& places

As I've said previously, I love to travel. I like experiencing different cultures and seeing new places. It's a personal goal of mine to travel each of the U.S. states and Canadian provinces, plus visit as many other countries as possible.

Below, I've described some of my favorite places to visit. Eventually, I'll scan some of my trip photographs so you can see them. You can also see my list of states, provinces, and countries I've travelled so far.

• Vermont -- Vermont is perhaps my favorite place in the world to be, aside from home. My father is from Windham County, VT, and ever since I was really little we've been going on trips there to visit family. I've also gotten to travel all around the state, going as far north as the Canadian border and deep into the Northeast Kingdom. My favorite places in Vermont are Burlington, Brattleboro, Middlebury, and the area my father grew up in (Jamaica / Townshend / Newfane / Stratton).

• New York City -- I don't know anyone who's been to the City and not fallen in love with it. Although I haven't spent as much time there as I'd like to have over the years, every trip has been a memorable one. I've done most of the tourist attractions, but I still have yet to visit the Statue of Liberty. I never did go into the World Trade Center, but I stood at the bottom of it and looked up, so that's a memory I'll always hold close.

• San Diego -- I've gone to San Diego quite a few times over the past few years, and every trip has been a great one. I've gotten to put my feet in the Pacific Ocean, visit the little shops along the beach in La Jolla, and visit many of the amusement parks and waterfronts. I've also ventured into Tijuana a few times, but I don't think I'll be counting that as a favorite place of mine anytime soon.

• The Bahamas -- The Bahamas is where my family (mother's side) is from, so I've lost track of how many times I've gone there over the years. It's been many. I haven't gone to the southernmost islands in the chain yet, but I've spent a lot of time in Nassau and on Abaco, and gone to many of the other smaller islands. My favorite place to go is Marsh Harbour, on Abaco, where a lot of my family lives. Paradise Island (where the largest resorts are) is repulsive to me, because it's nothing but a tourist attraction, but once you get away from the craziness of Nassau and move on to the lesser-populated areas, it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. And hey, where else can you visit pirate forts and hang-outs?

• Washington, D.C. -- Being a huge history fanatic, D.C. is one of my favorite places to visit. I've done almost all of the Smithsonian museums, toured many of the monuments, and made two very moving trips to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I have never been to the White House, but it's on my list of things to do.

• Boston -- Who doesn't love Boston? There's so much history there, plus the museums are great. Even though I live so close, I haven't spent a lot of time there, but it's still a favorite. Plus, the New England Aquarium has a great penguin exhibit, so that right there makes it a great place in my book. :o)

• Newport -- Newport, RI is one of the few places where I'll a) go in the water at the beach and b) drive over a large bridge. Even though it's the North Atlantic, the water there is never too cold, and it certainly isn't as filthy as the water in the Long Island Sound. The town itself is beautiful and there's a surprising number of things to do there. I really want to go to the Newport Folk Festival one year. I almost did last summer, but plans changed and I missed out. It's something to do in the future.