your time is up?

In recent times, making a bucket list is the hip new thing to do. There have been books, movies, and TV shows all based on this idea. Perhaps one of the most popular is the 1000 Places to See Before You Die. People were excited that there was finally a list of the good places - the epic places. The things and experiences one should not miss out on. But what people don't realize is that there have been lists all around us, even before this book was published. UNESCO has a list of World Heritage Sites and there is also a list of Natural Wonders. So I got an idea. Why not combine these lists. See how many things there are that "people" think we should see or have dubbed important enough to be a world heritage site. How many of them overlap? Could one visit all of them in one lifetime?

I celebrated my 25 birthday a few weeks ago. It hit me with a stark realization that a quarter of my life is over. What all have I accomplished in my 25 years? I would like to think that I have made some big impact, but I know that is not the case. However, I realize I am truly blessed and experienced more than most do in a lifetime. I have been to 25 countries (if you include the US and Puerto Rico) and circumnavigated the globe. Those two things are the points I am the most proud of, but I realized I want to do more. I want to experience everything and try and do everything. It sounds so cliche to say I want to travel and have these great experiences, but it is the truth. And thus this blog has been born.

I have compiled and worked on an ultimate list. I took the books 1000 Places to See Before You Die, 1000 Places to See Before You Die: US & Canada, 1001 Natural Wonders to See Before You Die, and the UNESCO world heritage sites and complied them into one super list. I took out everything that overlapped and in the end had a grand total of 4,300 places/experiences. This blog is my own chronicle of the things I have accomplished on my mega list and then my adventures in accomplishing the rest. Each entry will outline the place and it's history and my experience with it. I will also be adding some of the places that I have been that somehow have not been added to list. So I hope you will join me in my adventure. And feel free to throw out ideas!