Ten on Tuesday

Ten Dream Vacations


If you've been around here for a while you know that we take a dream vacation in Rangeley every August: its being cheap and (relatively) close doesn't make it any less dreamy. And I fear that in my kids' lifetime if not in mine world travel will become as out of reach for us ordinary folk as going to the moon. Still, that's the beauty of dreams: I can go anywhere, including the moon, just sitting right here. (I wouldn't want to vacation on the moon. I hear they just opened a new restaurant with great food but absolutely no atmosphere.)

1. Germany. Grant's been there, but I never have. I want to see the castles and the cathedrals. I want to climb a German mountain. (If I can find one small enough. I'm ridiculously out of shape.) I want to leave Grant happily drinking beer in Munich while I sneak a side trip to Pfaffenhofen.
   
2. France. I've been there. I want to go back.
   
3. The Yucatan and/or Cozumel. I've been to Mexico, but just for a long weekend, and I'd love to spend a couple of weeks exploring the ruins, the history, the architecture. I might even take in a beach here and there.
   
4. Arizona/Grand Canyon. I'd want to learn a little geology first. Talk about history written on walls.
   
5. Italy. The architecture, the paintings, the sculpture, the culture. Oh, and the food.
   
6. Iceland. More cool geology.
   
7. Israel. A friend of mine told me she'd never understood what the big deal was — why was everyone willing, nay, eager to fight over this tiny piece of land? wouldn't Long Island work just as well? — until she went there and found it so beautiful she understood why three major religions think it's where God lives.
   
8. Spain. See Italy.
   
9. Hawaii. You will have gathered by now that I mostly want to visit places that are beautiful and historic. I'm making an exception here: Hawaii doesn't need to be historic, any more than Brad Pitt needs to be smart. (I have no idea if he is or not, and I don't need to know.)
   
10. Anywhere I haven't been. Wait: anywhere warm I haven't been.