Historic Events that Make you Travel?

[Reditor]

Does anyone plan their travels around historic or important events? Something on a bigger scale than your birthday?

2013 marks the 50th year of Independence for Kenya. Some examples for 2014, would be to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI or the opening of the Panama Canal.

Maybe it's a religious event that occurs only in specific years or at specific times of the year like Kumbha Mela in India or Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Maybe other global events like a soar eclipse? Maybe a sports event triggers your travels like Rugby World Cup in NZ in 2011 or the next FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014?

[Zuleika]

I met a girl on my last trip that goes to destinations that have been in a James Bond film!!!!!!
Does that count????
Shes nuts for 007!

[TravelFun]

Let's count it in Zuleika...even if it's a fictional event

I went to Barbados in 2007 just for the Cricket World Cup following England and for the semi-final and final...oh, Australia won I am planning on trying to keep some free time in 2012 for the London Olympics and also planning on going to Brazil in 2014 for the FIFA World Cup!

Happy Travels!

[TravelFun]

Geez how did I miss this one out...it's the only thing on my mind! I'm off to Brazil for the Rio Carnivale in Feb/Mar The Venice Carnival has also been put on the list!

[Zuleika]

I live in London and just might book a holiday out of here when the Olympics are on in 2012!!!!

[JaliscoJudy]

I live in London and just might book a holiday out of here when the Olympics are on in 2012!!!!

Ha! Now that's a twist on this topic that I'll bet Reditor wasn't expecting!

[ExplorerWannaBe]

I got a lot out of walking the battlefields at Gettysburg and Shiloh -- especially after reading the book "The Killer Angels" and watching the movie "Gettysburg". I'd like to walk the battlefields of World War II, see Omaha and Utah beaches, walk through the Ardennes Forest, see the bridges at Nijmegen and Arnhem.

I'd like to see the neighborhoods that inspired the works of Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but don't want to wait for the 200th or 150th anniversaries of those works (2037 would cover both Oliver Twist and A Study in Scarlet). I know they've changed but it would still be interesting.

This year is the 50th anniversary of manned spaceflight -- sure would be interesting to tour Star City and Cape Canaveral!

[nikimarcotte]

i hit millenium celebration and olympics in sydney in 2000....but was just a coincidence that my year in oz covered both..so probably doesn't count, but i couldn't have picked a better time if i HAD tried

[Reditor]

Some fun ones here!
Seems like some annual festivals are popular too. I've always been curious to see a few wildlife migrations like the crabs on Christmas Island.

[onyx007]

I'd like to walk the battlefields of World War II, see Omaha and Utah beaches, walk through the Ardennes Forest, see the bridges at Nijmegen and Arnhem.

Yeah, I like to see some of this battlefields as well, but living in the middle of Europe it's only a days journey away and so I skip this trip til later. I've seen Nijmegen; I think it's not anymore the original bridge but it's anyway impressing (I walked on it, high over the River Rhine).

The "Historic Events" I've travelled to are the World Expo in Japan in 2005, last year the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the World Expo in Shanghai. I also like to go to London 2012 if I got a ticket for the Opening or the Closing Ceremony.

[samzc68]

I'm with Zuleika ! - I've booked to get away when events are on and I'm due to be doing an everest flight on the day of the Royal wedding and hoping for it not to be shown in Nepal although friends of mine got to watch England win the Rugby World Cup final when they were out there !

[edwannatravel]

I was in Israel for its 50th anniversary of statehood. Well almost, 50th anniversary based on the Gregorian calendar. Missed it by a few days on the Israeli calendar, which was when the holiday was observed.

[Endless Journey]

if a location featured on the Amazing Race is within reach by an easy detour, curiosity takes me there

[Reditor]

HA ha, nice one Endless.....I've been influenced by things I've seen on TV as well - a certain park, or building, etc...not 'historic' by any means, but influential!

[Endless Journey]

A few years ago I saw a picture of a European tourist having his picture taken on the steps of the Philadelphia City Hall- jumping, imitating Rocky. The caption read: Tourists do the goofiest things.

Happened to notice how visitors like to have a picture taken by the Cheers pub in Boston, when we all know, Cheers was shot in LA!

That Seinfeld diner in NYC?? I once checked Seattle yellow pages if a Cafe Nervosa existed!

Not to steer away from the original topic, I believe you don't have to be a history buff to relish the historical significance of a touristy or otherwise site.

Producers of Amazing Race deserve kudos for including locations like Goree Island, Hiroshima Memorial Museum and Fort Niagara.

Berlin is one city, that never gets fully erased from my been-there list. And like Ed mentioned above, the Biblical sites of Middle East are always awe inspiring.