Most of us who have visited the Smithsonian in DC have nothing but respect for the Institution. It my mind it is a “must visit” for all Americans. Now the Smithsonian’s highly diversified staff has come up with a “Bucket List” of “life lists”—itineraries of things to do and places to go before taking the ultimate trip to the Great Beyond. As you know by now, I have nothing but utmost respect for all World Heritage Sites and the Smithsonian’s list of 28 special places is worth sharing.

I know from my frequent visits to Barnes and Noble that there are a plethora of books with titles such as 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die and—for the high-minded—Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die. Life list experts (yes, there are such beings) advise people not to set themselves up for disappointment by trying to accomplish too much. (When’s the last time you completed your daily to-do list to the finest detail?) With the entire world to choose from, the maxim “so much to do, so little time” takes on added meaning and ultimate senior travel takes on a special significance.

So here are the 28 for you to explore right from your home that were created by the Smithsonian magazine, April 2008.

Mesa Verde

Pompeii

Tikal

Petra

Pyramids of Giza

Taj Mahal

Easter Island

The Great Wall

Aurora Borealis

Serengeti

Iguazu Falls

Machu Picchu

The Louvre

Zen Garden of Kyoto

Uffizi Gallery

Fallingwater

Yangtze River

Antarctica

Mount Kilimanjaro

Grand Canyon

Pagan

Parthenon

Angkor Wat

Ephesus

Venice

Amazon Rain Forest

Great Barrier Reef

Galápagos Islands