Ten travel destinations?

That seems ambitious for someone whose usual vacation planning begins with, “How far can we drive without needing another day off?”

Still, assuming someone supplies enough time, enough money and a reasonably comfortable seat for the longer flights, I can put together a list. I’m not promising to reach all ten. At this point, I’m not even promising to reach the first three. This is a wish list, not an itinerary—or evidence that I have recently won the lottery.

Paris would probably sit at the top. I want to see the Eiffel Tower, walk along the Seine, visit the museums and eat food I cannot pronounce with confidence. I’m sure I would also spend part of the trip looking for places connected to writers, artists and history while pretending that the amount of bread and cheese I was consuming was culturally necessary.

Washington, D.C., belongs near the top as well. I want to see the monuments, museums and historic buildings without having to squeeze everything into one rushed school trip. I’d like enough time to stand in places where history happened and actually absorb it before someone announces that the bus is leaving in seven minutes.

Daryl would love New York City, and I’d like to experience it with her. Broadway, Times Square, Central Park, the museums and all the famous landmarks would easily fill several days. I would probably enjoy the energy of the city right up until the moment I needed quiet, personal space or a reasonably priced sandwich.

I’ve already been to Hawaii, but I would return without hesitation. It is one of the few places where the scenery seems almost unfair to everywhere else. The beaches, mountains and weather make it easy to understand why people visit and begin calculating whether they could survive financially by selling coconuts beside the road.

Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain are different from the other destinations because I don’t merely want to visit them. I could imagine staying. Give me a house with a mountain view, a porch, enough room for the dogs and internet service strong enough to publish the blog, and I may need to be physically removed.

Italy makes the list because choosing one Italian city feels unnecessarily restrictive. Rome, Florence, Venice and the countryside all offer enough history, art, architecture and food to justify the trip. I suspect I could spend two weeks there and return convinced that American Italian restaurants have been withholding important information.

Australia would be incredible, although getting there may require spending so much time on an airplane that the flight itself qualifies as one of the ten destinations. I’d love to see Sydney, the coast and the wildlife, provided the wildlife agrees to remain a respectful distance away. Australia seems to specialize in creatures that can kill you while looking either adorable or completely prehistoric.

Japan would offer history, technology, food and the invigorating experience of being unable to read almost anything around me. I would love to see Tokyo and Kyoto, visit ancient temples and experience a culture that balances centuries of tradition with things that look as though they arrived from the future.

Argentina appeals to me for the scenery, culture and food. Buenos Aires would be fascinating, Patagonia looks spectacular and I have been given the impression that Argentinians take steak seriously. I respect any country that treats dinner as something more important than a rushed obligation between errands.

Great Britain would round out the list. London alone could keep me occupied with history, museums, theaters and landmarks, but I would also want to venture into the countryside, see castles and visit old Anglican churches. I would probably spend part of the trip comparing everything to scenes from movies and television while discovering whether the British actually drink as much tea as we’ve been led to believe.

That gives me ten, although they are not really ranked beyond Paris probably being first. The truth is that I would be thrilled to reach any of them. Travel costs money, requires time and becomes a little more complicated when you have jobs, responsibilities, pets and a bank account that insists on participating in the decision.

So those are my ten destinations, assuming life cooperates.

Should a mysterious benefactor be reading this and wondering how to use an excessive number of airline miles, I am available for further discussion.

Enjoyed this? Subscribe and get future reflections, bourbon notes, and assorted nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.

Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.