Grand Adventures — Hey Bucket List, Check This Out! Episode 1

Travel is provincial. Meaning, to the experienced explorer there is an invisible line in the sand what constitutes being, “well-traveled”. One may rightly claim visiting all 50 U.S. states qualifies as well-traveled. Many world travel veterans might retort,

“Okay, how many countries have you been to, I’ve been to 40 by the way. “

A reasonable response might be,

“50 states are still more than 40 countries”.

Zing. Traveling to four states in the western continental U.S. could blanket 20 European countries. Passport stamps aside, the idea in this traveler series is epic, adventure. Marco Polo would be impressed.

In our maiden voyage, we are seeing the world on a monumental adventure by sea, and land.

An established cruise operator offers an epic 121-day journey. There are assuredly longer cruises. Four months is plenty long. Besides, there will be other voyages to set sail on your horizon.

The journey begins in the new world, the port of Los Angeles in sunny southern California. Nestled in between the Palo Verdes bluffs and the vibrant city of Long Beach is the city’s port. Not to be confused with the Long Beach port, the two ports are neighbors. If you are feeling the need to explore Hollywood before sailing the ocean blue, there are numerous shuttles and transportation options to drop your adventurous group pier side. What’s a couple more days added to your adventure?

What is on the list of amazing places? On the four-month tour, 50 optional guided tours, 23 countries, all four hemispheres, four continents, and three oceans. The cruise sets sail from Los Angeles, but there is a second California port, Santa Barbara, just to acclimate your sea-legs. Santa Barbara is about two hours by car from downtown Los Angeles. Depending on the infamous traffic on U.S. 101. It could and often does take substantially longer, go by ship instead. Along the coast gaze at the cluster of Channel Islands dotting the coastline, the last stop before sailing into the wild wide-open Pacific.

Then, set sail for the Hawaiian Islands. Aloha! Across the tropical zone, and equator to the southern tropical gem, Tahiti. Your cruise makes ports of call to Moorea and Bora Bora as well. Completing the transit of the vast Pacific, drop anchor in New Zealand. Multiple day excursion options on the two big islands, then on to mysterious Tasmania and the land down under, Australia. Up along the Aussie east coast, enjoy the temperate climate graduate to tropical.

Your first station in Asia, Komodo Island Indonesia. Home to the world’s largest living lizards. The only place in the world these giants are seen in the wild, in the Indonesian archipelago. Over 6,000 inhabited islands. A few more Indonesian ports before sailing on to continental Asia, Bali, Java, and Sumatra.

The third continent. Are you homesick yet? The intrepid say, keep on going! Multiple landings throughout southern Asia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and India. Across the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea. Africa to your west and Asia to your east, the ancient lands of the Middle East welcome you. Ports in Arabia and Egypt await.

Through the Suez Canal, to the Mediterranean Sea. That long ago, Roman Lake. Your last Asian port in Anatolian Turkey. On to Istanbul the gateway to the Black Sea, and the inspiration inducing Greek islands, the eastern coastal outpost of Europa.

The biggest island in the great sea, Sicily and multiple excursions on the western coast of the Italian peninsula. Rome is not your last port, no! On to Spain, through the pillars of Hercules, the mountainous Gibraltar to your starboard and Spanish Africa on the port side. Yes, there is a small Spanish enclave on the African coast. Ancient neighbors of the Moroccan city, Tangier.

Where next? On to Portugal along the eastern Atlantic coast. Your third ocean. A Paris stay is part of the voyage as well. Then across the English Channel, up the Thames to old London town. Fireworks culminate your epic journey, land, and sea.

All staterooms aside the most economical, include business class airfare. The price tag is six figures for two. Dream on. Or take that epic leap. No one will dispute your worldliness.

*****

Thank you for indulging my writings.

I write about three topics: music, tourism, and sustainability.

By profession, I am a: Travel Designer. My goal is creating for you: a vacation, holiday, road trip or travels as epic as possible.

Open to collaborate!

My personal website, find me @ https://uxfol.io/joshblackprofessional