By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Day 3 of Boat Bike Tours’ eight-day Islandhopping tour proves to be my favorite, most perfect day – the biking, the attractions, the scenery, the gestalt of the island of Texel, even the weather, all combining for a thrilling experience. We will be biking roundtrip from and back to Oudeschild with a choice of a 26 mile or 30 mile route. We soon discover the treasures harbored on The Texel Roads.
We start off biking together to Ecomare, a seal sanctuary and ecology center with superb displays, exhibits and notes (with English) that teach about ecology, climate change, animal and environmental conservation, focused on the local area, making clear what these existential planetary changes mean for the people living here.
I start in the room with skeletons of actual whales – enormous, suspended so that they look like they are swimming – then move to an aquarium where you can see rescued seals swimming under water. You go outside to the various habitats where there are excellent explanations of why the seals were rescued (and the steps they take to avoid “rescuing” a seal that is merely resting on the beach), what their prognosis is to be re-released into the wild or whether some condition, like blindness, will require them to stay.
We see areas where baby animals are nurtured, where medical procedures are conducted, where seal pups are raised until they can be released (I wonder how they learn how to hunt for themselves), and where animals are quarantined (the sign says it’s a good thing if this area is empty!).
Our stay is timed so we get to see a feeding, before heading out again.
I stick with my group doing the longer ride (41 km), until we reach a delightful town of Dun Berg, where there is a huge event going on with a military band and seniors in wheelchairs who have been gathered for the concert that turns out to be the May 20 celebration of Texel’s Independence (different from the Netherlands, because it marks the day they finally expelled the German occupiers).
I spend about a half-hour wandering the lovely town center before breaking off on my own in order to arrive back in Oudeschild in time to visit the Museum Kaap Skil. I feel very brave but use the RideGPS to give me the route, even though I find myself double-checking that I have selected the right route to follow. Because it stays light so late (till nearly 9 pm), I figure even if I get lost, I can still get back during daylight.
I find myself so delighted to be doing these 12 miles on my own – it is idyllic pastoral scenery that compels me to stop to take photos – then I ride through a couple of villages, then onto the path along the dyke with the ocean on one side and the high berm with sheep (who keep the grass shorn) on the other, that takes me right to the harbor and the ship.
I make it back in under two hours, by 3:15 pm, with just enough time to really enjoy this astonishing Museum Kaap Skil (do not miss it!), in which the historic windmill, so prominent in the landscape, is the centerpiece.
I quickly drop my things in my cabin, then climb the stairs up and over the dyke, down below sea level to the village and the museum.
The museum has a small village of outdoor attractions including the historic windmill and a ship, Texelse Blazer, dated 1894, that is being restored, and authentically furnished cottages, beachcomber’s shed and smithy, gives you a realistic view of island life during the Netherlands’ Golden Age of Sail.
On Tuesdays and Thursday when volunteers dress in period clothes, you can watch wool being spun, fishnets being mended, ropemaking, and taste a smoked fish (tastiest smoked fish I’ve ever had), visit the grocery store and walk into homes furnished as they would have been.
I save the indoor exhibits in the modern museum for last (the outdoor village closes at 4 pm, the museum at 5 pm). These extraordinary exhibits of artifacts rescued from shipwrecks in the Wadden Sea that were so plentiful off this port – an indication of how important a port Texel was during the Golden Age of Sail – are a fitting climax to the visit.
I start on the upper floor, in “World Voyage,” where you can follow specific ships to their destination and see artifacts obtained from them.. A centrally located compass shows the way and Texel folk from the past tell their stories, assisted by shipwreck finds. People such as Albert Gronders, who sailed the Baltic Sea yearly to buy grain in the 17th century, narrates the north shipping. about Baltic Sea shipping. If you go east, then Jacob Schagen, who, as a 15-year-old Texel man, sailed for the Far East aboard the VOC ship De Jonge Lieve in 1762, narrates about the eastern shipping routes. Texel folk from the past also tell their stories about journeys west and southbound.
Alongside the adventurous and positive aspects of seventeenth century trade for Texel, World Voyage also explores its “shadow sides:” “Adventure, wealth, trade and romance, but also exploitation, danger, slavery and poverty. Global trade in the 16th and 17th century knew many faces,” reads a self-aware note.
A section themed “A Complex History,” acknowledges the violence, greed and role in the slave trade that enabled Holland’s seafaring empire. Among the artifacts displayed are tools destined for slaves to use on a sugar plantation in Suriname alongside luxury objects meant to guarantee the plantation owners a comfortable life, salvaged from a ship that sunk near Texel, never having reached the destination.
The displays are sensational, with many having interactive elements (the notes in English are much appreciated: I also enjoy reading about “The Women Who Stayed Behind”.
The stellar attraction in Museum Kaap Skil is a 17th century silk dress “of royal allure,” salvaged from a shipwreck at the bottom of the Wadden Sea. Given the name ‘Palmhoutwrak‘ (Palmwood wreck), this was a merchant ship carrying luxurious goods, that must have been wrecked on the Texel Roads around 1650. The precious garment is still in amazingly good condition despite having lain on the seabed for almost four centuries. “It is a unique find worldwide; hardly any clothing from the seventeenth century has been preserved. Scientists expect to need years to answer all the questions that the dress has raised.” It is now on display with other textiles and artifacts in a new exhibition at the Museum Kaap Skil, kept in a protectiveairtight display cases, filled with nitrogen, especially designed for the fragile textiles in this exhibition.
“Every find from the Palmwood Wreck is important, but the dress has been dubbed “the ‘Nightwatch’ of the textile world.”
The findings were so extensive that researchers had been working for years to make an inventory and only recently discovered that a second dress from the Palmwood Wreck was most probably a wedding dress, adorned with silver. This dress was less well-preserved but you can see it as well as what it would look like “restored” to its glory in an animation
The Palmwood finds are divided into four themes in the exhibition: wealth, worldly, intimate and stylish. Together they show how valuable, tasteful and exclusive the cargo was: a calf leather bookbinding and a gilded silver cup bearing the English royal family Stuart’s coat of arms in gold print; objects gathered from all corners of the globe: like an oriental rug and a caftan; intimate objects like a toiletry set, knitted silk stockings and a red silk bodice.
Merchant vessels, warships, whalers: they all anchored on what was known as “the Texel Roads.” In the 16th and 17th century this was the place to load, unload and wait for favorable winds, the notes explain. But many ships were lost in storms, which is why there are dozens of shipwrecks lying in the seabed near Texel and how it comes to be that so many of these artifacts can now be viewed at Museum Kaap Skil with such interesting detail. You have more of a personalized connection to each object.
In the exposition ‘Ship in Sight – the Roads of Texel and the World’, the Roads of Texel come alive. A dimension has been added to what is claimed to be “the world’s largest maritime scale model.” The hidden stories about the 160 ships have become visible, thanks to new technique. They show that the Roads of Texel was the logistic hub of the 17th century.
So I find myself in this enormous room – I’m guessing over 100-feet long – that has a model of the city with all the various ships in the harbor (you can use a telescope to zero in on anything, then look up the back story of 160 ships and what happened to that particular ship). Then, extending the full length of the room, an animated film so realistically created of the ships sailing into port, finishes with a massive storm hitting, and you watch how fast one of the ships sinks.
On large touchscreens, you see the ship models very close up, down to the smallest details. There is the Seven Provinces, the ship with which Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter won many navel battles, and the Petronella, a fluyt ship we learn was headed to Riga to buy grain. You can learn about the ship’s features, the routes sailed, personal stories, special facts and important events.
The exhibits make the point just how important the Roads of Texel was as the logistic hub of the 17th century.
You know what – it is spectacular to see first hand, but if you cannot visit, check out the website, https://kaapskil.nl/en/ (You can actually watch the thrilling and fascinating hour-long video on the museum website, https://kaapskil.nl/en/discover/expositions/ship-in-sight-the-roads-of-texel-and-the-world/.)
In the evening, after dinner, our Boat Bike Tours guide Edith leads a walking tour of Oudeschild. After, I wander around the harbor and walk along the dyke, the colors absolutely stunning in the setting sun.
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
The Netherlands has to be the best destination on the planet for biking. It isn’t just the ubiquitous biking culture (you are greeted at Schiphol Airport with the sign, ”There are more bikes in the Netherlands than people”) and infrastructure that gives as much, if not more, preference to bikes over cars; the mostly flat landscape, but on top of all are the stunning landscapes, the architecture, the quaint villages, and how the Dutch show such pride and honest reflection in their heritage, culture and history.
This is my second trip with Boat Bike Tours, a Netherlands-based operator with decades of experience combining biking with boating. I loved the Bruges to Amsterdam bike-boat trip so much, I eagerly signed on for its eight-day Islandhopping Premium tour that would bring me north on a four-masted sailing ship to bike the ports and islands of Lake Ijsselmeer and the Wadden Sea, so central during the Netherlands’ Golden Age of Sail.
I expect to see stunning pastoral scenes and bike through quaint villages, and to be astonished by the preservation of architecture from the 1600s (the dates and decoration proudly displayed). But I am (yet again) delighted by the cultural sites and excursions Boat Bike Tours organizes, particularly Ecomare, a marvelous seal sanctuary we visit on our ride around Texel that offers superb lessons in ecology and climate change (I race back using the RideGPS app in time to visit the Museum Kaap Skil in Oudeschild where the ship is docked, which features mind-blowing artifacts rescued from 400-year old shipwrecks) and the utterly astonishing Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker, the oldest working planetarium in the world, built on the living room ceiling of its genius creator that continues to amaze (and still works!) just as it did when Eisinga finished it in 1781. (Also, be sure to arrange time – 2-4 hours – either before you embark or after you disembark in Enkhuizen to visit the Zeidersee Museum, which is a living history museum formed as an entire village. Best to arrive in Enkhuizen the day before.)
And then there is the pure joy of biking on the most extensive, expansive network of biking paths and roads probably anywhere in the world (even when you ride in town with cars, drivers are very considerate). For the most part, the paths are flat, though I must admit, I did not consider the force of the wind on the northern islands when I chose to ride a regular hybrid when most everyone else has an e-bike. (It’s Netherlands, I thought to myself, how hard could biking be? The fact that Netherlands is so identified with its historic windmills and sailing ships, and today’s battalions of wind turbines should have been a clue.) But I power through, cheered by my newly acquired and supportive brethren (I estimate I only slow them down by five minutes or so.)
Biking epitomizes the appeal that has become a trend of “slow” (and “responsible”) travel at a perfect pace to be constantly interested in what is around, slow enough to really see and even “smell” the roses. Indeed, without a window as a barrier, you can feel the fresh air; hear the wind and the sea, the bleating of sheep and goats as we ride passed; smell the trees and the fields. Meanwhile, the physicality of biking after 20-35 miles– even with an e-bike (which is not like a motor scooter but just boosts the power of your pedaling) sets the endorphins firing and gives you a physically satisfied sensation when you complete the ride.
Slow travel also maximizes the benefits of travel while minimizing the adverse impacts of tourism on the local population and environment.
The only thing better than biking in the Netherlands is biking by boat, compounding the advantages of “slow travel,” especially with a ship that uses biodiesel You can certainly enjoy biking in the Netherlands with an inn-to-inn itinerary, guided or self-guided. But doing it by boat adds an extra dimension, an ambiance (not to mention you don’t have to pack/unpack each day).
Seeing Netherlands by boat adds to the experience because sailing – that is global trade – was so important to the Netherlands and you see the islands, villages, ports as they were meant to be seen. Indeed, I am astonished when I arrive at the embarkation port, Enkhuizen and see scores of sailing ships – tjalks, fluyts, sloeps, aaks, botters, skutsjes, the traditional flat-bottomed ships designed for navigating the shallow waters of the Frisian Lakes – some 100 years old, that instantly make you think you have been transported back to the Golden Age of Sail.
Our ship, Leafde fan Fryslân, claims to be the only four-masted schooner in Dutch waters. It didn’t start out that way, though. Built in 1962 to carry freight on the Baltic Sea, the barkentine was converted into a luxury three-mast passenger ship in 2006. Then, over the winter of 2023-2024, it was cut into two and extended with a 14-meter (46 ft.) section and a fourth mast installed. The ship is now 210 ft. long, 24 ft. wide, with a sail surface of 2494 sq ft.
Our captain, Age, would have been right at home in that Great Age of Sail. We are in awe how he maneuvers this huge ship into the tight corners to park at the dock in a crowded harbor (another wonderful feature of this tour is that we always are able to walk on/off the ship into the village and have walking tours in each place).
The captain is helped by his all-purpose first mate, Lukasz, who lets us help raise the sails after giving us a safety speech that basically says he will do all the tough stuff, and describes himself as a “monkey” (we soon see why). On the days when we are able to sail (one day is spent sailing not biking), we are able to experience the exquisite, peaceful feeling of being under sail while the sea swirls.
The 38-passenger ship is very comfortable with 20 cabins including 4 suites on the upper deck (that have double glass sliding door and a small private balcony); all with private bathroom and air conditioner. There is a very pleasant dining room/bar on the middle deck where we enjoy sumptuous meals prepared by Chef Peter, served with white linen tablecloths, cloth napkins and beautiful china and crystal. There is also a cozy lounge area in what would have been the wheelhouse. I am surprised by how good the Wi-Fi is.
There is always coffee, tea and hot chocolate available, and we can help ourselves to wine and beer on an honor system, paying the bill on the last day.
Everyone agrees that the cuisine prepared by Chef Peter, who I would have to say is the most unpretentious gourmet chef I have ever encountered, is remarkable. He prepares dishes with scrumptuous flavor (but not overly so) and gorgeous presentation befitting a fine-dining restaurant, and then would come out with a platter to ask if anyone wanted seconds.
Each evening after dinner we are given an orientation to the next day’s program and then typically invited to join a walking tour of the village.
Each day, we set out after breakfast, having packed snacks and lunch, and are able to choose long or short routes, or we can bike on our own using the itinerary loaded on the RideGPS app. We divide into two groups – for long or short rides – each led by one of the guides with one of us volunteering as “sweep.”
Each afternoon, we typically have time to wander about the village (if we are not sailing to the next destination) and help ourselves to a snack, coffee, tea and hot chocolate, before dinner.
On a guided bike tour besides the benefit of a guide who may modify the route for the weather or point out significant sights, you have the camaraderie of the group. And for some reason, bike tour people tend to be the nicest, kindest, most open and interested in all that they experience
Our group on this Islandhopping tour is particularly great, instantly melding into a community supporting each other. This is especially interesting because we come from various parts of Britain, Germany, Canada (French and English speaking, East and West), Denmark, and from the East, Midwest and West United States. The Germans, the Dane and the Quebecois all are kind enough to speak English when we are together. And instead of sticking to their own nationality, everyone mixes up at meals, with the couples taking in the three of us traveling solo (bike tours are ideal for solo travelers). In the evening, there would be raucus laughter as people play games and share stories (two couples discovering they shared their wedding anniversary and how they both met at a disco).
More amazingly, I subsequently learn during an evening walking tour of Makkum, that a fellow traveler is descendent of the Trip family – one of the founding members of the Dutch East Indies Company (the first company to issue public stock) and munitions manufacturers that supplied the Dutch revolt against Spain, becoming one of Netherlands’ most powerful and fabulously wealthy families. He even has an actual coat of arms and portraits of his ancestors Jacob Trip (1576-1661) and his wife, Margaretha de Geer, painted by Rembrandt are in the National Gallery and Ryksmuseum. He is like the embodiment of the history that we see around us. He relates his family’s fascinating story as we sat in a historic pub with centuries old Delpht tiles of great sailing ships, emphasizing that the family fortune had long gone and his side of the Trip family emigrated to Canada.
Getting to the ship in Enkhuisen proves extremely easy from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (instead of arriving the day before as I usually do, I take a chance and just arrive the same day). From the airport, you walk to the train that takes you into the Central Station (every 15 minutes) then change at the Central Station for a train leaving every half hour for the hour-long trip to Enkhuisen. (Be sure you buy the ticket in advance online or at a ticket machine and “check in” on a pole before you get on the train, otherwise you can be charged an extra 50E for the 16E fare if the conductor has to issue the ticket; I know because I didn’t and the conductor was extremely nice in helping me buy the ticket onboard),
The harbor is right at the station, and the ship about a five-minute walk.
We are told to arrive on the ship by 2 pm and they mean it, because the ship sails this afternoon to Medemblik. Two couples are touch and go to make it on time.
There is great excitement as we cast off and set sail to our first destination, Medemblik. It is exciting to see the landscape from the water, and when we pull into port, the sun is low enough to make gorgeous silhouettes of the historic windmill.
Because we are heading into the wind, we use the motor (biodiesel!) instead of raising the sails (Captain Age explains a ship of this size would take a mile each time it had to tack). I am extremely happy I remembered my warm jacket.
Each evening after dinner there is an orientation to the next day’s biking and touring, and then typically an 8 pm walking tour.
And so we are met with a two local guides who walk us about, explaining the history and significance of this place.
We learn that William II came with army against farmers in 1256 and in 1289, Medemblik was made a city. William built the castle that is a prominent feature here that was less about keeping out invaders and more about keeping the citizenry inside. Most of the castle remains – one of only two castles that have survived from the 12 William built. Rembrandt’s famous “Night Watch” was kept here for protection during World War II.
Despite invading this land, William wound up being a popular ruler because he built the dykes that reduced flooding and produced better farm yields – turning the land into the shape of a bathtub – and built a court and prison.
Medemblik became an important trading city in the 1500-1600s during Netherlands’ Golden Age, with tall ships sailing to Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
But in 1932, when the dam was built, splitting the Zuiderzee into Lake Ijsselmeer, Medemblik lost most of its trade because the big sailing ships could not get in; the water turned from salt to fresh (they had to devise a system to allow for fish migration. (I wonder how the people reacted to entire economy being remade.)
Eight years ago, the city built a 250-meters high wind turbine, apparently the biggest in Europe (I gather the locals aren’t thrilled, especially since he says the electricity produced is used mainly by Google and Amazon).
Our guide shows us churches that changed from Catholic to Protestant after Holland’s independence from Catholic Spain, and the orphanage and the housing for widows the church community built.
The church dates from 1100 but was built to a grand scale in 1400; then in 1517, the city was invaded by the Frissons who burned the city down. The church was rebuilt but its steeple leans (like Piza). This church dates from 1570.
Churches were typically built on the highest points in town – which in this case is two meters below sea level – so if the city should flood, everyone would go there to seek shelter. In 1945, the Germans bombed the dykes, flooding the city.
In 1800, Napoleon conquered the Netherlands, which had been a republic (first in the world! our guide Anya tells me) and made his brother, Louis, the first King of The Netherlands.
Day 2: Medemblik (17 mi. or 24.8 mi. roundtrip) then sailing to Texel
This is our first cycling day – each day we have a choice of a long and a short route and today we can choose 24.8 or 17 miles with a group and guide, or go on our own using the RideGPS app.
Medemblik proves to be so idyllically scenic with classic Dutch pastoral scenes. Our “rest stop” is at a farm, where the farmer has left out a serve-yourself coffee maker and provides a lovely bathroom. I note an interesting playground that is inhabited by goats (really anxious to get snacks from us) and chickens.
We soon appreciate how water management has been a singular preoccupation of the Dutch for centuries and how they have become masters at it. This entire community is below sea level – built behind dykes – as if a bathtub. The quaint, centuries-old wooden windmills were part of that water management system and today there is even a separate government agency and tax devoted to water management.
We ride through the picturesque village of Twisk, a former peat mining town.
We finish the long ride about 2:15 pm, so I still have some time to wander about the charming village center before the ship sails at 4 pm for Texel (we will have dinner while we sail)..
Sailing is picturesque and dramatic – we go by the dam that split the sea, through a lock, and sail into Texel as the sun is starting to drop behind its historic windmill, making for a stunning scene.
I go out for a walk – you literally climb stairs to get over the dyke, then down stairs into the town of Oudeschild (below sealevel), then, a few steps beyond, to vast fields with sheep and back again to stroll along the dyke as the sun goes down.
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Get out of the heat this summer and feel your blood boil – come to The New York Historical’s new exhibit, “Blacklisted: An American Story” and be horrified when you recognize that the assault on free speech, free association, free press, democracy, due process and Rule of Law happening today has happened before in the United States, and not all that long ago.
The intersection of politics, art, and culture that shaped America’s Red Scare is showcased in Blacklisted: An American Story, a traveling exhibit created by the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, on view at the New York Historical through October 19. Expanded by The Historical, the exhibition builds on the story of the Red Scare and the blacklisting of screenwriters and directors known as the Hollywood Ten, along with countless others who were impacted. Blacklisted shows how global politics and concerns over the Cold War were used to justify antisemitic, racist and anti-worker crackdowns domestically, and how the government crushed artistic expression in the 1940s and 1950s to reverse social justice movements simply by branding everything and anyone “Communist.”
“Our aim with Blacklisted is to prompt visitors to think deeply about democracy and their role in it,” stated Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical. “The exhibition tackles fundamental issues like freedom of speech, religion, and association, inviting reflection on how our past informs today’s cultural and political climate.”
When the exhibit was first developed in 2016 by the Jewish Museum Milwaukee and opened in 2018, “no one could have anticipated” how uncomfortably close to what is taking place in the United States today, with book bans, loyalty oaths, people seized from the street by masked men without badges or warrant, shutting down of research and education, and the attacks – a la Cultural Revolution – on academics, scientists, intellectuals, lawyers and journalists, while political violence and terror is allowed to surge.
“We also couldn’t have anticipated the rise of antisemitism now, as then,” Mirrer said at the opening reception. “This is an uncannily timely and meaningful show that hopes to teach about courage and American traditions, and how precious our democracy is.” She said she hoped the exhibition would spark “discourse as we think about who we are as Americans. History has power to change lives.”
Civil Rights Congress, America’s “Thought Police”: Record of the Un-American Activities Committee, 1947. Courtesy of the Unger Family
The exhibit, which makes starkly clear the connection between the “anti-Communist” crusade and the link with antisemitism, racism and anti-unionism, generated some revelations for the Jewish Museum Milwaukee exhibit curator Ellie Gettinger, who we met at an opening reception at New York Historical in front of the section noting the Blacklist never actually ended, it just gradually faded into disuse.
“People think the Red Scare was McCarthy, but we showed it was not one individual, it was so many – in government, in industry, so many throughout American society,” Gettinger said. Why weren’t the people who were persecuted protected by the First Amendment? “Because it wasn’t the government doing the blacklisting. It was the industry. Even the Hollywood studios controlled by Jews.”
She reflected, “In 2018, so many were shocked [by the exhibit and parallels to today]. People are really disturbed now, feeling politically impotent and overwhelmed. We have to keep fighting.”
Just as today, a culture that engendered empathy, compassion and understanding of others became the enemy of those who wanted to keep power and profit. It is no accident that Trump and the MAGAs have effectively rendered illegal so-called DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) and CRT (critical race theory) in school curricula, admissions and hiring, going after academia, corporations, research institutions, legal firms, and media.
The Blacklist was largely antisemitic because Eastern European immigrant Jews were social justice activists at their core, were identified with Bolshevik Russia, and were considered the rabble rousers for workers rights, union rights, civil rights and voting rights. Jewish immigrants led the formation of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), in 1900, organizing major strikes in 1909 and 1910 and reaction to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 which lead to better wages, working hours, and safety standards for garment workers and advocated for social needs, educational opportunities and health services – issues that then as now were branded “communist.”
“The Blacklist flourished when political and corporate interests superseded First Amendment rights. Freedoms of speech, association and assembly – all protected under the First Amendment – became casualties. Each of the three branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial-prioritized national security over civil liberties. Their actions exposed the dangers of unchecked political power in the US. Numerous industries purged employees suspected of being sympathetic to communism. Hundreds of people lost their jobs, and thousands stood by silently, afraid of jeopardizing future employment.
“Supporters and critics of the Blacklist both claimed they were fulfilling their patriotic duty. The Hollywood Blacklist shaped the nation’s political and cultural landscape for decades to come.”
The parallels to today are terrifying – including the capitulation of media moguls like Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Jeff Bezos (Washington Post); Shari Redstone (who controls CBS) and Robert Iger (CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC).
Impact of the Blacklist: “I’m a man of a thousand faces, and all of them are Blacklisted,” stated actor Zero Mostel.
The Blacklist impacted, even destroyed lives but also society in its quest to assert White Christo Fascist cultural foundation (they could call it whatever they like, but that’s what it was).
We meet Julie Garfield in front of the portrait of her father, John Garfield, she lent to the exhibit, an acclaimed, dashing Hollywood leading man who starred in such patriotic films as “Pride of the Marines” (the uniform he wore in that movie is on display). She wrote her father’s blacklisting “killed him, it really killed him. He was under unbelievable stress. Phones were being tapped. He was being followed by the FBI. He hadn’t worked in 18 months. He was finally supposed to do ‘Golden Boy’ on CBS with Kim Stanley. They did one scene. And then CBS cancelled it. He died a day or two later.”
There is a list of those who “whether by heart attack or suicide, all were killed by the relentless pressures of inquisition,” wrote Alvah Bessie, screenwriter and one of the Hollywood Ten.
Blacklisted features more than 150 artifacts, including historical newspaper articles, film clips, testimony footage, telegrams, playbills, court documents, film costumes, movie posters, scripts, and artwork.
Among the personal objects on view are Blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s Academy Award Oscars for Roman Holiday— originally awarded only to co-writer Ian McLellan Hunter since Trumbo was prohibited from working in film under his own name—and The Brave One, awarded to the fictitious Robert Rich (one of his pseudonyms). Trumbo finally received his Oscar for “The Brave One” in 1975, 20 years after it had been awarded and his wife, Cleo Trumbo, accepted his Oscar for “Roman Holiday” posthumously in 1993, 40 years after the film’s release.
Also on view is Lauren Bacall’s costume from How to Marry a Millionaire, a 1953 film released during the height of the Blacklist. Bacall was one of the founding members of the Committee for the First Amendment, which initially supported the Hollywood Ten. Unlike other committee members, Bacall was able to work steadily until her death.
The exhibit draws clear connections between antisemitism and racism at the heart of the “Red Scare” “The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) included avowed segregationists and antisemites, with the larger objective of “the preservation of the established social order disrupted by New Deal initiatives and World War II,” On display is a pamphlet, “Today…Hollywood. Tomorrow…the Whole Country.”
“HUAC members Rep. John Rankin (D-Mississippi) and Rep. John S.Wood (D-Georgia) advanced a reactionary white supremist agenda.” Rankin defended the Ku Klux Klan’s racial violence and terror, asserting “the KKK is an old American institution.” Wood added “threats and intimidations of the Klan are an old American custom, like illegal whiskey-making.”
But the Red Scare did not begin in the post World-War II era with fear of the Soviet Union getting the nuclear bomb. The first Red Scare came after World War I (simultaneous with the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia), with a crackdown on immigrants and political dissidents. The Espionage Act of 1917 became the basis for censoring publications; a year later, the Sedition Act made it illegal to speak or write about the US government with “contempt, scorn or disrepute” – legislation the Trump administration is drawing upon to deport migrants and quash dissent.
In 1919 and 1920, the crackdown on dissent and free speech intensified (note: the war had already ended in 1918) and was used the power to go after union organizers and those upholding workers rights, many of whom were Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer authorized federal raids of labor and “radical” organizations, arresting more than 5,000 and deporting hundreds of immigrant activists, including Emma Goldman.
We associate the era with Senator Joseph McCarthy, but as the exhibit points out, McCarthy “was only one of many who used the politics of Red-baiting to gain political leverage and power.” (McCarthy’s claim to fame was his crusade to root out alleged communists in the State Department, but he actually had little to do with the Hollywood blacklist.)
The creatives who became known as the Hollywood Ten were largely successful film industry people. During World War II, each contributed to the war effort in meaningful ways, developing films that combined patriotic plots with a social conscience such as “Tender Comrades” written by Dalton Trumbo; “Pride of the Marines,” written by Albert Maltz and starting John Garfield; and ‘Crossfire,” produced by Adrian Scott and directed by Edward Dmytryk. But all 10 had at some point been members of the Communist Party of the USA (CPUSA) because of its advocacy of workers’ rights and social justice. The list included Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Samuel Ornitz, and Adrian Scott in addition to Dmytryk, Maltz and Trumbo.
The Hollywood Ten were found in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions, and sentenced to prison for up to one year. The claim of First Amendment protection was rejected by the lower court and by the time their case reached the Supreme Court, two liberal members died and the Court declined to hear their case.
“Guilty until proven innocent,” one section proclaims unnervingly in light of today’s events, as we see people being rounded up by masked goons and thrown into jails or deported to third countries without the ability to prove their innocence or exercise the Constitution’s right to due process. “The role of hearsay and the assumption of guilt in the hearings became central to the ongoing operation of the Hollywood Blacklist throughout the 1950s…HUAC’s targets had no recourse, they could not sue for libel or challenge the damage to their reputations and livelihoods.” They were even blacklisted if they asserted their Fifth Amendment right.
It is shocking to see films that were tagged for blacklisting:
“The Best Years of Our Lives” that won seven Academy Awards was blacklisted, prompting Gene Kelly to write, “Were you subverted by it? Did it make you Un-American?” The FBI analysis drew upon producer Cecil B. Demille’s assessment that “this picture portrayed the ‘upper class in a bad light.’” The FBI noted, “The banker was portrayed as a mean, avaricious individual,” and that the film contained communist propaganda and “subversive half-truths.”
Imagine, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was deemed “subversive!” “This picture represents a rather obvious attempt to discredit bankers,” the FBI analysis stated.
Best picture winner “Gentleman’s Agreement,“ starring Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and John Garfield, in which Peck plays a journalist who poses as a Jew to expose antisemitism, was blacklisted. It’s blacklist connections included Director Elia Kazan (who named names), and blacklisted actors John Garfield (who was actually Jewish) and Anne Revere. It ran afoul, the FBI analysis claimed, because “A Police Lieutenant is party to antisemitism and as such is subjected to much criticism…This was a deliberate effort to discredit law enforcement.”
“Pride of the Marines” was blacklisted for screenwriter Albert Maltz and actor John Garfield. The FBi Analysis noted “’Maltz’ had the actors say everything possible to ‘provoke doubts’ concerning representative government and free enterprise; they accused employers of everything from racial prejudice to a conspiracy to scuttle the GI Bill of Rights.”
Even “High Noon,” starring Gary Cooper who won Best Actor, was blacklisted because its screenwriter, Carl Foreman, “invoked his privilege under the Fifth Amendment… in connection with this Communist affiliations.”
This being New York City, the New York Historical put its own stamp on the exhibit with a reference to the 1920s anti-immigrant (antisemitic) Palmer raids and Emma Goldman’s deportation, and a whole section on New York Theater and the Blacklist, in which it is shown that the city’s theater community pushed back.
“Broadway and the theater became a vital space for creative expression and social commentary. Though many Blacklisted artists still struggled financially, theater became an indispensable source of employment for those barred from movies and television. Some also performed for receptive audiences at labor unions, local synagogues, and community organizations across New York City.”
Playwright Arthur Miller, so famous for his Tony Award-winning play, ”The Crucible,” in which the Salem witch trials were a metaphor for McCarthyism, wrote, “We are at times ruled by the collective fear of each other and of those who may take away our rights and persecute us.”
Broadway and the broader theater community, we learn, never adopted a formal Blacklist. The labor union Actors Equity Association charted a different path from that the forcefully anti-communist Screen Actors Guild (SAG ). While there were anticommunist factions among the membership, Actors Equity passed a resolution in 1951 condemning the Blacklist, arguing that blacklisting “by its very nature is based on secrecy and prejudiced judgment and results in conviction by accusation.’ The following year, Actors Equity began including anti-Blacklist language in its contracts, a practice that continues to this day.”
So while there are those who look at what is happening as people are grabbed off the street by thugs without badges wearing masks, without court order or anything resembling due process, effectively guilty without the ability to prove innocence and say “this isn’t who we are as Americans,” the truth is, yes it is. There has always been this strain of bigoted, racist, sexist, anti=democratic evil, often masquerading as “religion” and “patriotism”. The task is for the forces of the “all are created equal” faction to beat it back and reestablish the civil liberties we claim make America “exceptional.”
The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West (77th Street), New York, NY 10024, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org.
Jewish Museum: Social Activist Ben Shahn and “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt”
A brilliant companion to “Blacklisted,” is the exhibit at the Jewish Museum, Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity, who used his art for social justice in ways that are unnervingly relevant today. The 175 artworks and objects from the 1930s to the 1960s show how this prolific and progressive artist chronicled and confronted crucial issues from the Great Depression to the Vietnam War, to Civil Rights and Workers Rights. (On view through Oct. 12).
Also, a phenomenal exhibit, “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt,” (on view through Aug. 10) shows how the story of Queen Esther resonated with the Dutch in this time. “The Dutch interpreted the story of Esther’s bravery as a symbol of the Netherlands’ newly won independence from Spain. Rembrandt was part of a larger cultural trend that reimagined this story for the new century, new secular art market, and new national purpose,” write Abigail Rapoport, curator of Judaica Jewish Museum, and Michele Frederick, curator of European Art, North Carolina museum of Art, Raleigh.
Anne Frank The Exhibition, on view at the Center for Jewish History through October, is the first time that the Anne Frank House presents a pioneering experience outside of Amsterdam to immerse visitors in a full-scale recreation of the Annex rooms, fully furnished, where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and four other Jews spent two years hiding to evade Nazi capture. Four exhibition galleries immerse visitors in place and history through video, sound, photography, and animation; and more than 100 original collection items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Anne Frank The Exhibition provides an opportunity to learn about Anne Frank not as a victim but through the multifaceted lens of her life—as a girl, a writer, and a symbol of resilience and strength. Tickets at AnneFrankExhibit.org. Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, cjh.org.
This summer, what excites you? A wine-filled escape at a reimagined 18th-century borgo in Tuscany, a new zipline adventure featuring ZipBikes and hanging bridges in Riviera Nayarit, a family cooking class with a master chef? Here are just a few summer vacation ideas:
ITALY
Borgo San Vincenzo, Tuscany’s award-winning luxury boutique hotel located in the prestigious Vino Nobile vineyards of Montepulciano, invites wine enthusiasts to immerse in the region’s vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, historic wine scene, and thoughtfully curated local experiences (photo: Borgo San Vincenzo)
Borgo San Vincenzo– Tuscany, Italy: Borgo San Vincenzo, Tuscany’s award-winning luxury boutique hotel located in the prestigious Vino Nobile vineyards of Montepulciano, invites wine enthusiasts to immerse in the region’s vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, historic wine scene, and thoughtfully curated local experiences for an elevated summer vacation. Enjoy the exclusive summer poolside spritz menu, complimentary midday olive oil tastings, Tuscan-styled BBQs every Thursday, a private dinner or sommelier-guided tasting at The Winemakers’ Bar and wine cellar, on-site cocktail-making classes, and savor Tuscan classics with an international twist at the hotel’s restaurant, Il Ciuchino. Guests can participate in the exclusive Winemakers’ Dinner Series and the weekly Montepulciano Masterclass. Take advantage of the ‘Linger Longer’offer for 20% off stays of 7+ nights, The hotel offers personalized experiences including private transportation, from pecorino cheese tastings at local family-owned farms, truffle hunting to tours of the region by foot, horse, Vespa, or hot air balloon (https://borgosanvincenzo.com).
CARIBBEAN
Tucked along the pristine shores of Grace Bay, Ocean Club Resorts offers two all-suite beachfront properties a mile apart. Ocean Club East provides a peaceful and secluded getaway for those seeking tranquility on a serene beachfront. Ocean Club West offers a more vibrant atmosphere (photo: Ocean Club Resorts)
Ocean Club Resorts – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: Tucked along the pristine shores of Grace Bay, Ocean Club Resorts offers two all-suite beachfront properties a mile apart. Ocean Club East, set slightly inland and next to the Provo Golf Club, provides a peaceful and secluded getaway for those seeking tranquility on a serene beachfront. Ocean Club West offers a more vibrant atmosphere, close to Providenciales’ shops and restaurants. Ideal for families, couples and girlfriend trips, Ocean Club Resorts offers complimentary onsite activities including beach games, kayak, paddle board rentals, and pickleball/tennis. Book stays of five-nights or more now through October 31, 2025 to save 15% with rates starting from $332 (https://www.oceanclubresorts.com/offers/save-15/).
Sonesta Resorts St. Maarten – St. Maarten: Located along the picturesque and lively Dutch side of St. Maarten, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa provides the perfect all-inclusive blend of spacious accommodations, entertainment day and night, access to surrounding attractions and day trips to nearby Caribbean islands. The resort’s new Ultimate Adults Only Club, has rooftop bar, exclusive lounge and dining features. Those seeking a more upscale, sophisticated stay can head to adults-only sister property Sonesta Ocean Point Resort for wellness-infused features, picturesque dining, butler service, and curated amenities. The resorts’ latest offer provides35% off stayswhen booking at least two nights. Use code UNFOLD when booking.
MEXICO
Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort – Riviera Nayarit, Mexico: Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort,part of Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, is an eco-conscious, adults-only, all-suite all-inclusive resort designed by renowned architect Sordo Madaleno. Nestled between the golden sands and surf-friendly beaches of Banderas Bay and the lush Sierra Madre Mountains, enjoy Unlimited-Luxury® inclusions: à la carte dining, 24-hour room service, limitless daytime and nighttime entertainment, fire shows, themed nights, beach yoga, surfing. Guests also have full access to the adjoining family-friendly Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort including the gym, additional restaurants, kid’s club and teens’ club, 18,600 sq. ft. water park and new zipline experience with a ZipBike, hanging bridges and a free-fall jump. On-property highlights include 699 suites, 13 pools, jungle paths for avid walkers or runners and Marieta-inspired 33,382 sq. ft. Secrets® Spa featuring guided hydrotherapy and pampering treatments. For a more exclusive getaway, opt for the Preferred Club suites which provide exclusive amenities such as a private lounge and exclusive access to the only rooftop infinity pool upgraded minibar, personal butler, turndown service, and pillow menu.
Only a year old, Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlan Golf & Spa Resort is Hyatt’s newest all-inclusive luxury property, providing a premier family-friendly escape along Mexico’s stunning Pacific Coast (photo provided by Hyatt).
Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort – Mazatlán, Mexico: Only a year old, Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort is Hyatt’s newest all-inclusive luxury property, providing a premier family-friendly escape along Mexico’s stunning Pacific Coast. Located within the exclusive Estrella del Mar gated community, the resort boasts 358 suites each featuring balcony or terrace with oceanfront views. The resort features a dedicated adults-only section, complete with a private pool and swim-up bars, offering a serene escape, Unlimited-Luxury® amenities, including 900 ft of beachfront, on-site waterpark with a lazy river, three oceanfront pools, a fitness center, a spa and wellness center, kid’s club, teen’s club and entertainment day and night. Active guests can take advantage of various classes such as yoga and spinning, two tennis courts, six, pickleball courts, and one of the most desirable golf courses in Mexico. Highlights include the new MasterChef Junior Experience, where families can enjoy show-inspired activities, mystery box challenges, and poolside gourmet pop-ups curated by former competition winners.
Andaz Mexico City Condesa–Mexico City, Mexico: With jacaranda blooms still lingering and the city’s greenery at its fullest, summer is a beautiful time to explore Condesa, Mexico City’s leafy, art-forward neighborhood. Stroll along the shaded Calle de Amsterdam, explore galleries like Galería OMR, enjoy easier access to top dining spots like Lardo and Merotoro. Located in the heart of Condesa, Andaz Mexico City Condesa is a modern retreat that captures the creative energy of the neighborhood. Take in sweeping city views from the rooftop pool, indulge in Mexican-Caribbean cuisine at Cabuya Rooftop, and unwind at Pasana Spa & Wellness Center, known for its refined, traditional approach to wellness.
El Cielo Resort & Winery – Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico: Nestled in the heart of Mexico’s scenic Valle de Guadalupe, in Baja’s famed wine country, El Cielo Resort & Winery. unwind in spacious villa-style suites, savor gourmet cuisine at on-site restaurants, and sip award-winning wines straight from the vineyard. Now through August 17, take advantage of El Cielo’s Summer Sale featuring special rates for stays through December 31, 2025.
Thompson Zihuatanejo – Zihuatanejo, Mexico: Located in what was once a fishing village, Thompson Zihuatanejo is an upscale beachfront resort in Bahía de Zihuatanejo, near Ixtapa in the state of Guerrero. Hugged by picturesque mountains and lush greenery, the intimate getaway features 56 guestrooms and suites including plunge pools. Engage in outdoor adventure and wellness from parasailing, surfing and jet-skiing to alfresco spa treatments and morning yoga, diving, deep sea fishing and snorkeling. Book the Suite Escapeby Sept. 30 to enjoy $150 resort credit, daily breakfast, and a special seasonal amenity when booking a suite using code SUITE for stays from now to October 31.
NUMU Boutique Hotel – San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico: Known for its colonial charm and lively arts scene, San Miguel de Allende becomes even more enchanting in the summer. Seasonal rains transform the town into a lush oasis, while cultural events like Desfile de los Locos, the International Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Chamber Music Festivalkeep the city buzzing with activity. Just steps from the main plaza and the iconic Parroquia, NUMU Boutique Hotel offers an immersive stay in the heart of the city. Guests can enjoy on-site cooking classes, rooftop mixology sessions, and guided meditation, or take a short walk to nearby art galleries and historic landmarks.
PANAMA
Copa Airlines’ Panama Stopover Program: Copa Airlines’ Panama Stopoverprogramallows travelers to stay in Panama for up to seven days at no additional airfare.Ideal for summer travel, this program offers the opportunity to explore two destinations for the price of one—seamlessly experiencing Panama’s rich culture, biodiversity, and iconic landmarks. Travelers can uncover the country’s hidden gems at their own pace while connecting to or from any destination within Copa Airlines’ extensive network. Must-see attractions include the historic Casco Antiguo, a UNESCO World Heritage Siteknown for its colonial charm, and the world-renowned Panama Canal, a marvel of modern engineering, and opportunity for nature lovers to explore the country’s extraordinary wildlife in the biodiverse Coiba National Park. Travelers can also explore Panama’s diverse landscapes, from the vibrant streets, markets, and nightlife of Panama City, lush tropical rainforests and jungles to serene beaches along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. As the region’s leading airline, Copa continues to expand connectivity by adding new destinations and now serves 85 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean.
La Compañía Hotels & Resorts: For travelers seeking a deeper connection to Panama, La Compañía Hotels & Resorts offers a seamless dual-destination experience that blends history with a peaceful landscape. The brand’s curated journey invites guests to discover the rich history of Hotel La Compañía Casco Antiguo and the tranquil retreat of Hotel La Compañía del Valle in El Valle de Antón. The limited time offer includes preferred luxury rates at both properties, private transfers between locations, welcome amenities, a daily Sunset Cocktail Experience in El Valle, and guided tours of the hotels and Villa Ana, providing travelers with an immersive journey through Panama’s culture and natural beauty.
ASIA
Iconic vertical destination in the heart of Bangkok, Iebua at State Tower, is taking family fun to new heights with their Monopoly: Bangkok Edition package (photo: Iehua)
lebua at State Tower – Bangkok, Thailand: This iconic vertical destination in the heart of Bangkok is taking family fun to new heights with their Monopoly: Bangkok Edition package. This playful, family-friendly offer includes a private Monopoly game setup with themed snacks and drinks, a welcome cake, personalized card, and discounted rates on stays of two nights or more. Guests can explore real-life Monopoly landmarks—like Bangkok’s street food scene and weekend markets—via complimentary tuk-tuk, then unwind with world-class dining and panoramic views at The Dome’s Michelin-starred restaurants and Sky Bar. Available for bookings and stays through October 31, 2025.
UNITED STATES
Hyatt Regency San Francisco is walking distance to iconic San Francisco activities–like riding the historic cable cars, The Ferry Building, taking a boat ride to Alcatraz, exploring the Exploratorium science museum, enjoying a sweet treat in Ghirardelli Square, catching a game at Oracle Park (photo: Hyatt Regency San Francisco)
Hyatt Regency San Francisco – San Francisco, California: Nestled along the picturesque Embarcadero waterfront, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco is walking distance to iconic San Francisco activities–like riding the historic cable cars, The Ferry Building, taking a boat ride to Alcatraz, exploring the Exploratorium science museum, enjoying a sweet treat in Ghirardelli Square, catching a game at Oracle Park. Next door, experience the thrill of paddle in the Park Paddle’s three-court pop-up lounge on the Embarcadero Plaza with a special discounted rate to play for hotel guests when using code FIRST25. For families, book the Happy Glamper package by the end of 2025 to bring the outdoors indoors with a special in-room camping experience, complete with a tent, s’mores ingredients, seasonal mocktails (cocktails for parents) and waived destination fee.
Hotel Zachary– Chicago: Located steps from historic Wrigley Field, Hotel Zachary blends timeless style with unbeatable ballpark views. Enjoy craft cocktails and elevated bites at Alma, the hotel’s onsite social lounge and bar. For the ultimate Wrigleyville experience, book the Perfect Gameday Package, which includes overnight accommodations, pregame cocktails for two at Alma, and tickets for 2 to a Cubs game.
Spend Less, See More: Scenic & Affordable U.S. Summer Escapes
This summer, budget-friendly getaways are in high demand, proving that unforgettable vacations don’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Destinations across the country are stepping up with wallet-friendly lodging, free museums, and nature-focused itineraries that stretch every dollar. Here are some ideas:
New York: New York State offers countless ways for travelers to explore without spending a cent, from hikes alongside cascading waterfalls to scenic state parks and world-renowned museum experiences. In New York City, nearly 100 museums offer free or pay-what-you-wish admission, including El Museo del Barrio, the Bronx Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image, which offers free admission on Friday afternoons. Iconic green spaces like Central Park, Prospect Park, (both with zoos) and the High Line invite visitors to explore the city on foot, while street food vendors and dollar slices make it easy to taste New York’s food scene on a budget. Travelers can sail past iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Lower Manhattan skyline for free aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Or take a ferry to Governors Island, or explore the Hudson River Greenway by bike.
In the Finger Lakes, budget-friendly parks like Watkins Glen State Park and Taughannock Falls State Park impress visitors with dramatic gorges and towering waterfalls, while Seneca Lake State Park provides free lakeside paths and affordable opportunities for recreational activities like swimming, picnicking and biking along the waterfront trail, and Letchworth State Park (https://parks.ny.gov/parks/letchworth), called the Grand Canyon of the East, has just been named Number One State Park in the United States by USAToday readers and offers amazing hikes overlooking waterfalls and gorges, whitewater rafting, kayaking, a pool for swimming and hot air ballooning and camping). In the Hudson Valley region, the Walkway Over the Hudson offers panoramic river views from the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge, while the Poets’ Walk Park invites visitors to stroll scenic trails that inspired generations of writers, both free of charge.
Williamsburg, Virginia: From living-history walkways to riverside trails, Williamsburg, Virginia invites visitors to step into the past without stepping outside their travel budget. Travelers can stroll the streets of Colonial Williamsburg for free year-round, including Duke of Gloucester Street and Merchant’s Square, where 18th-century architecture and interpreters bring history to life. A single-day ticket offers access to guided sites, trade shops and performances for $35 adults, $10 kids ages 6–12 and free for children under 6. In Freedom Park, nature enthusiasts can explore the Williamsburg Botanical Garden’s diverse plants and peaceful paths ideal for bird-watching or a quiet walk. At Historic Jamestowne, visitors can watch live glassblowing at the Jamestown Glasshouse, then explore even more with just a $10 admission for adults and free entry for kids under 16. From walking or driving the scenic Island Loop Drive to visiting active archaeological digs or browsing centuries-old artifacts at the Archaearium museum, the site offers a rich look at America’s earliest roots. In nearby Yorktown, travelers can escape the heat by riding the free and air-conditioned trolley through the historic district, relax along the public Yorktown beach, or stroll Riverwalk Landing’s scenic waterfront. History buffs can explore the Yorktown Battlefield for just $10 per adult, with free admission for kids under 16. Also, Busch Gardens Williamsburg runs discount promotions (https://buschgardens.com/williamsburg/)
Traverse City Tourism, Michigan: Located on the shores of the Great Lakes, Traverse City is an affordable Midwest travel destination, free and low-cost activities thanks to its proximity to nature and impressive small-town amenities. Don’t miss a visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which is one of the country’s most beautiful landscapes with sweeping vistas, freshwater beaches, massive sand dunes and miles of hiking trails. For wine enthusiasts, explore the nearly 40 wineries that make up the Traverse Wine Coast, which is responsible for growing 55% of the state’s wine grapes. Its location on the 45th parallel, lines it up with the most prestigious wine regions of Piedmont, Italy, and the Willamette Region in Oregon, but offers a more approachable price point with tastings year-round.
From the floor-to-ceiling windows that frame dramatic views of Grand Traverse Bay in the lobby to waterfront dining and guided outdoor experiences, the charming Delamar Hotel Traverse City offers scenic lakeside views and “Up North” experience catered to every season.
By Geri Bain for Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
“You are going to love Karlovy Vary,” my doctor friend Natalya says when I tell her I’m going to extend my stay in Prague with a few days there. She worked in Poland for a time and said that Karlovy Vary (aka Carlsbad) is very popular with Europeans who buy special cups to “take the cure“, drinking from the natural hot springs. “The town is so beautiful. Just don’t overdo drinking from the fountains; think of them as medicine.”
I have wanted to visit Karlovy Vary ever since seeing images of Belle Epoque women in long dresses and men with dapper hats strolling along elegant streets, stopping to fill dainty porcelain cups at sculpted fountains spouting hot mineral water. As I research my trip, I realize Karlovy Vary is part of a “Spa Triangle,” a triad of neighboring Czech towns that includes Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně.
All three were purposefully designed to leverage the hot springs with eye-candy architecture, fountains and parks and provide restful settings for healing therapies. Today’s cures are based on a doctor-prescribed regime built around drinking, inhaling, and being immersed in the waters and muds. In fact, many European health insurance companies cover weeks-long stays to treat a variety of metabolic, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal ills.
Karlovy Vary, the largest of the towns and the only one whose springs are hot, is only about an hour and a half from Prague by car. Many people come on day trips, but I am headed there for two nights and then will spend a night in Mariánské Lázně. As we reach the peak of the mountain, my driver points to a castle-like building on a hill and says, “The Hotel Imperial.”
Driving in through manicured gardens and pulling up to the grand entrance, I wonder if I should have worn something fancier, but looking at fellow guests around the lobby as I enter, I don’t feel out of place in my chinos. When I present my passport to check in, the receptionist quickly fetches her colleague who speaks fluent English. I find that while Czech, German and Russian are the main languages spoken in the region, there is always someone who speaks English.
My room, the Hotel Imperial’s basic category, is spacious—a couple spending a few weeks here would not feel cramped, and the view of the forested hills is spectacular. The bathroom has a heated towel rack and bidet and is spotlessly clean although it feels a bit dated to my American eye.
Like most guests, I have a meal plan and eat in the main dining room. I admire the crystal chandeliers, high ceilings and architectural detailing and enjoy the social interactions around the buffet, which has a nice selection of meat, fish and vegetarian foods. Everything is self-serve except added-charge drinks and coffee (free from cappuccino/espresso machines that operate only during breakfast).
After lunch, I speak with staff physician Dr. Zuzana Weddelova. She talks about the ailments they treat and says that increasingly people are coming to be proactive about wellness and not just for problems. Either way, she advises a minimum stay of three nights. “While at least three weeks is optimal for treatments, even three days can be the impetus for changes in habits.”
Stays often start with a doctor consult that uses blood work, MRIs and other diagnostic tools (bring any test results you have from home) to create a plan that might include prescriptions for specific mineral waters and dosages and a wide array of other treatments. For longer stays, tests are repeated at the end to measure results.
I sign up for a 20-minute mud wrap (about $40 US). I’m directed to a long corridor of numbered doors. A woman peers out from one of the rooms and I hand her my prescription. She points to a chair where I leave my clothes and then enter an adjoining room where she slaps hot mud from a large bucket on a white sheet and indicates that I should get on the table and lie on my back on the mud. I’m nervous because sign language is our only way of communicating and this feels very clinical—not the indulgent “spa” experience I’m used to—but as the heat from the mud seeps in, I feel a deep relaxation spreading through my whole body and think “I could get used to this.”
The author, Geri Bain, filling her cup at one of the fountains.
After dinner, I take a funicular (free to guests) down the steep hill into town. I’m amused by the creative spa cups in the shape of cats and elephants but buy a classic blue and white one and walk along the colonnades, stopping at the free-flowing fountains to sample the waters. The standard advice is to drink a small cup’s worth (200 ml), sipping slowly about 30 minutes before each meal. I checked in with my doctor before coming because the waters can be harmful to certain conditions. I also read that you shouldn’t mix the waters, but I am curious so I take a few sips from various fountains. The biggest difference I discern is the temperature.
Shops are closed but I window-shop the art galleries, clothing boutiques and jewelry stores, admiring some of the distinctive blood-red Czech garnet pieces. I also find local products like “spa wafers” made with the mineral waters, Manufactura cosmetics made with thermal spring salts, Moser crystal and glass, and Becherovka, a distinctive, beloved local herbal digestif. People are riding in horse-drawn carriages along the town’s main street. It is all as I imagined it except for the absence of finely turned-out women of the Belle Epoque — people tend to dress far more casually these days.
I return to the hotel in time to unwind in the pool, whirlpool and sauna, where I chat with fellow guests. Most are from Germany and Czechia, but I also meet couples from Belgium, Slovenia, Holland and India. Most say the Czech spas offer great value. (At press time, the Hotel Imperial website had a one-week package with pre- and post-doctor consults, half board and up to 18 treatments per person priced from about $2,100 US per couple.) Most are here for two or three days; a few come annually for week-long stays to treat specific ailments. The only American I meet over the next three days is a New Jersey businessman who spends four weeks every year here to tame his GERD.
The next morning, I meet Iva, my private guide for the next two days. We walk into town to the Mill Colonnade. It’s one of five arcades that were built over the main fountains to protect visitors from inclement weather as they sip and stroll. Each has its own architectural style. Most of the current structures were built in the late 1800s.
The exception, Iva points out, is the Functionalist-style glass and concrete Hot Spring Colonnade, completed in 1975, which includes a separate pavilion where I linger to breathe in the steamy salty breath of the centerpiece, a geyser-like fountain that shoots up almost 40 feet at times.
Karlovy Vary translates to “Charles’ hot springs”, referring to King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who, according to legend, came upon hot springs on a hunting trip here in the 14th century. When the hot spring waters healed a wound on his leg, he chartered the town to serve visitors coming to bathe in the springs.
His original Gothic castle burnt down in 1604, leaving only the present Castle Tower. We head there next. Updated in the 18th century, it now houses a small café and a UNESCO exhibit, “The Great Spa Towns of Europe.” Displays of the 11 UNESCO Spa Towns include the three in Czech Republic and other famous ones including Baden Baden, Germany and Bath, England. The focus is on the Golden Age of Spas, the 18th and 19th century, when medical use of these hot spring areas became more sophisticated and elegant hotels, facilities and entertainment venues were developed, making the spa towns social centers for the elites of the day.
Modern royalty including A-list Hollywood stars still come, especially during the annual International Film Festival in July and the start of “The Season” in May, when warm weather is welcomed with parades and special events.
The place to see and be seen is the glamorous Grandhotel Pupp. The hotel itself starred in scenes in the James Bond movie Casino Royale and Queen Latifah’s Last Holiday. The hotel has hosted Bach, Beethoven, Napoleon, and more recently Renee Zellweger, Morgan Freeman and many other notables and Iva pointsout the bronze bricks in the front patio where their names are engraved.
The hotel’s history dates back to 1701, reflecting key events of the nation. It served as a hospital during World War II. During the communist era, it was nationalized and renamed Grandhotel Moskva and provided care to workers, peasants and generals alike. After the nonviolent 1989 Velvet Revolution that began the transition to democracy, the hotel once again became the Grandhotel Pupp and was renovated to pamper modern day spa-goers.
From here, we forego the funicular and hike up to Restaurant Diana for lunch. It’s a steep, winding trail but the panoramic views are worth the climb, and in less than 30 minutes we arrive. The restaurant is justly acclaimed for its forest setting and traditional Czech cuisine. I order a delicious venison with wild Czech forest mushrooms and am amazed that it costs only about $20.
Our next stop is the Imperial Spa, built for Emperor Franz Josef I and now a national cultural monument and entertainment venue which offers public tours (in English and other languages). I am amazed at the splendor of the 1895 VIP spa suite and enjoy an engaging exhibit in a section of former commoner spa rooms that includes holograms of famous visitors comprising a mini-Who’s Who of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
After dinner, I head to the Saunia Thermal Resort that offers facilities open to the public at hourly and day rates. Perched high on a hill, its huge outdoor heated swimming pool, spring-fed therapeutic pools and sunning chaise lounges and various saunas and steam baths afford spectacular vistas of the town.
The next morning, Iva and I drive to Marianské Lázně. En route we stop at Loket Castle, a rebuilt 13th century castle that houses a history museum with exhibits of court treasures, early weapons, traditional dress, and in the dungeons, startling life-size vignettes of early forms of torture. The town itself is a jewel with cobblestone streets lined by pastel-painted buildings, small shops and inviting eateries.
While smaller and newer than Karlovy Vary, Marianské Lazne (founded in 1818) has the same Belle Epoque feel. It has also attracted its share of famous fans including Frédéric Chopin, Franz Kafka, Sigmund Freud, and Mark Twain. It held a special place in the heart of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and the town museum, sadly closed during my visit, has an exhibit devoted to him.
My home base in Marianské Lázně is the Falkensteiner Spa Resort. Its extensive modern in-house spa has pretty indoor and outdoor pools and lounge areas and a suite of saunas and relaxation rooms that feel more like the indulgent spas I’m used to. Spa manager Daniel Falkus explains that their program combines eastern and western practices, so in addition to treatments with spring water, they have certified guides who lead forest bathing sessions and they offer CO2 soaks, wraps and injections to improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
I’m limping from a pulled muscle and in quite a bit of pain and he suggests a CO2 shot might help by bringing more oxygen to the area to stimulate healing. I’m skeptical but decide to give it a try. I follow the shot with a CO2 bath. The CO2 bubbles make me feel as though I’m soaking in champagne. I feel surprisingly energized and my leg feels a bit better so Iva and I meet up for a tour of the town.
The hotel is just steps from the main street. The historic town center, divided by a greenway, seems to flow around its large parks. She says that inhaling the air is considered therapeutic. She points out a path through a forest and nature preserve punctuated by mineral springs, including a gently mineralized water source that locals use for drinking water. I decide I will try to follow that walk in the morning.
We rush to get to the Singing Fountain in time for its “performance.” Here, every two hours, the waters dance to piped in music. A daily schedule of the musical pieces is posted near the fountain. I thought that sounded hokey, but it is so lovely that I go back again that evening.
Like the spa, dinner at the hotel feels indulgent, with impeccable service. I am assigned to a table and served by a waiter who speaks perfect English. He suggests a wonderful Czech wine and brings me several special samplings he thinks I’d enjoy tasting in addition to the three-course menu.
I am to leave for the airport at 9:30 am, so I get up with the sun to follow the walk Iva suggested. It is serene and I return relaxed, in time for a leisurely breakfast, where my English-speaking waiter spots me and again suggests some Czech treats, including a traditional braided poppy seed roll. Two Czech women I’d met in the sauna last night make a point of wishing me a good trip, and I realize how easy it has been to be here on my own.
Back home, the beauty and peaceful ambience of Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary still fills me with a sense of well-being and I can see why people go back year after year. There’s plenty more I’d like to see and do. I’d especially like to experience Františkovy Lázně, which specializes in the use of local peat for in its treatments, but more than anything, these spa towns are a place to simply be—and next time, I’ll stay long enough to truly “take the cure”.
The Czech Republic is part of the European Union, but the Czech Crown (CZK) is the official currency. Credit cards are widely accepted but change some currency to get into restrooms, tip and make purchases from smaller merchants.
No visa is needed although if your trip is in the last quarter of 2026, a new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is expected to take effect.
Be sure to check with your doctor if you plan to drink the waters. They can be harmful to some conditions, including pregnancy.
While many people speak some English, a translation tool can be useful.
At press time, on Expedia the Spa Hotel Imperial was priced from $190; the Grandhotel Pupp was priced from $179 per night; and Falkensteiner Spa Resort Marianské Lazne, from $281. Note that packages that include spa treatments can be a good value.
United and Delta offer nonstop flights to Prague from some U.S. gateways. If you must take a connecting flight, check the connecting times carefully. Some connections are very smooth, but on my way via Lisbon, I had to change terminals, which meant going through security twice and the three-hour connecting time was barely enough.
Travel has so many benefits – on a macro level, travel is the greatest invention humanity has devised for promoting peace, prosperity, progress and understanding by bringing different people together. On a micro level, travel is a life-enhancing, oftentimes life-changing experience that promotes personal health and well-being. Indeed, wellness travel is a significant and growing segment of the wellness industry writ large, and the travel industry in particular. And the travel industry is responding to demand.
“The global wellness tourism market represents a small but rapidly increasing share of tourism trips. Compared to other leisure travelers, wellness tourists tend to spend significantly more, while exploring diverse destinations, activities and services. Governments, wellness businesses and local organizations can implement thoughtful wellness tourism strategies to benefit both the destinations and their surrounding communities,” Global Wellness Institute research fellow Tonia Callender writes. “Now is an especially opportune time, as wellness tourists are increasingly interested in nature, curative waters, outdoor exercise, local healthy cuisines, and indigenous healing arts. Protecting all of these assets strengthens a destination’s appeal for wellness tourism.”
In 2023, wellness trips accounted for 7.8% of all tourism trips but 17.9% of all tourism expenditures. Because wellness travelers spend more and favor experiences that are authentic and unique, there is less pressure for destinations to engage in a “race to the bottom” strategy that competes on price and quantity – in other words, an antidote to overtourism and mass tourism.
Wellness tourism has the potential to spread tourism to less traveled destinations; bring economic benefits and innovations to rural areas; and increase the incentives to protect local culture, biodiversity, and the environment. The values and interests inherent in wellness tourism are well aligned with those of sustainable and responsible tourism. A region’s key assets for developing and promoting wellness tourism extend beyond its hospitality and wellness businesses, and include the wellbeing of its people, the integrity of its culture, and the quality of its natural environment. As shown by the examples of Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Bhutan, sustainable tourism policies and strategies can help protect key assets and foundations while creating a successful and competitive wellness tourism destination.
The Global Wellness Summit’s (GWS’s) The Future of Wellness: 2025 Trends cited important developments impacting the travel industry and wellness travelers.
Trend: Slow Travel
One of the leading trends identified that I am obsessed with is slow travel. I have just returned from a perfect example that hits on all cylinders: BoatBikeTours’ sailing and biking trip to Netherlands’ islands, which offers an ideal pace for personal reflection, for visual interest, for a boost of endorphins, the opportunity to stop and take a photo or engage with someone you meet, even to ask directions, to go through villages and towns and ride back roads where you can appreciate how people live that you would never see otherwise – in other words, engagement. Slow travel provides all the wellness benefits of the travel experience.
At the Global Wellness Summit, this trend was dubbed “Wellness on the Line” and focused on how cruise and rail travel fit into the desire for “slow travel” (but I would add biking, hiking, walking and pilgrimage tours offer much the same benefits).
Train travel fits the ideal of slow travel – both in pacing that promotes mindfulness, even the rhythm of wheels rolling on the track and the gentle rocking as you watch the landscape roll by, and being eco-friendly.
Belmond, the luxury travel company that is part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE and owns or manages 45 luxury hotels and spas, restaurant, train and river cruise properties, operates some of the most famous trains in the world including the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, the Royal Scotsman. Its new Britannic Explorer, UK’s first luxury sleeper train, has a first-of-its-kind wellness suite onboard, where as you travel to Wales, the Lake District, Cornwall, you can enjoy treatments based on circadian rhythms, with different treatments depending upon the time of day.
Nicola Herbert, Belmond’s global director of wellness strategies (its tagline is “Discover a new pace of travel”), described the company’s global strategy for Belmond hotels, trains, cruises, safari camps, focus on wellbeing and why trains and wellness are such a good mix: “Guests on a Belmond train feel like they are stepping into a cocoon, a bubble, moving away from reality. There is a natural tendency to disconnect. The common theme: it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey; embrace the journey.”
Trains and boats have a naturally slow pace, their movement, and even sound, lull the body as you also see incredible natural landscapes floating by.
“We provide amazingly curated aesthetic space where guests use their creativity to achieve wellness – guests find a sketch book gifted in the cabin, communing across a chess board. Passengers have permission to reconnect with relaxation. Traveling with companion or fellow passengers, discovering destination – bonding experience – create friendships for life on these journeys.”
Wellness is transforming cruising. We saw it in the 1980s, when cruiselines introduced luxurious spas and healthy dining on board, but what they are doing now is “integrated wellness” with onboard programming –a nutritionist lecture on “nutrigenomics,” a three-day cellular detox, fitness classes that focus on mobility, balance, posture; yoga meditation; and activities like stargazing at night, classes to learn computer skills, art, or learning the tango – as well as onshore activities and excursions.
Viking Cruises is one line that has embraced this in a big way. “There are so many facets from the architecture of ship reflecting its Nordic heritage, an onboard snow grotto with snowballs scented with lavender, to excursions to thermal lagoons and nature walks;
Shore excursions also provide opportunities for these enhanced experiences, like a workshop on Aloe Vera in Cape Verde; a guided medicinal plant walk through the jungle in Mexico, said Suzie Ellis, GWI’s CEO.
Blue World Voyages, launching in 2026, is promising to be the epitome of active lifestyle cruising. A ship designed in yacht style it is dedicated to sport and wellness. It strives to be the ‘healthiest ship at sea,” with an- entire deck designed around sports and fitness, the world’s largest functional training facility at sea, a state of the art golf school, and the largest luxury spa per passenger at sea.
The growing desire for “slow travel” is seen in the surging popularity, accessibility and availability of bike tours –whether guided or self-guided, inn-to-inn or by boat. Bike tours evoke physical, emotional, spiritual and social benefits, as well as a direct connection to engage directly with local people and the environment. And the wide availability of e-bikes now extend a cyclists’ longevity in the saddle and take away anxiety over being able to handle the hills or the miles. Among the operators offering guided and self-guided itineraries on rail trails around the country and the world (where you are most likely to achieve that level of serenity and inner dialogue because you are not worrying about car traffic): Discovery Bicycle Tours; Wilderness Voyageurs; Backroads; VBT Bicycling Vacations and Boat Bike Tours.
Trend: Analog Wellness
At the heart of many of the wellness trends is a rejection of the digital, overly techno, virtual world in favor of a return to the simplicity and authenticity of the analog, spawning a trend to “analog travel”– old-school, old-fashioned, basic creative pursuits and opportunities for in-person social interaction and communication.
“The online and social media world has gone too far,” said GWI’s Beth McGroarty. People are resenting the manipulation, the intrusive marketing, the evil algorithms, the lies. People are sick of ‘brain robbing,’ polarization, and the time-suck from life spent in front of screens. People are getting aggressive about logging off in life and in travel. More travelers are seeking out destinations and experiences where the phone is locked up or properties that do not have wifi (think “White Lotus”). More hotels and resorts and destinations are channeling this zeitgeist, introducing retro, pre industrial programming, tactile experiences like embroidery, clay modeling– analog experiences that restore what the digital world stolen.”
Analog experiences are as varied as blacksmithing and birdwatching, or the use of “retro tech” like old-school film cameras, dumb phones (that can only be used for emergencies), typewriters, paper maps and old-fashioned alarm clocks. The common denominator is going “unplugged.”
There are deep listening sauna sessions, where you settle in for a group audio meditation – take complete vinyl album from classic artist; and “social reading”; wellness resorts and retreats are offering art as wellness therapy, arts and crafts, painting, ceramics, writing, knitting workshops. embroidery, clay modeling.
“It’s not just going retro, but back to pre-Industrial pursuits.”
At the Viceroy at Ombria Algarve in Portugal, for example, guests can sign up to be a “Shepherd for a Day” learning traditional sheep herding practices from a local shepherd and drive the flock home; also “Hive to Honey” and “Traditional Pottery Workshop”with a local artisan (Viceroy at Ombria Algarve, www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com)
On a restored 17th century farm resort, you can do blacksmithing, milk cows, leatherworking, carpentry, wheat milling.
Tourism boards are jumping in. Japan’s tourism board has created a road map for travelers to find traditions like paper crafting, copper and gold smithing.
Nightlife is also going analog, with super social clubs, spaces where people craft, read, listen to music, play games; reading parties where an hour of reading is set to live music in beautiful settings.
People are also giving up booze and seeking a nightlife beyond eating and drinking: a rise in night experiences and wellness experiences like stargazing and night kayaking (also a reaction to global warming which is making daytime activities oppressively, even dangerously hot).
“The analog travel trend will only rise. With humanoid robots, AI agents replacing human agents, and more unreality than reality, analog travel will be a counter trend.”
Trend: Sauna Reimagined
Saunas have been around for thousands of years, but saunas are enjoying an incredible renaissance and renewal, a trend which GWI calls “Sauna Reimagined.”
“From new urban saunas in New York and Chicago, to rustic waterfront saunas in Oslo or Brighton, to saunas with immersive art installations in Tokyo, today’s saunas represent a reinvention of an age-old tradition—and an increasingly younger, hipper crowd is taking notice, the GWI reports. “These younger consumers, craving real-life connections beyond bars and clubs, are flocking to social saunas, which can feature DJs, drag queens or full-blown concerts. Where saunas were once a sad, dark, lonely box in a basement, today they’re lively, social, cultural and entertainment hubs, often with fantastic views and in incredible locations, and people just can’t get enough.”
Saunas are increasingly paired with other forms of entertainment (“sauna-tainment”, which resonates with a younger demographic. In London, sauna festivals and pop-ups combine music, dance workshops, bands and DJs with sauna rituals, cold plunges and hot tubs, even comedy, while in Norway, Deep Listening sessions at Farris Bad bring people together to hear a favorite classic album while in the sauna.
“People used to think of sauna as sad, dark, lonely box in a basement that smelled like sweat. Today, they are lively social hubs with fantastic views in incredible locations.”
Trend: Mideast Becomes Wellness Mecca
Another Wellness travel trend is unfolding in the Middle East, huge resorts and retreats are being designed for wellness based on ancient traditions (being alcohol free is appealing to the growing interest in being “sober curious) but embracing cutting edge technology including AI (going the opposite way of “analog travel.”)
The most ambitious project is Amaala, a $1 trillion tourism megaproject under construction in Saudi Arabia, developed by Public Investment Fund-owned Red Sea Global, under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program (diversifying its image and economy from oil). Spanning 4,200 square kilometers, it consists of three main developments: The Coastal Development, Amaala Island, and Triple Bay. The scale of development is humongous: they are looking at 600 projects, 140,000-plus rooms with the first eight destinations, seven resorts and yacht club opening this year (https://www.visitredsea.com/en/destinations/amaala).
This year, a new luxury resort in Dubai will not only offer beautiful rooms and great hospitality, but guests also get comprehensive health diagnostic, treatments, high-tech genetic testing and have access to doctors on site.
Rather than follow Western wellness practices, these new resorts are setting new trends combining culturally-rooted wellness with cutting edge technology, says Thomas Morris, Senior Partner, Middle East, Finn Partners (United Arab Emirates)– not just luxury resorts, but high-tech clinics, not just massive sporting events, but cutting edge training for pro and amateur athletes. “The Middle East is no longer just a stopover, but is driving trends.”
Road Scholar: Adventure is Key Factor in Happiness and Health for Older Adults
Non-Profit Leader in Educational Travel Establishes June 8th as Annual National Observance, ‘Age Adventurously Day,’ in Celebration of 50th Anniversary
Road Scholar, the not-for-profit world leader in educational travel for older adults, released a new report indicating that adventure is a key contributor to the happiness and health of aging adults. Based on a survey of 300 adults aged 50 to 98, Road Scholar’s findings reveal that 94% of older adults who embrace adventurous activities – whether through travel, lifelong learning or stepping outside their comfort zones – report higher levels of wellbeing.
In addition to the report, the organization has announced a new national observance on its 50th anniversary June 8th, “Age Adventurously Day,” kicking off with a contest offering one lucky winner a travel voucher, among other prizes.
Road Scholar’s Age Adventurously Report offers compelling insights into the connection between aging, adventure and wellbeing. Compared to previous generations, today’s older adults are more adventurous than ever before.
Educational Experiences Spark Interest in Distant Destinations and Frequent Travel: Older adults who engage in educational travel are more likely to explore distant destinations and travel more often compared to their peers. Thirty-two percent of participants surveyed reported that the majority of their travel is international. Road Scholar participants also tend to travel more frequently with 45% of those polled taking 4-8 trips annually, compared to 26% of those not involved with the organization.
Adventure Adds to Health and Happiness: Nearly 100% of older adults surveyed agreed that being adventurous contributes to their health, happiness and wellbeing. In fact, Road Scholar participants above the age of 50 who actively embrace new experiences indicated feeling just as happy as they were in their 20s, 30s or 40s – scoring an average of 3.2 on a 5-point scale ranking happiness from “not happier” to “extremely happier.”
Adventurousness Across Generations: When asked if their generation was more adventurous in older adulthood than their parents’ generation, 75% of Gen Xers agreed and 89% of Boomers and Silent Gen concurred – showing that older adults have evolved to be more adventurous.
Celebrate Age Adventurously Day
Road Scholar has declared June 8th as Age Adventurously Day. This now-approved annual observance, certified by the National Day Archives, aims to motivate older adults to break free of their routines, seek out fresh opportunities, and redefine what it means to age.
On June 8th each calendar year, Age Adventurously Day will serve as a reminder to individuals that aging does not mean the end of adventure, but rather a new beginning full of opportunities. The day invites everyone within the Road Scholar community and beyond to embrace the spirit of adventure, stepping beyond the ordinary, trying something they’ve always wanted to do, and making aging an adventure.
To kick off the inaugural Age Adventurously Day, Road Scholar is hosting a special contest. Participants are invited to share their plans for the day or submit stories and photos of their adventures at www.ageadventurously.org. One winner will receive a $1,500 travel voucher for a Road Scholar program, along with other prizes. Entries will be accepted through June 13, with the winner selected at random.
New York City’s summer cultural season kicks off with the 47th Annual Museum Mile Festival – the Big Apple’s “biggest block party”–on Tuesday, June 10, from 6 to 9 pm, rain or shine. Walk the mile on Fifth Avenue between 82nd Street and 104th Street and visit eight of New York City’s finest cultural institutions, open free during these extended hours: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (82nd St); Neue Galerie New York(86th St); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (89th St); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (91st St); The Jewish Museum (92nd St); Museum of City of New York (mcny.org,103rd St.); El Museo del Barrio (104th St.); and The Africa Center (109th St). Neighbohood partners participating include the New York Academy of Medicine, the Church of the Heavenly Rest, Asia Society, and AKC Museum of the Dog join in this celebration. Arrive early and target your priority museums first because this extremely popular event draws huge crowds, which makes the fabulous street entertainment all the more appreciated. Children’s activity guides (and chalk for street art!) available. (https://www.nyctourism.com/events/museum-mile-festival/)
Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island (11 am-5 pm, June 14-15 and August 9-10. 11 am-5 pm), starts with a magical ferry ride from Battery Park or the Brooklyn Navy Yard. People come dressed to the 9s in 1920s/Gatsby-style outfits, bringing picnics and take part in the music and zeitgeist of the 1920s. With music and dancing led by festival founder and host Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra and a score of other entertainers. Entertainments are interspersed with fun events like dance lessons and a period bathing suit contest. This isn’t free. Tickets and info at https://jazzagelawnparty.com. (Reserve a ride on the ferry, from South Street or Brooklyn to access the location, https://www.govisland.com/plan-your-visit/ferry)
The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, take place June 4–7, 2025. Gustavo Dudamel leads the series for the first time. Dudamel conducts the NY Phil in four free outdoor concerts at the Great Lawn in Central Park, Manhattan (June 4); Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx (June 5); Prospect Park, Brooklyn (June 6); and Cunningham Park, Queens (June 7); program to be announced. These performances begin at 8:00 p.m. and conclude with fireworks. (Following the Concerts in the Parks, New York Philharmonic musicians perform a free indoor concert,on June 8, at 4 p.m., at St. George Theatre in Staten Island.)
Lincoln Center’s fourth annual Summer for the City, offers hundreds of free and Choose-What-You-Pay performances and cultural activities from June 11–August 9, including performances of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center at Choose-What-You-Pay prices. (Schedule, https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city.
Public Theater’s cherished FreeShakespeare in the Park, returns to the iconic, revitalized Delacorte Theater in Central Park after a nomadic season, performing ‘Twelth Night” August 7-Sept. 14. The star-studded cast includes stars b (Antonio), Bill Camp (Sir Toby Belch), Khris Davis (Orsino), Peter Dinklage (Malvolio), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Andrew Aguecheek), Junior Nyong’o (Sebastian), Lupita Nyong’o (Viola), Sandra Oh (Olivia), Daphne RubinVega (Maria), and Moses Sumney (Feste). Famously, tickets are available for that day at distribution points in Central Park and the boros, a daily digital lottery (TodayTix), and standby line at the Delacorte. But you can get a reserved seat by becoming a Supporter Plus with a gift of $300 or more (with year-round benefits). To learn more, or to make a contribution: 212.967.7555 or visit publictheater.org, https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2425/fsitp/twelfth-night/
The Delacorte reopens in July with a full schedule of tours, special events, and performances (For a full list of reopening events, visit publictheater.org/about/forever-public.)
In June 2025, the Public Theater’s Mobile Unit will tour a new production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Rebecca Martinez, across all five boroughs. From August 28 – September 1, Public Works will present an adaptation of PERICLES, with music and lyrics by Troy Anthony and directed by Carl Cofield at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
A very different Shakespeare-in-the-park experience comes from New York Classical Theatre, which creates and reinvigorates audiences for the theater by presenting free productions of popular and forgotten classical plays in public spaces throughout the City. This season, see Shakespeare’s “All’s Well that Ends Well”. Free performances are Tuesday-Sunday, 7 pm, at Central Park (June 3-22, with special evenings June 4, Bring Your Dog Night at 6:30; Family Nights, June 12, 21, 26, July 1; Pride Night, June 20); Carl Schurz Park (June 24-29), and Battery Park (July 1-6). Tickets are free, but you need to reserve.Nyclassical.org, info@nyclassical.org.
City Parks Foundation’s 2025 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City’s iconic outdoor performing arts festival, is bringing more than 70 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 13 neighborhood parks across the five boroughs. Returning for its 39th year, the festival showcases established and emerging artists, highlighting an expansive array of talent, from diverse performances from across the globe to artists serving as curators to iconic DJs showcasing cultural sonic journeys and features a multitude of genres including jazz, hip-hop, indie-rock, salsa, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, pop, global, contemporary dance. Performances are free and open to the public, with the exception of ticketed benefit concerts in Central Park (www.SummerStage.org).
Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America, is a free summer concert series May 30-Sept. 13 featuring music, dance, theater performances and movie screenings offering a diverse lineup of artists and performances from NYC cultural institutions (https://bryantpark.org/activities/picnic-performances)
Highlights:
New York City Opera (June 26 & 27, Opera Goes to Hollywood; Sept. 4, 5, Carmen)
Contemporary Dance (June 5-Limon Dance Company; June 6, 13; )
The High Line isn’t only one of the city’s most enchanting places – an elevated garden trail lined with art installations that zigs and zags amid modern windowed high rises – it is also an open-air theater, music and events venue (Star Gazing, Vinyl Nights, docent-led High Line Tour), throughout the year. A perpetual “happening.” (https://www.thehighline.org/art/performances/) or doNYC
Hudson River Park turns its four-mile riverfront into a cultural mecca with hundreds of free and exciting events, from sunset dance parties and live music to hands-on science and waterfront workouts. Expanded offerings this summer include six nights of Broadway-caliber performances with Broadway By The Boardwalk at Clinton Cove, and the debut of Science After Dark, a new series that invites curious adults to explore local ecology and learn from experts while socializing in unique Park settings. The crowd-favorite series, Jazz at Pier 84 presents star-studded musicians bringing smooth tunes to the Park at sunset. Pier 45 offers Dance Is Life! in July hosted by The Ladies of Hip Hop. Sunset Salsa returns to Pier 76 in July with lessons led by world-renowned dancers, offering instruction to everyone, from novices to advanced dancers, followed by an open dance party. https://hudsonriverpark.org/, https://hudsonriverpark.org/the-park/piers-and-places/
Little Island is a magical place that must be experienced (really recommend you listen to the free audio tour describing its landscape design). From June through September, Little Island presents over 110 performances across dance, music, theater, dance and opera ($25 tickets at littleisland.org and https://www.todaytix.com/nyc/category/little-island). In addition, there are free concerts Wednesday-Sunday in the Glade. With over 110 performances across music, theater, dance, opera and more, it’s the ultimate outdoor stage for New York’s best artists. (Tickets, https://www.todaytix.com/nyc/category/little-island)
The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) is presenting the New York premiere of Passengers, a theater, circus and dance experience written, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® nominee Shana Carroll (Water for Elephants). Performances begin June 12 with an opening on June 15, for a limited run through June 29, 2025. Montréal’s acclaimed contemporary physical theater troupe The 7 Fingers express their hopes and dreams through an astonishing blend of cirque, music, and dance, telling human stories with superhuman skills. Poetic goodbyes. Anticipatory reunions. Fateful encounters. Each moment unfolds with breathtaking wonder and heartwarming storytelling. Performances are at PAC, 251 Fulton St. Tickets start at $30 and are available online at PACNYC.org or by calling 212-266-3000. (PAC NYC offers $30 ticket savings programs for audiences under 30, responders and educators. Student discounts of up to 50% are also available.)
No surprise that in response to overwhelming demand, the Anne Frank House is extending its world premiere presentation of Anne Frank The Exhibition at the Center for Jewish History in New York City through October 31, 2025. Originally scheduled for just three months, tickets sold out within one week of opening on January 27, 2025, demonstrating the demand for this extraordinary experience. Anne Frank The Exhibition is the first time the Anne Frank House presents a pioneering experience outside of Amsterdam to immerse visitors in a full-scale recreation of the Annex rooms, fully furnished (unlike Amsterdam), where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and four other Jews spent two years hiding to evade Nazi capture. Four exhibition galleries immerse visitors in place and history through video, sound, photography and animation; and more than 100 original collection items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Anne Frank The Exhibition shows Anne Frank not as a victim but through the multifaceted lens of her life—as a girl, a writer, and a symbol of resilience and strength. This is a story inspired by one of the most translated books in the world. Timed entry tickets are available at AnneFrankExhibit.org. Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, N.Y. between 5th and 6th Avenues, https://goingplacesfarandnear.com/landmark-anne-frank-the-exhibition-in-nyc-personalizes-holocaust-as-never-before/
Opening June 13, The New York Historical highlights the intersection of politics, art, and culture that shaped America’s Red Scare in Blacklisted: An American Story, on view June 13-October 19, 2025 (credit: Civil Rights Congress, America’s “Thought Police”: Record of the Un-American Activities Committee, 1947. Courtesy of the Unger Family)
The New York Historical’s newest exhibit, Blacklisted: An American Story, an Exhibition Examining the Red Scare, the Hollywood Blacklist, and Its Impact on American Culture, on view June 13 – October 19. Blacklisted captures the tensions of the domestic Cold War, revealing how global politics infiltrated America’s entertainment industry in the late 1940s and 50s through a government crackdown on artistic expression. New York’s first museum, New York Historical (formerly New-York Historical Society) is a leading cultural institution covering 400 years of American history. A museum of museums and a collection of collections (the Tiffany lamps are exquisite), it is home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West (77th Street), New York, NY 10024, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org.
The American Museum of Natural History is presenting Apex: The Largest Stegosaurus Ever Discovered, one of the largest and most complete stegosaurus fossils ever found, a 150-million year old stegosaurus measuring 27 feet long and 11.5 feet tall, discovered in Dinosaur, Colorado, through 2028. A destination that takes you to other worlds, Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History offers fabulous innovative exhibitions. Admission by timed entry, reserved online. Open daily, 10 am–5:30 pm. American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, 212-769-5606, amnh.org.
If Summer in the City starts with the Museum Mile Festival, for me, it finishes with the US Open Tennis Championships, the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. The tournament dates back to 1881, and since 1978, the tournament has found its home at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens’ Flushing Meadows Corona Park, a magnet for the best tennis talent worldwide .The tournament takes place August 24–September 7. Insiders tip: the week before, it is free to watch the thrilling play of the qualifiers’ tournament, and see the tennis stars practice. (usopen.org, https://tickets-center.com/search/US-Open-Tennis-tickets/)
For more to do and see in New York City, including information on free museums and exhibits and walking tours and arts and entertainment on a budget, visit nyctourism.com.
Universal’s Epic Universe, Orlando, is opening May 22 (photo: Universal Orlando Resort).
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Families are gearing up for trips to attractions from world-famous theme parks to local treasures. With shifts in consumer confidence, economic factors, and the general climate for travel, here are tips for saving and getting the most for your time and money and discovering memorable experiences.
“Summer is the perfect time for families to explore a variety of attractions, from world-class theme parks to hidden gems. Plan ahead, take advantage of special promotions, and consider weekday visits for a more relaxed experience,” advises Jakob Wahl, CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). “Whether you’re seeking thrills, interactive museums, or refreshing water parks, there’s something for everyone this season.”
The outlook for attractions in 2025 is strong, headlined by the much-anticipated opening of Universal’s Epic Universe in Orlando and many other investments in attractions and parks around the country. While large-scale themed entertainment and immersive experiences continue to captivate audiences, there is also growing demand for more budget-friendly options. Family entertainment centers, science centers, aquariums, and museums are becoming increasingly popular as affordable alternatives for family summer fun. Additionally, we’re seeing a surge in interest for interactive attractions, seasonal events, and family-friendly entertainment, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy, he says.
Among the trends is a strong interest in smaller, regional attractions. “With shifts in consumer confidence and economic factors, many families are looking for experiences closer to home that offer great value and immersive entertainment. Attractions such as family entertainment centers, aquariums, and science museums are capitalizing on this trend by introducing special pricing, seasonal events, and interactive exhibits that appeal to a broad audience. This growing focus on affordability and accessibility is helping drive attendance and engagement across the industry.”
Here are more of Wahl’s tips and recommendations:
Money-Saving Tips: Planning ahead is the best way to save money. Booking tickets online, taking advantage of bundled packages, and visiting during off-peak seasons can lead to significant savings. Many parks also offer discounted evening tickets or multi-day passes that provide better value. Guests should also explore dining plans and bring their own essentials, like water bottles and rain ponchos, to avoid extra expenses. Loyalty programs and annual passes can be a great investment for those who visit frequently.
[Here’s another tip: many local and regional attractions offer annual membership passes that pay for themselves with just two visits, and in some cases include free or discounted admission to other partner attractions. For example: The annual family membership to the Museum of Science and Technology (MiSci) in Schenectady, NY includes six guest passes plus free or reduced admission to 300 museums and science centers nationwide through the ASTC Passport Program and the Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program. An annual membership to the New York’s Wilderness Conservation Society provides admission (and many other benefits) to the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium (wcs.org). Also some attractions let you return the next day on the same ticket, offer multi-day tickets or tickets that provide admission to multiple area attractions. Also consider the various multi-day city-passes that bundle attractions.]
The New York Historical is part of The Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program which brings together museums, art galleries, historic sites, and other great institutions from across New York State to share the benefits of membership. When you join one, your benefits extend to all. The New York Historical highlights the intersection of politics, art, and culture that shaped America’s Red Scare in Blacklisted: An American Story, on view June 13-October 19, 2025 (credit: Civil Rights Congress, America’s “Thought Police”: Record of the Un-American Activities Committee, 1947. Courtesy of the Unger Family)
Best Times to Visit: The best way to avoid crowds, enhance your experience and save money is to plan visits during off-peak times. Weekdays, especially Tuesdays through Thursdays, tend to be less busy than weekends. For seasonal attractions, early spring and late fall often offer fewer crowds and more pleasant weather. Arriving early in the day or later in the afternoon is also a way to enjoy popular rides with shorter wait times.
Smart Ticketing & Shorter Lines: Many theme parks now offer online reservations, mobile ticketing, and virtual queue systems, so you can secure your spots ahead of time. Purchase tickets in advance and take advantage of early entry programs when available. Express passes or skip-the-line options can be worth the added expense to maximize your day, particularly during peak seasons. Also, start your visit to the park from the back because most guests start getting on lines for the rides in the front of the park. Also, visit the most popular, busy rides during the peak lunch hour, when lines may be shorter.
[Another tip: When visiting destinations in the USA and abroad, check out whether there are city passes that provide admissions and entry to a score of attractions, experiences and tours. You can pre-purchase a city-sightseeing pass that provides admissions to the most popular attractions and experiences in cities like Prague (PragueCoolPass.com); Paris (parispass.com); Amsterdam (iamamsterdam.com); Berlin (citypasses.eu); Dresden (getyourguide.com). The added advantage is that the passes help organize the itinerary, provide info on hours, exhibits, save the time of waiting on line and the anxiety of being shut out and even save money over purchasing admissions individually. Go City sells passes in 25 destinations from major metropolises like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Singapore, London and New York to oceanfront oases like Sydney and Oahu – 1,500 attractions, tours, and activities worldwide, saving money over purchasing individual tickets, connected on your smart phone (GoCity.com, 800 887 9103). CityPass (https://www.citypass.com/) has pass programs in numerous US cities and Toronto. like the Paris Pass, Prague Cool Pass.]
Maximizing the Experience: At themeparks, planning ahead is key. Prioritize must-visit attractions, download themepark apps for real-time updates, and take advantage of mobile ordering for food to save time. For families, incorporating a mix of thrill rides, entertainment, and downtime ensures everyone stays engaged and energized. Taking breaks in shaded or indoor areas and staying hydrated can also help extend the fun throughout the day.
Staying Safe & Comfortable: Staying hydrated and wearing comfortable clothing and shoes are essential for an enjoyable visit. Bring refillable water bottles, wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and dress in layers for changing weather conditions. Have a light, foldable rain poncho. Many parks now offer shaded rest areas, cooling stations, and even heat-tracking technology to help visitors stay comfortable. Additionally, being mindful of personal health and recognizing when to take breaks can make a significant difference in the overall experience.
Special Events & Milestones: This year is filled with exciting anniversaries and celebrations across the attractions industry. Dollywood is marking its 40th anniversary with special events and limited-time experiences, while Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, celebrates 50 years of innovation and growth as a family-run destination. Many parks are also expanding their seasonal offerings, from immersive Halloween and holiday celebrations to vibrant food festivals that highlight both local and international flavors.
Trends Shaping Visitor Experiences: Families are increasingly drawn to parks and experiences that bring beloved characters and stories to life. A great example is the expansion of Peppa Pig Theme Parks, which cater specifically to younger audiences by offering immersive, character-driven attractions beyond traditional theme park experiences. These parks create an emotional connection with guests, making visits more engaging and memorable for families.
Another key trend is the evolution of on-site accommodations. Parks are expanding beyond a day-trip experience by providing themed lodging that enhances the overall visit. Silver Dollar City’splans for the new Heartland Lodge & Campground is a prime example, giving guests the opportunity to stay immersed in the park’s special atmosphere while enjoying added convenience and exclusive experiences.
This season brings a wave of groundbreaking attractions, from next-generation roller coasters to immersive themed lands. Among the highlights: Universal Epic Universe in Orlando, new family areas for Kentucky Kingdom and Lagoon Amusement Park, new roller coasters for Lost Island Theme Park, Six Flags over Georgia, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags New England, and Six Flags Great America and unique Tilt Coasters for Cedar Point and the new Cotaland Park. Water parks are also unveiling innovative slides and experiences, such as Columbus Zoo, the new Okana Resort in Oklahoma, the new Bavarian Blast Indoor Waterpark and new Great Wolf Lodges in Foxwood and in Florida, keeping up with the growing demand for year-round aquatic fun.
Here’s what’s happening at some of the most popular themepark attractions:
Universal Epic Universe, opening May 22, promises to be one of the most immersive and innovative theme parks ever created. With a total of more than 50 experiences that range from groundbreaking attractions to captivating entertainment to themed dining and shopping, guests explore five astounding worlds: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk and Dark Universe.
Universal Orlando Resort has launched a variety of products to help guests maximize their visit including theme park upgrades like Universal Express (to bypass lines), VIP Experiences, My Universal Photos, and bookings for Dark Universe’s Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience.
In addition to a 1-Day Universal Express Pass valid at Epic Universe, guests can also purchase a multi-day Universal Express Pass valid at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, and one-day at Epic Universe. (For information and to purchase upgrades, visit www.universalorlando.com/epicuniverse.
Additionally, Universal is enhancing seasonal events and themed experiences across its parks worldwide.
A major addition this year is Universal Horror Unleashed, a year-round horror-themed attraction set to open in Las Vegas in August 2025. This marks Universal’s first permanent horror experience, catering to the growing demand for horror-based attractions and expanding on the success of Halloween Horror Nights.
Universal Studios Hollywood is offering its Buy A Day, Get A 2nd Day Free ticket online through August 13, 2025 which allows returning for a second day free on select dates, with all visits completed on or before December 17, 2025.
As part of its evolution, Disney is bringing new attractions and entertainment to its parks, including:
A reimagined Test Track at EPCOT, set to offer a fresh take on the classic attraction.
A brand-new Little Mermaid musical at Hollywood Studios, bringing the beloved story to life in an engaging new format.
An all-new parade in Walt Disney World, adding to the lineup of must-see entertainment.
The Zootopia 4D movie experience, coming to Walt Disney World, immersing guests in the world of the hit animated film.
Walt Disney Company is undertaking a $30 billion, multi-year expansion of its theme parks and cruise line. This includes:
Disney’s expansion of its theme parks includes the largest-ever addition to Magic Kingdom, featuring new areas inspired by the movie “Cars.”
Disney currently has seven ships in development, doubling the capacity of its cruise line business.
“We have more [projects] being designed, developed, and built today than at any other point in the 70 years we’ve been in the theme park business,” CEO Bob Iger stated.
Six Flags
Six Flags has expanded food and beverage offerings, enhanced park theming, and cutting-edge ride experiences. Popular seasonal events like WinterFest and Holiday in the Park will also return,
Georgia Gold Rusher (Six Flags Over Georgia) – A spinning splash coaster that enhances the park’s storytelling and guest experience.
Seven new roller coasters debuting in 2025, reinforcing Six Flags’ reputation for coaster innovation.
All-Park Passport Add-On Launching in 2025, this pass allows unlimited access to all 42 amusement and water parks in the Six Flags portfolio, offering unmatched flexibility and value.
Expanded dining & beverage options across all parks, featuring new signature menu items and upgraded facilities.
2025 Season Passes are now available at the lowest price of the year to lock in a full year of thrills, entertainment, and seasonal celebrations.
Renowned for its world-class coasters and immersive animal encounters, Busch Gardens continues to evolve with thrilling new attractions and captivating guest experiences including:
The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge Busch Gardens Williamsburg (2025)
An all-new immersive experience coming to the park’s Jungala area, featuring:
Tree Top Drop – A 35-foot drop tower with dynamic multimedia jungle scenes.
The Habitat Hideaway – A playful retreat for guests to explore.
The Canopy Climb – An elevated adventure through lush treetops.
The Rainforest Quest – A thrilling journey through exotic landscapes.
The Enchanted Falls – A serene yet exhilarating water attraction.
Hershey Park
Hersheypark is adding the Twizzlers Twisted Gravity giant swing this summer (photo provided by Hersheypark)
Hershey Park continues to expand its thrill ride lineup and immersive dining experiences while focusing on guest comfort and entertainment.
Coming Summer 2025: Twizzlers Twisted Gravity giant swing. The high-thrill pendulum attraction will be thetallest Screamin’ Swing in the world when it opens – a giant swing ride reaching 137 feet, with speeds of 68 MPH and zero-G moments that defy gravity and provide breathtaking views of the park.
Hersheypark offers aone-price admission with three sweet experiences featuring more than 70 rides and attractions, weather and maintenance permitting, including the most coasters in the Northeast with 15; The Boardwalk At Hersheypark water park (open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend) with one million gallons of water among 16 water attractions; and ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, an 11-acre walk-through zoo included with admission only by entering through the Hersheypark bridge during posted Park hours.
Save on tickets and Season Passes when purchasing them online. All tickets include the Preview Plan program (an incredible value unique to Hershey), which allows guests to enjoy two free hours of extra fun before closing on a night before their full-day visit if Hersheypark is open the preceding day. Hersheypark also offers ticket add-ons that allow guests to save on parking, dining and drinks and get to the thrills faster with the Fast Track program. Visit Hersheypark.com/tickets-and-passes to view the current offers.
New York State is loaded with amusement parks – some historical and world renowned, like Coney Island in Brooklyn. The editors at ILoveNY.com blog (https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/amusements/amusement-parks/) zone in on these: Hudson Valley is home to the largest LEGOLAND theme park in the world, with seven lands to explore, 50 rides, shows, seasonal events, and attractions on 150 acres. Six Flags Darien Lake, outside of Buffalo, is a hot-spot for all forms of entertainment, offering thrills like the Blast Off tower that simulates a NASA launch, a waterfront boardwalk, light shows, and concerts.
Seabreeze Park is the fourth oldest amusement park in America with more than 70 attractions, including a full water park, near the breezy shores of Lake Ontario. By Chautauqua Lake, Midway State Park is a treasure trove of kid-friendly rides, games, and lakeside views. Sylvan Beach Amusement Park on Lake Oneida has all the favorites from bumper-cars to spinning teacups. Brave the pulse-pounding roller coasters and water rides at Six Flags Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom near Lake George. While you’re in the Adirondacks, visit Santa’s Workshop Amusement Park where the magic of the North Pole lives year-round. Rye Playland in the Hudson Valley and Adventureland on Long Island reflect the charm and enchantment of classic theme parks.
(See more at https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/the-top-amusement-and-water-parks-in-new-york-state/)
Still looking to trade a ho-hum summer vacation for a memorable adventure? Here are some ideas:
“No Passport” Adventures: 2025 Travel Trend
“No-Passport Vacations” are hot this summer, with American travelers eager to explore incredible destinations right here in the United States. Recent reports show a surge in domestic travel, with 60% of people wanting to see more of their own country.
Here are 10 unforgettable “No-Passport” adventures, from backcountry biking to horseback riding and chasing the Northern Lights (but don’t forget your Real I.D.):
Backcountry Biking in Utah: The Aquarius Trail Hut System offers a backcountry mountain biking experience like no other in the region. A system of five huts furnished with beds, a bathroom, a fully stocked kitchen and solar power has been strategically placed along a 190-mile route through some of Utah’s most scenic backcountry and best mountain biking trails. https://aquariustrail.com/
American Road Trip 2.0: Nothing is more rejuvenating than jumping in your car and heading out on an American road trip, and AdventureGenie is the world’s first AI-powered, end-to-end system for planning one. It offers the most immersive, innovative and intelligent adventure travel planning tools available. Whether starting from a curated GenieTrip or creating a fully customized and personalized journey from your own ideas, AdventureGenie has you covered. https://adventuregenie.com/
Alaska Lodge Adventure: Discover the rugged beauty of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska on a guided five-day trip with Adventure Life that combines outdoor exploration with lodge-based comfort. Tour Kennicott Town and learn about its mining history, hike to a hidden lake or across a glacier, try ice climbing, fly into the backcountry for a day of wilderness exploration, and paddle a packraft through pristine waters. https://www.adventure-life.com/alaska/tours/18770/wrangell-st-elias-national-park-lodge-based-adventure
No passport needed: Escape Adventures is offering a family-friendly, five-day camping and mountain bike adventure in Grand Canyon National Park that includes riding singletrack to Monument Point, hiking into the canyon on backcountry trails, pedaling across the Kaibab Plateau and conquering the Rainbow Rim trail before descending to Indian Hollow.
North Rim of Grand Canyon: Providing gently rolling terrain of lung-expanding dimensions, the North Rim has been long-held as sacred ground to hikers and cyclists alike. Escape Adventures is offering a family-friendly, five-day camping and mountain bike adventure that includes riding singletrack to Monument Point, hiking into the canyon on backcountry trails, pedaling across the Kaibab Plateau and conquering the Rainbow Rim trail before descending to Indian Hollow. https://escapeadventures.com/tour/grand-canyon-north-rim-mountain-bike-tour/
Yellowstone Fly Fishing: Take an expertly guided float down the Yellowstone River on one of Flying Pig Adventures’ custom rafts while you enjoy the spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and world-class fly fishing. Just outside Yellowstone National Park, the upper stretches of the river are lightly fished, but hold large numbers of native cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. Private access to the river allows guides to take guests where the fish are without fighting the crowds. https://www.flyingpigrafting.com/yellowstone-fly-fishing
Wine Country Weekend: North of San Francisco, the winding Russian River meets the dramatic Pacific coastline, shaping if not sheltering a world all its own. Escape Adventures offers an idyllic three-day road biking tour in this romantic landscape, quilted with a colorful patchwork of old growth redwoods, fruitful vineyards, historic towns and beautiful gardens.https://escapeadventures.com/tour/napa-valley-weekend-road-bike-tour/
Cowboy Up in Montana: Settle in at the Circle Bar Ranch in central Montana for horseback riding and other classic dude ranch adventures. On the ranch’s 520 acres and nearby national forest land, ride a trusty steed through open prairies, across the Judith River or up a ridge for a breakfast cookout, go hiking, try fly fishing, sport shooting or archery, or tour a Yogo sapphire mine by UTV. At the end of the day, enjoy traditional ranch recipes and locally inspired dishes, and cozy accommodations in a historic cabin, the lodge or Ranch House. https://www.circlebarranch.com/
Jackson Hole Tiny House: Fireside Jackson Hole redefines the traditional vacation with its collection of sustainably built, LEED-certified luxury cabins. Experience the intimacy of a boutique hotel and ambiance of a private residence, set within the atmosphere of a wooded campground – all moments away from the majesty of Grand Teton National Park. https://www.firesidejacksonhole.com
Alaska Northern Lights: On Gondwana Ecotours’ Alaska Northern Lights Adventure, guests will get a dose of local culture by day and photograph the Aurora Borealis at night. Highlights of the tour include dogsledding through snowy forests, taking curling lessons from locals, enjoying a meal with homesteaders, soaking in a geothermal hot spring, learning how to photograph the Aurora Borealis, snowshoeing on private land, having tea with a family of reindeer herders and more. https://www.gondwanaecotours.com/adventure-tours/northern-lights-tour-fairbanks-alaska/
Big Sky Summer: In Big Sky, Montana, The Wilson Hotel serves as a basecamp for summer adventures on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Hike through shaded forests and wildflower-filled meadows, raft or fly fish the clear waters of the Gallatin River, experience the adrenaline rush of lift-served mountain biking, and explore the natural wonders and wildlife of the park. Afterward, enjoy Montana fare at the upscale yet casual Block 3 Kitchen & Bar on site or burgers, sandwiches and entertainment at Tips Up. https://thewilsonhotel.com/
The famed adventure retailer now offers inclusive multi-day guided outdoor adventures in Maine. Among them:
Maine Island Lighthouse Birding Trip: Discover a birder’s paradise on a small Maine island, where you’ll rack up sightings during peak migration and spend three cozy nights in a renovated light keeper’s house.
Maine Coastal Inn Kayak ing Trip: Experience the classic coastal Maine combo: an island-hopping kayak adventure in Casco Bay, complete with a memorable stay in an historic seaside inn.
Allagash River Canoe Trip: Paddle through history on this iconic Maine canoe trail, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that leads you through the unspoiled nature of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
Maine Island Kayak Camping Trip; Spend your days touring picturesque islands, your nights camping under the stars, and every moment enjoying the unmatched beauty of the Maine coast.
Backroads Travel: Summer in Europe—There’s Still Time!
Backroads Travel has a special site dedicated to last minute trips taking off in the next two months. When we checked, there were 24 on the list including:
Denmark Islands Bike Tour of charming harbors, medieval villages and fairy tale castles.
Scotland & England Bike Tour, Edinburgh to the Yorkshire Dales
A new multi-adventure to Bavaria, Tyrolean Alps and the Dolomites Tour, featuring ”peak experiences” in Germany, Austria and Italy
A Basque Country Multi-Adventure Tour, Bibao to San Sebastian and Biarritz
Cinque Terre & Tuscany Walking & Hiking Tour, featuring coastal Italy’s seaside charm and Tuscan villages.
Italian & Swiss Alps Walking & Hiking Tour, Monte Rosa to the Matterhorn and Zermatt.
As an independent, family-owned company, CroisiEurope, one of the leading river cruise companies in Europe, has accepted the challenge of planning a holiday that delights every generation. Children crave excitement and adventure, while parents and grandparents seek culture, fine dining, and relaxation. Affordability is also a key issue. The company has designed a series of CroisiFamily and Multi-Generational Cruises to bring families together on unforgettable journeys along the water, with an ideal balance of fun, discovery, and relaxation, and a value proposition.
The CroisiFamily deals include a free or discounted cruise for children up to 16, waived solo supplement, adjacent cabins for family members, adapted menus, the Multi-Generational Offer comes with a 20% discount for 2nd generation and free cruise for the 3rd generation up to 16 years old.
Among the family cruise offerings:
Rhine in the heart of the Black Forest (5 nights: Strasbourg, Rudesheim, Koblenz, Mainz, Rastatt, Strasbourg, featuring a day excursion at Europa-Park, the “world’s best theme park: for the 8th consecutive year, or at Rulantica, a Scandinavian-style water park.
Portugal to Spain: the Douro Valley and Salamanca (7 nights: Porto, Regua, Vega de Terron, Salamanca, Barca d’Alva, Ferradosa, Pinhão, Porto)Andalusia: tradition, gastronomy and flamenco (7 nights: Sevilla, Córdoba, Cadiz, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Isla Minima, Granada, Sevilla)
The Adriatic’s Treasures for the whole Family: Croatia & Montenegro (7 nights: Dubrovnik, Mljet, Korcula, Sibenick, Trogir, Split, Hvar, Vis, Kotor, Dubrovnik)
CroisiEurope has just come out with a list of summer cruises it is offering at 20 to 40% off the fare, or no supplement for solo cruisers. These include:
Coastal Cruises: Croatia & Montenegro, 7-nights; Splendors of the Northern Adriatic Sea, 7 nights;
France: From Lyon to the tip of Provence, 6 nights; All the must-see sites on the Rhone between Lyon, Provence, and Camargue, 6 nights; Cruise through the Aquitaine Region from Bordeaux to Ryan, 6 nights;
Northern and Central Europe: Best of the Netherlands, 5 nights; Prague, Dresden and the Castles of Bohemia, 6 nights; The Beautiful Blue Danube, 7 nights; Discover the greatest cities along the Danube, 5 nights;
Mission-driven experiential travel company, Global Family Travels, is dedicated to providing authentic community-based Learn, Serve and Immerse travel experiences as means to foster cross-cultural understanding, destination stewardship and better global citizens.
A Global Family homestay in India (photo: Global Family Travels)
“In partnership with community organizations and nonprofits, we apply regenerative tourism principles to develop community-based travel experiences which address environmental and societal challenges in the destinations we work in,” says founder Jennifer Spatz. “Our ultimate vision is to unite humanity and nature, and inspire travelers to take responsibility for the challenges and opportunities facing our increasingly inter-connected planet” – a very innovative idea when the company launched 15 years ago.
“Long before ‘regenerative travel’ was in vocabulary, we put the destination’s needs at the heart of the tourism experience – what locals concerned about.” She designs itineraries around the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and partners with nonprofits, community based organizations.
“Responsible, respective travel means more authentic engagement and collaboration with local communities,” she said. “We do due diligence to choose carefully which NGOs [non-governmental organizations] to support.”
Family & Custom Travel Experiences: Purpose-driven trips rooted to Learn, Serve & Immerse, tailored for families (in most cases, itineraries accommodate children as young as 8) and private groups, designed to foster cultural understanding and global citizenship. These immersive journeys often include community engagement, hands-on service learning, and meaningful community interactions.
Global Family Travels’ “farm stay and play” trip in Ecuador (photo: Global Family Travels)
I am eyeing Global Family Travels’ family-friendly trips to Costa Rica. “Few destinations offer the fascinating abundance of this coastal country, both from a family friendly and an eco-tourism perspective. Costa Rica hosts more than 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity even though its landmass only takes up .03% of the Earth’s surface. The entire country is smaller than Lake Michigan. Meaning, it’s a place where travelers can easily see and experience a great deal during a visit.” The trips are tailored to offer a mix of cultural activities and participation in local service projects aimed at helping local conservation initiatives and improving the lives of people in the communities visited. (https://www.globalfamilytravels.com/post/costa-rica-conservation-learning-family-adventures)
Other popular programs:
Panama: participate in sea turtle conservation, cultural activities, marine ecosystems, and community based solutions
Peru: learning from Quechua elders and farmers, focus on traditional agriculture, environmental stewardship.
Educational Student Travel Programs: Transformative learning journeys for schools, universities, and youth groups that integrate academic themes with real-world experiences—ranging from climate action and biodiversity to cultural heritage and social justice.
Another category, geared more to adults is Wellness & Retreat Travel: Mindful retreats that combine yoga, healing practices, and connection to nature, designed to nurture personal growth and spiritual renewal. Popular destinations include Ladakh, Peru, and the Pacific Northwest.
In addition to scheduled programs, Global Family Travels offer: Family GAP Year and Extended Travel Planning – planning an extended journey filled with cultural immersion experiences.
Travel Advisor Services: custom trip planning for families, multi-generational travel, individual adventurers, or spiritual seekers.
Destinations run A-Z, from: Africa, Bali, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Chile, China,Costa Rica,Cuba,Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Ladakh, Mexico, Rwanda, Scotland, Thailand,Vietnam, Zimbabwe.
Join an Earthwatch Expedition to Assist Climate Researchers
Earthwatch is another company that offers programs that turn a summer vacation into a meaningful, impactful experience. It is one of the first companies that enables “citizen scientists” to join actual climate and environmental protection and conservation research projects.
“Since its founding in 1971, Earthwatch has been taking action to address global change through a time-tested model of citizen science and community engagement. By pairing volunteers from all sectors of society with researchers around the world, Earthwatch teams have helped to safeguard critical habitats, conserve biodiversity, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.”
Earthwatch is working in nearly 30 countries and currently supporting more than 40 research projects globally
Long Island is getting ready for its prime tourism season but with a set of unanticipated challenges: the virtual boycott by Canadian visitors, antagonism of Europeans, and Americans’ economic anxiety. This is where a professional tourism marketing organization rises to the fore, but this year, Discover Long Island will soldier on without Kristen Reynolds, CDME, who for the past 10 years has lead and reshaped it. (The organization has just appointed the current Board Chair Mitch Pally as Interim President & CEO as a search is underway for a new president and CEO.)
I’m betting that most Long Islanders do not understand the importance tourism plays in our economy and quality of life, and I am certain most do not understand what Discover Long Island does.
“It’s always a challenge to educate locals why tourism matters,” Reynolds said in a telephone interview just before her final day, April 25. “It’s not just about bragging. It’s about the economy. Long Island in particular has challenges understanding the true value to every resident. We’re lucky – our proximity to New York City, incredible beach locations insure the island will be busy during summer weekends.”
It helps having two major airports, Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia, feeding into the region. Now MacArthur Airport in Islip is growing as well, giving Long Islanders to get to Florida in a hurry.” Discover Long Island’s task is to ”change the direction” and entice travelers to take advantage of the new routes to come to Long Island.
“We’re working closely, making strides to bring people in, as opposed to out – especially the international visitors who come through JFK. As a destination, we are lucky to have that feeder market – people don’t realize tourism is an economic strategy.” Most Long Islanders view tourists as a burden, overcrowding their beaches in summer. The task for DLI is to attract visitors “not just over summer weekends when the weather is good. There is so much to see and do across Long Island-, sea to sea, shore to shore. We want to welcome people when we want, so it would be more of a year-round strategy, and not such a burden on locals.”
Tourism is a $7.5 billion industry on Long Island – bringing 42 million visitors a year and supporting 76,000 jobs– and this is without a convention center, which Reynolds says is both the initiative she is most proud of bringing to the fore and most disappointed to be leaving unfinished.
Consider this: Chicago, where Reynolds will become the CEO and president of Choose Chicago (Discover Long Island’s counterpart) gets 52 million visitors a year with largest convention center in North America; her mission will be to develop more tourist traffic.
For Long Island residents, that $7.5 billion in visitor spending means $900 million in local and state tax revenues a year – paying for the public services, roads and infrastructure that contribute to Long Islanders’ quality of life. Visitor ticket and other purchases help sustain cherished sites as Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Cradle of Aviation Museum, the Long Island Aquarium, Montauk Point Lighthouse, Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, and Old Westbury Gardens for all of us.
Discover Long Island works with more than 660 tourism and hospitality partners across the region to promote Long Island as a premier year-round destination. These partners span every sector of the industry – from hotels and restaurants to cultural institutions, vineyards, attractions, transportation providers, and more, all collaborating to create a unified and impactful visitor experience.
“Tourism plays a vital role in sustaining cultural institutions like ours by bringing in visitors whose support helps keep our exhibits, marine life programs, and conservation efforts thriving,” said Executive Director of the Long Island Aquarium, Bryan DeLuca. “We are grateful for our partnership with Discover Long Island in helping make those visitor connections possible and consistently shining a spotlight on all our region has to offer.”
Tourism is a huge business for Long Island, but still all too seasonal and dependent upon leisure tourists. The task for a professional tourism marketing enterprise is to spread those visitors and visitor dollars around – something that was particularly attractive to Chicago in hiring her.
Over the past 10 years, she helped increase that tourism dollar spend by $2 billion from 2015’s $5.3 billion.“[Chicago was] very excited about what we’ve done over 10 years.”
But for the past year, those figures do not include Nassau County, since Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman pulled Nassau out of Discover Long Island and handed the $1 million per year contract to promote tourism (paid out of hotel tax receipts) to RRDA, a brand marketer with no tourism promotion experience. Instead, Nassau County attractions, hotels and restaurants have had to pay their own way to continue to benefit from Discover Long Island’s promotional activities.
“So many Nassau major attractions have opted to pay directly – they understand the value of Discover Long Island, the importance of being able to promote to a global audience, bringing visitors from outside the region, so they pay out of their own budgets,” Reynolds said.
Attractions that have opted to pay to stay part of Discover Long Island include the UBS Arena, Old Westbury Gardens, WildPlay at Jones Beach, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, the Children’s Museum, and Cradle of Aviation Museum.
Reynolds noted that individual attractions always paid, but now they must pay a higher fee than Suffolk County attractions pay. Indeed, Suffolk County now funds Discover Long Island $6 million (raised from its hotel tax receipts), up from $2 million while Nassau County only paid $1 million.
The money for tourism promotion does not come from county taxes but from the county’s hotel-motel tax, so is literally paid by the visitors that Discover Long Island drive into the hotels. Nassau had allocated 16.7% of its 3% hotel tax, while Suffolk allocated 24%. Suffolk has since raised its hotel tax to 5.5% and kept its allocation to Discover Long Island at 24%, capping the amount at $6 million.
How does Discover Long Island decide where and how to allocate that funding?
“We are a very data driven organization. We subscribe to proprietary data research which use mobile geo locators, tracking cell phone data…We have over 200 points of interest of Long Island attractions, business, and hotels across the island that we can pull reports on – that tell us the origin markets. We know where, when, and what travelers visit. It really helps us make strategic decisions that let us utilize dollars wisely for the highest return.”
She added, “I always have data – I don’t just make decisions based on gut or even historical expertise. I like to back that up with data and numbers and real reasoning. Everything we do, we do strategically. And then we track it, measure every campaign on what the ROI was, we track every dollar spent and how much we got back. We track everything. As a not-for-profit, we have to justify every dollar spent. And we’re happy to do that.”
She noted, “A key thing for Long Islanders to understand – as a report from Comptroller Dinapoli last year validates – the biggest economic impact from tourism is when the visitor comes from outside the region. For every $100 spent at a hotel, the visitor spends $221 in the local community. When we get people to stay in hotels, there is greater economic impact and lesser impact on residents’ quality of life – the fewer day trips, the less car traffic. It is an important strategy to make sure we know what markets [to pursue] for the largest economic impact for residents and visitors.”
And business travelers – especially convention and meetings participants – spend the most, with the least negative impact – a difficult task for Discover LI without an actual convention center and hotels large enough to accommodate big groups.
“This is the only market where people can attend a convention equidistant from the heart of Manhattan and the Hamptons. A convention center would be a game changer. I am confident it would happen.” So far, Suffolk County has been the most receptive, with plans to move forward with “Midway Crossing” at Ronkonkoma, next to MacArthur Airport. An RFP has just been reissued.
“It’s the #1 thing that will change the trajectory of our tourism industry. Right now, we are mostly a leisure destination, and depend on weather, weekends, beaches, but the business traveler would come Monday-to Friday, on expense accounts, year-round. A convention center would host 3000-5000 attendees, in industries that will be looking at what’s happening here in tech, science, education. How we raise the intellectual capital of a destination is by bringing 3000-5000 colleagues. Conventions book years in advance, so it is business on the books. And that’s how we drive airlift at Long Island’s MacArthur Airport. We would get new direct routes. Conventions are a completely different audience that we are not tapping into now because we don’t have the meeting space or the hotels.”
Long Island could then tap into meetings, conventions, associations business from DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and NYC. The economic impact a convention center would generate is estimated upward of $88 million a year in tax revenue.
But, to host conventions and meetings, she said, “We need the hotel rooms. We’re losing that revenue to New York City. At Discover LI, we turn away business every day because they want 200-300 rooms for a corporate retreat getaway from Manhattan and we don’t have the hotel space.”
The Nassau Coliseum could have been a viable option, but Ronkonoma is a better transportation hub with the airport and the Long Island Railroad (they are now talking about Amtrak extending to Ronkonoma).
She supported the Las Vegas Sands Casino development because it is a world-class operation. (Since our conversation, the Sands announced it was pulling its application for a casino and looking to resell its lease.)
But promoting “Long Island” now, means promoting Suffolk, since Nassau County left the regional promotional organization.
“One thing we’ve struggled with and insured, is to keep the brand of ‘Long island’,” Reynolds said. “If we’re going to talk to people from outside the region, they only know us as Long Island, not two counties. Visitors don’t know the difference [not even Long islanders know what sites are in which county. Indeed, most tourism promotional agencies are regional because they can maximize the impact of their limited budgets.
“Most of the Nassau attractions still are part of what we do as Discover Long Island – but it is confusing when people call for information for certain hotels or visitor opportunities and we have to say we no longer represent Nassau County. We tell them to call the Nassau County parks department which oversees the contract. But the fact is now Nassau is in competition with Suffolk.”
[Also, people know to search for “Long Island,” but not specifically Nassau County, and when they do a search for Nassau, they wind up at Nassau, Bahamas, or Nassau, Florida.]
“We did a perception study in 2017 which confirmed, ‘Long Island’ is the brand people know. Economically, we operate as one region – all the other economic development agencies are regional – Vision LI, Association for a Better Long Island, the Long Island Association. There’s a reason: because Long Island is the brand.”
The prestigious Ryder Cup, one of the biggest events taking place, is a huge opportunity for tourism promotion, expected to draw people from all over the globe in September to Bethpage State Park. Interestingly, three of the holes are in Suffolk. [Because Bethpage is a state park, the event is benefiting from support from the state’s I Love New York tourism promotion.]
The week-long Ryder Cup is expected to draw 250,000 attendees, but because of the lack of hotel rooms on Long Island, the vast majority will stay in New York City, and come to the event by Long Island Rail Road and shuttle. Discover LI is already working with the LIRR and contracting shuttle companies.
“We’ve been working with the PGA for years in preparation for the Ryder Cup. We created a Discover LI mobile app specifically for the Ryder Cup. Many will be here for the first time, and even if they not staying on Long Island, they will use the mobile phone to find where to eat and shop from website. The app will be part of the PGA Ryder Cup app, so attendees will find Discover Long Island.”
Discover LI will also be advertising on all the LIRR trains and working with shuttle companies on “inspiration guides,” inspiring people to stay over before or after the event, or just go to a restaurant, museum, or have a Long Island experience in Suffolk, or at the Nassau County attractions that are paying their own way to be part of Discover Long island.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald publishing his era-defining novel, “Great Gatsby,” largely based on his time living in Great Neck.
Discover Long Island has been promoting the Gatsby 100th globally for a year, including partnering with the “Great Gatsby” show on Broadway and in London), with social media partnerships, and tie-ins with the Simon & Schuster publisher and Gatsby-era mansions, “to make sure people know Gatsby is Long Island.”
Places like Oheka Castle, in Huntington, the Gatsby-era mansion (now a hotel) that was featured in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 movie, “The Great Gatsby,” are reaping the benefit. Indeed, the state’s I Love New York tourism promotion agency is hosting a dinner with international travel writers at the Oheka. “That’s what they will write about: the Great Gatsby in Suffolk.”
“Discover Long Island is taking the lead to market these wonderful opportunities. People find out where to book, where to stay, through Discover Long Island.”
Successful tourism promotion depends on collaborations, partnerships. Discover Long Island works with the state’s I Love NY, which has provided a $1.7 million economic development grant and $250,000 in Market New York matching grant for the Ryder Cup.
Reynolds, who served as president of NYS Destination Marketing Organizations (NYSDMO) and on the board of the Long Island Association, knows well that tourism promotion also drives economic development.
Reynolds said that Discover Long Island incorporated an AI chatbot onto Discover LI’s website. “It had to be on brand,” so they created LILI, an iconic Long Island ice cream truck. “Now you can go to DiscoverLI.com, see LILI as a chatbot and can ask questions. We spent 6 months training her, with all sorts of crazy questions so the chatbot could learn.” Now they are making sure “she” can speak multiple languages.
When Reynolds arrived 10 years ago, she re-branded the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau & Sports Commission as Discover Long Island, “one year to the day” of her arrival.
“Nobody thought it was bad until I came. ‘Discover Long Island’ is a great call to action.”
Tourism spending increased, breaking records year over year. “We navigated through the pandemic and was one of the first destinations to recover. We won national and global awards for marketing strategies [including “Best Social Media” in the nation by the US Travel Association] and got funding for Long Island’s first convention center which will be the game changer. So over the past 10 years, I have done what I could do….I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my experience on Long Island – such an incredible destination.
Her own experience raising her family on Long island is how she came up with the tagline, “Long Island, where you belong”. “Long Island is welcoming, belonging, so diverse, eclectic end to end. It, My children are proud Long Islanders. I hope every Long Island resident realizes what a beautiful, wonderful destination we have and how lucky we are to have this wonderful tourism destination.”
“Kristen Reynolds had taken Discover Long Island to new heights and amplified its impact exponentially, and Mitch Pally’s extensive experience in economic development will serve the organization well as we search for a new leader to build upon the foundation Kristen established,” said Long Island Association President & CEO and DLI Board Member, Matt Cohen.
“Adventureland has proudly partnered with Discover Long Island for many years, and we’ve never been more confident in the organization’s future,” said Steve Gentile, President of Adventureland. “The DLI team’s commitment to collaboration, innovation, and community makes us proud to stand alongside them during this next phase.”
Marking National Travel & Tourism Week
“The numbers speak for themselves; tourism isn’t just about vacations, it’s about the community, the connections, and impact that ultimately enhances quality of life for our local businesses and residents,” said Discover Long Island Interim President & CEO, Mitch Pally. “What we do fuels the spirit of Suffolk County and the greater Long Island region, and National Travel and Tourism Week is the perfect opportunity to recognize the value of the travel industry as a whole, both locally and nationwide.”
Suffolk County, home to some of Long Island’s most iconic destinations, continues to see the benefits of Discover Long Island’s robust tourism initiatives.
“Tourism is an important part of Suffolk County’s economy and community identity,”said Suffolk County Executive, Ed Romaine. “This week and beyond, we recognize the significant contributions of the individuals and businesses who support our local tourism industry and help showcase the many attractions that make Suffolk County a sought-after place to visit year-round.”
Long Island’s tourism success is part of a larger national picture. Across the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association, travel supports 15 million American jobs, fuels $2.9 trillion in total economic output, and saves each American household an estimated $1,490 annually in taxes through travel-generated revenue.
“Travel is one of our nation’s most powerful economic engines – supporting millions of jobs, fueling businesses and propelling industries forward,”said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO, Geoff Freeman. “National Travel and Tourism Week reinforces the pivotal role travel plays in building a stronger, more prosperous America.”
