My Top 5 Travel Destinations of 2010

Storm watching, which I could do for hours, makes the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet, Vancouver Island,makes it one of my top travel destinations

2010 was another great year for traveling for me and my top travel destinations easily could have been a list of 100 items long, but after much consideration, here are my top 5 travel destinations of 2010 in chronological order.

#1 Top Travel Destination of 2010 - Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, Canada
In the winter months the small towns of Ucluelet and Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island are known for storm watching and we were treated to quite the show throughout our late December/early January stay.  In Tofino we watched surfers brave the frigid waters, barely above freezing, but clearly enjoying the waves, which were in peak season.  I couldn't convince J.P. to take a surfing lesson with me so we settled for a nice hike on the Wild Pacific Trail which provided plenty of storm watching excitement - from land.  See the official Wild Pacific Trail for more info.

#2 Top Travel Destination of 2010 - Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada
Waterton National Park is ~ 3 hours south of it's more famous neighbor, Banff National Park, but it is THE place to go for wildlife sightings.  I'll admit I'm biased, growing up just minutes outside the park, but I've seen bears here on at least 10 occasions, far more than I've seen in Banff.  The mountains are not as grandiose as those in Banff, but for what it lacks in size it by far makes up for it with wildlife, red rocks and a welcoming village feel.  In two short days, we saw elk, big horn sheep, deer, a moose with young twins, a coyote and evidence of a very recent cougar.  For more info see the government site, Waterton National Park

The wildlife, like this large herd of elk  is why  Waterton National Park is one of my top travel destinations

And this big horn sheep, which along with others munches on resident's grass in the village of Waterton National Park

#3 Top Travel Destination of 2010 - Stuttgart, Germany
I moved to Stuttgart, Germany in July from Calgary, Canada and the city has been very good to me.  It's not as rich in architecture or history as more famous German cities like Berlin or Munich are, but it still has several castles, a famous opera house, notable museums -most famously the Mercedes and Porsche museums and lots of interesting parks and cafes to explore.  With a population of just over 600,000 it's not an overwhelming city to get acquainted with, but still has plenty to offer.  Plus it's just a short drive away to hiking trails in the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps which is a bonus for me since I love to hike.  Coming soon is an iPhone app of a Walking Tour of Stuttgart which I wrote.  In the meantime, see the Stuttgart Tourism site for more info. 

The Schloss Platz, a great place to have a picnic in front of the new castle in Stuttgart, which I pass everyday on my way to German class makes this a top travel destination for me.

#4 Top Travel Destination of 2010 - PalauMost people have never heard of Palau unless they are scuba divers.  It lies between the Philippines and Guam and is an independent South Pacific Island Nation.  We were drawn to Palau since it is the world's first and only shark sanctuary and we wanted to support this initiative with our tourism dollars, hoping that other countries will follow suit.  We were rewarded with unbelievable diving - coral reef walls that disappeared deep into the blue teaming with life on one side and reef sharks gliding by us on the other side was a typical dive.  And one can never forget snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake where you snorkel with millions of non-stinging jellyfish, truly a unique experience. See Sensual Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake for more info and  Palau Visitors Authority for more info.

Superb diving and snorkeling with millions of jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake make Palau a top 5 travel destination.

#5 Top Travel Desintation of 2010 - Odense, Denmark
I was in Copenhagen for the TBEX Conference which is a lovely historic city in itself, but I really fell in love Odense, just over an hour train ride from Copenhagen and the birth place of Hans Christian Andersen.  What makes this city with a small town feel so special is the locals pride in Hans Christian Andersen and their work to keep his stories alive.  Hans Christian Andersen statues from his numerous stories are placed throughout the city, and trying to figure out which story the statue is from is half the fun.  Without Hans Christian Andersen, Odense would still be a historic city with tree lined streets, but the community spirit evidenced everywhere you look is what really makes it special. See Top 10 Things to See in Odense, Denmark for more info.

The statues from Hans Christian Andersen stories in Odense help make it a top travel destination.

What was your top travel destination of 2010?

The Christmas Market in Stuttgart

The Christmas Market in Stuttgart is special, albeit it slightly unusual.  It's special because Stuttgart is home to one of the largest Christmas Markets in Germany, attracting weekend visitors from all over Europe and has been around for 300 years.  The Christmas Market in Stuttgart is nestled between the market square and the old castle and new castle creating a historical atmosphere.  But what really makes the Christmas Market in Stuttgart unusual is the decorating contest.  This isn't any old tree decorating contest, but a wooden roof decorating contest in which each of the 200 vendors decorates their roofs.  You be the judge:

Not surprising at a Christmas Market, Santa Claus was a common theme among many of the competitors

And of course Santa's reindeer 

Several polar bears also made appearances.  Perhaps because they also live at the North Pole with Santa Claus?

This sausage stand included some very clever advertising, which made me laugh out loud when I saw the giant sausage.  

But it wasn't all about Santa Claus and his reindeer.  Manger scenes were also common.

And then there were the rest!

I kept choosing a new "winner" in my head every time I walked pass a new booth.  But in the end, I think my favorite is the first image with Santa Claus and his sleigh and because the white things (which you can't see very well in the photo) are polar bears and being from Canada...well, I just couldn't help it.  Which one would you pick?  I will announce the "real" winner once it has been announced!

More on German Christmas Markets:

 German Christmas Markets for Children

 5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market

German Christmas Markets:  Ludwigsburg Christmas Market

What Does Hiking in Germany Have in Common With German Christmas Markets?

You may also be interested in:

5 Facts About Christmas in Germany

 Other Things To Do in Stuttgart