Check Google’s Top Travel Searches As You Make Your 2018 Travel List

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Where do we want to go in 2018? A good place to start finding an answer to that question is by looking back at where we dreamt of going in 2017. And to make parsing that pile of data easy, Google just released their Year in Search.

This year-end data is an interesting glimpse into what we seek and desire as a people, coupled with who’s doing the best to pique our interest. Below is a visual tour of Google’s most searched travel destinations and activities. There are some sure fire winners alongside a few legit surprises. Taken all around, this just might be the temptation you need to buy a plane ticket and book your next adventure.

Travel Destinations:

Destinations are always a bit vague. Can a country as massive and diverse as China be a single “destination?” Maybe… we guess? But it’s the details that makes a destination great.

In 2017, we searched for destinations around the world where fun reigned supreme, with idyllic beaches in paradise dominating.

Las Vegas, USA

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EDM, slots, restaurants, and unfettered bacchanal make Vegas the Vegas of a great vacations.

Barcelona, Spain

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Amazing food, packed beaches, and gothic architecture come together in Barcelona, making it one of Europe’s perennial hot spots.

Myrtle Beach, USA

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South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach is a throwback holiday destination where you won’t break the bank for a great time.

Aspen, USA

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You can spend all that money you saved at Myrtle Beach on the slopes of postcard-perfect Aspen — skiing, eating, and sipping hot cocoa (hopefully spiked with rum).

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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The Dominican Republic’s crystal clear waters and white sand beaches are the perfect winter getaway. It’s close and affordable. Paradise is calling.

Maldives

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This chain of atolls in the Indian Ocean are like a string of pearls — each one unique and glimmering. There are few parts of the world more beautiful than this.

Turks and Caicos

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The Caribean twins are a great place to party for Carnival or just chill out and recoup after a long year of grinding day after day.

Bali, Indonesia

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Indonesia has 20,000 plus islands to choose from and Bali seems to always be atop the list. Don’t sleep on the spit-roasted pork or amazing surfing.

Cancun, Mexico

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Down Mexico way is always a great choice for escaping the doldrums of the day-to-day. Delectable tacos, boozy margaritas, and beautiful beaches await.

Bermuda

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Bermuda feels like the biggest outlier here. It’s a northern Atlantic island getaway with great beaches, cools towns, and a unique culture. Just try not to get lost at sea in that pesky triangle.

Travel Activities:

This is where our focus tightens in. Travel activities are more than an idea. They’re action. And, what we want to do when we travel varies widely. A lot of our leisure time seems to be focused on going to amusement parks. Which makes sense, there are roller coasters there. But, almost amazingly, Disneyland or -World didn’t make the cut.

While rickety rides and snow cones did reign supreme, there’s still some great natural beauty on the list. And, shockingly, only a single foreign location in the entire top ten.

Six Flags

This should come as a surprise to exactly no one. Six Flags is all over America and has some of the best rides in the country.

Legoland

Who doesn’t want to hang out in a place made of Blockos Legos?

Hershey Park

Pennsylvania’s Hershey Park takes our love of roller coasters and combines with our love of chocolate. Well played, Hershey. Well played.

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens went another route with their parks. They’ve combined a massive zoo with an amusement park. So you can see a tiger and ride a tower of terror in the same afternoon.

Yosemite

Yosemite is an ancient spot where natural beauty wows you at every turn. It’s a truly majestic corner of the planet.

Kings Island

“Kings Island: People in Ohio Need Something To Do!”

The Great Wall

Of all the activities and spots to see around the world, China’s Great Wall snagged a spot on the list. It is, after all, one of the great wonders of our world. Plus, you get the added bonus of going to China and eating amazing food.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios is killing the park game with The Simpsons and Harry Potter these days. There’s a little something for everyone and the nostalgia is turned up to just the right level.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone should be on everyone’s bucket list. The supervolcano is one of the most striking swaths of nature in America — if not the world. Go to where the buffalo roam and watch the geological wonders of volcanism burst forth from the earth.

Antelope Canyon

Deep in Navajo Country, you’ll find a spot where the water sculpted a canyon that has drawn generation after generation. There’s a magical energy to the place when the sun hits it just right. This is another must stop spot for any weary traveler’s list.

from UPROXX http://uproxx.com/life/top-travel-2017-google/
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