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Wicked Fall Guide

Wicked Fall Guide

Wicked Fall Guide

Two of Fodor’s Top Bucket List Destinations in America are in New England!

By Lauren Beckham Falcone
BOSTON - JUNE 20: A general view of the baseball diamond taken during the All-Star Game at Fenway Park on June 20,1999 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Bucket List Destinations in New England?

Of course!

It’s good to live here.

Ocean, mountains, lakes, swimming skiing, boating, hiking. All just a drive away.

No wonder Fodor’s “25 Must See Bucket-List Places to Visit in the US” includes two New England destinations.

From Fodor’s:

From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Grand Canyon, from Times Square to the Hollywood Sign, these are the iconic, bucket list, must-see places in the USA you have to see before you die.

“Consider this your USA bucket list, packed with all the iconic images ingrained in every American’s mind. We’ve included destinations, signs, and monuments that best represent what America is all about: Beacons of democracy in D.C. and Philadelphia, emblems of excess in New York City and Vegas, and the wonders of nature in our many stunning National Parks. They make up the cultural fabric of the country, and these classic destinations all deserve a spot on your list of must-see places in the United States.”

Sure, Disney World (No. 1) made the list. And who doesn’t want to wander around Bourbon Street (No. 2)  half in the bag before they die?

But you’d be surprised where our local destinations landed on the list. Boston ain’t too shabby and the Maine coast delivers any time of the year.

Here are our spots on the list and where they rank on Fodor’s! Some we agree with. Some, eh, not so much.

  • Times Square, NYC

    Ok, this made No. 3. I mean, it’s OK. It’s a little crowded and it’s A LOT. One of my nightmares is ending up there on New Year’s Eve.
    But you have to experience it one. You might be exhilarated or completely freaked out.

  • Pike Place Market, Seattle

    There’s nothing that says Seattle like getting a fish chucked at you when all you are trying to do is get groceries.

    I’m kidding! This market – coming in at No. 7 – is incredible!

    Fodor’s called it “a food lover’s dream and the best representation of American humor and creativity, where —and throw them over the heads of unsuspecting market goers—alongside many restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops (including the flagship Starbucks), and more.”

  • Grand Central Station, NYC

    OK, it’s a train station. The Grand Central (No. 16) TRULY is grand, and it’s an iconic stop in American, not to mention the location of so many great movie scenes. This one is my favorite.

     

  • Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

    Coming in at No. 5, Mount Rushmore is a must-see destination because 1.) GOD IT IS SO FAR AWAY and 2.) the enormity of it!

    “Not only is Mount Rushmore stunning in terms of its sheer scale, it’s also perhaps the boldest embodiment of American ideals in existence and is, without a doubt, one of the best places you must visit in the U.S. It acts as a shrine to democracy, chiseled in the same wild western lands that came to represent the pioneering American spirit,” Fodor’s said.

    The sculpture features the faces of four U.S. Presidents—including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—each representing the unification and progression of the country’s foundation.

  • Big Sur, California

    This (No. 8) is amazing. DO NOT GO IN JUNE.

    That’s the mistake we made. There’s this thing called June Gloom in California where the entire coast is basically fogged in for the month. So when you are driving along Highway 1 YOU SEE NOTHING.

    Anyway, when the coast clears (ha!) it’s gorgeous.

    “Unending wildflowers, soaring California condors, sea otters reclining in kelp beds, ancient forests—it’s no wonder Big Sur is a storied retreat for artists and writers, and one of the top bucket list places to visit in the U.S. There’s nowhere else like it in America, where the undeveloped coastline stretches farther than anywhere else in the contiguous United States. Hike the high ridges for spectacular vistas, including the 875,000 acres of wilderness in the Los Padres National Forests, and make time to relax on the idyllic beach to spot whales and seals in the distant waters,” Fodor’s said. 

  • Portland Head Light, Maine

    File this under stuff I did NOT know:

    “George Washington commissioned the Portland Head Light in 1790 to tower over the keeper’s quarters in Fort Williams Park and beckon ships to land. Also making it an American icon is Edward Hopper’s 1927 painting, Lighthouse Hill, which many might recognize. It’s a truly beautiful and classic lighthouse, with its smooth white stone topped by a black spire against the blazing red roof of the keeper’s quarters, all perched on the romantic cliffs of Maine” – Fodor’s. 

    Well! That makes the trek and ultimately the PITIFUL parking situation worth it!

  • Fenway Park, Boston

    Coming in at No. 4, it’s right here, around the corner.
    Fenway Park!
    The oldest Major League Baseball ballpark is an icon. Remember when they wanted to raze it and build a new one in the Seaport? Jeez. That’s a worse idea than selling Babe to the Yankees!

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