Cape May, New Jersey, the nation's oldest seashore resort, has been catering to vacationers since pre-Revolutionary days, although there were probably a lot fewer T-shirt shops at the time. There's evidence that even earlier tourists in the form of local Kechemeche Indians came there in summer "to hunt and fish." Later, the shady tree-lined streets and colorful homes of Cape May became the playground of presidents. Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Chester Arthur and Benjamin Harrison all sought refuge there from the humidity of D.C. summers. Those are not bad references!

I've been on several boat trips - a barge cruise in France, a Danube River cruise, a sail along the Nile - and always the accommodations have been lovely. Sometimes very lovely. But it took a Mississippi River Cruise from Memphis to New Orleans with American Cruise Lines to reach luxurious.

Right now we’re all chomping at the bits to see the rivers and oceans; mountains and forests; cities, towns and villages; and the cultural ramifications and history of our sacred nation. It’s just a matter of time. So, until then, here is the T-Boy Society of Film and Music poll devoted to domestic bucket list destinations.

If I asked you what was the most memorable trip or the most difficult journey you have taken, what would you say? Maybe you had a lengthy delay, canceled flights or some other challenging issue. Sometimes a dream vacation can become a nightmare. We can’t control every factor. In the dozens of countries I have traveled in I would list my “escape” from Liberia during the civil war as among the most stressful.

Ah, the lure of exotic locations. We all have that curiosity, don’t we? Over 20 years ago I took a trip to one of those faraway places. But this trip turned out very differently from anything I could have imagined.