#81 Visit Pilanesberg National Park

This fascinating national park lies in an ancient, extinct volcano crater. It’s the fourth largest national park in South Africa at 212 square miles, and the picture perfect location for your next (or first) Safari. It’s unique position in between the wet and dry lands of Africa allows an unique mixture of vegetation and animals, including the big five (lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo), to call Pilanesberg home. In fact, almost every type of African mammal can be found there. That’s right: giraffes, zebras, and alligators… oh my!

Check out this video slideshow of images from the park by YouTube member quantumant. Music by Johnny Clegg.

I’ve never been on a Safari or to Africa, but it’s definitely something on my to-do list as a millennial! This website has everything you need to know about accommodations, fares, airports, and even animal studies! If I start saving my money now, I may get to do this trip… in about 20 years haha. Thank God for mom and dad 🙂 

#54 Go on a Cruise

Check out the video below and then vote at the poll below!

#13 Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras

My idea of Mardi Gras weekend in New Orleans was what most people think of when they picture this debaucherous weekend – topless ladies everywhere, trashy people fighting for beads and obnoxious drunkenness, to name a few. There is truth, of course, to those descriptions, but after going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras last spring I have an appreciation for it and a different idea of what it’s all about. One of my friends is from Nola and many of my friends had been to this celebration before and raved about how fun it was, so I was determined it was something I needed to experience and I thought, what better time than my senior year of college?

   Well, I was right and the weekend turned out to be one of      the most fun weekends in my college years (and not just        because of the obvious reasons). Not only was it                    completely different than what I had pictured, but I had          not been to New Orleans since Katrina, so I was really glad    to travel there. First of all, I consider my biggest key to the    success of the weekend being I stayed at a local’s home. A    big group of my friends and I stayed at our New Orleans-      native friend’s house, so we had the luxury of getting            wined and dined by her parents, but more importantly, we    were in the know of how to do Mardi Gras the right way.

We avoided any of the terribly dirty parades, didn’t even frequent Bourbon Street and enjoyed the best parts of the city, while having an unbelievable time! Whether or not you have a friend who is from or lives in the city, you can talk to people who have been before and find out the best way to tackle Mardi Gras. It was amazing to see the pride of the people in the city and how that was reflected through the festivities. And to clarify, you do not have to flash for beads! The men throw them freely and in fact, the parades that we went to were very kid-friendly and children worked to gather the most beads.

Visiting the city of New Orleans is a must if you haven’t been there before, but making the trip to celebrate Mardi Gras there is a must as well! 

#8 Visit the Hoover Dam

Las Vegas is the adult’s playground known for its showgirls, slot machines, bright lights, billboards, call girls, and non-stop entertainment.

Road and concrete wall view from Arizona side

Not as widely known or talked about is the Hoover Dam, built in the early 1930s, located just a few minutes outside the city. It is named after former President Herbert Hoover who helped make it happen before and after he took office in 1930. To add to the contrast between its neighbor, Las Vegas, Boulder City—home to the workers of the Hoover Dam is the only location in Nevada where gambling is prohibited.

Recently I’ve had the unique pleasure of taking in the views at this majestic man-made creation and second highest dam in the United States. To say the least—I was not disappointed. Looking over the edge of the viewing area drops straight down to the lake. It is easy to understand why the cement has the statement, “DANGER KEEP OFF WALL” written on it.

The views on the ride in alone would be enough to wonder how they accomplished this over 70 years ago. The dam was built in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. The construction lasted four years (from 1931 to 1935) and two years ahead of schedule.

The dam wall falls exactly on the border between Nevada and Arizona. Driving through the scenic route takes you across the top of the arched wall holding the water back. On one side you have the reservoir of Lake Mead and the other is a straight drop down hundreds of feet before the water comes out the other side.

Lake Mead view

When I visited recently the water level was low and the rock walls showed the difference in levels with a bleach white stripe marking where high water would end. If you look the opposite direction you see how much of the mountain had to be removed to make the construction possible. It is hard to imagine how it is done now, let alone using the technology and engineering of 1931 during the Great Depression. It really invigorates your faith in the accomplishments of humans.

The dam makes control of the water flow into Las Vegas controllable, therefore making the famous water show at the Bellagio possible. Not only that, but the dam also creates energy used in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California.

Currently a massive highway project is underway which will widen and straighten the road through the area.

Me and golf team with bridge construction in the background

It will also span a bridge over the spillway—the beginnings of which can be seen in some of the photos.

So the next time you plan a trip to the city of sin, take a quick trip to one of the largest feats of man in this country. You won’t regret it.

Below are the electric pylons Aaron referred to in the comments section. This photo was taken out of a window and through the protective viewing window, so I apologize for quality, or lack therof, but you can see how diagonal they are and bolted to the side of the mountain.