Things to Do Before You Die
This is a running list of unique things I have done and places I have seen. The list is not in any particular order.
- Hiked the "Angels Landing" trail at the Zion National Park
- Got my Open Water Certification for scuba diving at the Black Rock in Maui, Hawaii
- Rock climbed a 110 foot outdoor climbing wall
- Got certified to lead climb
- Rode in the "Late Ride" in Chicago
- Ran a sprint triathlon
- Snowboarded down Parsenn Bowl at Winter Park, Colorado
- Went bobsledding at the Olympic track in Innsbruck, Austria - February 2004
- Ran the "Crazy Legs" race in Madison, Wisconsin
- Went on a hot air balloon ride at the Danville Balloon Festival
- Canoed for 36 miles on the Delaware Water Gap
- Got a video tape of us swimming along with sting rays as we were scuba diving around a coral reef in Cancun
- My husband and I performed a choreographed "Pas de Deux" to the tango from the Mask of Zorro at our wedding reception
- My husband proposed to me on top of the Eiffel Tower on a surprise trip to Paris
- Watched the Champ Elysees from the top of the Arc de Triomphe
- Seen the Mona Lisa at the Musee du Louvre in Paris
- Had our wedding reception on the 99th floor of the Sears Tower
- Had our wedding ceremony in the Grand Lobby of the Sears Tower
- Flew a small airplane
- Went on a romantic gondola ride on a summer night on the Chicago River
- Tasted foie gras in Bordeux
- Tried raclette and fondue in Switzerland
- Went on a cable car overlooking the Swiss Alps
- Climbed to the summit of "Cima della Trosa" at 1869 meters
- Visited the Pantheon
- Walked up the Spanish Steps in Rome
- Went inside the Colosseum in Rome
- Climbed up the stairs to get to the top of Michelangelo's Dome at St. Peters Basilica
- Stayed at a pension overlooking the Duomo in Florence
- Held up the leaning tower of Pisa
- Travelled in a "couchette" on a European train
- Seen the canals and gondolas in Venice
- Took a hydrofoil from Naples to Capri
- Went into the Grotta Azzurra in a row boat while being serenaded by a local Italian
- Watched the Jet d'Eau fountain from the shore of Lac Léman in Geneva, Switzerland
- Went for a river walk by the Rhone River in Geneva, Switzerland
- Took the mountain train to Chamonix, France
- Went up to Aguille du Midi via cable car and saw Mont Blanc
- Went on the champagne tour at the Moet et Chandon in Epernay, France
- Visited a number of vineyards for wine tasting in Bordeaux, France
- Walked down the aisle of the Sacré Coeur de Montmartre
- Climbed the bell tower of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
- Watched a beautiful sunset while drinking a Lava Flow in Maui, Hawaii
- Went to a "Luau" at the Royal Lahaina resort in Maui, Hawaii
- Went on a cruise to the Bahamas
- Seen the festival of lights at the Brookfield Zoo
- Visited the "House on the Rock" in Wisconsin
- Got a video tape of us while we experienced a climb to 150 feet in one second on the "Ejection Seat"
- Planted a vegetable garden in my backyard - smelled and tasted truly fresh tomatoes
- Grew my own sunflowers
- Spent a fun day at Noah's Ark - the biggest waterpark in the United States
- Gambled in Las Vegas
- Visited the White House
- Visited the Statue of Liberty
- Watched Michael Jordan play at a Bulls game in the United Center
- Watched a Cubs game at the Wrigley Field in Chicago
- Went to the Strawberry Fields in Central Park in New York City
- Watched a Blackhawks game from one of the sky boxes at the United Center
- Ate at the Cheers Pub in Boston
- Experienced many of the rides at Six Flags Great America
- Went to Disneyland and Universal Studios in California
- Went to Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida
- Went on a helicopter ride in Kauai, Hawaii after a massive rain shower
- Walked on the boardwalk in Atlantic City
- Seen the Niagara Falls
- Had my photo taken with George Bush - he was the graduation speaker at Monmouth College in 2000
- Ate at a churrascaria (Brazilian Barbeque) in Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Went on a road trip with my brand new red Jeep Wrangler to the East Coast of the United States - May 1997
- Seen the Grand Canyon
- Visited Hoover Dam
- Went hiking at Yellow Stone Park
- Visited Mount Rushmore
- Seen the Old Faithful erupt
- Seen the Devils Tower
- Went hiking in the Badlands National Park in South Dakota
- Went white water rafting at the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Visited the Indian ruins in the Four Corners
- Studied my senior year in high school in the United States as a Rotary Youth Exchange student
- Went on a cruise on the Mediterranean
- Sailed a Laser Radial in sailing races on Marmara sea in Istanbul
- Visited Meryem Ana - "The House of the Virgin Mary"
- Crossed the Bosphorus Bridge which connects Asia to Europe
- Seen the Golden Horn
- Travelled on a ferry boat
- Took a boat to the Maiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi)
- Walked around the Topkapi palace
- Went to the Dolmabahce palace
- Went to the Rumeli Fortress in Istanbul
- Seen the dome (made up of 30 million gold mosaic tiles) of the church of "Hagia Sophia" - Ayasofya
- Walked underground Istanbul in the Basilica Cistern
- Shopped and bargained at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul
- Sailed to the Princes' Islands
- Seen the Blue Mosque
- Walked around the ancient city of Ephesus
- Went to the Manavgat waterfall
- Went to the Duden waterfall
- Trailed behind a speed boat in a parachute at Oludeniz
- Swam at the Cleopatra Beach and visited the Damlatas Cave
- Visited the archaeological site for the city of Troy and climbed into the belly of the wooden Trojan horse
- Took a bath in a Turkish Bath at the "Eski Kaplica" (Old Spring) in Bursa, Turkey