Dave Freeman - 100 things to do before you die: travel events you just cant miss

100 Things
to Do Before
You Die

100 Things

to Do Before
You Die

Travel Events You Just Cant Miss

Dave Freeman, Neil Teplica,
and the Editors of
WhatsGoingOn.com

With Jennifer Coonce

Copyright 1999 by Nother Company L.L.C. d/b/a WhatsGoingOn.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

Published by Taylor Trade Publishing

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200

Lanham, Maryland 20706

Distributed by National Book Network

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Freeman, Dave.

100 things to do before you die : travel events you just cant miss / by Dave Freeman, Neil Teplica and the editors of WhatsGoingOn.com ; co-written by Jennifer Coonce.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-87833-243-4

1. Special events Guidebooks. 2. Festivals Guidebooks. I. Teplica, Neil. II. Coonce, Jennifer. III. Title. IV. Title: One hundred things to do before you die.

GT3405.F73 1999

394.2dc21

99-37504

CIP

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.481992.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

In leaving home one learns life.
You travel. Travelling is victory!
You shall return with much wisdom.

Joseph Conrad

An Outcast of the Islands

1896

Can See It on TV

Celebrity Potential

Civic Pride

Dangerous

Down & Dirty

Ear Candy

Family Affair

Gay and Lesbian Interest

Gluttony

Grandma Approved

Gross Things

Jock Appeal

Loud As Hell

Mother Nature

One of a Kind

Out of the Way

Potential to See Blood

Reenactments

Religious Fervor

Shoppertunity

Snob Appeal

This life is a short journey. How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?

Rituals, festivals, and other events are the essence of life and the most intense concentration of cultural experience one can find. They give understanding to travel destinations, serving as a window into what the rest of the world believes in, treasures, celebrates, and holds true. Sometimes they even offer a glimpse into the past or the future. Furthermore, these celebrations are often the most emotional and rewarding experiences of traveling. Theyre awaiting your participation. So what are you waiting for? Start packing!

Paris is a beautiful city and a pleasure to visit any day of the year. But you have never felt Gallic pride in full effect until youve danced with a French firefighter there on Bastille Day. Every minute in India seems saturated with mysterious Hindu beliefs and symbolism. But when this religious fervor comes together in the juggernaut at Puris Rath Yatra, you really start to understand what Hinduism is all about. And there is no better way to find out more about Americas spirit of ingenuity and competitiveness than by experiencing the wacky and outrageous World Championship Punkin Chunkin in Delaware.

In this book, weve selected what we believe to be the worlds one hundred most stimulating and inspiring events. Weve scoured the globe, traveled millions of miles, and talked to the people who have made the pilgrimage, danced in the streets, run with the bulls, and sampled the local vibe. This list should serve as a jumping-off point for determining whats worth checking out and then checking off your list.

Some of these events are large and some are small. Some require lots of preparation and some are easy to participate in. Some are very expensive and difficult to attend and others are open to everyone. But they all have something special that really sets them apart. Whether well known or obscure, they all demand your attention. Like a good meal, the list offers a wide range of tastes and flavors, from elated to somber, from ancient to modern, from reserved to raucous, and from significant to just plain silly. There is something here for every mood and mindset. Theres probably something right in your own backyard.

While the intent of this book is primarily to fuel your dreams, we also wanted to provide up-to-the-minute resources for planning your adventures. For the latter, we have created a unique tool. With each event in this book you will find a corresponding web coordinate URL. When you visit this page on the WhatsGoingOn.com website, you will find upcoming event dates, contact telephone numbers, and web addresses to help you plan and turn your dreams into reality. Information and contacts for many of these events are always changing, so you have, in effect, purchased a book that will never become out of date.

So what are you waiting for? Get off your butt and create a fabulous memory or two before you exit this life. And be sure to let us know how your adventure turns out. Bon voyage!

Dave Freeman and Neil Teplica

Disclaimer

Be physically and mentally prepared when you participate in many of the events described in this book. Be warned that aside from having fun, you could be crushed, gored, burned, frozen, drowned, run over, electrocuted, infected, punctured, or dehydrated. You could get hit with a mallet, arrow, or pumpkin. In short, you run the risk of serious or possibly fatal infury. So be careful. And dont say we didnt warn you.