My Top 10 Historical Places I Still Need To Visit

Hello Beyond Last Week readers!  Now that we are getting closer to the world opening back up, I thought I would write an article about the Top 10 Historical Places I still need to visit, and I am happy my wife Marla is ready to go too! Thankfully my overall list keeps getting smaller as I visit new places.  Well, really not smaller at all, but bigger since everyplace I visit opens new ideas as I learn more.  So, in reality I fibbed, I’m sorry.  My list keeps growing, but I didn’t want to discourage you with the truth that as you explore your list may get larger.  Hopefully that doesn’t scare you.  And hopefully you keep reading (I throw in some bonuses too, like tips, so it’s worth it to keep reading.)

Why do I explore?  (Hopefully you find it just as fascinating)

I am a huge student of history, albeit a novice student with no formal history degree.  History fascinates me.  To walk in the footsteps of our ancestors and see, hear, smell, experience similar things that others experienced ages ago excites me.  Meeting the people there now.  Learning how history affected them.  Creating memories of shared experiences.  And telling you, my readers, so you can go experience similar activities.   

If I could be like Indian Jones (without the violence, death and occasional bad script choices) I would jump at the opportunity.  Heck, maybe even Josh Gates as he explores the world through the eyes of history.  Or just a member of Josh’s advance team that goes and does site surveys and prep work before Josh even gets to a place would be great.  (I am open to a career move if you know Josh and he needs a new advance team member.)    

Knowing that, I have made it a point to explore as much as possible when I am not sitting at my desk working.  Thankfully I have taken those opportunities to see historic places like Jerusalem, Petra, the Kremlin, Blarney Castle, Dachau Concentration Camp, Lake Placid, Mount Vernon, Cape Canaveral, Pearl Harbor and so many others during my life.  (A number of these places either have articles already or I will be writing them in the near future.)  Not only are these places fantastic to visit, these are the places that impacted mankind.  These are the types of places I want to bring my wife to and continue to explore and learn about.

What I set out to do for this article

With that in mind, I decided to write down my current list of Top 10 Historical Places I need to still visit that I have not been to yet.  Hopefully I can spark a desire for you to learn more about each site and want to explore it too!  Some on the list are individual locations, while others are more complex and encompassing of a larger area.  Additionally, there is no way I could rank these so I will go in alphabetical order.  Also, since I have never been to these places yet, I will use pictures found on the web, not my own, or pictures of sites similar in nature.  I will try to give credit where I can.

Tip #1

If you are visiting a place that is historic and you want to get the most out of your visit, the biggest tip I can give you is to plan before you go.  I am not necessarily talking about a minute-by-minute detailed plan, but you do need to have an idea of what you are going to see before you see it.  Do some reading.  Find other blog posts.  Visit the sites’ official page.  Look at the History Channel (or another similar) web site.  I will also purchase some books, especially if I will be there for an extended period and want to experience as much as possible. 

For example, I purchased the book pictured below for my time in Israel and used it extensively as a planning tool.  What did I want to see?  Where did I want to explore?  What did I want to learn and experience?  Additionally, there was a list of places the team there already created.  Not only did I use the list, but I helped add other places to the list through my explorations.  I then used the book and the list to show my family around when they visited me. 

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That is also why reading other blog posts about travel sites is important.  For example, in my list below I will not go into detail on where to fly in, or where to eat, or where to stay.  This is just a primer for some locations I want to visit.  So, when we do plan a visit, I will find other travel bloggers and read their posts to learn more.  Then discuss a game plan with Marla and get ready to explore what we both want to see.  You should plan to do the same.  

Back to my list.

I will give brief descriptions of each site but will not go into too much detail.  Hopefully I will travel to each site and provide a more in-depth article in the future.  After some of the sites, I may list additional places that did not make the Top 10, but are related to a site for some reason.  For example, one of the sites on my list is Omaha Beach.  Related sites for Omaha Beach are Bastogne, the Wolf’s Lair, Flanders Field, and the Somme.   

A lot of the information below is information I have gained over the years through different sources so it will be hard to give a reference, although some of the ‘facts’ I confirmed and can provide sources as required.  

Let’s hit the road!

We will start to the east, the Far East.

I have only traveled to the Far East once (Japan), but I want to go back.  I will admit most of my historical prowess…(don’t laugh at me, I have some historical prowess, just not as much as learned scholars)…again, most of my historical prowess is European, the cross roads between Europe, Asia and Africa and finally American.  I know there are great histories in Asia, I am just getting around to understanding Asia’s history so there is currently only 1 spot from Asia on my list.

Tip #2

Travel from the US to Asia (and for that matter Europe) is hard on your body and sleep schedule.  For example, the time zone is about 12 hours off of what you are now (if you live in the US.)  What your body thinks is 6 PM is close to 6 AM the next day.  Be prepared to spend a day or two (or five) adjusting to the local time.  Try not to schedule things early or late.  Get as much sleep as you can, but try to offset when you get to bed to help with the adjustment.   

For example, when I travel to Europe, I usually arrive in the middle of the day after an overnight trip.  I stay up for the rest of the day with no naps and try to make it to 10 PM before I go to sleep.  This helps me get my circadian rhythm on alignment better.  The second night is the hardest for me to get to sleep, but a little melatonin (or other sleep aid) helps and I adjust quicker than if I took a nap the first day. 

Back to the list…the first site, which is located in the Far East… 

Angkor Wat, Cambodia:

Talk about a huge and complex history steeped in both religion and secular events.  What many consider to be the largest religious monument on Earth, Angor Wat is breathtaking.  Originally built as a Hindu Temple in the early 12^th Century AD, by the end of the century it transformed into a Buddhist site.  This change is due to fact that the ruler of the Khmer empire, Suryavarman II, was Buddhist and the 400-acre Temple City acted as his capital.  By the 13^th Century the site lost its importance as a capital city with new rulers, but continued to grow as a religious monument.

However, Angkor Wat slowly lost its importance and eventually fell into neglect and poor condition over hundreds of years.  A French explorer, Henri Mouhot, rediscovered the site in the mid-19^th Century and the world became reacquainted with its grandeur.  A sizable part of the walls still exists, with carvings throughout representing mythology and regional historical events.  The main temple still stands with several other buildings, but most others were destroyed over time due to the building materials and how they held up during both natural decay and the impacts of war.         

Speaking of war, let’s transition to the world at war and the ugliness of mankind.  By far, WWII was the bloodiest war our world has ever experienced.  Our next site is a prime example of the horrors of WWII. 

Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland:

When we think of WWII, the National Socialist German Worker’s party and the horrors from that period, Concentration Camps are near the forefront of painful images stirred up.  Auschwitz is the most infamous of the many concentration camps.  The German Third Reich established this series of camps near Oswiecim, Poland in 1940.  There were more than 40 sub camps in the region.  The largest camp is known as the Birkenau Camp.  Estimates summarize that around 90% of the victims of Auschwitz died at Birkenau. What happen here, and at dozens of other camps in Europe, is simply appalling and unthinkable.  This is what national socialism and fascism give you; death and destruction. 

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Approximately 1.1 million of the 1.3 million people sent to Auschwitz died during the 5 years of the camp’s existence.  This is pure horror.  This is unthinkable and should not happen again.  Unfortunately, throughout the rest of the 20^th Century, socialism and communism contributed to millions more people dying.  In fact, a USA Today article from 2018 discusses how Marxism (what socialism and communism are based off of) does not work. Additionally, the article describes how Communist and Marxist regimes in the 20^th Century attributed to the murder of over 100 million people. 

History should teach us what not to do.  If we don’t learn from past mistakes and errors, we are doomed to make the same mistakes other made.  So be smart, stay away from Marxism, socialism and communism so we can avoid the death, despair and destruction they spread.

Similar Sites:

As stated above, I have been to Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich, Germany.  The site is very somber and haunting.  It too should be on your list of places to visit.  Auschwitz is one site that Marla has wanted to go to for almost 30 years.  I really need to bring her there. 

Tip #3

This goes for a lot of memorial sites…give the respect and dignity the site deserves.  A Concentration Camp, or war memorial to the dead is not a site you joke, play or run around.  I’m sure you have seen the videos of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery step out and ‘politely’ remind people to give the reverence and solemnity the site deserves.  Don’t be that person.  Be respectful for where you are.  That goes with Tip 1 and doing some research and knowing where you are going and why it is a site to visit.      

Next, let’s go nuclear. 

As a nuclear operations officer during most of my military career, the history surrounding the operations of nuclear weapons and nuclear power greatly interest me.  Death and destruction are balanced with energy and survival.  For every good point, someone can offer a bad point.  The pros and cons are a long list.  But, like I tell my kids, sometimes it is not the sum of just numbers for either side, but the whole balance each side accumulates up to.    

Chernobyl, Pripyat, Ukraine:

I remember the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster happening in 1986.  I was in high school at the time, a time before 24-hour news coverage, and remember the nightly news finally talking about it days after it happened.  As a kid I didn’t realize the impact this tragedy would have on the world.  I think the two major long-term, non-health impacts, felt across the world were the unwarranted hesitation of nuclear power plants (the accident was linked with the US’s Three-mile Island accident), and the effect on the future of the Soviet Union.  

The accident, even in the Soviet Union leadership’s view (Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader at the time) did more to hasten and cause the final collapse of the Soviet Union than his perestroika (reform movement within the Communist party).  During a test at the power plant, two explosions ripped a roof off of the reactor, releasing 400 times the radiation of Hiroshima.  The government, trying to keep things as secret as possible, didn’t evacuate the local town until the next day, and didn’t say anything to the international community for several days, which cause even more harm.

Today the site and surrounding area still sit ‘abandoned’.  Estimates say the area will not be inhabitable for over 24,000 years due to the high levels of radiation.  But you can visit the area.  Just don’t be there too long.  This site, with its impact of hastening of the fall of the Soviet Union, makes my Top 10. 

Similar sites of nuclear power and Cold War history:

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, as well as Trinity, New Mexico: Theses sites changed warfare.  With the use of nuclear weapons, the calculus of defeating your enemies, no matter what, takes on a whole new meaning.  (Actually, I have some other Far East sites here, so maybe I am sprouting my wings a bit)

Vilnius, Lithuania.  Not because of any nuclear accident, but because, on March 11^th, 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet Republic to declare independence. This declaration starting another leak in the dam the burst with the fall of the Soviet Union.

I have already visited the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie (both in Berlin, Germany), two other notable touchpoints of the Cold War and I highly recommend you visit them.         

 

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Now we should transition towards a bright future.  The next site is a doorway into hope.

Ellis Island, New York:

The gateway into America for so many immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  The ‘Golden Doors’ of Ellis Island transformed dreams into reality for so many people.  Opportunities to make a life for his family is the main reason why my Great Grandfather Augustus left Lithuania in 1902 and arrived in New York on April 24^th of that year.  And why, five years later he went back to get my Grandmother and brought her to the United States.

Most of us have seen the pictures, or time-period movies of immigrants arriving.  Standing in line waiting to be medically cleared and then given permission to enter and start a new life. My Great Grandfather needed some extra time and he was detained for several weeks before he left Ellis Island. As you sail up the Hudson you see the Statue of Liberty; Then, immigrants probably hearing English for the first time; but, finding comfort in thousands just like you wanting to reach the American dream. What a world of wonder Ellis Island would have been to those arriving.

The uncertainty and challenges would cause so many to stay in their homelands, but others, more daring (or more hard pressed) took the leap of faith.  There is an estimate that about 40% of all current Americans can say at least one ancestor walked through the gates of Ellis Island during its 60-year operation.  I am blessed my Great Grandfather took the leap.

Similar site:

The Battery, New York City.  The Battery/Castle Garden acted as our nation’s first real immigration center.  From 1855 until 1890, this location was the first-place immigrants landed in the United States.  Knowing I have family members that processed through this site as well, I would make any visit to Ellis Island become a co-visit to Battery/Castle Garden.  

Unfortunately, we digress back to war and death.

Ford’s Theater, Washington DC:

(This one is strange for me.  Not strange as in the idea, but strange because I have not been there.  I live in the DC area and I have yet to go which is sad.)  Ford’s Theater in Washington DC is the location where President Abe Lincoln was shot while watching the play “Our American Cousin.”  The impact of President Lincoln’s assassination reverberated throughout our country.  The timing, just as the South was surrendering, caused great consternation into the future of a split nation trying to come together.  Who knows what might have transpired if Lincoln been alive?   

While I have not been to Ford’s Theater, Marla and I have been to the building on Fort McNair in South West DC where the trial of the assassination conspirators took place. We stood in the field where the gallows were erected.  The entire story of Lincoln’s assassination and hunt for the culprits intrigues me.  Throughout history world leaders faced assassination attempts (and successes). But for America, this was unfortunately our first successful tragedy (President Andrew Jackson faced the first known attempt 30 years earlier.)  There have been other attempts (unsuccessful and successful) throughout our history, but the Lincoln assassination struck our nation at a time that might have broken us.  Thankfully we did not break.                     

Similar Sites:

I would list most Civil War battlefields here (I have been to a couple so far) due to the transformative history the US Civil War had on our nation.  Since the battlefield list is too long, I will just add Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of JFK’s 1963 assassination that also shook out country’s roots; and the Washington DC Hilton, the site of Reagan’s 1981 attempted assassination (I remember this and how it affected me tremendously.  As a youngster I could not fathom why someone would want to do something like this.) 

How about we head south, to the South American mountains?

Machu Picchu, Peru:

Wow.  That is how I would describe the pictures I have seen of Machu Picchu.  This site has always been on my list of places to visit.  Built by the Incas in the 15^th Century AD, the site is so breathtaking.  The hikes; the buildings; the views; the danger; the mystery of its abandonment; the ‘rediscovery’ in the early 1900s.  All this adds up to a strong desire to visit and spend as much time as possible exploring. 

I will add Machu Picchu is in my Top 5 of sites I want to visit. 

Similar Sites:

Interesting archeological sites for me that link back to ancient American history include; Cuzco, Peru; Tikal, Guatemala; Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, Belize; Chichén ltzá, Mexico; and Palenque, Mexico.  There are so many others, but these six stand out for me.

Unfortunately, we need to turn back towards the world at war, the death and destruction that always follows, and the bravery by those facing uncertainty.   

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France:

Operation Overlord, the operation that started the drive to win back the European continent from the Germans Third Reich took place along the western shores of France.  The main attack took place on the early morning of 6 June 1944 from the port of Cherbourg to Le Havre along the English Channel near Normandy, France.  The battle took place in the sea, on the beach, in the air and behind the German lines when allied Airborne troops parachuted behind the German lines in the dark.

The sacrifices on both sides were tremendous.  Hundreds of thousands of casualties are counted on both sides (the Allies consisted of American, British and Canadian forces (with smaller units of Free Belgium forces, Free Dutch forces, Free French forces, Free Norwegian forces and Free Polish forces) and the Axis represented by the German forces.) 

With sacrifices also comes bravery and heroic acts.  The brave forces that stormed the beaches, climbed the cliffs and dropped behind enemy lines deserve to be honored.  My brother Steve honored their sacrifices during the 50^th Anniversary celebration in 1994.  He was part of the team that conducted a flyover of Normandy for the celebration.  The team wandered around the area and the local French communities were so open and welcoming, offering them their best wine and food.  How exciting that must have been.  Talking with people that were there, that survived, that knew the horrors and the joys when liberated.  That is why Marla and I travel and explore. 

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Similar Sites:

Dotted across Europe are battlefields, headquarters, memorials and cemeteries with links to both WWI and WWII.   Bastogne, Flanders Field, Belleau Wood and the Somme (plus the cemeteries and memorials associated with each battle) are battlefields I would like to visit.  My original operational squadron can link its heritage back to the air raid on Ploesti, where one member earned the Medal of Honor and therefore Ploesti is another site I would like to visit.  And finally, the Wolf’s Lair, which is the German Army headquarters near Gierloz, Poland, and where an attempt on Hitler’s life took place. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures, but I have driven past the anti-tank defenses outside of Moscow marking the closest the Germans came to central Moscow (about 11 miles away from the Kremlin.)  There are three anti-tank defensive pieces marking the spot along the M10 highway ring road. If you can stand the traffic, drive past them.    

Let’s travel across the Mediterranean Sea and we find one of the ancient centers of civilization, Egypt

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt:

Any talk about ancient human history needs to include Egypt.  The archeological discoveries in and around the Pyramids of Giza along the banks of the Nile River are legendary.  Built about 4,500 years ago, the three large pyramids tower over the complexes (and other, smaller pyramids for family members) they are built around.  Each was built to honor an Egyptian Pharaoh.  Each is unique in its own right.  But, together and with the surrounding area, they are a historian’s dream.

The history, science, design, interpretation, discoveries and exploration can take a lifetime to absorb and appreciate.  This site too ranks in my Top 5.  I record just about everything I can find on the History Channel and Discovery Channel that dives into Egyptian history and discovery.  My only concern is the small possibility of danger associated with the current state of affairs in Egypt. 

Tip #4

Know where you are and what is currently going on in that region (back to Tip 1 and doing research.)  Have good situational awareness.  Be prepared to leave immediately if things go south.  If you are with someone, make sure you are on the same page so you can stay together, or, know where you will meet if you are separated.  9 times out of 10 everything will be fine, but if you don’t prepare for that 1 out of 10 situations, you may find yourself in a spot you have no exit from.       

Similar Sites:

The Pyramids of Giza are not the only historical sites related with the ancient Egypt.  Some other sites associated with the Egyptian dynasties include the Valley of Kings, Luxor, the ancient city of Alexandria, and the Memphis region and its pyramids are places you could spend years exploring.   There are dozens more historical sites but the final site I will list in Egypt is Mount Sinai, the likely spot for the biblical Mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments.     

How about another boat ride across the Mediterranean?  Sticking with ancient history, we find ourselves in Italy.  

Rome, Italy (and Athens, Greece…I am cheating here and listing these cities as a 2 for 1 so you are getting a bargain price/buy one get one bonus):

I had to list these two together, and since I wanted to discuss Egypt and its ancient history first, I went with Rome as the lead for alphabetical reasons.  These two cities and their historical significance are critically important to western civilization.  Topics like politics, culture, architecture, mathematics, literature, economics, and ideas are just some of the influences traced to these two civilizations.

Additionally, there are dozens of sites associated with these two civilizations.  Roman sites include the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Palatine Hill, and multiple Theaters, Baths, Temples and Markets.  Some are located near Rome, some are far away (like the Roman Theater of Amman in Amman, Jordan.)  There is also Vatican City and all of the sites associated within the Holy See.

Greek sites include the Acropolis and Parthenon, the Panathenaic Stadium, and several Temples around Athens as well as Olympia, Delphi and Sparta outside of Athens.  The Olympics started here.  I love the Olympics (albeit I prefer the winter games since that is where Ice Hockey and Curling make their mark.)  Why wouldn’t you want to visit?

These two are also topics/sites/locations you can spend a lifetime exploring and learning.  Many people specialize in just one of these histories (just like people specialize in Ancient Egyptian history.)

Since I listed so many sites for this one, there is no need to have a separate list of similar sites.  I want to go to all of the above (and more) sites associated with Rome and Athens.

Tip #5

I have been to Italy before, and, let me tell you the food was amazing!  Don’t be afraid to try the local food.  Some of my most favorite memories are sitting and eating while I am traveling.  During my first visit to Italy in the late 90s, my wife and I tried fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with olive oil and basil.  I still remember eating it and tasting how amazing it was.  It changed me.  I make that for us dozens of times a year (although not as good) and it always reminds me of that trip.  My wife remembers the iced coffee from a small café in Italy.  She has never found anything like it but can still taste it even today.  The same for hummus.  I never tried hummus before going to Israel and now I eat it all the time and even make my own. 

Be adventurous.  Live a little.  Get outside of your comfort zone.  Have fun.  It will change your life.   

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 Finally, we head to Jolly ol’ England and site #10!

Stonehenge, England:

Another site that has mystified historians and archeologists for years.  And, if you are like me, the site you picture Clark Griswald knocking over as he leaves in National Lampoon’s European Vacation.  And as Clark summarizes right before he knocks it down, Stonehenge “…one of man’s most curious creations.  Built to stand the test of time, and the elements, war, you name it.  A thing of glory for a million generations to see.  And we were here.”

Ok, that is not the reason I want to see it, but it is funny.  Too bad the Brits took out the circle near Big Ben and Parliament. I SO wanted to drive in a circle several times to recreate that scene.

England/Scotland is all one big site I want to visit.  The history and linkages to not only my family’s history, but our nation’s history intrigues me.  Add to that that the UK and the US are more than partners in most things for the last 100 years adds to the desire to visit and explore.  I wanted to choose one site to represent the entirety of the Island chain and I chose Stonehenge.  There are so many theories about what Stonehenge was used for, who built it, where the stones came from, what was there before the rocks, etc.  The mysteries make the site fascinating to think about and to visit.  Is it a calendar?  A place for druidic worship?  The location for sacrifices?  Or just a place some locals built over 2000 years ago as a joke after drinking a bit too much? 

We might never know. But I want to go there and see it.       

Honorable Mentions:     

Here is a quick list of honorable mentions: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey; the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, Russia; Easter Island; the DMZ in Korea; both the North and South Poles; where they filmed the Shire for The Lord of the Rings movies in New Zealand; and Alaska and Oregon (the only two states I have not visited yet!)

Wow, I guess I was ‘a bit’ misleading with my headline.  Honestly, if I told you this would be an article of my Top 54 sites I have not been to yet, you most likely wouldn’t have clicked on it…so I stretched the truth a bit.  Hopefully you can forgive me and will keep reading my articles.  I did say I would throw in some bonuses…consider the extra 44 sites a free bonus.  And, for all the places on this list, I truly want to go there to do my own exploration.  Life is not the stuff you accumulate over your lifetime, but the memories you create, the places you visit and the people you meet.   

Tip #6

You may have seen me give this tip before, but if not, here it is again. One of the best websites to find cheap airfares is Scott’s Cheap Flights.  It is a great website to get you started in understanding how to find monster deals on airfare.  After you find a monster deal, learn about where you are going and visit some history while you are there.  I have seen flights that are normally priced over $900 sell for $200-$300.  That is an amazing savings and will help if you are on a budget.  Check them out!!   

Be on the lookout for more Beyond Last Week posts soon.  As the world opens up and travel becomes easier, I know I will be posting more history and tips.  As always, thank you for reading, stay safe and I wish you good luck traveling.