5. Wish List 2011 // Key West, Florida
A Hemingway Cat in Key West
I want to visit the southernmost point of the continental United States, which, I believe, can be found on Key West, Florida. I once lived with a woman who was from Key West. I think the first thing I blurted out to her after our initial meeting was: “Who the hell lives in Key West?” Needless to say, I thought it was so weird and exotic that she was from there. I wasn’t surprised to hear that her parents were hippies that moved to Key West to live out their hippie existence. It’s no wonder perhaps why my friend decided to seek out a normal existence by going Georgetown law school. At any rate, I’ve had a pretty skewed perception of Key West as a haven for non-conformists and queers, both I’d gladly welcome with open arms. I’ve been to Florida several times and each time I wonder, “There’s got to be something more, something better …” I wonder if Key West is it. I’m also a big fan of Earnest Hemingway, so there’s also a literary appeal to my curiosity.
I can’t resist sight of polydactyl kitty cats (or “Hemingway cats”)… meow.
6. Wish List 2011 // Alaska
Photograph of postcard of prize dog team in the Arctic (1911)
Oh Alaska, we have our eyes on you.
I’ve actually cruised through the inside passage a few years ago, visiting the state’s capital Juneau, as well as the lovely towns of Ketchikan and Skagway. I still remember the amazing salmon bake I attended in Juneau and feeling very small admiring the Mendenhall Glacier. However fun the cruise to Alaska was, we have our eyes set on traveling through the mainland, to Anchorage specifically and Denali State Park. Alaska is shrouded in mystery for many of us living in the continental U.S. Asides from certain political figures who have brought a particular image of Alaska to a larger viewing public and who shall remain nameless, Alaska still retains a particular je ne sais quoi for us. It’s a gigantic state with a spectacular landscape that beckons the both us for a proper visit.
7. Wish List 2011 // More Cruising …
Oosterdam Anchored in Cabo San Lucas
Life is good on a cruise …
The evening after our 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera on Holland America‘s Oosteradm (more on that later) docked into San Diego, I was a little weepy about not going to the Vista Dining Lounge for dinner. I got so accustomed to our four-course dinner and being served by our cheery dining attendant, Jeffrey. I also got used to coming back to our stateroom to a newly-cleaned room, with chocolates on our bed. And the casino … the 2-for-1 cocktail specials … the smooth swaying of the ship that lulled me to sleep every night. Indeed, life is pretty darn good on a cruise. Sigh.
Since our arrival back on on land, I have been obsessed about getting back on another boat ASAP. We loved Holland America and wouldn’t mind doing another cruise with them. There are a few short cruises that I’m eying for July and September. I am also keeping an eye on a 14-day Panama Canal reposition cruise or a Hawaiian Islands’ cruise in December.
I may have to jump on the first cruise deal that I find!
Wish List 2011 // 8. Norway
Ah Norway, how you keep creeping into my life in unexpected ways. It was 1994, and the Winter Olympics was taking place in Lillehammer, Norway. It was perhaps the first time that Norway had found its way into my psyche. I glued myself to the television, watching the round-the-clock Olympic programming and thinking about how awesome it would be to someday travel to Norway. I imagined it to be the land of 24/7 snow, inhabited by gigantic blue-eyed, blond-haired viking descendants. Why that image appealed to me at the time, I can’t say for sure, especially because of utter distaste for snow nowadays…it must have been the latter image that burned an impression. At any rate, the games and every subsequent Winter Olympics (speed skating, anyone?) definitely sparked my interest in Norway.
Skip ahead 16 years: On my flight to Germany from Calgary, I had the pleasure to sit next to a wonderful woman from Bergen, Norway, who talked to me for hours about the in-and-outs of Norway. She painted a beautiful picture of the Norwegian coastline, the fjords, Oslo, and her hometown of Bergen – aesthetics always wins the day for me. She did a stunning job convincing me to visit (not that I needed much arm-twisting).
“Andreas and I will definitely visit,” I told her, “and you’ll be the first person I contact.”
“Absolutely,” she replied.
So in 2011, Norway lands in our #8 spot. Who doesn’t love a country that looks like one big spermatoza? I kid, of course.
La oss gå til Norge! I can’t wait.
Wish List 2011 // 9. Cape Verde
9. Cape Verde
Césaria Évora‘s beautiful album Café Atlantico (1999) introduced me the Cape Verde islands and the rich sounds of morna, which is native to the islands, a combination of African and Portuguese styles of music. I used to listen to the album on repeat – the music whisked me away to the islands often times while I was stuck in my cubicle working my mind-numbing first-job out of college. The islands sit a couple hundred miles off the coast of Senegal. Colonized in the 15th century by Portugal, the islands were an integral part of the African slave trade. This has produced a rich creolized culture, and, what I imagine, fantastic cuisine. Interestingly, there is a fairly substantial Cape Verdean diasporic population in the New England states. Cape Verde makes it to the 9th spot on our 2011 travel wish list. For me, I just adore Évora’s music. Someone once told me to follow the music to discover the truth … so I think there’s no better reason. Let the music be our guide then.
Wish List 2011 // 10. Yosemite National Park
Carleton Watkin, "Yosemite Valley from the Best General View," 1868 (Source: Getty Museum)
10: Yosemite National Park
In 1868, American landscape photographer Carleton Watkins took a photograph that he called “Yosemite Valley from the Best General View.” Viewers of the photograph will notice all the star attractions of Yosemite Valley: Bridal Veil Falls, Cathedral Rock, Half-Dome, El Capitan. Much like in Watkin’s day, these landmarks are still the go-to attractions of Yosemite that Andreas and I plan on visiting in 2011. Yosemite National Park lands in the 10th spot on our 2011 wish list. It is practically in our backyard, so it’s a doable road trip. We’re excited to experience nature at its finest!
