Vacation Ideas: Places to Travel in 2017

In need of vacation ideas for the new year? I’ve got plenty! I thought I’d share my travel goals for 2017, the pictures that inspired me the most, and maybe stir some wanderlust in you! I may be dreaming too big with this tiny portion of my bucket list, but I like to aim high. Some trips we’ll definitely be booking, some I’m hoping we can make happen, and others may have to wait till 2018. But you never really know what the new year will bring or if the destinations will change. Where are you headed to next? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

Banff National Park

Did you know that Canada’s National Parks will be FREE in 2017 in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday?! And did you know that Banff looks like this? It’s Instagram perfect, and I really really hope we can make it happen.

source: upscalelivingmag

New Mexico

Little by little, Pinterest and Insta have shown me just how gorgeous New Mexico is! I’d love to go and explore the White Sands National Monument and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (seen below). Sante Fe and Taos also look like great, unique cities to visit!

source: thesimplesol.com

Austin, Texas

I’ve mentioned before that we love to eat, and any city that’s known for its good food is a city we want to be in. I’ve heard great things about Austin, and have been wanting to go for a while now. A friend just came back from there and raved about the food, too! So that sealed the deal for us that we need to make Austin happen.

source: travelandleisure

Havana, Cuba

Um, yes please!! The old, colorful architecture and cars are what my travel dreams are made of. This won’t be an easy trip to do simply because of all the annoying rules coming from the US. However, it doesn’t mean we’re not going to try. So, if you’ve visited with a US passport and didn’t go through a tour, please let me know how it went!

source: buisnessinsider

Cinque Terre, Italy

Italy x4 here I come! This will be my fourth time visiting Italy, and I still feel like there’s SO MUCH I haven’t seen. This is a trip I’m definitely booking because I’ve been planning it for years for my 30th birthday. Birthdays are a huge deal around here, and 30 is a special one. Cinque Terre is a string of 5 seaside villages, full of color, character, and incredible food. They’re in the northern part of Italy and look like this:

source: cntraveler

Burano, Italy

Burano is an island in the Venetian lagoon, and one of the most colorful towns in the world. You know what that means right?! I already love it! I tried to go in 2013 while in Venice, but it had rained so much we had to cancel our boat ride to Burano. I was totally bummed because I know it’s a colorful little wonderland designed especially for me lol. So I’ve added it onto my 30th birthday trip! It’s the only thing that makes sense, right?!

source: huffingtonpost

Amalfi Coast, Italy

This. Place. Looks. Incredible! Some of Italy’s most picturesque towns lie along this southern coastline. This particular photo is in Positano, which is a favorite among many. Will I finally find a place in Italy that I love more than Venice? The Amalfi Coast is also right by Naples … Rumor has it you’ll find the best pizza in the world in Naples, so we will report back!

source: worldofwanderlust.com

Portugal

I should have visited Portugal when we went to Spain in 2014. I didn’t know that much about it back then, but of course soon after I started seeing all these amazing pictures. I’m hoping I can make a stop next year. Have you been?

source: touropia.com

Chefchaouen, Morocco

There are so many places we’d love to visit in Africa, but we’ll start with Morocco! Chefchaouen is one of the loveliest stops there and really looks out of this world. Basically, it’s a village in the mountains and everything is blue. Amazing right? There is seriously no end to the places you can explore in this world! Is your list getting longer just reading this post?

source: cntraveler

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is one of the cheapest cities you can fly into or out of when coming from Chicago. We were actually going to visit last May when we were in Europe for a month but ended up flying out of Italy. Either way, it has a lot to offer, and it’s another colorful place I’d love to visit.

source: alux.com

France

Can you believe I’ve never been to France? I know, I know! I must get to France! The issue is that I want to see so much more beyond Paris, so I’ve set that trip aside until I have more time to explore. I’d love to go in August to run through the lavender fields in Provence when they’re in bloom. Goals:

source: sometimetraveller.com