The T-Boy Society of Film & Music’s latest poll is dedicated to Sky’s the Limit,  where members select trips and destination/s in which money is of no concern. Like last month’s World’s Friendliest Destinations we’ve decided to continue with another uplifting theme due to the events of today. You’ll find members’ selections to be deeply personal and great fun, where we tap into their minds and go on an emotional journey and see what constitutes their wildest dreams.

Richard Carroll — T-Boy Writer:

Sky’s the Limit; Destinations where money is no object 

If I came upon a satchel of gleaming South Africa diamonds and with deep pockets where the sky’s the limit and money is no object, I would quickly book a private jet and invite family and close friends on a 21-day plus world excursion to Buenos Aires and a night of tango at Bar Sur with dinner at the Four Seasons; a few nights at remote Las Alamandas on the West Coast of Mexico; a visit to the Maya site of Tikal in Guatemala led by Maya guide Jose Antonio Gonzalez; dinner and lunch in Mexico City at Pujol, Mercaderes and Les Moustaches, serenaded by guitar and harp; a private Bordeaux winery tasting tour to Yquem, Margaux, Petrus, Lafitte Latour, and Haut Brion; overnights at Turtle Island, Fiji; dinner with Executive Chef Massino Defrancesca, Kimpton’s Seafire Resort, Cayman Islands; overnights at the historic 18th century Castadiva, Lake Como; three nights at The Ritz London,  and along the travel trail sharing with anyone in need.

Chloe Erskine — Educator:

Outer Space

Ed Boitano — T-Boy editor:

Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Railway – Russia

Much of my youth was colored by images of the Trans-Siberian Railway. All I really had was a little note card in a pack of other cards which illustrated the world’s most monumental engineering feats. At the length of 5,772 miles, traversing though eight times zones, my Sky’s the Limit  selection would be to experience Siberia via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Siberia constitutes 77% of Russia’s total land mass with the nation itself blanketing 11 percent of the world’s landscape. Reading about taiga forests; rugged mountains ranges; untamed rivers; ancient log infested  lakes; and little villages, first settled by Old Believers, preservationists of “pre-Nikonian” practices of the Russian Church, would no doubt be a stunning foray into a new world of images and history. After careful research, I discovered Golden Eagle, a luxury private train, considered the top of the line in deluxe first-class railway travel. My journey would commence in Moscow (or St. Petersburg) to the Pacific in Vladivostok. Perhaps  I’d bring half a-dozen friends who have a keen appreciation of caviar and vodka.  After all, isn’t this the Sky’s the Limit: Where Money Is No Object? Golden Eagle’s luxury service is provided by a provodnitsa, a female attendant in a military-style uniform, who keeps things running smoothly in a unique Russian way. Za Zdarovje!

Deb Roskamp — T-Boy photographer & writer:

Cruising.  Seeing the world. Two pleasures that bring me some of my greatest delights

Combine. Include a generous helping of the some of the most remote locales that I have fantasized visiting, but because of their location, make it highly improbable that I will. Sprinkle into the itinerary a few places that I’ve already been to, loved, but most likely will not return to.  Subtract COVID-19 and any pandemic to follow.  Find a pot of gold (4 kg worth).

My “Sky’s the Limit:” around the World in 167 days aboard Silversea’s Silver Cloud, departing January 25th, 2022 from Ushuaia, Argentina.  Includes Antarctica, Shetland Islands, multiple stops along Chile, Robinson Crusoe Island, Easter Island, Pitcairn Island, multiple stops in the Marquesas, Tahiti, Cook, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon, and Papua New Guinea islands.  On to Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, Egypt, Greece, Albania, Tunisia, Sicily, Algeria, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, ending in Norway.  Aaah… bliss!

Fyllis Hockman — T-Boy writer:

Lodge at Tikana — Southland, New Zealand

So there I was lying in this massive tub overflowing with all kinds of goodies ‘cause I couldn’t decide between the rosewater bubble bath, the ginseng and orange blossom aromatic bath soak, the green tea and lime leaf water infusion disc or the green tomato and seaweed body scrub. I was so stressed out by the decision, it was a good thing there was the lemon-scented calming oil to finish off with. Not your usual hotel amenities! Which is an apt introduction to the Lodge at Tikana in Southland, New Zealand. Tikana, by the way, means style in the Maori language.

Did I mention that while I was soaking, I was also making eye contact with a family of deer peering in the wide bath-tub-level window next to me? This luxurious two-story retreat, the only guest accommodations on the property, is part of a working farm which breeds the afore-mentioned deer as well as thoroughbred horses. But let’s get back to the important things. How many lodgings have YOU stayed in that came with its own wine cellar???

Okay, you had a wine cellar, you say. Well, what about your own latte-making machine in the kitchen? Imagine curling up on the couch in your living room with freshly made cappuccino? We’re not talking International Coffees here. Of course, you probably wouldn’t also have a little fawn outside your window.

The décor is combination art house and rustic elegance — steel and stone flow together between raw timber-framed floor-to-ceiling windows to create an environment that entices the eye and embraces the soul. A heady escape from civilization but with surround-sound entertainment and internet hook-up.

Picture this. While sipping cappuccino mid-day, I nibbled on cheese and crackers from the fridge; with the Chardonnay, I opted for olives and deli. Keep in mind, this is no hotel mini-bar where you’re charged extra for every indulgence. And indulgences abound.

Owners Dave and Donna — he, a vet; she, a horse trainer — who also know a thing or two about treating humans, take pampering to a whole new level. Their gourmet meals are 4-star Michelin for both food and presentation.

I was so relaxed after my bath I dined in the fluffy, multi-colored robe they provided — though my evening wear didn’t do justice to the beautifully attired table. A candelabra of multi-layered candles oozed ambience, and the silver meal-covers warmed our hearts as well as our food.

Chef Donna discussed our preferences for every course ahead of time — did we want the lamb or the venison tonight? Basted in garlic or encrusted in dukah? I have no clue what that is but it tasted yummy. And would you believe sticky date pudding with toffee sauce?

I inadvertently picked an award-winning wine from the extensive collection to accompany the meal. It was beginner’s luck but I didn’t feel the need to disavow the hosts of my sophisticated taste.

Such all-inclusive sumptuousness comes at a price, of course — a hefty one — but this is Sky’s the Limit: were money is of no concern— and I’ll be ready for my return to Southland, New Zealand.

Tom Weber — T-Boy writer:

Ashford Castle: Elegantly Wrapped in Irish Charm

Of the 522 medieval castles that dot the Republic of Ireland’s landscape, one stands “keep and ramparts” above all others: Ashford Castle, the oldest fortress in the country, a true treasure of the Emerald Isle and a real “sky’s the limit” destination.

Several years ago, I arrived at this iconic landmark under a fine mist and was led across a stone bridge straddling the River Cong in Co. Mayo by a piper in full regalia. “Céad míle fáilte! (One-hundred-thousand welcomes),” announced the general manager as I walked up the entry stairs, flanked by a pair of Irish Wolfhound statues — four-legged guests are always welcome — and stepped onto the bespoke carpeting and entered into a world of regal elegance.

Winner of the 2020 World SPA Award as Ireland’s best hotel spa, Ashford Castle, a five-star country estate, is set amid 350 acres of well-manicured greenery, gardens and rustic paths and trails that overlook the Lough Corrib, the country’s second largest lake. With a heritage dating all the way back to 1228, the castle turned the page on its history in 2013 when it was purchased by Red Carnation Hotels and immediately underwent a top-to-bottom, multi-million dollar renovation and refurbishment that was unveiled to much fanfare in 2015.

I’m handed a green leather key card to a lovely, renovated deluxe view room on the top floor of the castle. As I swiped the card over the security pad and pushed back the door, my jaw dropped in OMG fashion. My suite, like the other 82 guest rooms, is richly appointed as the meticulous attention to detail is found in the unique works of art, carefully sourced antique furniture with sumptuous fabrics and custom-designed carpet, king-sized bed, feature lighting, exquisite toweling and VOYA seaweed-based organic bath and beauty products.

Cullen’s at the Cottage, a summer-only bistro restaurant occupying a traditional thatched-roof cottage, serves up international and local dishes inspired by Beatrice Tollman, owner of Ashford Castle, in a casual atmosphere accented by friendly Irish hospitality. Greeted warmly by the manager, she and her young and eager wait staff went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure my dining experience at the Cottage was memorable. And, it was.

A nightcap was in order, so I retired to The Prince of Wales Cocktail Bar where the on-duty mixologist prepped a Jameson, neat. Seated at a glass-covered table showcasing a few antique flintlock pistols, I sipped slowly wondering all the while if these weapons were ever used in a duel at 15 paces.

Sleep arrives quickly as I tuck myself into the inviting bed — turned down by evening maid service — with luxurious 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton monogrammed bed linen, and highlighted by a complimentary box of Lily O’Brien’s chocolates resting atop one of the pillows. Night night!

When it’s not raining on your parade, and that’s a real possibility when visiting the Emerald Isle, there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you busy around the castle in between breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tee it up at the parkland golf course; play singles or doubles on two all-weather tennis courts; go fishing; grab a kayak and paddle around the lake; mount a horse and hit the woodland trails, or take a carriage ride with the entire family; hire a bike and cycle the castle’s vast estate; take aim at clay pigeons and bullseyes with skeet and archery; play billiards; screen The Quiet Man and other box-office hits in the velvet-seated cinema; relax in the spa; or, do what I did: experience the ancient sport of falconry.

Ireland’s School of Falconry is the oldest established falconry school in the country. Here, castle guests can book a once-in-a-lifetime “hawk walk” and fly their very own Harris’s hawk in the nearby woodlands. Following its “handler” from tree to tree, your hawk periodically swoops down into your gloved fist, grabs a “snack,” then flies off again. You know it’s somewhere nearby from the sound of the tiny bells attached to its talons.

I was told that a “history” cruise around Lough Corrib, sailing daily, weather permitting, from Ashford Castle’s private pier, is a terrific way to explore the camera-ready surroundings of some of the lake’s 365 isles, one for each day of the year, and take in the panoramic views of the Connemara Mountains in the distance. I board the M.V. Isle of Innisfree, an original tender (lifeboat) from the Cunard Line, and we shove off. The knowledgeable captain/historian steers the boat and narrates the scene at the same time as we cruise across the lake. Meanwhile, an 80-year-old musician entertains guests topside on the “squeezebox” with a selection of Irish tunes, like Danny Boy and Rakes of Mallow. In between the history lesson and the ditties, a member of the crew ensures that glasses are kept full with wine or Jameson, or both, to ward off the cold wind hitting us straight on. Brrrr.

In 1906, the Prince of Wales was a guest of the Guinness family, owners of Ashford Castle at the time. The prince went on to become England’s King George V. In honor of his visit, the Guinness family built a special dining room which still bears his name. Dressed in coat and tie, I’m ushered into the graceful setting that is the George V Dining Room and prepare to dine like royalty. From acclaimed Chef Philippe Farineau’s kitchen, a bounty of food magazine-worthy dishes are plated before me from Ireland’s lands, seas and farms, all paired with stellar wines from Bouchard Finlayson Winery of South Africa.

With my 48-hour, fairy tale-like stay coming to an end, I add my name to the guest book to ensure that I’m part of the Ashford lore. I thoroughly enjoyed the elegance of Ashford Castle, but found its Irish charm simply irresistible.

Richard Frisbie — T-Boy writer:

A cruise around the globe

I don’t have that lifestyle, or even that imagination. My last vacation was in the 1980s — a week in southern California followed by a weekend at Amelia Island resort. Since then it’s just been an overnight to Maine to visit family once or twice a year, or my press trips which are certainly no vacation. “Sky’s the limit” travel is beyond my ken, not to mention my wallet.

That being said, after years of writing hundreds of cruise port excursions annually for the largest reseller of same, I would love to do a world cruise in the best stateroom/suite/penthouse on board, with a butler and an unlimited budget. That way I could socially distance, (which is more my nature than it is pandemic-related) and see the best of the best everywhere in the world using top guides in all ports, with enough time to eat local specialties, drink local wines, while touring museums, historic city centers, and beautiful countrysides.

Ringo Boitano — T-Boy writer:

Tuscany Calling – Italy

A private villa with a swimming pool, surrounded by vineyards in Tuscany. Included in the package would be a SUV rental car and a chef, who specializes in Cucina Toscana as well as Italy’s other 19 regions. Cooking lessons by request. The theme would be to relax, take day trips or longer, and host friends from around the globe.

Phil Marley — Poet:

Summer: Norway’s Fjords

To spend six summer months in a large remote, vacation cabin, with electricity or not. Hiking, fishing, boating, touring nearby waterside villages. Evenings spent around a grand table with family and friends, dining on mammoth communal meals. And the laughing and joking in eternal peace.

Winter: Québec City

Yes, it’s cold, but with a warm jacket, gloves and a pair of solid boots, you don’t even notice. The season is filled with the spirit of hygge, the Danish expression of coziness, evoking  a warm feeling inside. Reflections of lights and historic buildings bounce off the snow. Restaurants welcome you with blazing fires. And, if the chance you become bored, there is Québec winter festival,  Carnaval de Québec.

Skip Kaltenheuser — T-Boy writer:

Kashmir – Pakistan & India

Some places I’d like to go to are off-limits, at least to my sensibility, because of internal political strife or potential international conflict. And in this case, the tensions are between nuclear powers, Pakistan, India and China. I hope they find a way to work it out and the whole region becomes travel friendly, I’ve heard its beauty is awesome. When it opens, no doubt someone will put together some over-the-top digs and pleasures, in the style to which I’d like to become accustomed but probably won’t. But if it does open, I hope it’s also backpacker/hiker friendly, sans landmine anxieties.

Brent Campbell — Musician and composer:

• Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia — Moscow to Vladivostok.
• Former Soviet Republics — A driving trip through Eastern Europe, maybe start by taking overseas delivery of a new Audi in Germany.
• Remote South Pacific Islands — Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands.

Raoul Pascual — T-Boy webmaster:

With Sky’s the Limit, I wouldn’t necessarily go where it is expensive, but to where I probably could not ever imagine I could go.

• Go underwater in a yellow submarine tour.
• Go to the moon and see the earth.
• Go to the Brazilian rain forest and swing on ropes like Tarzan.
• Go to the most expensive cruise just to see what makes it so expensive.
• Go to Japan and soak up the culture of the big city and the tiny villages.
• Go to Singapore and Dubai to see how the filthy rich waste their money.
• Go to the Great Wall of China and enjoy the 360 degree view. I don’t think pictures can really capture this.
• Same goes with the Pyramids.
• Go to Alaska and marvel at the expanse of the icebergs. Eat fresh fish and crab.
• Go to Iceland and have a sauna massage.
• But in all this, I would want my wife and my kids to be with me because I’ve traveled alone before and it wasn’t fun without anyone beside me. I want to be in wonder with them.

The post Sky’s the Limit: Where Money Is No Object appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Welcome to the T-Boy Society of Film and Music’s latest poll, devoted to members’ top Bucket List destinations. To be honest, I thought our well-traveled group had been everywhere, and was delighted to read their informative selections, many of which I will add to my own list. Their selections were akin to Willie Mays naming his favorite baseball teams, Aristotle’s selection of most esteemed philosophers, and Frank Lloyd Wright choosing his top (non-Frank Lloyd Wright, that is) architectural wonders. As always, it was great fun, plus I learned a lot. I hope you feel the same way. So, here it is: the T-Boy Society of Film and Music’s most sought after Bucket List destinations. — EB

Ed Boitano – T-Boy editor:

• Provence, France – To walk the trails of Cézanne, Renoir, van Gogh and experience the intoxicating  light and colors where they, along with an array of other legendary Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, found inspiration.
• Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana & Idaho – To give thanks to Scotsman, John Muir,  “Father of the National Parks.”
• Iceland – Thingvellir is the home of Iceland’s annual parliament, dating back to the time of the Vikings, from 930 AD to 1798 AD. Now a National Park, the site marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Thingvellir represents the founding of Iceland as a nation, where its first parliamentary proceedings laid the groundwork for a common cultural heritage and national identity.
• Hadrian’s Wall, Northern England – The largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain, where you can walk along the adjoining 73 miles of Hadrian’s Wall Path.
• Calais, France – During the Hundred Years’ War, an eleven-month English siege trapped Calais’ starving citizens behind its fortified walls. A deal was struck where Calais’ most prominent six nobles would offer their lives to save those of the city. In 1889 Auguste Rodin created a bronze cast entitled The Burghers of Calais to commemorate the heroic event, emphasizing the pained expressions, anguish and fatalism of the six men about to be executed. There are eleven other casts and endless copies, but to see the first one among the people of Calais, with possibly the White Cliffs of Dover in the distance, must be something to behold.

Richard Carroll – T-Boy writer:

• Tel Aviv – A dynamic city with incredible dining opportunities, award-winning chef’s, and noted as the World’s Vegan Capital, has a growing wine industry, and a vital nightlife, Tel Aviv is a top destination on my Bucket List with the other four a close second.
• Buenos Aires – Passionate and alive and where border-to-border tango rules, the city sits on a tango C chord creating a feel-good destination where dancing lifts the spirits, and a guitar riff brings smiles all around.
• French canals and rivers – A barge cruise on French canals is the glorious opportunity to experience the beauty, history and antiquity of France via historic waterways that Napoleon constructed. Barging is an inside look at a country with beauty to share.
• Porto – A view city overlooking the Douro River with the historic center a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a Portuguese National Monument, is a step back to another era. The Douro Valley is brimming with wineries and wine tasting opportunities. I’ve also found that the Portuguese are among the world’s friendliest people along with Fiji, Ireland and Mexico.
• Santiago de Compostela – The northern Spanish city is the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage or the Way of St. James, dating to Medieval Times. Zona Vella or Old Town highlighted by the Cathedral which dates to the ninth century, is considered among the most beautiful buildings in Europe.

Brent Campbell – Musician and composer:

• Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia – Moscow to Vladivostok.
• Vietnam
• Former Soviet Republics – A driving trip through Eastern Europe, maybe start by taking overseas delivery of a new Audi in Germany.
• Remote South Pacific Islands – Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands.
• Mozambique

Richard Frisbie – T-Boy writer:

• Tahiti

As a voracious reader in my boyhood I consumed everything I could on the South Pacific, from Thor Heyerdahl to Robert Louis Stevenson. As a young teen I was hooked on the prurience of Gauguin’s voluptuous South Sea paintings. Later in life I found a new author that pinpointed Tahiti for me as my ultimate destination – Robert Dean Frisbie – my distant cousin. He was gassed in WWI. After the war ended, for medical reasons he decided to live, love, and write in the South Pacific. After moving to Tahiti in 1920 he established the South Seas News and Pictorial Syndicate and began sending stories back to the U.S. for publication. He sailed throughout Polynesia and sired many children, supplementing his disability pension with jobs for trading companies where he was sometimes the only white person on the island. He died the month after I was born. I’ve always wanted to go to Tahiti to see how much it has changed over the years, and look up some long lost Tahitian cousins.

His titles include:

• The Book of Puka-Puka (A Lone Trader on a South Sea Atoll) (1929)
• My Tahiti (1937)
• Mr. Moonlight’s Island (1939)
• The Island of Desire (The Story of a South Sea Trader) (1944)
• Amaru: A Romance of the South Seas (1945)
• Dawn Sails North (published posthumously in 1949)

Rourke – Musician & composer:

Destinations inspired by these movies:

• Champs-Élysées, Paris (Breathless)
• Havana, Cuba (Godfather 2)
• Ischia, Italy (Talented Mr. Ripley)
• Tokyo (Lost in Translation)
• Salzburg, Austria (Sound of Music)

James Boitano – T-Boy writer:

• Greenland
• French Polynesia 
• Portugal
• Newfoundland, Canada
• Cabo Verde, central Atlantic Ocean, Republic of Cabo Verde

Ringo Boitano – T-Boy Writer:

• Temple Mount Sifting Project, Old City of Jerusalem – An ancient  guarded complex, venerated as a holy site for the monotheistic religions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. My dream: to participate in the Temple Mount Sifting Project where one collects buckets of earth, rinses with water and then hopefully discovers an artifact that might have important religious and archaeological significance.
• Montmartre, Paris – A return for a third visit, but this time to explore its rich history of struggling painters & writers, little working-class homes & windmills, cafes & cabarets, and Montmartre Cemetery &  Musée de Montmartre.
• Mississippi Delta – Robert Johnson and where it all began.
• The Philippines – To understand its culture and see the beauty of its 7,100 islands.
• New Zealand – Often on a group press trip, civilians will address our team with, What is your favorite place to travel? It is a question that I would ask. Many fellow journalist would enthusiastically reply, New Zealand! Then followed by descriptions of its diversity: rolling green hills, breathtaking fjords, temperate rainforests and an unique Māori culture all packed into an accessible 103,798 square miles.  And that is why this small island nation of 4.84 million people is on my Bucket List.  Plus, I’d like to shake hands with PM Jacinda Ardern.

Greg Aragon – T-Boy writer:

• A cruise down the Amazon River – The mighty Amazon is the largest river in the world by the amount of water discharged and the second longest river in the world. Since boyhood I have dreamed about taking a boat down this legendary waterway to explore and experience lush jungles and forests, fascinating local peoples, exotic animals such as piranha, pink dolphins, sloths, monkeys and giant snakes, and  more.
• The Great Pyramid of Giza – As the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex in Cairo, Egypt, the The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. The incredible structure, built more than 4,500 years ago, stands nearly 500 ft tall. While here I can also get a glimpse of the Sphynx!
• The Summit of Mt. Kilaminjaro – It might be a pipe dream, but I’ve always wanted to climb to the 19,341-foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I know it would take an incredible amount of determination, preparation and training, but the long 9-day journey up to the very top of Africa is on my travel bucket list.
• An African Safari – Another African dream of mine is to take a real-life safari. I want to ride in a rugged four-wheeler and get up-close to elephants, lions, gorillas, rhinos, hippos and more. I want to sleep in a modern, mobile tent beneath the stars.
• A Cruise to Antarctica – A cruise to the ice-capped bottom of the world has always been a dream of mine. Here, in one of the most remote places on earth, I would love to cruise across the Drake Passage from the tip of South America to see penguins, killer whales and elephant seals in their natural, freezing habitat. I would love to sit aboard a ship and watch immense glaciers drift past in icy waters.

Jim Gordon – Co-host & co-producer Travel Guys TV:

• Berlin, Germany (must film there one day)
• Lake Como/Lombardy Region of Italy (you’ve got us there, Ed)
• Stockholm, Sweden (Copenhagen, Denmark would also be included on that trip)
• Warsaw, Poland
• Lake District of England/Wales (been near and at times all around these ones)

Tom Weber – T-Boy writer:

• Havana, Cuba
• Taj Mahal, Agra, India
• Petra, Jordan
• Etosha and Skeleton Coast, Namibia
• Okavango Delta, Botswana

Fyllis Hockman – T-Boy writer:

• Scandinavia – because I’ve never been and the fjords are calling to me.
• Another Safari – because I have been and it wasn’t enough.
• China – because my husband, after 10 trips (I’ve only been 4), wants to go back just one more time (but probably not now…).
• Wyoming – because it’s Wyoming.
• Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks – because everyone should at least once – and I haven’t.

Weave Cleveland – Cinematographer Travel Guys TV:

• A one week drive through Quebec’s Eastern Townships – In the ’80’s I spent a few days in a place called North Hatley, Quebec and I thought I was in the most enchanted place ever. There has to be more to experience there. It’s a must to explore further.
• Suriname – I was invited to come here and never embraced it. Now I am curious.
• Savannah, Georgia – Friends have told me to go to Charleston, SC, but after seeing Clint Eastwood’s Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, I have never stopped thinking about this destination. The architecture , the cuisine, I must go visit this town.
• Uruguay – I have learned that it has one the best standards of living on the planet. A very low unemployment rate. Plus I like soccer and they like soccer.
• Erie, Pennsylvania – Because I secretly have a crush on a girl there.

T. E. Mattox – T-Boy music critic:

• Machu Picchu – I have always been fascinated by the Incas and would love to make this trek. The mountain panoramas around these ruins are breathtaking.
• Aurora Borealis – The thought of exploring the Northern-most realms and experiencing the ‘lights’ has been a life-long desire since I learned of them. One day.
• Mississippi Blues Highway – This is my most personal destination. I’ve done it once, but traveling down Highway 61 from Memphis to New Orleans, there are so many back roads to take, juke joints and roadhouses to explore that it will require a much longer vacation next time. And there will be a next time!
• Yellowstone National Park – I want to see more of our country’s beauty before it disappears. At the rate protections are dissolving I’m afraid I may not have that chance.
• French Polynesia – Have you seen the photos? Snow white sandy beaches, palm trees forever and clear, sky blue water. Who doesn’t want to experience that?

Allan Smith – Artist & T-Boy writer:

• All the Standing Stones in Brittany (Bretagne) and Great Britain
• Loire River, on a luxury cruise ship, (if Covid ever disappears)
• Paris, again. (first visited in 1972)
• And, last, but not least, if I ever go to China again, the Karst formations in Guilin

Deb Roskamp – T-Boy photographer & writer: 

• Tanzania – Mt. Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar island, Swahili culture, the Maasai tribe… the names alone conjure up such vivid imagery!  Definitely at the top of my list.
• French Riviera – Do a house swap for a month to stay anywhere along the French Riviera and explore all the villages.
• Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – Cruise the Galapagos Island.
• McNeil River Game Sanctuary, North End of Alaska Peninsula – To see bears catching fish in the river.
• The Ahwahnee Hotel,  Yosemite Valley, California – Stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel for a week in the winter.

Raoul Pascual – T-Boy co-founder, illustrator and art director:

• Italy – Rome, Venice, Florence (with my wife who has never been). Set up a caricature booth in Florence.
• Japan – Tokyo, Kyoto,
• Alaska – cruise
• Bible Land Tour – put the climate, the smell, the culture, the people, the feel of the distances between landmarks to all my Biblical studies
• Cebu Islands, Philippines – supposed to be better beaches than Hawaii plus underwater caves and hiking trails – a lot cheaper too.
• Road trip across America with whole family
• Submarine adventure ala National Geographic
• Sky dive
• Watch the Olympic Games live
• A blimp ride over Los Angeles
• Visit the moon

Skip Kaltenheuser – T-Boy writer:

• Kashmir – Some places I’d like to go to are off-limits, at least to my sensibility, because of internal political strife or potential international conflict. And in this case, the tensions are between nuclear powers, Pakistan, India and China. I hope they find a way to work it out and the whole region becomes travel friendly, I’ve heard its beauty is awesome.
• Palestine – I’d like to explore all of the Palestinian territories, in part because I’d like to see what’s is being done with US complicity. Maybe there’s too many poison pills for a viable Palestinian nation to take shape, ideally all those lands would become part of Israel, with Palestinians getting full citizenship and legally solid property rights. Dim prospects, alas.
• Vietnam – Once the part of the world I most wanted to avoid. In my military draft lottery Nixon was close but no cigar, so I never really had to make the tough decision over what I’d do. I did continue efforts to keep others from going into that dreaded insanity, but I was in the clear. Now Vietnam ranks high on my wish list. It’s most recent impressive accomplishment involves minimizing Covid-19 impacts.
• Morocco – I’ve wanted to go ever since I saw the Crosby, Hope and Lamour movie Road to Morroco, and of course Casablanca.
• Nicaragua – Friends have recently raved about the Aqua resort on the Emerald Coast. My last time through the country was traveling overland to South America in ’75. In a hurry, I didn’t get a chance to give the countryside a close look amid the lingering chaos from an earthquake and the Somoza regime’s corruption. I’d like to give it another chance and catch the beauty I missed, including some of what’s underwater.
• Tierra del Fuego – A law prof always posed the problem what if your client gets screwed and the perp absconds to Tierra del Fuego, so it’s singed into my mind. I’d like to see how all those miscreants in exile are doing, and also travel a bit up nearby regions of Chile and Argentina, which share the island at the end of the world.
• Cuba – This quasi-forbidden fruit remains on my wish list. Its history and culture are fascinating and I’d like to see it overcome its problems, some of which the US has exacerbated, and explore it before it changes too much.
• Thailand – I’ve been fascinated by the mystery novels by John Burdett, starting with Bangkok 8,  that wander about Bangkok’s underbelly. They’ve wet my appetite to explore the whole country.
• New Zealand – How could one not want to explore a beautiful country that so obviously has its act together?
• More of Africa – I was privileged to travel large swaths of the continent. I’d like to see more, including of the cultural mix and the wildlife. I was only briefly in Zimbabwe, long ago, on the way to Zambia to raft the river. The desperation was very unsettling. I hear both countries have great wildlife potentials, I hope they can pull their act together and end the corruption destroying that potential and eating the countries’ future.
• Canada – So much of it left to see, including in its far reaches. I’ve done hell-hiking. This tin man would like to do heli-skiing while he can still find the oil can.
• A more leisurely return to the Balkans – Years ago I supervised or observed elections in Bosnia and Macedonia, and took note of the beauty. I’d like to see how they’re faring now in, I hope, more relaxed circumstances, and more of the region generally.
• Explorations of the locales for the well-researched, atmospheric WWII espionage novels of Alan Furst. Though they often overlap in occupied France, they branch out to the whole European theater of the war, and would be great starting points for travel perspectives.
• Other than travel with my now young adult kids, my favorite travel pursuits have always included festivals, particularly Carnival across different cultures. I look forward to continuing that exploration, when crowds no longer generate health worries. Until then, road trips are moving up the list.

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