Page 38 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – May/June 2021

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Rebuilding
Your Bucket List
After a year of not traveling anywhere but the office, the grocery store and my parents’ house, I’m feeling the itch. One of the things that gives me the most joy in life is discovering new places. It is very exciting to think that I can again start to map out my future travel plans. So ... where do I want to go? Where is realistic for now and which places will require a bit more planning?
Hawaii has been my No. 1 bucket list destination
for years. There’s something about the thought of the pineapples, the palm trees and the hibiscus that call to me. The dream would be to stay at an all-
inclusive resort and relax on the beach, enjoying
the sun, sand and tradition. But of course, I
would like to do some island hopping and hit
up some of the most iconic spots like the Dole Plantation on Oahu. This site which is now a
public attraction featuring dining, tours and
guest activities, opened up as a farm stand in
1950. Headed out to Maui, another must-do
for me is the Road to Hana. The famous Hana Highway offers several jaw-dropping vistas that
make the perfect backdrop like Pa’iloa Beach at Wai’anapanapa State Park and Wailua Falls.
The next place on my bucket list (and honestly the first one I’ll get to) is Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is the home of the singer/songwriter and is known for its music scene. Over the last several years, it has also become
a hot spot for bachelor/bachelorette parties. With great food and nightlife, I can see the appeal. My main must- dos for my trip are very specific. The first stop on my list is
Unsplash: Don Stouder
the Grand Ole Opry. The country music tradition started in 1925 with a fiddle player and has welcomed many renowned musicians to its stage over the years: Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynne and Dolly Parton, to name a few. Keeping up with that trajectory, I would next head out
to Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains to visit Dollywood. Guests of the park can plan a full-package vacation with options including dinner shows and even a mountainside stay in a luxury cabin.
My third destination is one that will require a little more time and planning, but it still ranks at the top of my list: Tokyo, Japan. I consider myself pretty well-traveled, but I have never been that far east. For me, a visit here would be about being immersed and experiencing every little thing, from the sights and sounds to the food and festivals. Tokyo is a metropolitan hub with thousands of years of cultural and architectural history. Senso-ji located in Asakusa is an ancient Buddhist Temple and the oldest in the city, as it was completed in 645. I would be remiss if I went all the way to Japan and didn’t visit Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea,
which has some of the most notable and unique attractions that exist and has received notoriety by many fanatics as the best Disney Resort in the world.
Now it’s your turn to think. Where is your spirit of adventure leading you ... the Amalfi Coast and Greece? Perhaps an African Safari or a land and sea tour throughout Alaska? It’s time to start turning your dreams into a reality!
38 I MAY/JUNE 2021
Emily Gnacik is the Editor of AAA Every Day Magazine.
Unsplash: Josh Soto