That guy yelling into the megaphone on the street corner – he can’t wait to prove he was right about 2012 all along. But most of us? We’re not gonna be ready. Existence itself -- whatever your beliefs -- doesn't necessarily have to CC us on a memo when it decides the party has ended. Sometimes, whether by forces natural or human, things just happen. Can't seem to find the time to map out that family road trip? Second honeymoon? As far as we can see, the impending doom of all we know and hold dear is as good of a reason as any to take that getaway you always feel you've deserved. It's an easy sell on your loved ones: "Honey, can you hop on Orbitz and check airfares to London? The world's supposed to end in a few years, and I would hate to watch Big Ben collapse on television not having been." Compare notes with us as we mark off Earth's essential visits before they all come a-crashing down.

Place: Great Barrier Reef
Where: Queensland, Australia
Why: With or without the apocalypse, it still might disappear in 20 years.

The Great Barrier Reef is, in short, a gem of our natural world -- an interconnected web of thousands of reefs that stretches over 100,000 square feet and brims with countless species and colors. It's so massive that it's visible from space; perhaps that feat that will deter our alien overlords from destroying us when pressed to make a decision. Unfortunately, it's not much of a laughing matter: Scientists fear the worst for the Reef regardless of armageddon, saying that in as soon as 20 years, warming waters may kill off every coral lifeform and thus most of the biodiversity and greatness. It's a morbid, depressing situation, but the least we can do is pay our respects before it disappears.

Place: Ancient Mayan Ruins at Uxmal / Chichen Itza
Where: Yucatan Peninsula
Why: One stone, two birds?

Its often tough to avoid mixing business with pleasure. Nicolas Cage in National Treasure knows what we're talking about: Sometimes you're just sightseeing in colonial America and on the way realize that you need to steal the Declaration of Independence so you can extract a clue from the back to continue your pursuit of obscene wealth as a career treasure hunter. Your Mayan mission will be a slight variation on this: You get to explore one of the most awe-inspiring ancient civilizations, its gorgeous stone step pyramids still retaining their majesty and painstaking attention to detail. At the same time, it will be your task to further decipher the Mayans' knowledge of astronomy to prevent the upcoming destruction of our planet so as to preserve humanity and all lifeforms that call this place home. Give us a call if you've got any issues with booking. Good luck!

Place: Ancient Rome
Where: Rome, Italy
Why: Western civilization did a pretty decent job.

If the world effectively ends and humans aren't necessarily to blame -- asteroid, rapture, alien war, that kind of thing -- Western civilization can praise these Ancient Romans for holding the line pretty well. They didn't last forever and they weren't perfect, but they gave us some principles to build upon (thank the Greeks too), some mistakes to learn from and some pretty sweet buildings. It's the relative preservation of these buildings that make Rome a glorious visit; structures like the Pantheon, with its all-seeing eye on the ceiling (the Oculus), or the open-air Colosseum could be fine sites to watch the sky fall, if only for the nostalgic pride you'd like to share with ancestors.

Place: Tokyo
Where: Japan
Why: Get your dose of modernity before it's obliterated for eternity.

It'll be tough to see Tokyo ushered into oblivion, as it has exemplified the exponential possibilities of commerce and technology. The billions of flickering lights, the unerring hustle, and the remains of traditions past render the old fishing town a beacon of human prosperity in the 21st century and beyond. It's a testament to our tolerance that millions of people willingly jam themselves into skyscrapers and subways and still operate with some peace. But will anyone be upset to see Hello Kitty merchandise leave?

Place: Freedom Worship Baptist Church
Where: Blanchester, Ohio
Why: The world's largest horseshoe crab!

Let me just write that again: Yes, the world's largest horseshoe crab! Now exhale. It's 68 feet long, sits in a church parking lot and accommodates up to 65 people inside its shell. Some faithless fool once told Pastor Jim Rankin it was neither feasible nor advisable to build the world's largest horseshoe crab inside a church parking lot. But Rankin, bootstraps firmly in hand, channeled the passion and will of the pioneers to prove that structures of giant sea creatures are what the people of Blanchester, Ohio, want, residing some 600 miles from the closest body of salt water. And he celebrated the anniversary of the massive structure the only way we know how: Hiring Evel Knievel's brother to jump the crab on a motorcycle. A country that truly knows no bounds.
(Honorable mention: New York City)