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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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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

Historic Places, Museums and Exhibits, New York City travel

See the Original Documents That Inspired America’s Revolution at the New York Historical

November 18, 2025 krubin723

July 1776, “La Destruction de la Statue Royale a Nouvelle Yorck”, published in Paris. When General Washington’s troops heard about the Declaration of Independence, they pulled down the statue of George III at New York’s Bowling Green.

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Ken Burns’ phenomenal documentary series, “The American Revolution” opens with the underpinnings of the Revolution – the documents that turned grievance over land and taxes by 13 disparate colonies into a fight to the death over independence of a new nation, the United States of America, the first founded on the principle of “consent of the governed.” What is most remarkable is that many of those documents – Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” Paul Revere’s propagandist print of the Boston massacre, an early surviving print of the Declaration of Independence – are now on view, “in the flesh” so to speak, at the New York Historical.

The exhibit, “Declaring the Revolution: America’s Printed Path to Independence,” is New York Historical’s first in its series of exhibits focused on the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. This exhibit, featuring David M. Rubenstein’s Americana Collection, is on view through April 12, 2026.

You see 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 you see the documents 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.

Dr. Louise Mirrer, New York Historical’s President and CEO, noted the “unique urgency of now” to delve into how the American Revolution became “a war of ideals, in beliefs that Americans shared and believed important enough to fight and die for.”

’*Declaring the Revolution’* traces the emergence of our nation through a shared belief in the power of the people and the promise of democracy,” New York Historical’s President and CEO Dr. Louise Mirrer stated. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

“Declaring the Revolution traces the emergence of our nation through a shared belief in the power of the people and the promise of democracy,” Mirrer stated. “Through historical printings, the origins of the ‘American experiment’ are on display, allowing us to reflect on how we live and fulfill the ideals of our nation today. As stewards of history, The Historical is proud to kick off our celebration of America’s 250th anniversary with this remarkable testament to record-keeping as we invite Americans nationwide to share and preserve their hopes for our democracy through our On Our 250th initiative.”

Declaring the Revolution portrays the arc of the struggle through 18th-century pamphlets, broadsides, engravings, proclamations, and books, each declaring an aspect of how the colonies achieved independence. In an era when print was the only form of mass communication, these printings furthered the democratic ambitions of Americans—the highest expression of this being the Declaration of Independence.

(It is also why the Stamp Act, which imposed a tax on every piece of paper, from wills and pamphlets to newsprint, was such a factor in inspiring newspaper editors and pamphleteers to embrace independence and inspire colonials to see themselves as Americans with the ability to win an armed conflict against Great Britain, the most powerful empire in the world at the time.)

Declaring the Revolution demonstrates that America’s quest for independence was not only a military conflict, but also a battle of ideas that inspired colonists to fight and sacrifice for the promise of a sovereign new nation that adequately represented its citizenry.

A highlight of New York Historical’s “Declaring the Revolution: America’s Printed Path to Independence” is a rare State Department engraving of the original engrossed copy of The Declaration of published in 1823.

Most affecting is getting to see (in person) two extraordinary printings of the Declaration: its exceedingly rare first newspaper appearance in the Pennsylvania Evening Post and the renowned State Department engraving of the original engrossed copy. Other highlights include Thomas Paine’s electrifying 1776 pamphlet, Common Sense, which called for independence from Great Britain, and John Hancock’s 1774 oration honoring the Boston Massacre, the deadly confrontation between British soldiers and American colonists on March 5, 1770.

A printed edition of John Hancock’s “Oration,” part of David M. Rubenstein’s Americana Collection on view at New York Historical © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

You get to see the Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason in 1776, and shown in its uncommon earliest printing, which outlines the requirement of natural rights that influenced subsequent documents like the Declaration of Independence.

*“Common Sense,” one of the publications that provided an ideological underpinning to the American Revolution, on view at New York Historical © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

There is an exceptionally rare 1773 handbill printed by enslaved persons in Boston asks that the language of freedom apply to them and points out the incongruity of a land with bondage desiring to be liberated.

*“A Treatise on the Social Compact” by J.J. Rousseau, part of David M. Rubenstein’s Americana Collection on view at New York Historical © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Also on display are key texts which provided the intellectual foundation for the Revolution; you actually see printings of the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights, as well as books by John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, among other philosophers.

There are also printings describing major events of the military conflict between Britain and the colonies including the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Brooklyn, Washington’s victory at Trenton, and the Sieges of Charleston and Yorktown.

“The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston on March 5^th 1770 by a Party of the 29^th Regiment,” the print by Paul Revere helped to incite colonists against Great Britain, on view at New York Historical’s “Declaring the Revolution: America’s Printed Path to Independence.”

The documents are from the collection of David M. Rubenstein, who introduced them at the preview of the exhibit which opened November 14 saying, “Why do we need to see the documents, versus a computer image, to see in person?” He answered his own question saying that there is more of a visceral, emotional, engaged reaction to seeing something “in the flesh.”

David M. Rubenstein, whose Americana Collection are at the heart of “Declaring the Revolution: America’s Printed Path to Independence,” says of the Declaration of Independence, “It is the creed we’ve tried to live up to for 250 years, a creed so many other nations have adopted. That sentence has become the symbol of the United States. I am proud to have some of these documents that live up to the creed.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

“You might read about it, but are more likely to learn more by seeing the real thing. That’s why it is so important to preserve [these original documents].”

Rubenstein went on to reflect, “When this country was set up, no one thought it would last 250 years. Jefferson said to Madison that every 20 years, we should re-do the Constitution or the nation won’t last.

Nobody expected the United States – 13 colonies of 3 million (including 500,000 slaves) – to endure and even less likely, that it would become the military, cultural, financial [superpower] of the world. 250 years later, to look at the legacy, they would have been astounded.”

Then he reflected, “We are celebrating the 250^th anniversary of country, but why was July 4^th 1776 designated as its birthday? Why not 1775, or 1492 with Columbus’ arrival, or 1565 when St. Augustine was settled by Spain, or 1619 when the British came to Jamestown or 1620 when the Pilgrims established a home at Plymouth?

“Or even, August 2 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was formally signed [not on July 4^th as we commonly think], and it wasn’t until 1777 when the last Founder signed. Or should we celebrate January 17, 1777 when those who signed it finally made it public that they did? (They didn’t earlier because they could be hung for treason.)

“The decision to break from England was July 2, 1776, so John Adams felt July 2nd would be celebrated. It was agreed to on July 4th, but they came back in August and signed it on August 2nd.”

Or should the founding of the nation be celebrated when the Constitution was finished in 1787, or 1788 when it was agreed to and ratified, establishing the format for government and the rights guaranteed in the first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights.

John Adams wanted the first anniversary of independence to be celebrated on July 2, 1777. Thomas Jefferson (who was not happy with the editing of the Declaration and didn’t even admit to having authored it until much later) wanted July 4th when the Declaration’s wording was adopted. This difference led to a schism between Adams and Jefferson.

“Well, they forgot to celebrate on July 2, so organized July 4 as a day of celebration and fireworks,” Rubenstein related.

“But July 4th won out as the birthday of the new nation because of a sentence that became most famous, and some have called the greatest ever written: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’

“It is the creed we’ve tried to live up to for 250 years, a creed so many other nations have adopted. That sentence has become the symbol of the United States. I am proud to have some of these documents that live up to the creed.”

Rubenstein added: “My reason for collecting these original printings is to show them to the public to give Americans an opportunity to encounter our country’s impressive history and the accomplishments of those who came before us. The American Revolution was a civil war with Britain and a transformation in the hearts and minds of colonial inhabitants, who began to identify nationally with a new alliance of thirteen colonies built around the democratic principles that the United States holds most dear. To not remember these origins of our democracy is to risk losing our democracy.”

What you come away with, though – like the New York Historical’s just concluded “Blacklisted” exhibit – is how eerily and scarily we are to those times and complaints that led to rebellion – the first to break away from dynastic tyranny and replace it with self-rule – against an authoritarian regime.

*A print commemorates the repeal of the despised Stamp Act which was one of the primary triggers to the American Revolution, depicting a funeral for the act © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Let’s also be reminded about the grievances against King George III listed in the Declaration of Independence that instigated not just protest, but revolution. Does this sound familiar (the summary compiled from A.I. query)?

Taxation and trade: Imposing taxes without consent and cutting off colonial trade with other parts of the world.
Legislative and judicial powers: Suspending legislatures, dissolving them for opposing his policies, and making judges dependent on his will.
Military and justice: Quartering large numbers of armed troops in colonial homes, transporting colonists to be tried for “pretended offenses,” and protecting British soldiers from punishment for crimes committed in the colonies.
Economic and political interference: Abolishing new forms of government, obstructing naturalization laws, and imposing new offices to “harass our people and eat out their substance”.
Incitement of violence: Exciting domestic insurrections, inciting “merciless Indian savages” to attack colonists, and waging war against the people.
Abuse of power: Vetoing laws necessary for the public good, and generally abusing power to establish a tyranny over the colonies

That’s the importance of preserving and studying history – and the original documents – and not enable whitewashing or literal brainwashing.

And it is good to be reminded of what it means to be American, what we value as Americans, what is precious and not to be taken for granted.

*Holding on to the Declaration of Independence on the battlefield.*

“I am grateful to The New York Historical for featuring these foundational documents ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,” said Rubenstein. “The items on view bring new context to one of the most important documents ever written, giving insight into the minds of our Founding Fathers as they changed the course of history.”

The exhibition is curated by Mazy Boroujerdi, special advisor to the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection, which mounts non-partisan exhibitions of historically important printings to foster civic engagement and historical understanding, and is coordinated at The New York Historical by Valerie Paley, senior vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. Declaring the Revolution marks the fourth exhibition produced by the Rubenstein Collection in conjunction with The New York Historical, where the Semiquincentennial will be celebrated with a yearlong schedule of exhibitions and programs.

With the 250th anniversary of the United States approaching, The New York Historical is sharing messages of national hope and encouragement from the digital campaign On Our 250th, which invites individuals from across the country to post their personal wishes for America’s future. Launched online by The New York Historical in April 2025 in partnership with history museums and historic sites throughout the United States, On Our 250th has already received messages from people in 37 states, as well as Washington, DC and US territories. The exhibitions related to the 250th anniversary will take place over a 15-month period, from October 2025 to December 2026, in both The Historical’s main building and, starting summer 2026, its new Tang Wing for American Democracy.

Throughout the fall and winter, David M. Rubenstein will be in conversation with noted historians and scholars at The New York Historical. Visit the public programs calendar to learn more. Private group tours can also be arranged.

New York Historical, 170 Central Park West, New York NY 10024, 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org.

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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

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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

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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

Adventure Travel, Biking Tours, Cultural travel, Ecotourism, Historic Places, Museums and Exhibits, Outdoors Adventures, Places of History

Discovering Cambodia’s Angkor Archeological Park, Among the World’s Most Fabulous Monument Complexes

September 16, 2025 krubin723

The dramatic sunset scene of the warrior statues on the Tonle Om Gate bridge outside the Preah Khan temple on our Discovery Bicycle Tours four-day Siem Reap, Cambodia pre-tour © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Today – technically the third day of our four-day Discovery Bicycle Tours Cambodia pre-tour in Siem Reap – is our first real bike ride, planned for 36 miles. We pick up our bikes at the tourist office where we also pick up our passes for the national historic sites, and cycle right into the Angkor Archeological Park. We cycle on the Angkor Bikeway and hidden trails through the ruins and forest of Angkor. (Calista Phillips, our Discovery Bicycle Tours guide, and I have already acquired our passes on the first evening when we went to see the sunset at Phnom Bakheng; the three-day pass allows for three, nonconsecutive days of visits. Discovery purchases our tickets and reimburses me the $62 I spent.)

*Biking lets us experience the sights, sounds and feeling of Siem Reap’s countryside © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We bike on country lanes with rice paddies and fields on either side, seeing homes with thatch roofs, water buffalo. Our guide, Ta, shows us a cashew nut as it is plucked from the tree, the outer layer opened releasing a noxious acid; and the abandoned skin of a snake.

*Biking lets us experience the sights, sounds and feeling of Siem Reap’s countryside and how people live © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

What feels like 10 of the miles (though probably less), is riding through a thick layer of sand (like skiing on ice). Once I get the hang of it (the trick is getting into a lower gear), it is still stressful, requiring concentration, but not as scary, with immense and lasting satisfaction when we come to the end of this country road, where we come to a literal archway. Here we find a USAID hat in the middle of that sandy road – crumpled, ripped, dirty, trampled – a metaphor it seemed for what Trump/Musk had just done by shutting down USAID.

*Mastering how to bike on sand © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Our guide,Ta, shows us what a cashew nut looks like on the tree © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We ride a bit further on regular streets and have our first snack stop – with local foods (best cashews ever), dragon fruit, bananas, and coconuts cut so we can drink the juice with a straw, and then come upon a wedding, where the uncle of the groom comes rushing out to greet one of our riders, Pam, who he had helped rescue just two days before when their taxi had car trouble on the way from the airport. Small world!

*Coming upon a wedding, the groom’s uncle recognizes one of our riders © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*We get a personal view of a wedding and learn something about the two-day rituals © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Calista Phillips, our cheery Discovery Bicycle Tours guide, takes us on a country road in Siem Reap © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Seeing a metaphor in a dirty, dusty, crumpled, ripped USAID hat found on the sandy Cambodian road © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We come to our first temple, Banteay Srei, a 10th century temple dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva and Parvati, which is considered a “jewel of Khmer art” because of its intricate carvings.

*Exploring Bateay Srei © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The full ride is 36 miles but we have to cut it short by 6 miles for time, so are transported to the last two temples by bus (others could cut short the ride even earlier because the bus and bike truck pretty much follow us).

*Ta Som © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Our next stop is Ta Som with its dramatic ficus (fig) tree enveloping one of the towers. It was constructed at the end of 12^th century, beginning of 13^th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII and features monumental gateways and a central shrine decorated with intricate carvings that I find dazzling. It was destroyed centuries ago and lay in ruins until international partners provided assistance to restore it. The temple earned a place on the World Heritage list in 1992 and was the first project to be managed by the World Monuments Fund’s Cambodian staff.

*At Ta Som, you feel you are walking through art because of how the gateways line up. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We next come to the stunning and significant Preah Khan which I find most intriguing and spell-binding – perhaps because one of the guides offers to give a private tour for $5 and points out views and details we never would have seen or appreciated, like the only carved image of Shiva holding a mirror among these temples, and an alcove where he tells us to beat our chest to hear the resonance. (This winds up being a common practice and I recommend it highly.)

Preah Khan *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Preah Khan (it means “Royal Sword”) was built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII to honor his father on the site of his victory over the invading Chams in 1191.

The guard explains that the King built this temple with an aim of bringing Hindus and Buddhists together – a Buddhist sanctuary is offset by satellite Hindu temples. Half of the temple has Hindu carvings; the other half is Buddhist. (I wonder if this is why the temple was intentionally destroyed.)

*The Preah Khan guard points out the only carved image of Shiva holding a mirror so far discovered among these temples © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

What is so fascinating about these vast temple complexes is that they were not just for worship but would have been like palaces, castles or fortresses, housing hundreds, if not thousands of people. The Preah Khan complex combined the roles of city, temple and Buddhist university and would have had 97,840 attendants and servants, including 1000 dancers and 1000 teachers.

The stone – which mostly appears grey-black- becomes a blazing orange in the setting sun as we leave.

We cross a bridge lined with impressive military figures – several with the heads cut off, very possibly to sell on the black market.

*The dramatic sunset scene of the warrior statues on the Tonle Om Gate bridge outside the Preah Khan temple © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Impressive military statues line the Tonle Om Gate bridge outside the Preah Khan temple © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

As we cross, the sun, glowing a fiery red, offers a spectacular scene and our guide, Hang, stops the bus for us. We have just two minutes to capture the setting sun before it falls behind trees.

Between 800 and 1200 A.D., hundreds if not thousands of temples were built through the region. The oldest ones have all but disappeared due to weather, war, religious conflict and greed (stealing the art for sale). The ones we see today have had to be excavated from overgrowth and restored and represent the Golden Age of monument building. They have a certain common style – largely because of they were built in the same era, and many of the ones we see were built by King Jayavarman VII, which makes you wonder about how he had the resources and manpower. But the temples are remarkably individual for their art, theme and most especially how you experience of discovering them, so I come away with my favorites.

The most famous – for good reason – is Angkor Wat, a religious complex spanning more than 400 acres (five times the size of the Vatican) and widely recognized (confirmed by the Guinness World Records) as the largest religious structure or monument in the world. It was originally built by the Khmer Empire, commissioned by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple before being converted into a Buddhist site by the end of the century.

What strikes me, though, after seeing several of these, particularly those built by King Jayavarman VII and King Suryavarman II, is how similar to Peru and the temples built in the mid-1400s, most famously Machu Picchu, by the Incan emperor Pachacuti, known as the “Alexander the Great” of the Inca. It makes you think about the commonality of the human history.

Back at the Aviary Hotel, I get in a 20-minute swim in the rooftop pool before meeting our group for a 10-minute walk to Chamrey Tree, an elegant restaurant filled with gorgeous art, where we have a fantastic dinner.

After dinner, Calista and Jake go off to explore the night market, where Jake is game to try any unusual food. The next morning, he reports back of his experience eating insects (not sure if he also snacked on snake or just observed).

Departure Day: Angkor Sunrise & Biking

*Sunrise at Angkor Wat © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Day 4 is our departure day from Cambodia, but our last morning in Siem Reap starts at 4:30 am (we are given a bagged breakfast to take with us) so we can be at Angkor Wat for the sunrise (with thousands of others). The famous view would have the iconic temple back-lit and reflected in two large pools in front – alas the sunrise is not all that impressive and even coming so early, it is hard to get a good enough position for “the money shot,” but the experience is exciting enough.

The real thrill comes after, when we go to explore the temple. Most of the sunrise-goers leave, so we are able to visit with comparatively few people if we hustle – our guide urges us to get on line fast so we aren’t trapped in an hour-long wait to climb the steep staircase.

*Climbing the steep staircase into Angkor Wat © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We get inside the temple just as the sun is penetrating the structure.

*Angkor Wat © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It took hundreds of thousands of workers just 37 years to build – (the 37 year deadline coincides with the belief in 37 heavens and 32 hells and there are 37 steps to enter. Like Machu Picchu, these temples were built by devotees as well as slaves. The stones came from a quarry 35 miles away (during COVID, they had time to study and discovered a canal, which they now believe was used to float the stones).

*Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world, had to be reclaimed from the forest © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The temple would have been overgrown after centuries of abandonment; it was rediscovered in 1941 and the French helped restore the temple after a collapse in 1947. The World Monuments Fund has been working to preserve and restore these temples since 1991 and Angkor Wat was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Built in early 12^th C under the reign of Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat was both the grandest of all Khmer temples and a city in its own right.

Angkor Wat houses what are considered the finest examples of Khmer art – carved bas-reliefs stretching nearly 600 meters.

In the eyes of Khmer people, the most significant bas-relief in the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery portrays devas and asuras in a dramatic tug of war representing the eternal struggle of good and evil that churns amrit, the elixir of everlasting life, from the primordial ocean.

*The bas-relief Churning of the Sea of Milk portrays heaven and hell and the eternal struggle between good and evil © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Heaven and Hell is depicted in an astonishing 68-meter-long wall carving: heaven above consists of two tiers while hell has 32 tiers. The inscriptions tell what kind of sin a person may have committed in life judging by the tier the sinner ended up on after death.

*Angkor Wat’s Hall of a Thousand Buddhas* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas (Preah Poan) a few stand out dramatically from the grey statues for their gold robes. Sometime in the late/post-Angkor eras after the temple converted to Buddhism and eventually Theravada Buddhism, monks began collecting Buddha statues here.

Banyon Temple

*Encountering monkeys on the trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

From Angkor Wat, we bike to the Bayon Temple, with its enormous, fantastical enigmatic faces looking in every direction from every stone tower – 216 in all. It is not known who the face represents – we heard they represented Buddha before achieving Nirvana, or possibly the ruler who built the temple, Jayavarman VII.

Dating from the late 12^th century (after Angkor Wat) and the last to be built in the Angkor, the Bayon is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built to pay homage to the king responsible for its construction, Jayavarman VII, and dedicated to his mother. We are told that 12,640 people would have lived within it, including 650 dancing girls.

We note the sign: “Beware of Monkey Attack” – sure enough, one of our group reports being “accosted” by a monkey.

With time growing short before some of our group has to get to the airport, our 12-mile bike ride is cut short (though some have biked along the top of the defensive walls of Angkor Thom). and we travel by bus to the last temple we get to visit Ta Prohm, famous for scenes from Angelina Jolie’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” film.

*Ta Prohm Temple © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You really feel the age of the Ta Prohm temple with massive trees growing out of the stone and massive stone blocks in heaps.

Of the statues consecrated here in 1186 by Jayavarman VII here, most important was Prajnaparamita, the personification of the Perfection of Wisdom, a figure whom the king identified with his mother.

Given its fame and the dramatic setting, as well as the time of day, it is no surprise that the temple is fairly overrun with tourists.

It’s fairly amazing how much we do on Day 4, our departure day when we fly to Hanoi to start the 12-day Vietnam Discovery Bicycle tour: three temples, a fabulous bike ride, lovely lunch, and since they have arranged a late check out (the flight several of us are on is at 7 pm), I even have time for a swim at the Aviary Hotel. But then I remind myself: we got up at 4:30 am!

*Discovery Bicycle Tours organizes the four-day pre-tour in Cambodia to make our visit to Siem Reap to be satisfying, productive and comfortable © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Discovery Bicycle Tours organizes everything to make our biking as satisfying and our brief time here as productive and pleasant as possible – which means we are accompanied by a third guide/bike mechanic; the bike truck typically is nearby; and the bus that takes us to the start/finish, and various stops accompanies like a SAG vehicle, so we don’t have to bike with our big cameras but have access when we get to a site. The snack (and rest) stops are also really marvelous – typically with local foods – well planned and well timed.

*Enjoying local treats, like coconut juice, for our snack on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ four-day Cambodia pre-tour in Siem Reap © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In addition to the Discovery Bicycle Tours guide, we have two local guides here in Cambodia – one who likes to be called “Hang,” and the other who likes to be called “Ta” – both take care of us like mother hens, though I would have liked more background information about the different sites we visit. (An excellent source is “Angkor Temples in Cambodia” www.angkor-temples-in-cambodia.com.)

*The Aviary Hotel, an eco-conscious boutique hotel, is our base in Siem Reap for the four-day Discovery Bicycle Tours Cambodia pre-tour © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Discovery does a great job of providing advance materials, the day-by-day itinerary, packing lists; excellent bikes (e-bikes are available but not really necessary) and helmets, and even though we do ride together with guides at the front and back (and not a great idea to go off on our own), we have Ride GPS so we can follow the route.

Get the required visa and arrival document at Cambodia’s website (evisa.gov.kh), where the fee is $30 (if you use a visa service it costs something like $197), but give yourself enough time to get the confirmation.

Also, always double-check the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory and make sure no vaccinations are required or recommended.

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

On to Vietnam!

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

__________________

© 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

Boat Bike Tours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: Discovering Living History in Enkhuizen

July 30, 2025 krubin723

People in period dress bring to life the village of Urk as it was in 1905, in the Zuiderzee Museum, an open-air living history museum village in Enkhuizen that re-creates daily life around the Zuiderzee before the sea was turned into a lake © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

On Day 8 of our Boat Bike Tours’ Islandhopping Netherlands tour, we wake up in Enkhuizen, back where we started. We have breakfast and have to disembark by 9:30 am but we are able to leave our luggage on board for a couple of hours, giving me time to explore a bit before I need to take the train back to Amsterdam and the Schiphol Airport. I really appreciate this bit of time since I hadn’t a chance to explore Enkhuizen when we first arrived (I recommend coming a day before the ship sails so you have more time), and though I had some time to explore in the evening, i really enjoy myself wandering around this morning.

*A reminder that despite its historic appearance today, Enkhuizen was bombed in World War II © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Enjoying a walk-about picturesque Enkhuizen © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Zuiden Kerk in Enkhuizen* *gets ready to welcome congregants for Sunday morning service* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I find myself at the Zuiden Kerk (church) – magnificent yet simple and unpretentious, awesome yet approachable; ancient yet modern, the painted wooden ceiling shaped like the upside down bottom of a boat. It is Sunday morning and people are gathering for service as the organmeister plays Pacobel.

Plan to spend at least 3 hours at the Zuiderzee Museum, an open-air living history museum village in Enkhuizen that re-creates daily life around the Zuiderzee before the sea was turned into a lake © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

*The Zuiderzee Museum, an open-air living history museum village in Enkhuizen, re-creates daily life around the Zuiderzee © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I find my way to the Zuiderzee Museum, an open-air living history museum village that re-creates daily life around the Zuiderzee before the sea was turned into a lake (the Ijsselmeer where we have just sailed) – when the dam was built in 1932. You stroll the cobble streets and explore 140 historic buildings collected from the former Zuiderzee region.

*The baker is open for business at the living history Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

*Visit the apothecary at the living history Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The outdoor museum was opened by Queen Beatrix in 1983 as an extension of the indoor Zuiderzeemuseum, which opened in 1950 (the indoor museum doesn’t open until noon so I have to miss it). Most of the buildings are authentic while others are reconstructed replicas of actual buildings. A complete village, you can wander around and visit a windmill, lime kilns, fish-smoking house, steam laundry, drugstore, pharmacy, basketmaker, blacksmith, cheese warehouse, school (where wooden shoes are lined up outside the classroom), even a hairdresser, and visit the working post office. The harbor is a replica of its layout on Marken. From April to November you can see life in the village of Urk as it was in 1905, meet residents and watch traditional activities, like games and building clog boats, and demonstrations of crafts such as rope-making, cooperage, basket making and herring being smoked.

*The Indoor Museum is “a treasure house of the Zuiderzee” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Indoor Museum, “a treasure house of the Zuiderzee,” consists of a string of 17th century buildings (original and replicated), some of which were used by the Dutch East India Company. Here, various collections are presented with a modern approach: you can dive into a ‘Sea of Stories’ and experience life on the former Zuiderzee in this interactive exhibition. A popular attraction is the ‘Schepenhal’ (ship’s hall), which allows visitors a close-up view of historic ships. The indoor museum also displays artifacts from the Zuiderzee cultural past, including paintings, furniture and traditional local costumes (‘klederdracht’). (Unfortunately, it opens at noon and I do not have the time to visit.)

*Enjoying a walk-about picturesque, historic Enkhuizen © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Both indoor and outdoor museums have several restaurants located in National Heritage sites, like the Hindeloopen Pub, the Amsterdam House and the Pepper House on the Wierdijk.

Admission is 22E (56E for a family); plan to spend at least 3 hours at the outdoor museum. [Note: if you are extending the boat bike tour with a stay in Amsterdam, you may want to get the Iamsterdam city card (www.iamsterdam.com), which includes admission to the Zuiderzee Museum, https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/whats-on/calendar/museums-and-galleries/museums/zuiderzee-museum]

Zuiderzee Museum, Wierdijk 12-22, 1601 LA Enkhuizen, https://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/.

Getting to Enkhuizen

*Enkhuizen is a pleasant hour-long train ride from Amsterdam’s Central Station © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I am relieved to see how amazingly easy it is to get to/from the embarkation point in Enkhuizen from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (especially since I arrived by plane on the same day as the boat departed): just walk down to the train (every 15 minutes) to the Central Station, a quick switch to the train to Enkhuizen (every half hour) for the hour-long, comfortable and scenic ride. The trick is to “check in” with a credit/debit card using the app, or purchase a ticket (14-16E) before you go through to the train by tapping on a pole (a conductor will double check on the train), then when you depart the train, tap it on the pole again, and the correct amount is debited. (If you don’t pre-purchase, the conductor can charge you an extra 50E; I did forget but the conductor was extremely kind in helping me buy the ticket online.) Then it’s just a five minute walk from the train station to the ship. You can purchase tickets in the vending machines at the stations or online on https://www.ns.nl/en/journeyplanner#/. The website can also be used to check the timetable.

Getting back to the airport is equally easy – we are asked to leave the ship by 9:30 am (but I am able to store my luggage there, so I could visit the city until 11).I time my touring to get back to the ship, pick up my stuff to get the 11:39 am train to Central Station in Amsterdam, then a quick switch to the train to Schiphol with more than the three-hours before my flight at 7:05 pm.

*Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Central Station in Amsterdam’s historic center (be sure to buy/download your ticket and tap the yellow pole) © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Boat Bike Tours

This was my second trip with Boat Bike Tours (I had the best time on their Bruges-Amsterdam boat-bike-tour – utter perfection with the biking, the boat, the sights along the way; be sure to plan to spend at least a day in Bruges before the bike tour to appreciate its enchantment).

Boat Bike Tours, which is based in Amsterdam, got its start when Channel Cruises Holland, a barge tour operator founded in 1977, added biking to its itineraries in response to guests asking for traditional Dutch activities. The new cruise-and-cycle concept was so successful that it was spun off as its own brand in the mid-1990s. Between 2000 and 2020, the company added more itineraries and ships. Last year, Boat Bike Tours merged with Islandhopping, a Croatia-based operator which also specializes in cruise-and-cycle travel (I loved the boat-bike trip in Greece that I took with Islandhopping some years ago). Together, the merged company, while operating under their own names, offers more than 70 itineraries in 15 countries, and has opened a North American sales office in Fairfield, Connecticut.

“With half of our guests coming from North America now, it makes sense to have an office here,” said Jana Tvedt, Director of Sales, North America for Boat Bike Tours. “We’re available when needed and familiar with what Americans and Canadians are looking for in destinations, experiences and ships. And we’re always happy to work with travel advisors, groups and charters.”

Each season, the company contracts some 50 ships including barges, motor yachts and sailing ships, ranging in category from comfortable to superior. Biking styles include guided for casual riders and independent (self-guided) for seasoned cyclists, with touring bikes, e-bikes and mountain bikes available depending on the destination.

Itineraries range from five to 15 days, with most being eight days, and cater to a variety of budgets and interests, from historic cities and landmarks to picturesque natural landscapes and the world’s best wines. The Boat Bike Tours concept is to enable guests to connect with local people, culture and nature, while traveling by smaller boat and by bike also takes guests beyond tourist hotspots and minimizes environmental impacts. (Our sailing ship, Leafde fan Fryslân, uses biodiesel.)

Boat Bike Tours will be offering a deluxe itinerary on a newly built ship for 2026, Magnifique X, that includes a hotel stay in Amsterdam and a hotel stay in Paris © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The big news is that Boat Bike Tours will be offering a newly built ship for 2026, Magnifique X, an all-suite ship accommodating 32 passengers, giving the company a new deluxe, superior category. In addition to the bigger cabin, the itinerary is also enhanced with upgraded amenities, support van, included lunches, and more sightseeing inclusions. The itinerary goes from Amsterdam to Paris with one night hotel stay in Amsterdam, then biking to Bruges, then a motorcoach transfer to Paris where there is a hotel stay. (Bookings are open.)

Among its most popular itineraries for North American travelers:

*Come at least the day before starting out on Boat Bike Tours’ Bruges to Amsterdam trip to be enchanted by Bruges at night © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Amsterdam to Bruges: Cruise and ride through the Dutch countryside of Zeeland and western Flanders in Belgium. Tour world-famous cities such as Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges, as well as picturesque villages, a Dutch cheese farm, the windmills of Kinderdijk and the magnificent natural landscape along the Schelde River.

Split to Dubrovnik: Hop from island to island in the South Dalmatia region of Croatia by boat and e-bike. See the town centers of Split and Dubrovnik, and experience the culture and nature of more sparsely populated islands like Brač, Hvar, Korčula, Lastovo, Mljet and Šipan. E-bikes help with hilly and mountainous terrain.

Cochem to Metz: Follow the Moselle River through Germany, France and Luxembourg, passing endless vineyards and stopping to taste local wines. See enchanting old cities like Cochem and Bernkastel, the once-imperial Roman Trier, the stunning waterfalls of Saarburg, the Gothic cathedral of Metz and welcoming villages in between.

The merger of the Boat Bike Tours and Islandhopping means that clients of either one can take advantage of a 3% loyalty discount when booking. Notably, bike tours prove superb for the burgeoning number of solo travelers, and each departure offers at least one cabin with a reduced single supplement.

For more information, contact Boat Bike Tours, 203-814-1249 or visit https://www.boatbiketours.com/.

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

Boat Bike Tours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: Exploring the Solar System through an 18th Century Lens

July 23, 2025 krubin723

The marvelous Eise Eisinga Planetarium, the world’s oldest continuously operating planetarium in the world, dating from 1781, in Franeker visited on Day 6 of Boat Bike Tours’ eight-day Islandhopping tour of northern Netherlands. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Day 6 on Boat Bike Tours’ eight-day Islandhopping tour of northern Netherlands is a case when the hype doesn’t even begin to match the reality of the experience. Today’s ride will take us either 29 or 36 miles (depending on our choice of short or long routes) from Harlingen to Franeker, through the Frisian countryside and rural villages to Bolsward and into Makkum on the eastern bank of lake Ijsselmeer. Boat Bike Tours doesn’t just curate the cycling routes, they also curate experiences. In this case, our bike tour turns into an exploration of the solar system through an 18^th century lens.

The marvelous Eise Eisinga Planetarium, the world’s oldest continuously operating planetarium in the world, dating from 1781, in Franeker, was built by the amateur astronomer in his house, now a UNESCO World Heritage site © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

We set out biking first to the historic center of Franeker to visit the Koninklijk Eise Eisinga Planetarium (Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium) – the oldest continuously operating planetarium in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. I had never heard of Eise Eisinga or his planetarium, but am instantly amazed.

*Eise Eisinga was a wool-comber and largely self-taught scientist and astronomer who spent seven years, from 1774 to 1781, crafting his planetarium in his house © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Eise Eisinga was a wool-comber and largely self-taught scientist and astronomer who spent seven years, from 1774 to 1781, building a remarkable planetarium in his house! – in his living room/bedroom/dining room to be precise. We see the cupboard where he would have slept with his wife under the mechanism, the pull-out trundle bed where his children would have slept, the dining table. Above, on the ceiling, we see where he constructed a solar system where the six known planets in exact scale follow their rotation around the sun with remarkable precision even by today’s standards, using today’s instruments. The fact that the mechanism is still in working order is evidence of the ingenuity and foresight of its maker, who left detailed instructions for its maintenance.

*See exhibits of early astronomical devices at the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

While waiting for the English-language presentation, we visit the fascinating exhibits that take up the rest of his home, starting with a delightful video interview between “Eise Eisinga” and an actual Dutch astronaut and another superb video about Eisinga’s life.

When I learn about Eise Eisinga’s biography, I am awed by his genius, bringing to my mind Leonardo DaVinci.

Eise Eisinga was born in 1744 in Dronrijp where he attended primary school. Like many children in those days who worked at home, he worked in his father’s wool combing establishment. In addition to his father’s profession, he inherited his father’s interest in astronomy and mathematics. Eise was so determined to learn that he would travel every week to Franeker, a major center of learning, to study Euclidean math with Willem Wijtses, a wool dyer. When he was 24, Eisinga married Pietje Jacobs and settled in Franeker in 1768, working as a wool comber.

On May 8, 1774,a local newspaper published a prediction from a preacher that the confluence of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter and the moon would result in the mutual forces of these celestial bodies knocking the earth off its path and cause it to be burned up by the sun (“the end of time!”). That set off a panic and seems to have been an impetus for Eisinga to begin building his model of the solar system to show the extreme unlikelihood of planets colliding.

*The fascinating planetarium that Eise Eisinga built in his bedroom/dining room © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It took Eisinga seven years to construct his planetarium – a real triumph of craftsmanship to carve the wood (his father, a woodcarver, helped), create 6,000 precision nails for the cogs, and the exquisite painting. Eise would have finished sooner, but in a critical development, he had to adjust the placement of the pendulum that kept everything in motion, because his wife drew the line on allowing him to cut a hole in the floor (it was their bedroom, after all), so he had to recalculate everything and replace all 6,000 nails.

The power (and motion) for the entire mechanism comes from a clock, “like the beating heart of the machine,” our guide explains. The mechanism is powered by a system of nine weights – one for clock and 8 for different axels of system

All is built to scale to fit into the space – an astonishing 1 to 1 trillion – and everything is turning so slowly, you can’t detect motion visually. Every planet has its own calculated speed, so Mercury takes 88 days to make one full rotation; Venus takes 224 days; Earth takes 365 days plus 76 hours while the moon takes 29 ½ days to go around the earth (it shows the phases of the moon); Mars takes 687 days; Jupiter, with four moons (the number known at the time), takes 11 years, 315 ⅓ days for its rotation; and Saturn, the furthest known planet at the time, actually has rings and 5 moons and takes 29 years plus 164 days for its rotation.

How do they know the planetarium is still working when everything moves so slowly?

“Everything is connected, so we check what moves daily: the date, zodiac sign, day of week.” On December 31, a special nail pushes the gears into motion to flip to the new year.

Eise Eisinga was such a visionary, two years after finishing his remarkable machine, he wrote a 90-page manual explaining how to maintain it.

“Every 22 years, we follow 5 steps – take board down, sand down, paint the years, let the paint dry, then replace it in the attic,” our guide says. The wheels are so big and move so slowly, they clean the gears once or twice a year.

Eisinga’s son took over when he died, and the planetarium remained in the family for 140 years until 1922 when his great granddaughter was the last in the family to maintain the planetarium. Then the City of Franeker took over its management.

Most of the mechanism is original (Mercury had to be replaced after being damaged in World War II) but they have had to change the ropes for the gears and pulleys.

After the presentation, we are able to climb the stairs to the attic to peer into where the wheels and gears are laid out.

*We are able to climb up to the attic to see the gears that run Eise Eisinga’s fascinating planetarium © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Eisinga came to Franeker with his wife because it had the second largest university in the country and was a center for learning that drew famous scientists. But you can appreciate how trade with the world not only gave Netherlands the wealth to pursue science and innovation, but the access to and transfer of knowledge, not to mention a culture of Enlightenment that was open to new ideas and discovery. And Eise Eisinga was wealthy enough that he could afford to make natural science a hobby.

It is a humbling experience to imagine such expertise and craft hundreds of years ago, before the tools and instruments we have today.

The museum offers several permanent exhibits: Eisinga’s former wool combing establishment, an extensive collection of historical astronomical instruments, Eisinga’s mathematical and astronomical manuscripts which you can digitally peruse, all marvelous juxtapositions to an interactive permanent exhibition, De Ruimte (Space) that opened in 2016, as well as that delightful video conversation between “Eise” and a modern-day Dutch astronaut (English subtitles).

*Some of Eise Eisinga’s manuscripts are on view at the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I peek into a room to see the finishing touches on a new temporary exhibit: a spectacular astronomical cabinet from 1771 by Jean Paulus and Prof. Ghiesbregt. “After long wanderings, this Belgian instrument came into possession of Bert Degenaar, a famous Dutch antique collector. On his behalf, the instruments were completely restored and made functional again by horologist Pieter de Ruiter. The 3 meter wide and over 2.5 meter high cabinet is equipped with various globes, planetariums (including an unprecedented representation of the 5th-century worldview of Martianus Capella) and the 16th-century heliocentric worldview of Copernicus. A number of dials provide information about various time indications, calendars, the position of the planets, the phases of the moon, and the orbit of Jupiter’s four largest moons.” The exposition also includes a large collection of original drawings of the various instruments.

*Finishing setting up the new temporary exhibit at* *the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker*: *a spectacular astronomical cabinet from 1771 by Jean Paulus and Prof. Ghiesbregt* *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

All of this goes to serve as a literal display of what The Enlightenment was all about, which largely due to mass printing and trade, made its way to the New World, as well, and was foundational to the Founders of the United States.

Admission to Eise Eisinga’s planetarium is 6E (a HUGE bargain).

Eise Eisingastraat 3, 8801 KE Franeker, phone +31 (0) 517–393 070, info@eisinga-planetarium.nl, https://www.eisinga-planetarium.nl/en/plan-your-visit/, https://www.eisinga-planetarium.nl/en/the-planetarium/

Thankfully, we have enough time to appreciate what’s here at the planetarium (this is important), though I could easily have spent another hour.

*The scene along our bike route from Franeker to Makkum on our Boat Bike Tours’ Netherlands Islandhopping tour © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We continue on our 36-mile bike route which follows much of the a famous 11-city, 200-km bike tour, and in the course of two days, we will visit six of the 11 and have the opportunity to collect stamps (like passport stamps) on postcards our guides have provided.

By the time we ride into Bolsward, one of the Eleven Frisian Cities, the rain has stopped. Here we see one of the art installations we have been told about – this one looks like Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”.

*The magnificently decorated Court of Justice Building in Bolsward © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Bolsward is really beautiful, and I am entranced by the magnificence of The Court of Justice building, now a museum, where I get to climb into the tower built on top of the Court in 1617 (a really improbable and unsafe construction).

*You can climb into the tower of the Court of Justice Building in Bolsward © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

But this is the first day when I see why people would get an e-bike in the Netherlands – I’m guessing I am pushing through or against 15 mph winds.

In the evening, our guide, Edith, leads a walking tour of Makkum– it’s just me and a couple from Alberta, Canada. Edith points to homes that have a Coat of Arms or some indication of who lived there, when the fellow shows us his ring with a Coat of Arms. He turns out to be a descendent of the Trip family, one of the wealthiest, most powerful families in Netherlands.

He relates more of his family’s fascinating story as we sit in a historic pub with centuries old Delpht tiles of great 17^th century trading ships, noting more than once than the family fortune had been long gone and his branch of the family emigrated to Canada. It’s like having someone from that time tell their story.

*Trip shows me his coat of arms as we walk around Makkum, and tells the story of his family, one of the richest and most powerful in Netherlands © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Trip’s family’s coat of arms, he relates, has three zoltbommel (wooden shoes) – a nod to the fact that the family started by manufacturing wooden shoes.

Then, brothers Jacob and Elias Trip went into river barges, got rich, then expanded into sea trade. They had a connection with an iron factory which they parlayed into weapons manufacture, arming the Dutch rebels against the Spanish in its 80-year war for independence, 1568-1648 (apparently selling arms to both sides).

*Tiles in a historic pub depict trading ships very likely belonging to the Dutch East India Company© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Trip was among the original investors of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-indische Compagnie, VOC), in 1602, the first public company to issue stock and the first truly multinational corporation, transforming global commerce and trade (at its peak, the company would have been worth $7 trillion in today’s dollars, the most valuable company in history). The VOC was granted a monopoly on Dutch trade with Asia and also possessed the power to wage war, make treaties, govern territories, and even mint its own currency, as if a nation-state. So much of what we experience on our trip goes back to the Dutch East India Company.

Meanwhile, the Trips became one of the richest and most important families in Netherlands. Portraits painted by Rembrandt of his relatives Jacob Trip (1576-1661) and his wife, Margaretha de Geer, are in the National Gallery and Ryksmuseum. Their sons, Louis and Hendrick Trip, became fabulously wealthy arms merchants, and built the Trippenhuis in 1662 once the widest residence in Amsterdam and on the list of top 100 Dutch heritage sites.

Edith adds that the Netherlands was one of the first republics in the world and makes the claim that its declaration of independence in 1581, provided a model for Thomas Jefferson in 1776, and was printed on paper from a Dutch paper mill.

“We are now a kingdom, but we started as a republic. Our constitution limits the power of king, our monarchy is more about public relations, like the United Kingdom.”

The first king of the Netherlands, Napoleon’s brother Louis who reigned from 1806-1810, started an art collection, which he brought to TrippenHuis – in essence the first Ryksmuseum. Trippenhuis was where Rembrandt’s “Night Watch: hung until 1851 and since 1887, has housed the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

*Returning to our ship, Leafde fan Fryslân, after our walking tour of Makkum as the sun sets © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Biking Makkum to Stavoren, Sailing to Enkhuizen

Day 7’s ride takes us from Makkum to Stavoren, from where our ship, Leafde fan Fryslân, will sail across lake IJsselmeer to Enkhuizen, the endpoint of our trip. There is a prediction of rain today and strong wind, so the guides suggest I do the shorter ride (19 miles) and promise I won’t miss out on anything I will regret (the longer route, 30 miles, goes along several Frisian Lakes).

*Coming upon a historic windmill, De Nylannermole, which the sign says dates from 1784, with a modern wind turbine in the distance,on our ride Makkum to Stavoren on Boat Bike Tours* *Netherlands Islandhopping tour © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Among the highlights of the ride are coming across a house deliberately built in an upside-down version of a traditional Frisian home (a bit surreal and you have to wonder), and a historic windmill, De Nylannermole, which the sign says dates from 1784, though its history goes back to 1624 (I’m trying to figure out the Dutch). At one point, I see the windmill with a wind turbine in the distance behind it, and later, we see windsurfers and sailboats – all reflections of how the Dutch have embraced wind.

*The charming old city of Hindeloopen is a popular hub for cyclists © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We stop for lunch in a tiny little village as rain comes (we sit under umbrellas outside), and then continue on to Hindeloopen (where we should have cycled for lunch), an old trading town famous for a traditional decorative painting style. Hindeloopen seems to be the epicenter for cycling.

This is a very charming village, where I go to explore and find the Grotte Kerk, dating back to the Middle Ages. This building dates from 1632.

*One image shows the importance of wind in the Netherlands: sailing ships, wind turbines, wind surfing © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

As we finish our bike tour, we come across (actually riding through) a major, 150 km, bike race.

*Riding through a 150 km cycling race on our way to Stavoren (a humbling experience) © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I finish the ride 1:15 pm, hoping I made the right choice in biking the shorter route, and have some time to explore Stavoren before we sail.

There is yet another one of the art installations (this one a giant fish), but I am particularly intrigued by the sculpture of “The Lady of Stavoren” here, and the moral to the story it offers.

“The Lady of Stavoren” legend dates from when the city was the largest and richest in Friesland. Many of the merchant ships were owned the Lady of Stavoren who ordered one of her captains to “Bring me the finest treasure in the world.” He brought back a grain that transformed into pure gold in the midday sun. She forced him to throw it into the sea. A fisherman foretold that she would be punished and at some point beg for grain. Later, two of her ships were lost at sea and she became a beggar woman, while the place where the grain was tossed turned into a sandbank, where a plant that grew ears of corn grew up but yielded no grain.

“The Lady of Stavoren” statue pays homage to a legend that dates from when the city was the largest and richest in Friesland. *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We have an enjoyable sail back to Enkhuizen, a gala farewell dinner, and then I go off to explore the historic town, which is really worth more time than I will have before I have to return to Schiphol Airport early the next day. (Suggestion: arrive the day before the ship sails to give yourself some time to enjoy Enkhuizen.)

More information, Boat Bike Tours, www.boatbiketours.com, 203-814-249.

Next: Zuiderzee Museum is Not to be Missed in Enkhuizen

BOATBIKETOURS’ NETHERLANDS ISLANDHOPPING: THE TEXEL ROADS YIELDS UP ITS TREASURE

BOAT BIKE TOURS NETHERLANDS ISLANDHOPPING: SAILING THE WADDEN SEA, BIKING, EXPLORING TERSCHELLING, HARLINGEN

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

BoatBikeTours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: The Texel Roads Yields Up its Treasure

July 9, 2025 krubin723

Watching the sun set behind the historic windmill that is the centerpiece of the Museum Kaap Skil in Oudeschild on the island of Texel from the top deck of our ship, Leafde fan Fryslân on Boat Bike Tours’Islandhopping trip © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Day 3 of Boat Bike Tours’ eight-day Islandhopping tour proves to be my favorite, most perfect day – the biking, the attractions, the scenery, the gestalt of the island of Texel, even the weather, all combining for a thrilling experience. We will be biking roundtrip from and back to Oudeschild with a choice of a 26 mile or 30 mile route. We soon discover the treasures harbored on The Texel Roads.

*Biking on Texel on Boat Bike Tours’Islandhopping trip © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We start off biking together to Ecomare, a seal sanctuary and ecology center with superb displays, exhibits and notes (with English) that teach about ecology, climate change, animal and environmental conservation, focused on the local area, making clear what these existential planetary changes mean for the people living here.

*Whale skeletons on view at the Ecomare marine wildlife sanctuary and environmental center on Texel © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I start in the room with skeletons of actual whales – enormous, suspended so that they look like they are swimming – then move to an aquarium where you can see rescued seals swimming under water. You go outside to the various habitats where there are excellent explanations of why the seals were rescued (and the steps they take to avoid “rescuing” a seal that is merely resting on the beach), what their prognosis is to be re-released into the wild or whether some condition, like blindness, will require them to stay.

*An underwater view of seals at the Ecomare marine wildlife sanctuary and environmental center on Texel © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We see areas where baby animals are nurtured, where medical procedures are conducted, where seal pups are raised until they can be released (I wonder how they learn how to hunt for themselves), and where animals are quarantined (the sign says it’s a good thing if this area is empty!).

*Two of the rescued seal pups at the Ecomare marine wildlife sanctuary and environmental center on Texel © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I go walking on the dunes and come upon a turf hut (“zoonekeet” or “zooien huus”) of one of dune farmers, named Pagga who lived here until 1909.

*Checking out Pagga’s zoonekeet at the Ecomare marine wildlife sanctuary and environmental center on Texel © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Our stay is timed so we get to see a feeding, before heading out again.

I stick with my group doing the longer ride (41 km), until we reach a delightful town of Dun Berg, where there is a huge event going on with a military band and seniors in wheelchairs who have been gathered for the concert that turns out to be the May 20 celebration of Texel’s Independence (different from the Netherlands, because it marks the day they finally expelled the German occupiers).

I spend about a half-hour wandering the lovely town center before breaking off on my own in order to arrive back in Oudeschild in time to visit the Museum Kaap Skil. I feel very brave but use the RideGPS to give me the route, even though I find myself double-checking that I have selected the right route to follow. Because it stays light so late (till nearly 9 pm), I figure even if I get lost, I can still get back during daylight.

*The gorgeous landscape as you bike around Texel on Boat Bike Tours’ Islandhopping trip © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I find myself so delighted to be doing these 12 miles on my own – it is idyllic pastoral scenery that compels me to stop to take photos – then I ride through a couple of villages, then onto the path along the dyke with the ocean on one side and the high berm with sheep (who keep the grass shorn) on the other, that takes me right to the harbor and the ship.

Discovering Museum Kaap Skil’s Treasure Trove

*Museum Kaap Skil is a must-see on Texel during Boat Bike Tours’Islandhopping trip © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I make it back in under two hours, by 3:15 pm, with just enough time to really enjoy this astonishing Museum Kaap Skil (do not miss it!), in which the historic windmill, so prominent in the landscape, is the centerpiece.

I quickly drop my things in my cabin, then climb the stairs up and over the dyke, down below sea level to the village and the museum.

*The historic windmill is the centerpiece of a living history village at Museum Kaap Skil* in *Oudeschild, just a short walk from where our ship is docked © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The museum has a small village of outdoor attractions including the historic windmill and a ship, Texelse Blazer, dated 1894, that is being restored, and authentically furnished cottages, beachcomber’s shed and smithy, gives you a realistic view of island life during the Netherlands’ Golden Age of Sail.

*Museum Kaap Skil in Oudeschild on the island of Texel features a living-history village © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

On Tuesdays and Thursday when volunteers dress in period clothes, you can watch wool being spun, fishnets being mended, ropemaking, and taste a smoked fish (tastiest smoked fish I’ve ever had), visit the grocery store and walk into homes furnished as they would have been.

I save the indoor exhibits in the modern museum for last (the outdoor village closes at 4 pm, the museum at 5 pm). These extraordinary exhibits of artifacts rescued from shipwrecks in the Wadden Sea that were so plentiful off this port – an indication of how important a port Texel was during the Golden Age of Sail – are a fitting climax to the visit.

I start on the upper floor, in “World Voyage,” where you can follow specific ships to their destination and see artifacts obtained from them.. A centrally located compass shows the way and Texel folk from the past tell their stories, assisted by shipwreck finds. People such as Albert Gronders, who sailed the Baltic Sea yearly to buy grain in the 17^th century, narrates the north shipping. about Baltic Sea shipping. If you go east, then Jacob Schagen, who, as a 15-year-old Texel man, sailed for the Far East aboard the VOC ship De Jonge Lieve in 1762, narrates about the eastern shipping routes. Texel folk from the past also tell their stories about journeys west and southbound.

*Knowing which ship these artifacts came from adds so much to the story at Museum Kaap Skil in Oudeschild on the island of Texel © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Alongside the adventurous and positive aspects of seventeenth century trade for Texel, World Voyage also explores its “shadow sides:” “Adventure, wealth, trade and romance, but also exploitation, danger, slavery and poverty. Global trade in the 16th and 17th century knew many faces,” reads a self-aware note.

A section themed “A Complex History,” acknowledges the violence, greed and role in the slave trade that enabled Holland’s seafaring empire. Among the artifacts displayed are tools destined for slaves to use on a sugar plantation in Suriname alongside luxury objects meant to guarantee the plantation owners a comfortable life, salvaged from a ship that sunk near Texel, never having reached the destination.

The displays are sensational, with many having interactive elements (the notes in English are much appreciated: I also enjoy reading about “The Women Who Stayed Behind”.

The stellar attraction in Museum Kaap Skil is a 17^th century silk dress “of royal allure,” salvaged from a shipwreck at the bottom of the Wadden Sea. “Every find from the Palmwood Wreck is important, but the dress has been dubbed “the ‘Nightwatch’ of the textile world.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The stellar attraction in Museum Kaap Skil is a 17^th century silk dress “of royal allure,” salvaged from a shipwreck at the bottom of the Wadden Sea. Given the name ‘Palmhoutwrak‘ (Palmwood wreck), this was a merchant ship carrying luxurious goods, that must have been wrecked on the Texel Roads around 1650. The precious garment is still in amazingly good condition despite having lain on the seabed for almost four centuries. “It is a unique find worldwide; hardly any clothing from the seventeenth century has been preserved. Scientists expect to need years to answer all the questions that the dress has raised.” It is now on display with other textiles and artifacts in a new exhibition at the Museum Kaap Skil, kept in a protective airtight display cases, filled with nitrogen, especially designed for the fragile textiles in this exhibition.

“Every find from the Palmwood Wreck is important, but the dress has been dubbed “the ‘Nightwatch’ of the textile world.”

The findings were so extensive that researchers had been working for years to make an inventory and only recently discovered that a second dress from the Palmwood Wreck was most probably a wedding dress, adorned with silver. This dress was less well-preserved but you can see it as well as what it would look like “restored” to its glory in an animation

The Palmwood finds are divided into four themes in the exhibition: wealth, worldly, intimate and stylish. Together they show how valuable, tasteful and exclusive the cargo was: a calf leather bookbinding and a gilded silver cup bearing the English royal family Stuart’s coat of arms in gold print; objects gathered from all corners of the globe: like an oriental rug and a caftan; intimate objects like a toiletry set, knitted silk stockings and a red silk bodice.

Merchant vessels, warships, whalers: they all anchored on what was known as “the Texel Roads.” In the 16th and 17th century this was the place to load, unload and wait for favorable winds, the notes explain. But many ships were lost in storms, which is why there are dozens of shipwrecks lying in the seabed near Texel and how it comes to be that so many of these artifacts can now be viewed at Museum Kaap Skil with such interesting detail. You have more of a personalized connection to each object.

*Watch as a ship is wrecked in a storm in the Texel harbor at the world’s largest marine model, at the Museum Kaap Skil* in *Oudeschild © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In the exposition ‘Ship in Sight – the Roads of Texel and the World’, the Roads of Texel come alive. A dimension has been added to what is claimed to be “the world’s largest maritime scale model.” The hidden stories about the 160 ships have become visible, thanks to new technique. They show that the Roads of Texel was the logistic hub of the 17th century.

So I find myself in this enormous room – I’m guessing over 100-feet long – that has a model of the city with all the various ships in the harbor (you can use a telescope to zero in on anything, then look up the back story of 160 ships and what happened to that particular ship). Then, extending the full length of the room, an animated film so realistically created of the ships sailing into port, finishes with a massive storm hitting, and you watch how fast one of the ships sinks.

On large touchscreens, you see the ship models very close up, down to the smallest details. There is the Seven Provinces, the ship with which Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter won many navel battles, and the Petronella, a fluyt ship we learn was headed to Riga to buy grain. You can learn about the ship’s features, the routes sailed, personal stories, special facts and important events.

The exhibits make the point just how important the Roads of Texel was as the logistic hub of the 17th century.

You know what – it is spectacular to see first hand, but if you cannot visit, check out the website, https://kaapskil.nl/en/ (You can actually watch the thrilling and fascinating hour-long video on the museum website, https://kaapskil.nl/en/discover/expositions/ship-in-sight-the-roads-of-texel-and-the-world/.)

Museum Kaap Skil, Heemskerckstraat 9, 1792 AA Oudeschild, Netherlands, Phone:+31 222 314 956, https://kaapskil.nl/en/ Tickets: 12E (a bargain).

*Tall ships in Texel’s harbor evoke the glory days of The Texel Roads © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

In the evening, after dinner, our Boat Bike Tours guide Edith leads a walking tour of Oudeschild. After, I wander around the harbor and walk along the dyke, the colors absolutely stunning in the setting sun.

*Our ship, Leafde fan Fryslân on Boat Bike Tours’Islandhopping trip docked in Texel’s harbor © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

More information, Boat Bike Tours, www.boatbiketours.com, 203-814-1249.

Next: Boat Bike Tours Islandhopping on the Wadden Sea: Sailing, Biking, Exploring Terschelling

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

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

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Discovering Cambodia’s Angkor Archeological Park, Among the World’s Most Fabulous Monument Complexes

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Boat Bike Tours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: Discovering Living History in Enkhuizen

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Boat Bike Tours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: Exploring the Solar System through an 18th Century Lens

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BoatBikeTours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: The Texel Roads Yields Up its Treasure

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Because travel is a life-enhancing, relationship building, world-changing experience

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Because travel is a life-enhancing, relationship building, world-changing experience