9 Destinations on our 2024 Travel Bucket List
I always like creating a travel bucket list, I don’t do it every year but when I do I like to think that it sets the tone and focus for what I want to get out of my year. I like to think that having a travel bucket list is important because it also keeps me motivated with something to look forward to. When I first started my travel blog back in 2017, I made a travel bucket list and I think it was one of our biggest travel years that we ever had, we were so excited to have those trips to look forward to! This year we have talked about what we wanted our year to look like and what kind of travel year we wanted to have, things like a bigger trip with some of our dream destinations, smaller destinations in the USA, road trips, etc. We decided to do one bigger trip with a couple of dream destinations and then some USA weekend adventure trips sprinkled here and there, I am really excited for what this year has in store. Without further ado, here is our travel bucket list for 2024. I will start with spots that are already booked and then end the list with places we’d like to book later!
Mackinac Island
Last year when we went to Arizona it was a big family reunion to honor my grandpa who passed away in February of 2021. My grandpa absolutely loved traveling and did it his whole life as often as he could. When he passed away, the one thing that my grandpa asked us to do as a family was to continue traveling and he wanted us to do it as a big family. So that is what we started last year and it was the most special trip. I honestly have memories that I will remember forever. After last year we decided that every other year we wanted to do a bigger trip and the opposite years we would still get together away but on a smaller scale. This year I think we might do Mackinac Island in Michigan. I went there with my grandpa when I was about 12 and still have memories from that. When Dustin and I moved to Boston back in 2019 we stopped there on our drive out to the east coast and again, I have some of the best memories from that trip as well. I’m hoping that this trip happens but in my close family two babies are being born (January and March) so it might not happen, we will see but I still wanted to add it to this year’s bucket list!
Mexico - at some point
We have gone to Mexico at some point each year over the last three years since moving to Florida and we love it. When we do vacations in Mexico, they lean more towards the relaxing type of trip and it’s time for us to be able to sit and do nothing. We are both pretty go, go, go and this gives us a chance to do nothing if we want. We are members of the Unlimited Vacation Club with Secrets and Hyatt and have been since 2020, we have really enjoyed it so far! If you have questions about it I would be more than happy to share more about our experience with the Unlimited Vacation Club so far! I think if we go to Mexico this year it will most likely be in the fall and I would guess that we try a new resort this time, there are so many to choose from!
Here are a few on our list
Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya
Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa
Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun
The Everglades
This is a place that I have obviously always known about and heard about and thought was so cool. But since I started getting my degree in Wildlife Conservation this National Park has been a topic that I do a lot of research on in my classes and I have grown to love it, I love learning about it and getting emails about park updates and conservation efforts. I am hoping to check it off of my bucket list this year! It seems like a trip that we could take possibly in the fall once Florida cools off a bit again. The Everglades would be the perfect long weekend getaway from the Orlando area, it is about a three-hour drive to the middle of the park!
Iowa
We will be making lots of trips (per usual) to Iowa this year, I mean we usually travel here a ton because both of our families live there but this year my sister is having a baby and I can imagine there will be many weekends spent there snuggling that nugget! My other sister also graduates high school this year and we will be back for that as well which we are so excited for!
Denmark
Denmark is another stop on our cruise, it is actually the last stop on our cruise this summer and I am soooooo excited to see the iconic sights that are in Copenhagen! I didn’t know this but Copenhagen was originally a fishing town which makes sense with the canal that runs through the colorful buildings! I’m looking forward to riding bikes and the cobblestone roads and architecture. We are also staying here for a couple of days after the cruise so send any recommendations that you might have our way!
Sweden
This is a special place to us because Dustin travels here 1-2 times a year for work and this will be the first time that I get to go with him to see the area. I’m not going to lie, Sweden wasn’t ever really high on my list but now that Dustin has been there a few times I think it would be cool to visit!
Scotland
This is a stop on the cruise that we are going on this summer with my parents. We have one stop in Scotland and we will only be there for a day. But we will be going back at some point within the next couple of years with Dustin’s parents and that will be fun. It will be cool to see it but I know we will be thankful that we will get to spend more time there in the future. My sister (who is having the baby) lived in Scotland for two years so we will have some awesome insider tips to have an amazing trip!
Iceland
I’m sure everyone has a story like this but we had been planning a trip here in 2020 and obviously didn’t end up going but we had always wanted to go and it was at the top of both of our lists as a dream destination. Well, this summer we are making it happen. I mentioned that we are going on a cruise with my parents and this is where the cruise starts (it ends in Denmark) and we are going to stay in Iceland for a few days before the cruise starts to see some sights and I can’t wait! If you have any recommendations please send them my way!
New Orleans
When this post goes live we will just be getting back from our weekend away in New Orleans. This town has been on my bucket list for at least ten years and I am so excited to be checking it off. This trip was my Christmas gift from Dustin. If you were around last year you might remember that we went to New York around Valentine’s Day and that was my gift to him for Christmas. I should start brainstorming destinations for his Christmas gift because it will be my turn to plan it next! Any destinations in the US that I should look into?! Let me know! I will be sharing all the things soon, gluten-free foods, what we did, where we stayed- the works!
I think everyone should plan their travel bucket list, even if it is just one place that you would like to go to this year, it’s so great to have something to look forward to, especially if any of the following things were on your resolutions for the year, “more adventure”, “visiting a dream destination”, “creating more memories” or something along those lines that go with travel goals. I would love to hear your travel bucket list for 2024 in the comments! I hope that this list gave you some inspiration and you can follow me on Instagram for more travel inspiration and updates for when we are in our bucket list destinations.
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