“Bucket List Adventures

One of Steve’s favorite expressions is that life changes on a dime and the past 2 years have proven this to be true. Before the pandemic, we all just thought that as long as we had the time, money and a valid passport, we could go anywhere we wanted, whenever we wanted. And when that option suddenly stopped, it definitely made me rethink how I view travel.

With that said, this year made me and Steve start to think of our bucket list: the places we want to go and the adventures we want to have. And it is putting us on a 10 year course of vacation planning.

I know that 1 of the things Steve has always wanted to do was a cross-country train trip. He has been discussing this for years. When I was thinking of a special 60th birthday gift for him, I wanted to fulfill this bucket list item for him. So, on July 22, we are taking a 44 hour train ride from Chicago to Los Angeles on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. We are staying in a bedroom with a private bath, seating and bunk beds (this should be fun), partaking in gourmet meals in the dining car and watching the country go by in our room or on the observation deck. There will be fresh air breaks, where we can walk outside for a few minutes a few times a day. We will fly to Chicago the day before (as I never arrive the same day for a tour) and will be flying out of Los Angeles when we return. This will be a perfect weekend to disconnect and relax. I will download some movies on the ipad as there are no televisions and the wifi may be spotty. And when I return, I am hoping that I will want to plan future train trips, wihere I can stop throughout Canada and the USA.

I will keep you updated as we continue to plan our “Bucket List Adventures”.