wan·der·lust  n.    A strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

Some people are passionate about traveling . . . some are content to remain closer to home.

Some people feel money spent on exploring their world is a good personal investment . . . some feel since there's relatively little to 'show' after a voyage, it's a waste.

Some people feel a vacation spent at home is a lost opportunity . . . some feel it's the best possible vacation. 

To each, his or her own.  Travelers are motivated by any number of desires and after a voyage, each has their own high . . . and low . . . points of a sojourn to ponder.  The 'Triple-A Traveler' may review the itinerary to make sure all the advertised highlights were covered and carefully chronicle the events with slide-show accuracy.  The vicariousness of the 'Let's Wing It Traveler' may have stories of off-the-beaten path adventures and of meeting fellow wanderers.  The 'Family Minivan Travelers' (a variation on the 'Station Wagon Set') may be just glad they made it back in one piece with all family members in good health and good spirits. 

I tend to lean toward the 'Let's Wing It' philosophy with a touch of the 'Triple-A Traveler' need to see the traditional tourist haunts.  "Been there, done that . . . now let's really check this place out".  If you're in Dallas for example, you have to check out Reunion Tower (1) just to say you did it and (2) to see what the fuss is about.  It may turn out to be a typical tourist trap and it may also be a pretty interesting place (Reunion Tower was both).  I'll always remember the sight looking west toward Fort Worth and that's certainly worth the price of an admission.

A Tourist's Lament : Being lost is useless wandering.

A Traveler's Creed : Not all those who wander are lost.

The following travels of mine were notable for many reasons and except where noted, I can strongly recommend visiting these places.  A few caveats: when traveling on business, accommodations and eating weren't extravagant but weren't frugal either.   Personal travels were based on a US$100 per day budget . . . no, really , it's possible.  While on the road,  safe clean lodging without the nightly mint on the pillow was all that was required.  Some people will accept nothing less than Five Star treatment and while it's OK as an indulgence, a routine practice of flocking with the masses can grow tiresome.  The $100/day rule varies depending on destination and the Fun Factor . . . Key West during Spring Break will stretch the budget.

All travel arrangements were made personally.  Business travel included.  I like to research new locales as it teaches more than simply picking up a phone and telling someone, "Get me there".  My experiences with travel agents have had less than inspiring results and I tend to deviate from itineraries anyway.  DIY.

The following destinations are presented in no particular order and are by no means complete.

A tourist is a person who travels to a destination and thinks of how it compares to 'back home'.

A traveler is a person who critiques a destination and may not go 'back home'.

These are a few of the more memorable excursions I've taken and have links to further information.  They include hardcore tourist traps along with aimless wandering simply for wandering's sake.

This section is very much a work in progress.

California

Alberta

Texas

Ottawa

Florida

The U.S. Virgin Islands

The Native Canadian Atlas

Matagami Québec