On Day 6 of Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-Day Vietnam Tour, we get to ride (22 miles for the day), biking right from the Pilgrimage Village resort in Hue along country lanes. There is only light local traffic (mainly bicycles, motorbikes and buffaloes) to the Royal Tomb of Emperor Gia Long, the first emperor of Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty.
Built between 1814 and 1820, the mausoleum of Gia Long is a complex of several tombs and temples spread across a tranquil park-like setting of 42 hills and pine forest. What makes this place all the more special is the poignant love story of the Emperor and his first wife, for whom he built the tomb so she could be buried beside him (calling to mind the Taj Mahal).
Our bike ride finishes at a pleasant restaurant in an eco-resort where we enjoy a delightful lunch before getting onto a “dragon” boat that cruises along the Perfume River to visit the famous Thien Mu Pagoda. The pagoda, with its moat now filled with lotus flowers, dates from the 1870s and has become the symbol of the city of Hue.
We next board our bus and are taken to the magnificent Citadel of Hue. Set on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the walled fortress served as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam. The Citadel was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1993.
This vast complex – 520 hectares – has a moat and ten ornate gates guarding a palace, temples, gardens and tombs.
Our local guide, Vinh, tells us Vietnam was independent from 1802-1883. Then the fourth king passed away and the French moved in, turning Vietnam into its colony, from 1885-1945. “With help of an ally,” the Vietnamese pushed out the French, but that lasted only a year and the French returned in 1946 for nine more years. That triggered the Second Indochina War (what we call the Vietnam War and they call the American War).
This very place where we stand today was the site of a major battle in the Tet Offensive – our guide shows us photos of the Battle of Hue, a siege which lasted from January 31 to March 2, 1968.
As we walk through the expansive grounds, he tells us that the restoration of the palace was only completed last year – but he points to where we can still see bullet holes.
The art, the architecture, the decoration – mosaic, enamel, sculpture –are exquisite, reminding me of China’s Forbidden City in Beijing. It turns out this is not coincidence: Emperor Gia Long modeled his palace complex after Beijing’s Forbidden City.
The experience is enhanced by all the families who have come in their traditional dress (which seems fascinating to me in a Communist country), to pose for photos as part of their Lunar New Year celebration. But it has the effect of completing the feeling of having been transported back in time. There are also large groups of school kids in their white shirts.
Day 7 of the Discovery Bicycle Tours Vietnam tour brings the greatest cycling challenge – the seven mile climb up to the Hai Van Pass– and a visit to the intriguingly named “City of Ghosts.”
But the day starts off with lulling ease – a delightful breakfast at the Pilgrimage Village resort, and a visit to the Vestige of Thanh Toan Tile-Roofed Bridge, a wooden covered bridge originally constructed in 1776 with seven apartments. It was dedicated to Tran Thi Dao, a child of Thanh Thuy Chanh Village and wife of a high-ranking Mandarin in Thuan Hoa Region who provided the funding. The bridge was recognized as a national heritage site in 1990 for its beautiful architecture.
We cross the bridge and enter a busy village market, and after, are brought to an agricultural museum where we are treated to a demonstration of the traditional way the villagers processed rice by a docent with a great sense of humor.
From here, we drive to the An Bang Village Cemetery, intriguingly known as “the City of Ghosts,” for its thousands of ornate mausoleums that extend over 8 km.
Many of the tombs we see in this section are relatively new – dating from 1999 up to 2024 – but are fabulous and enormously expensive, costing $60,000-$70,000, and mostly paid for by relatives from the US, UK and Australia.
A plaque at one of the mausoleums explains it is in honor of Nguyen Van Linh, the first ancestor who established the Nguyen Van family in An Bang-An. He was born in Ky Hoi in 1539 and died in 1588.
From here, we have a picnic lunch before “hopping on our bikes to conquer” Hai Van Pass, also known as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds.” An iconic pass known around the world, it is the highest in Vietnam at 500 meters above sea level. Discovery Bicycle Tours notes that “a new tunnel through the mountain means that the 7 miles up the pass is a very quiet section of highway. The gradient is manageable, and the views are breath taking!” Actually, as I discover, the gradient is 4.6% up to 7.5%. (I think our0 Ride with GPS app even shows 12% at some points.)
Now, all of our bike rides so far have been easy, with very little elevation. But today’s is an absolute challenge, even more challenging than the ride up Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Coastal Maine trip. Notably, we are the only ones doing this pass by bike (versus motorscooter or car) and I am one of the few in our group doing it with a regular hybrid bike (not e-bike).
I have my method – it may not look pretty, but it gets me to the summit: I keep looking down at the road immediately ahead of me (if you look up and see non-ending rise, you stop), try to keep my hands light on the handlebars, relax my shoulders, and think thoughts (mostly of how people have had to suffer but got through it). I stop a couple of times on a relatively flat section to refresh and then start again.
Because of this, I cannot vouch for the claim that this is “one of the great scenic drives around the world,” or a “deserted ribbon of perfection” as some have described it. It’s only later that I learn just how significant the it is: the Hai Van Pass dates back to the 1300s when it marked a physical boundary between the Champa and Dai Viet Kingdoms – you can still see an ancient grand gate at the summit which used to be a border crossing between the two kingdoms.
“Today, the road still represents a division between two distinct sides of Vietnam. Many travellers who backpack the length of the country say that the North and South of the country have two very different personalities, as well as notable climatic differences. The north is colder, more industrial and perhaps more serious, while the south is warmer, more tropical and the people are often said to be more laid-back. The Hai Van Pass is the point at which these two worlds meet.” (https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/hai-van-pass-vietnam/)
I make it to the top (I’ve refused invitations to ride up from our bus driver who has been assiduously following those of us at the back). I take a quick look at the fortress at the summit, and the “spectacular view” (the rest of the group have been at the top for about 20 minutes).
From there, we bike down the other side of the Pass. Coming down is no picnic either – controlling the speed on the switchbacks. The best part of the ride is having done it. It has proved to be as tough and arduous as I expected (feared) and as satisfying to have done it as I had hoped.
In the bus on the way into the city of Hoi An, we delight in watching the massive traffic of scooters and play a game to find fours and fives on a scooter (since it seems this is the time that families pick up their kids, it isn’t hard), and interesting, the amusing decorations on helmets that express their individuality.
Soon after embarking on the Dragon Legend for our overnight cruise of Bai Tu Long Bay, we are captivated by the picturesque karst islands that dot from the water, a dreamy landscape evoking classical paintings.
It is our fourth day on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Vietnam tour, and we had set out from the magnificent Emeralda Resort in Ninh Binh right after breakfast.
Along the drive, we see massive industrial parks being built on land that had been used to cultivate rice, big enough to have 500,000 workers.
What we don’t see, though, are housing communities and roads that would deliver those workers – so I wonder if that is because workers are housed within the industrial compounds and only see their family four days in the month? I wonder why in this freer, more prosperous, modern Vietnam they do not build industrial parks with adjacent communities with schools, groceries, parks, so that workers can have a family life, while young, single workers can live in worker housing and save money.
We see a bus load of young recruits starting their mandatory two-year military service. They are being followed by supportive friends on motorbikes, waving flags, seeing them off.
As we drive through the countryside, it seems just about every square meter is farmed or built on with houses. The new industrial parks that are being constructed near Hai Phong, Vietnam’s largest port in the north. In1964, Hai Phong, the biggest seaport in Vietnam, was the supply post from Russia and China and was the most heavily bombed.
Today, our bus is traveling on the beautiful and modern 120 km long Hanoi-Hai Phong Highway.
The government is extending the highway to go all the way north-to-south and constructing an express (bullet) train “so you would be able to have breakfast in Hanoi and lunch in Saigon.” The contractors are from Japan and China.
The rest stop on the highway offers a fascinating demonstration in the technique for oyster pearl farming devised here: a method of cutting a membrane, treating the oyster with an anti-bacterial, then implanting a seed into the oyster to stimulate the oyster to produce a pearl. “Like IVF for the oyster.”
Then the treated oyster is placed in a mesh bag (they can stay out of water for five hours), which will be put into the sea where it takes one to five years to cultivate the pearl.
She tells us that 30% of these oysters survive; of these, only 20% produce a pearl of sufficient quality for jewelry (there are grades like for diamonds).
At another station, we get to see the oyster opened to extract a pearl. Believe it or not, the oyster can be eaten after this.
Every part of the oyster has a use. The “irregular” ones with no shine are crushed for cosmetic pearl cream (makes you 10 years younger!); the irregular ones that have good sheen are used for earrings. “Nothing is wasted.” Mother of pearl is used for buttons and lacquerware.
Some oysters only live 1 to 2 years and are implanted once, but Black and South Sea pearl oysters, which take 2-5 years to produce the pearl, can be implanted once more after extracting the pearl.
We are then invited into a massive showroom where, we are told we can get a 5% discount and use any kind of currency or credit card. Boy, these guys are really good at capitalism!
Indeed, at this popular port of Ha Long City with loads of international chain hotels, we see massive luxury buildings that are standing empty – built during a building boom to attract those who could afford the $1 million price tag.
The Dragon Legend, one of the IndoChina Junk fleet, is a gorgeous ship (my room is massive) We have all the comforts we could possibly want (except WiFi).
After lunch onboard the ship, we tender to Hon Co Island – one of the few (out of 4000 karst islands in the Bay) where people are allowed to hike. We hike up stone stairs into the hidden Thien Canh Son Cave, then down to a beautiful sand beach.
The tender next takes us to a floating dock where we get into kayaks and paddle around another small karst island before returning to the ship for the sunset (at 5 pm), cocktails, and dinner.
Dinner is marvelous, followed by a few entertainments (the GM does some card tricks). A few of us take up the invitation to try fishing off the boat using nothing but a bamboo pole and lure – a couple of squid are caught triggering squeals of delight.
I get up early for the sunrise Tai Chi (so fun, except it is cloudy). After breakfast, we tender to Vung Vieng, a floating fishing village, which proves a true highlight of the cruise.
Located some 22 km from any town, Vung Vieng has been the floating home to as many as 80 families since the 19th century. The homes still have no electricity (a community center and the dock where we board the rowboats to visit the village, has solar power).
A sign on the dock as we await to board the rowboats relates that the Vung Vieng fishing village began as an anchorage to give boats a place to rest and avoid storms, but over time, some households began to settle here, increasing in number until nearly 80 in 2014.
“With the help of the people of the United States, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), nongovernmental organizations, and others, dozens of fishing village households have participated in Halong Cat Ba Bay Initiative Alliance with a model of sustainable aquaculture combining responsible tourism on Ha Long Bay, so that Vung Vieng fishing village can be preserved for the future,” the sign notes. The village has been bringing tourists to visit for the past 25 years, an important source of financial support.
Seeing the sign that credits the assistance of USAID, retriggers my fury at the destruction of America’s reputation and role in the world.
We are rowed around the karst island in a traditional wooden rowboat to where the modest homes (not much bigger than a shack) are on wooden floats, sheltered by the rock formations on either side. Those of the village who are not rowing us are likely out fishing, so we see only a few people still at home – there are more dogs than people.
While there is a solar panel in the community building, there is little electricity – no hot water shower, only a wood fire stove for cooking and heat. Barrels collect rainwater from the roofs for drinking. The villagers subsist on fish (halibut, snapper, mackerel, grouper, sea bass, tuna), and scuba divers gather scallops and oysters.
We also see an actual oyster farm and when we return to the floating dock we have another demonstration of the remarkable process of inserting a seed in an oyster to produce a pearl.
Back onboard the Dragon Legend, we have lunch as it cruises back to port. We depart the ship and drive to the airport in Hanoi to continue our Vietnam adventure in Hue, in central Vietnam.
On the bus ride to Hanoi Airport, we see pickleball and gyms, lots of bridal gown shops, a Make Up Academy. Cell phones are ubiquitous, but where are the cell phone stores?
I’m fascinated to see large advertising billboards that remind me of the 1950s. One reads “Better Kitchen. Better Life.”
We fly into Danang Airport – yet another modern, comfortable, well organized international airport just bustling with travelers from all over the world. (Normally, Discovery would fly us directly into Hue but there weren’t enough plane tickets to accommodate the group.)
Danang is a familiar name for Americans – it was a base for Americans during the War. In the last 20 years, like the rest of Vietnam, Danang has seen extraordinary growth, progress and prosperity. In 1975-80, the population was 50,000; today the population is 1.5 million and has become the fourth largest city in Vietnam after Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong. It is a popular place to live– just 10 minutes to the mountain, 10 minutes to the beach and seaport.
We are headed to Hue, a city of 300,000, where we will spend two nights at the Pilgrimage Village, a gorgeous five-star resort surrounded by lush gardens, 10 minutes from the bustling downtown.
As it is, our truck driver and bike mechanic have been driving for two days to bring our bikes from Hanoi to Hue so we can begin the biking portion of our Vietnam cultural tour.
We have dinner on our own – and since the downtown is a distance from the hotel, the bus takes us and picks us up (we have a devil of a time finding our way back to where the pick-up is).
I am dazzled by Hue, a bustling, colorful, festive downtown, jam-packed with people crowding the restaurants, the merchants hawking crafts on the streets.
And I really love our stay at the Pilgrimage Village, with its lush garden setting – especially swimming in a picturesque pool as darkness falls and having breakfast in a lodge overlooking the water and gardens.
One of the most heavenly experiences in Ninh Binh, Vietnam, is to visit Tam Coc (three caves), a peaceful valley set amid karst hills. Here we are rowed along a gentle river between paddy fields and through the trio of caves on a traditional wooden boat where the oarsperson paddles using her legs and feet. It is inexplicable how the oarsmen (most are women) are able to maneuver.
The endpoint of this thrilling and gorgeously scenic water route is a Tran Dynasty temple where Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong, an earth and water deity, and his wife are worshipped. It is mind-blowing to realize the temple was first constructed 1000 years ago during the Dinh dynasty.“The Temple contains four stone pillars, each of which is a piece of art that our forefathers left behind for posterity, but which remain a mystery, with clever, artistically carved patterned borders. The spirits were known to the ancients as Long (dragon), Ly (Qilin, a unicorn, part dragon, part horse), Quy (turtle) and Phuong (phoenix) – indeed, the four sacred animals we had seen during the Water Puppet cultural show in Hanoi.
This is our third morning on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-day Vietnam cultural tour, and after a fabulous breakfast at the Emeralda Ninh Binh Resort, we travel by bus through the picturesque countryside. It will also be our first day biking in Vietnam.
We turn off local roads to cycle among the rice paddies and our guide, Nguyen Hong Phong, stops to explain the rice culture that has been so fundamental to Vietnam for 4000 years. (I can see how the “water puppets” we saw in Hanoi reflect this wet rice culture.)
Before 1986, communal farming prevailed – the property was owned by the government and the farmers earned a share (theoretically equal but apparently not really, Phong suggests). But production wasn’t sufficient and people didn’t get enough rice.
Phong tells us that when he was a boy, his biggest wish at the Lunar New Year was to have enough food and clothes without stitches. When there wasn’t enough rice, they would mix in corn, tapioca, and “privately, secretly” catch snails, snakes, rats from the rice paddies. Even dogs and cats were protein for people.
But a new law in 1986 allowed private ownership and open markets. The government divided up the land among the farmers. By 1996, Vietnam produced enough rice not only to feed its own population but to export, becoming one of the biggest rice exporters in the world.
But a new problem has arisen because young people can make more money in factories than on the farm, and farms are being abandoned or farmers have to hire workers.
Phong explains the process: dropping a seed and the sprout grows, within one month to 20 cm high, then the sprout is uprooted and transplanted. They have to build fences to keep out rats, mice, and fill with water to stop snails. After 3 ½ months growing, the rice plants are put into a nursery for one month more. By the time the plant is one meter tall, ripened to yellow, it is cut by hand or machine.
We learn how every part of the rice crop is utilized. But what I don’t understand is why white rice prevails even through the lean years of hunger and deprivation, when brown rice would be more nutritious and less costly to produce.
We stop along our cycling route to visit a community cemetery for war soldiers. Between 1945 and 1975, 3 million died in war, including one million soldiers. “Each community has a memorial, with the remains and the name of the person who died for freedom.” July 27 is the Day of the War Soldier, when families come and burn incense. A white flower on the grave indicates the soldier died without a family, a yellow flower denotes the soldier had family. We see the ages of these fallen soldiers, some as young as 18.
Biking to Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital City
After pedaling through several villages set amid a landscape of magnificent limestone peaks, we reach Hoa Lu. Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1009 during the first two imperial dynasties of Vietnam: the Đinh founded by Đinh Tiên Hoàng, and the Early Lê founded by Lê Đại Hành. When the Lê dynasty ended, in 1010, Lý Công Uẩn, the founder of the Lý dynasty, transferred the capital to Thăng Long (now Hanoi),60 miles away, and Hoa Lư became known as the “ancient capital.”
At the entrance is the “stone dragon bed,’ where the king would have gotten off his elephant transport and walked the central path through the archway into the temple, while the mandarins entered through the sides.
Phong relates that in a feudal society, when a king passes away, they build several mausoleums so people don’t know where his actual body is buried – those that buried him are killed to keep the secret.
The thought occurs to me: To go from a king who can execute and torture at will to a dictator, even one who imprisons, tortures, and kills dissidents to preserve power but nonetheless is focused on bettering the lives of his people rather than his own aggrandizement, was a step up for the Vietnamese. But for us who are used to “rule of law”, “due process”, “equal rights”, “no man is above the war,” “justice without fear or favor,” and the ability to vote out an elected official, to find ourselves under the thumb of a dictator who politicizes justice, rules by violence, extortion, intimidation and oppression for his own benefit, is horrifying.
Also, what a difference peace makes to progress and quality of life.
We have a brief visit to the Old Palace.
We continue biking and stop at a cemetery– one of many we see in these rice paddies. Phong tells us it is common for the families to build a tomb for their ancestors within their allotment.
Driving on the highway, we stop at one of several modern rest stops which also house handicraft shops employing people with disabilities. This one employs some 500 people and specializes in really fine embroidery (others specialize in painting, sculpture, lacquerware and other crafts)
The manager who greets us explains that these handicraft shops were opened in 1996.”Before they worked here, they stayed at home and couldn’t work. Now they get trained and can support themselves and their family. They have housing and are bused from home.”
We watch how these craftspeople embroider these magnificent scenes that match a photo. The manager says it can take 2 ½ months to make one smaller embroidery, 4 months for medium sized and 8 months for large; 65% of the purchase price goes to the worker.
These folks have really perfected capitalism. The general manager finishes his introduction saying, ‘It’s the new year. We give good price. No tax.” They make it easy to spend US dollars, use credit cards and ship purchases home.
It’s a private company but gets support from government, so I ask Phong, “so this is a private non-profit”? “Nothing is ‘nonprofit’” he replies with a note of cynism. (He made a similar reply when describing how after the Communists took over government, ostensibly to give equal portions, he snidely inserted, “of course, nothing is really equal.”)
Later I ask Phong about taxes people pay and am surprised that they are similar structure to what we pay: under $500 income, no tax, then a progressive rate up to 35% based on income that includes their equivalent of social security, plus 2% for health care. With health care, they also have some covered and some out-of-pocket expense but I can imagine the cost of their health care is a fraction of what we pay in the US.
We stay for a second glorious night at the magnificent Emeralda Resort, sprawling like its own village with a palace-like entrance, outdoor and indoor pools, kids club, restaurants, and rooms the size of apartments. I get in a swim before enjoying a fabulous dinner together at the restaurant.
The next morning, we head to Bai Tu Long Bay for an overnight cruise on the Dragon Legend.
Visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi is a profound experience – revelatory, even. I had not expected to see the great liberator of Vietnam’s actual body, lighted from above. And shortly after, standing outside the Soviet-built mausoleum, I realize as we listen to our guide, Nguyen Hong Phong, that I had no actual understanding of who Ho Chi Minh was. Combing the recesses of my mind, I realize I saw Ho Chi Minh simply as the enemy and likely a brutal dictator (more like China’s Mao Tse-Tung). And even though I had lived through the Vietnam War (known here as the American War), I really hadn’t understood that either.
But here in Hanoi on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Vietnam tour, I can see how Ho Chi Minh is justifiably venerated as a hero to his people – George Washington, Lincoln and FDR rolled into one. Visiting is like a pilgrimage with rules that accord him maximum respect. We walk up the stairs into the mausoleum, and slowly walk around his actual body, lit from above, as if he is merely sleeping – the still sleeping Liberator.
Ho Chi Minh, Phong tells us, “is the most respected in Vietnam. People changed their name to Ho. He is worshipped like a god in homes. He overcame the French, Japanese, Chinese and Americans for independence and freedom. Now we live in a peaceful country because of Ho Chi Minh.”
Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum
Coming back to the front of his mausoleum (built by the Soviets), Phong relates that Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 into an educated family – his father was a Mandarin, working for a royal family. In feudal society, only men went to school and women stayed at home. He and his brother went to a French school.
He attended college in Saigon in 1911, studying culinary arts and applied to work as a cook in France. He wound up working on a ship, traveling to America, Britain, France, Russia and in 1928, went to China. Seeing the world in this way is what cultivated his revolutionary ideology and zeal to liberate Vietnam from foreign imperialists. On Feb 3 1930, he gathered party leaders and set up the Communist party.
“What he really learned was the importance of making Vietnam independent. He left Vietnam to learn enough about the French to kick them out,” Phong tells us.
He returned to Vietnam in 1941, having been away for 30 years. In 1944, Ho Chi Minh and General Japp (also a national hero) set up the Viet Minh, to resist foreign occupation by theFrench and Japanese during World War II.
When the Japanese and the French (who had occupied Vietnam since 1868, introducing Roman alphabet to replace Chinese characters the people used for 1000 years) left in 1945 at the end of World War II, on Sept 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. But after only one year, in 1946, the French attacked, forcing Ho Chi Minh into the mountains and retaking control.
“He wanted peace and agreed to divide the country in two for two years. They agreed to divide along the 17th parallel. It was supposed to be temporary. Five million people (mostly Catholic), fled south while one million southerners moved north. Then there was supposed to be national elections.”
But the US blocked the election (claiming concern for a “domino effect” of Chinese-led Communism spreading across IndoChina) and set up a puppet government in the south
When the war ended in 1975, Vietnam was united under the Communist regime.
The South Vietnamese who worked for the Americans were terrified of retribution and left (they were the “boat people”)
But Vietnam was still not at peace. China set up a new government in Cambodia that attacked South Vietnam. Fighting continued from 1979-1988.
Vietnam has only had real peace since 1988.
In 1986, the government implemented a “revision policy”: “We close the past, and look to the future,” Phong tells us. “The state still owned industry but allowed people to own their own businesses, allowed private enterprise and open markets. The rice fields were divided so you worked for yourself.”
From the mausoleum, we visit the complex where he lived – the Presidential Palace taken over from the French (Ho Chi Minh refused to live in it and only used the palace as an office and to receive dignitaries). Instead, from 1944-48 he insisted on living in a modest one-bedroom house, then moved to a house on stilts (reminiscent of where he lived with a Thai family), which again, was absolutely beautiful, but very modest.
In 1967, Ho Chi Minh became sick with lung cancer and was moved into another house, steps away from his house on stilts. This one looks camouflaged like a bunker, and was connected to underground bunker because by then, the US was bombing Hanoi. When he died in 1969, at the age of 79, the location of his body was kept secret and moved multiple times. His body was kept inside a cave until 1973, when the US left, and then asked Russia to build a complex. Until 1977, they moved his body nightly, keeping the coffin hidden underground. Peering through the windows of his homes provides a window into who Ho Chi Minh was in life.
Before we leave the complex, we visit the One Pillar Pagoda, which dates back to 1049. The French destroyed it in 1954, but the Vietnamese rebuilt it in 1955. There is a billboard that lays out the moral “do’s” and ”don’ts” of Buddhist/Confucian/Taoist society.
If I had questioned how Americans would be received in Vietnam, I soon get my answer standing in front of a monument to John McCain at the lake where McCain’s plane was shot down in 1967. McCain began six years as a prisoner in the dreaded Hoa Lo Prison, infamously known as the “Hanoi Hilton” – famously refusing to leave until his comrades were also freed. (We don’t get to visit but today it is a historic museum which has an exhibit devoted to the American prisoners, but is mostly showcasing French colonialism, see “Museum Hopping and Shopping in Hanoi”). The monument dates from 1992, when John McCain became one of the first Americans to come to Vietnam to heal relations; President Bill Clinton established relations in 1993 and helped revive Vietnam’s economy.
In December 1972, American B52s bombed Hanoi, surrounding villages and hospitals. As we look around Hanoi today, there is little evidence of that.
If Vietnamese still resent Americans you do not feel it at all. When I ask our guides about that, I am told “We are a Buddhist country. We do not look to the past; we look to the future.” If anything, though, there is still resentment between North and South Vietnamese, similar to the cultural divisions that remain between north and south since America’s civil war.
“The Vietnamese love Bill Clinton, the first US president to visit after the war, and we love John McCain. The United States is one of seven countries with the best relations,” Phong says – US, France, Australia, and Russia. “We close the past and look to the future.” Interestingly, considering one of the excuses for the US to enter the Vietnam War – the “domino theory” that China would take over IndoChina – is that Vietnam is wary of China, which had dominated Vietnam for 1000 years. “Local people feel cautious about China’s ambition to invade.”
It is our second day on Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-day Vietnam tour, and we’ve come to the Mausoleum after stopping first at the bike rental shop owned by Mr. Trung, a 70-year old former national champion and president of the Giant UNCC (he poses with us and shows magazines that feature him), where we are fitted for bikes that we will use in Ninh Binh, Hue and Hoi An.
From here, we drive a couple of hours to the Thung Nham Ecotourism Zone (I enjoy looking out to the scenery, how soon we find ourselves amid rice paddies and farms). It is sunset when we are taken by traditional boat into a bird sanctuary. Flocks of birds – storks, herons, teals, tropical starlings – take their positions in the tree tops over the Thung Nham wetland. There is a stunning resort set within the preserve, all the more gorgeous as lights and lanterns come on as the sun sets.
Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Biking Vietnam tour is designed along the best principles of travel: to explore, discover, learn, make connections, be present, experiential, meaningful and revelatory, and do it in a way that maximizes the benefits and minimizing the negative impacts of tourism.
Of the 12 days we spend in Vietnam, traveling from north, to central, to south (flying between regions), we bike on six of them. That might seem odd for a biking tour, but you don’t travel 30 hours to Vietnam and miss the important highlights, like Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum in Hanoi, taking a traditional row boat through the caves of Ninh Binh; cruising overnight on the Ha Long Bay; discovering the Citadel and Imperial City of Hue; walking the colorful markets and enjoying the nightlife of Hoi An; or touring the War Remnants Museum, the historic Ben Thanh Market, or miss the experience of street food in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) because you are obsessive about biking. We get to do all of these, and also bike through villages, stopping to learn about traditional crafts, and amid the rice paddies to learn about Vietnam’s 4000-year old wet rice culture and ancestor worship.
Riding in the bus between destinations lets us see the countryside (and I have set myself a challenge to get photos of people working in the fields and four people riding a motor scooter); the way the homes are laid out, the ancestral tombs in the fields, the occasional tractor, the massive, new industrial parks under construction. You see progress unfolding at the speed of the bus, all the more impressive when you realize what a young country Vietnam is, having proclaimed independence in 1945 but only “reunified” in 1975.
The essence of this tour is about familiarizing us with the Vietnamese people (who, we learn, are a mosaic of 54 different tribes), the rich cultural heritage and today’s achievements in overcoming literally millennia of conflict, war, oppression, colonialism. When we bike, hike or walk, we barely have to think a question, let along ask it, before our guide, Nguyen Hong Phong, stops and answers. “This is normal for me, curious for you,” he tells us at the outset, as we sit for tea in the Apricot Hotel on our first afternoon together in Hanoi. “When you are curious, just ask,” he adds.
2025 marks the 50th anniversary since the Fall of Saigon that so abruptly ended an interminable war (and reunification as an independent country). You can’t escape the fact of the “American War” (which frankly was the tail end of a decades long war for independence before the United States interceded), but our tour seems to sidestep the past in favor of the present. This is probably a reflection of Discovery Bicycle Tours’ primary focus for its guests: “You’re on vacation!”
(There are several important sites that are not included in this tour that I would recommend setting up pre and post days: the Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, infamously known as “Hanoi Hilton” and the Chi Chi Tunnels which is an excursion from Saigon. Even the War Remnants Museum, a must-see in Ho Chi Minh City, was not on the itinerary but we visit when we could not visit the Reunification Palace as planned.)
Still, there is no escaping the past: in Hanoi when we visit Ho Chi Minh’s 1968 residence, built like a camouflaged bunker with escape tunnels and learn they moved his body regularly when he died in 1969; when we visit the John McCain Monument where the American hero’s plane went down and he was captured; when we see the bullet holes in the Citadel in Hue and are shown photos of fighting that took place on the very spot where we stand; and when we visit My Son, a sacred historic site outside of Saigon, and learn that the Vietnamese appealed to President Nixon to stop bombing. I think Americans who visit Vietnam have an obligation to see what was done in our name, especially because it is so important to learn from history so not to make the same mistakes, and not be duped by an administration determined to go to war for its own political agenda.
I frankly didn’t know how I would react coming to Vietnam – I am the generation that lived through the Vietnam War (known here as “The American War”), or how Americans would be received. My questions are soon answered – the Vietnamese warmly welcome us Americans (and French and Chinese and a list of nationalities that have oppressed Vietnam). Vietnam is nothing like what I expected – in a good way. It’s in this capacity that one of the important attributes of travel come to fore: we travelers are ambassadors, promoting mutual understanding and connection.
In Vietnam today, you can see the impact of peace, free markets, free enterprise have to achieve prosperity – a lesson to all those who are inciting conflict and war. You see the benefits of trade and globalization – a lesson for those who would disrupt and unravel alliances and build barriers instead of bridges.
Old Hanoi
Since our group is first meeting together at 1 pm for a walking tour, I have the morning to myself to explore. I walk across the street from our luxury hotel, The Apricot, to the park that rings the small, picturesque lake.
We are here during the month-long Lunar New Year celebration, made even more festive because of the 50th anniversary of reunification – everywhere that is possible has decorations reminiscent of how we celebrate Christmas. People dress in their formal, traditional costumes and pose for photos taken by professional photographers. People travel on holiday. There is a festive atmosphere everywhere.
There are political symbols, posters, flags and such but no more than the giant advertising billboards and the Starbucks, KFCs, McDonalds, Burger Kings. Also, I am flabbergasted at the proliferation of motorscooters and the paucity of bicycles. Crossing any street takes fortitude and a measure of fatalism, but where there are traffic signals, the systems are sophisticated and effective. Also, cell phones are ubiquitous.
I head into the Old Quarter where I am intrigued at the “old propaganda posters” shops, the coffee shops (who knew Vietnam was such a major producer and exporter of coffee?), and massage parlors as common as nail salons at home.
The Propaganda Poster Shop seems more to satisfy the American and European tourists who visit (“Make Art Not War”).
But here at the Propaganda Poster Shop I happen to see many postcards for Train Street (reminding me of Lisbon) which suggests it is an important site and inspires me to go in search of this place.
After getting lost (my WiFi isn’t working and I can’t figure out the map) and stopping numerous people to point me in the right direction, I look up and am drawn to colorful lanterns, walk up a staircase and find myself quite literally on the train tracks. Train Street!
People have set themselves at café tables and chairs and are even hanging out on the tracks taking photos. It is all the more amazing because it turns out it is just 5 minutes before the train is due (and I am so lucky because only a few trains come through a day). With 5 minutes to go, there is even a baby playing on the track!
I am standing alongside the track and a lady yells at me to sit down in one of the plastic chairs, like a kid’s chair. As the train comes tearing through at what seems a very fast speed, it is so close that had I held out my hand, it would have been taken off. I reflexively suck in my breath and try to make myself as small as possible until it passes. Unbelievably thrilling.
I feel proud of myself for being able to find my way back to the hotel by 1 pm in time to meet our Discovery Bicycle group for our first activity together, a walking tour of the Old District. I have already been traveling with 8 of the group for Discovery Bicycle’s four-day Cambodia pre-tour and now we meet the other 10.
Phong leads us to the St. John Cathedral, the oldest church in Hanoi. Built on the site of the biggest, most sacred Buddhist pagodas of the Ly-Tran Dynasties, the cathedral was constructed at the end of the 18th century of wood, then reconstructed with baked clay in 1884-1888. Phong tells us that Catholics are a minority; the biggest religion in Vietnam, he says, is “triple religion” – a mix of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism (ancestor worship).We will see evidence of this everywhere we go.
Phong volunteers that the Communist government “allows free religious worship and free press” (though I question what he means by “free press”), then adds that protest against the Communist Party is not allowed; nor is there an opposition candidate in elections. Vietnam has been a one-party government since 1954, but in 1986 introduced new freedom in commerce and open markets.
“We have more freedom than in China. They block media there, here they block the BBC but we can get CNN.” Whatever they block, he says, people get curious and have their ways of accessing.
“Society is improving for ordinary people. Since 1988, we are living in peace. We feel more freedom, a peaceful country. We are now friends with Russia, Ukraine, the European Union. The USA is one of seven strongest friends. Peace is good for people, good for the country. [Tourists want to] come to a peaceful country.”
Phong tells us he learned English (as well as French and Chinese) at university where he studied tourism, but today, children are taught English as early as 3 and 4 years old in school. Public school is free he tells us, even in the mountains where parents are actually given a money incentive to send their kids to school.
We walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter where the name of the street may well describe what enterprises take place there, established generations ago by the people who resettled in the city: Tin Street, Silver Street, Basket Street, Copper Street.
We return at 3 pm for tea at the Apricot Hotel – an elaborate affair – that includes an introduction and orientation to our 12-day tour (with biking!) with Phong as our lead guide.. Indeed, we will go first thing the next morning to get sized for our rental bikes which we will use for five of the days (the driver and bike mechanic who travels will us will travel 2 ½ days to Hue, when we fly), and will pick up a different bike in Ho Chi Minh City (way too far to drive and return).
I realize that we have just enough time to see the 5:15 pm traditional Water Puppet Theater cultural show just across the street from the hotel, before we meet again to go to dinner.
I had seen this heritage show when I was in Ho Chi Minh City six years before, so was enthusiastic to see it here, and encourage my traveling companions to come.
Most of our group from the four-day Cambodia pre-tour (we really bonded) are game and we actually purchase the last tickets for this immensely popular program. The show is a cultural treasure that utilizes this traditional art form, with musicians performing with traditional musical instruments and song, fables and folk stories enacted by these marvelous puppeteers (yes, the puppets are in a pool of water!).
Captions and notes about the theater and the scenes are flashed on the walls beside the stage. Vietnam water puppetry, I learn, was born from the rice civilization in the Red River Delta, so agriculture is vividly depicted by the puppets, with farmers and familiar images such as riding buffalo, plowing, harrowing, transplanting rice, slapping water, harvesting. (Later, when we bike among the rice paddies, we will see how this tradition originated.)
One of the scenes enacts “The Legend of Returning the Sword by King Le Loi” where LeLoi caught a holy sword by chance as he led the resistance war. After defeating the invaders, he proclaimed himself king. King Le Li goes out boating on the Green Water Lake, when suddenly a large turtle surfaced, took the sword from King Le Loi’s belt, and dived back into the depths, carrying the glowing sword in his mouth. (This is all enacted with puppets in the water).
The humor that is integral to the culture is displayed where the puppets enact an old farmer “Chasing fox away from the flock of ducks”. “It creates Vietnamese optimistic farmers,” the notes say.
The notes for “The Spirit Mediums Spiritual Dance,” say that “Vietnam’s Mother Goddess worship has been honored by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In today’s life, Mother Goddess worship is mainly known to the community through the concept of ‘The Spirit Mediums’. Traditional cultural elements such as costumes, music, dance and folk performances imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity are created, developed and passed on from generation to generation.”
The ”Four Sacred Animals Dance” brings together Long, Ly, Quy and Phuong (Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, Phoenix) “praising the nature of heaven and earth, hoping for a peaceful state and a peaceful and happy life.”
There are fire effects and of course water effects and amazing choreography – you actually cannot figure out how the puppeteers coordinate so well (and underwater!) – and then the puppeteers appear for their curtain call, up to their waist in water.
The show finishes just in time for us to walk together to dinner in a charming restaurant in the Old District.
A note on the table about the apple cider makes us giggle: “Cider drinkers get more refreshment and excitement while still keeping their sanity. Especially suitable for women.”
Our lunches and dinners at restaurants are typically pre-ordered and served family style, with multiple courses so that we typically have chicken, beef, seafood, vegetable, rice, soup dishes – always with more than enough to satisfy even American appetites, and to get a really excellent idea of the cuisine.
Exploring the Apricot Hotel (we will be leaving early in the morning after breakfast), we discover an exquisite rooftop indoor pool and bar with a giant video screen. The artwork around the hotel, the elegant (French-inspired) furnishings are gorgeous.
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.)
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.
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.
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!
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.
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).
Our next stop is Ta Som with its dramatic ficus (fig) tree enveloping one of the towers. It was constructed at the end of 12th century, beginning of 13th 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.
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 (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.)
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 12th 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.
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.
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 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.
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.)
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.
With Labor Day in the rear view window, it’s time to look forward to a fall getaway. But if leaf-peeping is a priority, timing and advance planning are critical considering the relatively short time of peak color in any particular destination.
New York State has one of the longest and most colorful foliage seasons in the country. The change in color from the bright greens of summer to the brilliant hues of fall historically begins high in the Adirondack and Catskill mountains in early September and spreads out and down across the hills and valleys of the state, ending with peak foliage on Long Island and in New York City in mid-November. It takes about two weeks for the color to complete its cycle in any area, with peak brilliance lasting three to four days in any one spot.
To help travelers plan a fall getaway, the state’s tourism office, I LOVE NY, provides weekly fall foliage reports beginning September 12, with updates issued every Wednesday throughout the season. The interactive foliage map on the I LOVE NY website tracks weekly changes and progression and offers recommended viewing locations, examples of peak foliage in designated areas. You can also find information about popular local and regional attractions and activities across the state from apple and pumpkin picking to haunted Halloween activities, hiking, craft beverage trails and Path Through History Weekend special events at www.iloveny.com/fall. (An excellent roundup is at: Fall Foliage: When and Where to Go in New York State, www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report.)
Reports and the interactive foliage map are available at www.iloveny.com/foliage, or toll-free at 800-CALL-NYS (800-225-5697).
For more information on tourism in New York or to plan a New York State getaway, visit www.iloveny.com.
Leaf-peeping in the Finger Lakes
The Lake House on Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes is an ideal home base for a fall getaway.
A great place to experience vibrant foliage, crisp air and rolling vineyards is the Finger Lakes. Nestled on the shore of Canandaigua Lake, The Lake House on Canandaigua is the ideal home base for a fall getaway. From peak grape harvest season to pumpkin picking, cider tasting and breathtaking lake views, the resort offers a memorable autumn escape.
Take a scenic foliage cruise; hike the trails at Grimes Glen Park offers trails lined with waterfalls and forests ablaze in fall hues, perfect for a peaceful autumn hike; explore the region’s farms, wineries and breweries that showcase the season’s bounty, and savor autumn-inspired dishes and local flavors at the resort’s Rose Tavern, Sand Bar and Library Bar. In the evening, enjoy an evening under the stars with complimentary s’mores beside a fire pit
At the resort’s Willowbrook Spa, relax in the spa garden surrounded by native plants in peak autumn color, enjoy cozy barrel saunas overlooking the brook and indulge in restorative treatments blending herbal remedies with modern wellness techniques.
The Lake House, 770 S. Main St., Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-394-7800, 800-228-2801, lakehousecanandaigua.com
Nature as Therapy in the Adirondacks
Lake Placid in the Adirondacks boasts one of the longest fall foliage seasons in the country, thanks to its diverse elevations and microclimates. (Aim for the days that see dips into the mid-30s to low-40s – a sweet spot for kickstarting that vibrant color change.)
Explore more than 2,000 miles of nearby hiking trails, including: High Falls Gorge, dubbed the Adirondacks’ most breathtaking 30-minute walk; Whiteface Landing for tranquil lake views; Catamount Mountain, featuring twin summits and panoramic foliage vistas; and Whiteface Mountain, with multiple trailheads designed for ambitious hikers. (Use the Adirondack Fall Foliage Meter for up-to-the-minute reports on where leaves are prettiest—this insider resource helps you target the exact best spots each day.)
There’s so much to do in fall in and around Lake Placid:
For the ultimate view, take the elevator to the top of the 120-meter ski jump (26 stories) at the Olympic Jumping Complex for athlete-level panoramic views without any hiking.
Bike the new Adirondack Rail Trail (25 miles open, bike rentals in Lake Placid) through golden tamarack groves and brewery stops; climb the Adirondack Fire Tower Challenge‘s 23 restored towers for panoramic treetop views; or ride the 1.4-mile Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cliffside Coaster (America’s longest alpine coaster) parallel to the historic Olympic bobsled track.
Festival calendar: Time your visit for the Flaming Leaves Festival (Oct. 11-12) combining ski jumping competitions with peak foliage, or the Adirondack Harvest Festival (Sept. 20) celebrating local agriculture with food trucks, live music, and farm activities.
Enjoy a fall getaway at the Whiteface Lodge in the Adirondacks.
Whiteface Lodge, a MICHELIN One Key and AAA Four-Diamond-rated all-suite resort tucked into the woodlands of Lake Placid, combines rustic luxury with the restorative rhythms of the outdoors. Think: forest bathing beneath golden canopies, stone massages inspired by nearby rivers, and private lean-tos warmed by firelight.
Named a Top 100 Spa by Spas of America, The Spa at Whiteface Lodge translates the region’s natural serenity into sensory treatments such as Ausable River Stone Massage, which uses heated basalt stones and Swedish techniques to melt away tension, named after the nearby Ausable River; and the Great Outdoors Facial, which harnesses antioxidants and botanical extracts to rejuvenate skin exposed to the elements.
Every Whiteface Lodge suite includes a cast-iron gas fireplace, a private balcony, and warm homemade cookies at turndown. Refuel at the rustic-elegant KANU restaurant or sip bourbon flights at Peak 47 before taking in a complimentary movie at the 56-seat in-house theater or a dip in the indoor-outdoor heated pool.
Whiteface Lodge’s Stay More, Play More package includes a $150 resort credit toward spa services and dining when travelers stay 3+ nights (with the credit increasing at the five night mark).
Whiteface Lodge, 7 Whiteface Inn Lane, Lake Placid, NY 12946, 518-523-0505, www.thewhitefacelodge.com
Another ideal place to make your Lake Placid home base is High Peaks Resort. Its location on Mirror Lake provides walking access to family-friendly nature trails (Cobble Hill, Peninsula) that locals use to avoid crowds at higher elevations. High Peaks Resort offers a Mountains & Maple Package (from $172.89) that includes authentic maple syrup, maple cotton candy, maple popcorn, and two resort mugs. (High Peaks Resort, 2384 Saranac Avenue, Lake Placid, NY 12946, 800-755-5598, www.highpeaksresort.com)
Teatown Lake Reservation → Thompson’s Cider Mill (10 min. walk): Vistas of the Hudson’s fall reflections lead you to freshly pressed cider or a micro-brew.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery → Bridge View Tavern (15 min. walk/5 min. drive): A family-owned and operated tavern with views of the Hudson River and Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
Tarrytown Lakes Park → Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. (5 min. drive): The area’s largest craft brewery, producing over 28,000 barrels of beer annually.
Croton Gorge Park→ Croton Tapsmith (4 min. drive): This spot features their famous “La Bella Sophia” pizza from their wood-fired pizza oven.
Untermyer Gardens → Yonkers Brewing Company (10 min. drive): Established in 2013, this spot is known for its rich, original drafts and many activities offered on-site.
Blue Mountain Park → River Outpost Brewing Co. (6 min. drive): Rugged foliage trails wind into a cozy taproom—great for couples or solo adventurers.
Ossining Recreation & Parks → Sing Sing Kill Brewery (10 min. walk/3 min. drive): A tranquil gorge walk wraps up with a sustainable, community-crafted draft.
Graham Hills Park → Soul Brewing Company (30 min. walk/4 min. drive): Family-friendly trails segue into Soul’s warm microbrew environment—ideal for all ages.
Cranberry Lake → Wolf & Warrior (12 min drive): A nature escape in White Plains that ends with stylish sips in town.
The Westchester Craft Beverage Trail is a free, mobile, web-based passport that will lead you to great experiences and delicious drinks as well as some appealing special offers. Sign up at the website- there’s no cost and no app to download. Earn points when you check in at participating merchants, and use them to claim a special reward. More information: https://www.visitwestchesterny.com/things-to-do/dining/craft-beverages/trail/
Sign Up for Vermont’s Weekly Fall Foliage Report
Spacious Skies Campgrounds provide a great home base to experience Maine’s fall foliage.
Vermont is world renowned for its fall foliage. Vermont fall colors usually start in early to mid-September in the higher elevations and in the northern part of the state, moving into the valleys and southern parts of Vermont as September turns to October. The Vermont Tourism foliage report tracks the progression and provides itineraries, events, attractions, and more ways to experience the season. (Subscribe: https://vermontvacation.com/vermont-seasons/fall/fall-foliage-report/)
Plan a scenic drive along a river to see the foliage reflecting off the water and drive over a mountain pass connecting historic downtowns. Scenic Vermont Byways and toll roads open to expansive mountain vistas painted in fall colors. Apple orchards, pumpkin picking, scenic chairlift rides, corn mazes, farm or creemee stands, and historic downtowns round out a day touring around the Green Mountains. (https://vermontvacation.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas-itineraries/scenic-drives/)
Make Topnotch Resort, Stowe, Your Base
Make your leaf-peeping a real getaway with a stay at Topnotch Resort, in Stowe, Vermont for the ultimate foliage experience, the Stowe-liage Foliage Package.
Make your leaf-peeping a real getaway with a stay at Topnotch Resort, in Stowe, for the ultimate foliage experience: the Stowe-liage Foliage Package (from $279) includes a $100 nightly resort credit, essentially paying for your meals while enjoying Mt. Mansfield views from the heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi. (Travel dates through Sept. 30 and Oct. 14-Nov. 30).
Other tips to enhance your getaway: Book spa treatments during peak afternoon hours when trails are most crowded. Play tennis or pickleball on Topnotch’s outdoor courts which affords a stunning fall foliage backdrop. Take the flat, paved 5.3-mile Stowe Recreation Path from behind Topnotch for unobstructed mountain views without traffic. Festival timing: Plan a stay around the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival (Oct. 8-10) for peak color plus local artisans, or catch the quirky Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival (Sept. 26) for family fun. Book midweek for best rates and fewer tourists on popular activities like guided brewery tours and scenic boat charters.
Spacious Skies Campgrounds Provide Home Base for Exploring Fall Festivals Throughout the East
Spacious Skies Campgrounds has 15 locations along a Fall Color Trail, with many festivals timed for peak foliage.
BERNARDSVILLE, N.J. – With 15 locations throughout the East, Spacious Skies Campgrounds are located within an easy drive of an array of fall festivals, from celebrations of fall harvest to books, films, arts, brews and history.
Spacious Skies Minute Man, Littleton, Mass.:Salem Haunted Happenings Festival, Oct. 1-31. This annual festival takes place in New England’s most notorious witch-centric location, Salem, Mass. Included are a grand parade, artists, costume balls, haunted houses, live music and theatrical presentations.
Spacious Skies Country Oaks, Dorothy, NJ: Smithville Oktoberfest, Oct. 4-5. The historic town of Smithville stages a two-day Oktoberfest featuring crafters, food, music and kids’ activities like carousel rides.
Spacious Skies Shenandoah Views, Luray, Va.: Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, Oct. 25. Marking its 52nd anniversary this year, the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival features musicians, moonshiners, craftspeople, cooks, motorheads, mule jumpers, horse pullers, coon dog racers, antique tractor buffs and old-time gamers for a celebration of the rich heritage and traditions of the region.
Spacious Skies Savannah Oaks, Savannah, GA:Savannah Film Festival, Oct. 25 – Nov. 1. Marking its 25th year, this festival at the Savannah College of Art and Design attracts 50,000 to see the work of emerging student filmmakers while well-known directors, actors and producers come to accept awards and discuss their craft.
Many of the Spacious Skies Campgrounds offer alternative accommodations for travelers who don’t own RVs, including cabins, yurts, tent sites and at select locations, retro trailers.Spacious Skies has also partnered with RV Share so would-be campers and glampers can rent RVs in each location or rent RVs that they can drive from place to place.
Travelers who are members of the Spacious Skies Loyalty Program – called Cosmic Campers – receive a 12 percent discount on all RV site, cabin and glamping reservations, including holidays. The annual fee to join the program is $31.90, and enrollment is quick and convenient online.
Forget the summer gridlock. The real story of America’s national parks is told in September and October, during the “secret season.” This is when the crowds disappear, the weather is perfect and the landscapes transform. The post-Labor Day slump is a traveler’s dream. With schools back in session, parks like Zion, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are no longer at peak capacity. This means a more intimate and enjoyable experience. The intense summer heat subsides, making hiking and outdoor activities not just possible, but genuinely pleasant. Think crisp, cool air and golden sunshine. Wildlife, in general, is more active in the cooler temperatures, providing unparalleled viewing opportunities. Here are a handful of great national park vacation ideas.
Saddle and Paddle Yellowstone: Flying Pig Adventures’ three-night Yellowstone tour gives guests the opportunity to experience the park like never before. The thrill of witnessing one of nature’s most iconic environments, tackling rough terrain on horseback, and battling class III rapids in a raft cannot be found anywhere else. From fly fishing to horseback rides and Yellowstone whitewater, guests will be talking about this unique experience for years to come.
Cycle Glacier National Park: The Big Sky meets six days of big smiles on Escape Adventures’ epic Going-to-the-Sun Road bike trip in Glacier National Park. Based in Montana’s 1,583-square-mile Glacier National Park, with its 375 historic properties and six historic landmarks, riders will cycle into some of North America’s most breathtaking landscapes, including Going-to-the-Sun Road. At each stop, each slow pass, guests will learn a little more about the ”Crown of the Continent” ecosystem.
Alaska Fjord Explorer: On Adventure Life’s Kenai Explorer tour, spend seven days amid the breathtaking landscape and wildlife of Kenai Fjords National Park and Seward, Alaska. Enjoy nature walks and paddling from a beachfront lodge with glacier views, keeping an eye out for wildlife like whales, Steller sea lions, otters, puffins and more, then visit the coastal town of Seward and go dogsledding or step on nearby Exit Glacier. Finish with an Alaska Rail ride to Anchorage.
Wyoming Cowboy Retreat: At Ranchlands’ 80,000-acre Paintrock Canyon Ranch, guests will immerse themselves in ranch life, explore the surrounding areas on horseback, fly fish, hike and experience the unique landscape of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. Accommodations are designed for guests to be as close to nature as possible, but with all the comforts of home. Large, safari-style tents are stylishly furnished with full-sized beds, bedside tables, dressers and chairs. Meals are prepared by a private chef and incorporate Ranchlands’ beef, local produce and dairy whenever possible. The ranch makes a great basecamp for a Yellowstone National Park adventure.
Bryce & Zion by MTB: Soaring red spires and ancient citadels of rich Navajo sandstone give way to haunting hoodoos and curving rock arches – a geologist’s dream and a mountain biker’s paradise. The rides on this six-day Escape Adventures tour offer swift lines that wind through deep alpine meadows and aspen forests only to spill out onto wide mesas and buttes. The world-famous trails of Red Canyon’s Thunder Mountain, Cassidy and Casto Canyon symbolize but a few of this tour’s many highlights.
Grand Teton Glamping: Fireside Resort offers luxuriously outfitted tiny house rental units designed by Wheelhaus a short distance from Grand Teton National Park, making it the perfect basecamp for summer adventures. Experience the thrill of whitewater rafting, enjoy beautiful scenery and wildlife while hiking through the Tetons or revel in the wonder of Yellowstone National Park’s geothermal features.
Arizona Ranch Getaway: Step back in time at White Stallion Ranch, outside Tucson, Arizona, on the edge of Saguaro National Park. Originally built in the 1900s as a cattle ranch, the True family has been welcoming guests to White Stallion for 60 years. While there, enjoy horseback riding, hiking, fat-tire biking, shooting, archery, a weekly rodeo, charming accommodations, Southwestern dining and more with the towering cactuses of the Sonoran Desert as the backdrop.
Colorado National Parks Road Trip: AdventureGenie is the ultimate co-pilot for planning a perfect road trip to Colorado national parks. As the world’s first AI-powered, end-to-end road trip planner, AdventureGenie makes it easier and more exciting than ever to discover the Centennial State. Colorado is more than just the Rocky Mountains – the state is richly diverse with deep canyons, rolling sand dunes, glistening rivers and expansive rolling plains. From accessible trails to hikes of various distances and difficulties and amazing scenic drives, these five Colorado national parks are full of geographical marvels and prehistoric wonders.
Big Sky Luxury Adventure: In Big Sky, Montana, The Wilson Hotel serves as a home base for adventure year-round. In fall, golden aspens and cottonwoods light up the mountainsides and river bottoms, and there are opportunities to hike, bike, fish or watch for wildlife in the forestlands near town and Yellowstone National Park. At the end of the day, The Wilson offers accommodations that blend modern comfort with Montana style just steps from dining at Block 3 Kitchen & Bar and more in Big Sky Town Center.
E-Bike Tour of Canyonlands: Utah’s 100-mile White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park comes on like a natural rollercoaster, looping in and out of a multicolored spires, arches, buttes and mesas carved by the Green and Colorado Rivers. A primitive trail framed by blooming cactuses below and snowcapped mountains above, the White Rim Trail loops around and below the Island in the Sky mesa and provides expansive views of the surrounding area. Guests will spend the majority of this four-day mountain biking and camping tour riding the famous off-road route, while detouring to admire secret passages, hidden slot canyons, natural rock arches and ancient Puebloan ruins.
Utah Hut-to-Hut Adventure: Discover the Aquarius Trail Hut System, an unparalleled e-bike adventure in Utah’s stunning color country. This unique trail stretches from Brian Head Peak through picturesque locations like Panguitch, Bryce and Escalante. Along the way, modern huts provide essential amenities, including solar-powered kitchens, comfortable sleeping arrangements and bike repair tools, ensuring a perfect blend of rugged exploration and convenient comfort.
Grand Canyon’s North Rim: Escape Adventures invites adventurers and families to discover the cool, high-altitude sanctuary of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on an unforgettable five-day mountain biking and camping expedition. Revered by hikers and cyclists for its breathtaking vistas and gently rolling, lung-expanding terrain, the North Rim offers a unique and less-crowded perspective of this natural wonder.
A travel adventure is the ideal time to shop for wardrobe items, accessories, equipment, and especially the gear to enhance the experience – whether for some sport, activity, climate, wellness, some occasion or packability. These specialized items also make for fabulous gifts that will really be appreciated. Here are some of the items that have come to our notice:
Knog Bilby 400 Headlamp
Knog Bilby 400 Headlamp ($71.99) has been designed for serious outdoor adventure and is powerfully bright, tough, and intuitive. Featuring a powerful beam that reaches up to 100 meters and a boost mode for when you really need to light things up.
Timberland Eyewear TB00035:These new bio-injected, full-rim sunglasses from Timberland feature a stylish rectangular shape and a new innovative design. With Timberland accents and available polarized lenses, the new TB00035 frame is made of 80% bio-based materials.
Adidas SP0110 Sunglasses
Adidas SP0110 Sunglasses: Removable side shields boost sun protection from every angle, while a smart ventilation system along the front and temples keeps airflow steady and vision clear, even at peak effort. Adjustable temples and nose pads provide a personalized fit, and grippy tips ensure all-day comfort.
Adidas’ new ANEMOS sunglasses, weighing just 23 grams, are ultra-light while providing stability and clarity. Bold temples and rubberized tips ensure a secure fit while a 9-hole ventilation system prevents fogging.
Adidas’ all-new DUNAMIS EVO is engineered for superior stability and comfort. This updated design features a sleek curved mask and an internal top bar for a more secure fit, while adjustable nose pads and grippy temple tips ensure all-day hold on any terrain. The DUNAMIS EVO is now also available in a smaller size, offering the same high-performance design tailored for narrower faces.
Le Bent Nuyarn Ultralight Hoodie
Le Bent Nuyarn Ultralight Hoodie – Men’s and Women’s ($160): The Feathertop Ultralight Hooded Long Sleeve Tee is made for year round comfort. Le Bent partnered with Nuyarn® to create best-in-class breathability and performance in a new ultra lightweight 125gm evolved Signature Merino Blend that sees raw bamboo combined with twist free, technically spun merino wool.
Nuyarn Merino Sprint Tee by Artilect – Women’s Shortsleeve & Men’s Shortsleeve ($90): Superior 115GSM Nuyarn merino fabric offers extra loft. 5x faster drying. Remarkable long-term durability. Nuyarn Speed-Lite is spun in a bluesign accredited facility. Superfine 18 micron non-mulesed Australian merino wool for maximum softness and wearability. No chafe flatlock seams. Incredible stretch and recovery.
Mission Workshop Stahl LT Lightweight Short ($178): Stahl LT shorts are made in NYC from a lightweight fabric offering 4-way stretch, water repellency, and moisture-wicking properties. This fabric stands up to the abrasion, sweat and mud that comes with vigorous hours on the trails.
FORLOH Insect Shield® SolAir Hooded Long Sleeve ShirtWomen’s and Men’s ($109): 100% USA sourced and made, the SolAir Hoodie is a warm-weather shirt that features Insect Shield® long-lasting protection against mosquitoes and ticks without any odor, UPF 50+ sun protection and FORLOH’s brrr® Pro cooling technology to cool the skin.
Outdoor Vitals Dragonwool Hoodie ($95): Nuyarn DragonWool combines patented no-spin merino wool and a jersey-face polyester to create the most advanced performance fabric to be used in a hoodie baselayer. Quick drying, odor resistant and breathable, 1/3 length zipper, thumbholes, drop back to protect when sitting, UPF 50+. Dries 4x faster than merino wool with the synergistic weave of DragonWool combining jersey-face polyester with patented merino wool. 200 GSM.
Nocs Provisions Zero Tube
Nocs Provisions Zero Tube($175) is the smallest, lightest and most durable way to see more without weighing him down. Whether hiking, fishing or just taking in the view, this compact powerhouse delivers crisp, clear optics with ED glass, fully multi-coated lenses and BaK4 prisms. Built to handle anything, it’s waterproof (IPX7), fog-proof, and impact-resistant.
Helinox Speed Stool ($94.95):With a packed weight of only one pound, the Speed Stool is made to be taken everywhere, whether backpacking, birding, or hiking. Highlights: No assembly required, sturdy, and super compact.
Helinox Chair Zero ($139.95): Weighing just 1lb 1 oz, the Chair Zero is the lightest camping chair available. The award-winning design delivers strength, comfort, and support when the weight of your pack is everything,
Mission Workshop Hauser Hydration Pack ($270): A complete weatherproof hydration pack designed to go anywhere in all conditions keeping your gear secure and dry. The hydration pack has a total of four weatherproof exterior pockets to provide easy access to gear, and the included tool-roll is fully removable and organizes all of the essentials. A series of external straps can be deployed to hold gear. Also available in size 14L.
tiibo Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle17oz and 23oz ($34.95+): Lightweight, double-wall vacuum stainless steel insulation keeps drinks cold or hot for hours and fits most universal bottle cages and cup holders. Food-grade 304 stainless steel insulated bottle, BPA-free polypropylene (food-grade plastic) cap, food-grade silicon nozzle and tube.
‘Eco-Minded Goods’
Coalatree is a camping brand with an eco-conscious focus and everything from UV-protected clothes to blankets that turn into jackets. The company’s slogan is “Eco-Minded Goods”
Baseline Midlayer from Coalatree ($109): Enjoy hiking and exploring the great outdoors as temperatures start to drop with Coalatree’s soft fleece jacket that’s great for layering.Used coffee grounds are mixed and melted with recycled plastic bottles to create the fibers for its innovative baseline midlayer.Unlike other fleece garments, the baseline does not shed microplastics when washed. This eco-friendly layer saves millions of tiny plastics from contaminating our ecosystems.
Coalatree Trailhead Pants
Coalatree’s Trailhead Pants ($99) are waterproof, tear-resistant, antimicrobial and stretchy. Coalatree strives to use sustainable materials throughout the production process, including recycled coffee grounds. They come in seven colors and two pant widths (unisex + size inclusive). Coalatree sells over 12,000 pairs of trailhead pants a year.
Coalatree’s Puffy Kachula Adventure Blanket ($119): Bring this functional, puffy blanket with you on your next adventure. A blanket, a pillow, a cold weather poncho, a sleep sack, and more. It’s the most snuggle-soft and versatile puffy blanket out there. Surplus fabric from the Kachula blankets are repurposed into warm, waterproof blankets, and through that collaboration, Coalatree has distributed hundreds of blankets to the needy.
Travel Clothes for Men That Feel as Good as They Look
Whether you’re catching a flight or hitting the road, travel days call for outfits that blend comfort with functionality.
GTFO Travel Pant
NEW! GTFO Travel Pant($139): One pant. Any destination. The GTFO Travel Pant packs down to nothing, wears easy, and moves fast. Ultra-light, military-grade stretch nylon resists abrasion, repels water, and dries in a flash. Wrinkle-Free Performance – Body-heat activated, so you stay sharp on the move. Versatile Wear – dresses up or down—go from the airport to a night out with ease. Frustration-Free Fit – Pre-shrunk and built for all-day comfort. And when the heat turns up, GTFO Short delivers the same performance in a cut built for warmer days.
Outset Shorts by NOMATIC ($99.99) have comfort, stretch and function all in one – great on the long road trip drive. They are designed for all-day movement and versatility, using a durable, warp-knit polyester that stretches without relying on spandex or elastic—meaning long-term shape retention and no sagging. The fabric is breathable, wrinkle-resistant, and built with a 4-way stretch fabric. Whether you’re exploring the city or on the move outdoors, these shorts are built to perform and stay sharp. Key features include:Stretch-Tech waistband; 4-Way Stretch; Wrinkle-Resistant; No-Spill Pocket; Hidden side Zippered Pocket; “Water/ Stain-Resistant; Available in 7” and 9”
Cascade Sandal by Protalus ($135, available on Amazon): Whether you are running to your gate or getting a few extra steps in before your 6+ hour flights, the Cascade sandals provide proper whole-body alignment with its patented insole technology. Featuring a deep heel cup, the Cascade Sandal offers exceptional shock absorption and support for optimal alignment, ensuring reliable pain relief with every step. This sandal is a versatile companion for travel, beach time, and everyday excursions, available in black, brown, silver, and taupe. With sizes for men and women, the footwear and insoles are integrated for maximum comfort, cushioning, and stability.
Fashion that Promotes Wellness
Forme is a human performance company that designs FDA-registered posture-correcting wearables to improve alignment, performance, and recovery. Forme’s wire- and sensor-free wearables utilize a patented construction of lightweight, multidirectional tensile materials to engage muscle memory for biofeedback and instant proprioception. The patented technology enables the body to relearn its optimal spatial alignment, helping to keep your back straight, reduce pain and stiffness, and improve your physical function. After Taylor Swift was seen wearing Forme’s Power Bra, sales jumped 400%, to over 500,000 customers. This huge milestone is why Forme has ranked in the top 5% of Inc.’s Fastest Growing Companies in America this year.
The latest innovation from Forme, is the Power+ Bra, a game-changer in sports bras designed not just for support, but for whole-body alignment. Building on the success of the original Power Bra, the Power+ Bra features enhanced structure, improved support zones, and upgraded posture-correcting technology to deliver even more powerful performance and recovery benefits.
Power+ Bra by Forme
*NEW* Power+ Bra by Forme® ($208) was designed with comfort in mind. Powered by Forme’s patented posture-correcting technology, the Power+ Bra features the same flattering silhouette you love, now with awider underarm opening to allow more freedom and flexibility, and discreet removable paddingfor all-day support and no-show confidence. Forme’s wire- and sensor-free wearables utilize a patented construction of lightweight tension panels to to help correct posture. The patented technology helps you keep your back straight, reduce pain and stiffness, and improve your physical function. Available in Chocolat in sizes XS to 3X
“It’s fashionable, the long-line and wide strap style is very flattering even for those of us with heavier arms,and the back mesh panels are structured ina way that it actually does make you stand up straight when wearing it,” our reviewer notes.
Forme’s Power Bra ($178): Try out the iconic posture correcting sports bra Taylor Swiftwore while rehearsing for the Eras Tour! Embedded with posture correcting wearable technology, the six varied tension fabrics and eight double-fabric panels help with both fashion and function. Forme’s posture bra has patented technology inside that transforms and trains your body to develop muscle memorythat allows you to walk, sit, and stand with great posture effortlessly.
In addition to the new Power+ Bra, Forme has also launched Revive Bra. With a higher neckline than the Power Bra, it offers the strongest upper body support and is recommended among their three styles for musculoskeletal health benefits and posture related disorders.
Sculpt+ Legging ($118) is an FDA-registered posture corrector designed to support your lower back, core, and glutes throughout your day. Engineered with a patented multi-panel, high-rise waistband, it activates muscle memory in key areas to promote alignment, enhance stability, and relieve pain. Designed for movement, it delivers the support athletes need and the comfort you want—making it a true core essential for training, travel, and recovery. (Available in multiple colors and sizes XS to XXL)
Arch Booster Sock ($29) is a game-changing performance sock designed to support alignment, relieve pain, and keep you comfortably on your feet all day long. Engineered with patent-pending biofeedback technology, it gently trains your foot muscles to support a stronger arch, better balance, and smoother movement, making it a must for anyone dealing with flat feet, heel pain, or everyday soreness. (Available in Black Multi and White Multi in sizes XXS to L)
Together, the products make Forme a one-stop shop for athletic wear that actively improves alignment, posture, and overall wellness.
Forme Boost Shorts
Forme®’s new Boost Shorts ($138) combines the best of their Ergo and Sculpt Shorts withtwo layers of supportive powermesh, a high waistband, and side pockets. It’s designed to improve pelvic tilt, hip alignment and core stability. The high waistband gives gentle compression to shape your midsection and support your glutes, spine, and core all day. Whether you’re working out or on the go, the Boost Short keeps your posture in check and your core engaged.
Ace Tee by Forme ($168) is designed with Forme®’s patented posture correction technology and has a moisture-wicking outer layer and a FormeTech® inner layer designed for alignment correction, whether you’re sitting or standing. Using muscle memory engagement and proprioception training technology, Forme keeps your shoulders back and down. This helps train your body to stay in alignment. When you put the Ace Tee on, the fused section remains tight in order to keep your shoulders pulled back to their natural position, teaching your body and diaphragm to open.
For the Road Warrior
M. Aviann Madrid Driver Moccasins are stylish shoes that keep you looking great whether you’re hopping out for scenic photos or dining at a roadside gem. View the entire collection at M.Aviann – Elegant Handcrafted Shoes for Women.
Keep-Going First Aid Kits
KEEP>GOING Adult First Aid Kit is a must-have a great idea for any road trip, ensuring you’re ready for life’s little mishaps, from minor burns to unexpected scrapes. Packed with 130 essential first aid suppliesin a lightweight, TSA-approved case, this kit is built for travel, offering water- and stain-resistant durability that fits seamlessly into any glove compartment or backpack. Available in six stylish designs, including Star-Spangled, The Traveler, and Jet Black, it’s a road trip essential that keeps you moving no matter what. Plus, There’s also a version for kids, so the whole family can stay safe on the journey. Browse the collection at KEEP>GOING First Aid. (https://www.keepgoingfirstaid.com/ and on Amazon.com).
KeaBabies Baby Travel Set
KeaBabies Baby Travel Set ($90.88)is the ultimate travel trio so parents can conquer road trips with ease. The Baby Wrap Carrier keeps little ones snug and secure, allowing parents to move freely while ensuring baby feels comforted and connected. The Diaper Bag is a game-changer, designed with spacious compartments to keep everything organized so you never have to dig for essentials. When it’s time for a quick change, the Diaper Changing Pad provides a clean, hassle-free surface wherever you are—because blowouts don’t wait for convenient locations. Stylish, durable, and built for busy parents, this set ensures that traveling with your baby is stress-free and full of memories, not messes. (Visit Baby Travel Set [Wrap Carrier + Diaper Bag+ Diaper Changing Pad] – KeaBabies)
Handzies Soap + Water Wipes offer a natural, refreshing clean—no sink required. Individually packaged for easy grab-and-go convenience, these wipes are perfect for keeping hands fresh during long drives, rest-stop meals, and outdoor adventures. Made with pure castile soap, water, and essential oils, they skip the harsh chemicals—no alcohol, BZK, triclosan, artificial perfumes, or dyes—so your family stays clean without irritation. Toss them in your glove compartment, travel bag, or backseat organizer for a road trip essential that keeps every hand fresh and happy. Find Handzies at http://handzies.com/ and on Amazon.com.
GillyGro BasicBackpack ($139, available atAmazon, Target, Walmart,): If you’re camping with little ones, this 5-in-1 backpack will come in handy! It offers a portable napping area, an activity mat for playtime and ample storage space for everything. Backpacks come with a booster for kids with a built-in 5-point seat harness, diaper changing station, insulated bottle pockets, and all the pockets you can imagine for easy access. Other features: itomes in unisex colors; carries a Children’s Product Safety Certificate for the Backpack and was a Parent Picks Award 2025 Winner.
We are out on deck at 7:45 a.m. to watch the weekly weather balloon launch. It’s June but still chilly on a Lake Superior morning. The crew has set out coffee and pastries, upbeat music is playing and the mood is festive as we count down to the launch. Helium carries the balloon up with its precious data collection module, which transmits detailed information back to the U.S. National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. After the launch, guests are invited to the Expedition Central area, where members of the scientific team are on hand to explain and answer questions. It’s exciting to learn that there are synchronous launches collecting data around the world.
This is one of many activities that draws us into the research being performed on-board every day during our 8-day “Undiscovered Great Lakes” cruise, which combines pristine Canadian wilderness with Midwest cities. We set out from Thunder Bay, Ontario in Canada and travel through Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan before ending in Milwaukee, WI.
Viking Cruises has two identical expedition ships—Polaris and Octantis. The ships are actual research vessels that partner with Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and other universities and institutes to contribute data to scientific projects. Both offer itineraries of varying lengths from Antarctica to the Arctic. Each sails with a team of scientists, historians and naturalists who lead explorations and on-board hands-on educational activities, offer lively lectures, and share information about nature and citizen science apps such as iNaturalist and iBird.
My husband and I are drawn to this cruise as it allows us to travel together while exploring at our own paces, sharing some activities and splitting up for others. (My ideal trip is almost non-stop activity; my husband enjoys his downtime.) I love that Viking Polaris has its own fleet of kayaks, Zodiacs and submarines and offers guided hikes and bike rides; he is excited by the chance to experience the high-speed, turn-on-a-dime, military-grade Special Operations Boats. We both look forward to basking in the Nordic Thermal Suite of steam, sauna and snow rooms, the heated pool with a relaxing area with massaging jets, and a traditional “badestamp”, a sheltered outdoor hot tub. And we both love the camaraderie of a small ship and low-key nightlife.
Our cruise departs from Thunder Bay, Ontario. We arrive a day early to explore this nature- and history-rich area on our own. Our home base, Delta Hotels Thunder Bay, is a four-star Marriott with pretty views of the lake from our room and its gastropub. Before arriving, I download the local ride share app, uRide, and we find its drivers reliable and personable.
We arrive in time for dinner and a walk along the waterfront which is dotted with sculptures and art installations. We especially like the trail that winds through Spirit Garden, designed in collaboration with the Anishinaabe and other indigenous cultures with sign posts about the nature and culture of the region. On the horizon, we identify the “Sleeping Giant,” a rock formation across the bay that looks like a reclining giant.
The next morning, we take a guided tour of Fort William Historical Park where costumed reenactors recreate daily life at an 1815 fur trading fort. At an Anishinaabe camp, women talk about how they plant and move with the seasons and insulate their wigwams to keep warm in winter. Inside the Fort, we meet a voyageur, a laborer from Quebec who does the backbreaking work of loading and transporting furs, and chat with the wife of the fort’s director who shows us around her house and talks about the difficulties of frontier life. We spend more than two hours here and we’d like to stay longer, but also want to see Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, which has 130-foot tall falls and easy-to-hike trails.
Back in Thunder Bay, the history and art museums are closed the day we visit, but we get a sense of the vibrant art scene admiring the murals on “graffiti alley” before boarding the Viking Polaris, which is docked about a half mile from our hotel.
We board in time for the orientation, where we learn that fitness tests are required both to go kayaking (the test consists of climbing in and out of the kayak without leaning anywhere that would tip it) and to take a submarine ride (basically the ability to squat). We love that we can attend the daily pre-dinner port talks and all the major on-board lectures either in person in The Aula, an inviting, two-deck auditorium, or on-demand in our cabin.
Our cabin’s sleek wood design feels chic yet super-functional with lots of drawers and closets, plus a special drying closet, and its heated bathroom floor and complimentary, custom-stocked drink fridge and snack drawer are nice touches.
That evening, we dine at World Cafe, the main dining room. Meal choices, surprisingly varied for a ship with only 378 passengers, are served buffet style, including every-night sushi and seafood stations where lobster is always on tap, and “The Grill”, with fresh meats, lobster and fish cooked to order. There is also 24/7 room service, two waiter-service restaurants, and Mamsen’s, a small light-bite eatery that features Norwegian recipes inspired by Viking Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen’s mamsen (mom).
We wake up to find ourselves anchored off Silver Islet in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. We have signed on for a hike along the Sea Lion Trail. Our guide, Tom, whose wife’s family has been on the island for generations, talks about the geology and nature of the area and what it’s like to live in a tiny community with only a handful of year-round residents and a single general store. He notes that the town once supported one of the richest silver mines of the mid-19th century.
We learn more about the silver mine that afternoon on a zodiac trip that stops right over the hauntingly abandoned mine, now fully underwater. We marvel at the creativity and work it took to build an island around an underwater silver deposit and then pump out the water to build mining shafts that descended as far as 384 meters below the surface.
That evening we have reservations we made pre-cruise (allowed once here and in The Restaurant) for Manfredi’s, justifiably known for its excellent Italian dishes; my favorite is steak brushed with porcini mushroom dust. We enjoy the waiter service and we come back twice more and have no trouble being seated.
After dinner, I take off to explore the ship’s many lounges. There’s a trio playing in the Explorer’s Lounge and the game room has a competitive scrabble contest in play. My personal favorite is the Hide Lounge. Here, each evening a different crew member chats about the topic of his/her choice. My favorites were entertaining talks on sailors’ superstitions and legends of the sea. As non-gamblers who tend to watch history and nature shows at home, my husband and I find this ship exactly our style—as do our fellow cruisers.
The next day, we are anchored off Terrace Bay. Our group of six heads out on a Zodiac with Kelly, a geologist, who explains that the terraced shoreline was caused by various glacial retreats, which also allowed the land to rebound from the weight of the glaciers as they melted. He drops us off at Terrace Bay Beach, where we follow a boardwalk along the shore and then hike up to a waterfall and gorge. As we pull out, we spot a bald eagle.
McGarvey Shoal, our destination for the next day, comes with a morality tale of hubris. The luxury yacht Gunilda was shipwrecked here in 1911 because its owner declined to hire a pilot, opting to navigate his own way through this archipelago of low-lying islands. Fortunately no one died, but his boat sank. Exploring the shallows by Zodiac and kayak, it is easy to see how this could happen. In the late afternoon, we take a special ops boat ride that combines a nature tour with a breath-taking demonstration of the boat’s extreme speeds and maneuvering.
We awaken in time to take in Duluth as we sail slowly along the waterfront. Since this is our first U.S. port, we need to pass through U.S. immigration, which amazingly sets up its operation steps from where we dock. After a quick pass through immigration, we join a morning tour of Glensheen Mansion, the art-filled estate of turn-of-the-century Duluth lawyer and legislator Chester Adgate Congdon. His life and wealth reflect the burgeoning mining, trade and brewing of his times.
It’s an easy walk from the ship to the Lake Superior Maritime Museum and the William A. Irvine Ore Boat Museum. We have signed on for a walking tour which provides a historic overview but does little more than take us to the two museums. In hindsight, I would have skipped the tour and explored the waterfront and museums on my own, and perhaps have added the nearby Great Lakes Aquarium, which a fellow passenger raved about.
Thanks to the Soo Locks, ships don’t have to run the rapids to safely navigate the 21-foot drop from Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Passing through the lock is an experience no one wants to miss. Since the timing is unpredictable, we have a full day “at sea.” I had worried that I’d be restless, but with expedition center activities, tours of the laboratory and The Hanger (where the water toys are stored and dispatched), and an indulgent visit to the spa, the day goes way too quickly.
I spend almost an hour at the Expedition Center, where I learn that the ship scientists collect phytoplankton, the basis of the entire food chain. A fascinated handful of us watch them dance around on a microscope slide whose image is projected on a big screen, and a few of us attempt to isolate one with a pipette. Then, touring the lab, I learn about the micro-plastics and bio-diversity studies the ship participates in and see the lab that analyzes the DNA of phytoplankton—like the one we tried to capture with a pipette.
We spend the next day in Mackinac Island where Viking offers bike tours and a lunch/tour at the Grand Hotel. We opt for a horse-drawn carriage ride and learn how the island was transformed from a military fort and trading stronghold to a tourist town. Later,we walk around, stopping into a few of the 17 fudge shops along the town’s main street. We arrive back at the ship in time to compete in a trivia contest and I savor one last swim and sauna before dinner.
All too quickly, we find ourselves disembarking in Minneapolis and headed to the airport. Back home, we feel an almost mystical connection with the natural and human forces that formed and continue to re-form the Great Lakes and are looking at our local landscapes and wildlife with new eyes.
The Basics:Viking Cruises offers expedition cruises of the Great Lakes varying in length from eight to 17 nights between late May and mid-September. Prices for the 8-night “Undiscovered Great Lakes” cruise start at around $6,995 per person and include a land or shore excursion in every port including those on kayaks, zodiacs & special operations boats (with any needed gear such as dry suits for kayaking provided), port fees, gratuities, beer, wine & soft drinks with meals, access to the Nordic Spa and fitness center, self-service laundry, 24-hour room service, and more. Submarine excursions are $499 per person; pre- and post- tours and additional land excursions are available at added cost.
By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Within days of uprooting from downtown Philadelphia and acquiring the 33-acre Annadel Estate Vineyard and Winery in California’s Sonoma wine country, Katie Honey and Dan Whalen found themselves fighting wildfire that threatened to consume the century-old farmhouse and vineyard. For days, they battled the Glass Fire that ultimately destroyed a cottage, structures, melted the vineyard drip lines, and scorched fields. “We fought the fires ourselves,” she relates during our recent wine-tasting tour.
That was 5 years ago, and they have brought their entrepreneurial talent and passion for wine to rebuild, replant and remake the 1880s winery. They restored the vineyard, added a flower farm, orchard and bee hives, and converted the historic structures into an intimate wine-tasting and indoor/outdoor wedding and events venue, as well as making Annadel their family home. Want to feel like a Sonoma local? Annadel even offers a few cozy accommodations where you can stay for a month or more.
With hundreds of wineries and wine-tasting venues throughout Sonoma and Napa valleys, Annadel Estate stands out for its charm and intimacy – and fine wine. Wine-tasting is by reservation only, and limited to six guests at a time, sitting around a table in a small cottage. And so we are buzzed in through a gate and immediately fall under Annadel’s spell.
We are greeted by Katie Honey, the co-owner and entrepreneur with her husband Dan Whalen, who ushers us to a gorgeous table set out with a platter of delectable cheeses, fruits and crackers to complement the four wines we taste.
As we sample the 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, Katie recounts the story of the Annadel Estate Winery – interesting to be sure, but we find how the wine enthusiasts came to be viticulturists even more storied.
Katie, who was born and raised on the prairie of Saskatchewan, Canada to three generations of farmers, brings a professional background consulting on events planning and logistics and Dan, a New Jersey native, runs a tech company. She describes themselves as wine appreciators and passionate gastronomists before they were wine producers. In fact, they are trained sommeliers who would come to Sonoma and Napa three and four times a year for tastings. They even were married here in Sonoma Valley.
Katie and Dan apply their professional backgrounds, their entrepreneurial bent and personal passions, combined with the terroir, history, and classical estate characteristics of the property, to build a sustainable, socially conscious business around creating wines and curating experiences.
They were very familiar with Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere) and where they wanted to source grapes for the wines they wanted to produce, supplementing their own vineyard production with contracts for blocs at other vineyards.
Business expertise and sustainability are key issues considering Annadel’s long history: the winery was established in 1880 by German immigrants Henry and Anna Bolle. By the late 1880s, the once 545-acre property was producing nearly 50,000 gallons of wine a year, which would equate to a harvest of about 300 tons from 90-acres of vineyards.
Over the 140 years, the Estate has transferred ownership multiple times, been divided and sub-divided into smaller parcels. With Prohibition on the horizon (coinciding with the winery burning down), it ceased being a winery in 1910 and from 1949-1961, was a turkey ranch. Ultimately, with the rise of Sonoma Valley as a premium, world-class wine-producing region, it has been restored to growing grapes and creating wine.
“Sonoma has a perfect climate – warm, dry, hot days, cool evenings and mornings,” Katie tells us, as we savor the 2023 Reserve Chardonnay.
She describes their wine-making style as “Old World” (think Italy and France). They prefer to harvest early, so the grapes have lower sugar, brighter acid, and then age the wine in 100% new French oak barrels “to round out, soften” the flavor.
That’s what I notice in the wines we taste – a rounded, smooth, full flavor.
The 2023 Annadel Estate Reserve Chardonnay we taste is from Gap’s Crown Vineyard grapes.
The tasting notes describe it best: “The nose shows candied ginger, orange blossom, crisp Bartlett pear, and exotic high tones of tuberose. The mouth leads with crunchy green apple, lemon curd, and a whisper of lilac. The mouth is both soft and focused giving length and freshness.”
We thoroughly enjoy the 2022 Reserve Pinot Noir, the grapes from the coveted Durrell Vineyard (the contracts are hard to come by). It is robust, bright, has good balance, a fruit forward flavor. “This is a floral wine where you will get wafts of dark cranberry and tart cherry, a fuse of sandalwood with perfume and grace. The mouth is round and bright with red cherry and pipe tobacco which provide a complex and beautiful finish.”
Katie notes simply, “Some pinots can be funky, earthy, but this has a nice profile. It’s not too anything.”
The secret ingredient to Annadel’s success has to be Drew Damskey, their wine maker. Drew’s roots run deep in the Napa and Sonoma vineyards, where three generations of his family has been growing and crafting wines. Drew, who the San Francisco Chronicle named “a Winemaker to Watch”, and earned a coveted place on VinePair’s 50 List which celebrates the professionals who are changing the drinks space, is a partner in Suara Wine Company and serves as a consultant winemaker for several highly sought-after brands including Annadel.
“The same grapes may produce a flavor profile, but the artistic difference comes from the wine master, aging, and oak barrels,” Katie tells us. “Our goal isn’t to taste the same every year. We do what the year gives us.”
We take our glass of 2022 Estate “Chevy B’ Red Blend, with 57% Merlot, as we stroll the vineyards and tour the venues.
Katie remarks that the movie, “Sideways” temporarily tanked the popularity of Merlot because it seemed the lead character didn’t like Merlot, when actually, he was bitter because Merlot is what he would drink with his ex-wife.
But Annadel fashioned their “Chevy B” after the legendary 1961 Chateau Cheval Blanc, from the Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux, considered one of the greatest wines in Bordeaux history.
So, Katie says with a smile, Annadel’s version is called American ‘Chevy B’ (they couldn’t use ‘Chateau Blanc’), and puts an image of a 1957 Chevy on the label.
The 2022 Estate ‘Chevy B’ Red Blend proves to be my favorite of the four tastings. The tasting notes describe it as “Blueberry pie with warm crust first pop from the glass followed by juicy summer plum, ground clove, and touch of sage. The mouth starts with a little menthol and cigar box, but swings to black cherry, rose, and a hit of game. Wet pea gravel, mixed dark fruit, and dried herbs define the soft yet serious finish.”
We walk through the vineyard. The oldest bloc here is from 1997, most of the vines were planted by 2001; the Pinot Noir vines were planted in 2017. “Old vines,” she says are 30-40 years old.
The grapes are picked at different times – dictated by weather conditions and even forecast.
“Drew, our winemaker, calls the pick, then the grapes go to the crusher.”
It is interesting to learn about some of the intricacies of cultivating the grapes, harvesting, and the practice of “whole cluster fermentation”, where the grapes are left on the stem, then go through a de-stemmer. “It adds more flavor complexity to the wine.”
Annadel continue the tradition of planting roses at the front of the row – the rose plants provide early indication of infestation and disease before the vines show it; also, in the days when livestock was used, the rose bush prevented them from turning too soon and pulling down the post.
“Wine making is so seeped in tradition,” she says.
Every season, every harvest brings its own drama. For example, “If there is frost, you have to immediately call the insurance company.” One such frost hit as Katie was in labor with her daughter.
Their entrepreneurial bent- and strategy to make their business sustainable – supplementing the winery which produces some 1,235 cases of wine – is shown in their flower production – actually restoring a tradition. Annadel Estate Winery has been cultivating species of David Austin roses and hydrangeas since the 1880s. Katie and Dan have since planted three acres of roses and purchased 400-500 new rose bushes, selling to major vendors in San Francisco, and enabling the estate to maintain two fulltime farmworkers.
They also have planted a fruit orchard, olive grove and have their own bee hives.
As we come to the small fruit orchard, we look up at the blackened trees on a hillside just across a road at the edge of their property, and she tells their harrowing story of fighting the Glass Fire. They lost a cottage, some 13,000 sq. ft of structures, and had to replace 200 plants.
But they were able to save the 1900 horse barn, which they converted into a charming indoor venue for weddings and special events; where the original winery stood is now the outdoor venue, with the stone walls as a perimeter. (They provide planners with a list of preferred vendors.)
This part of Annadel’s business is managed by Emily Todd Rodriguez, a wine country native whose background includes a three Michelin star restaurant, The Restaurant at Meadowood, boutique family-owned wine brands like Saintsbury and Amulet Estate, and managing logistics for Napa Valley Vintners events.
Back in the tasting room, we savor Annadel’s 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: “Sweet dark fruits and pipe tobacco leap out of the glass, blue berry compote and clove emerge, followed by very juicy dark fruit and vanilla. The mouth is juicy and the tannins are supple there is mocha and grilled plum on the finish with soft tannins.”
The personalized, 75-minute wine-tasting experience ($75) is by reservation only and limited to six guests per party, and is what distinguishes Annadel. (Larger groups can be accommodated in the indoor event venue.)
“We emulate what we learned as wine tasters,” Katie says. “We curate the experience – we ask what people want to do.” Because of that, they are particularly family-friendly. (Tastings are offered M-F, 10am – 3pm, S-S: 9am – 2pm).
Has being a producer from a wine connoisseur changed their relationship to wine? “We appreciate it more. Wine doesn’t just grow out of ground.”
The biggest surprise? “Though everyone is in competition, how generous and collaborative the industry is.” This was especially the case after the fire. “People we just met took us into their home.”
BeautifulPlaces Offers Short-Term Stays at Private Villas for Wine Country’s Harvest Season
Harvest season (August-October) is an exciting time of year in Northern California’s wine country when grapes are picked and crushed, and many wineries celebrate the season with harvest parties, dinners and fun hands-on experiences like grape stomps.
For foodies, the harvest brings extra special culinary experiences as restaurants and private chefs use the bounty of farm-fresh ingredients to create special menus and delicious dishes.
BeautifulPlaces is a source of villa rentals available for wine-country-themed getaways with onsite vineyards or vineyard views.
BeautifulPlaces is a source of villa rentals available for wine-country-themed getaways with onsite vineyards or vineyard views (minimum three-night stay). Visitors can rent villas with vineyards or vineyard views for as few as three nights to partake of wine harvest-related festivities throughout Napa and Sonoma, where there are hundreds of wineries to choose from.
Among them: Casa Sebastiani, historic 6-bedroom Italian villa and homestead of the Sebastiani Family in downtown Sonoma with adjacent vineyards at $1,800/night; Villa Nel Bosco, 3-bedroom Tuscan-style villa on a small vineyard at $1,495/night; Sunset View, 3-bedroom wine country vineyard retreat at $2,100/night; Twilight Ridge, 5-bedroom contemporary home with vineyard at $2,100/night.
When broken down per room, per night, private villa experiences are often more affordable than booking multiple accommodations at a hotel, with the added benefit of living space and kitchen and dining facilities – an ideal option for couples traveling together and multi-generational groups.
Award-winning BeautifulPlaces is a pioneer in hotel-style hospitality and property management in private residences. The company has over 21 years experience in the luxury villa industry in Napa and Sonoma, California and the Virgin Islands, and soon in Santa Barbara, Kauai and Costa Rica.
Visit the BeautifulPlaces website to view villa rental retreats ranging from cozy chic cottages to magnificent hilltop estates, www.beautiful-places.com or call 800-495-9961.
Also, for a limited time, Sonoma County Tourism has a third-night free deal: book two nights at participating properties and your third night is free. (https://www.sonomacounty.com/third-night-free/)
Get more travel planning help from Sonoma County Tourism,800-576-6662 / 707-522-5800, www.sonomacounty.com
