What's on your bucket list?

Brothers of Briar

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Tell us about the top item on your bucket list. The one thing you just have to do before you take that dirt nap. I'll go first -

I lived in Wiz-gan-sin for 30-odd years, mostly in the greater M'waukee area and 'burbs. Many was the time I took a trip "up north" as we put it (or "up nort" if you were a sout sider) for the purpose chiefly of fishing. Up north could mean anywhere in say the top third of the state. Starting as a young lad with my folks, we frequented the Eagle River area which is in more or less the NE part of the mitten (yes, WI looks like a mitten).

Anyhoo, that's where I developed a passion for fishing. Through my 20's I would frequent Kentuck Lake just east of the town of Eagle River where my buddy's folks had a cabin. Every Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July weekend, and Labor Day weekend, my buddy and I along with a few others would drive up there to fish all day Sat-Mon morning. A case or two of beer in a cooler in the boat was a requirement.

We mostly drowned worms and caught enough panfish like Bluegills, Sunfish, small Crappie, and Perch to fill our bellies every night. We even filleted them, believe it or not! Occasionally we'd go trolling for the elusive Musky which were stocked in Kentuck as it was a good sized lake. More times than not, one of us would hook a "snake" which is what we called Northern Pike. Long and thin and looking something like a Musky, Pike were fierce fighters but poor eating due to all the bones. We usually threw those back. The lake also had Bass which we caught occasionally but no Walleye as far as I was aware.

On one memorable occasion, one of our crew of 4 landed a Musky while trolling and it was several inches above the minimum limit for keeping. Incredibly, a short time later another of us hooked another Musky about the same size. At that point we counted our lucky stars and headed in. No, I was not one of those to do battle with the mighty Musky.

I said all that to say this - before my time is up here on the blue planet I very much want to return to Kentuck Lake and fish for the king of freshwater fishing - the noble Muskellunge. And, if I'm lucky enough to land one I will practice catch and release. I wouldn't mind catching a string of panfish either! 😉

And you?


Cheers,

RR
 
In 2002 my wife retired. I'd already been retired for two years. We began planning for a lengthy trip around the world. In 2003, she was diagnosed with cancer and the trip never happened. I've now been unattached for 13 years. I would like to find a female traveling companion to make that trip with me.
 
I would love to go to Vienna to see the Lipizzaner Stallions in person. I have been to Austria and even Vienna years ago but did not get to see them at the time. Also back then my interest was primarily rodeo horses, mainly quarter horses. Being older now I really appreciate the time and effort it takes to train these magnificent creatures.
 
Tour a region in the USA on bicycle. Say for a month?

Go to all four tennis grand slam tournaments, staying in each respective area for a week before the tournament starts and then during the entire tournament.

Spend a month in New Zealand.

Spend a month in Vietnam or somewhere else in Southeast Asia or even India.

The bicycle tour is the most likely, though only still at a .001% chance of ever happening. The others are far, far beyond my financial means, and I absolutely suck at traveling. I'd need to be so wealthy that someone else would take care of every detail and all the logistics so all I would have to do is show up at each place.
 
Zeno, check out some of the tour sites. Some are pretty reasonable. Wife and I went to Ireland for 14 days two years ago for about 6K. A single person would have been half that. Totally guided tour. Had a great time. Booked ours through AAA.
 
Zeno, check out some of the tour sites. Some are pretty reasonable. Wife and I went to Ireland for 14 days two years ago for about 6K. A single person would have been half that. Totally guided tour. Had a great time. Booked ours through AAA.
Thanks. It would have to be something like that. I used to scoff at those kinds of tours, package deals of any sorts, etc. Nothing seemed overwhelming. I'm very much the opposite now.
 
I must see "the Emerald Green of Paradise" before my lame atoms once again join with this magnificent planet. I have sat on the shore of Lake Superior hundreds of times, and most of the world's oceans, and even flat to the horizon Kansas wheat fields, waiting for that last sliver of a setting sun to slip behind the horizon. If the atmospheric conditions are just right and the gods are favoring you that day, for an instant, a very brief instant, the atmosphere can bend and filter all the colors except for a flash of green. Rudyard Kipling wrote about it and my best friend and backpacking buddy has seen it (on Isle Royal). I was less than 50 feet away but was watching a moose in the opposite direction.

Someday I know I will see it, and then all will be at peace in me and I will accept the inevitable that we all must one day.

But it ain't going to be today, as I madly packing up for a two-week backpacking trek to the Porkies, (on the shore of Lake Superior). On my last three nights I'll be camped near the mouth of the Little Carp River and this time of year, the sun sets over the lake with no blocking obstructions.

Natch
 
But it ain't going to be today, as I madly packing up for a two-week backpacking trek to the Porkies, (on the shore of Lake Superior). On my last three nights I'll be camped near the mouth of the Little Carp River and this time of year, the sun sets over the lake with no blocking obstructions.

Natch
Possibly my favorite place I've ever backpacked and snowshoe backpacked. Been several times. I'm envious. That area really is a little piece of heaven.
 
In 2002 my wife retired. I'd already been retired for two years. We began planning for a lengthy trip around the world. In 2003, she was diagnosed with cancer and the trip never happened. I've now been unattached for 13 years. I would like to find a female traveling companion to make that trip with me.
I may have found her...maybe? Retired special ed teacher, 69 years old, widowed 12 years ago, was married to a guy much older than me. She's petite and muscular; even has a motorcycle endorsement on her driver's license. Would it be considered poor etiquette to sit behind her on her motorcycle and hold on to her chest handles?
 
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