Need Some Post New Year's Inspiration? Set a travel goal for yourself.
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
January 6, 2004
Ponder no more. I've got the perfect post-new year's resolution: Get out and see the world. Seriously, it's a trend. I'm hearing from lots of people who say 2004 is the year they plan to set a travelution, meaning they're making this the year to set off on an adventure they've dreamt of but have never gotten around to—or, at the very least, see someplace new. Could this be the year for you as well? You bet!
I've got the perfect book for your inspiration. Whether you're an armchair traveler or a frequent-flier aficionado, you are going to love turning these pages and dreaming. My new favorite book is called 1000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE, and it's by Patricia Schultz. Once I picked it up, I immediately started flagging the pages noting places I've been and more importantly, the places I am dying to go.
I am sure you'll come up with your own must-see list, but here are a few of mine. (And, yes, for the record, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. Even I know I won't get to all of these in 2004--but hey, that won't stop me from dreaming.)
One place at the top of my wish list is St. Petersburg, Russia. I dream about wandering the land of czars and Catherine the Great and breathing in a beauty that is as vast as the collection of art at the world-famous Hermitage Museum. (Here's a fun fact: did you know the Hermitage has so much art that in its 1,000 rooms, it only shows 5% of it's art at one time?) A visit to St. Petersburg would also include a day at the Pavlovsk Palace, Russia's finest, as well as the Petrodverets (just a 20-mile hydrofoil ride away from the Gulf of Finland), which served as the summer home to Peter the Great and is said to rival Versailles. Because I believe in the “When in Russia. . .” philosophy of travel, I plan to inhale local caviar, sip homegrown vodka, and say “prost” just like the natives!
There are so many trips of a lifetime, I couldn't name only one. However, a lot of people name South Africa as their dream destination, and it too is a place I long to go. Just thinking about it, I have visions of game prancing in my head. Oh, to see leopards, zebra, black rhinos, and more in their natural environment at the Phinda Resource Reserve. Shooting only with a telephoto camera to prove I was there, I could pause to ponder The Drakensberg Mountains, which are rumored to be Tolkien’s inspiration for one of his LORD OF THE RINGS settings. Of course, a trip to South Africa also means Cape Town, lost of wineries, and more. In fact, we've barely scratched the surface. Clearly we all need to quit our jobs and travel for a long time…
A bit closer to home, someplace I've always wanted to visit is the famed low country of South Carolina. I want to see Beaufort and the honeycombed coastline Schultz boasts about in her book. For years I've been longing to see the historical and charming town of Charleston, witness Spoletto, and sample the low country fare. I think this may just be my year!
Have I whet your travel appetite? Or do you need some more inspiration? Either way, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Schultz's book today. And while you're at it, enter the contest to win a trip of a lifetime at www.travelocity.com/getgoingsweeps. So, come on, what are you waiting for? 2004 is well underway, so stop dreaming and start planning!
If you have a question or topic you would like me to cover in a future column, please e-mail Amy Ziff at askamy@travelocity.com And remember to look here for your topic each week!
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