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Cruises, Hospitality, Destinations Implement Responsible, Sustainable Tourism Practices

April 21, 2026 krubin723 Leave a comment

In Dominica, *known as “the Nature Island of the Caribbean”*, *visitors can join rare, responsibly guided encounters with resident sperm whales through Secret Bay’s Swimming with the Whales & Marine Safari (photo: Dominica)*

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Travelers are increasingly mindful of their responsibility in preserving and protecting the people, the environment, and the ecosystems of the places they visit and are actively seeking out travel entities – transportation, hospitality, dining, attractions, and destinations – that incorporate sustainable, responsible practices.

Here’s a sampling of how cruises and resorts are not just implementing but also modeling conservation, preservation and regenerative practices, while the revenue from tourism helps fund and sustain these programs.

Cruising

Havila Voyages, the Norwegian coastal operator, recently completed a historic 12-day voyage aboard its Havila Polaris, powered by biogas, reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 90%. Combined with the fleet’s advanced battery systems which enable ships to sail for up to four hours with zero emissions, Havila is demonstrating that cleaner, quieter travel at sea is ready to scale for the future. Silent, low-emission cruising allows access to fragile areas like the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord without environmental harm, while journeys along Norway’s 34-port coastal route connect travelers to authentic communities through more than 70 immersive excursions, from dogsledding to Sámi cultural experiences. Its “Havila Food Stories” program partners with local producers and serves seasonal, à la carte menus that have reduced food waste to just 69 grams per guest per day, cutting more than 60 tons annually. With ships designed for future hydrogen conversion and a goal of fully climate-neutral operations by 2028, Havila Voyages offers a compelling example of how responsible travel and bucket-list experiences, from Northern Lights viewing to the Midnight Sun, can go hand in hand.

*The Boat Company donates proceeds from its Alaska expeditionary cruises toward conservation initiatives.*

While sustainable tourism focuses on minimizing the impacts travelers have on a community or ecosystem, regenerative tourism goes a step further with a focus on making destinations better than they were. That has been the mission of The Boat Company– one of the world’s only non-profit cruise companies – since its founding 46 years ago. All of The Boat Company’s proceeds (beyond operating expenses) from its week-long expeditionary cruises between Sitka and Juneau through Alaska’s Inside Passage are reinvested back into conservation initiatives (theboatcompany.org, 360-697-4242).

Boating and Biking Egypt: The Nile’s Hidden Banks: This tour blends slow, low-impact travel with active exploration, exploring by e-bike small villages and immense monuments rarely seen and sailing aboard an all-suite ship: https://www.boatbiketours.com/tours/egypt-the-nile-a-journey-to-ancient-wonders/]

Hospitality

*At Finolhu in the Maldives, guests can join the Coral Reef Propagation Project, ocean clean-ups, Citizen Science programs and megafauna dives (photo: Finolhu)*

Set within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Baa Atoll in the Maldives, Finolhu, a Seaside Collection Resort is committed to safeguarding one of the world’s most delicate and vibrant marine ecosystems. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere reserve in 2011, Baa Atoll is one of the most biodiverse marine environments on earth – home to over 250 coral species, more than 1,200 fish species, and the world’s largest known aggregation of manta rays at nearby Hanifaru Bay. Its location above a deep ocean channel creates nutrient-rich currents that attract whale sharks, dolphins and sea turtles year-round, making it one of the few places on the planet with this level of protected aquatic abundance. As part of a UNESCO-protected biosphere, Finolhu is largely self-sufficient. Guests can do their part in making a difference by joining the Coral Reef Propagation Project, led by the resort’s resident marine biologist, which aims to rebuild the resort’s reef; ocean clean-ups conducted in partnership with Parley for the Oceans; and Citizen Science programs and megafauna dives, which help track individual animals and contribute to ongoing marine research.

*Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlan Golf & Spa Resort plays an active role in conservation through its on-site turtle sanctuary (photo: Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlan)*

The first Hyatt-branded property in Mazatlán, Mexico, Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort, has earned the prestigious Platinum Beach Certification for its sustainably maintained shoreline and partnership with local, environmentally responsible suppliers. The resort has also implemented water-saving technologies including aerators and automatic flushers, energy-efficient systems like heat recovery equipment and LED lighting, reduced plastic use, and landscaping with endemic plants to support local biodiversity. The resort plays an active role in conservation through its on-site turtle sanctuary, where guests can participate in the protection and preservation of these remarkable animals.

Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort, Rivera Nayarit, Mexico, is an eco-conscious, adults-only, all-suite all-inclusive resort. Nestled between the golden sands and surf-friendly beaches of Banderas Bay and the lush Sierra Madre Mountains, it offers an unplugged, nature-focused getaway. On property, an organic garden and farm supply fresh herbs, produce, and eggs to the resort’s restaurants, reinforcing its sustainable ethos. The resort also supports the local community through its “World of Care” program, donating food and supplies to Wet Nose Rescue and caring for rescued animals, among them, Joker, the resort’s adopted dog and mascot. In addition, the hotel sponsors a local primary school, with team members supporting students through gifts, monthly visits, and meaningful activities.

*El Cielo Resort & Winery pairs luxurious vineyard accommodations with a commitment to sustainable hospitality (photo: El Cielo Resort)*

Located in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe, B.C., El Cielo Resort & Winery pairs luxurious vineyard accommodations with a commitment to sustainable hospitality. Guests stay in Tuscany-inspired villas, enjoy farm-to-table dining, and explore the property’s organic vineyards while supporting eco-conscious practices woven throughout the resort experience. Sustainability initiatives include pioneering solar energy as one of the first wineries in the region to install solar panels, cultivating grapes without synthetic pesticides to preserve soil health and biodiversity, and utilizing trained Harris’ Hawks as a natural, chemical-free vineyard protection. The resort also captures rainwater in custom-built reservoirs to support sustainable irrigation and create habitats for migratory birds, alongside additional environmentally mindful touches such as lightweight wine bottles, natural corks, water treatment systems, and LED lighting designed to reduce light pollution.

*Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica, known as “the Nature Island of the Caribbean” (photo: Dominica)*

Dominica, the “Nature Island of the Caribbean,” continues to lead the way in eco-conscious travel, integrating sustainability into everyday life. Offering a balance of preservation and experience, Dominica is a model for sustainable tourism in action. Visitors can explore the UNESCO-listed Morne Trois Pitons National Park, engage in conservation efforts and discover the island’s rich cultural heritage. Through a blend of community-led conservation, innovative eco-luxury and immersive nature experiences, the island offers travelers meaningful ways to connect with and support the environment. Visitors can take part in hands-on conservation experiences like sea turtle nesting season at Rosalie Bay and join rare, responsibly guided encounters with resident sperm whales through Secret Bay’s Swimming with the Whales & Marine Safari, supported by the world’s first marine protected area dedicated to the species. Across the island, eco-forward properties like Coulibri Ridge and Secret Bay continue to redefine sustainable luxury, complemented by low-impact activities such as guided e-bike tours and cultural experiences like the Roseau History Tour; Sea Cliff Eco Cottages’ offers “garden-to-glass” Cocoa Martini, crafted using upcycled cacao husks in partnership with a local chocolate producer. Dominica also has one of the Caribbean’s most diverse and untouched trail systems. Its annual Hike Fest invites travelers to explore iconic landscapes, from Boeri Lake and Chemin Létang to the legendary Boiling Lake, through guided hikes taking place on Saturdays in May.

*Hotel Belmar in Costa Rica’s cloud forest (photo: Hotel Belmar)*

High in Costa Rica’s cloud forest where regeneration is visible and measurable, Hotel Belmar is a family-owned icon. Finca Madre Tierra, recognized as Costa Rica’s first carbon-neutral farm, supplies eggs, dairy, shade-grown coffee, sugarcane, and seasonal produce to the hotel. Guests can visit milk cows, learn cheese-making, pick coffee, and press sugarcane, deepening their connection with Monteverde’s agricultural traditions. On property, Belmar closes the loop through composting and a biodigester that turns organics into clean gas, making farm‑to‑table‑to‑farm a daily practice. Sustainability in practice: Belmar’s bio-intensive garden plots feed regenerative dining, garden-to-glass mixology that replaces bottled inputs, a plastic-free bar program, environmentally preferable products, and an air‑dry laundry solarium that reduces energy consumption. Rooms and shared spaces rely on beautifully crafted furnishings, supporting regional makers while celebrating Monteverde’s woodworking heritage and its long tradition of forest-based craft. In the forest, SAVIA employs local forest mobility experts, uses tree-friendly anchoring with high-tension ropes and cables rather than bolts, and offers themed expeditions from dawn birding to nightfall canopy study, creating paid interpretive work while keeping impact light in a rare ecosystem known for exceptional biodiversity.

Guests can also participate in programming like Monteverde Exploration with local guides and farm-to-table experience which generate income to farmers, educators, and naturalists and sends guests home with transferable skills in composting, pickling and planning. Every stay helps to underwrite a year-round economy tied to food, music, ecology, and science, supporting both the local community and the surrounding forest. Multigenerational ties to local farmers, craftspeople, guides, and musicians help sustain the region’s distinctive culture, creating a shared ecosystem of livelihoods that strengthens the surrounding community while helping to protect the cloud forest’s special environment. The hotel’s Artist Residency Program further expands this cultural exchange, inviting artists to spend time on the property and develop new work inspired by the cloud forest (hotelbelmar.net).

*Calabash Cove Resort & Spa integrates regenerative, low-impact operations into its boutique, adults‑only experience on Saint Lucia’s coast (photo: Calabash Cove Resort)*

Set on a secluded hillside overlooking Bonaire Bay along Saint Lucia’s biodiverse northwestern coast, Calabash Cove Resort & Spa integrates regenerative, low-impact operations into its boutique, adults‑only experience. The resort maintains a strict plastic-free policy, eliminating disposable containers and using recycled-material lunch boxes and biodegradable straws. All hot water is solar‑heated, lighting relies on LEDs, and an on-site water‑treatment plant recycles water for irrigation. Guests receive a free reusable aluminum bottle on arrival, with free still or sparkling water refills throughout their stay to eliminate disposable bottles. Local farms supply produce and seasonal vegetarian and vegan menus highlight Saint Lucia’s ingredients while reducing the footprint of higher‑impact foods. Kitchen oils are collected and repurposed to heat laundry water, further reducing external energy demand.

Sustainability in practice: Closed‑loop practices underpin daily operations. Grass cuttings are mulched and composted, kitchen scraps are sent to a local pig farmer, and rainwater is collected for property use. Timers on pool pumps help reduce energy demand and mosquito fogging has been discontinued to allow local birdlife to flourish. Marine stewardship includes reef and turtle‑protection training led by Saint Lucia’s Fisheries Department, where staff learn to identify nesting periods, safely relocate eggs, and tag previously untracked turtles to support long‑term conservation monitoring. Landscaping is maintained by on‑staff gardeners who prioritize native vegetation and habitats, supporting wildlife that thrives along the cove’s protected shoreline. The resort’s intimate 26‑room scale keeps impact low while enabling meaningful guest participation through beach cleanups, nature-positive activities, and plant-forward dining (calabashcove.com).

*Alaia Belize guests can explore the ancient Maya site of Xunantunich on curated, conservation-minded excursions (photo: Alaia Belize)*

Set on 20 oceanfront acres on Ambergris Caye, Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection offers an upscale base for exploring one of the Caribbean’s most ecologically diverse destinations. Guests can snorkel the protected Hol Chan Marine Reserve, visit Caye Caulker, and explore the ancient Maya site of Xunantunich, all through curated, conservation-minded excursions.

*Sustainable forestry practices at Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand (photo: Banyan Tree Phuket)*

Sustainability and community-driven practices are woven throughout Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand, nestled between white sandy beaches and coconut groves. Guests can participate in the resort’s sustainable initiatives, such as a visit to the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, sustainable beach cleaning and cooking classes that promote sustainability and community engagement.

*Six Senses Laamu is celebrating the impact of its Sea Hub of Environmental Learning marine education and conservation center (photo: Six Senses Laamu)*

Six Senses Laamu is celebrating the impact of its Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu, the “SHELL.” This2,336-square-foot marine education and conservation center offers guests and local communitiesimmersive experiences with the local marine environment, including coral regeneration, seagrass conservation, and sea turtle research. Through the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), the SHELL hosts a dedicated team of marine biologists working with partner NGOs including Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, and Olive Ridley Project. Together they have grown over 10,000 baby corals across five species, released more than 12 million coral larvae onto the resort’s house reef, and conducted genetic studies of sea turtles.The team has also cataloged over1,000 turtles and 140 manta rays in Laamu Atoll, contributing to scientific research and publications.

*Six Senses Kanuhura launched Kanuhura Coral Census (photo: Six Senses Kanuhura)*

Six Senses Kanuhura launched Kanuhura Coral Census, thefirst long-term 3D reef monitoring program implemented by a resort globally. It usesadvanced imaging and AI to create living digital replicas of coral reefs, offering a deeper understanding of reef health, biodiversity, and resilience. These insights help guide a more mindful, long-term approach to reef restoration, ensuring that the surrounding ecosystems continue to thrive for generations to come.

*Imperial Hotel Kyoto aligns heritage with sustainability (photo: Imperial Hotels)*

Imperial Hotels across Japan’s heritage cities – Tokyo, Kamikochi, Osaka, Kyoto – align heritage with sustainability. Imperial Hotel Tokyo has reduced plastics by 87.7 percent versus 2019, reducing 13.9 tons by shifting amenities to bamboo, wood, and biomass and replacing PET with paper cartons; it operates on 100 percent CO2-free electricity and advances circularity through recycling loops that turn coffee grounds into cattle feed and repurchase the resulting milk, while used cooking oil becomes Sustainable Aviation Fuel. The Osaka hotel reinforces circularity by turning kitchen waste into fertilizer and buying back vegetables grown with it and supports EV drivers with charging stations.

Imperial Hotel Kyoto, which opened March 5, 2026 inside the restored Yasaka Kaikan in Gion, preserves its cultural fabric through adaptive repurposing and reusing more than 16,000 tiles to reduce construction impact while sustaining local craftsmanship. The property supports living culture through performances. Craft atelier visits, including an imperial doll workshop, ensure fees reach local artisans. Community engagement includes food education in schools, cleanup activities in Osaka and Kamikochi; disaster support agreements in Tokyo and Osaka provide shelter for stranded residents and travelers. Imperial Hotel Kamikochi runs on net zero CO2 energy using regional hydropower and offsets, encourages refills with a lobby spring water fountain, and has reduced plastics by roughly 90 percent through amenity changes. Conservation work with the Kamikochi Beautification Association supports stewardship of the national park.

*The Lake House on Canandaigua is the only hotel in New York State to receive Beyond Green certification (photo: The Lake House)*

The Lake House on Canandaigua, a luxury hotel in the Finger Lakes, has earned a Beyond Green certification – the only hotel in New York State to receive the recognition – joining a global portfolio of hotels recognized for advancing sustainability, environmental stewardship and meaningful community connection. Operated by Preferred Travel Group, Beyond Green is a curated collection of hotels and resorts committed to responsible travel worldwide. Member properties are vetted against more than 50 sustainability indicators aligned with the best global practices and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing places where sustainability is deeply embedded in both philosophy and practice (lakehousecanandaigua.com).

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© 2026 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us atfacebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Adventure Travel, Cultural travel, International Travel, Solo Travel, Women Travel

Women Power the Surge of Solo-But-Not-Alone Travel

March 20, 2026 krubin723

*Agra, India. Several tour companies – G Adventures, Goway and Road Scholar among them – cater to travelers wanting to explore India solo but not alone © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

One of my favorite things about travel is how you stumble upon revelations – “eureka moments”. One of these came on my Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Coastal Maine trip in which I joined the swelling trend of women traveling solo (bike tours are ideal for this). We stopped at the Seal Cove Auto Museum where the exhibit, “Engines of Change: A Suffrage Centennial.” honored the 100^th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage. What was so fascinating was learning that the bicycle, and later the car, were instrumental in the movement’s ultimate victory in winning the right to vote because it gave women the freedom and mobility to travel outside their own cocoons and spread the word. (Mobility is inherent in the very word “movement”.)

The Seal Cove Museum, visited on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Coastal Maine trip, pays homage to the 100^th anniversary of women’s suffrage, noting that bicycles and cars were “Engines of Change.”© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Another interesting fact: it was Bertha Benz, inventor, business partner and wife of Karl Benz, who, fed up with her husband’s endless tinkering and reticence to take his invention on the road, on August 5, 1888, grabbed her children and became the first person to drive an automobile over a long distance (65 miles) – an astonishing break with social norms of the time.

Indeed, women are powering a growing movement toward solo travel, and travel companies are adapting – not only creating women-only tours and departures, but suspending single supplements on certain departures, or facilitating a shared room (with same-sex person) to avoid paying the single supplement.

Solo travel – dominated by women travelers – continues to surge in popularity, with more travelers jetting off on journeys alone. In the United States, the Solo Travel market, valued at $95 billion in 2024, is expected to reach $192 billion by 2030 according to Research and Markets.

While women-only travel companies developed early on, when women were uncomfortable traveling alone on a trip that likely would have couples or catered to men, as the culture has accepted that women are independent and as women have come to be independent and confident travelers, they have been seeking out the active, immersive, experiential and adventure travel programs that span the world. Now the active and adventure travel companies (hiking, biking and the like) are catering to solo travelers without distinction, though most of solo travelers are women (and women of a certain age).

No place is beyond the reach of solo travelers with adventure and active travel operators facilitating travel, like the four-day hiking/camping trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

These programs open up the world to women, who might like to travel alone, but not actually on their own, and immerse in exotic locales and cultures, get as physical as they like or go at a comfortable pace. Places as far flung as Bhutan, Uzbekistan, the Serengeti, Antarctica are no longer out of reach.

“Solo travel doesn’t have to mean traveling alone,” said Terry Dale, president and CEO of United States Tour Operators Association. “Rather than navigating a destination entirely on their own, solo travelers can join guided tours that let them connect not only with the places they visit, but also with like-minded explorers.”

Many members of The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) cater to solo travelers with dedicated itineraries, programming, and waived solo supplements that remove some of the traditional barriers of traveling on one’s own. Here is a sampling of tours tailored to solo travelers by USTOA tour operator members:

*Angkor Wat rises out of the jungle. G Adventures has introduced a “Solo-ish” tour to Cambodia © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

G Adventures’ Solo-ish Adventures have reimagined solo group travel by placing community at the core with front-loaded itineraries to encourage quick connection. All of G Adventures’ Solo-ish Adventures are led by female guides and include a “Me Day” for independent exploration. The trips are designed exclusively for solo travelers aged 18 and up – 68 percent of whom are female. “No more worrying about being the odd one out — you’ll be travelling with a community of people stepping out on their own to welcome whatever the world brings their way.” There is an emphasis on providing security and safety to alleviate the main concern about traveling solo – such as complimentary arrival transfer to your first hotel. The tours also offer a discounted My Own Room option. For example, on the 10-day Solo-ish Cambodia tour, travelers trek through the lush jungles of the Cardamom Mountains, dive into the turquoise waters of Koh Rong, and indulge in local cuisine (from $1,349 pp). Other new tours: Solo-ish Sicily (8-days, $1784); Solo-ish Ecuador (7 days, $1049) as well as programs in Bali, Morocco, India, Belize, Morocco, Costa Rica, Mexico, Vietnam, Jordan, Guatemala, Egypt, Turkey, Nepal, Uzbekistan. “Where’s your heart calling you?’ (https://www.gadventures.com/solo-travel-tours/, 877 982 6201 (24/7), https://www.gadventures.com/)

Visiting the colorful souks of Marrakech, Morocco © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Goway recently launched a line of itineraries designed specifically for women traveling solo. All trips are tailored for female travelers and the price includes a private room. The 12-day Secrets of India: A Women’s Journey traces northern India’s heritage from Delhi to Agra. Travelers are immersed in Indian culture with small group touring, enriching museum and temple visits, a majestic boat ride in Lake Pichola where white marble palaces frame the shore, and a dining experience at Molecule Air Bar which combines gastronomy with theater. Departures are available in October and November 2026 and January and March 2027, priced from $6,785 pp (goway.com).

EF Go Ahead Tours offers curated trips for solo travelers that include a private room at no added cost, plenty of time to explore independently, as well as group activities designed to maximize bonding between travelers. The Ireland for Solo Travelers tour is a whirlwind cultural immersion with visits to Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, and of course plenty of stops at pubs for pints of Guinness. Each activity is designed to maximize bonding between travelers. Departures available through 2028, starting at $3,409 (goaheadtours.com)

For solo travelers seeking value and fewer crowds, Globus offers Escapes itineraries with off-season savings and no single supplement on most of its departure dates. The eight-day Swiss Escape begins with sightseeing in Zurich and Neuchâtel with its medieval cathedrals and castles. Next up, spend a few days soaking in the grandeur of Lake Geneva before heading to Lucerne. The tour concludes in Lugano, the city famous for its blend of Swiss and Italian culture. 2026 departure dates are available in October, November, and December with prices starting at $1,799 (globusjourneys.com)

Abercombie & Kent offers 50% on single supplements for select 2026 journeys. The company’s nine-day Glorious Gardens of England and Chelsea Flower Show journey centers on the world-renowned five-day extravaganza of brilliant blooms and expertly designed gardens. Guests will visit English castles and estates known for their immaculately designed grounds including an exclusive tour of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, where you’ll tour areas typically closed to the public.  Departs on May 13, 2026, price starts at $19,193 with single supplement savings (abercrombiekent.com)

More tour operators offering tours for solo travelers can be found at ustoa.com/blog/national-plan-a-solo-vacation-day.

Travel Companies Respond to Rise in Solo Travel

*Wild Frontiers’ Rajasthan: Taj, Temples & Tigers offers a safari through India’s tiger reserve © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

More than 70 percent of passengers on Wild Frontiers’ small group tours are solo adventurers. Not only will Wild Frontiers match a solo traveler to share a room (to avoid paying a supplement), periodically the company will reduce or waive the supplement if there is no one to match, and, periodically, waives the supplement on select tours booked (a discount up to 100% of the supplement is presently running through March). Examples: Guatemala: Tikal & Beyond,16 days from $4,478; Mongolia: Nomads Of The Steppe,10 days, from $3954;Tanzania: Safari, Serengeti & Maasai Heartlands,10 days from $5499; Oman Desert Adventure: Wahiba Sands & Empty Quarter, 12 days from $5,451; Viva Colombia, 12 days from $5,375. Also: Georgia and Armenia, experience the Silk Road in China, or go to the other end of the trade route to Turkey.

Update: Wild Frontiers is extending this solo travel deal on new bookings until April 14 to save 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% on single supplement costs for your own private room on a selection of group tours (https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/en_US/solo-offers)

“Traveling solo rarely means traveling alone. On our small-group tours, you’ll share extraordinary moments with like-minded travelers — then retreat to your own space when you need to reflect and recharge. You can travel as a single traveler on any of our vacations, from our escorted tours to our walking vacations.”(wildfrontierstravel.com, info@wildfrontiers.co.uk)

As it happens, because of demographics, the ardent traveling seniors who join Road Scholars (formerly known as Elderhostel) educational and experiential tours are often traveling solo and of these, a majority are women.

*Petra, one of Jordan’s archaeological wonders. Road Scholars has introduced a new Exploration of Egypt & Jordan tour for solo travelers © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In response, Road Scholar has created a special collection of learning adventures for solo travelers. Many of the programs are dedicated to solo travelers, while others have specific dates for solos. Road Scholar’s Go Solo programs include: Explore Delhi, Agra & More Highlights of India, 12 days, from $3,899; The Splendor of Nepal, a new eight-day program, priced from $2,299; Classic Tuscany and the Treasures of Florence, a new 13-day trip priced from $6,999; The Best of Central Europe, a new 18-day program, from $8,799; A Taste of Costa Rica, a new 9-day program, from $2,849;Go Solo: Independent Buenos Aires, a new 10-day program, from$ 2,499; The Best of Bhutan, a new 17-day program, from $7,199; An Exploration of Egypt & Jordan, a new 15-day tour, from $8,399; Peru’s Sacred Valley, Lima & Machu Picchu, a new 9-day program, from $3,349 (https://www.roadscholar.org/collections/solo-only/). Road Scholar, roadscholar.org, 800-454-5768).

Bike Tours, River Cruises Are Ideal for Women Traveling Solo

*Bruges to Amsterdam bike tour by boat: BoatBikeTours offers solo travelers the best of all worlds: biking and sailing on small barge hotels and sailing vessels © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I have loved traveling solo on bike tours, where inevitably I am welcomed into the group, which tend to be small and caring (it could also be something self-selective about bike tour people). Also the ready availability of e-bikes level the playing field in physical ability to tackle hills or distance. Among the companies: Discovery Bicycle Tours (discoverybicycletours.com), BoatBikeTours (boatbiketours.com), Wilderness Voyageurs (wilderness-voyageurs.com). In addition, special experiences like the annual eight-day biking/camping Cycle the Erie trip organized by Parks and Trails NY (ptny.org) afford a phenomenal solo-but-part-of-group experience.

For a similar reason, river and canal cruises aboard small ships and barge hotels are also ideal for solo travelers..

For 2026, Tauck is removing the biggest obstacle to solo travel – the dreaded “single supplement”. Tauck is removing the single supplement on all Category 1 cabins for all its European river cruises (250+ departures in 2026), and offering up to $1,000 off single supplements on higher category cabins. This includes its new Bordeaux, Paris, & The Seine, sailing aboard the newly launched ms Serene. In addition, Tauck is offering single supplement savings up to $600 across more than 100 land journeys spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America trips including the new A Week In… Nova Scotia (tauck.com).

5 Safest Cities for Solo Female Travelers in 2026

*Taiwan’s National Palace Museum. Taipei is considered one of the safest cities in the world for women traveling alone © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Women are embracing solo travel in a big way. Google searches for “solo female travel” jumped 44% in 2025 compared to the year before.

But while more women are eager to explore on their own, safety is still the top priority when choosing where to go especially as global events continue to shape traveler confidence.

InsureMyTrip took a closer look at the safest cities for women traveling solo. Using data from the Numbeo Crime & Safety Index, researchers focused on what matters most to women traveling alone: how safe it feels to walk alone (day and night), and lower risks of mugging, robbery, or physical attack.

The 5 Safest Cities for Solo Female Travelers in 2026

Taipei, Taiwan
Tampere, Finland
Tartu, Estonia
Lugano, Switzerland
Hong Kong

(While Muscat, Oman ranked #2 overall in the data, it has been excluded from this ranking due to the evolving situation in the Middle East. The data was collected prior to the current conflict.)

“Women traveling solo aren’t just looking at things like attractions and affordability, they’re asking, ‘Will I feel safe walking back to my hotel at night?’” said InsureMyTrip CEO Suzanne Morrow. “This ranking really zeroes in on the everyday safety factors that shape how comfortable women feel while traveling solo.”

For full rankings and methodology, visit: https://www.insuremytrip.com/travel-advice/travel-inspiration/best-cities-solo-female-travel/

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© 2026 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Adventure Travel, Biking Tours, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Cultural travel, Experiential Travel, Health and Wellness travel, Nature and Wildlife, Outdoors Adventures, Responsible Travel, Sustainable Travel, Uncategorized

Tour Companies Respond to Travelers Prioritizing Meaningful, Wellness, Active, Adventure Experiences

March 4, 2026 krubin723

Discovery Bicycle Tours’ biking in Cambodia tour hits multiple trends, satisfying the wanderlust for active, culturally rich adventures that are also especially welcoming for women traveling solo © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

More than ever, travelers are prioritizing meaningful, wellness-focused, experiences, active adventures, and authentic connections with off-the-beaten-path destinations and communities. This is the finding of Backroads, a global trailblazer in active travel since 1979, in its Top Adventure Travel Trends for 2026. The report is based on early guest bookings and insights from its worldwide team of Trip Leaders and Travel Experts representing more than 60 countries across 550 itineraries worldwide.

Indeed, adventure travel is now one of the fastest-growing segments in tourism, with global adventure travel projected to surpass $2 trillion by 2032, according to the Adventure Travel Trade Association. At the same time, wellness-driven trips are accelerating worldwide as travelers seek meaningful, restorative, experience-rich vacations over passive leisure, a finding confirmed by the Global Wellness Institute.

The good news is that travel companies are catering to these trends with programming.

Backroads’ Top Adventure Travel Trends for 2026

One of biggest trends: women traveling solo – together joining small-group programs – here completing the four-day Inca Trail hike/camping adventure to Machu Piccu, Peru © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Women and Solo Travelers on the Rise: Across travel, adventures designed for women are surging as friends, family and solo travelers seek connection, immersive confidence-boosting experiences and a sense of community. Backroads bookings reflect this shift, with demand for its Women’s Adventures projected to grow 100% in 2026. The solo travel market is expected to grow 14% over the next five years, with women over 50 a major driver of this momentum.
What’s Trending? Backroads England’s Cotswolds, Peru, Canadian Rockies Trips.

Family Togetherness Across the Globe: Prioritizing real-world experiences over screen time, modern families are seeking active vacations that spark connection and create lasting memories. Making the most of school breaks throughout the year, parents and grandparents with kids of all ages are booking adventure travel in record numbers.
What’s Trending? Backroads Trips for Families with Kids & Teens, Teens & 20s and 20s & Beyond: Brittany & Normandy, Croatia and Iceland.

*Young professionals seek adventure: trekking up Mount Bromo volcano in East Javaa Indonesia for the sunrise © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Young Professionals Seeking Adventure: Millennial and Gen X travelers are fueling strong growth in adventure travel, driven by a clear desire for active exploration balanced with comfort, camaraderie and iconic destinations. This cohort is also poised to benefit from an unprecedented $27 trillion wealth transfer by 2045, expanding opportunities to prioritize meaningful, experience-driven travel.
What’s Trending? Backroads 30s & 40s Trips (small-group luxury trips designed for active and adventure-seeking Gen X and Millennial travelers): Peru Lodge-to-Lodge Trekking, Dolomites Hut-to-Hut Hiking and Santorini & Crete Multi-Adventure.

*A lust for human-powered travel: finishing a self-guided bike tour from Venice to Croatia © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Nostalgia for Human-Powered Travel: From acoustic (non-electric-assist) biking for traditional cyclists eager to cover the miles using their own muscle power to hiking epic mountains, travelers are slowing down and rediscovering the rewards of moving with their own strength. By staying longer in one region or embracing human-powered adventure in small groups, guests are able to dive deeper into local culture and landscapes.
What’s Trending? Backroads Unplugged (non-electric-assist) Bike Tours in Croatia, Portugal’s Algarve, Tuscany and Nova Scotia; Argentina and Chile’s Patagonia Hiking & Walking Tours.

Frontier Islands: Rugged Archipelagos as the New Darling: Moving beyond classic island escapes, travelers are gravitating toward rugged, culture-rich archipelagos, places defined by dramatic cliffs, volcanic ridges, fishing villages and wide-open trails. These “frontier islands” appeal to active travelers seeking big scenery, epic hiking, cooler climates and a sense of remoteness that traditional beach islands can’t deliver.
What’s Trending? Backroads Canary Islands, Cyprus, Denmark Islands, Lofoten Islands and Portugal’s Azores Trips.

Trip Stacking, On and Off-Season: Travelers are increasingly “stacking” their journeys by booking back-to-back trips or even three-stop itineraries to maximize a single long-haul flight. This reflects a growing shift toward sustainable, efficient travel, where guests make the most of every mile and every moment away. Off-season exploration is also on the rise, with more travelers heading out earlier in spring, later in fall and throughout the winter for a fresh take on familiar places. Backroads has seen a more than 6% increase in guests booking consecutive trips since the pandemic, with continued growth projected on the horizon.
What’s Trending? Backroads Norway, Japan and Spain Trips.

*Active culinary travel talks off: a cooking class in Paris © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Active Culinary Travel Takes Off: Blending outdoor activity with regional food and wine experiences is a travel style that continues to grow as travelers seek culturally rich, experiential trips. From cooking classes and local farmers market visits to stays at Relais & Châteaux properties, Backroads Active Culinary Trips that unite adventure, flavor and luxury are gaining momentum across key regions.
What’s Trending? Backroads Basque Country, Tuscany and Provence Trips.

Sleeping in Huts & Mountain Lodges Is In: Travelers are increasingly choosing mountain lodges and huts and historic hideaways, especially in off-the-beaten-path destinations. Bookings for these laid-back, comfortable stays are surpassing expectations and up more than 170% since 2024, as guests seek accommodations that capture the essence of a place and seamlessly blend activity, discovery, relaxation, sustainability and wellness. Travelers can find these authentic stays on many Backroads trips including Hut-to-Hut and Lodge-to-Lodge offerings.
What’s Trending? Backroads Dolomites Hut-to-Hut, French & Italian Alps Lodge-to-Lodge and Pyrenees Lodge-to-Lodge Trips.

“We’re seeing a clear trend of guests using travel as a way to connect with like-minded travelers, with local communities, with the environment and, ultimately, with themselves,” said Tom Hale, Backroads Founder, President and CEO. “Active travel is becoming part of the rhythm of their lives, and they like creating that rhythm on their own terms, now and into the future.”

What does adventure tourism look like in 2026? Active travel blends movement, connection and wellness to create meaningful, authentic vacation experiences. In response to this growing demand, Backroads enters 2026 with new itineraries, new destinations and expanded trip categories, along with anticipated growth of more than 10%, nearly double its post-pandemic pace. Learn more about Backroads at www.backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

Soft Adventure

Travelers are seeking out accessible, lower-risk activities that cater to a wider demographic, including multi-generational families and first-time adventurers. This demand is strongest for holidays that successfully blend active elements—like hiking, trekking, and biking—with comfortable, enriching cultural experiences. Here is a sampling of “soft adventure” travel experiences:

*Biking (and boating) from Bruges to Amsterdam with BoatBikeTours © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Boat and Bike Europe: From Amsterdam to Paris: Bike past windmills in the Dutch countryside, sip Belgian beer on a historic square, and enjoy the French capital’s grand boulevards while traveling at a relaxed, enriching pace on Boat Bike Tours’ new 10-day tour from Amsterdam to Paris. Along the way, settle into modern, comfortable accommodations aboard the new Magnifique X barge, with extensions available in both major cities (https://www.boatbiketours.com/tours/through-europes-heartland-between-amsterdam-and-paris/)

Hike and Cruise Turkey: The Carian Coast: Follow the herb-lined footpaths and ancient roads of the Carian Trail on a new, 15-day tour from Peter Sommer Travels. Hike through hills swathed in pine and olive to atmospheric ruins, then enjoy comfortable accommodations and transportation among the deep inlets and secluded coves offshore aboard a traditional, stylish gulet while cruising the beautiful, remote Carian Coast. (https://www.petersommer.com/tours/walking-carian-trail-turkey-extended)

*Exploring Incan sites of the Sacred Valley, Peru © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

High Andes and Salt Flats: Peru and Bolivia Adventure: Explore the iconic natural and cultural wonders of the Andes on an accessible journey spanning Peru and Bolivia. Traverse the Uyuni Salt Flats, visit Indigenous communities on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and experience historic Incan sites of the Sacred Valley, all from carefully selected, comfortable accommodations that prioritize local authenticity and high quality (https://www.gondwanaecotours.com/adventure-tours/peru-bolivia-from-salt-flats-to-sacred-lakes-adventure/)

Singletrack in the Dakotas: Maah Daah Hey Mountain Biking: Pedal through the wild, rugged terrain of the North Dakota Badlands on the legendary Maah Daah Hey Trail. This guided mountain biking tour covers the most scenic singletrack sections, with full support, catered meals, and comfortable nights spent glamping under the vast, starry skies, offering an immersive national park experience without the crowds (https://escapeadventures.com/tour/maah-daah-hey-singletrack-mountain-bike-tour/)

Dude Ranch with History: Rancho de la Osa, Arizona: Celebrate the centennial of the dude ranching industry in 2026 with a stay at Rancho de la Osa, a ranch welcoming guests for over 100 years. Explore the high desert south of Tucson, Arizona, on horseback, riding trails frequented by U.S. presidents and legends, then enjoy a cool drink in the Cantina, a building that dates to 1722, and put up your feet in colorful Southwestern accommodations (https://www.ranchodelaosa.com/)

*Snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Scalesia Lodge: Galapagos Island Basecamp, Ecuador: Located on Isabela Island in the Galápagos, this lodge is designed as a sustainable and stylish base for exploring the unique wildlife and geology of the archipelago. Activities include accessible volcano hikes and snorkeling with sea lions, delivered with high-touch service while guests stay in elevated, spacious, geodesic dome tents with private balconies (https://www.scalesialodge.com)

*Bear viewing and kayaking in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska with Gondwana Ecotours (photo: Gondwana Ecotours )*

Bear Viewing and Kayaking: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: Witness the extraordinary sight of brown bears catching salmon at the famed Brooks Falls and explore the stunning fjords of Kenai National Park on a multi-day wildlife tour. This package is ideal for nature lovers seeking close-up wildlife encounters without the strenuous demands of deep backcountry trekking, offering scenic kayaking floats and comfortable lodge-style accommodations each night (https://www.gondwanaecotours.com/adventure-tours/kenai-brooks-falls-grizzly-bear-tours-alaska/)

Human-Powered Adventures to Reset Your Internal Clock

In an era of hyper-connectivity and AI-driven schedules, the greatest luxury isn’t a faster Wi-Fi signal, it’s the ability to disconnect. Human-powered travel is the breakout trend of 2026, trading engines for oars, pedals, and hiking boots. By moving at the speed of your own heartbeat, the landscape shifts from a blur outside a window to an immersive, sensory experience.

From the rugged coast of Tasmania to the quiet trails of Slovenia, here are a few ways to power your own adventure:

The Lakeside Loop: Eurobike (Lake Garda, Italy): Experience Italy’s famous lake at a pedal stroke’s pace. Eurobike offers a charm tour around Lake Garda, combining active days on the bike with stays in high-end accommodations. Cycling through olive groves and lakeside vineyards provides a sensory reset that no high-speed train could ever replicate.

The Slovenian Summit: Eurohike (Alpe-Adria-Trail): Walking is the ultimate analog movement. Eurohike takes you to the heart of the Julian Alps on a 7-day trek along the Alpe-Adria-Trail. Moving through Slovenia’s emerald Soča Valley and high-altitude mountain pastures, this journey is designed to synchronize your pace with the natural world.

The Alpine Cycle: Ride & Seek (Australia): Forget the tour bus; the only way to truly reset across the diverse landscapes of the Southern Hemisphere is on two wheels. Ride & Seek has launched an epic journey from Sydney to Hobart, crossing the Bass Strait to tackle the wild, winding roads of Tasmania. It is a test of endurance that rewards you with untouched coastal views and a profound connection to the rugged terrain.

More active/adventure tour companies:

Active Adventures, activeadventures.com

Austin Adventures, austinadventures.com

Butterfield & Robinson, butterfield.com

Duvine Cycling + Adventure co., duvine.com

EF Go Ahead Tours, goaheadtours.com

Exodus Adventure Travels, exodustravels.com

Explorateur Journeys, explorateurjourneys.com

G Adventures, gadventures.com

Inspiring Vacations, inspiringvacations.com

Intrepid Travel, intrepidtravel.com

Lindblad Expeditions, expeditions.com

Nat Geo Expeditions, nationalgeographic.com

Overseas Adventure Travel, oattravel.com

Pure Adventures, pure-adventures.com

Sierra Club, outings.sierraclub.org

VBT/Country Walkers, vbt.com

Wilderness Travel, wildernesstravel.com

Wild Frontiers, wildfrontierstravel.com (March special: Wild Frontiers is offering up to 100% off single supplement for solo travelers on select 2026-2027 departures)

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© 2026 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Cultural travel, Historic Places, Nature and Wildlife, Outdoors Adventures, Places of History

Celebrating Jack London’s 150th Makes Sonoma County, California Visit Extra Special This Year

February 18, 2026 krubin723

Visiting Jack London State Historic Park gives intimate insight into the iconic novelist during the 150^th anniversary of his birth, including how he pioneered sustainable farming techniques on his “Beauty Ranch.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

A major highlight for a visit to Sonoma County, California, this year takes place at one of my favorite places: Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen: the celebration of 150^th anniversary of novelist Jack London’s birth, with a full year of public programming and special events.

Planned events through 2026 include a quarterly speaker series featuring scholars and London’s great-granddaughter, a “Call of the Wild Day” family celebration with art, music, and guided walks, and gala events. The program also introduces new offerings such as an online “Around the World on the Jack London Trail” guide and themed trail challenges to highlight London’s global travels and local legacy. This yearlong initiative aims to blend heritage interpretation with immersive experiences in a beautiful, hike-friendly setting at a California state park.

I am lucky to visit the state park on Jack London’s actual birthday (admission free that day!) and visit the cottage he lived in while he and his wife, Charmian, were building their dream home, Wolf House. (Wolf House tragically burned down just before they would have moved in, but you can visit the spectacular ruins.)

Visit the modest cottage where Jack and Charmian London lived and wrote while he was developing his Beauty Ranch and building Wolf House to get intimate insights their life together © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The cottage – amazingly modest for such a successful writer – is filled with original furnishings and artifacts and photos – you even see the fireproof safe where he stored his manuscripts. The cottage gives you such an intimate window into the man – you see a large office, but it is the tiny porch room with a simple cot where he slept and worked – and get a peek at his personality and idiosyncrasies (like how he liked to play practical jokes on his guests, who slept in a separate building).

*The office in the cottage is the biggest room, but Jack London preferred to do his writing in a tiny porch room © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Cottage was the Londons’ principal home on the Beauty Ranch, which he eventually expanded to 1400 acres through acquisitions and used to experiment with sustainable farming techniques.

London purchased the wood-framed Cottage, built in the 1860s, in 1911, along with the Kohler and Frohling Winery buildings where he housed workers and guests. They lived in the cottage while building the Wolf House, but enlarged it after the Wolf House burned in 1913 until it included some 3000 square feet of living space. Here in the cottage, he wrote many of his later stories and novels; a disciplined writer, he produced 1000 words a day, while Charmian edited, typed manuscripts and letters in the expansive office.

*The tiny porch room in the cottage where novelist Jack London preferred to write and sleep © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You actually have to go out of the cottage to an adjacent building that served as the kitchen and their dining room, where you see the piano that London bought as a gift to woo Charmian.

As the docent notes, these two buildings capture Jack and Charmian’s bohemian lifestyle and their unique working relationship. (You can visit the cottage noon-4 pm.)

After touring the cottage, I take one of the many hiking trails through a redwood forest – this one to the small “lake” Jack London used for fishing.

*Jack London pioneered sustainable farming techniques at his Beauty Ranch © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You realize what a visionary London was – he pioneered sustainable farming (he called it “model farming”) and ranching techniques here, experimenting and learning by trial and error (his bet on Eucalyptus trees did not turn out well). It was a noble mission for him: the docent tells me that London realized that settlers were constantly overusing the land but could mov West to new land, but when you reached California, there wasn’t much more West to go, so you better not deplete the land. He eventually expanded his Beauty Ranch to 1400 acres. Charmian wrote, “He had ideas on the profession of farming that will do the world more good than the stories he could ever write.”

*Hiking through Jack London State Historic Park brings you to gorgeous views © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Not to be missed is the House of Happy Walls, the grand stone home that Charmian London and Jack London’s stepsister, Eliza Shepard, built after London died in 1916 at the age of 40 (all the more remarkable to consider his body of work in such a short life). The stunning Arts & Crafts structure was Charmian’s home from 1935 until 1952. She put it into her will that it become a museum to London. Today, the newly re-designed exhibits in the museum showcase the adventurous and inspiring lives of the Londons.

House of Happy Walls, built by Charmian London and Jack London’s stepsister, Eliza Shepard, after Jack London’s death, now serves as a marvelous museum to the novelist © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The fascinating exhibits help you appreciate not only what a brilliant writer and amazing adventurer Jack London was, what but what a decent human being. I came away with the intention to re-read “Call of the Wild,” then read for the first time “White Fang,” and go down the list of his many books (a bookcase in the gift shop is filled with first editions). It makes me wonder why Americans venerate the bad-boy Ernest Hemingway when Jack London is the better writer and a more noble, heroic man.

On weekends talented Piano Club volunteers play Charmian London’s 1901 Steinway grand piano bringing the House of Happy Walls to life (it was the piano that Jack London gifted to her to woo her.) (open 10-5 daily)

*The ruins of Wolf House are dramatic, befitting Jack London’s novels © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

From here, I hike another trail to the ruins of Wolf House – the dream house that Jack London was building that burned down in 1913 just before it was completed, at a cost of $75,000 ($1.9 million today). Ironically, with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in mind, London had San Francisco architect Albert L. Farr, construct the 15,000-sq. ft., 26-room structure to be earthquake proof. Built in the Arts & Crafts style, the design was described as “rustic and individualistic”. Jack’s library measured 19 by 40 feet, and a two-story high living room measured 18 by 58 feet. Even in 1911, it was designed to include a water heater, electric lighting, refrigeration, a built-in vacuum cleaning system, laundry facilities (including a “steam dryer rotary wringer”) and a wine cellar. Even the ruins are impressive – and dramatic.

I stop to visit the modest grave sites of Jack London and Charmian on my way back.

Frankly, all of America should be celebrating Jack London’s 150^th, the way Britain is celebrating Jane Austen.

*Hiking through a redwood forest at Jack London State Historic Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You can visit this state park over and over and do new and different things.

Jack London State Historic Park, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, CA 95442, jacklondonpark.com, 707-938-5216

Before you head up the winding road to Jack London State Park, stop at the market right at the base and pick up a picnic.

Glen Ellen, a charming classically historic Californian town, is right in the middle of a score of wineries (Benziger Winery is next door to Jack London State Park, 1883 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, CA 95442, benziger.com, https://benziger.com/tours-and-tastings/; also, Imagery, its sister winery, is one of our favorites;), the Sonoma Regional Park (hiking), and Sonoma Botanical Garden.

*Hiking along Sonoma Coast State Park provides sensational, quintessentially California views © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Spend another day trip traveling less than an hour further to some of the most magnificent coastline in California: the Sonoma Coast State Park, where there are stunning trails that hug the cliffs and go down to beaches and get drinks and food at Fishetarian Fish Market on Bodega Bay watching the sun go down.

*You may well forget what continent you are on at Safari West © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Get carried away to another continent at Safari West – spend a day, or even better, overnight in their glamping tents (luxurious). After 35 years, Safari West is transforming toward nonprofit stewardship through the newly formed Safari West Zoological Society — “a thoughtful step that strengthens our commitment to Research, Education, and Conservation and supports the animals we cherish for generations to come.” (Safari West, 3115 Porter Creek Road Santa Rosa, CA 95404, 800-616-2695, 707-579-2551, safariwest.com).

*Finish the day with a sunset dinner at Fishetarian Fish Market on Bodega Bay © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Here is what else is new and happening in Sonoma County:

New in Wellness

*Sugarloaf Ridge State Park has introduced a recurring Forest Therapy Series as part of its Park Rx Program © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Park Rx- Forest Bathing Walks: Forest Therapy, also known as Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing is a guided walking practice that originated in Japan which focuses on slowing down, reducing stress, and engaging the senses to support mental and physical restoration. In Sonoma County, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park offers a recurring Forest Therapy Series as part of its Park Rx Program, held on the fourth Sunday of each month from March through November. Led by certified Association of Nature and Forest Therapy practitioners, the experience introduces participants to simple techniques designed to deepen presence and enhance the restorative impact of time spent in nature. The program highlights Sonoma County’s commitment to accessible, science-backed wellness experiences set within protected natural landscapes.

Elevate Sonoma features hyperbaric sessions that increase oxygen delivery in a pressurized environment to support healing, recovery, and overall well-being, while complementary red-light therapy aims to enhance results. The clinic brings a modern health and recovery option to Sonoma County’s wellness landscape, positioning the region as a lifestyle travel destination for visitors seeking restorative experiences beyond traditional wine and outdoor offerings.

Craft Brewing For a Good Cause

Russian River Brewing Company, the Sonoma County brewery behind Pliny the Elder, a craft beer repeatedly named among the best beers in the world, is pairing purpose with production in 2026. The brewery has introduced Russian River 110, a West Coast–style pilsner created to support Russian Riverkeeper, the nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the Russian River watershed. A portion of net proceeds from expanded production, and the beer’s first bottled release will fund local conservation efforts. The release underscores how one of America’s most influential craft breweries continues to connect its beer, its place, and its environmental stewardship, giving visitors another reason to experience Sonoma County’s craft beer scene firsthand.

New in Wineries

*Katie Honey, who with her husband Dan Whalen acquired the historic Annadel Vineyard and Winery, hosts intimate, personalized wine-tastings in Sonoma, California’s wine country* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Sol Rei Wines, a boutique, women-owned producer known for low-histamine, low-sulfite wines that are lab-tested to be free of detectable pesticides and other residues, has opened a new tasting room in downtown Sonoma. The space is designed as a light, nature-inspired retreat that reflects the brand’s focus on purity, sustainability, and connection to the land and the craft of winemaking. Founder Katherine Kitzmiller created Sol Rei after a personal health journey led her to prioritize clean, intentional winemaking; the winery has quickly earned national honors for its 2023 vintage wines.

Marietta Cellars has just opened its first tasting room in downtown Healdsburg after 47 years as a Sonoma County staple known for its Old Vine Red and other approachable wines. The space, in a former police station near the Healdsburg Plaza, highlights the winery’s small-lot, artisanal selections rather than its widely distributed labels. Designed by co-owner and designer Lisa Steinkamp with a contemporary feel, the tasting room offers flights, glasses, and bottles of single-estate and experimental wines in a relaxed setting with indoor seating and a leafy patio.

Wolves Lovers + Thieves, a new tasting room focused exclusively on sparkling wines, has opened in Glen Ellen. The launch reflects broader confidence in Sonoma County’s tasting room growth this year, with several new wine destinations debuting.

Sonoma County Winegrowers and Reservoir launched Reservoir Farms, Sonoma, the first on-farm robotics and automation hub for vineyards and the flagship of SCW’s Farm of the Future initiative. The site includes fabrication space, an engineering workshop, and 14 acres of vineyard test blocks where startups and AgTech partners develop and test new tools with grower input. The hub addresses labor shortages, rising costs, and production pressures while supporting job growth and local innovation. Reservoir expects to bring six startups into the incubator by late 2025, strengthening Sonoma County’s leadership in sustainable, tech-driven viticulture. To arrange a Vineyard Adventure walk at one of the group’s seven vineyards, visit sonomawinegrape.org/visit/sonoma-county-vineyard-adventures, info@sonomawinegrape.org, 707-522-5860.

New in Restaurants

Bubbles & Delights Café, Petaluma’s newest breakfast spot, features a menu of scratch-made classics and bubbly drinks, including mimosas alongside farm-fresh eggs and hearty plates. Opening early for daily breakfast and brunch, the cafe adds a fresh, community-oriented spirit to Petaluma’s food scene.

Aroma de Cafe has opened in the heart of Railroad Square, one of Downtown Santa Rosa’s most historic districts. Owners Luis Rodriguez and Alejandra Bravo have relocated their well-loved brunch cafe from Fifth Street to the larger Railroad Square location, where they are continuing to serve Latin and American brunch favorites. The expanded space allows the cafe to grow while staying connected to the neighborhood’s historic character and steady flow of locals and visitors. Adding to its appeal, chef Carlos Mojica of Guiso Latin Fusion has introduced a dinner-only Latin-Italian menu, broadening the restaurant’s reach from a daytime brunch favorite into an all-day and evening destination.

Pick’s Roadside in the far northern Sonoma County town of Cloverdale has reopened with fresh energy while honoring its century-old roots. The drive-in first opened in 1923 and has become a local landmark known for burgers, milkshakes and root beer. After a complete renovation and menu reboot, the reimagined Pick’s features premium Wagyu beef burgers, classic shakes and a curated Sonoma County wine list. New owners Anidel Hospitality led the revival to preserve the site’s historic spirit and create a community gathering place with a Sonoma County Wine Country twist. The original neon sign and nostalgic feel remain.

New in Hotels

Madeira House a new boutique stay on the Sonoma Coast, is set where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean in the town of Jenner. The intimate property offers 11 rooms across three restored houses, pairing coastal restraint with warm, residential design. Many rooms offer river or ocean views, private decks, fireplaces, and select kitchenettes, while the overall experience is intentionally quiet and unplugged. With gardens, waterfront seating, and immediate access to coastal trails and beaches, Madeira House offers visitors a fresh lens on Sonoma County lodging beyond Wine Country, rooted in landscape, calm, and a strong sense of place.

Fresh off its grand debut as the flagship resort of Appellation – a visionary, culinary-first hospitality brand founded by Michelin-starred chef Charlie Palmer and luxury hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger – Appellation Healdsburg announced its acceptance intoSmall Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH), becoming the first Appellation hotel to join SLH. Located on the north side of Healdsburg in Sonoma County on 8 1/2 acres of lush landscapes, Appellation Healdsburg is a culinary-driven retreat designed to immerse guests in the region’s rich food, wine, and agricultural heritage. It features 108 guest rooms and suites, two pools, Terroir Spa, a thoughtful wellness program, dynamic programming, and expansive indoor-outdoor event spaces. Folia Bar & Kitchen offers progressive American cuisine fueled by live oak embers, led by Executive Chef David Intonato and Chef de Cuisine Reed Palmer, a Healdsburg native whose experience spans acclaimed kitchens including SingleThread, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Amass in Copenhagen. After honing his craft globally, Palmer has returned home to honor Sonoma County’s agricultural heritage, shaping Folia’s menus around local ingredients and seasonal rhythms. Andys Beeline, the resort’s vibrant rooftop lounge, offers shareable bites, garden-infused cocktails and sweeping vineyard views. Channeling the region’s natural bounty into a deeply immersive wellness experience, Terroir Spa offers a sensory journey rooted in place, featuring treatments inspired by the surrounding landscape, locally sourced botanicals, and holistic rituals that reflect the rhythms of Sonoma’s land and lifestyle. At the heart of Appellation’s ethos is a celebration of craftsmanship. Through Crafted at Appellation, guests are invited to roll up their sleeves and dive into Sonoma’s creative spirit — joining local artisans, farmers, and makers in hands-on workshops that transform regional traditions into memorable, personal experiences. (www.appellationhotels.com/healdsburg or www.slh.com)

Travel planning help is available from Sonoma County Tourism, https://www.sonomacounty.com

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© 2026 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

America's 250th, Attractions, Cultural travel, Historic Places, Monuments, Museums and Exhibits, National Parks, New York City travel, New York State travel, Places of History, See America

New York State Celebrates America’s 250th

January 29, 2026 krubin723

Painting on display at Fort Stanwix visitor center showing the October 17, 1777 surrender of General Burgoyn’s army to the Patriots after the Battles of Saratoga removed the threat of British invasion in northern New York © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Most Americans might not think of New York State first in context of the American Revolution and independence – Boston, Philadelphia are more top of mind. But it will surprise virtually everyone to know that more battles – and pivotal ones – of the Revolution were fought in New York than any other. In fact one-third of the battles and incursions were fought in New York, which the British considered vital to their conquest of the continent. Here are some of the places and events commemorating America’s 250th in New York State:

Fort Ticonderoga

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold realized that the British Fort Ticonderoga made an easy target for the American rebels. They captured the fort in 1775 with a band of Green Mountain Boys only weeks after Lexington and Concord, making it America`s first victory in the Revolution. Visitors can tour the restored fort, research library, museum galleries, and acres of beautiful land overlooking Lake Champlain and see artillery demonstrations and frequent reenactments. Fort Ticonderoga Real Time Revolution™ Event Series (Adirondacks): The iconic historic site continues honoring its role in America’s origin story with the Real Time Revolution™ event series, designed to bring the Revolutionary War to life on the very grounds it took place through reenactments of key events. One of the highlights takes place during Independence Day Weekend, with a signature reenactment, “Return of an Army,” depicting the Northern Continental Army’s retreat to Ticonderoga during the same period that the Declaration of Independence was being signed in Philadelphia (102 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, NY 12883, 518-585-2821).

Saratoga National Historical Park (Saratoga Battlefield)

Two hotly contested Revolutionary War battles here ended in an American victory which some proclaim as one of the most important in world history. Visit the Saratoga National Historical Park (Saratoga Battlefield) visitor center with film, light map, museum exhibits; tour the scenic 10-mile auto and bike road and hike historic paths. The park also has four other sites located nine miles north of the battlefield around the villages of Victory and Schuylerville: Victory Woods where British General Burgoyne’s forces made their last stand, the 155′ Saratoga Monument with panoramic views of the Hudson Valley, General Philip Schuyler’s 1777 home and estate, and the Saratoga Surrender Site (648 Rte 32, Stillwater, NY 12170, 518-664-9821, x 2980, www.nps.gov/sara to plan your visit).

Fort Stanwix National Monument

Fort Stanwix National Monument offers a full-scale reconstruction of the original fort built in 1758 by the British during the French and Indian War (re-created from the original British plans) and occupied by Americans during the Revolutionary War, where you can engage with costumed interpreters and really appreciate the complex dynamics surrounding the War for Independence.

In August 1777, Fort Stanwix, under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort, successfully repelled a prolonged siege by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian and American Indian troops and warriors commanded by British Gen. Barry St. Leger – becoming the only American post never to surrender to the enemy throughout the entire War of Independence. Significantly, the failed siege, combined with the battles at Oriskany, Bennington, and Saratoga thwarted a coordinated effort by the British in 1777, under the leadership of Gen. John Burgoyne, to take the northern colonies. The Americans’ success (after so many defeats) led to American alliances with France and the Netherlands. Troops from Fort Stanwix also participated in the 1779 Clinton-Sullivan Campaign and protected America’s northwest frontier from British campaigns until finally being abandoned in 1781.

At the Marinus Willett Center, explore centuries of history through interpretive exhibits and cases of artifacts unearthed on the site that put into context the colonials and the indigenous people who lived here (that will surprise you), and why New York State was so crucial to the Revolution – not just logistically, but as a critical source of food supplies for the troops. The park also collaboratively manages both the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site and the Steuben Memorial State Historic Site, all three locations inexorably connected from the time of the American Revolution. (100 N James St, Rome, NY 13440, (315) 338-7730, https://www.nps.gov/fost/learn/historyculture/index.htm)

New York City Hosts ‘Sail 4^th’ Spectacular

New York City which celebrated its 400th anniversary throughout 2025, is where America’s entire history is on display – the indigenous people who lived here before the Europeans, the Dutch founding in 1625 with the establishment of Fort Amsterdam and how diverse cultures built the city and continue to be the hallmark – at the Museum of the City of New York (a superb film unrolls 400 years in 30 minutes) (1220 5th Ave, www.mcny.org). One of the more unexpected places to explore America’s Native American history is at National Museum of the American Indian, a Smithsonian Institution, housed at Alexander Hamilton’s Custom House on Bowling Green (right around where King George III’s statue would have been ripped down by patriots) (https://americanindian.si.edu/visit/ny).

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will be featured in the International Aerial Review as part of NYC’s spectacular July4th celebration, before headlining the Jones Beach Air Show July 5-6 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York City will have its share of blockbuster events celebrating America’s 250^th. One of the most sensational is “Sail 4^th 250”, taking place July 3-9, 2026, with 30 Tall ships and 30 Grey Hull ships from 32 nations bringing 10,000 officers, cadets, crew and diplomats to parade down the East River on July 3rd up the Hudson River on July 4. Open to free public visits through July 9 (www.sail4th.org).

Macy’s 50^th anniversary fireworks on July 4^th will be especially spectacular with an International Aerial Review, headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

The Blue Angels will then headline the FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Bach State Park (date change from Memorial Day Weekend to July 5 – 6) to celebrate America’s 250th.

The New York Historical is opening its new Tang Wing for American Democracy on June 18, 2026, greatly expanding both the landmark building and The Historical’s wide-ranging schedule of exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public programs. Dedicated to the history and future of the nation’s founding principles, the 71,000-square-foot Tang Wing will open as the United States launches the celebration of its 250th anniversary. On view now: Declaring the Revolution: America’s Printed Path to Independence which features the documents that provided the ideological and philosophical underpinnings for the Revolution and the founding of a new kind of government (by the people) and that raised the rabble, forged a collective consciousness and identity, and inculcated the outrageous idea that a ragtag collection of colonial people of diverse race, ethnicity, religion and national origin could and should take on the most powerful empire on the globe (on view through April 12); also, Stirring the Melting Pot: Photographs from The New York Historical Collections. The New York Historical will present a slate of special exhibitions throughout the anniversary year. New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution covering over 400 years of American history. (New York Historical, 170 Central Park West, New York NY 10024, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org)

NYC Revolutionary Trail: Echoes of Revolution will launch in June 2026 to celebrate America’s upcoming 250^th anniversary. Founded by The Gotham Center for NYC History at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, the multimedia 90-minute, 3-mile walking tour in downtown Manhattan reframes New York at the heart of the American Revolution. Partnering with Video Game Publisher Ubisoft and Creative Technology Studio Sugar Creative, the Gotham Center, Echoes of Revolution is a FREE, mobile, geo-located immersive walking tour that uses augmented reality to place visitors inside Revolutionary-era New York. Starting at the Battery and ending at Federal Hall via Bowling Green, Wall Street, and other pivotal sites, visitors will relive pivotal historical moments from the founding of the United States, uncover the stories that shaped the nation’s beginnings in the actual locations where they took place, and have a close-up experience of the “city at the heart of the Revolution,” with each stop providing audio narration with site information, character profiles, videos and links to Center’s Library. Echoes of Revolution is a new version of Gotham’s original NYC Revolutionary Trail App and will also partner with the Museum of the City of New York for the upcoming exhibit, “The Occupied City,” to ring in New York’s 250^th celebration (https://nycrevolutionarytrail.org)

Follow Washington’s Culper Spy Ring Trail on Long Island:

A Christmas gathering in colonial-era Schenck House at Old Bethpage Village. Though Long Island was occupied by the British during the American Revolution, there were patriots who helped George Washington, even serving as spies © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Culper Spy Ring was an intelligence network that George Washington himself credited as crucial to the American victory over the British Empire. Largely following Route 25A (Long Island Heritage Trail), President George Washington traveled this route in 1790 by horse-drawn carriage on a mission to thank his Long Island supporters and the ‘Culper Spy Ring’ for their help in winning the American Revolution (hence the many places that boast “George Washington slept here”).

Indeed, Long Island in 1778 was largely occupied by the British (as was New York City) but there were Patriots who risked their lives to get intelligence to General George Washington. You can visit the houses where secret messages were written in invisible ink and follow the Washington spy trail map. (The AMC series TURN: Washington’s Spies, now airing on PBS was based on actual events involving the Culper Spy Ring on Long Island, focusing on farmer Abe Woodhull and his childhood friends gathering vital intelligence for the Continental Army.)

Roslyn, Long Island, on the Culper Spy Trail, where a colonial-era Grist Mill is being restored, is one of the places boasting “George Washington slept here.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Among the Revolutionary War sites: Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay, where Robert Townsend became a part of the spy ring; the Arsenal in Huntington; the Conklin House’ Joseph Lloyd Manor, the Brewster House in Stony Brook where American patriot Caleb Brewster spied on British soldiers; and Sherwood-Jayne Farm, home of Loyalist William Jayne aka “Big Bill the Tory”. See where the Battle of Setauket was fought near the Setauket Presbyterian Church on Caroline Ave.; Strongs Neck Road, where Anna Smith Strong and Abraham Woodhull lived, a key location for the spies; Thompson House where spies’ names are in the doctor’s book. On the South Shore, Sagtikos Manor in Bay Shore is where President George Washington stayed here during his Long Island tour in 1790. See: https://www.discoverlongisland.com/plan-your-trip/famous-long-island/george-washingtons-spy-trail/; find more Long Island 250 events: https://www.discoverlongisland.com/longisland250/.

Westchester’s American Revolutionary Trail

Once the volatile “Neutral Ground” between British and Patriot forces, Westchester County was where generals strategized, spies swapped secrets and ordinary people found themselves at the crossroads of independence. Follow the American Revolutionary Trail to discover Westchester’s most compelling historic sites, among them:

Jacob Purdy House (White Plains): Washington’s wartime headquarters during key moments of the Revolution.

John Jay Homestead (Katonah): Home of a Founding Father, tracing early American politics, antislavery roots and family life.

*Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, one of Historic Hudson Valley properties, is decked out for Halloween © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Philipsburg Manor (Sleepy Hollow): A powerful look at slavery in the Colonial North, complete with hands-on demonstrations, one of the Historic Hudson Valley properties.

St. Paul’s Church (Mt. Vernon): A 1704 parish turned field hospital after the Battle of Pell’s Point.

Square House Museum (Rye): A historic tavern where John Adams, Samuel Adams and George Washington once stayed.

Thomas Paine Cottage (New Rochelle): Last home of the legendary pamphleteer, filled with rare artifacts.

*Van Cortlandt Manor, a patriot family’s post war home, is the setting for historic Hudson Valley’s annual “Blaze” Halloween event © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Van Cortlandt Manor (Croton-on-Hudson): A patriot family’s post-war home revealing the challenges of building a new nation.

Visit https://www.visitwestchesterny.com/things-to-do/history/american-revolutionary-trail/

Some of New York’s other America 250events:

Genesee Country Village & Museum (Finger Lakes) explores early American life through costumed interpretation, working trades and educational programs that illuminate the nation’s evolving identity. The museum, now in its 50^th year, spotlights its “Seeking Freedom” initiative, highlighting stories of enslavement, freedom-seekers and abolitionists while hosting special cross-century exhibits and events tied to the national 250-year commemoration.

Commander in Cheers Augmented Reality Experience (Hudson Valley):Running through 2026, restaurants, pubs and other locations in the region offer an augmented reality experience that brings a pint-sized George Washington to life, sharing stories of Dutchess County’s Revolutionary past, by scanning a specialty coaster. Participating locations include Mill House Brewing Company in Poughkeepsie, The Tavern at Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck, Tenmile Distillery in Wassaic and Treasury Cider at Fishkill Farms. More information will be announced soon on additional programs as part of Dutchess County’s Commander in Cheers celebration.

Orangetown and the Bicentennial 1776-1976: From Democracy to Disco (Hudson Valley): On view through 2026 at the Orangetown Historical Museum’s DePew House, this exhibition highlights Rockland County’s crucial contributions during the Revolutionary War and showcases the historical and cultural impact of the 1976 Bicentennial. This spring, the Spirits of ’76 Wine Tasting companion event will feature historically inspired wines curated by Grape d’Vine, honoring Orangeburg and Tappan’s Revolutionary War legacy.

RevCon 2026 (Hudson Valley): Dutchess County hosts RevCon on June 13 at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. The Revolutionary War reenactment and history fair brings the era to life with weapons demonstrations, military drills, camp displays and Q&A sessions with reenactors.

(See a full calendar of New York State’s America 250 events: https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/path-through-history/america-250/)

Revolutions Beyond Independence

America’s Revolution did not end with the War for Independence. New York State has made it a mission for its America 250 commemoration to review America’s many revolutions in striving to realize the “more perfect union” the Founders could barely imagine.

“One of directives in New York State’s America 250^th is to make it broad and diverse and think of the American Revolution as incomplete because it didn’t include all residents,” said Devin Lander, NYS State Historian.

Many of these revolutions were sparked or furthered in New York State, and as you travel across the state, you can see them unfold: women’s suffrage, abolition, civil rights, voting rights, environmental protection.

To see how America came to be, join Parks & Trails NY’s annual eight-day Cycle the Erie trip that takes place each July, and travel 400 miles and 400 years of history from Buffalo to Albany- 356-miles of them along the Erie Canalway. (In addition to Parks & Trails NY, bike tour operators offer guided and self-guided trips.)

*Camping out on the grounds of Fort Stanwix during the Parks & Trails NY Cycle the Erie eight-day, 400-mile tour through 400 years of American history © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You see how the Industrial Revolution unfolded, how the Canal was the ‘Mother of Cities” like Rochester and Syracuse, and birthed canal towns, united the American continent, and turned New York City into a financial capital of the world; at the Canal Museum in Syracuse, you see how immigrants used the canal to settle the West, turn the Midwest into America’s breadbasket, and unite the nation, and how the canal spurred the innovation and entrepreneurism that made the Industrial Revolution possible; how Native Americans and colonists lived side by side at Fort Stanwix and the Indian trading post at Schoharie established 400 years ago and how knowing the Oneida women influenced Melinda Gage’s zeal for women’s equal rights. You see the context for the Women’s Rights movement at Seneca Falls. (https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal-bike-tour/).

*Biking to the Canal Museum in Syracuse, one of New York State’s cities birthed by the Erie Canal, on the Parks and Trails NY Cycle the Erie tour © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The 356-mile Erie Canalway is part of New York State’s 750-mile Empire State Trail network, from Buffalo to Albany and the tip of Manhattan at Battery Park to the Canadian border. It will ultimately be expanded and connected to a Long Island Greenway Trail Expansion – 200 miles of new greenspace from Montauk to Manhattan. With construction expected to begin this winter, the Long Island Greenway will connect 27 communities and 26 existing park – a route that is also rich in America’s history, from indigenous times (so many of the towns still have their names), through the American Revolution (George Washington’s Spy Trail), to the Shinnecock Indian Nation, in Southhampton.

New York State will be paying homage to its many revolutions in which the state played such a pivotal part, including linking “Freedom” to the theme of “Independence.”

Cayuga County, in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes, is Harriet Tubman’s chosen home. Auburn is where Tubman lived for more than 50 years, continued her activism, and established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. Today, visitors can explore this powerful legacy through nationally significant historic sites, museums, and landscapes that speak to freedom, abolition, and the ongoing pursuit of equality. This makes Cayuga County a particularly meaningful place to reflect on America’s 250th anniversary.

Cayuga County will be hosting several commemorative events and experiences in recognition of America 250, with more details continuing to take shape. Among those that have been scheduled:

The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is planning programming under the banner “Freedom 2026,” which will serve as a lead-in to “Freedom 2027,” marking the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in New York State.
Cayuga County is also looking to the anticipated opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad New York Scenic Byway and its first leg, which will connect Buffalo with Tubman’s chosen hometown of Auburn.
In 2026, the Finger Lakes Sweet Treat Trail will feature an America 250 theme, with several sweetly patriotic offerings highlighted along the itinerary.
Each year, the Town of Ledyard hosts a well-attended reenactment and ceremony that includes replica parchment printings of the Declaration of Independence, a full-costume public reading, and a horseback rider arrival with classic “Hear ye, hear ye” flair.
July 4th fireworks on Little Sodus Bay in Fair Haven and at Emerson Park in Auburn are always community highlights, and is expected that 2026 to be especially memorable in honor of the 250th anniversary.

In the next few weeks, a full America 250 schedule from several of Cayuga’s historic and cultural partners, including the Seward House Museum, Schweinfurth Art Center, Cayuga Museum of History and Art, Auburn Public Theater, Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, Willard Memorial Chapel, Frontenac Museum, and the Equal Rights Heritage Center, will be available. See more at www.tourcayuga.com.

Urban Civil Rights Museum (New York City):Located within the National Urban League’s new Harlem headquarters, the Urban League Empowerment Center, the museum will be the first institution solely dedicated to the American Civil Rights Movement, when it opens later in the year. (https://urbancivilrightsmuseum.org/)

Underground Railroad & Abolitionist Movement: Saratoga in 2027 will mark the 200^th anniversary of abolition of slavery in New York State; there will be exhibits at the State Museum in Albany, and state parks.

Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls: New York’s America 250 commemoration includes acknowledging the ongoing revolutions, such as for women’s right. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Women’s Suffrage: visit Seneca Falls, dubbed the “Birthplace of Women’s Rights” where you can visit the National Women’s Hall of Fame in addition to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Elizabeth Cady Stanton Home, plus :”It’s a Wonderful Life” Museum.

A former knitting mill in Seneca Falls now houses the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Women were not included among those winning “inalienable rights”in the American Revolution © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York’s role in the Environmental Movement is on display at Tanglewood Nature Center Canopy Treetop Walkway opening in the Finger Lakes in late spring/early summer. This ADA-accessible forest canopy path climbs 70 feet high, offering sweeping views. Designed in collaboration with world-renowned scientist “Canopy Meg” Lowman, this treetop walkway is only the second of its kind in New York State (the first is the Wild Walk at The Wild Center). Also, travel to the Adirondacks State Preserve (at 5 million acres, the largest tract of publicly protected land in the Lower 48) and enjoy the newly opened Adirondack Rail Trail (34 miles from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake).

“As we commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and welcome the world for the FIFA World Cup, there’s no better time to explore New York State – where every corner tells a story. From the historic grounds of Fort Ticonderoga and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, to the Statue of Liberty and the thundering power of Niagara Falls, visitors will discover experiences as iconic and unforgettable as the milestones we’re honoring throughout 2026,” I LOVE NY Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levisaid.

See a full calendar of New York State’s America 250 events: https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/path-through-history/america-250/)

See also: 11 Ways to Experience America 250 in New York State, https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/ways-to-experience-america-250-in-new-york-state/

An excellent source of all things historic in New York State is the Passport to History site, which can steer you to 700 destinations across the state. You can choose from themes to create your own Path Through History: https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/path-through-history/

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© 2026 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, longislandpress.com/category/vacation-travel.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near. X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures. Send comments/questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com.

Arts, Arts & Entertainment, Cultural travel, Museums and Exhibits, See America

Nashville: Beyond the Honky-Tonks

January 18, 2026 krubin723

*“Honky Tonk Highway” is alive with neon lights and live bands. @Geri Bain*

By Geri Bain for Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

You don’t have to be a country music fan to tap your feet to the rich music scene here. The creativity spills over into its art, cuisine, and decor. And of course, there’s that famous “hot chicken” and barbecue and a surprising number of authentic ethnic eateries. No wonder so many reunions, conventions and bachelor and bachelorette parties happen here.

To get in the mood for my trip, I watch “It All Begins with a Song,” a documentary that features songwriters performing and talking about their music, the creative process, and the unique role Nashville has had in their lives.

The film leads me to expect live music everywhere 24/7. Sure enough, there’s a band setting up at the airport when I land at noon, and there’s live music at shopping malls and clubs all around the city. The iconic experience is bar-and band-hopping along Lower Broadway, a.k.a. Honky Tonk Highway. Here, dozens of bars serve up live music, often on multiple floors, from 10 a.m. until the wee hours of the morning. Most do not have a cover charge or minimum.

*Live music is easy to find along Lower Broadway. @Geri Bain*

One of my favorite Honky Tonk Highway spots is the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. Opened by the charismatic Tubb (a.k.a. the Texas Troubadour) in 1947 before country records were widely sold, his shop quickly expanded to become a leading retail and mail-order country music record outlet and a low-key performance venue/bar with its own (still-operating) live radio show. Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley were among those who would stop by and perform after their Grand Ole Opry appearances.

A band is playing amped up music with a captivating beat as I enter Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop and a duo is performing on acoustic guitars in the back room. I listen for a bit, use the QR code to send a tip, and then head up to the fifth floor, where the roof bar affords a birds-eye view of the neon-lit street. It’s December and nippy though, so the outside bar is closed. Back inside, the bar/record shop feels like a mini-museum with vintage vinyl records for sale and displays of an Ernest Tubb Nudie suit (named for its designer Nudie Cohn, not for the amount of skin shown), a guitar with his name inset in pearl, a note from Johnny Cash, photos, and other memorabilia. (We learned after our visit that the Ernest Tubb Record Shop closed temporarily.)

*Fairlane Hotel features mid-century modern decor and works by local artists. @Geri Bain*

After bar-hopping, it’s an easy walk back to my Nashville home, the boutique 79-room Fairlane Hotel. While it’s smack in the center of town and a short walk to most of the city’s attractions, when I tuck in to sleep that night there is zero noise. Plus I love my room’s floor-to-ceiling window walls, colorful mid-century modern decor, and the works of local artists (subtly for sale) throughout the public spaces, part of the hotel’s mission to connect with local culture.

*Nashville’s Pathway of History is literally a walk through time. @Geri Bain*

The next day, I set out to ground myself in some local history (Nashville is more than music). I walk up to the hilltop Tennessee Statehouse and then stroll into Bicentennial Mall State Park, created in 1996 to celebrate 200 years of statehood. I follow a self-guided map to the 200-foot granite map of the state. Then I find my way to the Pathway of History where pillars mark key dates on one side of a 1,400 foot long walkway and a timeline of events, quotes and commentary are engraved run in parallel a three-foot-tall granite wall on the other. Among the interesting factoids I pick up is that the word “Tennessee” is thought to come from a Native American name meaning place where water meets—describing its strategic location at the confluence of rivers.

At the edge of the park, the Tennessee State Museum presents an easy-to-follow narrative of the state’s history with eye-catching artifacts like a full-size cutaway log cabin, a model of a Conestoga Wagon, and the hat Tennessean Andrew Jackson wore at his 1829 presidential inauguration.

*Liquor Lab offers mixology classes. @Geri Bain*

That evening at a Liquor Lab mixology class, I learn the most effective and theatrical techniques for shaking cocktail ingredients including, importantly, how to give a strong twist to seal the shaker tightly. We mix three concoctions; my favorite is a spiked hot chocolate topped with crushed peppermint and whipped cream. Dinner is not part of most classes but happily mine is catered by the award-winning Peg-Leg Porker, a family-run restaurant/caterer, and I get my first scrumptious taste of classic Nashville barbecue.

*The Country Music Hall of Fame offers classes for kids and adults. @Geri Bain*

A highlight of my trip is a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Dolly Parton is one of my heroes, and there’s a major exhibit devoted to her (running through September 2026). Watching a video interview, I learn that her song “Coat of Many Colors” refers to a true time when classmates made fun of her patchwork coat. Displays of her exuberant outfits, her guitars, the books she wrote and videos of performances and interviews convey a well-rounded picture of her work as a singer, song writer, businesswoman and philanthropist.

The permanent collection is equally lively, intimate and insightful. It is laid out chronologically with listening stations and displays illustrating the evolution of country music along with costumes, instruments and memorabilia of individual artists from the Carter Family to Elvis and Jelly Roll. Especially touching is a display of Roseanne Cash’s childhood drawings and writings, outfits and a video of her performing.

I’m drawn to the Taylor Swift Education Center, a two-story, 7,500-square-foot learning space within the museum which was opened in October 2013 with a $4 million gift from Taylor Swift to fund educational programs. I gravitate to a “Songwriting Station” which invites young visitors to create their own lyrics and providing markers and coloring sheets about musical instruments. A songwriting camp, craft classes and musical performances and talks are offered, but not during my visit. Next time I’ll plan ahead!

For lunch, I make my way to the nearby Assembly Food Hall which features everything from Vietnamese pho to Hawaiian poke. I’m excited to try the renowned Prince’s Hot Chicken but, coward that I am, I order the medium spice level because I’ve been warned the three hotter levels will burn through your entire digestive system. My chicken is delicious, tongue-tingling and sinus-clearing but not painful.

*You can make your own playlists at the National Museum of African American Music. @ Geri Bain*

My next stop is the National Museum of African Music, which had its ceremonial opening on January 18, 2021, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with the museum opening to the public on January 30, 2021. It may well be the only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history and impact of African American music genres.

At the ticket desk, I receive an RFID wristband; this allows me to download playlists I create throughout the museum which are emailed to me. Exhibits trace the history of African-American music from spirituals and gospel and their roots in indigenous African music to jazz, R&B and hiphop. I find it hard to move on from the interactive stations, especially the jazz table, where I play with layering on instruments and styles in the way a jazz musician might.

A short walk from here is the Ryman Auditorium, the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. Outside the Ryman are bronze statues of stars including Loretta Lynn and Charley Pride. On a guided tour, I learn that the pew-like seats and stained glass windows come by their church feeling honestly. The building started its life as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. It was built by Thomas Ryman, a onetime hard-partying riverboat captain who “saw the light” and was inspired to build this grand center for religious revivalist meetings.

Taking the stage during a tour of the historic Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman is affectionately known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” because it began as a church. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Over time, it hosted more concerts than church meetings and became known as The Ryman Auditorium, thanks to Lula C. Naff, the gutsy general manager from 1920 to 1955. She saved the building from the wrecking ball by booking A-list entertainers and lecturers and eventually arranged for the Grand Ole Opry radio show to broadcast live from here.

In the early days of radio, this show was the only one broadcasting country music around the country. The original Grand Ole Opry radio show began in 1925, broadcast from a WSM studio in Nashville’s National Life & Accident Insurance building and is recognized as the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history. The show drew top talent to Nashville who to this day live and produce music in the many studios along Music Row, and effectively kicked off the city’s growth into the musical center (“Music City”!) it is today.

The exhibits, such as Johnny Cash’s and June Carter’s outfits, are cool, but the most fun is the chance to ham it up for a souvenir photo, included in the tour price, on the very stage where Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and more recently, Bruce Springsteen, Lizzo and Taylor Swift have performed.

*The Neoclassical Schermerhorn Symphony Center is beautiful, inside and out. @Geri Bain*

Nashville isn’t only about Country Music. In the evening, I attend a performance by Trisha Yearwood at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. She is accompanied by the Nashville Symphony, which prides itself on its mastery of diverse musical genres. The acoustics here are so good that without amplification voices can be heard in all parts of the nearly 2,000 seat hall.

On my last evening, I experience a show at the modern “new” home of the Grand Ole Opry, featuring Ashley McBryde, Riders in the Sky and five other acts. This venue is more than twice the size of the Ryman, with more than 4,000 seats. Interestingly, when people talk about the Grand Ole Opry, they aren’t talking about a place; they’re talking about the musical variety radio show which is still broadcast with live audiences in attendance, so we get to see how this radio show is produced. Commercials between acts, read by the announcer, and the “On Air” signs are reminders that this still is a live radio show.

*The Grand Ole Opry is a live radio show. @Geri Bain*

The highlight of the evening for me is the pre-show backstage tour; I get a kick out of seeing the dressing rooms and mailboxes of Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks and other country music icons. My tour even gets glimpses of the Gatlin Brothers and Ashley McBryde strolling through the halls before their performances.

*At Poppy & Peep, chocolate creation is a high art @Geri Bain*

Nashville, of course, is about more than making music. All that inventiveness extends naturally into the food, cocktail and cultural scenes. Chocolate can be high art as I learn at a chocolate-making session at Poppy & Peep, a father-daughter owned company that makes handcrafted small-batch bonbons and confections that are both playful and flavorful. The workshop steps through process of turning cocoa beans into chocolate and then places us in workstations with food coloring and paint brushes to create our own bonbon designs.

*8th & Roast offers seed-to-cup coffee classes. @Geri Bain*

This city also takes its coffee and cafes seriously. Among the acclaimed small batch brewers is 8th & Roast. I attend their “seed-to-cup” class, where I learn about their alliances with family farms that grow their beans and the various types of roasts, and participate in a traditional “coffee cupping” where we “slurp” and taste ten brews.

Nashville’s foods range from Michelin starred restaurants to casual barbecue joints. The city is also home to the largest Kurdish community in the U.S. along with many other immigrant groups, and this makes for some wonderfully authentic ethnic eateries. I head out of downtown into the neighborhoods to dine at Alebrije, a Mexican restaurant, where the mole sauce takes me back to Oaxaca, Mexico and taste my first Uzbek cooking at Uzbegim, a Michelin recommended restaurant, where I enjoy Tandir samosa, a savory pastry with spiced minced meat and veggies.

Among my favorites is Edessa Restaurant in “Little Kurdistan.” When I walk in, practically every table is taken, and several large groups have tantalizing spreads of kebobs, lamb shank, and sauces laid out. The food is done to perfection and the decor is authentic; a large painting on the wall is of the co-owner’s hometown in Turkey.

As I reflect on my Nashville getaway, what most impresses me is that the openness and collaboration that leads to great music seems to bubble over into the entire culture. Perhaps that explains the friendly, welcoming vibe that makes the city such a joy to visit.

Travel Tips:

Carry your id with you if you’re heading out to the bars—most are strict about requiring ID, even if you are obviously well over 21.

Plan to tip musicians you enjoy; that’s often their only compensation.

Plan ahead. Buy tickets for popular events and concert venues in advance, especially if you want to catch a top-name artist or attend one of the popular writer’s rounds.

For more information, go to www.visitmusiccity.com.

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© 2026 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, longislandpress.com/category/vacation-travel and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Attractions, Christmas holiday travel, Cultural travel, Festivals and Events, Holiday Travel, Holidays in New York, Museums and Exhibits, New York City travel

Holiday Celebrations, Cultural Attractions Turn NYC Into Winter Wonderland

November 25, 2025 krubin723

*Winding up Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Santa officially ushers in the holiday season in New York City © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Compiled by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York City’s holiday season festivities officially kick off with the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, heralding in a cornucopia of festive performances, winter exhibits, holiday light displays and general good cheer. Join the anticipated 8 million local and global visitors engaging in the city’s Winter Wonderland.

“New York City comes alive during the holidays like nowhere else in the world, and this year the excitement is even greater as we celebrate the city’s 400th anniversary,” said New York City Tourism + Conventions’ President and CEO, Julie Coker.

Here are some of the festive performances, winter exhibits, holiday light displays to celebrate the holiday season in New York City:

Holiday Enchantments

*The 99^th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade officially ushers in the holiday season in New York City © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 27: The annual New York City celebration is returning for its 99th edition, featuring impressive helium balloons, creative floats, clowns, mesmerizing performance groups, popular Broadway musicals, celebrity appearances and much more. The parade begins at its traditional starting point on West 77th Street and Central Park West, ending in front of Macy’s Herald Square flagship store.

*The night before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade thousands line up for an opportunity to see the Great Balloon Inflation © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

But the enchantment begins the night before the big event with the Great Balloon Inflation: queue up with thousands of others on 79^th and Columbus Avenue to see your favorite characters.

*Puppeteers with illuminated animals bring special delight to the Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights, Select Nights, select evenings (Nov. 21-23, 28-30, Dec. 4-7, 11-14, 18-23, 26-31, Jan. 2-4). Holiday Lights is a walk-through event where you journey through six immersive wildlife lantern trails featuring geographic-themed regions and the magical Forest of Color. More than 400 lanterns representing 100 animal and plant species connect visitors to the real wildlife and wild places that the Wildlife Conservation Society works to protect. Enhanced this year with Freeze Zone, featuring massive snow tube slides, talking snowmen, and a snowball wall, and more interactive elements, puppetry in The Enchanted Sea. There are also music and light performances, nightly ice-carving demonstrations, Wildlife Theater puppet adventures, festive treats including s’mores roasting and holiday drinks, bug carousel and holiday train,. Tickets are required for entry and must be reserved in advance. Ticket sales for Holiday Lights start at 3pm. Lights go on and lantern trails open at 4:30pm. Tickets available online at BronxZoo.com/Holiday-Lights, information at bronxzoo.com/holiday-lights. (See: Wander the World With Wonder and Joy at Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights)

Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Nov. 21–Jan. 4, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn:Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden returns this holiday season, transforming the Garden into a glittering winter trail and an enchanted forest in the heart of Brooklyn. Now in its fifth year, the event features dazzling light installations, reimagined art, music and special attractions, highlighting the Garden’s winter beauty.

Holiday Train Show, Nov. 15-Jan. 11, Bedford Park, The Bronx:Now in its 34th year, the New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show fills the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with 200 twinkling landmark replicas made from natural materials, as model trains weave through iconic New York City scenes and over bridges. Visitors can also enjoy an illuminated outdoor mountainscape. Special Holiday Train Nights are a magical after-dark experience.

*Holidays at Rockefeller Center © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Holidays at Rockefeller Center, December: From seeing the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree; ice skating at The Rink at Rockefeller Center Presented by Chase Freedom; enjoying a sweet treat at Glace or Ralph’s Coffee; or finding a gift at retail destinations including Catbird, McNally Jackson and FAO Schwarz, Rockefeller Center is a holiday destination. Visit the Top of the Rock observation deck for 360-degree views and photo opportunities with Santa.

Holiday Performances

*Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular turns 100 this year © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, Nov. 6–Jan. 4:The beloved holiday tradition returns to the iconic stage of Radio City Music Hall for its 100-year anniversary. One million people come each holiday season to experience its stunning costumes, joyful music, precise choreography and innovative performances. Multiple shows daily.

ROB LAKE MAGIC with Special Guests The Muppets, Nov. 6–Jan. 18:Renowned illusionist Rob Lake brings his jaw-dropping magic to Broadway this holiday season, joined by Kermit the Frog and friends, who add their signature humor and charm to the spectacle. Together, they promise a one-of-a-kind holiday performance blending astonishing illusions with beloved Muppet magic.

A Christmas Carol at PAC NYC: Nov. 23–Dec. 28:PAC NYC presents an immersive, intimate staging of A Christmas Carol, crafted by Tony Award-winning artists playwright Jack Thorne and director Matthew Warchus. This magical retelling wraps the audience around the action as Ebenezer Scrooge journeys through past, present, and future, brought to life with dazzling staging, moving storytelling and beloved Christmas carols.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet, Nov. 28–Jan. 4:Experience the classic George Balanchine The Nutcracker, from the glowing Christmas tree to swirling snow and enchanting characters set to Tschaikovsky’s iconic score. The season concludes on Jan. 4 with a special sensory-friendly performance featuring adjusted lighting and sound designed for audiences with sensory processing challenges such as autism.

Spotlight: The New York Nutcracker, Dec. 18 & 19: Lincoln Center’s holiday lineup features Spotlight: A Night at the Atrium, a playful twist on The Nutcracker blending burlesque, puppetry, comedy and dance for a dazzling offbeat celebration of the season.

Holidays with the New York Philharmonic, Dec. 10–Dec. 20:Conductor Jane Glover leads the chorus of Music of the Baroque and a stellar cast of soloists in Handel’s Messiah. Families enjoy the holiday favorite Home Alone on the big screen as John Williams’sscore is performed live. Plus, the Philharmonic’s beloved Sounds of the Season matinees return, offering a family-friendly sampler of festive music.

The Magic Flute, Dec. 11–Jan. 3:A holiday tradition, Mozart’s enchanting fairy tale returns in the Met’s abridged, English-language production by Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor. With some of opera’s most beloved melodies, colorful sets and costumes and dazzling puppetry, this family-friendly staging offers a magical experience for audiences of all ages. On Dec. 14 ticketholders are also invited to a free Holiday Open House before the performance, featuring special activities for families.

Festive Concerts at Carnegie Hall, December:Highlights include the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble performing Corelli and Vivaldi, the Princeton Nassoons’ seasonal program, the Oratorio Society of New York’s 151st consecutive Messiah, the Christmas Night Opera Gala with stars like Sondra Radvanovsky and Thomas Hampson and Concert of the Future: A Christmas Dream, a candlelit immersive blend of classical music and meditative sounds.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center, Dec. 3–Jan. 4:Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater under the leadership of new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack. Audiences is presenting classic works from the Ailey repertory including the touchstone of inspiration Revelations, an anthem to resilience and joy.

The Brooklyn Nutcracker Presented by the Brooklyn Ballet at The Theater at City Tech, Dec. 6–7 and 13–14:The Brooklyn Nutcracker reimagines the classic ballet through the lens of Brooklyn’s diverse cultural tapestry, blending iconic characters with hip hop, pop and lock and bohemian flair. This vibrant journey travels from Victorian Flatbush to modern-day Brooklyn, with stops at landmarks like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and a Flatbush Avenue subway platform.

Holiday Festivities at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, Dec. 13–Dec. 31, Morningside Heights:St. John the Divine presents a rich lineup of concerts, including the Joy of Christmas concert featuring Bach’s Magnificat and beloved carols and its traditional New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace, this year featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Additional musical highlights include organ recitals, special evensong performances and seasonal programs that blend world-class artistry with the Cathedral’s cherished holiday traditions.

Winter Exhibitions, Cultural Happenings

Holiday Celebrations in Historic Richmond Town, throughout December, Staten Island: Historic Richmond Town’s holiday season kicks off with a free tree lighting celebration on Dec. 5, followed by “Christmas in Historic Richmond Town” Dec. 6–7, with festive shopping, live history demonstrations and seasonal treats; Candlelight Tours on Dec. 12–13, showcasing centuries of yuletide traditions; and a Holiday House tours on select dates throughout Dec..

*Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection on view at The New York Historical © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection, through Feb. 8: The New York Historical displays its traditional model trains, toy stations, and miniatures are illustrating the design evolution from the early 20th century to the era of World War II. Families can explore the objects with a special scavenger hunt, and train-themed storytimes take place on select dates.

The Origami Holiday Tree, Nov. 24 throughout the holiday season: An annual New York City tradition for decades, the American Museum of Natural History’s Origami Holiday Tree showcases 1,000 hand-crafted origami models created by local, national and international artists.

*The Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Creche on view at The metropolitan Museum of Art © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche, Nov. 25–Jan. 6: A New York City tradition, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche display showcases a beautifully adorned tree with a nativity scene at its base. The display features 18th-century Neapolitan figures, generously donated in 1964 by American artist and collector Loretta Hines Howard.

A Christmas Carol: The Manuscript, Nov. 25–Jan. 11:Every holiday season The Morgan showcases Charles Dickens’s original manuscript of A Christmas Carol in J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library. Bound in red goatskin leather, the manuscript was originally given to Dickens’s solicitor, Thomas Mitton, before being acquired by Pierpont Morgan in the 1890s.

Holiday Lights, Markets, Ice Skating, Activities

Holiday Under the Stars and Broadway Under the Stars at The Shops at Columbus Circle, throughout the holiday season:The Shops at Columbus Circle sparkle with “Holiday Under the Stars,” a breathtaking display of 300,000 lights and 44 glowing stars. Guests can also enjoy “Broadway Under the Stars,” a series of free performances from some of Broadway’s most celebrated shows, complete with intimate cast Q&As.

Hudson Yards presents its 6th annual spectacular lighting display, “Shine Bright at Hudson Yards Presented by Wells Fargo” featuring 2 million twinkling lights, with 115 miles of string lights, 725 evergreen trees, and the iconic 32-foot hot air balloon centerpiece suspended in the Great Room of The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards. NEW: ten 11-foot-tall Toy Soldier statues lining The Shops on Level 1 and six free, pop-up performances. Nov. 28 – Dec. 23: Take photos with Santa.Dec. 1- 11:Festive Holiday performances by the Youth Orchestra of St. Lukes.

Chelsea Market and Pier 57 are decked out in holiday décor, offering festive photo ops, holiday gift wrapping, and gifts from diverse vendors such as Chelsea Market Baskets, featuring gourmet gift sets; Posman Books, perfect for literary gifts and unique stationery; and Pearl River Mart, with an array of eclectic home goods, cultural items, and one-of-a-kind treasures. . Platform by the James Beard Foundation (Platform by JBF), a state-of-the-art show kitchen, event space, and educational hub for outstanding culinary arts programming, will host a series of festive dinners including Dinner: Feast of the Seven Fishes with James Beard Award Winner® David Standridge (12/10), Oh, Hanukkah! Eden Grinshpan’s Celebration of the Festival of Lights (12/11), Collab Dinner: A Winter Solstice Celebration Featuring Chef Nasim Alikhani with Nilou Motamed (12/17), and Collab Dinner: Navidad Boricua: The Puerto Rican Holiday Table (12/18).

*Festive shopping at new York City’s Holiday markets like the Winter Village at Bryant Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Festive shopping at New York City’s Holiday Markets, Throughout the holiday season, Manhattan & Brooklyn: Sip hot cocoa and shop for holiday gifts at the city’s signature outdoor markets: Union Square Holiday Market, the Holiday Shops at Winter Village at Bryant Park and the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Opt for indoor browsing at the Grand Central Holiday Fair, Brooklyn Flea and Chelsea Flea. On the Upper West Side the Grand Holiday Bazaar offers indoor and outdoor shopping, while the Brooklyn Borough Hall Holiday Market in Downtown Brooklyn features 100 vendors showcasing locally made goods.

Wollman Rink, through March, Central Park: Wollman Rink celebrates a landmark 75 years with special programming, family-friendly activities and celebratory events.

*The rink at Bryant Park is New York City’s largest free-admission rink © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Rink at Bryant Park, through early March:Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park is New York City’s largest free-admission ice-skating rink, where you also enjoy a vibrant holiday market with 180 shops, cozy rinkside bar and food hall at The Lodge, holiday tree.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center b/w 48th and 51st St. the iconic rink beneath the city’s most famous Christmas Tree.

Winterland Rink at The Rooftop at Pier 17, 89 South St. is New York City’s only outdoor rooftop ice rink. The day-to-night venue offers panoramic views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, and East River.

New Year’s Festivities

*Seeing the iconic Ball Drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve is something that everyone should do once © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop: The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop is an iconic New York City experience – watching its descent in person on New Year’s Eve is a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime way to ring in the New Year.

New Years Eve concert at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, Morningside Heights presentsits traditional New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace, this year featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

New York Road Runners Clubs New Years Eve party at the bandshell in Central Park features a Midnight Run with fireworks *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

NYRR Midnight Run in Central Park: Kick off 2026 with the NYRR Midnight Run, welcoming the new year with energy and excitement. As 2025 draws to a close, the countdown starts at 11:59 pm, and a spectacular fireworks display at midnight signals the start of the four-mile race.

Coney Island Polar Plunge, Coney Island, Brooklyn:Every New Year’s Day, the Polar Bear Club and daring participants dive into the icy waters at Coney Island. Spectators are welcome to watch as hundreds of thrill-seekers plunge into the freezing Atlantic Ocean. The event is free to attend, though participants are encouraged to make donations to support local community organizations in place of an entry fee.

Seasonal Tours

The NYC Christmas Holiday Tour with Free Dessert, created by Empire Tours & Productions, is a two-hour guided walk that begins at 764 Doris C Freedman Pl, under the General William Tecumseh Sherman Monument, and ends at Bryant Park Winter Village (42nd St & 6th Ave), winding through Fifth Avenue’s luxury storefronts, Rockefeller Center’s iconic Christmas Tree, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Radio City Music Hall. Along the way, hear captivating stories from expert local guides and emkpu a complimentary festive dessert from Myzel Chocolates. The tour captures the warmth and wonder of New York at Christmas, blending sparkling lights, historic tales, and film-famous stops like the Home Alone 2 locations at the Plaza Hotel and Gapstow Bridge. Tours daily, Nov. 24-Jan. 4, at 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. Prices start at $35 for adults (13–64), $34 for seniors and military, $29 for youth (7–12), and children under 6 join free. (https://tourofnyc.com/christmas-holiday-walking-tour/)

Holiday Lights & Movie Sites Tour with On Location Tours, Nov. 28–Dec. 31: Discover iconic landmarks and hidden spots seen in beloved holiday films such as Elf, Home Alone 2 and Scrooged with On Location Tours. Departing from Columbus Circle, the tour features festive stops at Bloomingdale’s, Rockefeller Center and the famous ice-skating rink at Bryant Park.

Christmas in New York with Romancing Manhattan Tours, November–December: This custom tour features a private guide on Fifth Avenue, a two-hour Rockefeller Center visit, and a sunset trip to the Top of the Rock. Optional add-ons include ice-skating with an instructor, a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, premium Rockettes tickets and a luxury dinner, curated by a concierge.

For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nyctourism.com.

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© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Biking Tours, Cultural travel, Historic Places, International Travel, Museums and Exhibits, Places of History

A Rendezvous with Progress of the Present, Horrors of the Past in Ho Chi Minh City

November 6, 2025 krubin723

A symbol of Vietnam’s past and present: Ho Chi Minh City Hall (also known as the People’s Committee Building), is a magnificent example of French colonial architecture in the city © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) evokes profound shame of the horrors inflicted in our name during the Vietnam War.

The museum is housed in what used to be the US military’s intelligence headquarters during the Vietnam War and was originally known as the “Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes”.

*Visiting the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is a humbling and profound experience © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Now one of the most visited museums in Vietnam, the War Remnants Museum attracts 500,000 visitors every year, of whom two-thirds are foreigners. That is apparent during our visit, as well.

Exhibits relate the history of American involvement in the Second Indochina War, which began when France returned to re-colonialize Vietnam in 1946. I still do not understand how or why the US took over France’s fight (the US started direct involvement in 1950), but the displays discuss America’s anti-Communist obsession with the Domino Theory (that Indochina would come under control of Communist China and/or Russia). But I also learn something new: a display quotes Lyndon B. Johnson saying that America needs access to Vietnam’s “tin and tungsten” (echoing Trump’s insistence on the necessity of taking Greenland’s rare earth metals).

*Display of war correspondents killed covering Vietnam War, at War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The exhibits are detailed, emotional and intense – the most stirring being the photos by photojournalists for magazines and newspapers including Life Magazine. Most affecting is a kind of shrine dozens of journalists and photographers who were killed on the field of battle in their effort to bring news of what was happening there to the world.

The photos are presented in an extraordinary way: showing the photo, then providing notes about the background, the context of the image, and the photographer. Among them is the famous Pulitzer-prize winning photo of “Napalm Girl,” a naked child whose clothes have been burned off her body by napalm, which had profound impact on influencing public opinion (this was the first war that came into family’s living rooms each night). The photos then and now are chilling, but today, they properly evoke shame and wonder why there has never been accountability for war crimes.

The iconic image of a Vietnamese child, Kim Phuc, running down a road after a napalm attack is known as the “Napalm Girl” was taken by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut on June 8, 1972, and is widely considered one of the most powerful and enduring images of the Vietnam War. The photograph depicts Kim Phuc, then 9 years old, running naked after ripping off her burning clothes, on display at the War Remnants Museum where it continues to evoke horror © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

A moving display addresses American war crimes (dumping Agent Orange, napalm and phosphorous, bombing villages). This includes great detail – even the stone well – of the war crimes committed and later admitted to by Bob Kerrey, a Navy Seal who became a U.S. Senator (not to be confused with John Kerry who gave Senate testimony in 1971 decrying the war). There is a display that shows the impact, even generations later, of these chemical weapons on the Vietnamese, and even progeny of American soldiers. (Along Vietnam’s modern highways, we have visited stunning craft enters – subsidized for-profit enterprises – that employ disabled who embroider, paint, carve.)

Another exhibit pays homage to the peace movements that were underway.

What I don’t see in the museum is any mention of Nixon sabotaging LBJ’s peace deal in 1968 to win election. (At the LBJ Library in Austin, you can hear LBJ’s phone call to Senator Dirkson saying Nixon’s back-channel promises to South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu of a better deal when he became president, was treasonous, but Johnson couldn’t publicize it because it would have revealed US spying). Think of it: the Vietnam War could have ended in 1968, the most deadly year of the entire war. Fighting between 1968 and 1975 when the war finally ended (the 50^th anniversary commemorated throughout Vietnam this year) meant 40,000 more American soldiers were killed (a total of 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam and countless thousands injured); for the Vietnamese, it meant 1.5 million more deaths (3 million Vietnamese died, of whom 2 million were civilians, plus 2 million injured and 300,000 listed as missing).

*An exhibit at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City focuses on the anti-war movements that were underway © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I ask our Discovery Bicycle Tours guide Phong, whose father fought for the North Vietnamese on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, if he knew about the possible peace deal, and he said no, but our local Saigon guide, Li, whose father fought for the South, was aware (I guess informed by an American veteran or tourist he guided). The most despicable realization about the Vietnam tragedy is that it was all political, having little or nothing to do with the claimed “national security.”

It doesn’t feel like propaganda because what we see rings true to what I remember, only here the evidence is concentrated in one place, a damning indictment. (See: On 50th Anniversary of Fall of Saigon, the Lessons from Vietnam Unlearned).

I visited this museum five years ago, when I was similarly overcome. But now that I have seen countryside and people, I see these photos differently, more in context. The faces in the photos were real people who you see in the faces of the people today.

And what has been most revelatory during our time here in Vietnam, is that Americans are well received, welcomed. As our guide Phong has said, “We are a Buddhist country. We do not look to the past; we look to the future.”

This is what travel is about: see for yourself, engage with people, and bring those revelations, insights, lessons and first-hand experiences home.

We actually weren’t supposed to visit the War Remnants Museum. Our Day 10 Discovery Bicycle Tours itinerary would have us visit the Reunification Palace – the former Presidential Palace, renamed to commemorate the April 30, 1975 victory of President Ho Chi Minh’s forces. But by the time we finish lunch (after having flown from Hoi An), there is not enough time to visit the Palace, so instead, we visit the War Remnants Museum. But this is such an important museum that should not be missed, I would have visited on my own on my last day.

Leaving the museum, our sightseeing continues.

The first thing you notice about Ho Chi Minh City is the traffic. If we thought the traffic in Hanoi was intense, the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is multiples of that – it is an act of courage (almost an adventure or sport) just to cross the street.

*Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is actually an attraction © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Just trying to cross the street in Ho Chi Minh City is an adventure © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You just cannot fathom the amount of traffic, with scooters zipping by every which way (there are buses and cars, too, but not nearly as many), and somehow they manage this complex choreography. But to the extent there are traffic signals, they are extremely sophisticated, with seconds counting down and turning arrows. Trouble is, they mainly control motorized traffic and there aren’t enough of them. Pedestrians have to just assert themselves. (Mercifully, Discovery Bicycle Tours has no plan for us to bike within Saigon; we will be taken out to the countryside.)

*We make a game of finding four and five people on a motor scooter © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The traffic is actually an attraction. Looking through the window from the safe perch of our bus, we enjoy trying to spot families of three, four, even five on a motor bike, or some interesting thing that is being transported like 12-foot long piping or wide/high stacks, and looking for creative expressions of individuality in helmets. There are even bike helmets for the cellphones but rarely for children, our local guide, Li, tells us (and he isn’t just joking).

*Taking amusement in our amusement, flashing the V sign © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

People on their scooters, smile, wave and flash V signs to us when they notice us watching with fascination and admiration.

Also interesting is the equivalent of an Uber service via motor scooter.

Our local guide, Li, tells us the city’s first subway opened just 2 months earlier – another sign of Vietnam’s peace and prosperity (I make a plan to see it). It extends 25 km east of city and there are plans to build a second line to go 25 km to the west. There is also some thought to a bullet train to replace the “express train” to Hanoi that takes 32 hours.

Another indication of the economic development of Vietnam is that they are building a new international airport 40 km away – the present one will used for the military.

There is lots of Western influence here – Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city and its commercial capital, and had been under French and Western control for more than a century. It seems very much an international city.

The Central Post Office, built between 1886-1891 with Gothic, Renaissance and French influences, is one of the main landmarks and attractions in Ho Chi Minh City © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

We next visit the famous Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office, unchanged since it was built in the French style in the 1880s. I had bought some really decorative cards in the night market in Hue and delight in sending them off with special stamps and post mark, racing to complete the task as the rest of the group waits. (I have a tradition of mailing cards home from where I travel.)

*We get to experience Saigon’s famous street food at Ho Thi Ky Flowers and Foods Street © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For dinner, we get to experience Saigon’s famous street food – we are taken by bus to Ho Thi Ky Flowers and Foods Street, a popular district for street food, and Li leads us from one stall to another. We sit at the child-sized plastic tables and chairs and sample all these delights.

The food is marvelous – in fact, we’ve enjoyed excellent meals at all the restaurants we have visited but this experience adds extra zest of the ambiance. We get to try some unusual, local foods, too.

Li dares us to try the “stinky Vietnamese fruit,” Durian, a spiky, custard-like fruit known for its pungent, almost overpowering odor (a fruit equivalent to Limburger cheese), yet considered a delicacy in Southeast Asia and stuffed snails. (It’s horrible.)

*It’s like a big block party at Ho Thi Ky Flowers and Foods Street © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It’s like a giant block party as we make our way through the narrow streets.

When we return to the Majestic Hotel, several of us go up to its gorgeous rooftop bar with stunning views of the river and the street activity.

*The view from the rooftop bar at the Majestic Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*The Majestic is an elegant French-style hotel which first opened in 1925 and in 2007 became the first Vietnamese-managed hotel to earn five-star status © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Majestic is an elegant five-star, French-style hotel which first opened in 1925, built by the richest Chinese businessman in Saigon at the time, Bui Hon Hoa. Over the past century, it has been expanded and renovated and in 2007 became the first Vietnamese-managed hotel to earn five-star status. It has a stunning outdoor pool, a gorgeous restaurant where we enjoy breakfast, a beautiful lobby lounge.

*Ho Chi Minh stands in front of City Hall © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Street entertainers perform on the promenade © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I head out to (carefully) cross the street to a long park which lets you promenade up to the City Hall, a stunning building from the Colonial French era, enjoying the activity of families out and about enjoying the evening and some street entertainers.

Biking, Cruising in the Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s bread basket. *Agricultural productivity has turned Vietnam from deprivation to becoming one of the biggest rice exporters in the world*. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Our last full day in Vietnam is spent biking but mercifully, not in the city. Instead, we are bused 2 ½ hours to the Mekong Delta countryside. Our 20-mile bike route takes us through villages, rice paddies, orchards.

*Biking country roads through small villages in the Mekong Delta © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We stop into a place that collects coconuts for distribution and we get to drink the coconut juice, while our rest stop affords a few of us to hang out in hammocks.

*Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group samples coconut juice © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Hanging out in hammocks at our rest stop © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We come to Mr. Kiet’s Ancient House, a faithfully restored upper-class 1838 home with intricately carved wooden archways and doors and antique furnishings, many with luminescent inlaid nacre. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site, the home is still occupied by Mr. Kiet’s widow who operates a small restaurant in the orchard garden, where we have a most delightful lunch.

*Mr. Kiet’s Ancient House is a faithfully restored upper-class 1838 home recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group enjoys lunch at Mr. Kiet’s Ancient House © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Finishing our bike ride, we board a boat for a short cruise along the Mekong River, stop into a factory that makes candy from rice (like popcorn!), and have another ride in a traditional boat.

*A factory that makes rice into products like candy © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Watching how rice is popped at a factory that makes rice into products like candy © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*The scene along the Mekong River © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group is rowed in traditional boats © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I frankly would have preferred this last day be spent biking and visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels, which would add to understanding the Vietnam War. I had visited five years ago when I was last in Saigon (on a Global Scavenger Hunt), and found it extremely moving and frankly a unique experience.

*The Củ Chi Tunnels was the Viet Cong’s base for the Tet Offensive in 1968*.© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Củ Chi Tunnels was the Viet Cong’s base for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The site has 120 km of underground tunnels with trapdoors, living areas, storage facilities, armory, hospitals, and command centers, and were used going back to 1948 against the French, and later against the Americans.

At the Củ Chi Tunnels you get to go into the tunnels. Here, *a girl gets to feel what it is like to hide underground*. *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You actually climb into the tunnels (there are different length routes you can take, especially if you are claustrophobic) and guides re-create how the Viet Cong lived there. In the visitor center, you can archival film of battles and bombings in the place where it happened. (See: HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: TRADITIONS SURVIVE IN MODERN CITY, AS DOES RECKONING WITH PAST)

(Some of our group have a late-enough flight the next day that they have organized a private tour. I would recommend you extend your stay to have this experience if it is not included in the itinerary. You can arrange one of the many sightseeing trips available through the Majestic Hotel’s concierge).

A Day to Leisurely Explore

Discovery Bicycle Tours has arranged a late check out at the Majestic Hotel to accommodate our late-afternoon and early evening flights.

*The lovely pool at the Majestic Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I luxuriate with a leisurely breakfast in the Majestic’s lovely rooftop restaurant, go for a swim in the hotel’s gorgeous pool, then go out to explore. (Had we not already visited the War Remnants Museum, this is when I would have.)

I head out to walk to the famous historic Ben Thanh Market, considered a “must-see.”

*The famous historic Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Ho Chi Minh City just opened its first subway, so when I come upon a station, I go down to explore–I find it unadorned, totally functional.

I had hoped to visit the synagogue that I had visited five years ago, but am unable to find it (it apparently is now a Chabad; there are three other synagogues in Vietnam: in Hanoi, Hoi An and Sapa).

Instead, I stop in to the Rehahn Gallery. It is very different from the Precious Museum & Gallery in his hometown of Hoi An but another chance to admire these spectacular photographs. There is a marvelous video which describes a bit of his process. It is just a couple of blocks from the Majestic Hotel, and close to the Opera and the Post Office.

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), but give yourself enough time to get the confirmation.

It is recommended you purchase travel insurance – especially for the medical and evacuation coverage. You can check a site like travelinsurance.com to get recommendations.

To see more about the Vietnam Adventure Cultural Bike Tour Experience visit: https://discoverybicycletours.com/12-day-vietnam-adventure-cultural-bike-tour-experience/.

Discovery Bicycle Tours – which has joined Austin Adventures, a Montana-based North America National Parks small group tour company under the umbrella ownership of Active Adventures, a New Zealand-based small group adventure travel company – is adding 10 new tours for 2026 to its collection of 58 tours across 15 countries (repeat guests discount of 5%). Among the new tours: Vermont Rail Trails Bike Tour; Prince Edward Island Bike Tour; Amsterdam to Bruges Bike & Barge; and San Juan Islands & Olympic National Park Bike Tour

Discovery Bicycle Tours, 2520 W. Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, VT 05091, 800-257-2226, 802- 457-3553, info@discoverybicycletours.com, www.discoverybicycletours.com

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS VIETNAM TRIP: HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM BRINGS NEW CLARITY TO A CLOUDY PAST

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: A BOAT RIDE THROUGH CAVES, BIKE RIDE TO TEMPLES IN NINH BINH

CRUISING BAI TU LONG BAY ON THE DRAGON LEGEND

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: HUE’S CITADEL, “CITY OF GHOSTS” & THE CHALLENGE OF BIKING THE HAI VAN PASS

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: HOI AN’S DAZZLING LIGHTS, TRANQUIL COUNTRYSIDE

A RENDEZVOUS WITH PROGRESS OF THE PRESENT, HORRORS OF THE PAST IN HO CHI MINH CITY

__________________

Biking Tours, Cultural travel, Historic Places, Museums and Exhibits, Responsible Travel, Sustainable Travel

Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Vietnam: Hoi An’s Dazzling Lights, Tranquil Countryside

October 29, 2025 krubin723

*The dazzling night scene in Hoi An takes my breath away © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

When I think of Hoi An, Vietnam, I think of “dazzling” and I think of Venice. That first glimpse in the night as we walk over the Hội An bridge into Old Town and suddenly see the colored lights and lanterns popping out of the darkness, the silhouette of the sampan boats rowing on the river evoking Venetian gondoliers, the reflections on the dappled surface of the water, takes my breath away. Add to this the crush of people crossing the bridge, reminiscent of the Ponte di Rialto (but with the added hubbub of motorbikes winding their way through the crowd). And then there is the Japanese Covered Bridge that reminds you of Venice’s Bridge of Sighs.

*Hoi An, one of the most prosperous international trading ports in Southeast Asia in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, still manifests cultural diversity* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In the 17th and 18^th centuries, Hoi An was one of the most prosperous international trading ports in Southeast Asia – the center of commerce for merchant vessels from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and India – cultures that left their mark in architecture, customs, art and festivals. Preserved intact and considered a living museum, the Old Town was recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999, and in 2023, was listed as one of the UNESCO creative cities for handicraft and folk arts – which we enjoy discovering in the many shops and market stalls.

Experiencing Vietnam’s Rural Life by Bike

Today’s ride – 20 miles through Hoi An’s countryside – on Day 8 of Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-day Vietnam cultural tour, proves my favorite – especially compared to yesterday’s challenging seven-mile ride up to the Hai Van Pass and six miles down the other side. Today’s ride is not just relaxing but really interesting, manifesting the best feature of a bike tour: bringing you into daily life. We ride through villages which represent the “five pillars” of Vietnamese daily life – a carpentry village, fishing village, vegetable village, pottery village.

After breakfast, we pedal right from the five-star European-styled Royal Hotel Hoi An to the hamlet of Thanh Ha, a modest village specializing in making small pottery objects and utensils. We learn that the clay is collected from rice paddies. Several of us get to try the traditional method, and as we leave, we are presented with a gift of a clay animal-shaped whistle.

*We get to try the traditional pottery technique in the Pottery Village © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Biking in the tranquil countryside outside of Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We continue cycling through the countryside to a small village located on the banks of the Tra Que Lagoon, 2 miles northeast of the Old Town. We meet local residents and enjoy a demonstration of making rice paper, ban xeo and the tam huu local spring roll. We get to try to make it ourselves, as we are treated to tea and rice cake. Every part of the rice plant is used, including the husk which is fuel.

*A demonstration in making rice paper © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

After lunch, we bike to Cam Thanh water coconut village to learn about the daily life of families who fish on the local river, and are paddled around in a “unique” (novel) Vietnamese round bamboo basket boat, coming close to a fishing boat to see how the fisherman tosses out an enormous net.

*Visiting a fishing village © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*A fun ride in a “bubble” boat © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Back in Hoi An after our bike ride, we have the afternoon free and time to explore the delights of Hoi An.

I go off to find The Precious Heritage Museum and Art Gallery, set in a 19^th century French house in Old Town.

*Rehahn’s photographs, costumes and artifacts from his decade-long ethnography project on view in his Precious Heritage Museum and Art Gallery in Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

This is so much more than the gallery of world-renowned photographer, Rehahn – it is an ethnography exhibit of his decade long project to photograph all 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Magnificent portraits are displayed along with that village’s traditional dress and other artifacts (several of these also decorate the hotel). Magnificent portraits are displayed along with that village’s traditional dress and other artifacts. I love his notes telling the story behind the photograph of the people and the experience. You can also watch outstanding videos. The photos are published in his book, “Vietnam.”

The five rooms spanning 500 sq meters contain hundreds of portraits, 60 costumes and tribal songs. You are immersed in his striking portraits, stories, and heirlooms that equal the best exhibitions in the finest museums in the world and stand as a celebration of heritage and a call for conservation. (Free admission, open daily 8 am-8 pm, 26 Phan Boi Chau – Hoi An 84 94 982 06 98, https://www.Rehahnphotographer.com/)

*A line of rickshaws come through the Old Town market © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

To get there (a 20 minute walk, or about a mile from the Royal Hotel Hoi An), I walk along the river, through the markets, first geared to tourists, then local markets. But I see why the city bans buses and trucks to enter the city after 4 pm, because as I walk, literally 100 stalls are being moved into position, like a long train, as the night market takes over the street. A long line of rickshaws transporting tourists flow down, and pedestrians take over whatever space is left.

*Enjoying dinner at one of Vy’s restaurants in Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Our group meets for dinner at the Morning Glory Restaurant, which I learn has basically re-invented Vietnamese cuisine after decades of deprivation:

“We had lost a whole generation of chefs and recipes. When you’re living on the most basic rations, taste is not your priority – you just need something to fill your belly and give you energy,” Ms. Vy, founder and owner of The Taste Vietnam Group writes.

“Nowadays, having been a chef for some 40 years, I can look back at our history and understand why Vietnamese cuisine doesn’t yet occupy the position it deserves on the world stage. And this is why I, and many of my colleagues, have tasked ourselves with exposing our amazing gastronomy to the world. We hope to highlight its techniques, the philosophy at its roots, and its historical origins, while at the same time promoting its health and nutritional benefits. We have dedicated our careers to this for our community and our nation.”

These remarks crystallize for me what our Discovery Bicycle Tours guides – Phong, Vinh and Li – have related to us in their personal stories. I was reminded of Phong, standing by a rice paddy, speaking of his holiday gift wish when he was a boy not be hungry, and how so much has changed for his people over the last 40 years.

*Vy’s Morning Glory Restaurant in Hoi An. A placard notes how Vietnamese cuisine had to be reinvented after decades of deprivation © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Indeed, the meal we enjoy at Morning Glory is excellent, imaginative, exquisitely presented as we are entertained by two guitarists.

The restaurant is very clever, offering an entire store, Vy’s Market, filled with household and culinary items (“Herbal Wine for Joints”), as well as a cooking school.

(The next evening, when dinner is on our own, we happen into another of Vy’s restaurants on the other side of the river in the Old Town, with a fantastic saxophonist to entertain, stunning ambiance and delightful menu.)

After dinner, we stroll around on our own – we head toward the Old Town across the Hoi An bridge, and that’s when we come across the most spectacular sight: the colorful lanterns on sampan boats.

We enjoy looking into the shops and then come upon another scenic highlight of Hoi An: the Japanese Covered Bridge.

*The Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An, Vietnam © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Japanese Covered Bridge was built in the early 17^th century by the Japanese who lived in Hoi An town, to cross the stream to do business with the local people in the residential area. The two entrances are guarded by Monkey Gods at one end and a pair of Dog gods at the other. In later centuries, the Chinese and Vietnamese continued to restore the bridge, and built a small temple dedicated to the God Bac de Tran Vo (Emperor of the North).This religious architectural complex has a distinctive pantiled (yin-yang) T-shaped roof, which is related to the misfortune and happiness of the local people, so they often call it Chua Cau (bridge and temple). Chua Cau is also a symbol of the cultural exchange between the Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese people in Hoi An. It is thought to have supernatural power and is still a place of worship. Inside, we see the small temple and historic photos of the bridge.

The temple within *the Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An, Vietnam © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Bike Ride to My Son Sanctuary

The morning of Day 9, we transfer to Vinh Dien where we cycle 15 miles to the My Son Sanctuary. At this World Heritage Site, see the remains of the remarkable brick towers.

*Biking in the Hoi An countryside © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Visiting My Son Sanctuary is fascinating on multiple levels – it introduces us to a part of Vietnam’s heritage that few would have known – My Son Sanctuary was the spiritual capital of the Cham Kingdom, which dominated Southeast Asia for nearly a thousand years, and is one of the few sites from this era left standing. During the Vietnam (American) War; this area was a stronghold for VietCong fighters and was bombed in 1968 during the Tet Offensive – to the extent that a letter was sent to President Nixon, pleading with him to stop bombing this precious place. Apparently, the bombing was stopped.

*My Son Sanctuary © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We learn that the sanctuary had to be excavated, but the process was impeded by landmines. “In 2000, with the help of the United States, they took out the landmines.” Also, there are snakes (so don’t walk on the grass)

Another interesting thing: they don’t really know how these temples were constructed.

The monuments are considered masterpieces of brick construction of the period, both in terms of the technology of their construction and because of their intricate carved-brick decorations, “unique and without equal in Southeast Asia,” according to UNESCO notes.

The tower temples were constructed over ten centuries in what was the heart of the ancestral homeland of the ruling Dua Clan which unified the Cham clans and established the kingdom of Champapura (Sanskrit for City of the Cham people) in 192 CE. During the 4th to 13th centuries CE this distinctive culture, on the coast of contemporary Vietnam, owed its spiritual origins to the Hinduism of the Indian sub-continent.

We get back to Hoi An with the whole afternoon and evening to ourselves.

The Precious Heritage Museum and Art Gallery is so fascinating that I return with Calista Phillips (our Discovery Bike Tours guide) and Pam and we are so fortunate that Rehahn, the photographer himself!, is at the gallery, signing his newest book.

*We get to meet renowned photographer Rehahn in his Precious Heritage Museum and Art Gallery in Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Now we can focus on the markets – when you walk from the Royal Hotel along the riverbank, you see all the tourist-oriented shops and stalls, but walk a bit further and there you have the local markets, and just a bit further than that, is the Gallery.

We stop at a woman who is carving bamboo into the most amazing heads.

*One of the craftspeople in the Hoi An market. Hoi An is listed as one of the UNESCO creative cities for handicraft and folk arts © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The further away from the river front and the further back from the center, the streets empty out, and we just enjoy the atmosphere as we walk back to the Royal Hotel Hoi An.

*The five-star Hotel Royal Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*The outdoor pool at the Hotel Royal Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*The gorgeous back patio of the Hotel Royal Hoi An overlooks the water © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Discovery Bicycle Tours, 2520 W. Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, VT 05091, 800-257-2226, 802- 457-3553, info@discoverybicycletours.com, www.discoverybicycletours.com

Next: Ho Chi Minh City

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS VIETNAM TRIP: HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM BRINGS NEW CLARITY TO A CLOUDY PAST

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: A BOAT RIDE THROUGH CAVES, BIKE RIDE TO TEMPLES IN NINH BINH

CRUISING BAI TU LONG BAY ON THE DRAGON LEGEND

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: HUE’S CITADEL, “CITY OF GHOSTS” & THE CHALLENGE OF BIKING THE HAI VAN PASS

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: HOI AN’S DAZZLING LIGHTS, TRANQUIL COUNTRYSIDE

A RENDEZVOUS WITH PROGRESS OF THE PRESENT, HORRORS OF THE PAST IN HO CHI MINH CITY

__________________

© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Biking Tours, Cultural travel, Historic Places, International Travel

Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Vietnam: Hue’s Citadel, ‘City of Ghosts’ & the Challenge of Biking the Hai Van Pass

October 22, 2025 krubin723

*Families in traditional dress visit the Citadel of Hue © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

On Day 6 of Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-Day Vietnam Tour, we get to ride (22 miles for the day), biking right from the Pilgrimage Village resort in Hue along country lanes. There is only light local traffic (mainly bicycles, motorbikes and buffaloes) to the Royal Tomb of Emperor Gia Long, the first emperor of Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty.

*One of the magnificent gates of the Citadel of Hue, Vietnam’s “Forbidden City” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Built between 1814 and 1820, the mausoleum of Gia Long is a complex of several tombs and temples spread across a tranquil park-like setting of 42 hills and pine forest. What makes this place all the more special is the poignant love story of the Emperor and his first wife, for whom he built the tomb so she could be buried beside him (calling to mind the Taj Mahal).

*A scene of Vietnam’s countryside © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Our bike ride finishes at a pleasant restaurant in an eco-resort where we enjoy a delightful lunch before getting onto a “dragon” boat that cruises along the Perfume River to visit the famous Thien Mu Pagoda. The pagoda, with its moat now filled with lotus flowers, dates from the 1870s and has become the symbol of the city of Hue.

We next board our bus and are taken to the magnificent Citadel of Hue. Set on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the walled fortress served as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam. The Citadel was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1993.

This vast complex – 520 hectares – has a moat and ten ornate gates guarding a palace, temples, gardens and tombs.

*The Citadel of Hue houses magnificent architecture © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Our local guide, Vinh, tells us Vietnam was independent from 1802-1883. Then the fourth king passed away and the French moved in, turning Vietnam into its colony, from 1885-1945. “With help of an ally,” the Vietnamese pushed out the French, but that lasted only a year and the French returned in 1946 for nine more years. That triggered the Second Indochina War (what we call the Vietnam War and they call the American War).

This very place where we stand today was the site of a major battle in the Tet Offensive – our guide shows us photos of the Battle of Hue, a siege which lasted from January 31 to March 2, 1968.

As we walk through the expansive grounds, he tells us that the restoration of the palace was only completed last year – but he points to where we can still see bullet holes.

*The palaces and tombs of the Citadel of Hue manifest gorgeous decoration © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The art, the architecture, the decoration – mosaic, enamel, sculpture –are exquisite, reminding me of China’s Forbidden City in Beijing. It turns out this is not coincidence: Emperor Gia Long modeled his palace complex after Beijing’s Forbidden City.

*A woman in traditional dress at the Citadel of Hue transports the visitor in time © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*A family in traditional dress visits the Citadel of Hue © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Women in traditional dress at the Citadel of Hue transports the visitor in time © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The experience is enhanced by all the families who have come in their traditional dress (which seems fascinating to me in a Communist country), to pose for photos as part of their Lunar New Year celebration. But it has the effect of completing the feeling of having been transported back in time. There are also large groups of school kids in their white shirts.

*Groups of school children in white shirts the Citadel of Hue © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We have dinner this evening at the delightful Vy’s Restaurant in Hue and enjoy the bustling, festive downtown activity.

*Hue’s festive, bustling downtown © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*One of the Hue street merchants selling paper cut-out sculpture cards © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Covered Bridge & Hai Van Pass

Day 7 of the Discovery Bicycle Tours Vietnam tour brings the greatest cycling challenge – the seven mile climb up to the Hai Van Pass – and a visit to the intriguingly named “City of Ghosts.”

*The gorgeous pool and restaurant at Pilgrimage Village, Hue © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

But the day starts off with lulling ease – a delightful breakfast at the Pilgrimage Village resort, and a visit to the Vestige of Thanh Toan Tile-Roofed Bridge, a wooden covered bridge originally constructed in 1776 with seven apartments. It was dedicated to Tran Thi Dao, a child of Thanh Thuy Chanh Village and wife of a high-ranking Mandarin in Thuan Hoa Region who provided the funding. The bridge was recognized as a national heritage site in 1990 for its beautiful architecture.

*The historic Thanh Toan Tile-Roofed Bridge* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We cross the bridge and enter a busy village market, and after, are brought to an agricultural museum where we are treated to a demonstration of the traditional way the villagers processed rice by a docent with a great sense of humor.

*Village Market* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Playing the role of an ox at an agricultural museum demonstration © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

From here, we drive to the An Bang Village Cemetery, intriguingly known as “the City of Ghosts,” for its thousands of ornate mausoleums that extend over 8 km.

*Mausoleums at An Bang Village Cemetery, intriguingly known as “the City of Ghosts” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Many of the tombs we see in this section are relatively new – dating from 1999 up to 2024 – but are fabulous and enormously expensive, costing $60,000-$70,000, and mostly paid for by relatives from the US, UK and Australia.

A plaque at one of the mausoleums explains it is in honor of Nguyen Van Linh, the first ancestor who established the Nguyen Van family in An Bang-An. He was born in Ky Hoi in 1539 and died in 1588.

From here, we have a picnic lunch before “hopping on our bikes to conquer” Hai Van Pass, also known as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds.” An iconic pass known around the world, it is the highest in Vietnam at 500 meters above sea level. Discovery Bicycle Tours notes that “a new tunnel through the mountain means that the 7 miles up the pass is a very quiet section of highway. The gradient is manageable, and the views are breath taking!” Actually, as I discover, the gradient is 4.6% up to 7.5%. (I think our0 Ride with GPS app even shows 12% at some points.)

*Biking to the entrance of the Hai Van Pass © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group at the start of the seven-mile climb up to Hai Van Pass © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Now, all of our bike rides so far have been easy, with very little elevation. But today’s is an absolute challenge, even more challenging than the ride up Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Coastal Maine trip. Notably, we are the only ones doing this pass by bike (versus motorscooter or car) and I am one of the few in our group doing it with a regular hybrid bike (not e-bike).

I have my method – it may not look pretty, but it gets me to the summit: I keep looking down at the road immediately ahead of me (if you look up and see non-ending rise, you stop), try to keep my hands light on the handlebars, relax my shoulders, and think thoughts (mostly of how people have had to suffer but got through it). I stop a couple of times on a relatively flat section to refresh and then start again.

Because of this, I cannot vouch for the claim that this is “one of the great scenic drives around the world,” or a “deserted ribbon of perfection” as some have described it. It’s only later that I learn just how significant the it is: the Hai Van Pass dates back to the 1300s when it marked a physical boundary between the Champa and Dai Viet Kingdoms – you can still see an ancient grand gate at the summit which used to be a border crossing between the two kingdoms.

“Today, the road still represents a division between two distinct sides of Vietnam. Many travellers who backpack the length of the country say that the North and South of the country have two very different personalities, as well as notable climatic differences. The north is colder, more industrial and perhaps more serious, while the south is warmer, more tropical and the people are often said to be more laid-back. The Hai Van Pass is the point at which these two worlds meet.” (https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/hai-van-pass-vietnam/)

*The ancient gate at the summit of the Hai Van Pass © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I make it to the top (I’ve refused invitations to ride up from our bus driver who has been assiduously following those of us at the back). I take a quick look at the fortress at the summit, and the “spectacular view” (the rest of the group have been at the top for about 20 minutes).

Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group makes it up the seven-mile stretch to the summit of Hai Van Pass, around the world as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds,” where an ancient grand gate used to be a border crossing between two kingdoms © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

*The view from the summit of Hai Van Pass, known as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds,” 500 ft. above sealevel and a seven-mile uphill climb by bike © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

From there, we bike down the other side of the Pass. Coming down is no picnic either – controlling the speed on the switchbacks. The best part of the ride is having done it. It has proved to be as tough and arduous as I expected (feared) and as satisfying to have done it as I had hoped.

In the bus on the way into the city of Hoi An, we delight in watching the massive traffic of scooters and play a game to find fours and fives on a scooter (since it seems this is the time that families pick up their kids, it isn’t hard), and interesting, the amusing decorations on helmets that express their individuality.

*A family of four on their motorscooter in Hoi An © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We arrive at the Royal Hotel Hoi An, a gorgeous, five-star luxury European-style hotel and begin our visit to this dazzling city.

Discovery Bicycle Tours, 2520 W. Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, VT 05091, 800-257-2226, 802- 457-3553, info@discoverybicycletours.com, www.discoverybicycletours.com

Next: Hoi An’s Dazzling Lights, Tranquil Countryside

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS VIETNAM TRIP: HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM BRINGS NEW CLARITY TO A CLOUDY PAST

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: A BOAT RIDE THROUGH CAVES, BIKE RIDE TO TEMPLES IN NINH BINH

CRUISING BAI TU LONG BAY ON THE DRAGON LEGEND

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: HUE’S CITADEL, “CITY OF GHOSTS” & THE CHALLENGE OF BIKING THE HAI VAN PASS

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS’ VIETNAM: HOI AN’S DAZZLING LIGHTS, TRANQUIL COUNTRYSIDE

A RENDEZVOUS WITH PROGRESS OF THE PRESENT, HORRORS OF THE PAST IN HO CHI MINH CITY

__________________

© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Bluesky: @newsphotosfeatures.bsky.social X: @TravelFeatures Threads: @news_and_photo_features ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

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