Visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi is a profound experience – revelatory, even. I had not expected to see the great liberator of Vietnam’s actual body, lighted from above. And shortly after, standing outside the Soviet-built mausoleum, I realize as we listen to our guide, Nguyen Hong Phong, that I had no actual understanding of who Ho Chi Minh was. Combing the recesses of my mind, I realize I saw Ho Chi Minh simply as the enemy and likely a brutal dictator (more like China’s Mao Tse-Tung). And even though I had lived through the Vietnam War (known here as the American War), I really hadn’t understood that either.
But here in Hanoi on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Vietnam tour, I can see how Ho Chi Minh is justifiably venerated as a hero to his people – George Washington, Lincoln and FDR rolled into one. Visiting is like a pilgrimage with rules that accord him maximum respect. We walk up the stairs into the mausoleum, and slowly walk around his actual body, lit from above, as if he is merely sleeping – the still sleeping Liberator.
Ho Chi Minh, Phong tells us, “is the most respected in Vietnam. People changed their name to Ho. He is worshipped like a god in homes. He overcame the French, Japanese, Chinese and Americans for independence and freedom. Now we live in a peaceful country because of Ho Chi Minh.”
Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum
Coming back to the front of his mausoleum (built by the Soviets), Phong relates that Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 into an educated family – his father was a Mandarin, working for a royal family. In feudal society, only men went to school and women stayed at home. He and his brother went to a French school.
He attended college in Saigon in 1911, studying culinary arts and applied to work as a cook in France. He wound up working on a ship, traveling to America, Britain, France, Russia and in 1928, went to China. Seeing the world in this way is what cultivated his revolutionary ideology and zeal to liberate Vietnam from foreign imperialists. On Feb 3 1930, he gathered party leaders and set up the Communist party.
“What he really learned was the importance of making Vietnam independent. He left Vietnam to learn enough about the French to kick them out,” Phong tells us.
He returned to Vietnam in 1941, having been away for 30 years. In 1944, Ho Chi Minh and General Japp (also a national hero) set up the Viet Minh, to resist foreign occupation by theFrench and Japanese during World War II.
When the Japanese and the French (who had occupied Vietnam since 1868, introducing Roman alphabet to replace Chinese characters the people used for 1000 years) left in 1945 at the end of World War II, on Sept 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. But after only one year, in 1946, the French attacked, forcing Ho Chi Minh into the mountains and retaking control.
“He wanted peace and agreed to divide the country in two for two years. They agreed to divide along the 17th parallel. It was supposed to be temporary. Five million people (mostly Catholic), fled south while one million southerners moved north. Then there was supposed to be national elections.”
But the US blocked the election (claiming concern for a “domino effect” of Chinese-led Communism spreading across IndoChina) and set up a puppet government in the south
When the war ended in 1975, Vietnam was united under the Communist regime.
The South Vietnamese who worked for the Americans were terrified of retribution and left (they were the “boat people”)
But Vietnam was still not at peace. China set up a new government in Cambodia that attacked South Vietnam. Fighting continued from 1979-1988.
Vietnam has only had real peace since 1988.
In 1986, the government implemented a “revision policy”: “We close the past, and look to the future,” Phong tells us. “The state still owned industry but allowed people to own their own businesses, allowed private enterprise and open markets. The rice fields were divided so you worked for yourself.”
From the mausoleum, we visit the complex where he lived – the Presidential Palace taken over from the French (Ho Chi Minh refused to live in it and only used the palace as an office and to receive dignitaries). Instead, from 1944-48 he insisted on living in a modest one-bedroom house, then moved to a house on stilts (reminiscent of where he lived with a Thai family), which again, was absolutely beautiful, but very modest.
In 1967, Ho Chi Minh became sick with lung cancer and was moved into another house, steps away from his house on stilts. This one looks camouflaged like a bunker, and was connected to underground bunker because by then, the US was bombing Hanoi. When he died in 1969, at the age of 79, the location of his body was kept secret and moved multiple times. His body was kept inside a cave until 1973, when the US left, and then asked Russia to build a complex. Until 1977, they moved his body nightly, keeping the coffin hidden underground. Peering through the windows of his homes provides a window into who Ho Chi Minh was in life.
Before we leave the complex, we visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which dates back to 1049. The French destroyed it in 1954, but the Vietnamese rebuilt it in 1955. There is a billboard that lays out the moral “do’s” and ”don’ts” of Buddhist/Confucian/Taoist society.
If I had questioned how Americans would be received in Vietnam, I soon get my answer standing in front of a monument to John McCain at the lake where McCain’s plane was shot down in 1967. McCain began six years as a prisoner in the dreaded Hoa Lo Prison, infamously known as the “Hanoi Hilton” – famously refusing to leave until his comrades were also freed. (We don’t get to visit but today it is a historic museum which has an exhibit devoted to the American prisoners, but is mostly showcasing French colonialism, see “Museum Hopping and Shopping in Hanoi”). The monument dates from 1992, when John McCain became one of the first Americans to come to Vietnam to heal relations; President Bill Clinton established relations in 1993 and helped revive Vietnam’s economy.
In December 1972, American B52s bombed Hanoi, surrounding villages and hospitals. As we look around Hanoi today, there is little evidence of that.
If Vietnamese still resent Americans you do not feel it at all. When I ask our guides about that, I am told “We are a Buddhist country. We do not look to the past; we look to the future.” If anything, though, there is still resentment between North and South Vietnamese, similar to the cultural divisions that remain between north and south since America’s civil war.
“The Vietnamese love Bill Clinton, the first US president to visit after the war, and we love John McCain. The United States is one of seven countries with the best relations,” Phong says – US, France, Australia, and Russia. “We close the past and look to the future.” Interestingly, considering one of the excuses for the US to enter the Vietnam War – the “domino theory” that China would take over IndoChina – is that Vietnam is wary of China, which had dominated Vietnam for 1000 years. “Local people feel cautious about China’s ambition to invade.”
It is our second day on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-day Vietnam tour, and we’ve come to the Mausoleum after stopping first at the bike rental shop owned by Mr. Trung, a 70-year old former national champion and president of the Giant UNCC (he poses with us and shows magazines that feature him), where we are fitted for bikes that we will use in Ninh Binh, Hue and Hoi An.
From here, we drive a couple of hours to the Thung Nham Ecotourism Zone (I enjoy looking out to the scenery, how soon we find ourselves amid rice paddies and farms). It is sunset when we are taken by traditional boat into a bird sanctuary. Flocks of birds – storks, herons, teals, tropical starlings – take their positions in the tree tops over the Thung Nham wetland. There is a stunning resort set within the preserve, all the more gorgeous as lights and lanterns come on as the sun sets.
It isn’t a surprise to see zebras grazing, giraffes ruminating, a rhinoceros with her 2700-pound baby, or sleeping in a luxurious safari tent and awakening to see a herd of antelope dashing in unison, when you go on safari in Africa. What is extraordinary is that this is in the backyard of Sonoma, California, better known for wineries, vineyards and winetasting. This is Safari West, which since its founding in 1993, affords an extraordinary authentic experience that makes you feel you are in Africa – the Sonoma Serengeti! – no passport, vaccinations or jetlag required.
Eric and I start our Safari West visit with the three-hour Classic Safari, consisting of about 2 ½ hours driving through three habitats across the vast, 400-acre landscape on which some 1000 animals (almost 100 different species), reside and a half-hour walk to visit mammals and birds.
During the course of my 24 hours here, I will follow the Classic Safari with a Behind-the-Scenes tour with our toddler (children need to be at least four years old for the Classic Safari, though families with younger children can arrange a Private Safari) where we get to feed a variety of animals; a 5 pm buffet dinner, followed by a walk-about through a zoo-like setting.
Then, after the rest of the family leaves, I stay over for aGlamping Among the Wildlife: A Safari West Experience in one of their 30 authentic Botswana safari tents tucked into the trees, enjoying evening activities including s’mores and a movie (“Jungle Book”). Since overnight guests have no curfew, I am able to explore more at dusk, into the dark of night (borrowing a flashlight from reception), and again in the early morning when the animals are most animated. I follow the included breakfast buffet with more exploration before reluctantly leaving Safari West.
For our Classic Safari, we ride in vehicles that are open on the sides and have four seats on top (reminding me of my tiger safari in India). The guides – invariably friendly, humorous, knowledgeable and unscripted so they respond to their guests’ interests (and terrific drivers) take us on rough gravel trails over hills and plains, coming incredibly close (without barriers or fences) to giraffe, antelope, ostrich, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, zebra, elands, addax, aoudad and others among the 97 species in residence.
Our guide for our 1 pm. three-hour Classic Safari, Alex Killian, invites our questions and observations which she gleans to stay in an area longer. We are riding in “Bender”, a 1950s Dodge Power wagon (it seems Safari West has bought up the fleet of Dodge Power wagons from 1940s to 1970s). About 2 ½ hours are spent driving, with about 30 minutes on a walking portion to see the primates, porcupines and birds.
You can read about these different animals and see photos but seeing them up close, in their habitat provides a whole different dimension of understanding and appreciation for behaviors and evolutionary adaptations.
We go into the vast field with the giraffes– Killian tells us they are 5-6 feet tall at birth (they are delivered while the mother is standing up and are dropped six feet to the ground); 9 feet tall by one year old, and grow up to 19 feet tall. These sweet creatures – literally gentle giants – are distinguished by the fact every giraffe has a unique pattern of sports, like human fingerprints, but these spots also help in thermoregulation (at night, the giraffes walk themselves into their barn to protect from hypothermia).
Giraffes, Killian says, “speak” but in a pitch that can barely be heard by a human but sounds like a moo and use various sounds like moans, snores, hisses, and grunts, they mainly communicate with body language. Killian tells us they sleep standing up for 20 minutes at a time– only half their brain sleeps at one time – for a total of about two to three hours in the course of a day; the rest of the time they are eating or ruminating. (Later, during the Behind-the-Scenes tour, we get to meet them close up and feed them).
Killian points to “Mango,” the only male giraffe, here, noting that the animals mate and breed naturally here; the caretakers only insuring they are healthy, and adds that Safari West will “buy, sell, trade, borrow and loan” animals with other zoos and conservancies to increase genetic diversity.
In this plain, we also see Dama Gazelle; Gemsbok; Greater Kudu; Roan antelope and Addax, astonished at how magnificent they are with their horns and coloring.
Leaving this area through the double-fence system, we see an ostrich which seems to be “flirting” with the safari vehicle ahead of us. This is “Lucille Ball,” “She is more flirtatious when she is about to lay an egg,” Killian explains. Ostriches, Killian tells us, lay the largest eggs among the birds, equivalent to 12-24 chicken eggs in size and lay 1-3 eggs a week.
Ostriches are surprisingly large and amazingly fast – she tells us they can run 12-35 mph and though they have a brain the size of a walnut, “they are not dumb.” “It’s an ‘in the moment’ animal,” she explains. “But you don’t need to outwit a predator when you can outrun it.”
We see a Southern White Rhinoceros mom with her two-year old baby that already weighs 2375 lbs. She is pregnant again (rhinoceros gestate for 16-18 months) and is due to deliver at any time (you can follow her progress on social media). But because the pheromones at the end of pregnancy and when she is in labor are the same as when she is in heat, they have to separate the male, who is in an adjacent area. In the wild, she says, “They spend a week together and then don’t see each other again” but the mom is very maternal. “She is very connected to her baby.” She can nurse two babies at a time. The female rhinoceros can weigh 4000-7000 lbs. A herbivore, the rhinoceros consumes 150 lbs of grass or 60 lbs of hay a day.
We drive through more gates and come to an open area with zebra gathered around where they have just been provided grass. Like the giraffes, the zebra’s stripes are unique from zebra to zebra and even left and right sides of the animal, except for its face.
Close by are the Common Eland and we see a baby less than one month old (it’s been named “Nova”, consistent with the space-themed names given the herd). The Eland (“it means ‘moose’ in Dutch) is a kind of antelope, the biggest of the species (the tallest is the Kudu).
“They depend largely on pheromones – it’s how they identify the others in their unit, and how they take a mate. They urinate and others take in the pheromone.”
We see the African Cape Buffalo, one of the Big 5 – that is, the 5 most dangerous animals to encounter in Africa, she tells us (lion, leopard, Black rhinoceros, African Bull elephant are the others). The Cape Buffalo are dangerous, she says, because they protect each other. “If one of their group is threatened, even if they just think it is threatened, they will still protect.”
We meet the Blue wildebeest from Southern Africa which Killian calls “a spare parts animal” because it has hair and horns resembling the female African Cape buffalo; stripes like a zebra; a long face like a baboon; and a heavy build in front but slender legs like an ostrich compared to its bulky front build.
These are adaptations to the environment, and as we watch one nuzzling a baby, Killian tells us that its long face helps the wildebeest detect humidity – and impending disaster, and that the herd in the wild, 1-5 million of them, migrate or escape danger moving together. Other animals have learned to follow their lead.
In the wild, they somehow synchronize the births to the month, timed for migration. Some 8,000 babies could have been born on the last day before migration, so wildebeest have evolved to move as fast as 55 mph, from Day 1. Here at Safari West, they somehow synchronize births to the season (rather than a month, as they might in the wild) and ‘migrate’ on property (moving down the hillside).
“Animals here mate naturally,” she adds. “We only make sure they are healthy.”
We spot Aoudad on the forested slope, and Killian says that while other species take a mate by showing dominance (brawn), Aoudad males pee on their beard and the ‘best’ smell gets the lady.
(Insiders tip: if photography is important to you, bring a decent SLR camera with a decent zoom lens that can capture moments and movements (cell phone cameras are good for scenics and landscapes and have their merit in difficult lighting situations). Safari photography is just as interesting a sport as hunting – only you are hunting and shooting with a camera. For avid photographers, Safari West offers a Private Photography Safari Workshop.)
After the drive portion of the Classic Safari tour, we have a walking tour of about 30 minutes, to see the porcupines, primates, mammals and birds.
We walk through one of the aviaries, chock full of bird varieties – crane, sacred ibis, scarlet ibis, spoon bill, cattle egret, black swan, Nicobar pigeon, to list but a few. (We will soon return to help feed the birds during our Behind the Scenes tour).
We see the Caracal, a master of hunting and hiding that can jump 6-10 ft to capture a bird, take down prey 2-3x its size and when they hunt as a group, they can take down an impala.
I especially love watching the Colobus Monkey and the Patas Monkey (said to have been the inspiration for Dr. Seuss’ Lorax), ring-tailed lemurs (two “old men” in their bachelor pads), and (my favorite) the Red Ruffed Ringtales. All have various forms of enrichment – like puzzles and toys, obstacles and constructions. (There is an immersive Enrichment Tour, also on my list for my next visit.)
Our Classic Safari ends just in time to meet up with Sarah and our 16-month old toddler to enjoy the Behind the Scenes tour where we get to feed the animals – one of Safari West’s most popular programs for good reason.
Our guide, Zoey, tells us she was part of Safari West’s Junior Zookeepers program for 12-16 year olds.
Even our toddler gets a chance to feed the Crested porcupines, Spike and Norton – notably, they don’t have the prickly quills, their quills are a softer material.
We go next to feed the birds in the aviary and Zoey warns us that it can be intimidating because there are so many birds and they get pushy when they see the blue latex glove and know there is food to be had. She adds that to stop the birds from rushing at you, take off the blue glove. I find it fascinating that there is such a learned behavior.
Sure enough, it is quite an experience that as we walk in, the birds swarm around us. We get to fling pieces of chopmeat (that surprises me) and watch as the biggest ones catch pieces in the air.
We go to where there is a huge flock of flamingoes in a small pond. These, Zoey says, are the oldest animals at Safari, many came when Marine World closed in 1969. They can live to 30 years old in the wild, but can reach 60-70 years in captivity (the oldest known is 85).
We next go to the Giraffe Barn to feed “Mabel.” Coming so close to the giraffe is truly an experience.
With eating being the giraffes’ main activity, their tongues are the most distinctive feature – they can be up to 18 inches long and are prehensile to grasp and manipulate objects, so they can strip leaves from branches and maneuver around thorns and rugged bark to reach their food. Also, the front of their tongues are dark, with melanin, to protect from sunburn. They eat the leaves but leave the roots, so that their food source will renew. During the course of a day, they will consume 100 lbs of foliage.
The giraffes come when the keeper calls them to go into barn overnight, to prevent hypothermia
We finish our Behind-the-Scenes tour by feeding the warthogs “Lucy”, Vigeri and Fig Newton
And now it is time for our feeding.
Dining Out, Staying Over
Safari West offers a fixed menu buffet dinner (two seatings, at 5 and 7 pm) which is marvelous.
The meal is superb – chicken (paprika seasoning), steak (perfectly cooked over fire), rice, mac/cheese, salad (we are invited to have seconds until they run out), fresh fruit and a cheesecake dessert.
Guests who stay for dinner can wander the property until 8:30 pm; overnight guests (like me) can wander without any curfew.
(There is also a very pleasant deli where you can pick up sandwiches and such (good selection and very reasonable cost.)
Even when I go around at 7:30 pm when the sunlight is a rich golden color – I am surprised that it seems as if the animals have grabbed their coats and lunch buckets for quitting time (the porcupines are curled up), but several are very active.
The three Red Ruffed Lemurs, with stunning, fluffy red fur, black faces and bright, piercing yellow eyes, are really active at this time. Earlier in the afternoon, when I came upon them, they were making extremely loud shrieks – indeed, the guide says they are the second loudest primates and can vocalize very high and low pitches at the same time, that can be heard up to a half-mile away. Found only in Madagascar, they are matriarchal and the keeper explains that one of the three is being bullied, kept from being groomed and from eating,
There are S’mores at 8 pm and then they show “Jungle Book” (one of three animal-themed movies they present each night) at 8:30 pm. (Overnight guests can help ourselves to coffee, tea, chocolate an fruit as we like
After the movie, I borrow a flashlight from the reception desk, and go into the darkness. I am especially interested to see if I can observe activities of nocturnal animals, but alas, it is too dark and the animals, if they are active, are too far into the darkness to be observed (perhaps on a night with a full moon it would be better and even more magical.)
By now pitch black (and grateful for the flashlight), I walk up the hill to my tent, delighted to find a luxurious, spacious room accommodating a queen bed and two cots, sufficient for a family of four, with beautiful wood floor, an enormous tile-floor bathroom stocked with the necessary toiletries like a deluxe hotel; giant screened windows on two of the walls so I can see out to a gorgeous view of the lake; and a patio where, when I walk out in the pitch black night, it seems the Big Dipper is right in front of my face close enough to touch. If it gets cold, there is a space heater and an electric blanket.
I watch the Red Ruffed lemur being fed – one is being bullied by the matriarch, so the keeper goes in, entices two of them into a separate compartment, and gives the third special attention (she doesn’t get groomed, so the keeper pats her and feels for any health issues).
As appropriate, the keepers incorporate enrichment into their feeding methods so the animals have to work for food. (“Most creatures are bribable with food,” our guide Killian had told us on the Classic Safari. “Food is a prime motivator.” (Safari West offers a new Enrichment TourExperience to see how they use puzzles, toys and activities like hiding treats, to stimulate the animals’ natural behaviors and keep them mentally and physically active.)
I go into the Elephant room for breakfast (included for overnight guests and served from 7-10 am) – eggs, oatmeal, cereals, yogurt, muffins, toast/bagels, fresh squeezed OJ – before going for another walk-through the animal enclosures.
As an overnight guest I need to be out of the tent by 11, but I am welcomed to stay and wander about as long as I want.
Overall, with all these encounters over the past 24 hours, I must have made some 10 tours through the animal enclosures and each time, the experience is different – I see animals that eluded me before, or doing different behaviors, or in different light, or just happening upon a guide providing information I hadn’t known before.
Mission to Promote Conservation
I am really impressed in how well Safari West fulfills its declared mission to actively promote conservation and environmental education.
“At Safari West it’s all about the animals. Always has been, always will be.” These animals become ambassadors for their species, promoting understanding and appreciation to help each person make well-informed choices for environmental protection and wildlife conservation.
Over the past decades, Safari West has evolved into a top-tier wildlife destination.
Safari West began in the late 1980s when Peter Lang purchased 400 rolling acres in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. He relocated his small but growing collection of exotic wildlife, converting a former cattle ranch into a world-class conservation breeding facility.
As Peter set to work establishing captive breeding programs for the varied and often critically endangered species in his collection, he worked closely with local zoological facilities including the San Francisco Zoo where he met the lead curator, raptor-specialist and his future wife, Nancy Lang. After four years of operating their conservation breeding facility behind closed doors, Peter and Nancy opened their home to the public on July 4th, 1993.
Then, in the late 1990s, Peter looked to expand the activities available to guests and built the Safari West Tent Camp, importing custom-built tents from Lobatswe, Botswana. With the Watusi Pond as the center, the tent camp sits between the Gazelle Pasture, the Hundred Acres, and the Vista habitats, overlooking the antelope and giraffes. The 30 glamping tents are mounted on raised platforms, with hardwood floors, electricity, running hot and cold water, and even en suite bathrooms.
The Langs’ devotion to their animals was tested and proven during the horrific Tubbs wildfires that struck in October 2017.
When I ask our safari guide about how they managed during the wildfires, she replied, “We didn’t save the animals, they saved us. They graze so there was nothing for the fires to catch onto, and the oak trees are resilient.”
She relates that when sheriffs came to order an evacuation at around 11 pm, the 90 guests on the property just grabbed their keys and left within 15 minutes.” Helicopters fighting the fires used water from the lake.
But she seems to have understated what happened because it was horrific – 250 out of Safari West’s 400 acres were scorched and the osteology lab operated by the Safari West Research, Education, and Conservation Department burned completely. Though conservation organizations were ready to help evacuate the animals, no one was allowed up the twisting mountain road, so they couldn’t have evacuated the animals.
The animals were saved because Safari West owner Peter Lang, then 76 years old, after driving through fire to evacuate their home which burned to the ground, stayed behind and for the next 10 hours, fought the fires alone. In the next couple of days, some volunteers and staff were able to come and help put out the brush fires that erupted.
All 1000 animals were saved. For his heroic efforts, Peter Lang received the 2018 American Red Cross Animal Rescue Hero Award. (Read the thrilling story by Paige Peterson reported in the New York Social Diary, https://safariwest.com/2017/11/life-after-fires/).
Safari West is ideal for family gatherings and special events – I am already planning to bring our bi-coastal family together for an overnight stay as soon as the little ones are old enough to appreciate the safari. I’ve earmarked the Enrichment Tour and Private Photography tour, especially.
Safari West, 3115 Porter Creek Road Santa Rosa, CA 95404, 800-616-2695, 707-579-2551, safariwest.com
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/)
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
My long-held desire to bike the award-winning Route of Hiawatha rail trail in Idaho provides the opportunity to discover the enormous appeal of Spokane, Washington, where the Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Idaho Trails bike tour begins. I cleverly arrange to come in three days early to give myself time to immerse, staying at the exquisitely grand and historic Hotel Davenport, so connected to Spokane’s story and walking distance to most everything I want, and even taking advantage of their bicycles to get a jump on the Centennial Trail which figures so prominently in the bike tour, too.
This is all new territory for me.
The first delightful surprise is how easy it is to navigate Spokane International Airport (if you’ve been through JFK and LaGuardia in New York, you will appreciate what I mean) – a few steps to the door, and a few steps more to a wonderfully convenient public bus that takes me steps from the Davenport’s door (the bus driver and fellow travelers are so helpful! – something I find throughout my stay in Spokane) – just $2 for the fare (which you can use to transfer or return within 2 hours; $4/day or $12 for three-days).
It doesn’t take long for me to realize why Spokane, with its natural and cultural appeal, isn’t just a great place to visit, but a great place to live.
Imagine strolling over America’s largest urban waterfalls, walking 15 minutes from downtown to a rafting trip on a river that cuts through evergreen forest, and getting on a bike in the downtown city park – the site of the 1974 World’s Fair, appropriately themed for environmental protection – and biking 58 miles on the trail to Coeur- d’Alene in Idaho. This is Spokane, Washington – and even though it is 95 degrees outside, it doesn’t feel hot.
Spokane is this vibrant city organized for its people. Of course, it wasn’t always that way, but the same reasons it developed into a hub of the West – railroads, commerce and mining – Spokane was an early adopter of sustainability and environmental protection while transitioning into the 21st century by holding on to what was best about the past.
For me, the mark of a place that takes pride in itself and has community spirit is one that has historic markers and plaques and its respect for historic and cultural places.
You feel it especially in the historic Davenport Hotel – a truly grand dame that is very happy to share its stories.
From there, the concierge directs me to the public bus (the central depot is across the street), for a ride to visit the magnificent Manito Park. (1702 S Grand Blvd). This is a spectacular 90-acre oasis in the in the South Hill neighborhood that features five distinct gardens: the Duncan Garden (a formal garden where I notice the fountain is dedicated to Louis Davenport who built the Davenport Hotel), Rose Garden, Perennial Garden, Lilac Garden and (my favorite) the Japanese Garden. (If you come in the afternoon, save the enchanting Japanese Garden for last; if you come in the morning, see it with the morning light.)
Most wonderfully, the Manito Park, is really a neighborhood park – much like Central Park in New York City, and Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco – grand and yet neighborly. Besides the gardens, Manito Park has spacious manicured lawns, playgrounds, walking trails and biking paths, topiary shrubs, a greenhouse conservatory, a conservatory and a duck pond. It gets some 150,000 visitors a year. (Best viewing May-October, http://www.manitopark.org/)
An absolute highlight for me – almost a homebase during my stay in Spokane – is Riverfront Park. Just a few minutes walk from the Historic Davenport Hotel, I found myself wandering into the park two, even three times during the day.
It is actually one of the rare successes in urban renewal: once a blighted space, the city seized on the opportunity to host the 1974 World’s Fair (notably the first expo themed around environmental conservation) to make major, lasting improvements serving the community in myriad ways. There is so much here, and it is so pleasant being here that I find myself coming to the park at least twice each day (morning and evening) of my visit.
Riverfront Park was opened by President Nixon (who made an eloquent speech about the importance of environmental protection and resigned by the time the Fair closed). It is pure delight for residents and visitors alike: stroll over bridges for spectacular views of the falls; be carried over the falls on the Numerica SkyRide gondola, channel your inner child on the historic Looff Carrousel, fantastic playgrounds and rides (slide down The Red Wagon, a giant Flyer), and feed the Garbage Goat (a clever way to encourage composting).
Enjoy a concert at the United States Pavilion which was saved and repurposed as an outdoor performance venue seating as many as 6000 (there was a concert there during my visit) – the roof replaced by steel ribbings that are lighted at night.
The park actually is composed of several islands connected by bridges. One of the islands pays tribute to Spokane’s indigenous heritage. There is a totem pole and story board stations.
The bridges pass over the rapids and falls, for dramatic views you would never expect in an urban landscape. The pathways weave throughout – you come upon a fantastic playground; sculptures, attractions.
I stop into the Riverfront Park Visitor Center (actually the Visit Spokane tourist center), where I learn about the Great Fire of 1889 that destroyed 90 percent of the downtown – the only surviving buildings were those made of brick by the railroad company. What was left became the historic district (but there are some modern skyscrapers that seem so out of place, that were built before the new rules were put into place).
Also going through the park is the Centennial Trail, a biking/pedestrian/recreational trail that extends for miles into Idaho, which I will take from beginning to end the end on my upcoming Idaho Trails bike tour.
It is an interesting experience to be walking distance of a rafting experience in a major city – the Spokane River that goes through the city gives the city its special beauty and quality of life (as well as its hydroelectric power). It can be said that the river energizes the city – and this confluence of nature, urbanity and livability is what makes Spokane such a hot place for people to put down roots.
Within minutes, we embark from the Peaceful Valley neighborhood on a two hour-long scenic Spokane River Floatwith Wiley Waters. (Wear water-shoes and a bathing suit; a dry bag is provided, as well as drinks). It’s the end of the season so is a very gentle glide – towards the end, we hop off the raft for a brisk dunk. The season runs May-September (Wiley E. Waters, riverrafting.net, 888-502-1900).
In the evening, I return to the Riverfront Park to once again stroll about as the sun set.
The next morning, I take advantage of the Davenport’s bike rental (two hours are included in the resort fee), to bike on theThe Centennial Trail in Riverfront Park. I ride west, toward Riverside State Park, where the Centennial Trail begins. The trail in this direction goes along the high ridge that follows the Spokane River well below – just beautiful – and passed these beautiful housing complexes that are wonderfully designed, sharing the trail with families out for a stroll, runners, walkers, and cyclists. (Again, pointing to the livability of Spokane).
I bike up to the point where the trail has a sharp descent which I would have ride back up (with a three-speed city bike) so I leave that for the bike tour which will start at the very beginning of the trail and ride to where it ends, 58 miles away, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Instead, I cycle the trail in the other direction, going back through Riverfront Park, toward Gonzaga University campus in search of the famous singer/actor Bing Crosby’s childhood home, which is actually on the campus and now a museum.
I knew that the museum would be closed when I arrive. I later learn that the museum has a Norman Rockwell painting of Bing Crosby, based on a promotional photograph from the 1949 movie musical “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.”
There is also a statue on the campus in front of the Bing Crosby Hall (Crosby made major donations to the university and though he quit school to pursue his career in music, the university gave him an honorary degree in 1937.)
(Crosby House, 508 E. Sharp Avenue, Spokane, WA 99258, 509-313-4064).
To get there, I could easily hop on the purple City Line lightrail from just across the street from the Davenport and get off in Browne’s Addition, but I prefer to walk the mile.
The walk takes me passed the Bing Crosby Theater, the Fox Theater (1931), gorgeous Art Deco buildings that exemplify Spokane’s importance as a cultural center for the Northwest, its legacy as an important commercial hub on the railroad line, and its wealth from nearby Idaho mines.
I pass stunning Victorian mansions – most of them now inns or museums – but none more magnificent than the Campbell House, which is now part of the museum and a “must visit” (be aware of the opening hours).
Founded in 1918, the Smithsonian-affiliated Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture presents an extensive, permanent collection of Plateau Tribal art and artifacts, Pacific Northwest art, regional historical objects and archives. It really offers a synthesis of the history and heritage here, with appropriate respect for the tribal people.
Having spent time in Riverfront Park, I am particularly fascinated to see the special exhibition, “It Happened Here: Expo ’74 Fifty Years After.”
In 1974, Spokane was the smallest city ever to host a world’s fair. During its six-month run, the fair presented exhibits from ten countries, featured a star-studded events calendar, sponsored three environmental symposiums and attracted 5.6 million visitors. “Fifty years later, Expo ’74 remains one of the single most transformative events in Spokane’s history, radically reshaping its natural and built environment. Expo ’74 ushered in a new era for the city – one centered on urban renewal, commercial growth, and political progress,” the notes state. The fair also kindled a community spirit.
There are fantastic artifacts (Liberace’s bejeweled denim costume, Sister Paula Turnbull’s model for Spokane’s now iconic Garbage Goat, and an original Sky Ride gondola), but particularly interesting were the videos – Nixon’s speech on opening day extolling the virtues of environmentalism, which was the theme of the fair and how Spokane was a model and inspiration to emulate (Nixon had resigned by the time the fair closed 3 months later), and a video from the Soviet Union showing how the country is “enforcing” environmentalism. (The exhibit has since closed, but is indicative of what is presented.)
I am fortunate to visit when the museum is presenting a riveting exhibit,”1924: Sovereignty, Leadership, and the Indian Citizenship Act.” 1924 was the year that American Indians were declared citizens and ostensibly entitled to vote (though the equivalent of Jim Crow laws prevented most from voting until the 1965 Voting Rights Act).
Shortly after Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to all American Indians born in the United States, on June 2, 1924, Spokane announced it would host the first American Indian Congresses in 1925. These were some of the first events where tribal leaders, government officials, and community members from around the United States gathered to formally participate in talks on rights and advocacy. 1924 commemorates this 100-year anniversary, centering on early local tribal leadership as they and their people navigated the sometimes-conflicting nature of being both U.S. citizens and citizens of their own sovereign nations. One of the photos shows the Congress taking place in the Davenport Hotel’s ballroom.
Be sure you leave enough time to visit The Campbell House and its carriage house (admission to the house closes an hour before the museum, so in retrospect, should have done it first.).
The Campbell House is an absolute jewel with exquisite architecture, interior decoration (some of the furnishings are original to the house; others are appropriate period pieces). The mansion was designed in 1898 for the Campbell family by architect Kirtland K. Cutter (who also designed the historic Davenport Hotel). Cutter incorporated all the modern technologies available – indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, electricity, central heat and even a telephone.
The carriage house holds the personal story of the Campbells and the Spokane community of the time – artifacts and photographs, a car that would have been very much like the one the Campbell’s had. It is so interesting to have such a personal look at this family.
Campbell made his fortune investing in the mines of north Idaho (that I will be visiting soon on the Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Idaho Trails trip). The Campbell family (his wife was a school teacher) lived here for 26 years and in 1924, after both parents had passed away, their daughter, Helen, donated the house to the Eastern Washington Historical Society which started the museum. Now it is under the auspices of the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture.
(Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12-4 pm, admission included with museum ticket)
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W First Avenue, Spokane 99201, northwestmuseum.org (give yourself at least 2 hours, more like 3)
In the evening I return again to the Riverfront Park (after dashing to REI before closing to buy bike gloves before my trip). The setting sun casts a pink glow in the sky and I am once again awed by the dramatic view over the falls – the largest urban falls in the country, apparently. And I finally get my chance to ride the Looff Carrousel.
The beloved, iconic attraction of the park was hand-carved by Charles Looff in 1909 as a gift for his daughter and her husband. Looff, an immigrant from Germany, arguably was America’s first great carousel carver having made wooden animals for Coney Island’s carousel. This carousel was set in an amusement park, Natatorium Park, for many years before the park closed in 1968.
When Natatorium Park closed, in 1968, the carousel was put up for auction. Spokane’s parks manager was determined to save the carousel for the city, enduring criticism from those who felt he wasted money because there was no place for it, so it was put into storage. But then the 1974 Expos came, and the carousel was taken out and placed in the park, where it has remained.
It is magical enough to ride the carousel, but I get to ride the carousel as night is falling, the colorful lights coming on – the kids grabbing for the brass ring and tossing it to try to win a free ride. The original organ – its 300 pipes equivalent to a 60-piece band – still operates but is used only for special occasions. As we ride, we hear the original music as it was recorded and digitized.
Equally exquisite is the view of the carousel reflected in the water from outside.
To plan your visit: Visitor Information Center, Riverfront Park, 6y20 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201, 888-SPOKANE, Visit Spokane, www.visitspokane.com.
It is surreal, extraordinarily intimate, overwhelmingly emotional to find yourself standing in Anne Frank’s tiny room exactly as she had lived in it, in secret hiding for two years, just before she was taken away by Nazis to the concentration camp where she died just a few months before she would have been saved.
There are the photos she clipped from newspapers to put on her wall, to preserve some connection to a normal life, her life before the Nazis took over Germany, then invaded the Netherlands, where her family had sought refuge. You see the plaid-cloth covered diary she began to write the day she received it, on her 13th birthday, who she sometimes wrote to as “Dear Kitty” and treated as her closest friend and confidant, revealing things her father later admitted he never knew about his daughter despite being close and living in such constant proximity.
As you stand in this space, the tiny bedroom where she sat at this desk to write, you hear her words, “When I write, I can shake off my cares, my sorrow… my spirits soar…. But will I ever be able to write something great? Will I ever be able to be a journalist or writer? Oh, I hope so.” And then, “Writing allows me to record everything – thoughts, ideals, fantasies.”
This is the remarkable Anne Frank The Exhibition, opening at the Center for Jewish History in New York City on January 27, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp where one million Jews were exterminated.
For the first time, visitors outside of Amsterdam will be able to experience the Anne Frank House, one of the most visited historical sites in Europe, but in a very different way: whereas in Amsterdam, the rooms are empty as they were after the Nazis left it, here, visitors are immersed in a full-scale re-creation of the complete Annex, furnished as it would have been when Anne and her family and four other Jews spent two years hiding to evade Nazi capture.
You see the pictures clipped from newspapers she put on her wall – a semblance of normalcy of a teenager. You hear her words from her diary as you walk through those rooms.
But there is another important difference: before and after you roam through this meticulously re-created Annex, you are immersed in her life and the lives of millions of others as you see the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, how the Holocaust was set into motion and what it was like to live with such terror– giving a broader context and meaning to Anne Frank’s story, resonating with chilling effect today.
Created in partnership between the Anne Frank House and the Center for Jewish History, this astonishing, Anne Frank: The Exhibition kicks off the Center‘s 25th anniversary season.
“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with the Anne Frank House on this landmark exhibition,” said Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, President of the Center for Jewish History. “As we approach the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January, Anne Frank’s story becomes more urgent than ever. In a time of rising antisemitism, her diary serves as both a warning and a call to action, reminding us of the devastating impact of hatred. This exhibition challenges us to confront these dangers head-on and honor the memory of those lost in the Holocaust.”
The exhibition, he said, “dovetails with CJH’s mission. We don’t just preserve Jewish history, we mobilize to address today’s challenges. Public programs foster understanding in a world that needs it more than ever.”
“When students learn to identify hate, learn to confront with empathy, critical thinking, they will champion justice and equality,” Ronald Leopold, the director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, said at the press preview. “An exhibition like this serves as powerful reminder of the importance of confronting hate through education and understanding.
“The exhibition is a beacon of remembrance, of education, of awareness. It arrives at a very critical moment. We are living in a time when antisemitism and other forms of group hatred are on the rise, not only in this country, but my country, the Netherlands, and around the globe.” He referred to terrible incidents as recently as the day before, in Sydney, Australia.
“Anne Frank’s story is known to many but what you will experience at this exhibition goes beyond her tragic fate. The exhibition hopefully will also offer a deeper, multifaceted view of who Anne Frank was- not just a victim of the Holocaust, but just a girl, a teenager, a writer, and an enduring symbol of resilience and strength.”
The Anne Frank House, was established in 1957 in cooperation with Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father, as an independent nonprofit organization entrusted with the preservation of the Annex and bringing Anne’s life story to world audiences in order to serve as a place for teaching and learning about the Holocaust. Each year, the Anne Frank House, welcomes 1.2 million visitors, but many are turned away (you have to reserve tickets weeks, even months in advance), and requires visitors to come to Amsterdam.
“This exhibition is not just about the past,” Leopold said at a press preview. “It is important to learn about the past, but more important to learn from the past. That is the educational mission Anne’s father, the only one of the 8 Jews in hiding at the Annex who survived, gave us when Anne Frank House opened to the public in 1960.”
Leopold held up two photos, side by side. One is easily recognizable: Anne Frank. Next to her on the page is a photo a boy no one has heard of. He was born June 12, 1929, the same day as Anne, lived one block from where she lived, a 3 minutes walk. Their paths might have crossed – we don’t know. We know everything about this little girl, Anne Frank, we think, but there is no one in the world today who knows anything about this young boy except for his name, David Spanyeur, his date of birth, address and when and where he was murdered, on February 12, 1943 in Auschwitz.”
“If we bring Anne Frank to New York, and we go to remember her on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we also bring, David Spanyeur to New York, and remember him, as we will remember 1.5 million Jewish children’s lives cut short by human beings for the single reason they were Jewish. This is the message we try to bring, that goes beyond Anne Frank.
“We will remember David Sponyeur, we will remember Anne Frank, may their memories be a blessing. As we stand in presence of Anne’s legacy, we are reminded of our shared responsibility to carry this message forward.”
Philanthropic support has made it possible for the Anne Frank House to subsidize visits for students from New York City public schools and all Title 1 public schools throughout the United States. A special curriculum has been created for distribution to 500,000 children, and there is a 28-minute film at the center that is geared to school children.
So far, tens of thousands of already purchased tickets in advance of the opening; 150 schools have already scheduled visits from as far as California.
A Normal Teenager
Anne Frank was one of 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust – who, like Anne, had dreams, talents, hopes that were snuffed out. Anne is the one who is most and best known because of the sheer miracle of her keeping the diary and her journals being saved, Miep Gies, one of the people who protected the Franks in the Annex, finding it after the Nazis had ransacked their rooms, and keeping Anne’s writings safe because she knew how much writing meant to her, then reconnecting with Otto Frank, who was determined to fulfill his daughter’s dream of becoming a published writer, then a publisher recognizing how important the diary was because too many did not see the commercial value, or perhaps, the political correctness.
There is so much that is astonishing about this exhibit – certainly being able to stand in this exact, full-scale re-creation of Anne Frank’s secret hiding place furnished as if they had just left, before the Nazis stripped everything out. Indeed, that is how you experience The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, totally empty. (The people from Anne Frank House in Amsterdam remarked how strange it was to see the rooms they know so well as empty, now furnished. “But we have the original diary, you have a facsimile!”) Also, it is what the exhibit is wrapped around with – the context surrounding Anne Frank’s experience and the experience of the 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children exterminated in the Holocaust.
The exhibit features some 100 artifacts – some rarely if ever viewed in public – including an extraordinary exhibit of the family’s personal effects from their comfortable life in Frankfurt where Otto was a banker, before the Nazis and the Holocaust – even their china, a wooden desk from 1796, and Anne’s first photo album (1929-1942). You see family photos and photos of a normal life, a playful child with a fetching smile. There is even a video of a wedding couple leaving their apartment building that happened to capture Anne peering out from a second-story window.
This exhibit wraps Anne Frank’s personal story with context: the rise of Hitler, democratically elected Chancellor, and the Nazi domination of Germany, the invasion of the Netherlands, France and Belgium, and the implementation of the Final Solution – systemic genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust.
We walk through the bookcase, and are in the hiding place in the Annex. Throughout the exhibit, you have an audio guide that you can activate, but here, in the hiding place, is where what you hear is most affecting – not just the description of the place and what their lives were like for the two years they hid away, but Anne’s own words from her diary.
“When I write, I can shake off my cares, my sorrow… my spirits soar…. But will I ever be able to write something great? Will I ever be able to be a journalist or writer? Oh, I hope so.” And then, “Writing allows me to record everything – thoughts, ideals, fantasies.”
Anne decorated her tiny cramped room with pictures – Hollywood and Royalty, like any 13-year old. But by the time she was 15, her interests shifted and deepened -she favored art and history and more serious things.
We visit all their rooms – you feel you are intruding, actually – even the bathroom, where you hear that at the stroke of 8:30, there could be no running water, flushing toilet, walking around, no noise whatsoever.
The kitchen, where the Pels slept, served as the communal kitchen and living room, and is where they played games at night and celebrated holidays like Yom Kippur and Chanukah.
Anne describes how one moment they are laughing at the comical side of their hiding, the next, feeling frightened. “Fear, tension and despair can be read on our face.”
Then, on a fateful day, the audio guide relates, a man came up the stairs with a revolver and told them to “pack their bags, you have to leave.” They were taken to prison and on to the camps.
In the next rooms, you see how the Holocaust unfolded – photos of Jews pulled from their homes, crowded into the streets and loaded onto cattle cars, deported to labor, concentration and death camps. You see soldiers shooting masses of Jews in pits dug by the victims themselves.
This room has a glass floor over a map of Europe with red flags denoting where the death camps and places of genocide were and hear names recited. As you come to the end, most affecting of all, is a projection of the 1935 photo of Anne Frank in her kindergarten class of 32 students, of whom 15 were Jews, which you saw in the first gallery. As you hear their names ticked off, one by one these adorable, innocent faces are disappeared from the photo and you hear their age when their lives were snuffed out: 12, 13, 14, 15. Only 5 of the 15 survived – by going into hiding or escaping. Anne was 15.
The next part follows Otto’s improbable journey from the camp when it was liberated in January 1945. Otto was the only one to survive of the eight who hid in the Annex, though he had yet to learn the fate of his family. All of his worldly possession fit into a tiny canvas bag the size of a book.
For Otto, it was just 10 months after being arrested that he returned – all of those who helped them in the Annex survived, though two men were arrested and sent to concentration camps but survived.
You actually see a video of Miep Gies, one of the Dutch citizens who hid and protected the Franks in the Annex (she lived to 100 years old), relating how she went into it after the Nazis ransacked it and found Anne’s diary and notebooks, keeping them safe because she knew how important her writing was to her. She re-creates how she reached into her desk and presented Otto with Anne’s volumes.
In an interview, Otto related that at first it was difficult for him to read the diary because of his grief, but when he started reading, he couldn’t stop. To honor her wishes of becoming a published writer, he set out to find a publisher – you see his letters and the replies from editors.
“Anne Frank’s diary, ‘Untergetaucht,’ [The Annex] impressed me deeply,” one editor writes back, “a monument to the sufferings of all people in Holland during the war…. If conditions were more nearly normal, I would recommend that we undertake an English translation…”
But ultimately Anne’s diary was published in English, “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” – you see the first edition which includes a forward by Eleanor Roosevelt – and translated into 70 languages, selling 35 million copies – and made into a play and movie (winning Shelly Winter’s an Oscar for her performance as Auguste van Pels).
The exhibition closes quoting Anne Frank, “I’ll make my voice heard, I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind!”
Otto Frank is quoted saying in 1973, “Anne’s Diary made you think about the cruel persecution of the Jews during the Nazi regime, but I want to stress that even now there is in our world a lot of prejudice leading to discrimination and everyone of us should fight against it in his own circle.”
Michael S. Glickman, CEO of jMUSE, a former director of the center, said, “This institution, one of the great Jewish archives and libraries in the world, will house singularly the most important Jewish exhibition presented in this country. It is such a privilege, honor to be involved in this exhibition that carries the memory, legacy, and future of the Jewish people in such a powerful and poignant way…. As we open, we do so in memory of 6 million Jews and the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered.”
The exhibition is designed for children (ages 10 and older) and adults. All general admission tickets include the exhibition audio guide. Plan to spend two hours.
Individual tickets: Timed entry tickets, Monday through Friday: $21 (17 and under, $16); Sunday and holidays: $27 (17 and under, $22); Flex tickets, Monday through Friday: $34; Sunday and holidays: $48
Family tickets (2 adults + 2 children under 17 years): Timed entry tickets, Monday through Friday: $68 (additional 17 and under ticket, $16); Sunday and holidays: $90 (additional 17 and under ticket, $22) Flex tickets, Monday through Friday: $95 (additional 17 and under ticket, $18); Sunday and holidays: $135 (additional 17 and under ticket, $25).
Educational visits to the exhibition, as well as Individual and Family ticket purchases, can be scheduled by visiting AnneFrankExhibit.org.
Anne Frank The Exhibition is a limited engagement, scheduled to close on April 30, 2025. For a list of upcoming programs, visit https://www.cjh.org/.
Genealogy, Holocaust Records at the Center
The Center for Jewish History also has Geneology Research Center, with genealogists on hand who can help you trace your family’s history, has formed a new-multiyear partnership with Ancestry® to open the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room, a new space and initiative to collect, preserve and share family histories of Jewish communities worldwide.
Ancestry®, which is committed to preserving the memories of Holocaust victims and survivors and ensuring that these records are freely accessible to future generations, together with the Arolsen Archives, one of the world’s leading institutions for Holocaust documentation, expanded its Holocaust-related resources by adding 7.5 million more documents to its resources, including Germany, Incarceration Records, 1933–1945.
Ancestry enables free searches of Holocaust documents. These records can be searched for free at a newly opened Ancestry Research & Reflection Room at the Center for Jewish History – a new space and initiative to collect, preserve and share the family histories of Jewish communities worldwide. (Photo provided by Ancestry)
These records can be searched for free at a newly opened Ancestry Research & Reflection Room at the center – a new space and initiative to collect, preserve and share the family histories of Jewish communities worldwide. It is opening to the public on January 27, coinciding with the opening of the Anne Frank exhibition, International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street, New York, 212.294.8301,cjh.org, info@cjh.org.
Karen Rubin with Eric Leiberman and Sarah Falter, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
A staple of a visit to Sonoma, California, where nature and art come together in a perfect blend, is a tasting at one of the picturesque wineries and vineyards. It is always so fascinating to learn about the art and science of winemaking, and to immerse in joy of discovering, sharing and savoring the fruit of that creative enterprise, the wine.
This trip, we return to the charming town of Healdsburg, where we have thoroughly enjoyed visiting its galleries and restaurants and the lovely town square (like Sonoma), to visit Dry Creek Vineyard. Family owned and run by second generation owner and president Kim Stare Wallace, it is also one of the last truly private, family-owned, iconic wineries of Sonoma County that consistently produces coveted 90+ point wines.
Dry Creek Vineyard, we learn, is responsible for many of the “firsts” in this rich wine-producing valley. Established in 1972, it was the first winery to open in Dry Creek Valley after Prohibition. Founder David S. Stare paved the way for a viticultural rebirth in the valley. Inspired by his trips to France, he modeled his winery after a Loire Valley chateau – making for a delightful setting in which to enjoy the wines.
Dry Creek Vineyard makes the claim of being the first winery to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley and the first to label a wine with the “Dry Creek Vineyard appellation. A pioneer of Bordeaux-style blending, the winery was also the first to use the term “Meritage” (with its 1985 vintage) and the first to coin the term “Old Vine” to describe pre-Prohibition-era Zinfandel vineyards.
They make a claim of being the first to introduce the concept of Sustainable Agriculture in California, in 1998, providing a model for and an inspiration to others.
Indeed, it was during the years leading up to Dave’s retirement in 2006, that second generation owners Kim Stare Wallace and her husband, Don Wallace, began to lay the foundation for their vision for the winery’s future based on sustainability. “Their ‘no compromises’ philosophy required a complete re-invention from the inside out, including new winemaking techniques, vineyard management methods and winery upgrades on their 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards.”
This shift in philosophy led to dramatically reducing production while increasing quality and sharpening the focus on crafting appellation-driven terroir-focused, varietal-defining wines that have come to rival the best in California and the world. In 2015, Wine & Spirits Magazine selected Dry Creek Vineyard as one of its “top 100 Wineries.”
Its sustainable methods have worked: this year Dry Creek’s Sauvignon Blanc was crowned Best in California, and the Cabernet Sauvignon earned a stellar 95-point rating.
Dry Creek Vineyard is known for its Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage blends, as well as a portfolio of limited, single-vineyard selections. Prices are moderate, ranging from $18 to $125.
We sit at lovely wooden picnic tables on the lawn outside the stone chateau, as Darrin Abel, the concierge and Wine Educator, introduces the wines for us to taste.
We start with a 2022 Dry Chenin Blanc, a staple of Dry Creek since its founding in 1972. This is a classic Loire Valley-style wine that is versatile and food friendly, especially when paired with fresh oysters and seafood. Fermented in 100% stainless steel barrels, this wine is wonderfully bright and consistent vintage after vintage. The first swirl brings aromatics of honeydew, white peach and jasmine with floral notes of citrus blossom, watermelon rind and pineapple. On the palate, the wine has refreshing flavors of peach, grapefruit and jasmine with hints of mandarin, cucumber and lemon curd. It feels soft in your mouth, with a twang of acidity. These grapes, grown in Clarksburg, “like heat” which makes it dry.
Abel, who has been at Dry Creek for 12 years, explains the difference between a wine that is meant to be consumed early, and one that is meant to age and mature in the bottle. “White wine is meant to be drunk immediately (the screw cap). A cork is for aging – the oxygen penetrates cork and slowly ages the wine. A screw cap has no permeability, is not meant to be aged. Our philosophy : to make wine that can be enjoyed now but can age.”
Our second wine is 2022 Taylor’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, produced from a vineyard on the western bench of Dry Creek Valley and named after Kim and Don Wallace’s daughter, Taylor. According to the winemaker’s notes, the Sauvignon Musqué grape is a unique clonal selection of the Sauvignon Blanc variety and a delicious interpretation of the classic varietal. Fermented in stainless steel tanks you taste plump flavors of peach, lemonade and orange blossom with subtle notes of grapefruit and Mandarin orange. Full of complexity and depth, the crafted Musqué clone produces a creamy feeling in the mouth. It has a nice, even flavor, good structure and body.
The 2020 Farmhouse Vineyard Zinfandel is the sixth vintage of Zinfandel produced from its Russian River Valley vineyard, where the cooler temperatures allow for complex aromas and flavors to develop. This was the second Zinfandel property of Dry Creek’s estate vineyards to be planted with its Heritage Clone. The winemaker’s notes explain that the vines were planted using the Heritage budwood concept to preserve the heritage of iconic old vine Zinfandel vineyards. Cuttings from a pre-Prohibition era vineyard were grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock to create a “young vine” wine with “old vine” Zinfandel characteristics. Initially, the aromas show fruit-forward tones of black and red cherries, cranberry and blackberry. Subtle notes of mocha, rose and earthy nuances come forward after several minutes of airing. On the palate, flavors of plum and strawberry mix with soft undertones of coriander, toffee, toasty cedar and roasted almonds. The wine is supple with tremendous complexity and silky tannins. The finish has a slight spiciness and refined elegance.
We next taste the 2020 Somers Ranch Zinfandel from grapes grown on two small parcels planted on adjacent hilltops overlooking the valley. The eastern-facing hillside vineyards provide optimum sun exposure for balanced and juicy grapes. This distinctive property was one of the first vineyards in Dry Creek Valley to be planted utilizing the Heritage Clone over 20 years ago, Abel explains.This bold Zinfandel is luxurious and fresh, with ripe fruit flavors of blackberry, cherry and cranberry, with aromatic undertones of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg and firm tannins and structure.
The last wine we taste is our favorite: 2019 Meritage “Alluvial Gap,” which has been rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast and highlights a microregion in the Dry Creek Valley known as Lytton Springs district. The Meritage blend is led by Cabernet Sauvignon with three additional Bordeaux varietals to add complexity and depth. It was inspired by decades of working with Bordeaux varietals planted in the different districts and vineyards of Dry Creek Valley, including its Endeavour Vineyard, where the soils are gravelly, clay loam. “Five decades of experience have provided the knowledge of which properties can provide the best fruit our region can offer.” We learn that the wine spends 11-17 days in fermenters at 82-88 degrees F, then 19 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels (43 percent new oak) – such detail that I find fascinating, along with the precise “recipe” of the different grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (60 percent) with three additional Bordeaux varietals (Merlot 20%, Petit Verdot, 16%, Cabernet Franc, 4%). “The grapes are crushed and fermented separately, then blended,” Abel tells us. “It really shows off the artistry of the wine maker.”
At first swirl, the wine displays powerful aromas of black currant, plum and blueberry. Several more minutes reveal hints of black and white pepper, fennel and rose petal. The palate is full and rich with flavors of black cherry and blackberry, with notes of coriander, thyme and fine leather. The tannins are fine yet firm, with a round, plush texture and a rich, lingering finish – what I would describe as ”full bodied.” Not surprisingly, this is also the most expensive bottle of the day, $70.
After our winetasting, we go to explore.
Dry Creek Vineyard has an Insectary Garden which you can walk through and learn how it is the basis of sustainable agriculture, designed to attract beneficial insects like ladybeetles, bees, ground beetles, hoverflies, minute pirate bugs, lacewings and wasps. The plants provide an environment attractive to natural enemies of crop pests, a natural means of controlling harmful pests like include leafhoppers, spider mites, leafrollers and mealybugs. This natural means of controlling harmful pests also assists beneficial insects in pollination and creates a balanced growing environment, the notes explain. Other animals that are considered beneficial include lizards, spiders, toads and hummingbirds. Beneficial insects are as much as ten times more abundant in insectary gardens.
“In addition to the garden being a beautiful focal point for the winery, our goal is to have this insectary further enhance our sustainable farming practices. Its contribution to a balanced ecosystem in the vineyard will be a key for years to come,” the panel explains.
The list of plants here include black eyed Susan, butterfly weed, California fuchsia, Chinese Fringe Flower, coneflower, Sunflower, Echinacea “Ruby Star”
Other sustainability techniques are described: solar panels help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 tons a year, the equivalent of planting 3,400 trees a year; bluebird houses, bat houses, owl boxes and raptor perches provide specialized housing and shady platform perches to encourage birds of prey to adopt the Dry Creek vineyards as their feeding ground – a natural control for pests such as insects, voles and gophers, without the need for chemical deterrents; a habitat enhancement project provides habitat for endangered Coho and Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout; deficit irrigation uses state of the art equipment to measure specific moisture needs of each individual block of vines, monitor soil conditions and adjust levels of irrigation to conserve water – virtual dry farming; growing cover crops like alfalfa and bell beans between vines to help rebuild depleted soil by increasing the available nitrogen and organic material, while minimizing the need to utilize fertilizer and using special seed blends that flower at different times to attract beneficial insects to help control pest populations.
Second generation winery partner Don Wallace, the driving force behind sustainable farming practices at Dry Creek Vineyard, has established Dry Creek Vineyard as a leader in the sustainable agriculture movement in Dry Creek Valley and the industry. The winery and its 185 acres of estate vineyards are 100% certified California Sustainable.
Also among its other notable firsts, Wallace also founded one of the first wine clubs in the U.S. “with a vision of creating a family of wine lovers united in their passion” for handcrafted wines. Events like its recent Holiday Winemaker dinner, where longtime members gather together, help to realize that vision.
Dry Creek has an excellent website that makes it easy to explore the different wine offers, arrange shipping, give as a gift, enroll in their club, or gift a club membership.
Wine tastings are the perfect metaphor for Sonoma County, where art and nature intertwine just about everywhere you go in the most marvelously energizing, invigorating, vitalizing and inspiring ways.
The towns of Healdsburg and Sonoma are like that – exquisite architecture, history, culture, intrinsically blended together with vineyards, farms and fields, wilderness.
Sonoma is a place of community and festivals. We visit Sebastopol for its fall Porchfest – really a giant multi-blocks party where people’s porches turn into stages for folk and rock music (you feel you have been dropped into the 1960s), the streets are full of art and food stalls and there is just a lot of good will and neighborliness, where people bump into friends and meet new ones.
A particular street in Sebastopol, Florence Avenue, is famous for the whimsical sculptures out of recycled junk by artist Patrick Amiot, painted in bright colors by his wife, that decorate just about every home. The Sebastopol Center for the Arts hosts Sonoma County Art Trails – Juried Open Studios – Sebastopol Center for Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol, CA 707-829-4797, SebArts.org
Sonoma is just 30 miles north of San Francisco, and we have a marvelous time at an annual family festival, one of the public events at the otherwise private hiking club that dates from 1912, Tourist Club of San Francisco (we hike to get to it), delightfully Bavarian themed (even beer, pretzels and oompah band and dancing, people in Bavarian dress, and wonderful games (touristclubsf.org).
From there, we hike down a trail into Muir Woods National Park, go through the park and connect with the utterly magnificent Canopy View Trail back up to where we parked.
Sonoma has some phenomenal state and county parks. One of our favorites is the extraordinary Jack London State Historic Park (also known as Beauty Ranch) in the town of Glen Ellen (which also hosts marvelous street festivals). Beauty Ranch was the famous novelist’s home and ranch where he pioneered and experimented with sustainable farming and ranching techniques. There is an outstanding museum in the stone House of Happy Walls that his wife, Charmian, built in 1919 to serve as a museum after Jack London died (she lived there from 1935 until 1945). We visit the ruins of Wolf House, London’s 26-room dream house (mansion) which was in its final stages of completion when it burned down. We walk the trail to see where Jack London’s ashes are buried in a tiny, totally unpretentious gravesite. On previous visits we have walked trails through the ranch and farm area, through a redwood forest to a small lake.
The historic park, a national historic landmark, introduces visitors to the historical and natural features of Jack London’s lifestyle, his contribution to American literature (I am inspired to re- read “Call of the Wild” with new perspective and “White Fang”), his efforts to develop and demonstrate sustainable agricultural techniques and his love for the natural environment. There are gorgeous hikes through redwood forest. (2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, CA 95442, 707-938-5216, www.jacklondonpark.com)
Also in Glen Ellen, we discover the Sonoma Botanical Garden, which provides lovely trails through the different ecosystems – California Oaks, Asian Woodlands, Rose Garden, Stewartia Grove, a Nepalese Prayer Flags section (at the summit), terraced lawn, picturesque ponds with Japanese statuary and seating areas. It offers the opportunity to see rare and endangered plants and conservation in action. The paths are lined with whimsical sculptures of animals. (12841 Hwy 12, Glen Ellen, CA 95442, 707-996-3166, info@sonomabg.org, sonomabg.org)
For pampering, there is Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary (a member of the Green spa network), in the historic village of Freestone, on the scenic Bohemian Highway. A gorgeous Japanese-style building and stunning gardens, the spa features the Cedar Enzyme Bath, a therapeutic body treatment from Japan “found nowhere else on this continent.” This is a fermentation bathing ritual where you immerse in a mixture of soft and fragrant ground cedar and rice bran pulsating with enzyme activity to stimulate your metabolism. This warm and stress reducing treatment offers health benefits, from improving circulation to relieving joint and muscle pain, cleansing skin (707-823-8231, osmosis. com).
The spa is just up the road from the incredibly popular Wild Flour Bread and the Freestone Artisan Cheese shops, an amazing artisanal jewelry shop and a farm stand, before making our way up a winding road to an old growth forest where the redwoods rival Muir Woods.
We also visit one of our favorite restaurants, Salt & Stone (9900 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood, CA 95452, 707 623 4125, SaltStoneKenwood.com)
Some places really exude the storybook, magical, wonderland vibe of the winter holiday season, filling everyone with good cheer and lifelong memories. Here are some of our favorites within driving distance:
Holiday Escape to Newport
Historically considered a summer playground, Newport, Rhode Island transforms into a magical winter wonderland each holiday season. For 54 years, the city has celebrated Christmas in Newport with festive light displays, charming holiday markets, seasonal feasts and visits from Santa Claus.
Sparkling Lights at The Breakers (photo by Dave Hansen)
The Breakers: “Sparkling Lights at The Breakers” dazzles with a half-mile stroll through an outdoor path of glittering lights and colorful displays as holiday music fills the evening air. The 13-acre landscape of this Gilded Age landmark is decorated with illuminated features, including a new 60-foot lighted tunnel and a display that suggests water fountains. The back terrace features warming stations and adult beverages including hot chocolate with liqueur, apple cider with bourbon, wine and beer while families enjoy holidays sweets and treats, and get a s’mores kit to cook over the fire pit. Admission to Sparkling Lights at The Breakers requires a special ticket with a specific date and entry time, and it includes interior access to The Breakers during the same visit. Tour times are 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. The gates close at 6:30 p.m. and the house and grounds close at 8 p.m. Visitors are welcome to stay on the property for as long as they wish until closing. (www.newportmansions.org/events/sparkling-lights-at-the-breakers-2024)
Christmas at Blithewold: This year’s theme, “The Early Years: The Bristol Community and Blithewold, 1896–1914,” highlights the Blithewold family’s connections with local residents decorating key rooms to showcase the Bristol residents who impacted the family.
Marble House and The Elms: Wander through rooms adorned with magnificent Christmas trees, fragrant wreaths, and fresh floral arrangements, each thoughtfully curated to complement the elegance and uniqueness of each of these grand homes. Chateau-sur-Mer: Its first floor will be fully decorated in the spirit of the holidays – the first time in 25 years! Open for the first two weeks of the holiday season.
Festive Holiday Feasts: Michelin-rated Meals: Indulge in an Epicurean Christmas at Cara at The Chandler with a six or seven course Blind Tasting menu on Christmas Eve or a Four-course Prix Fixe menu on Christmas Day. Over at Castle Hill, enjoy the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditional three-course dinner menu with a holiday twist while cozying up to the fireplace and swaying to live music. Both the Chanler and Castle Hill Inn were recently designated with Two Key recognitions. Cozy Taverns: Visitors throughout the season can warm up with The Black Pearl’s famous clam chowder, a festive round of oysters and martinis at Clarke Cooke House or enjoy a hearty seasonal meal at White Horse Tavern, America’s oldest tavern.
‘Only in DC’ Experiences in the Nation’s Capital
From European-style markets, hotels and restaurants in the holiday spirit, to the presidential inauguration and highly anticipated return of the giant pandas, Washington, DC shines brightly this winter. Combined with enthralling new exhibits, a new museum and engaging arts and culture, DC offers one-of-a-kind experiences for every traveler.
On Jan. 24, 2025, Bao Li and Qing Bao will publicly debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, making DC the only place to see giant pandas for free. Themed offerings are planned throughout the city. Given the immense public interest and excitement, the Zoo is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors daily. Timed entry passes are released here four weeks out. The Zoo is also famous for hosting its gorgeous ZooLights during the holidays.
On Dec. 13, the National Museum of African American History and Culture debuts a new temporary exhibition: In Slavery’s Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World. Through powerful forms of artistic expression, such as quilting, embroidery and weaving, the landmark exhibition reveals healing traditions rooted in the resilience of the enslaved.
On Feb. 19, the Go-Go Museum & Café will open in the heart of Anacostia. The first institution dedicated to the celebration and preservation of the syncopated, drum-driven funk that is DC’s native musical form will feature interactive exhibitions and holograms of Go-Go icons.
Dazzling Displays:
National Christmas Tree and Pathway of Peace, Dec. 5-Jan. 1, 2025: The National Christmas Tree, free to enter, is surrounded by trees decorated with handmade ornaments from 58 U.S. states and territories. Dec. 5 lighting airs on CBS Dec. 20.
National Menorah Lighting, Dec. 25-Jan. 2, 2025: Hannukah begins with the lighting ceremony of the world’s largest menorah on the White House Ellipse, which greets all with latkes, doughnuts, menorah kits and dreidels.
ZooLights, Nov. 22-Jan. 4, 2025: Environmentally friendly LED lights and dozens of glowing animal lanterns transform Smithsonian’s National Zoo into a winter wonderland.
Frosted at Franklin Park 2024: Illumination, Nov. 22-Dec. 21: Wander through a breathtaking, free display of thousands of tiny festive bright lights, bringing a shimmery cool front to Franklin Park.
Tingle Bells at ARTECHOUSE, Nov. 22-Jan. 5, 2025: This limited-run experience offers a holiday retreat for mind, body and soul.
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, Dec. 3-Jan. 1, 2025: A 54-year tradition on the West Lawn, this year’s tree comes from Alaska’s national forests.
Season’s Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden, Nov. 28-Jan. 5, 2025: Model trains in the gated outdoor gardens, festive lights throughout the Garden and poinsettias, holiday decor and DC landmarks made from plants inside the Conservatory.
CityCenterDC’s Holiday Tree, Nov. 30-Early Jan. 2025: The luxury shopping destination celebrates 11 years of displaying a jaw-dropping 75-foot tree and décor. Grammy-nominated singer Jordin Sparks will grace the stage alongside the American Pops Orchestra for the annual tree lighting. On Dec. 14-15, The Nutcracker by CityCenterDC will showcase magnificent, larger-than-life ice sculptures.
National Mistletoe Activation, Early Dec.-Early Jan. 2025: A new winter attraction comes to Anthem Row (formerly Techworld Plaza): a sparkling art installation in front of the Carnegie Library.
Seasonal Events:
A Christmas Carol, Nov. 21-Dec. 31: Acclaimed actor Craig Wallace reprises the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for Ford’s Theatre’s annual production of the Charles Dickens classic, a lasting holiday tradition.
The Washington Ballet presents The Nutcracker, Nov. 30-Dec. 29: This DC-themed production at the Warner Theatre features dancing cherry blossoms, local landmarks and figures like Betsy Ross, Harriet Tubman and George Washington.
Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show, Dec. 13-22: Celebrating 30 years, the world’s first holiday show highlighting the African American tradition of stepping returns to Arena Stage.
A Candelight Christmas, Dec. 15-22: Join the Washington Chorus in celebrating the 15th anniversary of its annual concert, ringing in the holiday season with joy, spirit and unity at the Kennedy Center.
New this year, an ice-skating rink is built inside the majestic National Building Museum, dubbed the Holiday Skate Spectacular.
Merry markets:DowntownDC Holiday Market in Penn Quarter (Nov. 22-Dec. 23), celebrating its 20th year, offers 110 vendors, 90 percent of which are women, LGBTQ+ or BIPOC owned; DC Holiday Market at Dupont Circle (Nov. 22-Dec. 15) offers 30 artisans, live music and sweet treats.
C’s first Arlo Hotel opened near Judiciary Square on Nov. 18, with its trademark style and year-round rooftop. The highly anticipated Salamander DC just completed its phased enhancements, unveiling its luxury two-story spa this month. The Canal House of Georgetown, part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, is expected to debut in the heart of the charming neighborhood in early 2025. These openings add to a long list of recent renovations and rebrands across the city.
Heavy hitters in the restaurant industry continue to inflame the city’s sizzling culinary scene. Kwame Onwuachi’s Dōgon opened with national buzz in the Salamander; Michelin-starred chef Pepe Moncayo’s Spanish farmhouse Arrels opened Nov. 18 in the Arlo; Stephen Starr and Nancy Silverton partnered to open the long-awaited Osteria Mozza in Georgetown on Nov. 10; while Devin Kennedy and Will Patton’s Press Club adds to DC’s high end cocktail scene.
Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization of the nation’s capital, provides ways to plan unforgettable and budget-friendly trips at washington.org/winter.
Philadelphia Offers Potpourri of Holiday Festivities
With scores of dazzling light displays, holiday markets, festive shows and seasonal attractions, the holidays are an especially magical time in Philadelphia.
Macy’s Christmas Light Show and Dickens Christmas Village (Macy’s, 1300 Market Street, thru Dec. 31): The Grand Court in the National Historic Landmark Wanamaker Building has hosted the iconic Christmas Light Show since 1956. Daily displays feature thousands of twinkling lights in the shapes of snowflakes, candy canes and dancing snowmen accompanied by seasonal sounds from the famed Wanamaker Organ.
Winter at Dilworth Park (1 S. 15th Street, next to City Hall; dates vary by attraction) Free events and cool attractions include: The Wintergarden open-air wonderland; Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market; Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink; Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin offering seasonal dishes, cocktails, beer; outdoor terrace with cozy fire pits.
LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo (Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, select dates thru Dec. 31): This immersive display transforms the Philadelphia Zoo into a nighttime multimedia spectacle with 1 million holiday lights in 16 distinct zones, seasonal snacks, live performances, hot chocolate and adult beverages (Timed tickets are required.)
Holiday Garden Railway and Nighttime Express at Morris Arboretum & Gardens (Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, select dates thru Dec. 30): One of the country’s largest outdoor model train displays, mini locomotives wind their way through a 1/3 mile of loops, tunnels, bridges and Philly landmark replicas, all built with natural materials and beneath a canopy of sparkly lights. Included with admission to Morris Arboretum. See it at night – illuminated trees and all – by purchasing tickets to the Nighttime Express.
Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest (Independence Blue Cross RiverRink, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard): Glide around an enormous ice skating rink. (Entry is free, tickets required to ice skate, and cabins and fire pits must be reserved in advance.)
New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia (Penn’s Landing, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard), with two fireworks displays over the Delaware River at 6 p.m. and midnight.
Mummers Parade (Monday, January 1, 2024): One of Philly’s most famous traditions, when more than 10,000 costumed marchers — many of whom practice all year for this one-day celebration — strut their stuff on the streets of Philadelphia.
Stay the night with theVisit Philly Overnight Package, scoring perks like free hotel parking (valued up to $100) and tickets to must-see attractions including The Franklin Institute or the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Looking to make a weekend out of it? With theVisit Philly 3-Day Stay package, stay two nights and get a third for free.
Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley, Delaware really know how to celebrate the holidays:
Yuletide at Winterthur (5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735,Nov. 23, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025) Yuletide charm meets contemporary creativity in the historic 175-room mansion, and woodland whimsy awaits outdoors. There is so much to see and do throughout the season– delight in beautifully decorated trees and marvel at a large-scale gingerbread “house” and a magical 18-room dollhouse. Enjoy enchanting decorations and outdoor lighting inspired by the woodlands of Winterthur. Signature traditions include the show-stopping Dried-Flower Tree. Special events throughout the holiday season include Brunch with Santa, live jazz performances, caroling, and workshops. (Purchase tickets online, Winterthur.org or call 800-448-3883.
Holidays at Hagley (298 Buck Road, Wilmington, DE 19807, thru Jan. 1, 2025) Tour Eleutherian Mills and encounter the holiday decorations and traditions of multiple generations of the du Pont family. This year’s theme, “White Christmas,” reminisces upon the outdoor and indoor activities the du Pont family relished as the glittering snow fell along the Brandywine (hagley.org)
Noel at Nemours Estate (1600 Rockland Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803, Nov. 19-Dec. 29, 2024): Alfred I. duPont built “America’s Versailles” for his wife on a 3,000-acre plot in Wilmington in the early 20th century and they started opening their home at Christmas from the year they moved in. Today, the estate celebrates the holiday season with a blend of original decorations – including 19th-century German crèche – and modern design, with 17 Christmas trees, 19 wreaths, and garland throughout.
Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens (Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, Dec. 1, 2024-Jan. 15, 2025): with hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights spreading holiday cheer every night. Marvel at playful trees draped in gorgeous baubles and shimmering tinsels, or make precious memories as you stroll the conservatory’s dazzling displays of holiday color.
Brandywine Museum of Art (1 Hoffman’s Mill Rd., US Rt. 1, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 is famous for its outstanding collection of American art housed in a 19th-century mill with a dramatic steel and glass addition overlooking the banks of the Brandywine River. Renowned for its holdings of the Wyeth family of artists, the museum features galleries dedicated to the work of N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth.
During the holidays, though, the Brandywine Museum is most famous for The Brandywine Railroad, a holiday favorite since 1972, features O-gauge model trains running on 2,000 feet of track and contains more than 1,000 pieces, including locomotives, passenger and freight trains, and trolleys that pass through a small village, a farm, factories, a drive-in movie theater and even a carnival. Dazzling array of toy and scale model trains chugging through the varied scenery include Lionel, Williams, Atlas, Mike’s Train House and K-line, plus interactive components. The Brandywine Railroad offers special sensory-friendly access hours for those with autism or sensory processing disorders.
Holiday Lights Express (Wilmington & Western Railroad, Greenbank Railroad Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, DE 19808, dates through Dec. 30). All aboard the festively decorated, 100-year-old heated coaches, each covered in thousands of holiday lights. Many of the trackside neighbors also decorate their homes and yards during this 1-hour evening trip through the Red Clay Valley. This event is powered by one of a historic first-generation diesel locomotives. (302-998-1930)
Unwrap Holiday Traditions at Historic Hotels of America
A holiday stay at any one of the 300 members of Historic Hotels of America is guaranteed to capture the spirit of the season – each one encapsulates, even animates the history and heritage of its place, offering charm and tradition.
For a close-by country Christmas on an enchanted lake, choose The Sagamore, a historic luxury resort at Bolton Landing, on Lake George, which not only is decked to the halls and affords fun holiday and winter activities, but is within a 45 minute drive to Gore Mountain, one of the best ski areas in New York State; Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid is a little further (all three of New York’s Olympic Regional Development Authority ski areas – Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre – have opened.). (110 Sagamore Rd, Bolton Landing, NY 12814, 518.644.9400Res: 866.384.1944, https://www.opalcollection.com/sagamore/experiences/)
Another, the historic Red Lion Inn in the utterly charming village of Stockbridge, Massachusetts in the Berkshires (as picturesque as a Norman Rockwell painting), provides easy access to Jiminy Peak ski resort.
One of my all-time favorites is the historic Woodstock Inn and Resort, in historic and utterly charming Woodstock Vermont (“prettiest small town in America”), which also offers everything of a resort including its own recreation center with indoor swimming, spa, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and access to its own downhill ski area, Saskadena Six (formerly known as Suicide Six) (https://www.woodstockinn.com/).
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States of America. The more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. To find a member, visit HistoricHotels.org/US.
by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
New York City’s holiday season festivities kick off with the arrival of the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, heralding in a cornucopia of festive performances, winter exhibits, holiday light displays across New York City’s five boroughs, captivating and enchanting.
Here are some of the many ways to celebrate the holiday season in New York City:
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, Nov. 8–Jan. 5: Experience the beloved holiday tradition as it returns to the iconic stage of Radio City Music Hall. For almost a century, this festive show has enchanted audiences of all ages with its stunning costumes, joyful music, precise choreography and innovative performances. Multiple shows daily.
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Nov. 29–Jan. 4, Lincoln Center , Manhattan: Immerse yourself in the magic of New York City Ballet’s George Balachine’s The Nutcracker, a holiday classic. Follow young Marie as she faces the Mouse King and dances through a flurry of ballerinas to the enchanting Land of Sweets, all set to Tschaikovsky’s iconic score. With stunning special effects, including a towering Christmas tree, dazzling sets and vibrant costumes, this production is a sensory delight for audiences of all ages. (https://www.nycballet.com/season-and-tickets/george-balanchines-the-nutcracker/george-balanchines-the-nutcracker/)
A Christmas Carol at Merchant’s House Museum, Nov. 26–Dec. 29, Noho, Manhattan: Summoners Ensemble Theatre presents A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House Museum, performed by John Kevin Jones as Charles Dickens. The 70-minute show takes place in an authentic 19th-century parlor adorned with period holiday decorations. Select performances from December 6–26 will offer a special reception featuring a reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and holiday refreshments.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center, Dec. 4–Jan. 5, Manhattan: The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to New York City Center for its 66th annual winter season, offering a captivating mix of new works and beloved classics. This program features world premieres like Matthew Rushing’s Sacred Songs and Lar Lubovitch’s Many Angels, alongside the 25th-anniversary revival of Ronald K. Brown’s Grace and a new production of Elisa Monte’s Treading. (https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2024-2025/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/)
Holidays with the New York Philharmonic Dec. 11–22, Lincoln Center, Manhattan: The New York Philharmonic, led by baroque expert Ton Koopman, joins the Musica Sacra chorus and soloists for a performance of Handel’s Messiah, highlighting its iconic vocal and orchestral melodies, with debut performances from soprano Maya Kherani, countertenor Maarten Engeltjes, tenor Kieran White and bass-baritone Klaus Mertens. Sounds of the Season matinee concerts feature joyful music perfect for the whole family, promising to brighten the holiday season. Additionally, the Philharmonic will spread holiday cheer with live performances of the heartwarming classic Elf, featuring John Debney’s score as the movie plays on the big screen.
The Magic Flute, Dec. 12–Jan. 4, Metropolitan Opera, Upper West Side, Manhattan: Experience the magic of Mozart’s Magic Flute at The Met Opera in a captivating, family-friendly production by Tony Award–winning director Julie Taymor. With stunning puppetry, vibrant visuals and timeless melodies, this abridged, English-language adaptation transforms the beloved fairy tale into an unforgettable New York tradition for all ages.
The Hard Nut, Dec.12–22, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn: This holiday season, the Mark Morris Dance Group brings their whimsical and humorous twist on Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) with The Hard Nut. Featuring vibrant 1970’s inspired costumes, this beloved production offers a quirky take on the classic ballet.
Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manhattan: An NYC tradition, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a treasure trove of adventure and discovery that takes you on journeys in time and place. But during the holidays, a special attraction is the Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche display. This originates from an assemblage of 18th-century Neapolitan figures generously contributed by American artist and collector Loretta Hines Howard in 1964.
A Christmas Carol: The Manuscript, Pierpont Morgan’s Library, Manhattan:Every holiday season, the Pierpont Morgan Library displays Charles Dickens’ original manuscript of A Christmas Carol. Bound in red goatskin leather, the manuscript was gifted to Dickens’ solicitor, Thomas Mitton, and later came into the possession of Pierpont Morgan in the 1890s. This season, the manuscript will be turned to page seven.
The Origami Holiday Tree: American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan: Showcasing more than 1,000 hand-crafted models, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree is a must-visit this holiday season at the American Museum of Natural History.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection, New-York Historical Society, Manhattan: This annual wintertime favorite at the Jerni Collection is a display of handcrafted and hand-painted toy trains spanning 1850 to 1940. Alongside these, an assortment of toy train stations illustrates the design evolution from the early 20th century to the era of World War II.
Holiday Train Show, Nov. 16–Jan. 20, New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx: Model trains and trolleys wind through a festive outdoor lawn display and inside the Haupt Conservatory, showcasing replicas of New York City’s iconic architecture. By day or night, the show captures the magic of the season, with special evening events, Holiday Train Nights, offering illuminated scenes and holiday treats on select dates (https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show-2024/)
Season’s Greetings from PaleyLand at The Paley Center,Nov. 20–Jan. 5, Paley Museum, Manhattan, just steps from Rockefeller Center. Visitors are invited to revel in PaleyLand, a five-floor immersive holiday experience featuring photos with Santa, free hot chocolate, holiday train displays, crafts, holiday screenings and more.
Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights, Nov. 22-Jan.5, The Bronx: With more than 390 lanterns representing nearly 100 animal and plant species, the Bronx Zoo’s family-centric holiday lights festival will connect visitors with real wildlife and festivities. During the evenings, the park comes to life with holiday cheer as immersive light displays, custom-designed animal lanterns and animated light shows sparkle across the zoo. The celebration is complete with seasonal treats, classic holiday music, the Holiday Train, new interactive experiences and other entertainment. Date specific and any-night tickets. (https://bronxzoo.com/holiday-lights/tickets)
Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Nov. 22–Jan. 5, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn: Lightscape returns to Brooklyn Botanic Garden, offering an enchanting after-dark experience like never before. This year, visitors will be immersed in a mesmerizing nighttime journey through light-drenched landscapes, with brand-new installations by renowned international light artists and design collectives from 10 countries on three continents. Visitors are invited to wander along the illuminated trail under the moonlight, marveling at the magical interplay of light and nature. Seasonal treats and festive music enhance the atmosphere. 21+ Nightson Dec. 12 &19 after 7 pm; Sensory-Friendly Early Entry on Dec. 18 & Jan. 3 at 4 p.m., for adults and children with disabilities or sensory sensitivity (limited capacity). (bbg.org/lightscape)
Fifth Avenue 200th Anniversary, Holiday Window Displays & Third Annual Open Streets Program, Manhattan: Fifth Avenue marks its 200th anniversary with in-store activations, exclusive merchandise and special events at luxury flagship stores and hotels. Throughout the season, custom tours explore the avenue’s rich history and iconic holiday window displays at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co., Cartier and Bergdorf Goodman.
34th Street Holiday Window Displays, Midtown Manhattan:34th Street is a centerpiece of holiday festivities, with the Empire State Building celebrating the 21st anniversary of Elf and Macy’s Herald Square’s iconic, magical window displays. Penn Station will be festively decorated, and nearby stores have creative holiday windows.
Holiday Under the Stars at The Shops at Columbus: Mid-Nov.–Jan., Columbus Circle, Manhattan: The Shops at Columbus Circle, celebrating 20 years as one of the city’s culinary, shopping and cultural destinations, is featuring a new, glimmering “Holiday Under the Stars” installation, brimming with 300,000 twinkling lights and illuminated stars. Free to the public, newly choreographed light shows featuring 44 glowing, color-changing stars will dance across the dramatic 74-foot-high Great Room every 30 minutes from 5pm to midnight daily.
Shine Bright at Hudson Yards Presented by Wells Fargo, Hudson Yards, Manhattan: Presented by Wells Fargo, Shine Bright at Hudson Yards adorns the neighborhood with 115 miles of string lights, 725 evergreen trees and 16-foot-tall, illuminated set pieces in the shape of hot air balloons arranged through the Public Square & Gardens. A 32-foot hot air balloon centerpiece is suspended in The Great Room of The Shops & Restaurants. Enjoy holiday shopping, festive dining and free photo opportunities with Santa.
Holiday Lights & Movie Sites Tour with On Location Tours, Nov. 29–Jan. 2, Manhattan: On Location Tours explore famous landmarks and uncover hidden gems featured in popular holiday films like Elf, Home Alone 2, Scrooged and more. Starting near Columbus Circle, the tour includes festive stops at Bloomingdale’s, Rockefeller Center and the renowned ice-skating rink at Bryant Park.
The Original Christmas Lights Tour of Dyker Heights with A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours, December, Dyker Heights, Brooklyn: The Original Christmas Lights Tour of Dyker Heights invites visitors to explore this Brooklyn neighborhood, celebrated for its lavish and elaborate Christmas displays. Guided by locals who share stories behind the homeowners and their decorations, this 3.5-hour tour begins in Manhattan and is set to festive holiday music. It offers a mix of on- and off-bus views, taking in the dazzling lights of Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst. Along the way, enjoy vintage Christmas TV specials, and at the end, take home a commemorative fridge magnet as a memento of the experience.
The Rink at Manhattan West,Midtown Manhattan:Located a block away from Madison Square Garden, offering daily public skating amid skyscrapers in Manhattan West’s expansive public plaza, conveniently located steps away from Moynihan Train Hall.
Glide at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn: Skate beneath the historic Brooklyn Bridge while taking in the stunning Manhattan skyline views at Glide, the newest ice rink in New York City. Savor café and beverage options.
The Rink at Bryant Park,Midtown Manhattan: Returning for its 23rd season, Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park invites visitors to enjoy the City’s largest free-admission ice-skating rink, a vibrant holiday market with nearly 200 vendors and the cozy rinkside bar and food hall at The Lodge. Open through early March.
Wollman Rink, Oct.–March, Central Park, Manhattan: Enjoy skating in Central Park with the picturesque Manhattan skyline in the background.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center, Oct. 12 through March, Midtown Manhattan: The world-famous ice-skating rink is back for the holidays, offering the classic NYC experience of skating under the iconic Christmas tree. Santa will also join skaters on the ice in December.
Classic Harbor Line Holiday-Themed Cruises, Manhattan: Visitors aboard elegant 1920s-style yachts enjoy breathtaking views of the NYC skyline while indulging in complimentary hot cocoa, sweet treats and live entertainment. Options include holiday brunches, festive cruises with carols and a New Year’s Eve celebration with fireworks and captivating views of the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
City Cruises Holiday-Themed Cruises, Nov. 28–Jan. 1, Manhattan Experience the charm of NYC from the water on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s with festive dining cruises with live entertainment. NYE cruises include fireworks display and an open bar.
New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop, Dec. 31–Jan. 1, Manhattan: Watching the ball’s descent in person on New Year’s Eve is a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime way to ring in the New Year. To be a part of the celebration, submit your wishes in person or digitally to be printed on the confetti that will be released during this year’s celebration.
NYRR Midnight Run in Central Park,Dec. 31–Jan. 1, Central Park, Manhattan Visitors Get a head start into 2025 at the NYRR Midnight Run. As 2024 comes to an end, the countdown to the new year begins at 11:59 pm, and at the stroke of midnight, a fireworks display lights up the night sky and kicks off the start of the four-mile race.
Coney Island Polar Plunge, Jan. 1, Coney Island, Brooklyn. Every January 1, the Polar Bear Club and fearless participants take the plunge into the icy waters of Coney Island. Come watch as hundreds of adventurous people dive into the freezing Atlantic Ocean. The event is free to join, but participants are encouraged to make donations to support local community organizations in lieu of an entry fee.
Winter Suite Savings Offer from Loews Regency New York, Nov. 15–Jan. 2, Upper East Side, ManhattanCelebrate the holiday season with festive decor, complimentary champagne and hot cocoa every Friday and Saturday in December, and holiday-inspired cocktails (including low- and no-ABV beverage offerings) from the Free Spirited by Loews Hotels program. Special seasonal menus for Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s at The Regency Bar & Grill; be pampered with beauty services at Julien Farel Restore Salon & Spa. The Winter Suite Savings package offers exclusive discounts on suites.
Holiday Cheer and the Suitest Season of All offering at The Plaza Hotel, Nov. 16–Jan. 6, Midtown Manhattan: Celebrate the holiday season at The Plaza with Holiday Afternoon Tea, the Home Alone 2 experience, Eloise at Christmastime, Holiday Tappy Hour dancing performances, and beyond. This winter, the hotel also presents the “Suitest Season of All” offer, providing the ultimate holiday getaway in New York City. Your luxurious suite is adorned with a festive floral arrangement and a 7-foot tall, beautifully decorated Balsam Hill tree. A chef-inspired holiday-themed welcome amenity adds to the seasonal charm of this exclusive experience.
New Year’s Eve Exclusive Offer at M Social Hotel Times Square, Dec. 31, Midtown Manhattan: Celebrate the New Year and be a part of the Times Square Ball Drop with an exclusive package from M Social Hotel Times Square: save 10% on a room showcasing a full or partial view of the iconic ball drop and join in on the thrilling countdown firsthand.
The Ultimate New Year’s Eve Experience atop Times Square at The Knickerbocker, Dec. 31, Midtown Manhattan: Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at The Knickerbocker Hotel, located 150 feet below the Times Square Ball—the closest live view available. This extravagant rooftop event offers luxurious packages, including a gourmet buffet at Charlie Palmer, premium open bar, live entertainment and a Dom Pérignon champagne toast.
Ring in 2024 at the New York Marriott Marquis, Dec. 31, Midtown Manhattan: Celebrate the New Year in style amid the vibrant atmosphere of Times Square: guests will experience spacious accommodations and prime views of the ball drop.
For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nyctourism.com.
There’s a singing chocolate ice cream cone. A chocolate covered strawberry ballerina. Cakey and the Fairy. Not to mention an Ice Palace with penguins, polar bears, seals. A Giant Christmas Tree and of course, Santa in a Sleigh – all created in lights. The holiday season has begun on Long Island with the opening of this year’s LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival at Eisenhower Park, on view through January 5, 2025.
An annual holiday event since 2019, each year the theme changes. This year’s theme, “Sweet Dreams,” is featured in 50 attractions as you walk the winding paths through a truly enchanted forest.
You wander through different scenes and settings with different themes. What is so impressive is the creativity and the artistry, the delicate precision and the exquisite quality and scale. There are nearly life-size deer, giraffes, lambs, then in another scene, wooly mammoths, saber tooth tigers, reindeer, and in another, cartoonish fantastical, fanciful and whimsical creatures.
You walk through arches, portals, tunnels of light. You walk through the mouth of a giant hungry caterpillar whose eyelids open and close; another is a pergola of candy canes. You come upon a train going through a tunnel made of fairy lights (“It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey,” a note reads.) It’s like finding yourself in a 3-D storybook.
And my favorite – which I purposely left for a dramatic climax to my walk (there are several ways to go) – an entire Ice Palace with penguins, polar bear, seals, and a moving winged horse (Pegasus) where I overhear a kid say, “Oh my god, this is the coolest thing in the world!”
It’s a non-ending smile, one delight after another.
And you can’t but be impressed by the incredibly beautiful artistry. It’s breathtaking.
A highlight are the lantern art characters and creatures created from winning drawings of children as young as 6 years old, in collaboration with the Long Island Children’s Museum, where you see their actual drawing and how it has been manifested in stunning life-size lantern art light sculpture.
It is truly marvelous to see how the children’s drawings, imagining a character from a “sweet dream” have been realized in these giant lanterns – a cup cake, candy bowl, ice cream man, “Reach for the Clouds”, an Easter Bunny Ice Cream.
This is the second year of the festival’s collaboration with the Long Island’s Children’s Museum – last year, the festival creator, Chen, also collaborated with the Long Island children’s Museum on themed drawings of Long island’s marine life that were brought to life in these lanterns (the museum will be opening a Long Island Marine Life exhibit in fall 2025).
Each year there are new lanterns and themes to entrance and delight.
“Sweet dreams theme is close to my heart,” LuminoCity Founder and Creator Xiaoyi Chen said at the ribbon-cutting. “I wanted to bring out the wonder we had as kids – the magic. Walking through, transports you back to the holidays with family. We aim to bring light and happiness to all who visit.” She added, “Long Island is our home, too.”
Deputy Director Chinese Consulate, NY, Lee, spoke of the festival as not just a celebration of lights, but of creativity, community spirit and Chinese cultural heritage and tradition. “It reminds us of the importance of honoring diverse traditions.”
Chen says that Chinese lantern art was an important part of the heritage and tradition in Zigong City where her family is from in China – “a small city in the southwest with a rich history and known as ‘Lantern City’” for its legendary fame in the art.
“When I was a kid, I enjoyed the art. The root of my creativity comes from there.” She was introduced to lantern art by her first drawing teacher. She has gone on to graduate Pratt Institute, in Visual Communication, and said that creating such big-scale art installations as she has done with LuminoCity “is the dream.”
The region Chen came from is also famous for its dinosaur fossils, including feathered dinosaurs. Indeed, Zigong Dinosaur Museum, the first museum based almost entirely on dinosaurs in Asia when it was opened in 1987. claims the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the world, covering 25,000 sq. meters – and was the inspiration for LuminoCity’s Dino Safari.
Each year, she chooses a different theme for the LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival. She chose this year’s theme, Sweet Dreams, “because when you celebrate with family, you always have sweets.” She wanted to trigger those sweet memories.
Chen tells me it takes two months to design the lanterns, which are made of fabric and painted, three months to produce, and one month to install at the park; she has a production team of 50.
There is a snack truck that offers all the fun snacks/indulgences you can think of hot dog ($5), hot chocolate, funnel cake, cotton candy, pretzel, popcorn, to match the dream of the festival.
The setting within Eisenhower Park is particularly special. You not only have the lights, the imagery, the colors and shape, the animation, the sound and musical effects, you have the smell of pine trees and walk through this truly magical forest.
LuminoCity, has a similar Holiday Lights Festival at Freehold Raceway Mall (3710 US-9, Freehold, NJ 07728, Nov. 15—Jan. 5), and also has Dino Safaris in Walt Whitman Mall, Huntington, as well as attractions in Orlando, Florida, and in Maryland and Georgia.
You can purchase tickets online, www.LuminoCityfestival.com (there may be discounts available), as well as at the entrance.
LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival, Eisenhower Park,Parking Lot 4, 1899 Park Blvd, East Meadow, NY 11554, www.LuminoCityfestival.com.
