Silently, our rowboat glides through waters thick with lotus flowers, water lilies, and vegetation and along narrow passageways lined by towering evergreen cajuput (melaleuca) trees whose outstretched branches host hundreds of nesting birds. Later, we hike to an observatory tower for panoramic views of the 2100-acre Tra Su Cajuput Forest and Bird Sanctuary, which shelters over 70 bird species.
We are in Vietnam, and this is one of many amazing tours my 30-year-old-daughter and I enjoy on a week-long AmaWaterways Mekong River cruise. We are traveling on the five-star AmaDara. Our cruise begins in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and ends in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Here, in the first of a three-part story, we share highlights from our journey through southern Vietnam.
Our trip begins with two pre-cruise nights at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. The hotel is within walking distance of almost everything we want to see, and its rooftop pool and Bremiere spa are great for unwinding after our 26-hour journey from New York City.
The Sofitel reflects the city’s blend of French Colonial and traditional and modern Vietnamese influences in its decor, service and dining. The lobby has a croissant/pastry cart as well as an area displaying and selling fine local lacquerware and other crafts. It has both French and Vietnamese restaurants, and an extensive breakfast buffet that features Pho (soup) made to order, a croissant and pastry station and extensive selections of foods from around the world.
Our favorite meal in Ho Chi Minh City is at ST25 by KOTO, our hotel’s tony Vietnamese restaurant. It is popular with locals and guests for its ambiance and its creative twist on traditional dishes like spiced Barramundi (fish) roasted in banana leaves with mắm tôm sauce (fermented shrimp paste). It takes its name from the acclaimed Vietnamese rice variety, ST25.
One of the wonderful things about this restaurant is that it trains, hires and supports at-risk and disadvantaged youth, and the training is in life-skills, not just hospitality. Everyone working there has come through the program, including our personable maitre d. The service is impeccable and every dish is an artfully presented unique treat, from the yellowtail kingfish in avocado puree and black sesame appetizer to the Barramundi, a delicious fish roasted in banana leaves with chili, turmeric, spring onion and a mắm tôm sauce (fermented shrimp paste).
A friend had advised us to pack lightly and bring an empty suitcase because Vietnam prices warranted buying a whole new wardrobe. The values are definitely there; two shopping experiences stand out.
The first is Phuong Giang, a small shop that came highly recommended, where we page through style books, select a fabric and get measured; the dress is delivered to our hotel the next day for a follow-up fitting at the time we request. The cost is under $75.
Also memorable is Ben Thanh Market, a bustling, clean and orderly indoor market that sells everything from running track suits to suitcases at jaw-droppingly low prices. For example, Nike shirts and shorts are about $5. I buy a chic pleated maxi dress for $18 USD that is similar to ones I’d seen for more than $100 in the U.S.
Happily, the museums in Ho Chi Minh City we visit have excellent English signage. We start out at Independence Palace, a.k.a. Reunification Palace, the opulent former seat of French Colonial and South Vietnamese governments, where we see the stately meeting rooms where diplomats and heads of state were greeted, held important meetings and were entertained, and the War Remnants Museum, where news clippings, photos, munitions and other artifacts reveal the ravages of the “American War.”
Since we’re especially interested in learning more about the cultural and historic roots of Vietnam, we visit two other excellent museums: the Museum of South Vietnamese Women, which focuses on women’s roles in farming, family and war during more than 1,000 years of foreign invasions, and the History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, whose exhibits start with prehistoric times. We spend about two to three hours in each and they provide great context for the sights we will see during our cruise.
AmaWaterways’ Mekong River cruise takes us deep into the cultures of southern Vietnam and Cambodia (Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways)
On our third morning, we meet up with our AmaWaterways group in the hotel lobby and board buses for a lively, informative ride to our home for the next seven nights, the AmaDara. Built in Vietnam, the five-star, 62-cabin river cruise ship reflects the Mekong’s French Colonial and Asian aesthetic in its hardwood floors, wood furnishings, and colorful artwork depicting local life.
Exploring the ship, we find a small air-conditioned workout space, three spa treatment rooms, a plunge pool, large indoor and outdoor cocktail/coffee lounges and a large dining room. Before dinner, Huy, our energetic and knowledgeable cruise manager, provides the first of our daily talks about the destinations we’ll visit. We begin getting to know some of our crew members, who are almost all from the region.
We appreciate that the dining room always serves a choice of several regional foods like sweet and salty pork bowl and fish “amok”, cooked in a rich, spiced coconut milk sauce, as well as international dishes. And we love that menu items are plated and displayed with a list of ingredients as we enter the dining room—especially helpful for some less familiar dishes.
After dinner, a group of folk musicians comes aboard to perform. The music is unlike Western music and each musician demonstrates their instrument before performing. Then, after the performance, we are invited to chat with the musicians and if we like, try out their instruments.
The next morning, I join a pre-breakfast stretch class on the sundeck with Hanna, the ship’s wellness coach. She offers a surprising number of daily yoga, qigong and other classes, and I can still hear her gentle reminders to breathe deeply and take in the healthy air of the Mekong.
Our next two days in Vietnam are packed with adventure and our days take on a rhythm of morning excursions, a refreshing midday break and lunch on board the ship in air-conditioned comfort, and then a second set of activities in the afternoon. We opt for the active excursions which have more walking or add a second site to the standard tour.
After breakfast, we head out in sampans (traditional small boats) to a candy and rice-paper workshop in Cai Be, where we watch and sample each step of the candy process, see rice paper being made by hand, and visit their small local crafts shop. We taste some local liquors, but on the advice of our guide, we skip the snake wine.
Active travelers continue on for a guided walk through Dong Hoa Hiep, an ancient village of fruit tree groves and ornate historic homes. The highlight is Mr. Kiet’s Ancient House, a faithfully restored upper-class 1838 home with intricately carved wooden archways and doors and a fine collection of antique furnishings, many with luminescent inlaid nacre. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site, the home is still occupied by the widow of Mr Kiet, who operates a small restaurant in the orchard garden.
Phuc, our guide, points out the three impressive ancestor shrines in the entry room which include photos of deceased relatives, religious statues, candles, incense burners and offerings of fruit and other items. He tells us that most Vietnamese homes have ancestor shrines near their entrance or in a prominent location; the richer the family, the more elaborate the shrine. He explains that departed family members are thought to watch over their descendants and offerings at the altars allow the living to show their gratitude and remain connected. The three shrines here are quite grand.
Our afternoon tour takes us to the wet market in Sa Dec, where we see live eels, snake fish, snails and duck embryos, still in the shell, which are a local delicacy. From there, we board sampans and boat over to the Cao Dai Temple, where brilliant paintings and sculptures illustrate the beliefs of this home-grown Vietnamese monotheistic religion. Combining elements of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Vietnamese folk religions and other practices, the Cao Dai religion is now the third largest religion in Vietnam.
On our last morning in Vietnam, we have two options: a trishaw tour of a village, stopping at silk and rattan workshops and a home visit, or an excursion to the Tra Su Cajuput Forest and Bird Sanctuary. Based on conversations with fellow passengers over dinner that evening, there was no wrong choice. We opt for nature, and are thrilled to have the chance to see this pristine eco-system.
This afternoon, we are required to remain on-board as the boat clears customs into Cambodia. AmaWaterways has collected our passports, arranges our visas and takes care of all the details. We take the opportunity to experience the region’s special deep-tissue massage spa treatments and join a cooking class.
It’s only been three days since we set out on AmaWaterways’ AmaDara, but it feels like much longer because of all we’ve seen and done. Our guide, Phuc, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City, must leave us at the border. He has been more than our guide; he has shared stories about his family and taught so much about Vietnamese culture and everyday life in the Mekong. We are sad to bid him farewell as we prepare to sail across the border to Cambodia. At the same time, we are excited for tomorrow, when we will wake up in Cambodia’s exotic capital, Phnom Penh.
The basics:
In 2025, AmaWaterways offers one-week Mekong River trips, except during May, June, and July, traveling between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Siem Reap, Cambodia. Prices start at around $2,320 and include transfers between the ship and Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap and all sightseeing, wi-fi, meals, and on-board programs. Extra charges include airfare (discounted fares are available), visa fees, bar drinks (alcoholic beverages with meals are included), port charges (about $210 p.p.) and suggested tips ($80 per passenger for the crew and $20-$25 for the cruise manager). AmaWaterways also offers a choice of all-inclusive pre- and post-cruise options. The most comprehensive is eight nights, including stays in Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap/Angkor Wat,, and Ha Long Bay, and all transportation, priced at $2,779 per person.
Flights from the U.S. can take well over 20 hours. As with all cruises, it’s important to arrive at least a day early in case of flight delays. Considering the time change and potential for jet lag, I’d suggest a minimum two-night pre-cruise cushion—more if you have time.
Bargaining in markets is expected. Generally, when we tell a merchant we will think about it and start to walk away, the price drops. Then, we may ask if that is the best they can do, and the price sometimes drops again. If it’s a big purchase, it’s smart to stop at a few booths to get a sense of pricing and quality.
Be sure to check with your doctor or a travel medicine specialist for recommendations on vaccinations and other health precautions, and the U.S. Department of State, CIA.gov and the CIA World Factbook for helpful country information.
Note when filling out visa applications, flight and hotel reservations that dates in Vietnam and Cambodia are written day/month/year. I almost booked my flight for the wrong date. (April 1, 2025 would be written 01/04/2025).
Get the required visa at Vietnam’s website (evisa.gov.vn), where the fee is $25 (if you use a visa service it costs something like $197), and at Cambodia’s website (evisa.gov.kh), where the fee is $30, but give yourself enough time to get the confirmation.
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.
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)
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
New York is one of the premier cultural capitals of the world and fall is when the culture calendar gets into gear. But here’s a heads-up: the blockbuster exhibit of the year – the opportunity to tour a full-scale re-creation of Anne Frank’s Annex as it stands in Amsterdam – opens January 27, 2025, and tickets are on sale now. Here are highlights of what’s ahead on the culture calendar:
Groundbreaking Full-Scale Re-Creation of Anne Frank’s Annex
Amsterdam and New York – The Anne Frank House, one of the most visited historical sites in Europe, is presenting a pioneering experience: the opportunity to walk through an exact replica of Anne Frank’s hiding place where she wrote her famous diary. Anne Frank The Exhibition opens in New York City on January 27, 2025. Considering that tickets to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam book up three months in advance, tickets for this exhibit are now available at AnneFrankExhibit.org.
This is the first time the Anne Frank House will present this opportunity for visitors outside of Amsterdam to be immersed in a full-scale recreation of the rooms where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and four other Jews spent two years hiding to evade Nazi capture.
As a nonprofit organization helping to shape global understanding of the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance, including lessons on modern day antisemitism, racism, and discrimination, the Anne Frank House is entrusted with the preservation of the Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II. This exhibition, presented in New York City in partnership with the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, opens on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, 2025, to mark the 80th commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Anne Frank The Exhibition is a first-of-its-kind, full-scale recreation of the complete Annex, furnished as it would have been when Anne and her family were forced into hiding. Moving through the exhibition, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the context that shaped Anne’s life—from her early years in Frankfurt, Germany through the rise of the Nazi regime and the family’s 1934 move to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where Anne lived for ten years until her 1944 arrest and deportation to Westerbork, a large transit camp in the Netherlands, then to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a concentration camp and killing center in Nazi-occupied Poland, and eventually to her death at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany when she was 15 years old.
Designed for audiences who may not have the opportunity to visit the Netherlands, the new exhibition in New York City is anticipated to draw massive attendance for what will be among the most important presentations of Jewish historical content on view in the United States. Through the recreated Annex; exhibition galleries immersing 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 will provide an opportunity to learn about Anne Frank not as a victim but through the multifaceted lens of her life—as a girl, a writer, and a symbol of resilience and strength. This is a story inspired by one of the most translated books in the world.
The New York City exhibition will occupy over 7,500 square feet of gallery space in the heart of Union Square. This marks the first time dozens of artifacts will be seen in the United States—many have never been seen in public.
Artifacts in the exhibition include:
Anne Frank’s first photo album (1929-1942);
Anne Frank’s typed and handwritten invitation to her friend for a film screening in her home (by 1942, anti-Jewish measures prohibited Jews from attending the cinema); and
Handwritten verses by Anne Frank in her friends’ poetry albums.
“Anne Frank’s words resonate and inspire today, a voice we carry to all corners of the world, nearly eight decades later,” Ronald Leopold, Executive Director of the Anne Frank House, said. “As a custodian of Anne’s legacy, we have an obligation to help world audiences understand the historical roots and evolution of antisemitism, including how it fueled Nazi ideology that led to the Holocaust. Anne’s legacy is remarkable, as represented in the diary she left us, and as one of the 1.5 million Jewish children who were murdered at the hands of Nazi officials and their collaborators. Through this exhibition, the Anne Frank House offers insights into how this could have happened and what it means for us today.
“The exhibition provides perspectives, geared toward younger generations, that are certain to deepen our collective understanding of Anne Frank and hopefully provide a better understanding of ourselves. By bringing this exhibition to New York—a place with many ties to Anne’s story— the Anne Frank House is expanding the reach of our work to encourage more people to remember Anne Frank, reflect on her life story, and respond by standing against antisemitism and hatred in their own communities.”
Anne Frank The Exhibition is a limited engagement, scheduled to close on April 30, 2025. Public programming and educational initiatives tied to the exhibition will be announced when the exhibition opens to the public.
Timed entry individual and family tickets are available at AnneFrankExhibit.org. The exhibition is designed for children (ages 10 and older) and adults. All general admission tickets include the exhibition audio guide. Visitors should plan to spend approximately one hour at the exhibition. Last entry is one hour before closing.
Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, N.Y. between 5th and 6th Avenues
Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024-February 9, 2025). Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art; Photo by Natasha Moustache.
Edges of Ailey at the Whitney Museum of American Art through February 9, 2025, is the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. This dynamic showcase brings together visual art, live performance, music, a range of archival materials, and a multi-screen video installation drawn from recordings of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) repertory to explore the full range of Ailey’s personal and creative life. Described as an “extravganza” by curator Adrienne Edwards, Edges of Ailey is the must-see event of the NYC fall/winter season. The landmark exhibition is on view only in NYC.
Presented at the Museum in multiple parts, Edges of Ailey consists of an immersive exhibition in the Museum’s 18,000 square-foot fifth-floor galleries that includes artworks by over 80 artists and never-before-seen archival materials. Artists featured in the exhibition include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Faith Ringgold, Alma Thomas, Jacob Lawrence, Kara Walker, and many others. A recent acquisition of Eldren Bailey and new works by Karon Davis, Jennifer Packer, Mickalene Thomas, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye will be presented for the first time in honor of this landmark exhibition.
Edges of Ailey is part of a ‘Season of Ailey’ in New York City, which includes the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company’s annual engagement at New York City Center, December 4-January 5.
Also at the Whitney:
Opening November 1, Shifting Landscapes explores how evolving political, ecological, and social issues motivate artists’ representations of the world around them. The 120 works by more than 80 artists—including Firelei Báez, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jane Dickson, Gordon Matta-Clark, Amalia Mesa-Bains, andPurvis Young—depict the effects of industrialization on the environment, grapple with the impact of geopolitical borders, and give shape to imagined spaces as a way of destabilizing the concept of a “natural” world.
On view through January 5, 2025, Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard marks the first standalone museum presentation of the fully realized indoor citrus grove conceived and designed in 1972 by artists Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison. Stretching across the Museum’s eighth-floor gallery, this installation of 18 live citrus trees explores the need for a productive and sustainable food system in an imagined future where natural farming practices are obsolete and cannot be taken for granted.
This fall, the Perelman Performing Arts Center [PAC NYC] is staging its inaugural PAC NYC ICONS OF CULTURE FESTIVAL presented by BNY from Tuesday, October 29 – Saturday, November 2, 2024.
PAC NYC ICONS OF CULTURE FESTIVAL will bring audiences into the room with trailblazers in art, music, comedy, film, sports, and more to talk about pushing boundaries, making a mark, and elevating the everyday to the iconic.
Icons to appear in conversation at the festival include Misty Copeland, The Dogist, Alex Edelman, Renée Fleming, Michael Imperioli, Baaba Maal, Philippe Petit, Questlove, Marcus Samuelsson, Kathleen Turner, Serena Williams, andVanity Fair’s Little Gold Men Live!
Art Deco City: New York Postcards from the Leonard A. Lauder Collectionat Museum of the City of New York, East Harlem, through February 17, 2025: Featuring over 250 postcards alongside decorative arts, fashion, and architectural models, the exhibition highlights the role postcards played in popularizing Art Deco landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center.
Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde at Grey Art Museum, Noho, Manhattan, through March 1, 2025: Berthe Weill, the first woman modern art dealer, championed artists like Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani. This survey features around 110 works shown at her gallery in the early 20th century and highlights her work as a gallerist and advocate.
Pets and the City at The New-York Historical Society, Upper West Side, Manhattan, October 25, 2024—April 20, 2025: Featuring a diverse range of art, objects, memorabilia and media clips, this exhibition highlights pets’ lives in NYC, from early Indigenous cultures to today’s pampered companions. It also examines the growing pet population and addresses topics such as pet adoption and the importance of service animals. Also:
Most people think of Paul Revere solely as a silversmith, but his work as a printer and an artist was key to his role as a patriot seeking to break with Great Britain. His print of the Boston Massacre was significant to organize public opinion against the British. Paul Revere, The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated on King Street, Boston. Hand colored engraving, 1770. American Antiquarian Society. Gift of Nathaniel Paine.
From Paul Revere to Edward Hopper: Treasures from the Leonard L. Milberg Collection of American Prints, Drawings, and Watercolors, through October 27, 2024, showcases more than 140 prints, drawings, and watercolors from one of the most admired collections of historical American works on paper
Scenes of New York City: Selections from the Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection, through October 27, 2024: The inaugural display in the new Hirschfeld Gallery and Hall presents a selection of artworks from an extraordinary promised gift to New-York Historical by prominent philanthropists and art collectors Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld, who have amassed a stunning collection honoring their hometown. The collection features renowned artists—both national and international—and presents vivid snapshots of Gotham and its streetscapes.
Enchanting Imagination: The Objets d’Art of André Chervin and Carvin French Jewelers, through January 5, 2025: This dazzling exhibition of meticulously created objets d’art is on view to the public for the very first time. André Chervin (born 1927 in Paris), with his New York atelier, Carvin French, is one of the most acclaimed makers of handcrafted fine jewelry in the world.
A Billion Dollar Dream: The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair on its 60th Anniversaryat Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, November 3, 2024—March 9, 2025: A Billion Dollar Dream celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair by examining its legacy through social, political and environmental lenses. Featuring materials from the Queens Museum’s collection, the exhibition highlights the Fair’s promotion of progress and nationhood while reflecting contemporary issues, including civil rights and the women’s liberation movement.
Solid Gold at The Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, November 16, 2024—July 6, 2025: Solid Gold celebrates the allure of gold, presenting over 500 works that explore the color and material’s significance in art, fashion, film and design throughout history. Opening for the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary, the exhibition features stunning pieces from renowned designers like Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, alongside gold-ground paintings, sculptures and jewelry by notable artists such as Alexander Calder and Bulgari.
Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Nowat The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper East Side, Manhattan, November 17, 2024—February 17, 2025: Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now examines how Black artists and cultural figures have engaged with ancient Egypt through art, literature and performance over nearly 150 years. Featuring 200 works, the exhibition explores themes like the creation of a unifying identity and the contributions of Black scholars. It also includes a dedicated gallery for performance art, featuring live performances on select days.
Lillie P. Bliss and the Birth of the Modern at The Museum of Modern Art, Midtown Manhattan, November 17, 2024—March 29, 2025: The Museum of Modern Art will host this exhibition in celebration of one of its founders and her crucial role in promoting modern art in the US. The exhibit marks 90 years since Bliss’s contributions to MoMA and will feature about 40 works. The exhibition will also display archival materials, highlighting her lasting impact on the museum and the acceptance of modern art in America.
Ceremonies Out of the Air: Ralph Lemonat MoMA PS1, Long Island City, Queens, November 14, 2024—March 25, 2025: Showcasing over 60 works by Ralph Lemon, this exhibition presents dance, sculpture, video and more. Ceremonies Out of the Air will highlight his storytelling through movement and features the central installation Rant redux (2020–24). It will also include a series of live performances that enhance the immersive experience.
Magazine Fever: Gen X Asian American Periodicals at The Museum of Chinese in America, Nolita, Manhattan, through March 30, 2025: Magazine Fever: Gen X Asian American Periodicals examines the impact of Asian American magazines in shaping identity during the 1980s and ’90s. Featuring over 80 rare issues from notable publications like A. Magazine and Hyphen, the exhibition showcases how these magazines provided a platform for Asian Americans to assert their narratives and portray their identities.
FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, South Bronx, Through March 30, 2025: FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT is a retrospective of the legendary NYC artist’s career. Running through winter 2025, it showcases five decades of his work, including sculptures, drawings, prints and new installations. The exhibition highlights his signature techniques, science-fiction motifs and the iconic 1980 graffiti piece, Break, which cemented his influence in the art world.
New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players Celebrates 50th Anniversary Season: New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP), America’s preeminent professional Gilbert & Sullivan repertory company, announces a Golden Jubilee, celebrating its 50th anniversary season and honoring 150 years of the wit and wonder of Gilbert & Sullivan. The celebrated full company and orchestra will perform “Ruddigore” on Nov. 23– 24, 2024; “The Pirates of Penzance” on Jan. 4– 12, 2025; and “Iolanthe” on April 5–6, 2025 at the Gerald Lynch Theatre at John Jay College. Info and tickets at www.nygasp.org.
‘Billy Joel – My Life, A Piano Man’s Journey’ Exhibit at LIMEHOF Extended: The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) has is extending the run of the first ever exhibit dedicated exclusively to LIMEHOF Inductee and Legendary Long Island Musician Billy Joel through spring 2025. Billy Joel- My Life, A Piano Man’s Journey spans Joel’s life and career from growing up in Hicksville to his legendary run at Madison Square Garden. It includes over 50 years of Billy Joel’s most cherished items including rare memorabilia, behind-the-scenes video, dozens of awards, rare audio and video recordings, vintage instruments and historic photos, many donated by Billy Joel himself. Timed entry and VIP tickets and special holiday packages and gift cards are available at www.TheBillyExhibit.com(LIMEHOF, 97 Main Street, Stony Brook, Long Island, www.limusichalloffame.org).
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
More and more people are finding comfort and wisdom in ancient ways and showing new respect and appreciation for indigenous culture and heritage, especially what they can teach us today about living sustainably and in harmony with nature and each other.
“The interest in Indigenous culture and history has been on the rise for a number of years,” states Elena Junes, Director of Program Operations for Road Scholar, and a member of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. “It is consistent with the rise in eco/sustainable and cultural tourism. Worldwide, although Indigenous peoples make up less than 5% of the total human population, traditional indigenous territories encompass between 22-25% of the world’s land surface, and they coincide with areas that hold 80-90% of the planet’s biodiversity. As travelers seek out new places to visit that are in line with sustainable/experiential tourism, they will find that they are often traveling to traditional indigenous areas. As Road Scholar visits these places, we will always do our best to provide responsible, beneficial experiences with the local communities.
And there are more and more opportunities to embark on this journey of discovery as (colonial) governments are showing new sense of responsibility in making restitution, providing the resources for economic development – infrastructure development and marketing – to enable tribal communities preserve what is left of the heritage and culture.
Canada, which has made the most ambitious “Truth and Reconciliation” campaign with its indigenous communities, has excellent programs to link travelers to experiences. The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is a national non-profit Indigenous tourism industry organization established in 2015, tasked with growing and promoting the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, ITAC develops relationships with groups and regions with similar mandates to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. (For information, visit www.destinationindigenous.ca)
“Sharing our stories and our history on cultural homeland is an integral part of the experience,” said Clyde Mansell, Tasmanian palawa Aboriginal Elder and founder of wukalina Walk, which is part of Discover Aboriginal Experiences Australia. “It also allows us to increase employment, involve our young people and contribute to our self-determination, by creating more opportunities for the palawa community.
“We’ve had comments over the years where guests have said it’s changed their lives and their whole thinking about how they should relate to Aboriginal people,” Mansell added.
Indeed, the indigenous tourism movement is part of the Sustainable/Responsible Tourism movement. It also dovetails with rising interest in Wellness Travel.
Indigenous healing offerings have gained prominence as part of the broader trend towards holistic wellness and the search for authentic, transformative experiences. These experiences draw on the wisdom and practices of indigenous cultures around the world, offering healing techniques that have been developed and passed down through generations. The interest in and drive behind these retreats are linked to an acknowledgement of indigenous healing practices, the holistic approach, and reconnection with the land, is a significant wellness travel trend, a study by Global Wellness Institute found.
For example, at Wai Ariki Hot Springs, in Rotorua New Zealand you can discover the ancient healing methods of these indigenous cultures, from the deeply cultural touch of mirri mirri or romi romi massage to the revitalizing power of blessed stones and herbal remedies. Each experience is thoughtfully crafted incorporates local healers and wellness practitioners, herbal medicine practice and ceremonies that honor the community and the land. Asian traditional therapies and medicine are growing in popularity for the wellness traveler across the globe. Traditional Thai, Chinese & Ayurvedic Medicinal offerings encompass rich diagnostic protocols, herbal formulas, and treatment techniques as part of the guest experience.
Here are just a sampling of the plethora of indigenous experiences available to travelers around the world:
Road Scholar Integrates Immersive Indigenous Experiences into Cultural Programs
Road Scholar, which provides immersive, educational travel programs for seniors, has incorporated immersive indigenous cultural experiences in many of its programs.
“As an educational organization, Road Scholar strives to provide impactful experiences. We recognize that changing narratives will always inform our choice of experience. We choose to visit Indigenous communities and hear about their history and culture from the people who have the lived experience. Whenever possible, we include meals and activities with local community members as a way to encourage dialogue and enhance cultural discourse. When we visit archaeological sites, we include the voices of descendant communities as part of the educational content we provide. We recognize these sites not as “ruins” but as deeply personal and sacred spaces to the people whose ancestors resided there.”
Here is a collection of programs with Native American themes, but this is just a sampling. There are many other Road Scholar programs across the country and around that world that incorporate Indigenous culture and history, even when it’s not explicitly outlined in the itinerary:
In Oklahoma, Road Scholars visit Tahlequah, the capitol of the Cherokee Nation, for a presentation by a Cherokee artist, Traci Rabbit.
In New Mexico, Road Scholars visit the campus of the Institute of American Indian Arts, a congressionally chartered college for Native students, where a student shows them around campus. They also take in a presentation by Louie Hena, from Tesuque Pueblo, and a traditional meal with his family.
In Wisconsin, Road Scholars visit Wisconsin Point Indian Burial Ground with a local tribal historian and environmental scientists who gives a presentation on the history and culture of the area.
In Louisiana, participants visit the Chitimacha Museum to learn about the first inhabitants of the region through the study of artifacts and find out about the efforts to preserve their tribal language.
In British Columbia, participants visit the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler to learn from an Indigenous educator about First Nations history, customs, and traditions through dance, storytelling and material artifacts.
In Mexico, Road Scholars stop in a traditional village to get to know the traditions and lifestyle of the Mazahua indigenous people and learn how the women’s clothing helps them maintain their identity.
In Guatemala, participants ferry to Santiago La Laguna village to delve into the way of life of the indigenous community on the shores of Lake Atitlan.
In New Zealand, participants visit Te Puia, the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, to learn how young Maori train in the traditional Maori arts and crafts. Later they experience a hangi, the traditional Maori method of cooking food in the ground, accompanied by a Maori cultural performance that includes the “Haka” war dance.
Road Scholar is a university of the world inspiring adults to learn, discover and travel, www.roadscholar.org
Celebrate Indigenous People’s Day Where It was First Named a State Holiday: South Dakota
With Indigenous People’s Day fast approaching on Monday, October 14, there’s no better destination to honor and celebrate the holiday than in South Dakota, home to the third-largest Native American population in the US across nine Tribal Nations and the first state to officially replace Columbus Day with Native Americans’ Day as a state holiday in 1990.
One of the most profound monuments in South Dakota is Crazy Horse Memorial which, it is amazing to learn, is still being carved by the third generation of its original sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, and will soon be the largest mountain sculpture in the world (30x larger than neighboring Mount Rushmore). It was here that the first Native Americans’ Day celebration was held nearly 35 years ago. An incredible attraction and education center year-round, each Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration brings tradition, immersive performances, artist displays, storytelling, hands-on activities for children, and the naming the Crazy Horse Memorial Educator of the Year honored for significant contributions to Native American education.
When completed, the Crazy Horse Mountain carving will be the world’s largest sculpture, measuring 563 feet high by 641 feet long, carved in the round. The nine-story high face of Crazy Horse was completed on June 3, 1998; work began on the 22-story high horse’s head soon after.
There is also a superb Museum of Native Americans of North America (it rivals the Smithsonian’s Museum in Washington DC) where you watch a terrific video that tells the story of the America’s indigenous people, and can visit the studio/home of the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski.
Powwows: While Powwows are available to find and attend throughout the state throughout the year, Rapid City is home to one of North America’s largest and premier Native American events, the Black Hills Powwow every October is where thousands of spectators engage with artisans, artists, championship singers and dancers, the He Sapa Win pageant and more.
Tour Companies:
Tatanka Rez Tours, based on the Pine Ridge Reservation, is the only Native American-owned tour company in South Dakota. Various tour packages give in-depth background on the Ogala Lakota Oyate tribe and provides an experience on the reservation that only those who live there can offer.
Black Hills Adventure tours teamed up with Tatanka Rez Tours to provide this nine-hour interactive cultural experience, where you listen to traditional stories and songs performed by Tatanka Rez Tours owners Guss, and Tianna and visit the Cultural Art Space, the Pine Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Thunder Valley, Pine Ridge, and the Red Cloud Indian School. Also, a Black Hills Monument Package departs Rapid City at 8:30am, travels to Mount Rushmore where guests can hike around the monument then to Crazy Horse Memorial, finishing with exploring Custer State Park to see wildlife close up.
Tours are available year-round.
Arts & Culture:
One of the most incredible ways to experience Native American Culture is through the The Lakota Music Project, the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s flagship Bridging Cultures Program. Created between 2005-2008, the Lakota Music Project (LMP) addresses a history of racial tension, builds bridges between Native and non-Native Americans, and creates an environment of openness through sharing music. Essentially, it is a practical demonstration between white and American Indian musicians to advance cultural understanding. The LMP concert program features combinations of South Dakota Symphony musicians, the Creekside Singers, a Lakota drumming group, and Dakota cedar flutist Bryan Akipa, each performing music of their heritages as well as unique repertoire commissioned for the musicians to play together.
Visit Native American businesses such as Rapid City’s Prairie Edge & Sioux Trading Post and Dakota Drum Company, both of which feature the works of generational Native artists and artisans from buffalo hide canvas paintings to star quilts, bead work. Both are really more like galleries and are marvelous to visit.
For Native American flavors, try food-truck-turned-restaurant Watecha Bowl, known for Indian tacos, and Crow Peak Brewing both in Sioux Falls. Laughing Water Restaurant in Custer, on the site of Crazy Horse Memorial, is also known for its Custer Tatanka Stew made with prime cuts of tender Black Hills buffalo.
South Dakota’s Guide to Tribal Nations: Oceti Sakowin Homelands, a joint effort between the South Dakota Department of Tourism and South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance, is a great resource year-round featuring a map of tribal lands, brief history of each tribe, visitor etiquette suggestions, and educational opportunities.
TIME Names wukalina Walk in Tasmania, Australia to 2024 World’s Greatest Places List
wukalina Walk, a member of Discover Aboriginal Experiences, has been named one of TIME‘s 2024 World’s Greatest Places, an exclusive list of 100 extraordinary destinations to explore, stayand visit produced by its editors and correspondents around the world.
wukalina Walk is a multi-award winning Indigenous/palawa-owned tourism experience. Led by Aboriginal guides, the walk offers a rare window into Tasmania/lutruwita’s Aboriginal culture. A member of Discover Aboriginal Experiences, wukalina Walk, has been named one of TIME’s 2024 World’s Greatest Places (photo: Jillian Mundy)
wukalina Walk is a multi-award winning Indigenous/palawa-owned tourism experience. Led by Aboriginal guides, the walk offers a rare window into Tasmania/lutruwita’s Aboriginal culture. For the first two nights, hikers sleep at the architecturally designed standing camp, krakani lumi (resting place), in domed-ceiling huts designed to reflect the shape of the palawa shelters that once lined the east coast of Tasmania/lutruwita. The third night is spent in a beautifully repurposed and restored lightkeeper’s cottage at the most northern end of larapuna (Bay of Fires).
A group of up to 10 people are led on foot by Aboriginal guides to learn about land and sea Country. wukalina guides have lived experience and thousands of generations of Ancestral connections to the knowledge they share. They share their knowledge and perspectives as they lead travelers through bushland and along the coastline of wukalina (Mt William National Park) and larapuna (Bay of Fires). Hikers learn about the colonial history of Tasmania/lutruwita, and the brutal treatment of the palawa people. But the tour highlights their resilience, strength of culture, language and the ongoing connection that the palawa community has to Country.
wukalina Walk is a proudly Blak-owned business and different to anything else offered in Tasmania, and anywhere in the world. wukalina Walk was winner of the 2023 Australian National Tourism Awards for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experience.
More Discover Aboriginal Experiences:
Discover Aboriginal Experiences is a flagship suite of some 200 Australian Aboriginal-guided experiences from 48 businesses around Australia. Travelers learn about and connect with the diverse histories, cultures and languages of Aboriginal peoples, which date back more than 65,000 years. Here is a sampling:
Jarramali Rock Art Tours explores a 20,000-year-old outback museum of rock art. The ‘Magnificent Gallery,’ in Quinkan Country near Laura, Far North Queensland, has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the 10 most significant rock-art sites in the world. Jarramali Rock Art Tours showcases the Quinkan rock art within the so-called ‘Magnificent Gallery’.
Kakadu National Park, in Kakadu, Northern Territory, is a World heritage-listedhome to Aboriginal peoples for more than 65,000 years. It is about half the size of Switzerland and a habitat for approximately a third of all bird species in Australia. Travelers can experience the park and its flora and fauna at night with an indigenous guide on a new Stargazing Boat tour, which intertwines the ancient wisdom of Bininj knowledge with classical constellations. Discover the night life and nocturnal sounds of the billabong while learning the history of the world as told in Dreaming stories and illustrated in the stars. Alternatively, spend time with the local Indigenous community on the new Kakadu Billabong Safari Camp tour.
Wula Gura Nyinda’s3 day World Heritage Walking Tour at Shark Bay, Western Australia, is a new walking tour of two national parks located in the Shark Bay World Heritage area – Francois Peron National Park and Dirk Hartog Island. Learn about local Aboriginal culture and history, spot wildlife, explore spectacular natural landscapes and sit under the stars listening to the ancient sounds of the digeridoo. This is a rare opportunity to spend time on Country with an Indigenous guide and to really ‘feel Country’.
Wintjiri Wiru, a spectacular light show involving 1,000 drones and Anangu culture, at Uluru, Northern Territory, brings to life a chapter of the Mala ancestral story and was developed in close consultation with Anangu custodians. The show was designed and produced by world-renowned media architecture studio RAMUS, with the goal of illuminating the Central Desert with a spectacle of lights, projections and lasers shining on the spinifex and mulga. This is the first time this kind of technology has been used to share Anangu culture and is a new experience for Uluru.
Tali Wiru is fine dining under the Southern Desert sky, with Uluru as a backdrop. Each dish in a four-course meal showcases native produce in an innovative way, using Indigenous herbs and spices. A local Aboriginal storyteller shares insights about Anangu culture and history. Dinner might be pressed wallaby with fermented quandong, or roasted toothfish nestling beside coastal greens, desert oak and fermented muntries.
It’s a dark night when we pull into our hotel in Cambria, on California’s famous (and fragile) Pacific Highway 1, so it isn’t until I awake in the morning to a moist mist rising after a rain, that I realize what is just across the road from the picturesque Moonstone Beach and a magnificent boardwalk that extends 1 ½ miles over the fragile seagrass, the ocean crashing against the rocky shore just beyond, where a few seals are resting, the sun making a gorgeous sparkling light,
We’ve driven down from the north, starting at San Francisco, to Monterey (made famous by John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” and now with a world renowned Aquarium); following the Pacific Highway 1 as much as possible as it hugs the cliffs to Big Sur. We pull over frequently to take in those breathtaking views that look like the edge of the Continent just fell into the ocean. We spend a couple of days hiking and exploring, overnighting at the utterly enchanting and historic Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn (www.deejens.org, 831-667-2377), then have to backtrack to Monterey, driving inland three hours on Highway 101 to come into Cambria.
Cambria is an outstanding base to experience not only its own charms, but to explore Hearst Castle, San Simeon, the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, and even driving north on the Pacific Highway, to Ragged Point, just at the southern end of Big Sur where you can get those dramatic sheer-cliff/crashing waves against the rocky shore views.
Castle Inn, which I found on hotels.com, is a delightful motel that is absolutely perfect for our purpose – the room is spacious and has a beachy (ocean) feel; the motel serves coffee, scones, apples, muffins, oatmeal for breakfast. Later, we will take advantage of its pool and hot tub under the stars, and is so close by to all the things we want to explore – especially having the Moonstone Beach and boardwalk just across the road. (6620 Moonstone Beach Dr, Cambria, CA 93428, 805-927-8605, castle-inn-cambria.hotelsone.com)
We grab coffee and muffins and immediately head out to Hearst Castle just eight minutes up the coastal road from Cambria in San Simeon.
We have to be at the Hearst Castle’s visitor center by 8:40 am for our pre-booked 9 am Grand Rooms tour – the most popular of a selection of tours you can take and the best if you have never visited before (others include “Hearst and Hollywood” “Designing the Dream” “Art of San Simeon,” “Julia Morgan”, “Cottages & Kitchen tour” “Upstairs Suites Tour”, also accessible tours and private tours.)
We get our wristbands and go to “gate” for the bus that takes guests up to the mansion along the long winding road – just as William Randolph Hearst intended his visitors to experience his “Enchanted Hill.”
The tour starts immediately on the bus, with an excellent narration giving the background – history, architecture, biography – and pointing out the sights along the way, accompanied by music of the 1930s and 1940s.
Hearst Castle is so much more than a magnificent mansion home (one of the most spectacular in the world), even more than an architectural jewel and a breathtaking art collection. It is the story of a fascinating man (love him or hate him or something in between, you still have to give the man credit for what he accomplished) who you come to know because everything about Hearst Castle is so personal to him. It is the story of an age – the coming of age of America, the coming of age of Hollywood and ascendancy of American culture. Everything you see is mind-blowing and breath-taking. And this mansion (he called it his country home), which has come to be known as Hearst Castle, is his personal artistic creation – the architecture and the art collection.
The tour is extremely well organized – it manages to be efficient and yet personal (I’m betting the earlier you can visit the better) – you feel as so many of Hearst’s guests must have felt the first time they were invited.
You realize that even if you think you know who Hearst was (and so many imagine Hearst to be the character of “Citizen Kane” but he is only a piece of that fictional character, and Marion Davies, his companion, was a smart, savvy and accomplished woman and quite a fine actress, not at all like the character of Kane’s), you come away with newfound respect and interest – in fact, as compelling a real-life story as the fictional Citizen Kane. (“Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz was one of Hearst’s guests here.)
You also come to learn – and admire – Hearst’s architect for his castle: Julia Morgan was one of the first female engineering majors at the University of California, Berkeley, the first woman to pass the entrance exam in architecture and graduate the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris – the preeminent architectural school of the time – and was the first licensed woman architect in California. (In 2014, Morgan was posthumously awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in recognition of her pioneering career and dynamic buildings, the first woman to be awarded the medal in its 107-year history, https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/julia-morgan/)
Hearst was inspired to build his castle and collect art when he took the grand tour of Europe when 10 with his mother. And his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst. a philanthropist and advocate for women, introduced him to Julia Morgan. Phoebe began a lifelong interest in Morgan’s career when the two women’s paths crossed in Paris. The films and photos you get to see of Morgan, presiding over the dynamiting to level the summit and build the road, reviewing plans with Hearst, are fascinating.
Even though you are walking through the mansion with a tour group, you actually feel like you were one of Hearst’s guests arriving for the weekend – the home is set out as it would have been – most remarkably, in the grand dining room (it may well have inspired Harry Potter’s Hogwarts dining room, and interestingly, the banners on display refer to an Italian horserace), there are bottles of ketchup and mustard because Hearst himself, for all the spectacular grandeur of the art and architecture, wanted a homey feel to his country home.
The art is breathtaking – Hearst collected the pieces himself, and drawing from his European travels with his mother when he was 10 years old, are predominantly Gothic and medieval – a lot of religious art which Hearst appreciated for the art and the period, not the religious significance, the guide tells me.
At the entrance to the Casa Grande – the 68,300 sq ft grand house – we stop in front of the oldest work of art here, an Egyptian statue, 3200-3600 years old of Sekmet, daughter of Ra –with a hieroglyph that translates “Good God, Lord of Two Lands.” The entrance to Casa Grande – has real gold gilding on the door, 1500-year old mosaic tiles, a 600 year old statue.
We are ushered into the grand Assembly Room – 15th century church pews, tapestries, line the wall, and the Venus Italica, one of Hearst Castle’s greatest masterpieces, created by Antonio Canova (1757-1822).
In 1935 his collections were valued at more than $20 million (in the height of the Great Depression!), but then he fell into near bankruptcy, and at the age of 75, and had to sell off two-thirds of his collection, estimated at $15 million, at “fire sale” prices. (Marion Davies, by then extremely wealthy in her own right with movies and real estate investments in places like Palm Springs, lent him $1 million so he could keep Hearst Castle; when she died, her estate was worth $8 million; when he died, she gave the Hearst Company shares he left her back to his family and they promptly kicked her out and refused to let her come to his funeral.)
You can easily picture who Hearst, Davies and Morgan were, and the glorious celebrity life they lived because there are home movies, photos!. It is thrilling to sit in Hearst’s own theater and watch Charlie Chaplin mug for the camera. (Definitely take advantage of the outstanding 40-minute documentary about Hearst’s life in the five-story theater before or after the tour.)
In many ways, William followed in his father’s footsteps.
George was a self-made millionaire, starting as a prospector – he owned interest in three of the largest mines in the U.S., including the Comstock Lode in Nevada, the Homestake gold mine in South Dakota and the Anaconda copper mine in Montana, plus the Ontario silver mine in Utah, then acquired large portions of land throughout the United States, especially in California and the West. One acquisition was 48,000 acre Piedra Blanca Rancho at San Simeon in 1865, when William was two-years old. He later purchased the adjoining Santa Rosa and San Simeon Ranchos – amassing 250,000 acres. This place became a retreat for lavish family camping trips.
Late in his life George Hearst served as United States Senator from California from 1887 until his death in 1891. It was during this time that he acquired the small San Francisco Examiner as a repayment for a gambling debt. Although he had little interest in the publishing business and wanted his only son, William, to take over the family’s mining and ranching holdings, William wanted to run the newspaper.
The newspaper business was William’s passion, and he ultimately amassed a huge publishing empire, and even when he was living at this remote castle in San Simeon, he would get the pages each night by teletype by 1 am, and make editorial changes by phone, well into the night.
William Hearst is probably best known for “yellow journalism” which pressured President McKinley into the Spanish-American War (that also made Theodore Roosevelt’s reputation with his Rough Riders.
And following in his father’s footsteps, he was elected to Congress but unsuccessfully ran for Governor and for President.
In 1919 when he inherited the estate, William Hearst, then 56 years old, hired architect Julia Morgan telling her, ““Miss Morgan, we are tired of camping out in the open at the ranch in San Simeon and I would like to build a little something.”
For the next 28 years, the project that we know as Hearst Castle became his life’s work, his creation and hers and unbelievably, was never actually finished, even though the mansion and villas now comprise 165 rooms atop the 1600 ft. high summit of a hill. Hearst, they say, was never as happy as when he was on his “Enchanted Hill.”
From the bus, we look out over the vast lands where Hearst had assembled exotic animals from around the world, ultimately creating the largest private zoo in America – you would have seen African and Asian antelope, zebras, giraffes, camels, sambar deer from India, red deer from Europe, axis deer from Asia, llamas, kangaroos, ostriches, emus, Barbary sheep, Alaskan big horned sheep, musk oxen and yaks. Though most of the animals were removed by 1937 (when Hearst was near bankrupt during the Great Depression), some that remain are descendents of the original herds, like the Oudads, and get still have 200 head of cattle on the ranch.
We drive the winding road that Julia Morgan designed so that the castle appears, disappears and reappears as you drive around the bends, climbing higher and higher to the hilltop.
Hearst’s guests would have come by private train, but some of Hearst’s guests – like the Vanderbilts, who flew in on a private plane in 1935 to an airstrip below, then would have been driven up these roads.
Hearst created a mile-long pergola of fruit trees, and would ride on horseback through the canopy, “the longest pergola in captivity” Morgan would joke. The fruit trees including oranges and pomegranates, yield 2000 lbs of citrus that are donated to local food bank.
All the food the castle used was produced on site; water was piped in, so the castle was completely self-sufficient.
As we get off the bus, our guide, Gregory Anderson, encourages us to take photos as we see them, because the tour goes in one direction But to a really excellent degree, what we see is what it would have been like to visit in Hearst’s time.
We stop in front of the first villa, Casa del Sol, “medium sized” at 3600 sq ft., built for a sunset view, Bob and Delores Hope honeymooned here; Edward Hubble, who originated the Big Bang Theory, stayed here; Actor Cary Grant requested a different room every time stayed (came 40 times)
We come to the 2500 sq. ft Casa del Mar cottage, where David Niven (“The Pink Panther) and Winston Churchill stayed (in 1929). Up until 1976, this was the villa that Hearst family members would stay. (William had five sons between 1904-1918, and there are some 70 descendents today and the family – the 20th wealthiest in the US – now when they come, they stay at the Senator’s House which the Hearst Corporation still owns).
King Vidor, Howard Hughes, Charlie Chaplin, buster Keaton, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, Harpo Marx, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo were among the celebrities who came.
Hearst loved to take his guests on grueling horseback rides – delighted in seeing how silver screen cowboys would handle real horse.
Our guide tells us that Hearst Castle was Morgan’s 503rd of 700 projects and was one of the few architects who knew how to work with steel reinforced concrete (important for earthquakes).
Notably, she designed a new Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, still an architectural jewel, which opened within a year after the 1906 earthquake, and propelled her career and her own practice.
Morgan had already designed the block-long Spanish Mission Revival Hearst Examiner Building (1913–15) in Los Angeles. In 1919, following his mother’s death, Hearst inherited the full Hearst estate and decided to build a “modest bungalow” on the hilltop of the ranch at San Simeon – which evolved into the castle.
I find it interesting that Morgan negotiated her commission from 6 percent for architectural services to 8.5 percent to cover the costs of “running the job.” She was providing what today would be called “design-build” services and was responsible for managing workmen, artisans, material suppliers, and warehouses of artifacts – it is fascinating to see the “home videos” of her directing the workers.
The most spellbinding features of the estate are the two pools – the Neptune Pool which has Grecian feel, is actually the third incarnation: 104 feet long, 58 feet wide and 95 feet wide at the alcove. It is 3.5 feet deep at the west end, 10 feet at the drains, and holds 345,000 gallons of water. Other notable aspects of the Neptune Pool include the oil-burning heating system, the Vermont marble that lines the basin, gutters, and alcove, and four Italian relief sculptures on the sides of the colonnades.
The indoor Roman Pool tiled indoor pool decorated with eight statues of Roman gods, goddesses and heroes. The pool appears to be styled after an ancient Roman bath such as the Baths of Caracalla in Rome c. 211-17 CE.
Be sure to make time to see the “Building the Dream” biopic in the 5 story theater (plays every 45 minutes) about William Randolph Hearst’s childhood, his travels to Europe, construction of the castle estate, and his architectural collaboration with Morgan. “They built castle but also created legacy.”
Hearst Castle, which first opened for tours in 1958 and gets 600,000-700,000 tourists/year (in the 1980s, its heyday, a million tourists would come each year), is now a California state park.
Every year from the end of November through the end of December, Hearst Castle offers a “Holiday Twilight Tour” to experience the estate as Hearst’s guests enjoyed it during the 1920s and 1930s during the Christmas season.
Hearst Castle, 750 Hearst Castle Road, San Simeon, CA 93452-9741, 800-444-4445 (8 am-6 pm PT), hearstcastle.org.
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks Presented by Didi and Oscar Schaefer is an extraordinary gift to New Yorkers and visitors. For almost 60 years, this world-famous orchestra has presented these free performances in parks in all five boroughs bringing “priceless music, absolutely free” to communities and reinforcing the bond that exists between New York’s hometown orchestra and its people. In the process, the orchestra brings people together in shared joy.
The world renowned orchestra has offered these free summer concerts in the parks since 1965 – since 2007, presented by Didi and Oscar Schaefer – and over that time, have brought “priceless music, absolutely free” to 15 million music lovers.
This year’s program included Beethoven’s Egmont Overture; Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, featuring Randall Goosby — who made his NY Phil debut on a Young People’s Concert at age 13 — as soloist; Elgar’s Wand of Youth Overture; the New York Premiere of Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances; Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol.
Conductor Thomas Wilkins, who is the principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, introduced the pieces. About Mendelssohn’s exquisite Concerto in E minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 64 (1844), with the virtuoso violinist Randall Goosby who so exquisitely brought out the melodic sweetness, Wilkins said, “it is so magical – one of the few where the movements are all connected. At the end of the first, there is one B-Natural hanging in the air – the bassoonist is not done – that says ‘follow me into the second.’ There is more impact between the second and third movements – no break but one note of silence, like a ball in the air that hangs until the soloist enters.”
Wilkins loves to engage with the audience, and makes the music so accessible with his folksy anecdotes that make your ears perk up at key portions with new appreciation. We get to preview Carlos Simon’s “Four Black American Dances” (2023), which will be part of the orchestra’s fall repertoire, in the concerts he returns to the NY Phil to conduct, October 17 and 19,and learn how the four dances span Black American heritage – the first, recasting a traditional dance of enslaved Blacks into the voice of the orchestra including shuffling feet and clapping hands; the second, a waltz depicting how young Black girls in the 1930s would have their “coming out” parties, then a tap dance, and finally, we are taken to church for a “holy dance” with the instruments evoking the murmurings and exultations of a church service. And then, we get to meet the composer who comes on stage.
For the past several years, the concerts have also provided a platform and a showcase for young composers who absolutely astonish with their talent (most astonishing: they not only compose the piece but do the orchestration). It is like seeing a young Mozart, or Elgar, whose Overture from the Wand of Youth (Music to a Child’s Play) Suite No.1, Op.1a, written when Elgar was just eight years old (he later expanded it), and imagining where these prodigies will be in 20 years.
This year, 16-year old Dalya Shaman’s “Floating in the Stars” and 10-year old David Wright’s “Tarzan’s Rage” dazzled the audience.
Dalya Shaman, a tenth grader at NEST+m High School, has been composing music for six years and plays the cello. She described the inspiration for her tone-poem, “Floating in the Stars” which uses harp and orchestra bells to evoke the whimsy and wonder of star gazing and the sensation of drifting among the stars, as the artwork of VYC students Vivian and Odette Iannetta.
David Wright, a fifth grader at PS 11 in Brooklyn who is also an accomplished baseball player, said his work, “Tarzan’s Rage” also was inspired by the Iannettas art, and seeing a man jumping which he imagined as Tarzan and the contrast of dark and light colors as a war, which is how he came to “Tarzan’s Rage.” The music is thrilling, and one can imagine David composing movie scores.
Wilkins’ conducting style is very relaxed, with minimal movement and theatrics. He is a joy to watch. He likes the music to be well punctuated, defined, the complex seemingly more simple and elemental than it is, so it is more accessible and can be better appreciated in such an open setting. You immediately appreciate why he is also the Boston Symphony’s artistic adviser for Education and Community Engagement, professor of orchestral conducting at Indiana University, and is actively engaged with the NY Phil’s Young People’s Concerts, begun 100 years ago and popularized by Leonard Bernstein.
“At this stage of my life,” Wilkins reflects in the festival program, “I just want to invite the orchestra that is in front of me to experience what it means to be in love with music.”
“He remains devout in his belief in assuring access to the infinitely renewable power of music,” Mark Burford reports. ‘Who else deserves to experience beauty for the first time? Who else needs to find wonder?’”
The evening concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol Op. 34, which flows immediately into Santore’s World Famous Fireworks display, putting just the right crescendo on the evening.
The span and diversity of the pieces is enlightening and exciting, especially with such a focus on Simon’s 2023 composition and the young composers.
The New York Philharmonic is performing these summer concerts in all five boroughs: Central Park, Cunningham Park concert in Queens, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, and Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Then, musicians from NY Phil perform a free Indoor Concert, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer,on Sunday, June 16, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., at St. George Theatre in Staten Island; the program includes Clarke’s Prelude, Allegro, and Pastorale for clarinet and viola; Mozart’s Oboe Quartet; and Prokofiev’s Quintet (tickets need to be reserved).
“The New York Philharmonic’s annual Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, are always a highlight of our year,” New York Philharmonic President & CEO Gary Ginstling said. “It is a joy to see tens of thousands of New Yorkers turn out to enjoy free concerts under the stars, creating a sense of community and shared experience that is rare and vital. We are deeply grateful to Didi and Oscar, the visionary and generous couple whose love of music and of New York City’s parks is essential to making possible the ambitious tour of our hometown.”
The free summer concerts provide a wonderful taste of the cultural treasure that awaits at the Philharmonic’s concert venue, Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, that makes you want more.
The New York Philharmonic has announced updates to its 2024–25 season:
Updates to the Orchestra’s concerts:
• Augusta Read Thomas’s new work, commissioned by the NY Phil, is titled Bebop Kaleidoscope — Homage to Duke Ellington. Ken-David Masur, in his NY Phil subscription debut, will conduct its World Premiere on September 19 and 21, 2024, part of the program curated by NY Phil musicians — who serve as the first of the 2024–25 season’s Artistic Partners — that explores the Orchestra’s past and future.
• The Opening Gala concert on September 24, 2024 — conducted by Manfred Honeck — will include Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture and Puccini’s Turandot Suite, and will feature vocalist Cynthia Erivo making her NY Phil debut in selections from Broadway and the popular songbook.
• Nathalie Joachim’s new work is titled Had To Be and receives its New York Premiere on October 17 and 18, 2024 — on concerts that are part of the NY Phil’s exploration of Afromodernism — conducted by Thomas Wilkins, with cellist Seth Parker Woods (NY Phil debut) as soloist. The piece is co-commissioned by the NY Phil, Spoleto Festival USA, Orchestre Métropolitain, and Chautauqua Institution.
• Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten has been added as the opening work in the November 14 and 16, 2024, subscription concerts, conducted by John Adams, one of the 2024–25 season’s Artistic Partners.
• Tenor Kieran White will make his NY Phil debut in Handel’s Messiah, Presented by Gary W. Parr, December 11–14, 2024. Ton Koopman conducts.
• Baritone Leon Košavić (NY Phil debut) will perform J.S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 56, Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, and soprano Talise Trevigne (NY Phil debut) will perform the same composer’s Cantata BWV 51, Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen, on the Free Concert at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, January 17, 2025, joining conductor and 2024–25 season Artistic Partner Nathalie Stutzmann and Members of the New York Philharmonic. Additional repertoire will be announced at a later date.
• Justin Jay Hines will co-host the Young People’s Concerts for Schools on February 5–7, 2025, as well as the Young People’s Concert: The Future Is Innovation, on February 8, 2025, alongside Jerry Hou, who also conducts.
• The Lunar New Year Gala concert on February 11, 2025 — conducted by Tianyi Lu (NY Phil debut) — will include Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture; Unsuk Chin’s The Mad Tea Party, from Alice in Wonderland; Casella’s La donna serpente, Suite No. 1; Chen Yi’s Chinese Folk Dance Suite, featuring violinist Inmo Yang (NY Phil debut) as soloist; and Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1.
• The performances of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert, June 11–14, 2025 — part of The Art of the Score — will be conducted by Sarah Hicks (NY Phil conducting debut).
Updates to NY Phil presentations:
• Details of the season’s Kravis Nightcap series — featuring New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck as dancer and choreographer, as well as Musicians from the NY Phil — are announced. In the first, on September 21, 2024, Peck will collaborate with NY Phil Musicians, the first of the season’s Artistic Partners; on January 25, 2025, Peck will be joined by pianist Yuja Wang, the 2024–25 season Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence; and on February 27, 2025, Peck will reunite with violinist Hilary Hahn, with whom she performed on a Kravis Nightcap in January 2024. All three performances will take place at the Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall.
• The season’s six New York Philharmonic Ensembles at Merkin Hall concerts, featuring Musicians from the NY Phil, will take place on September 29, November 3, and November 24, 2024, and January 12, February 16, and May 4, 2025.
• The Sound On presentation Composing While Black, Volume II, featuring Artistic Partner International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) — part of the NY Phil’s exploration of Afromodernism — will now take place on October 25, 2024. The location and time will be announced at a later date.
• The Sound On presentation on November 17, 2024 — curated and conducted by Artistic Partner John Adams and featuring Members of the NY Phil — will take place at The Museum of Modern Art, and will include Dylan Mattingly’s Sunt Lacrimae Rerum and Gabriella Smith’s Maré. Additional repertoire will be announced at a later date.
• The season’s series of Very Young People’s Concerts (VYPCs) — titled Philharmonic Playground — will be held in Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, and will take place on February 22, 2025 (“Allegro and Adagio”); March 22, 2025 (“Forte and Piano”); and June 7, 2025 (“Treble and Bass”). The series will feature Associate Principal Viola Rebecca Young as host and Musicians from the New York Philharmonic.
New York Philharmonic, David Geffen Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-6970, 212) 875-5656, www.nyphil.org.
From coast to coast, Canada’s heritage, culture, wilderness beckon ecotourists this summer.
Experience Indigenous Cultures in British Columbia
June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, culminating in National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, but all summer long, British Columbia offers any number of ways to experience histories, traditions and values of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. Indigenous tourism encourages visitors to understand and respect different perspectives of the world, and to experience histories, traditions, and values in an authentic and unfiltered way.
British Columbia has the greatest diversity of Indigenous cultures in Canada: of the 12 unique Indigenous language families in the country, seven are located exclusively in BC. Together, there are 204 unique Indigenous communities in BC. Here are 11 ways to engage in Indigenous experiences in British Columbia this summer.
A Three-Hour Song, Dance & Cultural Experience– During festivals, weddings, and potlatches, the Tla-o-qui-aht People come together to share a wholesome meal while exchanging wisdom and stories, with the belief that good food facilitates an easier reception to teachings. Visitors can join the tradition at the Best Western Plus Tin Wis Resort in Tofino, where the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation will host naaʔuu (which means “feast” in the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation language), an immersive experience taking place on select dates in June. The three-hour experience tells stories from the Nation’s history through song, dance, and traditional carvings, presented during a symphony of cultural delicacies and foraged ingredients. Proceeds go back to the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation to support language and cultural resurgence. Tickets start at $199 per person and can be purchased here. (Get there: From Vancouver, fly into Tofino-Long Beach Airport with Pacific Coastal Airlines, or right into Tofino Harbour with Harbour Air. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo or Comox and drive approximately 3.5 hours to Tofino).
naaʔuu expereince at Best Western Plus Tin Wis Resort in Tofino (photo: Indigenous Tourism BC/Melissa Renwick)
Indigenous tour operators lead visitors into their traditional territory, providing a new perspective of local wildlife, plants, and waters:
Guided nature adventures led by the local Nation – Explore Ahousaht territory with Ahous Adventures, which is owned by a nation that has stewarded the lands and waters of Vancouver Island since time immemorial. The popular hot springs tour cruises the coast and inlets of Clayoquot Sound, with guides pointing out wildlife along the way. Once onshore, guests take a 30-minute walk via wooden boardwalk through old-growth rainforest, leading to the healing mineral waters of the hot springs. Throughout the journey, guides will discuss the history and cultural significance of Hot Springs Cove, a site that has been used for centuries by the Ahousat Nation for medicinal and spiritual benefits. Dates: Tours are available throughout summer and beyond.
Cruise an Island Archipelago –Sidney Whale Watching, serving Sidney (just 30 minutes from Victoria, BC) and the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is owned and operated by the Tsawout First Nation, with whale-watching experiences taking place on the traditional territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nation. The three-hour whale watching tour cruises through the Gulf Island Archipelago, winding past orcas, sea lions, and bald eagles hunting for salmon. Sidney Whale Watching has a 95% whale-sighting rate throughout the year; if guests don’t spot a whale, they are welcome to join another tour free of charge, anytime. Dates: Whale-watching tours take place daily between March and October.
A group with Takaya Tours, rowing a traditional First Nations canoe in Deep Cove (photo: Destination BC/Hubert Kang)
Take a cultural tour in a 35′ canoe –Takaya Tours, based in Whey-ah-wichen, or Cates Park, in North Vancouver, leads guests through the territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Guests can paddle the protected waters of Indian Arm in replica ocean-going canoes, while guides share songs and stories of ancient villages. There’s also an option to add a rainforest walking tour to your paddling adventure. Dates: The Cates Park location is open between May and September for guided tours, as well as rentals of kayak, surf-skis, and stand-up paddleboards.
BC Tourism Industry Awards Best Indigenous Tourism Operator Winner 2024 –Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours, which stewards the grizzly bear population in Bute Inlet—the ancestral home of the Homalco Nation—welcomes visitors to discover the area’s longstanding cultural and historical significance. The company’s full-day bear-watching and cultural tour leads guests to viewing areas that showcase grizzlies feeding on spawning salmon, along with plenty of opportunities to whale watch and bird watch. Guests can also wander through Aupe, an uninhabited Homalco village site. Dates: Tours are offered between August and October.
2023 Yelp Travelers Choice –Sea Wolf Adventures, which leads tours in the Broughton Archipelago and the Great Bear Rainforest, on Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw Nation territory, combines cultural experiences with grizzly- and whale-watching safaris. The Grizzly Bears of the Wild tour connects guests with the iconic grizzly inhabitants of the Great Bear Rainforest, with bonus viewings of Pacific white-sided dolphins, eagles, orcas, and other wildlife. The full-day tour departs from Port McNeill, and includes Indigenous interpretations of local landscapes, as well as stories about the Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw People. Dates: Tours run from May 31 through October.
Try Plant Medicine Lemonade– Opened in February 2024, The Ancestor Café in Fort Langley brings traditional Indigenous nourishment to locals and visitors while supporting Indigenous food sovereignty. The eatery is owned by Chef Sarah Meconse Mierau, a member of the Sayisi Dene Nation. On the menu: bison and elk Bannock tacos, handcrafted plant-medicine jams and lattes, and other delicacies made with traditional Indigenous ingredients. Beyond the food, the café features a fair-trade gallery displaying works by local Indigenous artists and brands.
Indigenous-owned and operated accommodation welcome visitors come into their community to experience warm hospitality alongside stories and culture—all with a deep-rooted respect for nature:
Gorge Harbour Marina Resort – One of the most desirable cruising destinations in BC – Located at the edge of Desolation Sound, on Klahoose Nation land, Gorge Harbour Marina Resort offers an idyllic home base for adventurers eager to explore the sound, Cortes Island, and the Discovery Islands. The resort offers a multitude of overnight options, including a rustic lodge with four rooms, a cottage enclosed by lush gardens, and two self-contained trailers. Summer-specific options include 21 full-service RV sites, six glamping domes, and six tent sites—open for the season now. Summer activities span live music on the waterfront, yoga at the harbour, family movie nights, as well as whale-watching tours offered between May 1 and October 15. (Get there: Take a ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo, then drive 1 hour and 45 minutes to Campbell River. From here, take a 10-minute ferry to Quadra Island, then a 45-minute boat trip to Cortes Island. You can also fly direct to the resort from Campbell River, Vancouver, or Seattle, Washington.)
Nemiah Valley Lodge –Off-grid & highly requested – Open year round, Nemiah Valley Lodge is located in the Chilcotin region, on Tŝilhqot’in Nation land. Here, guests are immersed in the food, history, and traditions of the Xeni Gwet’in community through local events, cultural experiences, and wildlife viewing. The all-inclusive packages include lodge activities such as lakeside yoga and meditation, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, fishing, archery. Note: Nemiah Valley is taking bookings for 2025. (Get there: The lodge is a 30-minute floatplane ride from Whistler. Alternatively, take a flight from Vancouver International Airport to Williams Lake (available throughout the summer), and drive 2.5 hours to your destination. The lodge also offers a transfer from Williams Lake.)
Talaysay Walking Indigenous Tours experience in Stanley Park in Vancouver (photo: Destination Vancouver/Kindred & Scout)
Tsawaak RV Resort – A 2024 Indigenous Tourism Award Winner – Whether you’re seeking a cozy wilderness cabin or a place to park your RV, Tsawaak RV Resort— located in Tofino, on Tla-o-qui-aht Nation land—offers a tranquil space for rest and rejuvenation. Guests can choose from 34 RV sites and 13 longhouse-style cedar cabins—all situated close to Mackenzie Beach and a 30-minute walk from town. The central amenities building offers laundry facilities and vending machines, while the visitor center houses an art gallery and retail shop. The resort provides easy access to Tofino’s most popular adventures, including surfing, hot springs, and hiking. (Get there: From Vancouver, fly into Tofino-Long Beach Airport with Pacific Coastal Airlines, or right into Tofino Harbour with Harbour Air. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo or Comox and drive approximately 3.5 hours to Tofino.)
Spirit Bear Lodge – Located in the largest, temperate coastal rainforest in the world – Wildlife viewing and cultural experiences take centre stage at Spirit Bear Lodge, located in Klemtu, on Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation land. The lodge’s all-inclusive adventures are anchored by visits to cultural sites of the Kitasoo Xai’xai People, who have lived for thousands of years in the Great Bear Rainforest—the largest temperate coastal rainforest in the world. Guests can search for the elusive Spirit bear, watch grizzlies roam lush estuaries, see whales and other marine life, and explore the remnants of ancient villages. Open from August to October, with limited reservations available. (Get there: Board a flight at Vancouver International Airport with Pacific Coastal Airlines to Bella Bella. You’ll be met by Spirit Bear Lodge staff and shuttled to the dock, where a lodge boat will take you on the two-hour journey to Klemtu.)
For more authentic Indigenous experiences in British Columbia visit www.indigenousbc.com
Nova Scotia Hosts Worldwide Celebration of Acadian Heritage
This August 10-18, Nova Scotia will host the Congrés mondial acadien (CMA), a worldwide celebration that takes place every five years and brings together the Acadian diaspora from around the world for musical events, culinary and cultural attractions and family gatherings. Several major outdoor concerts featuring noted Acadian artists are scheduled, including Canada’s National Acadian Day on August 15. From the brightly painted houses of Yarmouth and picturesque views of seaside villages like Belliveau Cove and Pointe-de-l’Eglise, visitors will find vivid reminders of the French settlers who first claimed Nova Scotia as their home in the early 1600s. The CMA reunites and welcomes communities, families, and visitors to the province to honor Acadian history and to commemorate the thousands displaced in 1755 when the Acadian people were expelled from the province by the British for not taking a vow of loyalty to King George III. (https://cma2024.ca/en/).
Throughout the summer, there are important Acadian historic sites to visit in Nova Scotia:
Grand Pré National Historic Site: Open from May 17 to October 14, the Grand Pré National Historic Site is a powerful way to discover the history of l’Acadie (a historical Acadian village in Nova Scotia settled from 1682 to 1755), its people and its culture. The location is a monument that unites the Acadian people, and for many, it is the heart of their ancestral homeland. Guided tours lead visitors through the center of this Acadian settlement and where they can learn about the history of the mass deportation of the Acadians, “Le Grand Derangement,” that began in 1755. This tragic event continues to shape the vibrant culture of modern-day Acadians across the globe. Tours are available in July and August.
Explore the oldest Acadian region still inhabited by descendants of its founder in Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle Ecosse.
Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse: Explore the oldest Acadian region still inhabited by descendants of its founder in Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Founded in 1653 by Sieur Philippe Mius-d’Entremont, the village is a breathtaking, 17-acre space overlooking Pubnico Harbour. Attractions include historical buildings and original 19th century wooden homes like Duon House and Maximin d’Entremont House, a lighthouse and local cemetery, nature trails with natural fauna and flora indigenous to the area, and opportunities to learn about the historic Acadian fishing and farming traditions.
Rendez-vous de la Baie Visitor Centre: Open year-round and located on the campus of Université Sainte-Anne in Clare, Rendez-vous de la Baie Visitor Centre is an Acadian cultural and interpretive center. Attractions include an artist-run gallery, a souvenir boutique, a 263-seat performance theatre, and an outdoor performance area. Travelers can experience the interpretive center and museum which delve into the Acadian peoples’ history through multimedia displays of music and language with free guided tours available. The venue is also a trailhead for a three-mile network of walking trails leading to the breathtaking Nova Scotian coast (guided walking tours available).
New Brunswick’s Acadian Heritageand new Travel Experiences
Another place to experience Acadian heritage is in New Brunswick, just across the strait from Nova Scotia:
Historic Acadien Village is an open air living history museum with costumed (fully bilingual) interpreters who recreate the roles of real people. What makes this place so extraordinary, though, is that you walk a 2.2 km circuit through 200 years of history – the 40 buildings represent a different time, the oldest from 1773 up to 1895, then, you walk through a covered bridge built in 1900 into the 20th century village where the buildings date from 1905 to 1949. As you walk about, you literally feel yourself stepping across the threshold back in time.
You not only visit but can actually book a room to stay at the Hotel Chateau Albert (1910). Albert opened hotel in 1870 but had financial problems from the beginning and was put out of business by Canadian Pacific railroad.. The building was destroyed in a fire in 1955, and restored using the original plans. It now offers 14 rooms (with bathrooms) that you actually can book to stay overnight. (hotelchateaualbert.com, 506-726-2600).
Also in New Brunswick, Metepenagiag is an active archaeological site and research center where artifacts unearthed have provided proof the Mi’kmaq have been occupying this land for at least 3,000 years. When you first walk into the exhibition building, you can look into the lab where researchers examine artifacts. Some of the items, like a 1200-year old Earthenware pot, arrowheads and other items are on display.
What is more, you can overnight in a tipi (glamping), cabin or lodge, have a First Nations dining experience, storytelling and be immersed in the 3,000-year heritage around a campfire. Or take part in “A Taste of Metepenagiag” and learn about foods and cooking techniques. New experiences are also being developed.The Mi’kmaq operate SP First Nations Outdoor Tours, authentic indigenous experiences that begin with a traditional welcome, a river tour by canoe or kayak, storytelling; and authentic First Nations dining and accommodations (56 Shore Road, Red Bank NB, Metepenagiag, 506-626-2718).
Metepenagiag Heritage Park, 2156 Micmac Road, Red Bank NB, 506-836-6118, info@metpark.ca 1-888-380-3555, metpark.ca.
In 2024, New Brunswick, the Atlantic Canadian province just over the Maine border, unveils novel experiences for visitors including new ways to explore the capital city of Fredericton, dining the bottom of the ocean floor at the Bay of Fundy, a revitalization of a favorite gathering spot in Canada’s oldest city, Saint John, and 60th anniversary celebrations of the FDR International Park on Campobello Island.
Dining on the Ocean Floor: Visitors to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park this year can not only observe the natural phenomenon of low and high tides alternating as much as 40-plus feet, they can also dine on the ocean floor. In 2024, Hopewell Rocks will offer its new culinary adventure: “Dining on the ocean floor”. Travelers will relish in the magic of dining among some of the most extraordinary rock formations in the world with a private, locally sourced three-course meal and specialties served from Magnetic Hill Winery in Moncton. After enjoying cuisine by the sea, park-goers can return the next day at no additional admission cost, which starts at $15.85 CAD, to behold both high and low tides. For more information about Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park and updates about dining on the ocean floor, visit https://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/.
Coffee Connoisseur Tour with Barista Brian: Home to top attractions like Odell Park, Boyce Farmers Market, and Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick, is also an ideal location for coffee lovers wishing to expand their knowledge and taste buds. For a new way to explore the city, visitors can join internationally celebrated latte artist Barista Brian on the new “Coffee Connoisseur” walking tour. Brian has earned his title while decorating lattes for attendees of the Sundance and Toronto International film festivals and for multiple Hollywood celebrities. Participants will sip, savor, and learn about locally roasted coffee at four independent coffee shops in the capital. Barista Brian is famous for his renowned latte art creations and has produced multiple latte portraits of celebrities including Meryl Streep, Conan O’Brien, Jennifer Lopez, Kristen Stewart, and more. While touring, Brian will provide education about everything from single origin beans to sustainable coffee, the history of coffee, and how to properly taste. Attendees will enjoy tastings of several coffee drinks such as a blend, delicious espresso, single roast, and will finish off with a latte displaying the handcrafted art of Brian. For more information about Barista Brian and his work, head to https://www.baristabrian.com/. To purchase tour tickets and view available dates, https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/coffee-connoisseur-tour-with-barista-brian-tickets-764462898107.
Campobello Island’s FDR International Park Celebrates 60th Anniversary: A symbol of international cooperation, the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Park on Campobello Island is jointly administered, staffed, and funded by the people of Canada and the United States. In 2024, the landmark is celebrating its 60th year standing as a representation of global collaboration. Throughout the month of July, special anniversary festivities will unfold amidst the breathtaking views of the New Brunswick Island connected to Maine by bridge. The former U.S. president and his family would spend their summers on Campobello Island, and visitors can now experience the former 34-room summer mansion firsthand. Given as a wedding gift to Franklin and Eleanor in 1908 by Franklin’s mother Sara Roosevelt, the cottage quickly became a key piece of the couple’s beloved island. Activities include “Tea with Eleanor” in the backyard and guided tours. For further details and event updates, visit https://www.rooseveltcampobello.org/.
Market Square Boardwalk Revitalization: In Uptown Saint John, Canada’s oldest incorporated city, the Market Square Boardwalk will show off a new look in 2024. It is now known as Ihtoli-maqahamok (The Gathering Space), chosen through a community process between Saint John citizens, the Civic Commemoration Committee, Common Council, City of Saint John staff, and consultation with First Nations’ leaders from The Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick. The boardwalk has undergone a rejuvenation that includes a larger 360-degree stage with increased public space for live performances, tidal steps leading to the Bay of Fundy, and the installation of a winter outdoor skating surface that will convert to a verdant green space in the summer. The restaurants of Market square were also upgraded with glass-panel installations, creating patios with year-round dining. Ihtoli-magahamok (The Gathering Space) draws its design inspiration from the three foundations of Saint John: its people, the water, and the rugged rocks that define the city’s character. To learn more about the reimagined Market Square Boardwalk, head to https://saintjohn.ca/en/parks-and-recreation/ihtoli-maqahamok-gathering-space
Summer is a 5 Sensory Season in Newfoundland and Labrador
From the rolling waves lapping off the coastline to the colorful clotheslines dancing in the ocean breeze, Newfoundland and Labrador is home to the slow way of life, especially when the seasons change. As spring rolls into summer, regular visitors to the province return, including the whales, birds and icebergs that heighten all senses. Visitors can experience the first sunrise in North America, witness the migration and play of whale species that return to the shores each year, and taste food foraged from land and sea. For relaxation, guests can soak in the bounty of the ocean in a bath with seaweed gathered off the coast of Grates Cove, go for a cold-water dip in the many outdoor locations including the North Atlantic Ocean, or sit and listen to the push and pull of the beach rocks as they roll with the waves.
Sea of Whales Adventures: The Atlantic Ocean surrounding Newfoundland and Labrador boasts as many as 22 diverse whale species. Just off the Bonavista Peninsula, travelers will smell the ocean breeze and be humbled by the spectacle of whale species like humpbacks, sperm, orcas, feeding, migrating, and playing on Sea of Whales Adventures whale watching boat tours. Family owned and operated since 2009, Sea of Whales Adventures offers three-hour whale watching tours daily from May 15 to October 14 and two-hour tours daily from June 15 to September 3. The two-hour tour rates start at $90 CAD for adults and $60 CAD for children, while the three-hour tour rates start at $110 CAD for adults and $80 for children.
Family owned and operated since 2009, Sea of Whales Adventures offers three-hour whale watching tours daily
Preserving the Dark Sky: Terra Nova National Park, the first designated Dark Sky Preserve in the province, allows travelers to gaze into the cosmos untouched by light pollution. Under the Dark Sky Preserve Program, the park is committed to protecting and improving nocturnal ecology by adjusting, retrofitting, or eliminating light fixtures while delivering new educational and interpretive programs on astronomy and various dark sky themes. The most popular viewing locations include Sandy Pond, rated to have the darkest skies in the park, Ochre Hill, historically used as a fire-watch station, Blue Hill, the highest point in the park putting guests among the stars, and Visitor Centre, with the starlit sky reflected across the water. New in 2024, UNESCO World Heritage Site Gros Morne National Park is applying to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada for designation as a Dark Sky Preserve, offering visitors even more unaltered space to bask in the celestial views.
Wild Island Kitchen: Open year round, Wild Island Kitchen offers travelers the chance to dine aside breathtaking seascapes listening to the crashing waves while wild and sustainably caught seafood is cooked over an open fire. The locally owned tour and culinary group provides menus that change daily based on what is foraged and discovered each day, with guides teaching guests how to cook and prepare the cuisine. The “From Sea to Plate” Tour features sustainable, high-quality seafood cooked with water from the sea and cooked over an open fire, and guests can expect four to five courses over a three-hour period. For a shorter, one-hour experience, visitors can book the “Mug-Up” Tour which typically departs at 10 a.m. and includes a trip down the cove for a cup of tea or coffee and an interpretative food journey inspired by traditional coastal delights. Tour rates start at $175 CAD, but guests are encouraged to email experiencetwillingate@gmail.com for specific pricing per tour. Pre-booking is required for both culinary experiences.
Grates Cove Seaweed Baths: In the northernmost part of Newfoundland and Labrador, weary travelers can soak in a seaweed bath at Grates Cave Co. Known for its healing and rejuvenating properties, seaweed is harvested off the coast of Grates Cove and transformed into 7 Fathoms skincare, producing a high-quality, highly bioactive brown seaweed extract suited for personal care. Grates Cove Co. uses the product, densely packed with essential nutrients and minerals, for the fresh seaweed baths in the comfort of the bathhouse overlooking the North Atlantic. The bathhouse is bookable from Monday to Sunday for two-hour time slots from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2-4 p.m., and 5-7 p.m., and the price per couple is $110 CAD + HST (Harmonized Sales Tax).
New York City’s summer cultural season kicks off with the 46th Annual Museum Mile Festival – the Big Apple’s “biggest block party” –on Tuesday, June 18, from 6 to 9 pm, rain or shine. Walk the mile on Fifth Avenue between 82nd Street and 104th Street while visiting eight of New York City’s finest cultural institutions, open free during these extended hours: The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Neue Galerie New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; The Jewish Museum; Museum of the City of New York; El Museo del Barrio; and The Africa Center. Several neighborhood partners, including the New York Academy of Medicine, the Church of the Heavenly Rest, Asia Society, and AKC Museum of the Dog will also join in this celebration.
It’s an electric, eclectic festive atmosphere, with live music and street performers all along the avenue, plus special exhibitions, works from permanent collections and special family-oriented activities inside.
Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island (June 8-9 and August 10-11, 2024, 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, the merriment continues with a score of other entertainers: the bedazzling Dreamland Follies, a 10-lady Art Deco dance spectacle evoking the Great Ziegfeld, the fantastic Queen Esther paying tribute to jazz royalty of yore, Peter Mintun tickling the ivories with his incredible piano skills and the Gelber & Manning band. Enjoy the renowned and fun-loving dance troupe, Roddy Caravella and The Canarsie Wobblers with their scandalous Charleston numbers and rebellious and exuberant spirit of the Roaring ‘20s. Entertainments are interspersed with fun events like dance lessons and a period bathing suit contest. This isn’t free – it’s a ticketed event. Tickets and info at www.jazzagelawnparty.com. (Reserve a ferry ride to access the location.)
The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, have become an iconic New York summer experience since they began in 1965, transforming parks throughout the city into a patchwork of picnickers enjoying friends, family, and priceless music under the stars, for free! This summer, Thomas Wilkins conducts the Orchestra in a program that ranges from classics by Beethoven, Elgar, and Rimsky-Korsakov to Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, with Randall Goosby as soloist, to new music by Carlos Simon and NY Phil Very Young Composers. All outdoor performances begin at 8 PM and conclude with fireworks! (The Free Indoor Concert in Staten Island begins at 4 PM.): June 11 Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx; June 12 Concerts in the Parks: Central Park, Manhattan; June 13, Concerts in the Parks: Cunningham Park, Queens; June 14, Concerts in the Parks: Prospect Park, Brooklyn; June 16 Free Indoor Concert: St. George Theatre, Staten Island.
The cherished Shakespeare in the Park, traditionally held at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, this year is a traveling show while the Delacorte is undergoing its most significant revitalization of its 62-year history. Instead, this year the Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) is offering a “GO PUBLIC!” festival of of free summer programming taking place across all five boroughs. Its Mobile Unit is presenting a joyful, bilingual (English/Spanish) musical adaptation of “The Comedy of Errors,” May 28-June 2 – The New York Public Library and Bryant Park on the Fifth Avenue Terrace (Manhattan) June 6-9, June 13-14, June 20-21 – Hudson Yards (Manhattan). Also: A.R.R.O.W. Field House (Queens) J. Hood Wright Park (Manhattan) Maria Hernandez Park (Brooklyn) Roy Wilkins Park (Queens) St. John the Divine (Manhattan) St. Mary’s Park (Bronx) Sunset Park (Brooklyn) Wolfe’s Pond Park (Staten Island).
Next up is Movie in the Parks (July 11–September 6), bringing free screenings of Shakespeare in the Park’s version of Much Ado About Nothing to parks throughout the City. (Can’t make it to any of them? This recording and other Shakespeare favorites are available to stream for free.) Visit the website for specific dates and locations (https://publictheater.org/programs/shakespeare-in-the-park/summer-24/go-public/).
Bryant Park is also hosting picnic performances of New York City Opera’s full production of the perennial favorite, Puccini’s Tosca on May 31, June 1, August 23 and 24, at 7 pm. (New York City Opera: Puccini Celebration) as part of a summer-long arts and culture festival, sponsored by Bank of America, from June 6 to September 13, featuring an amazing series of dance, music, theater, movies, plus eateries, shops and a carousel. (https://bryantpark.org/activities/picnic-performancesfor schedule).
The Hudson River Greenway is a whole destination in itself, with every imaginable sport (tennis, pickleball, basketball, kayaking), fabulous eateries, even a sand beach, plus along the way, historic and cultural places like the monument to the Irish famine, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Whitney Museum, Battery Park and ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, plus concerts such at two venues within the enchanting “Little Island.”
From June through September, Little Island presents a series of all new work across dance, music, theater and opera in the Amph ($25, tickets and schedule, https://www.littleislandtickets.com/). In addition, there are free concerts Wednesday-Sunday in the Glade.
The newest experience on the Hudson River Greenway is Gansevoort Peninsula. Located in Hudson River Park between Gansevoort Street and Little West 12th Street, and opposite the Whitney Museum of American Art, which affords an actual sand beach (1200 tons of sand, beach umbrellas, Adirondack-style chairs, even misting stations, and boardwalk) for lounging. Also look for “Day’s End”, a public art installation by artist David Hammons, donated to Hudson River Park by the Whitney Museum of American Art. See the full events calendar, https://hudsonriverpark.org/, https://hudsonriverpark.org/the-park/piers-and-places/
New York City has been named the most cultural city in the USA. Here’s what’s of note happening this summer, compiled by the New York City Tourism + Conventions, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau:
Through July 28, The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, an exhibition exploring how Black artists portrayed everyday modern life during the 1920s–40s in Harlem and across the United States amid the Great Migration. Featuring 160 works including painting, sculpture, photography, film and ephemera, it’s the first art museum survey of its kind in New York City since 1987.
The Whitney Museum of American Art has unveiled the roster for Whitney Biennial 2024: Even Better Than the Real Thing, featuring 69 artists and two collectives. This edition marks the 81st installment of the museum’s esteemed exhibition series, the longest-running survey of American art. The program is now open and runs through August 11. Beginning September 25, The Whitney will unveil Edges of Ailey, a comprehensive exhibition celebrating the life and impact of American dancer Alvin Ailey, featuring daily performances, workshops and a diverse range of artworks and archival materials.
Experience a surreal journey inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the Bronx’s New York Botanical Garden, with Wonderland: Curious Nature, from May 18–October 27. Follow iconic characters through whimsical scenes in the garden and explore imaginative horticultural displays inside the Haupt Conservatory, featuring installations from renowned artists including Yoko Ono, Alyson Shotz and Abelardo Morell.
A tribute to Ming Dynasty architecture, the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden in Staten Island—one of just two authentic classical outdoor Chinese gardens in the US—is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Crafted in Suzhou, China, its elements include roof tiles, pavilions and bridges. Inspired by ancient poetry and paintings, the garden features magnificent rock formations resembling mountains. Visitors can explore pavilions, a bamboo forest path, waterfalls and a koi-filled pond.
The Morgan Library & Museum, which is marking 100 years since its establishment as a public institution by Jack Morgan as a repository of fabulous documents, is exhibiting Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature and Walton Ford: Birds and Beasts of the Studio. The next exhibition in the campaign will be Liberty to the Imagination: Drawings from the Eveillard Gift, on view beginning June 7.
Since its inception in 1824, the Brooklyn Museum has become a global cultural center, driven by the innovative spirit of its borough. As it celebrates two centuries of groundbreaking initiatives, the museum invites audiences to explore special exhibitions and events showcasing its vibrant artistic community. Highlights include the launch of immersive exhibitions like Solid Gold and Brooklyn Made. Notably, the museum boasts an in-residence composer, Niles Luther, who scores music for various exhibitions and artwork on-site, making it the only museum in the United States to offer such an immersive experience. Visitors can expect a year of discovery and celebration in honor of its bicentennial—kicking off with a 200th Birthday Bash on October 5.
New performing arts offerings are revitalizing New York City’s cultural landscape with the expansion of iconic venues and the emergence of new stages. The historic Apollo Theater recently debuted the Victoria Theater, its first expansion in 90 years, which introduced two new stages and created an arts campus in Harlem. The inaugural season promises a diverse lineup including Alex Harsley, Stefon Harris and David Hammons. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, the newly restored Brooklyn Paramount, now a concert hall, hosts various shows featuring acclaimed acts like Sting, Liam Gallagher, St. Vincent, Orville Peck and many more in its 2024 lineup. Across the East River, the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC) stands as a beacon of artistic expression in Lower Manhattan, welcoming emerging and established artists across various disciplines since its launch in September 2023. The PAC’s inaugural 2023–24 season continues this summer with the opening of An American Soldier, The Survival, Cats: “The Jellicle Ball”.
The Jackie Robinson Museum commemorates the groundbreaking contributions of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play Major League Baseball and one of the most celebrated baseball players of all time. Robinson’s legacy extends far beyond the baseball diamond, as he also made significant strides in civil rights, economic empowerment and social justice. From now through December 31, the museum is offering a free self-guided walking tour, Jackie Robinson’s Harlem, for visitors looking to dive deeper into Robinson’s connection to the neighborhood.
New York City is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ movement. The Stonewall Inn, site of the historic 1969 riots, stands as a symbol of resilience and is soon to be complemented by a dedicated visitor center opening in June. Other cultural sites include theLeslie-Lohman Museum of Art, which celebrates LGBTQ+ identity through exhibitions and programs that showcase the ever-evolving queer experience, as well as the Alice Austen House Museum, which features the pioneering photographer’s work and has been a National Site of LGBTQ+ History since 2017. On the Upper West Side, the forthcoming American LGBTQ+ Museum at the New-York Historical Society, set to open its doors in 2026, will be the nation’s first museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ history.
If Summer in the City starts with the Museum Mile Festival, for me, the end of New York’s summer comes 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 such as reigning champions Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, Diede de Groot and Alfie Hewett. The tournament takes place August 26–September 8, 2024. Insiders tip: the week before, it is free to watch the thrilling play of the qualifiers’ tournament, and see the tennis stars practice.
New York City Borough Pass, Citywide: a new sightseeing pass designed to showcase the beauty of the neighborhoods and cultures across all five boroughs. The pass features a diverse roster of popular attractions, museums, performing arts venues, including the Alice Austen House Museum, MoMA PS1, New York Botanical Garden, Van Cortlandt House Museum, Staten Island Children’s Museum. (888-921-5333, https://www.nycboroughpass.com/)
The Go City Pass for New York City offers 100 different options in all five boroughs. For example, the two-day all inclusive pass, giving access to as much as you want/can do from among 105 attractions is $134 – regardless of how much the actual attractions charge (GoCity.com, 800 887 9103).
For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nyctourism.com.
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Colmar, in France’s Alsace-Lorraine region, is a storybook village – its buildings literally decorated to tell a story. And when you wander around its narrow, twisting streets, you walk through 500 years of history, lose all sense of what century you are in and fall totally under its spell.
Almost miraculously, the city has managed to remain mostly unscathed through centuries of wars. So as you stroll around, you come upon architectural jewels from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. (You can follow a self-guided historic walking tour of silver Statue of Liberty figures in the pavement.)
I became curious about visiting Colmar when I saw a short report about it being the childhood home of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty, and the images of how colorful and charming it was. I had to see if for myself.
So I take advantage of the ease of visiting Colmar from Strasbourg, the starting point for a European Waterways canal cruise through the Alsace Lorraine on its luxury hotel barge, Panache. It is just 45 minutes on the train, every half hour, a most enjoyable, comfortable and scenic ride, 28E roundtrip, no need to reserve – and join the hordes of day-trippers exploring this fairytale-like place.
It’s a short, pleasant walk from the Colmar train station into Le Petit Venise (Little Venice), the historic district (really similar to Strasbourg’s Le Petit France), and I am immediately enchanted.
Colmar is famous for its half-timbered houses and richly decorated merchants’ mansions. Some date from the Middle Ages, such as the Adolf House, the oldest in Colmar, built in the second half of the 14th century; and the “Huselin zum Swan” on Schongauer Street.
The Renaissance is on display in one of Colmar’s most magnificent structures, Maison Pfister with ornate bay windows (oriels), long wooden gallery and exquisitely painted murals, which has become a symbol of the city. Maison Pfister was built in 1537 for Ludwig Scherer, a wealthy hatter from Besancon. The paintings that decorate the façade, attributed to Christian Vacksterffer, represent 16th century Germanic Emperors, Evangelists, Church Fathers, allegorical figures and biblical characters and scenes. It is named for the merchant Francois-Xavier Pfister who acquired the mansion in 1841.
I come upon a house at 34, rue des Marchands with a plaque dated 1435 and a note that says this was the residence of master painter Caspar Isenmann “(Zum Grienen hus”). Another marvelous structure is “Cour du Weinhof,” at 12-16 rue des Marchands, which is a medieval 14th century granary.
So many of the buildings are adorned with beautiful, even playful, whimsical decoration – as if there is a competition for who can have the prettiest or cleverest or most festive, or perhaps a public ordinance that requires everyone to be incredibly festive and clever. I wonder.
I go in search of the intriguingly named House of Heads. Built in1609 in German Renaissance style, it has a three-story bay window, and a façade embellished with 111 heads and masks.
You walk through a fabulous pedestrian zone -a listed “protected sector” – that takes you from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, from “Little Venice” to the Tanners district with its grand white-fronted houses.
Similar to Strasbourg, there are districts, or neighborhoods, built around trades.
The Poisonnerie quay where fish caught mainly in the River Ill were stocked and sold, dates from the 14th century. Part of this district was damaged in a major fire in 1706 but some houses were rebuilt. The whole area underwent urban revitalization from 1976 to 1981.
The Tanners Quarter, rounded by the Rue de Montagne Vertne, Rue des Tripiers, Rue des Tanneurs and place de l’Ancienne Douane, is the epicenter of the protected old town center. Its tall, timber-framed houses built during the 17th and 18th centuries, often have a final open-worked level which was used by craftsmen to dry their pelts. The district was restored 1968-1974.
The Koifhus (Old Customs house) completed in 1480, is the oldest public building in the city. The ground floor was used as a warehouse, where imported and exported goods were taxed. The floor was used for meetings of the deputies of the Décapole, the federation of the 10 imperial cities of Alsace, formed in 1534 and for the Magistrate. When the Revolution abolished commercial privileges, the building was used for other purposes. Around 1840, the building was used as a theater and in 1848, the first office of the discount bank. The Koïfhus was occupied by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1870 to 1930 and by a Catholic boy school and an Israelite school in the late 19th century. Today it is used for various public activities.
A marvelous place is The Covered Market, especially to pick up picnic fixings for lunch or snack. Designed in 1865, this building is made of bricks, with a metal frame has had several functions until being returned to its original purpose of market hall. About 20 merchants offer high quality products: fruits and vegetables, butchery, cheese dairy, bakery and pastry, fish and other terroir delights – yet another example of what is old becoming new again. (13 rue des Ecoles, Quartier de la Petite Venise).
I find a sensational patisserie that has the best croissants, which I munch just outside in a tiny park.
Musee Unterlinden
I wander a bit aimlessly, just soaking in the atmosphere, and find myself at one of Colmar’s most important museums, Musee Unterlinden.
Founded in 1906, Musee Unterlinden is housed in a 13th century convent building that was linked to the former municipal baths building by architects Herzog & de M Meuron, who added a contemporary extension. Within you wander through 7,000 years of history, culture and art from the prehistoric era to 20th century.
The museum is mainly known as a showcase of Rhenish Art, displaying a remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures of the Colmar region of the 15th and 16th centuries, a Golden Age for the Upper Rhine.
But its star attraction is the celebrated altarpiece of Isenheim, an exquisite polyptych created between 1512 and 1516 by the artists Niclaus of Haguenau (for the sculpted elements) and Grünewald (for the painted panels). It was created for the Antonite order’s monastic complex at Isenheim, a village about 15 miles south of Colmar, where it decorated the high altar of the monastery hospital’s chapel until the French Revolution.
The Isenheim Altarpiece is housed in the museum’s Medieval cloister, where you find the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with works by Martin Schongauer, Hans Holbein and Lucas Cranach. The former baths building that opened in 1906 is used for special exhibitions, while the works of major 20th century artists including Monet, de Staël, Picasso and Dubuffet have a new showcase in the contemporary wing.
I wander down to the cellar of the former convent, and am fascinated to see its extensive archaeology section, with artifacts of the Haut-Rhin region dating back thousands of years. The collection has been expanding because of ongoing regional excavations. One section is devoted to prehistory and protohistory, the neighboring rooms to the Roman and Merovingian periods.
The extensive collection of historical objects and artifacts from domestic life and funerary contexts, mostly from the northern Haut-Rhine, presents an almost complete overview of the different stages of the region’s cultural evolution.
I find it interesting to learn Unterlinden was founded by a man who was convinced of the importance of “making a contribution to forming and developing a sense of taste and beauty” and of “providing the lower classes with an opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and pleasures they are so often denied.” In 1847, Louis Hugot, archivist and the city librarian of Colmar since 1841, was inspired by his love of graphic art to establish the Martin Schoengauer Society with other local scholars. Two years later, the society published its plan to transform the Unterlinden Convent into a museum.
The climax for my enchanting tour of Colmar comes when I (finally) find my way to the Musee Bartholdi (I seem to have overshot it a couple of times, even though everything is really close, even though there are metal markers in the street leading to the museum). The museum is housed in the childhood home of sculptor Frederick Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), who created the statue we know as the Statue of Liberty, but was actually named “Liberty Enlightening the World,” unveiled in New York in 1886.
Bartholdi was the son of a councilmember who died in 1836 when he was just two years old. The family residence was built in the 15th century and transformed in the 18th century into an elegant hotel particulier (town mansion).
When Bartholdi died, his widow defied his wishes (he wanted her to create a museum for sculpture) and turned his Colmar family home into a museum as a tribute to him. Opened in 1922, the Bartholdi museum is entirely dedicated to presenting the artist’s work as well as his process, so you see models, drawings, engravings and photographs. You also see family furniture and personal mementos.
You enter through an inner courtyard, where you see Bartholdi’s inspiring statue, “Grand soutiens du monde” – four women holding up the world (bronze 1902).
The collection is presented on three floors of the mansion and walking through the family’s rooms lets you see Bartholdi as a person, how his idealism was manifested in his art, and you realize that his true genius is how his art inspires that same idealism in the viewer.
A whole room (surprisingly small, but that makes it more intimate) is dedicated to the Statue of Liberty – you see his inspirations and some early designs, and fantastic historic photos of its production in Paris. It is thrilling to see Bartholdi’s process for the Statue of Liberty, which he titled Liberty Enlightening the World.
Indeed, Bartholdi’s colossal Lady Liberty famously celebrates freedom, and most Americans believe his symbols refer to the American Revolution and independence from tyranny, especially since it was dedicated in New York 1886, a little over a century after the Declaration of Independence. But Bartholdi intended Liberty to commemorate America’s abolition of slavery as a result of the Civil War in 1865 – the idea for the monument originated in 1865 but was pursued only after the Third French Republic was established in 1870. We see a model of the statue that has Lady Liberty’s foot stepping on chains, as if to crush the chains of bondage.
Lady Liberty stands 151 feet tall, and the top of her torch brings the statue up to 305 feet – the largest statue that had ever been completed up to that time.
There are also his models for Bartholdi’s monumental statue, Lion of Belfort, which is as precious to France as Lady Liberty is to America. Bartholdi served in the Franco-Prussian War and took part in the defense of Colmar. I read that Bartholdi was distraught over Alsace’s defeat and over the years, constructed monuments celebrating French heroism in its defense against Germany. Lion of Belfort, which he created from 1871-1880, symbolizesthe French resistance against Prussia’s assault during the 103-day Siege of Belfort, December 1870 to February 1871.
Colmar had always celebrated its native son, Bartholdi, and he had erected statues in the city, including his earliest works. But in the 1890s, German authorities restricted Bartholdi’s residency permit in Alsace, because several of his public monuments demonstrated support for a French Alsace. The sculptor found it increasingly difficult to travel to Colmar. In light of this, the Schoengeuer Society’s decision to set up a Bartholdi Room in the Unterlinden Museum in 1898 was a courageous move.
Bartholdi collaborated with the Schoengauer Society early on – his first major sculpture was created for the Unterlinden Museum when he was just 18 years old – a plaster statue of the founder of the Unterlinden Convent, Agnes de Hergenheim (1852), as well as the monumental fountain in honor of Martin Schongeuer, erected in the cloister of the former convent (1863). Bartholdi donated several works to the society which were transferred to the Bartholdi Museum when it opened in 1922.
Following the re-annexation of Alsace and Moselle by Nazi Germany in June 1940, Colmar was once again under German rule. The museum was shut down. The German forces destroyed Bartholdi’s monuments in the city – the statue of General Rapp was smashed on September 9, 1940; the Bruat fountain was dismantled. Figures of the four continents in red Vosges sandstone were crushed.
But some Colmar residents managed to get to the site to save the four heads and a part of the foot, which they hid in their cellars. The fragments were returned to the city after the war (they are on view in the museum) and a new version of the fountain was erected in 1958.
The museum reopened in 1979, very likely spurred by preparations for celebrating the Statue of Liberty Centennial.
(We can see his works in the United States also: Marquis de Lafayette in Union Square, NYC; Bartholdi Fountain in the Botanic Garden, Washington DC.)
There is also a 12-meter high replica of the Statue of Liberty, sculpted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of sculptor Auguste Bartholdi’s death, located at the northern entrance to the town.
The museum has a brochure (in French) with a map of where you can find Bartholdi statues and monuments around Colmar: Monument du Général Rapp – 1856 (first shown 1855 in Paris. Bartholdi’s earliest major work); “Fontaine Schongauer” – 1863 (in front of the Unterlinden Museum); “Fontaine de l’Amiral Bruat” – 1864; “Fontaine Roeselmann” – 1888; “Monument Hirn” – 1894; “Fontaine Schwendi”, depicting Lazarus von Schendi – 1898; Les grands soutiens du monde − 1902 (statue in the courtyard of the museum).
Another site I miss is the Synagogue. Built 1839-1842 on the site of an old farm, the synagogue of Colmar is the seat of the Israelite Consistory and the Grand Rabbinate of the Haut-Rhin.
I learn that the Jewish community was expelled in the 16th century, but returned to Colmar during the Revolution. The Rabbi was transferred from Wintzenheim to Colmar in 1823. The synagogue of Colmar was renovated in 1885 and an annex added in 1936. Used as an arsenal during the German occupation, the synagogue was restored after the war. It is the only synagogue in the region which has a bell tower. (3 rue de la Cigogne,)
Unfortunately, I leave Colmar before seeing its Illumination. The town is illuminated from nightfall on Fridays and Saturdays year-round and every evening during major events in Colmar such as the International Festival, Regional Alsace Wine Fair and Christmas in Colmar.
