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 As executive editor of the Night+Day series, and as someone who has spent a lifetime in travel, I certainly influence our selections and recommendations. But our guidebooks reflect a collaborative effort involving local writers and experienced editors. So I welcome this opportunity to share my very personal views and experiences. I sincerely hope you find them somewhere between interesting and extremely helpful (life-altering is probably too much to ask). As always, I very much welcome your comments. Click here to send me an email.  |
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HOME » WORLD TRAVELER » ALAN’S VIEW
January 2010
ASD Picks: 3 Ways to Think About Your Bucket List Now that your New Year’s resolutions are out of the way, it’s a good time to start thinking about creating or updating your travel bucket list (as distinguished from a “life list”, which includes impossible dreams such as writing a screenplay or appearing on “Dancing with the Stars”). The term “bucket list” came into vogue courtesy of the 2007 movie of the same name, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, and refers to those places you must go before you die. Many books have been written on this subject. If you can’t wait until the end of the year to read my 10th anniversary edition of The Fun Also Rises, you might check out Journeys of a Lifetime, or 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. (Apparently, these places are not of much interest after you die.) My idea of a travel bucket list is 10 major trips that cover what I consider the three most important considerations for achieving a peak travel experience. 1. Great Events. Events come in all shapes and sizes, but my bias is toward those that are BIG, hedonistic, and outrageously fun. These could range from Cheyenne Frontier Days to Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls to Trinidad Carnival. No matter what type of event tickles your fancy, these are the moments in time to which you are a witness and a participant, that are certain to remain lodged forever in your memory. 2. Singular Places. I have in mind a lengthy (more than a long weekend) trip that requires a major time commitment. If you’ve never been to London or Paris or Shanghai, one of the world’s great cities could be on your list. But it will be tough to leave off an African safari; a South American journey to the Galapagos, Machu Picchu, or Patagonia; or an exploration of China, India, or southeast Asia. 3. Important Personal Celebrations. The BIG ONE is always coming – the 40th or 60th birthday, the 20th wedding anniversary, a major promotion or retirement, even pregnancy. The trick here is to find just the right place to suit the occasion and the participants. Bora Bora, the Maldives, or Anguilla sure sound like great places to celebrate. Of course, once you start your list, it is pretty hard to keep it down to 10. This is where you shoot for the trifecta—a great event in an amazing place for a special celebration. I’m looking forward to celebrating my big (whichever year that is) March birthday at Las Fallas in Valencia. Valencia has gotten a lot of press for its new museum and revitalization, and Las Fallas is one of the most fun and exciting events in the world. I can’t wait to tell you about it!
Last Word: Starting Out the Year by Looking Back This is the first anniversary of the Night+Day eLetter, eND, in a manner of speaking. I qualify this because an anniversary of a monthly newsletter should mean 12 issues. Although we published our first issue in June, 2008, the December 2009 issue of eND marked our twelfth edition. (We began publishing monthly in August 2009). As I look back over these twelve issues I think it is truly amazing how much information we’ve produced. In addition to identifying each month in our Ins and Outs section the five most exciting new hotels, restaurants, nightlife, or attractions in the 18 cool cities we cover, we have highlighted the world’s best in each of the following categories: I produce three distinct columns for our newsletter: ASD Picks, On the Road, and Last Word—which, starting with our February 2010 issue, will appear in monthly rotation. Over the last year-and-a-half I have given you my picks for Essential Websites, Favorite Credit/Charge Card Rewards Programs, Tricks of the Trade, Guys Who Made Hospitality Cool, Gems of Clever Nonsense, Jazz Fests, Airline Booking Tips, Learning Experiences, and Best Places to Spend New Year’s Eve.
And lastly (how appropriate), in Last Word I’ve touched on subjects ranging from the effects of aging (on travel publishers) to Madoff to New Year’s Eve, hopefully providing you with some humor and insight. We’re proud of what we have produced at Night+Day and hope you have had fun with it, as well as gotten some useful tips. A tremendous amount of credit goes to our editors Kim Westerman and Barbara Rockwell, assistant to the Publisher Gerard Gleason, Web guru Kevin Evans, graphics contributor Samantha Glorioso, factchecker Michele Formoso, copyeditors Gail Nelson-Bonebrake and Morgan Schuldt, and of course our team of local writers. We’re looking forward to providing you with even more travel advice, resources,
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