One of my bucket list ideas was always to go to Alcatraz. Six years ago, I was between jobs so I had some time on my hands. My wife is a flight attendant and my in-laws offered to take care of the kids if I wanted to go with her on one of her trips. She happened to have a San Francisco trip that week. Since she had to work, I went to Alcatraz alone. But when I saw the cost for admission, my heart sank. It seemed high for someone with no income. That’s when a stranger walked through the crowd, stopped in front of me, and shouted, “Anyone want one ticket to Alcatraz?” “Um, I do,” I said. He gave me the ticket and disappeared into the crowd.
I looked at the ticket, amazed at my fortune, and then made eye contact with a park ranger. He must’ve seen have seen my agony over whether to buy a ticket. He said with a smile: “You get to go after all.” So I did. And crossing something off your bucket list is as incredible as you think it would be. What’s on your bucket list? Have you thought about it? Here are 20 bucket list ideas to help you get started.
1. Run a long race. Train for and run a marathon, half marathon, or Tough Mudder.
2. Stand on or at the top of a tall structure or landmark, like the United States Capitol, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, or the Great Wall of China.
4. Visit an extraordinary piece of nature, like a volcano, Mount Everest/K2/Kilimanjaro, Old Faithful, or the Redwoods.
5. Drive a convertible somewhere amazing, such as through a desert or along the Pacific Coast Highway.
6. Take a cruise someplace exotic, such as Alaska or the Mediterranean Sea.
7. Surf or scuba dive.
8. Challenge a fear. Example: If it’s heights, go bungee jumping, rock climbing, to a high ropes course, or skydiving.
9. Sit in the first two rows of a Broadway show.
10. Own property.
11. Pray for another country every day for a year and then visit it.
12. Befriend a person who holds opposing political views.
13. Watch a NASA rocket launch.
14. Watch a movie being made or a TV show being taped.
15. Visit every (something), such as baseball stadiums in North America or State Capitol buildings.
16. Climb to the peak of a 14,000+ ft. mountain.
17. View a piece of art that changed history. Examples: The Sistine Chapel, the David, the Mona Lisa, Starry Night
18. Visit the site of a historic tragedy. Examples: 9/11 Ground Zero, Hiroshima, Dealy Plaza, the Lorraine Motel, Selma Bridge, Normandy Beach
19. Watch a case argued before the Supreme Court.
20. See the Northern Lights.
Sound off: What are some of your own bucket list ideas?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What is one thing you would like to do or see in your lifetime?”