50 things to do before you die from Matadortravel

Marie and I have done many of these. It was fun to list them.

1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Antarctica might be a tough one, but once you’ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler.

I think I am up to 5.

2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window.

Not yet

Not the country but went camping for a week on the tandem pulling a bob.

3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant will surely be something you remember forever.

was on a elephant once

Photo by Ben Ditto

4. Live like a local for a month. The experience of visiting native peoples will give you way more insight into another way of life than two years hopping from one backpacker ghetto to the next.

Doing that now

5. Visit a “real” blues bar in Chicago. What better way to leave music’s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?

Did that and attended the Chicago blues festival

6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources out there to ease the process.

7. Go heli-skiing. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you’ll ever experience.

Lots of sking 70+ days one year not heli yet

8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world’s most colorful and diverse countries.

Nope, but crossed Viet Nam on reunification train. On of the best things that I have ever done

9. Climb one of the world’s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one.

Nope

10. Dive with a whale shark. Swimming with these gentle giants is among the most powerful wilderness experiences in the world.

How about bull sharks in Bahamas Nurse sharks, tiger sharks

11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven’t had a good night out until you’ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties.

Fantasy fest in Key West, Halloween in the Castro, Columbus day regatta Biscayne bay

12. Dance Tango in Argentina.

We have done that, stayed in a tango hotel in Argentina

13. Surf. It’s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.

Butt surfs on kayaks many times

14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for dive enthusiasts. It is the world’s most unique aquatic environment.

We Scuba in Cozumel Mex, Bahamas, FL Keys, Caves in N FL

15. Publish an article about your travels. Part of traveling is sharing your experiences with others. Plus, getting published might be easier than you think.

Photo by Creative Corners

16. Volunteer abroad for a month.

not yet,

17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?

France on foot, and Rick Steve's Paris

18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa’s interior. These lightly visited regions are filled with unique cultures and diverse wildlife.

Not yet

19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure that future generations might not be able to experience.

We Hiked across Morrano Glacier in Patagonia

20. Visit the source of one of the world’s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile, have humble beginnings.

21. Climb an active volcano.

Just inactive ones

22. Buy a boat and learn to sail. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It’s still the most sustainable way to travel there is.

We sold our house and quit our jobs moved on a boat in FL and went sailing

23. Follow your food from field to table. Most people in the world still eat what they have picked with their own hands. Why not get back to these basics?

Did this many times. It is great to hunt for your own food then cook it and eat it

24. Bathe in the Ganges. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India?

Nope

25. Travel around the world. Sure, you could do this without ever setting foot outside of planes and airports, but few people ever truly traverse the entire globe. Round the world tickets are great for budget-minded wanderers.

One of our thing that we want to do.

Photo by James Dorsey

26. Photograph an endangered species. Aside from an image you can keep for a lifetime, it will remind you, and others, how fragile life can be.

Yep Whales off the coast of CA. all types of animals in the Galapagos.

27. Participate in Burning Man . As they say: “Trying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.”

Want to do it!

28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle.

Nope don't want to

29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating.

We have done that Blood sausage is goooood

30. Teach English in a foreign country. Sure, it’s a way to fund your travels, but also the experience of a lifetime.

Trying to learn english

31. Attend a music festival in another country.

Sort of

32. Cross a country using only public transportation. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry.

Yep several times. Viet Nam Hanoi to Danag , Argentina Mendoza to Salta, Chile to Argentina bus.

33. Spend the night in a storied/historic hotel. You might not even have to leave town to experience a night of classic atmosphere.

Many times

34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games, they are one of the biggest events on the planet.

Not Yet

35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They’ve inspired you; now thank them for it.

Meet one

36. Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade. It’s one of the biggest festivals, attendance-wise, on the planet.

Nope

Photo by astropixie

37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony. This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture.

Nope

38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.

Huh?

39. Go to Oktoberfest. The meeting of over 6 million beer afficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties in Europe.

Our German friend say to skip it, for tourist

40. Stand at the North or South Pole.

I don't know about this one

41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world’s population.

Done that Boca Juniors

42. Visit the birthplace or gravesite of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important.

Who cares, but been to Neapolitan Bonaparte, Jefferson, Lincoln, Evita's grave

43. Find your version of “The Beach.” One of the best travel books ever inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise?

Call so place paradise any you can kiss it goodbye

44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source.

How about a fresh roll cigar by a cuban in Key West

45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent is full of beautiful architecture and diverse cultures.

Been to several, Paris, Munich, Naples, London, Milan

46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna.

not yet

Photo by Nickmunstr

47. Skydive. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly.

not yet

48. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway.

Did part of it

49. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country.

OK

50. Participate in the world’s biggest water fight during Thailand’s New Year’s festivities (Songkran).