Over the last few weeks, I was looking through and editing old photographs when I started thinking about our bucket list for families that I made. When I was in college, my friends and I used to watch a television show about these families that were traveling around the world. They were marking things off their family bucket list as they voted to do the different adventures that they went on. After I finished my doctorate degree, my husband and I started doing the same thing for our family travel. Since I think it is vital to make, keep, and cross off bucket lists for our family, I have created a bucket list for the families of my readers.

---

The Ultimate Bucket List for Families

---

What is a Family Bucket List?

Our Two Rules for the Family Bucket List:

I decided to have two rules when adding anything NEW ideas to my bucket list:

1. Nothing is too big or small to put on a family bucket list. Whether it be something difficult to achieve or easy, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it is something I or my family wants to do.
2. I don’t delete anything from the list that I have created! This way I don’t impulsively add something to the list that I may never do. This also helps remind me of the things me and my family want to do at different times in our lives. Hopefully, my family’s bucket list will inspire you as much as it has inspired me to keep on doing it!

Bucket List Categories for Families

I have broken our family’s travel ideas into category ideas and then added photographs to them. I did this mostly because it makes it more entertaining for me to create and easier for you to follow along. On the other hand, it has also allowed me to show the ones which I or my family have done (which will be in parenthesis) and which ones we still need to do (no parenthesis).

---

Here are my categories of ideas for a bucket list for families:

Adventure Travel

Education

Fitness with Sports

Gives Life Meaning to Me

National Parks

Road Trips

Talent

Travel

Why not?

---

Bucket List for Families

Adventure Bucket List

• Attend a concert at Red Rocks in Colorado
• Attend an Indian wedding
• Celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Climb Sydney Harbor Bridge
• Drink at Oktoberfest in Germany
• Fly in a Hot Air Balloon (Lithuania, Arizona) √
• Gamble in Las Vegas (Nevada) √
• Get up and watch the sunrise (Jordan) √
• Go on a date with my husband in San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) √
• Go on a Safari (Tanzania) √
• Go White Water River Rafting (Chile, Utah) √
• Go to Havasu Falls (Arizona) 
• Go to Antarctica
• Go to Running of the Bulls in Spain
• Go skinny dipping with my husband!
• Go on a tour with Abercrombie & Kent
• Go on a Polar Bear Safari (Manitoba, Canada) √
• Go on an Elephant Safari (Sri Lanka) √
• Go to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) √
• Hang out with an Elephant
• Have a Thai Massage (Thailand) √
• Hike a Volcano (Guatemala) √
• Hold a Koala Bear
• Hold a Lion Cub
• Learn to Ride a Horse at a Dude Ranch (Colorado) √
• Live in a foreign country and immerse in their culture (Chile) √
• Live in a major city (over 2 million people) (Phoenix) √
• Name a Star after my Son Aaron
• Ride a horse on a beach (Costa Rica) √
• Ride in a Helicopter (Monaco) √
• Ride a camel (Jordan, Qatar) √
• Ride on a dog sled (Montana, Quebec City) √
• See a kangaroo in the wild (Australia) √
• See the Northern Lights (Canada) √
• Send a message in the bottle
• Spend the night on top of a Mountain (Guyana) √ 
• Sleep in a hanging treehouse
• Swim and Kayak with Beluga Whales (Canada) √
• Dive in Wakatobi, Indonesia
• Try-out for the Amazing Race with my son
• Throw a Christmas party (2017) √
• Visit the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

---

Related: Things to do in Antigua Guatemala

---

Education

Drs. Cacinda and Patrick Maloney

• Graduate High School – Pampa High and Notre Dame International School (Texas and Italy) √
• Graduate from undergrad college with a BS – University of Houston (Texas, both) √
• Get our Doctorate degrees (California, both) Cleveland Chiropractic and Los Angeles School of Chiropractic √
• Graduate from Thunderbird School of Management – Patrick
• Learn to Blog (2012) (Cacinda) √

Diego Maloney

• Graduate High School – Brophy College Prep (Arizona) √
• Graduate from undergrad College – Arizona State University (Arizona) √
• Working on Masters Degree – Johns Hopkins (Washington DC) 

Christian Maloney

• Graduate High School – Brophy College Prep (Arizona) √
• Graduate from undergrad College – Montana State (Montana) √

Maloney Family

• Never stop learning new things (Forever) √√

---

Looking for Other:

Family Activities and Things to do with Kids? Then look no further!

---

Fitness & Sports

• Attend the Olympic games
• Attend Kentucky Derby
• Attend a Cricket game
• Become scuba certified (Hawaii) √
• Go Hang Gliding
• Go sky diving
• Hike Iguazu Falls (Argentina) √
• Hike Prekistolen (Pulpit Rock) (Norway) √
• Learn a martial art
• Learn to ski (California) √
• Learn to surf (sort of, California) √
• Learn to sail
• Lose weight (2017) √
• River raft down the Green River (Utah, USA) √
• River raft down the Petrohue River (Chile) √
• See a Soccer World Cup Game
• See the Super Bowl
• See a World Series Final Game (Phoenix, Arizona) √
• See an NBA Final Game
• Scuba the Galapagos Islands to Wolf and Darwin (2020) √
• Scuba the Great Barrier Reef (2004) √
• Scuba dive Raja Ampat (2018) √
• Scuba a shipwreck (2012, 2015) √
• Scuba with sharks (Roatan, Honduras) √
• Scuba with dolphins (Roatan, Honduras) √
• Ski Alta (Utah, USA) √
• Ski Aspen  (Colorado, USA) √
• Ski Beaver Creek (Colorado, USA) √
• Ski Big Bear (California, USA) √
• Ski Big Sky (Montana, USA) √
• Ski Durango (Colorado, USA) √
• Ski Jackson Hole (Wyoming, USA) √
• Ski Pagosa Springs (Colorado, USA) √
• Ski Park City (Utah, USA) √
• Ski Portillo (Portillo, Chile) √
• Ski Red River (New Mexico, USA) √
• Ski Taos Ski Valley (New Mexico, USA) √
• Ski Telluride (Colorado, USA) √
• Ski Vail (Colorado, USA) √
• Ski Whistler Blackcomb (Whistler, Canada) √
• Ski Wolf Creek (Colorado, USA) √
• Swim with dolphins (Roatan, Honduras) √
• Swim with Beluga whales (Canada) √
• Swim with whale sharks 
• Take up boxing (Phoenix 2020) √
• Take a spin class in the dark (Phoenix, 1995-2020) √
• Race a car on a real race track
• Run a 5k, (maybe)
• Visit the BOCA stadium (Argentina) √
• Walk the Camino de Santiago

---

Give Life Meaning for this Bucket List Family

• Find my passion (Travel, Interior Design, Cacinda) (Boxing, Chiropractic, Patrick)
• Be well-read and cultured
• Quit a job. Travel and make memories (2012-2020)
• Have the love and respect of my friends and family
• Learn to overcome my fears and self-doubts
• Be someone’s Best Friend (Annette)
• Give a memorable Toast
• Find the love of my life (Patrick)
• Know that I’ve inspired someone for the better
• Be a mentor to someone
• Be someone’s shoulder to cry on
• Visit a new country every year until I die
• Write hand-written love letters to the love of my life (Patrick) √
• Donate anonymously to a great cause
• Start collecting something that fascinates me (1999 Christmas ornaments) √
• Have friends all over the world (2012- current) √
• Attend the TED conference
• Help a large group of people in need
• Have a wall to wall bookshelf in my study filled with books I’ve read
• Have a wall to wall bookshelf in my study filled with books I want to read
• Write hand-written notes to those who’ve impacted my life
• See the world’s most beautiful cemetery (Argentina) √
• Enjoy a white Christmas (1986, 2013)

---

National Parks for Family Travel

• Arches National Park (2000) √
• Badlands National Park
• Banff National Park (2019) √
• Big Bend National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park (2019) √
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1975) √
• Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson (2018) √
• Grand Tetons
• Glacier National Park (2018) √
• Grand Canyon (2009) √
• Great Smokey Mountains National Park
• Horseshoe Bend
• Isle Royale National Park
• Jasper National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Kenai Fjords’
• Killarney National Park, Ireland (2015) √
• Kruger National Park
• Lake Powell, UT
• Olympic National Park
• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
• Serengeti National Park (2019) √
• Yellowstone National Park (2018) √
• Yosemite National Park (2019) √
• Zion National Park (2019) √

---

Road Tripping for a Family Bucket List

• Amalfi Coast Road in Italy (2017) √
• Grand Canyon, Arizona to Moab, Utah (2000) √
• Highway 101 California to Oregon (2019) √
• Route 66, Illinois to California
• Through the Red Center, Australia
• The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland (2015) √
• The Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway
• The Great Ocean Road in Australia, Melbourne to Adelaide
• Ring Road, Iceland
• The Dalton Highway, Alaska
• Miami to Key West Florida  (2018) √
• Milford Road, New Zealand
• North Coast 500, Scotland

Related: Ultimate Road Trip to Yellowstone National Park

---

Talent & Skills for a Bucket List Family

• Get ridiculously good at interior design (Cacinda) √
• Get ridiculously good at Chiropractic (Patrick) √
• Get ridiculously good at detailed research (Diego) √
• Learn a second language (Patrick, Diego) √
• Learn to dance: flamenco, tango, salsa
• Learn to fly an airplane or helicopter
• Learn how to drive a motorcycle
• Learn to drive a stick shift (1980, Cacinda, Texas) √
• Sing solo in front of a large group
• Learn to play an instrument (1976, Piano, Cacinda, Texas) √
• Take a cooking class (2015, Thailand, Cacinda) √
• Have a “signature dish” or two (Arizona, Cacinda) √
• Have one hobby that I’m known for (Travel, 2012, Cacinda) √
• Learn to play the guitar
• Solve a Rubik’s Cube (Christian) √

---

Travel – Family Bucket List

Africa

• Ethiopia √
• Morocco
• Tanzania √

Related: Seduced by the Serengeti

---

Asia

Related: An Off-Road Experience in Bandung, Indonesia

• China √
• Hong Kong √
• India √

               Kerala √

• Indonesia √ 

              Bali √

              Gili Islands √

              Lombok √             

              Komodo Island √

             Raja Ampat √

• Japan √
• Malaysia √
• Maldives √
• Myanmar
• Philippines √
• Singapore √
• Sri Lanka √
• Thailand √
• Taiwan 
• Vietnam √

Related: An Off-Road Experience in Bandung, Indonesia

---

Canada

Related: Swimming with Beluga Whales in the Wild

• Alberta √
• British Colombia √
• Manitoba √
• Ontario √
• Quebec √

Related: 15 Exciting Things to do in Quebec City in the Winter

---

Caribbean

• Bonaire √
• Cayman Islands √
• Curaçao √
• Cuba √
• Dominican Republic √
• Guadeloupe √
• Honduras √
• Jamaica √
• Puerto Rico √
• Saint Kitts and Nevis √
• Saint Martin √
• The Bahamas √

Related: 10 Must-Try Jamaican Drinks

---

Central America

• Belize √
• Costa Rica √
• Guatemala √
• Honduras √
• Puerto Rico √

Related: Costa Rica: Horseback Riding and Waterfall Rappelling

---

Europe

• Andorra √
• Austria √
• Bosnia and Herzegovina √
• Croatia √
• Czech Republic √
• Estonia √
• Finland √
• France √
• Germany √
• Gibraltar √
• Greece √
• Hungary √
• Ireland √
• Italy √
• Latvia √
• Lithuania √

• Monaco √
• Norway √
• Poland √
• Portugal √
• Russia √
• Slovakia √
• Spain √
• Sweden √
• Switzerland √
• The Netherlands √
• United-Kingdom √
• The Vatican √
•  Turkey √
• Ukraine √

Related: Things to do in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

---

Mexico

• Baja √
• Los Cabos √
• Cabo San Lucas √
• Cancun √
• Cuernavaca √
• Ensenada √
• Los Cabos √
• Mexico City √
• Playa Zipolite √
• Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) √
• Puerto Vallarta √
• Punta Abreojos √
• Riviera Maya √
• San Carlos √
• San Miguel de Allende √
• Stone Island √
• Tijuana √
• Tulum √
• Oaxaca √
• Zihuatanejo √

Related: Famous Landmarks in Mexico You Must Visit!

---

Middle East

• Israel √
• Jordan √
• Qatar √

Related: The Ultimate Jordan Bucket List

---

Oceania

• Australia √
• Bora Bora, French Polynesia √
• Cook Islands √
• Moorea, French Polynesia √
• Fiji √
• Tahiti French Polynesia √
• Raiatea, French Polynesia √
• Avatoru, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia √
• Rangiroa, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia √
• Fakarava, Tuamotu  Archipelago, French Polynesia √
• Rotoava, Tuamotu  Archipelago, French Polynesia √
• Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia √
• Papua New Guinea √
• New Zealand √

Related: 10 Adventurous Things to do in Bora Bora

---

South America

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Iguazu Falls (Both Sides)

• Argentina √
• Chile √
• Ecuador √
• Galapagos √
• Guyana √
• Peru √

Related: The World’s Most Beautiful Cemetery in the World!

---

United States

Related: Ruidoso NM: 15+ Fun Things to Do

• Alabama √
• Arizona √
• California √
• Colorado √
• Florida √
• Georgia √
• Hawaii √
• Idaho √
• Illinois √
• Kansas √
• Louisiana √
• Missouri √
• Montana √
• Nevada √
• New Mexico √
• New Jersey √
• New York √
• Ohio √
• Oklahoma √
• Oregon √
• Pennsylvania √
• Tennessee √
• Texas √
• Utah √
• Washington √
• Washington DC √
• Wyoming √

Related: Savannah GA: Guide to the Best Things To Do

---

Travel Goals

                                                                 
See the “New 7 Wonders of the World”

• See Petra (Jordan) √
• See the Great Wall of China (China) √
• See the Taj Mahal (India) √
• See the Colosseum (Italy) √
• See Chichen Itza (Mexico) √
• See Machu Pichu (Peru) √
• See Christ the Redemer – only one more to go!
• Join the Travelers Century Club– Visit 100 countries (93/100) (close)
• Go to the Stats Opera (Vienna, 2009) √
• Ride the Rocky Mountaineer (2013-2020) √
• See the sunrise from Mount Sinai
• See the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) √
• See the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy) √
• See the Eiffel Tower (France) √
• See Big Ben, London Eye, Tower of London (England) √
• See the Pyramids in Egypt
• See Easter Island in Chile
• Visit Antelope Canyon and the Wave, Arizona
• Visit Havasu Falls
• Visit every continent (One more to go!)
• Visit Iceland
• Visit Istria, Croatia
• Visit Chiloe, Chile √
• Visit Cuba
• Visit Scotland
• Visit Isla Holbox, Mexico
• Visit St. Lucia, Caribbean
• Visit Porto, Portugal
• Visit Puebla, Mexico

Because, Why Not?

• Become really knowledgeable about whiskey, vodka, tequila, mescal
• Be present
• Buy a Burberry Coat in London
• Get a custom made dress
• Get over 1 million views on PointsandTravel
• Have over 1 million followers on PointsandTravel
• Live in San Miguel de Allende for two weeks 6 months! √
• Move to the West Coast of America (California, 1990) √
• Make a Campfire and stay the night on the beach (1990) √
• Own my own car and pay cash (2015) √
• Plant a tree and watch it grow over time (1997) √
• Rent a lake or beach house for a month √
• Start a blog (2012) √
• Start my own company, (Maloney Chiropractic Clinic in 1993, PointsandTravel in 2012) √√
• Vacation in a place without internet for at least a week (Galapagos 2020) √

There you have it, That’s my bucket list for families! 

I know this family bucket list will never be finished because I’m constantly adding to it and updating it as I go to new places. Reading and meeting new people always allows me to add new things to this family travel list. The world is an incredible place and there is so much out there for each of us to do and see.

I’ve found that by writing this bucket list for families for myself that it is easier for us to do them. As we review the bucket list and make decisions based upon it. It may sound cliché, but life is really about the journey and not the destination. It is about creating family travel memories for all to enjoy. Sometimes I go alone, sometimes with girlfriends, many times with just my husband, but also many times with my entire family, and even once in a while, I get to spend time with my extended family!

What are some of the coolest things you’ve done? More importantly, what things do you still want to do? Is there anything not on this bucket family list that you want to do? Am I missing something? Tell me in the comments!

Keep Dreaming my dreamers, and never give up!