5 Places On My Bucket List Thanks to Books

Books inspire me. They give new vocabulary. Formulate pictures. Make me cry or laugh. Discover places I want to see with my own eyes someday. Here's a few of those places...

1. Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Israel, Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Valley at Elah, Mt Carmel, and many, many other places I'm constantly reading about in the Bible. This list is short for here, because it could be endless. Seeing the Holy Land I read about daily would be a wonderful visual to help me understand Scriptures more fully. Plus, I want to plant my feet in places Jesus stood. What a faith building journey this would be!

   

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2. Prince Edward Island, Canada made the list thanks to L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Most especially the "White Sands Hotel" which is actually called "Dalvay by the Sea". It's romantic reputation is so well known that Prince William and Kate stayed there as part of their honeymoon tour! It's gorgeous surroundings and history pull me in... 

   

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3. The Marvel's by Brian Selznick was inspired by one of the most famous tourist attractions in London called Dennis Severs House. The description of this house on the home page of it's website is so incredibly intriguing: "Dennis Severs' House at 18 Folgate Street, Spitalfields is more than just a time capsule. It's both a breathtaking and an intimate portrait of the lives of a family of Huguenot silk-weavers from 1724 to the dawn of the 20th Century. As you follow their fortunes through the generations, the sights, smells and sounds of the house take you into their lives. It was Dennis Severs' intention that as you enter his house it is as if you have passed through the surface of a painting, exploring with your senses and imagination a meticulously crafted 18th Century world." Every room tells a story (see The Plot). Every page in this book - with no words - tells an adventurous, mysterious story. Either you see it or you don't. And I want to see what inspired Brian Selznick: Dennis Severs House. 

   

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4. The Ravensbruck National Memorial, near Berlin, is high on my list thanks to Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place. Her experience in the largest concentration camp for women and how God used her there is a powerful, life-changing read (here's my review). I think it's a book everyone should get their hands on!  

   

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5. I taught Homer Hickam's October Sky, a non-fiction book, all about his life in Coalwood, WV during the days of Sputnik. His fascination with rockets inspired his involvement in the Space Race. The story behind the rockets these boys launched inspire readers to work hard and persevere. This is a book my kids always enjoyed. Teaching it year after year only added to my desire to visit Coalwood and see for myself the beautiful, historic places Homer Hickam talks about in his book (even his mother's beloved Myrtle Beach). I especially want to visit during their October Sky Festival where the community celebrates the Rocket Boys and all they accomplished (http://www.coalwoodwestvirginia.com). I think visiting these places would add so much to my teaching of this historic book. (Check out Homer Hickam's website to learn more about his adventure!) 

   

   Perhaps it's the teacher in me and the history nerd, but I love exploring old schools. Homer Hickam speaks fondly of the teachers who challenged him to academic excellence - if only these walls could tell the stories of those teachers! (Image Source)

The machine shop is the setting for many important events in the Rocket Boys story! (Image Source)

I encourage you, if you haven't already, to read these books and be inspired. I haven't actually set foot in these places just yet, but I've been there, many times.