Wild Women Expeditions is hosting multiple departures of two new, distinct itineraries that embrace the blue waters and high-altitude wilderness of Croatia.
CORNER BROOK, NL, Canada– Across the Adriatic Sea from Italy is a sun-splashed shoreline that marks Croatia, sometimes known as Dalmatia. Here in 2019, Wild Women Expeditions will host multiple departures of two new, distinct itineraries that embrace the blue waters and high-altitude wilderness of this secret Riviera.
Kaleidoscopic Croatian Multisport is a 13-day active immersion in nature and culture that promises up to six hours of hiking or four hours each of paddling and cycling most days. Departures in 2019 are May 23, Sept. 1, Sept 22 and Oct.13. The per person (double occupancy) rate of $4,695 includes:
12 nights shared accommodations in locally owned hotels and guesthouses
All breakfasts and lunches and some dinners
Ground transportation from Zagreb to Dubrovnik
Airport transfers on Day 13
All equipment required for activities outlined in the itinerary
All national park or entrance fees required to deliver the activities
English-speaking female lead guide plus support staff
This itinerary begins in Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb, before departing for Kopački Rit Nature Park on the Croatian-Serbian border. During a homestay, guests will prepare dinner and perhaps hear stories about the history of what life was like in Tito’s Yugoslavia before the Balkan states erupted into being in the early 1990s.
Croatia’s pride and joy are its national and nature parks. Kopački Rit Nature Park on the Danube floodplain is dubbed the European Amazon for its rich biodiversity and abundance of bird and wildlife. After exploring this wildest side of Croatia, the itinerary weaves through the mountains, tracing vestiges of Celtic and Roman civilizations en route to Dubrovnik. After hiking in Papuk Nature Park, guests will finish the day by arriving in Samobor to enjoy dinner and kremsnite, a puff pastry with custard cream unique to these high altitudes. Guests will further explore the Sambor Highlands before embarking on a hiking tour the following day through Plitvice Lakes National Park, home to over 16 lakes that cascade from one to the next.
Leaving mountains behind, guests arrive in Split, a 1700-year-old city with the palace of a Roman emperor, Diocletian, dating from 4th century AD. Guests roll up their sleeves to play with clay, making souvenirs with natural elements and tools. Swimming, snorkeling and kayaking follow an overnight on Hvar, one of the countless islands in this region. Guests will then sail to Vis, an island that until 25 years ago housed the largest military base in the former Yugoslavia alongside traditional Dalmatian stone villages, many abandoned.
Before touring Dubrovnik comes a day on bicycles past vineyards, farms and dwellings scarred by war from 1991-1995. A local family hosts a dinner with homemade bread and cheeses, local wines and prosek. They’ll probably embroider stories of the war for independence in the conversation, embroidery that replaces the colorful hand-stitched garments once worn here and that underscores the fragile cultures and customs. Dubrovnik residents in the early 1990s survived for six months on just bread and water as houses and shops were shelled inside 14th-century walls. Today’s Dubrovnik is a high-energy destination. For more details on this itinerary please see https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/kaleidoscopic-croatian-multisport/
Kornati Islands Kayak Adventure is a 10-night itinerary offered in 2019 on June 12 and Sept.12 departures. The per person rate is $4,495 USD for:
10-night accommodations in small hotels, fisherman guest houses, self-catering apartment and on sailboats
All meals
Single or double sea kayaks, the use of skirts, paddles PFD’s, paddling jackets, dry bags and all safety gear
The adventure begins in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast between Split (north) and Dubrovnik (south). This ancient center combines 8th-century religious art with Roman artifacts and Sea Organ, an installation that captures the music of the waves.
One of the least accessible places in Croatia is Kornati National Park that exposes a jagged coastline with a rich submarine eco-system, natural beauty and interesting geomorphology. Guests paddle by bottlenose dolphins and slow-but-lovable loggerhead sea turtles through a labyrinth of small islands, reefs and islets that make up 12 percent of all the islands in the Croatian Adriatic. Cliffs drop steeply to the sea that supports families of fisherfolk who offer hospitality over home-made meals. Written documents from the 10th century confirm one island’s fishing tradition of 1000 years.
In the Šibenik archipelago, a sailboat lends support for an open-sea crossing to a community of 249 islands, of which only six are inhabited. An undiscovered jewel on this archipelago is Zlarin, where, since the 14th century, islanders have been diving for colorful sea corals. A sea paddle to Krka National Park reveals a karst phenomenon with seven travertine waterfalls, numerous endemic endangered species, and over 1000 plant and 225 bird species. Speleology lovers are drawn to some 40 grottoes and pits; others to medieval fortresses, harbingers of the bustle of civilization that lies ahead in the farewell city of Split. For details please see https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/kornati-islands-kayak-adventure/.
Founded in 1991, Wild Women Expeditions is the world’s largest women-only travel company. Its initial focus was on canoeing on remote Ontario waters. Through an unwavering focus on Canada, one of the wildest, most pristine countries in the world, Wild Women Expeditions became experts in a pioneering niche that introduced small groups of women into wilderness settings. The company now hosts guests all over the world, offering more trips and more women-only, backcountry camping, hiking, paddling and horseback adventures than any other women’s travel company in the world.
Tourico Vacations, an online booking engine, is in position to assist in booking trips to the most popular destinations for 2019. Haven’t decided? From European excursions to African and Asian adventures, here are some favorites:
If you’re interested in exploring vast rural landscapes and relaxing in beautifully remote areas, The Isle of Skye in Scotland, and Namibia, Africa, are two of 2019’s top contenders. Namibia’s stunning deserts, massive dunes, shipwrecked coastline, and plethora of diverse wildlife (including desert-adapted lions and elephants) make it an extraordinarily unique area. On the other hand, The Isle of Skye’s lush yet rugged countryside, medieval castles, quaint fishing villages, and relentless historical charm make it equally stunning.
If lounging on empty beaches and uninterruptedly soaking up sun sound like better ways to spend your 2019, choosing between the Andaman Islands in India, and Krabi, Thailand, will be tough. Phulay Bay is a phenomenal luxury resort on the white beaches of Krabi, and the entire area is known for being “still under the radar, uncrowded and peaceful.” The Andaman Islands, however, are known to be “among the world’s top diving destinations,” boasting nearly 600 mostly-uninhabited isles to explore.
If you’re looking for vibrant colorful communities, spectacular food, and special cultural experiences to kick off your 2019, it’s hard to choose between Chengdu, China, and Moscow, Russia. Moscow definitely has the impressive architecture and exchange rates to make the newly revived capital a must-see city. However, Chengdu’s infamous teahouses, colorful wet markets, fashion, culture, and food makes it unmatchable – plus, they have pandas.
Tourico Vacations is an online booking engine designed to provide customers with insider prices on more than 16,000 hotels, 2,000 cruise itineraries, flights, car rentals, vacation packages, and attractions worldwide. In addition to travel services, Tourico Vacations recently introduced Condos, European and American homes, a service offering accommodations at over 4,500 luxury vacation condos worldwide by the week.
CruiseCompete, an online cruise marketplace, is projecting three major trends for cruising in 2019:
Dark Skies Cruising – You do not have to be an astronomer to find a dark sky cruise fascinating.
Research by the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute indicates that 80% of Earth’s land mass suffers from light pollution, and 99% of people in Europe and the USA view a night sky that is obscured by artificial lighting. That being the case, when did you last really take a good look at the night sky and what could you see? You could probably spot the moon, or the Big Dipper if you’re lucky, but opportunities for true constellation admiration are few and far between. Fortunately, designated dark-sky spaces are on the increase, granting stargazers better access to spellbinding panoramas.
Cruising is the ultimate vacation for star-gazing because the open sea affords low light pollution, and some cruise lines have itineraries designed specifically for this purpose. For example, Princess Cruises offers stargazing nights that are led by an astrophysicist.
Or, perhaps you’d like a special kind of star-gazing cruise, one that explores the northern lights. It’s one of those magical experiences on nearly every traveler’s bucket list. You can simplify the logistics of viewing those shimmering colors in the nighttime sky by booking a northern lights cruise. Cunard offers just such an opportunity on their November 2019 12 Night Norway and Northern Lights roundtrip from Southampton.
Exploring your DNA may offer memorable travel that will give treasured connections to family experienced through travel.
According to ABC News, genealogy is the second most-popular hobby in the United States, surpassed only by gardening. The study of our family trees and DNA testing has a universal appeal, because most of us have a history that extends far beyond the nation where we’ve been born and bred.
We live in the information age, which allows us to document our family history with a high degree of accuracy, but does it tell us where we really come from? A true connection to history can only be experienced through travel, where names on paper become real, live people, and foreign locations become ancestral homelands filled with the treasures of family history.
2019 will see a surge in travel that reflects people’s desire to visit the cities and countries that feature prominently in their family history. Ancestry.com, for example, will offer an 11-Day Irish Ancestry Tour that visits Dublin, Cork, County Kerry & Galway in August 2019. This special tour, designed with The Irish Ancestral Research Association, allows for research time in archives/libraries and would be perfectly complemented by a 25 Night British Isles Grand Adventure From Dublin, Ireland to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Or, explore on your own terms with a pre- or post-cruise visit that allows you to study a region in even greater depth. Expand PONANT’sSep 27, 2019 In the Wake of General MacArthur: The Legacy of World War II cruise, with tours of the cities and countries, reflects your personal history.
Would you take a mystery trip? One where you won’t know where you’re going, what you’ll see, where you’ll stay or what you’ll be eating? Earlier this year, Intrepid’s first ever trip of this kind, the Uncharted Expedition, sold out virtually overnight with 10 travelers choosing to journey 3,500 kilometers from Kazakhstan to Mongolia reminiscent of the bygone days of Genghis Khan. Imagine your journey on roads not yet mapped by Google and where there is only intermittent electricity and WIFI, a few cold showers and fermented mares’ milk as a treat along the way!
Also finding favor with seasoned travelers for 2019 is the “mystery cruise”. Saga has one such cruise scheduled, and Fred Olsen has 3 slated this year. The demand for these cruises won’t stop there. Expect them to see a sharp rise in popularity, fueled by people’s sense of adventure and delight in the unknown.
Then there is a different kind of mystery, one deeply spiritual in nature. There are literally hundreds of cruise itineraries that provide access to sacred places– global sites of healing, guidance, and spiritual inspiration. The significance of these hallowed sites cannot be expressed in words or pictures – to understand the sense of awe they invoke, travelers must experience them in person.
CruiseCompete has been a premier online cruise marketplace since 2003, where consumers can come to research and book cruise vacations. They can compare offers, see consumer reviews of agents and agencies responding, then contact travel agents directly for more information and to book cruises. More than 1.5 million users have generated close to 4 million requests from consumers and agents have delivered almost 17 million quotes since 2003. CruiseCompete is a member of the Family Travel Association, a leading authority and resource for family travel information and is home to the Sea Tales 2018 Family Cruise Travel Planner at Travel Resources.
CruiseCompete CruiseTrends™ offers monthly stats for an inside look at consumer trends and what consumers want in cruise vacations.
CruiseCompete has won honorable mention in Travel + Leisure’s “Top 60 Best Apps and Websites for Travelers”. The Wall Street Journal praised CruiseCompete as “Best Cruise Travel Site,” and the site has been reviewed by The New York Times (“independent travel agents compete to offer you the best deal”), The Street (“Score luxury cruises at bargain prices”) and Travel + Leisure, Kiplinger and The Washington Post.
Walking The World offers an 11-day Costa Rican guided walking tour offering natural beauty, wildlife, friendly people, political stability, erupting volcanoes, beautiful beaches, and mysterious rainforests. Tour dates are February 5-15 and March 5-15, 2019.
It’s hard to imagine that there can be such diversity in landforms and wildlife in such a small country. Proportionately, Costa Rica protects more of its land in parks and reserves than any other country in the world. Costa Rica’s parks shelter some of the planet’s most important examples of biological diversity, including 5 percent of all plant and animal species on Earth.
In addition to the amazing hikes on the walking tour adventure, guests will enjoy white water rafting with experienced local guides on the Rio La Balsa, an amazing unexplored world of tropical wilderness in a deep canyon with waterfalls, exotic animals, and tropical birds. Experience the cloud forests from the unique perspective of a series of zip lines in the forest canopy, including a super fun Tarzan Swing and a Superman zip line high above a hidden valley. Cruise the waterways in Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge, considered one of the world’s richest sites for bird watching. Guests will also see monkeys, sloths, caimans, lizards, and bats. And afterwards, a local guide will introduce you to a world of mystic tradition and living nature, demonstrated through dance by members of the indigenous people known as Malekus.
Outside the small town of Fortuna, enjoy a walk through one of the latest lava flows from Volcan Arenal. Also included on the Costa Rica adventure are visits to the Bat Jungle, a frog exhibition, a tour of a coffee farm where you can help pick coffee beans and learn about the process of making brown sugar from sugar cane.
On a visit to the world famous Monteverde Cloud Forest, a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes, you’ll learn about the rainforest ecosystem. The air here is rich with the sounds of birds and the occasional scurrying of small mammals, all punctuated occasionally by the roar of a howler monkey. Walk the sky trams, high above the forest floor, where more than 80% of all rainforest species are found.
Spend your last several days at the lodge on the Nicoya Peninsula, relaxing on the beach, river kayaking, and visiting the beautiful waterfall Tobacco. And there is always the awe inspiring experience of watching sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach.
Space is limited to 14 people.
Since 1987, Walking The World has been designing and leading small group walking tours to more than 30 destinations worldwide.
Tour Dates: February 5-15 and March 5-15, 2019 Price: Rates include a $400/person discount: $2895 USD, Double Occupancy; $3495 USD Single Occupancy Trip Includes: 11 days/10 nights, ground transportation, most meals, all entrance fees & tours, full-time naturalist guide & escort.
Tour Details: https://www.walkingtheworld.com/destinations/costa-rica
Walking The World: www.walkingtheworld.com
Phone: 970-498-0500
Email: [email protected]
BILLINGS, MT – Jan. 17, 2019 – An experienced tour operator expects and prepares for the unexpected. A nimble tour company embraces the unexpected and sees opportunity in alternative planning.
As America’s government shutdown continues to set a record for longevity, Austin Adventures has seen a rise in consumer anxiety during a time many travelers are usually looking to book their spring and summer vacations. Since national parks are a primary focus for the company it is understandable that people are nervous and even holding off on making their vacation plans.
“First and foremost, this latest government shutdown should NOT shut down your vacation plans,” says Dan Austin, founder and director of Montana-based Austin Adventures. “Talking with both alumni travelers and prospective clients on the phone my first advice is to not panic and worry. We’ve seen this before and all will be OK.”
Austin points to a previous 17-day government shutdown in the fall of 2013. “Our itinerary had us visiting Bryce Canyon National Park but it was closed. Unknown to the guests, we had a contingency plan in place to instead visit and explore nearby Kodachrome Basin State Park, an equally awesome geological wonder 20 miles to the east. Many guests said that it was the unexpected highlight of their trip,” explains Austin.
Many of the company’s adventures in and around National Parks of the West take place during the spring, summer and fall. While these trips—other than nervousness in the marketplace—have not been directly impacted by the shutdown, Austin believes that the likelihood of the political impasse dragging on into their spring season is unlikely. However, if need be, they are ready to react should the situation warrant it.
This government shutdown has been a bit different than those in the past. According to the National Parks Conservation Association, “The Department of the Interior directed its staff, including National Park Service staff, to keep national parks as accessible as possible while still obeying the law. This means that approximately a third of our national park sites are completely closed, including places like presidential homes, museums and cultural sites with buildings that can be locked. Gates at many other park sites remain open, but few if any staff are on hand to protect visitors and park resources, and many visitor centers and restrooms remained locked and roads are closed due to weather.”
Austin points out that many parks remain partially open. While this may be good for the public and the gateway communities that rely on park visitors for their livelihood, it also poses certain risks such as the unlawful use of park resources like off-limits camping, harassment of wildlife, off-road driving, trash and vandalism.
“This is where national park travel with a professional tour company can be the best alternative,” points out Austin. “Our veteran guides are naturalists who don’t pass a chewing gum wrapper without picking it up. If a trailhead is closed due to fire damage or aggressive wildlife sightings, we have another option in place. I feel confident that if we are faced with such partial park closures in the future, our groups will adhere to the highest code of back country ethics with our guides sharing and setting positive examples for all.”
“We remain confident the shutdown will end soon, and the parks will get back to their mission established with our first National Park back in 1872: ‘For the enjoyment and betterment of the people’,” Austin said. “Without getting political, the current situation is unfortunate and unnecessary. The only people it is hurting right now are the government employees furloughed and the small businesses in and around our National Parks. But it has also got the public worried about how it might affect their vacation plans.”
The fact remains, suggests Austin, that booking a National Park vacation now may be a great way to put the unrest of our country out of mind. It is more positive to anticipate breathtaking views, stronger family bonds, and invigorating adventure instead.
Lemons really can be made into lemonade. An enthusiastic travel partner of the positive lifestyle brand, Life is Good, Austin Adventures is committed to living out their 10 Super Powers. In the case of dealing with a government shutdown, creativity, openness, humor and optimism have come in handy.
For the sake of the communities, businesses and furloughed National Park Service employees that contribute greatly to the ethos of national parks in the West, Austin Adventures hopes for a swift resolution to this most recent government shutdown.
But in the meantime, the company is open for business and ready to help travelers explore some of America’s most precious parcels of public land.
For more information, questions and trip availability, call 800-575-1540 or email [email protected]. For a full roster of Austin Adventures’ 2019 trips, cruises and distinctive accommodations on seven continents visit www.austinadventures.com.
With just days to go before closing for good on January 27, New-York Historical Society is extending its evening hours for people to see its blockbuster exhibit, Harry Potter: A History of Magic in its final week.
Because of the extraordinary popularity of the exhibit, the museum is staying open until 7 pm most weekdays and until midnight on Friday and Saturday of the final week. Advance booking of the timed-tickets is essential.
Visitors will also receive 10% discount for dinner at Storico, the restaurant within New-York Historical, when they present an exhibition ticket during the last week of its run.
The blockbuster British Library exhibition at New-York Historical Society captures the traditions of folklore and magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories with manuscripts from J.K. Rowling’s personal archives, original illustrations from Harry Potter artists, costumes and set models from the award-winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and centuries-old books, manuscripts, and magical objects from the British Library, New-York Historical, and other museums.
“Harry Potter” is a must-see on so many levels. It isn’t just for fans of J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular series, providing amazing insights into her creative process through glimpses at original hand-written drafts and drawings. It also provides extraordinary insights into the history of magic – the centuries of folklore, myth and legend – that provided the foundation for her stories. You see the original documents and artifacts that Rowling drew on history and tradition (I thought it all came from her imagination, and did not realize everything, even the names she used, had a foundation in history. You also realize how magic and witchcraft actually provided the foundation of science and medicine.
Unique to New York Historical’s presentation—and on public view for the very first time—are Mary GrandPré’s pastel illustrations for the cover of Scholastic’s original editions of the novels; Brian Selznick’s newly created artwork for the covers of the 20th anniversary edition of the Harry Potter series published by Scholastic; cover art by Kazu Kibuishi featured in Scholastic’s 15th anniversary box set; and costumes and set models from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
We spent an entire day at the Historical Society. There are so many fascinating exhibits – some which are permanent, like a collection of Tiffany lamps and a room devoted to everyday objects of old New York that remind you of the Smithsonian, and some exhibits which are temporary and constantly change.
Brittney Cooper and Rebecca Traister Join Irin Carmon on January 23 to Examine Women’s Rage, Women’s Power
Here is more of what is happening at the New-York Historical Society:
EXHIBITIONS Billie Jean King: The Road to 75 LAST CHANCE: Now through January 27, 2019
Presented in honor of her 75th birthday, this exhibition celebrates Billie Jean King through more than 75 photographs depicting her remarkable life and career. A sports icon as well as a lifelong advocate for gender equality and social justice, King lobbied for and obtained equal prize money for women at the US Open in 1973. She is renowned for her celebrated win over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” match on September 20, 1973, and has won an incredible 39 Grand Slams.
Mort Gerberg Cartoons: A New Yorker’s Perspective COMING SOON: February 15 – May 5, 2019
Artist Mort Gerberg grew up with a pencil in his hand, creating cartoons from the time he was a young boy in his native Brooklyn. Illustrated with a sensitivity and humor that have made him beloved by his audiences, his work has been featured in major publications, including the New Yorker and Saturday Review. The 100 cartoons on view in this exhibition cover a range of topics, such as life in New York City, women, youth, old age, and politics.
Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow
Now through March 3, 2019 Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow explores the struggle for full citizenship and racial equality that unfolded in the 50 years after the Civil War. When slavery ended in 1865, a period of Reconstruction began, leading to such achievements as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. By 1868, all persons born in the United States were citizens and equal under the law. But efforts to create an interracial democracy were contested from the start. A harsh backlash ensued, ushering in a half century of the “separate but equal” age of Jim Crow. Opening to mark the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, the exhibition is organized chronologically from the end of the Civil War to the end of World War I and highlights the central role played by African Americans in advocating for their rights. It also examines the depth and breadth of opposition to black advancement. Art, artifacts, photographs, and media help visitors explore these transformative decades in American history and understand their continuing relevance today.
Meditations in an Emergency
Now through April 28, 2019
The New-York Historical Society’s first artist-in-residence, Bettina von Zwehl, presents new works inspired by her study of the Museum’s collection of American portrait miniatures and silhouettes, including profile drawings by Benjamin Tappan (1773–1857). The 17 silhouette portrait photographs of New York City teens—a silent memorial for those who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018—serve as a catalyst to engage viewers with ideas of protest and teen activism. Based in London, von Zwehl is an internationally recognized fine art photographer whose work explores the form and practice of portraiture by drawing upon historical iconography as well as the traditions of painted portrait miniatures and cut-paper silhouettes. Her powerful and intimate photographs honor the past while expanding the boundaries of portraiture.
Betye Saar: Keepin’ It Clean Now through May 27, 2019 Contemporary artist Betye Saar has shaped the development of assemblage art in the United States, particularly as a device to illuminate social and political concerns. A key figure in the Black Arts Movement and the feminist art movement of the 1960–70s, Saar’s distinct vision harmonizes the personal and the political. Over the years, Saar has transformed the representation of African Americans in our culture by recycling and reclaiming derogatory images such as Aunt Jemimas, Uncle Toms, sambos, and mammies to confront the continued racism in American society and create representations of strength and perseverance. This exhibition focuses on one facet of her work—washboards—created between 1997 and 2017. Presented in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery, part of the Center for Women’s History, the exhibition is organized by the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles. Audubon’s Birds of America Ongoing
Visitors have the unique experience of viewing John James Audubon’s spectacular watercolor models for the 435 plates of The Birds of America (1827–38) with their corresponding plates from the double-elephant-folio series, engraved by Robert Havell Jr. Each month, the exhibition rotates to highlight new species—featured in the order they appear in Audubon’s publication—which showcase the artist’s creative process and his contributions to ornithological illustration. Other works from New-York Historical’s collection, the world’s largest repository of Auduboniana, illuminate Audubon’s process. January welcomes the Northern Parula, and in February, the Peregrine Falcon is on view. Accompanying the Peregrine Falcon is a photograph of Damien Mitchell’s mural located at 752 St. Nicholas Avenue inspired by Audubon’s watercolor.
Objects Tell Stories, the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps, and the Center for Women’s History on the Fourth Floor Ongoing Explore American history through stunning exhibitions and captivating interactive media on our transformed fourth floor. Themed displays in the North Gallery present a variety of topics—such as slavery, war, infrastructure, childhood, recreation, and 9/11—offering unexpected and surprising perspectives on collection highlights. Touchscreens and interactive kiosks allow visitors to explore American history and engage with objects like never before. As the centerpiece of the fourth floor, the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps features 100 illuminated Tiffany lampshades from our spectacular collection displayed within a dramatically lit jewel-like space. Within our new Center for Women’s History, visitors discover the hidden connections among exceptional and unknown women who left their mark on New York and the nation with the multimedia digital installation, Women’s Voices, and through rotating exhibitions in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery. Objects from the Billie Jean King Archive are also on view.
Collector’s Choice: Highlights from the Permanent Collection Ongoing Since 1804, the New-York Historical Society has been welcoming to its collection some of the most esteemed artworks of the modern world. Collector’s Choice: Highlights from the Permanent Collection showcases a selection of paintings that reflect the individual tastes of several New York City collectors who donated their holdings to New-York Historical. Joining Picasso’s Le Tricorne ballet curtain are featured American and European masterpieces spanning the 14th through the 21st centuries from Luman Reed, Thomas Jefferson Bryan, and Robert L. Stuart, including colonial portraits of children, marine and maritime subjects, and an installation showcasing recently collected contemporary works.
HARRY POTTER: A HISTORY OF MAGIC EXHIBITION-RELATED PROGRAMS The Epic Tale of Children’s Literature
Wednesday, January 16, 7 – 8:30 pm
$35 (Members $30) | Students $25
Harry Potter is one of the latest in a long line of great children’s literature characters. Journey through a colorful century of writing and illustrating for young people with Leonard Marcus, and see how the field has evolved from Madeline to Mo Willems, from the Hardy Boys to Harry Potter. Wine and cheese will be served. Ages 21 and up.
Sorcery Saturday
Saturday, January 19, 7:30–10:30 pm
$35 (Members $30) | Students $25
Join us for a spellbinding evening at the Museum! Enjoy magical cocktails, see costumes from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, examine magical artifacts from around the world, and try your hand at enchanting crafts and activities in our renowned Library. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Ticket includes entry to Harry Potter: A History of Magic. Ages 21 and up.
The Harry Potter Effect
Wednesday, January 23, 7 – 8:30 pm
$35 (student $25)
Twenty years after the publication of the first book, the Harry Potter phenomenon still looms large in popular culture and our cultural consciousness. Join moderator Karen Ginman and a panel of journalists, editors, and booksellers as they explore how Harry and his friends have changed the landscape of children’s literature and how they continue to permeate different facets of everyday life. Wine and cheese will be served. Ages 21 and up.
$38 (Members $24)
In the decades following the American Revolution, the new nation was deeply divided. As countless enslaved people risked their lives to seek refuge in the free North, Congress struck a deal—the Compromise of 1850—to soothe the mounting tensions between Northerners who opposed slavery and Southerners who demanded the return of their human “property.” That tenuous balance finally collapsed with the eruption of the Civil War in 1861. Experts examine how fugitive slaves shaped the American story.
Wednesday, January 16, 7 pm
$38 (Members $24) | 35 and under $10
Confronted by one crisis after another, President George W. Bush struggled to defend the country and remake the world, serving during an era marked by the September 11th terror attacks, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and financial collapse. Join Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times and a political analyst for MSNBC, and Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian for CNN and the New-York Historical Society, as they discuss the Bush presidency.
$15 | Free for Members of the Women’s History Council
In November, the Center for Women’s History opened Betye Saar: Keepin’ It Clean in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery amid a remarkable outpouring of black women’s creative labor in New York City. Meanwhile, also on view at New-York Historical, Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow tells many of the historical stories that Saar’s artwork interrogates. At the Brooklyn Museum, Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power features Saar’s work alongside that of her contemporaries in the Black Arts Movement. And at Columbia’s Wallach gallery, Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet to Matisse to Today explores the changing modes of representation of the black figure as central to the development of modern art. Join us as curators Ashley James (Brooklyn Museum), Dominique Jean-Louis (New-York Historical Society), and Denise Murrell (Columbia/Wallach) celebrate these riveting exhibitions—all currently on view in New York City—and highlight the connections and relationships between them. Refreshments will be served.
Sunday, January 20, 12:30 – 2 pm
$30 (Members $20) | Students $25
How did African Americans use fashion to fight for equality? Join us as Harvard professor Dr. Jonathan M. Square, founder of Fashioning the Self in Slavery and Freedom, explores African American fashions as a radical form of self-determination on a special tour of our exhibition Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow. Afterwards, we’ll gather for discussion and he’ll lead a visual analysis of images and photographs of famous and more obscure African Americans who employed fashion not only to critique and counter ideologies that cast them as inferior, but also to stake a claim in larger political struggles for freedom and equity. Ticket includes Museum Admission, a bagel brunch, tour, and discussion.
Two of America’s most important feminist voices have written books grappling with the power of women’s anger. Brittney Cooper’s Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower and Rebecca Traister’s Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger take women’s fury seriously as a political response and force for change. They place women’s rage in historical context, and show how such anger has been trivialized or weaponized to undermine women. Join us for a lively conversation as Cooper and Traister discuss women’s anger with New York magazine senior correspondent and CNN contributor Irin Carmon. Refreshments will be served.
Winston Churchill easily had the best sense of humor of any British politician of his day—and perhaps any prime minister in history. He made regular, funny jokes at even the most perilous moments of his life and his country’s. Andrew Roberts, author of the new biography Churchill: Walking with Destiny, examines Churchill’s extraordinary wit and the political use to which he put it. From Wildean quips to English High Irony to ruthless ridicule, Churchill’s capacity to joke was a powerful weapon in his political armory.
In recent years, monuments commemorating the Confederacy have created enormous controversy. Hundreds of memorials honoring Confederate leaders such as General Robert E. Lee and President Jefferson Davis were constructed not immediately following the Civil War, but during the height of the Jim Crow era between the 1890s and 1950s. In the wake of the 2017 white nationalist march in Charlottesville, VA, experts ponder how memory and the ongoing battle for racial equality continue to shape modern America.
When the Cold War ended, many, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, believed that democracy had triumphed politically once and for all. Yet nearly 30 years later, the direction of history no longer seems certain. Join one of the world’s most admired international leaders as she discusses the history and current resurgence of fascism, drawing on her experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a diplomat, uncovering the virulent threat it poses to international freedom, prosperity, and peace.
Saturday, February 2, 9 – 9:30 am: Registration and Continental Breakfast | 9:30 – 11 am: Program
$48 (Members $38)
Following a Friday night screening of The Story of Qiu Ju, legal scholars discuss the complicated nature of the rule of law—exploring how norms, culture, and community tradition are often pitted against or left unrecognized by formal legal doctrine and policy.
Esteemed foreign policy experts return for an update on the current state of global affairs from North Korea and Iran to the European Union. Join us for a conversation on where America stands among its allies and enemies in the world today.
Tuesday, February 5, 6:30 pm
$38 (Members $24) | 35 and under $10
Join leading legal scholars for a talk on the First Amendment—uncovering why the basic Constitutional right has been subject to so much controversy and misunderstanding as well as the continued vital importance of free speech today.
Coinciding with the 102nd anniversary of the sweeping, restrictive Immigration Act of 1917, legal scholars delve into the history of immigration law in the United States. Discover how constitutional interpretations of immigration law and policy have shaped the fabric of American society for generations and continue to spark heated political debate today.
Almost immediately following his assassination, Abraham Lincoln was transformed from the embattled wartime leader and the Great Emancipator into somewhat of an American saint. More than 150 years since his death, conservatives, liberals, and independents alike continue to find inspiration and guidance from the 16th president’s wisdom and steadfastness. Beginning with Lincoln’s funeral tour and the creation of Daniel Chester French’s memorial—a story ironically filled with incredible racism—up through the present day, Lincoln Prize winner Harold Holzer explores the iconic leader’s enduring presence within the American consciousness.
Martha S. Jones, Eric Foner, Wednesday, February 13, 6:30 pm, $38 (Members $24)
In conjunction with the exhibition Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow, historians uncover the history of how free African American activists fought for their status as citizens before the Civil War. Explore the constitutional challenges—including the U.S. Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford—and successes along the road to the passage of the 14th Amendment and expanded citizenship for all Americans. The Outbreak of World War II: 80 Years Later
John H. Maurer, Saturday, February 16, 9–9:30 am: Registration and Continental Breakfast | 9:30–11 am: Program, $48 (Members $38)
World War II stands out as the deadliest and perhaps most famous conflict in human history. But how did the War begin, and could the massive bloodshed have been avoided? In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the war’s outbreak, historian John Maurer revisits the origins of fighting in Europe in 1939 and illuminates how Western democracies came to confront Adolf Hitler and the threat of global fascism.
Yoram Hazony, Roger Hertog, Tuesday, February 19, 6:30 pm, $38 (Members $24)
What safeguards exist to protect liberty in our rapidly changing world? Reflecting on historic nationalist movements—from 16th-century Europe and America to the more recent “Brexit”—author Yoram Hazony discusses the role nationalistic ideals have played in bringing independence to people throughout history and how love of country can promote the virtues of personal and collective freedom.
Wednesday, February 20, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Free, but registration is required. RSVP to [email protected]
Harlem historian and Columbia University Community Scholar John Reddick brings Harlem to life with this riveting look at the neighborhood’s history and the pulsing creativity it nurtured at the dawn of the 20th century, crafting modern music and the American songbook as we know it. Through sheet music, recordings, and other documents, Reddick illustrates the cultural links between Harlem’s turn-of-the-century African American composers (James Reese Europe, H.T. Burleigh) and its Jewish composers (George Gershwin, Richard Rogers) and the back-and-forth influence they had on jazz and popular music. Join us to explore how African American and Jewish musicians expressed their outsider feelings in society through their art.
John A. Farrell, Douglas Brinkley, Thursday, February 21, 7 pm, $38 (Members $24) | 35 and under $10
John A. Farrell, who discovered the evidence that Richard Nixon interfered in President Johnson’s peace efforts in Vietnam during the 1968 presidential election, in conversation with Douglas Brinkley, discusses the life and career of a man who led America in a time of turmoil and left the country in a darker age.
Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Tuesday, February 26, 6:30 pm, $38 (Members $24) | 35 and under $10
In conjunction with New-York Historical Society’s exhibition Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow, Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad discusses how the legacy of Jim Crow continues to reverberate throughout American society today and illuminates how much work is still left to be done on the path towards racial equality and civil rights for all.
Richard Brookhiser, Dale Gregory, Thursday, February 28, 6:30 pm, $38 (Members $24) | 35 and under $10 Join us for the final installment of our five-part series on Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton’s best friend. Learn how Morris spent his later years—falling in love with the sister-in-law of Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, a disgraced member of the prominent Randolph family—and follow him to the days after the infamous Hamilton-Burr duel, when he gave the eulogy at Hamilton’s funeral and established a fund for his fallen friend’s family.
JUSTICE IN FILM SERIES
This series explores how film has tackled social conflict, morality, and the perennial struggle between right and wrong. Entrance to the film series is included with Museum Admission during New-York Historical’s Pay-as-you-wish Friday Nights (6–8 pm). No advance reservations. Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 6 pm. The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
Friday, February 1, 7 pm
In this Venice Film Festival Golden Lion award winner, Qiu Ju, a peasant woman living in rural China, travels to the big city in an effort to get justice for her husband after he is humiliated by a local community leader—and deals with the pitfalls of the justice system along the way. Directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Gong Li, Liu Peiqi, Lei Kesheng. 100 min.
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Friday, February 8, 7 pm
Introduced by Thelma Schoonmaker, three-time Academy Award-winner and longtime editor for Martin Scorsese, this British post-war classic and special effects marvel of its time will be presented in a new restoration. After bomber pilot Peter Carter miraculously survives his plane crashing, he must defend his right to live against seemingly impossible odds. Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Starring David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote. 104 min.
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
A teenage girl bored with her humdrum life is thrilled when her sophisticated and worldly uncle comes to visit her quiet town, but she quickly realizes he’s brought with him much more than what initially meets the eye. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey. 108 min.
People Will Talk (1951)
In this romantic comedy with echoes of the McCarthy era, a physician becomes embroiled in a witch hunt-like misconduct trial by a jealous rival who questions everything from his work methods to his personal relationships. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Starring Cary Grant, Jeanne Crain, Finlay Currie. 110 min.
Explore New York history and discover your own family’s history! Presented in partnership by the New-York Historical Society and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, this exciting collaborative program invites you into the New-York Historical Society’s Museum and Library to dive into New York’s past while learning research skills to uncover your family history—all in one afternoon. The program includes a tour of extraordinary and everyday objects from New-York Historical’s collection, advice on how to conduct genealogical research in the special collections at the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library at New-York Historical, and tips on how to discover your family’s story from an expert at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. This comprehensive experience is ideal for those who are just starting their own research.
Thursday, February 21, 6 pm – 7:30 pm, Purchase at nyadventureclub.com
On this behind-the-scenes tour, take an intimate and interactive journey through the conservation lab where staff preserve some of the most illuminating paper-based treasures in New-York Historical’s collection, primarily held within the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. Witness firsthand how conservators prepare, treat, install, and de-install Library and Museum paper-based collections for exhibitions and loans, as well as stabilize large collections for storage and use. Try out conservation treatment techniques led by the conservation staff.
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West (at 77th Street), 212-873-3400, nyhistory.org.
Praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of more than 100 holy sites that can be visited on a cruise.
There are more than a hundred cruise itineraries that provide access to sacred places – worldwide sites of healing, guidance, and divine inspiration. The significance of these hallowed sites cannot be expressed in words or pictures – to understand their impact, the faithful must visit them in person, to experience healing, guidance or divine inspiration.
While many of the world’s most sacred sites have historically been inaccessible to all but the hardiest of travelers – those who were able to make arduous overland journeys – the travel experts at CruiseCompete say travelers will find that today’s cruise itineraries make many of these locations surprisingly easy to visit.
Consumers come to CruiseCompete to research and book cruise vacations. More than 1.5 million users have generated close to 4 million requests from consumers, and agents have delivered almost 17 million quotes since 2003. They can compare offers from trusted travel agents, see consumer reviews of agents and agencies responding, then contact travel agents directly for more information and to book cruises. CruiseCompete is a member of the Family Travel Association, a leading authority and resource for family travel information and is home to the Sea Tales 2018 Family Cruise Travel Planner at Travel Resources.
CruiseCompete CruiseTrends™ offers monthly stats for an inside look at consumer trends and what consumers want in cruise vacations.
CruiseCompete takes top honors in Travel + Leisure’s “Top 60 Best Apps and Websites for Travelers” with an honorable mention. The Wall Street Journal praised CruiseCompete as “Best Cruise Travel Site,” The New York Times says, “… independent travel agents compete to offer you the best deal,” and follows similar praise from Travel + Leisure, Kiplinger and The Washington Post. The Street says, “Score luxury cruises at bargain prices.”
The Aranui 5, a passenger-freighter vessel, sails among the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
SAN MATEO, CA – This holiday season, surprise your loved one with a once-in-a-lifetime cruise aboard the Aranui 5, a passenger-freighter vessel to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
Atop any adventurer’s wish list, the soft adventure cultural voyage boards in Papeete, Tahiti, for a 13-day complete vacation experience sailing 800 miles north to some of most remote islands in the world including Fakarava and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Archipelago, Bora Bora in the Society Islands, as well as Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, Tahuata and Ua Huka in the Marquesas Islands.
Passengers are fully immersed in Polynesian heritage with onboard activities and offshore excursions to delight in, such as breathtaking hikes, visits to sacred ritual sites and small museums, encounters with local inhabitants, a visit to French artist Paul Gauguin’s grave, snorkeling in the translucent waters of the atolls, on-island picnics and restaurant lunches featuring local food, a visit to a pearl farm and more.
Featuring a crew primarily of inhabitants from the Marquesas Islands and throughout French Polynesia, and with expert lecturers and guides, Aranui 5 combines mesmerizing scenery and culturally enriching experiences to create an unforgettable vacation.
With six sailings sold out, travelers can enjoy their holiday gift of an all-inclusive adventure throughout the year on 14 available dates between April and December 2019.
The cruise includes three meals daily with complimentary wine for onboard lunches and dinners, guided excursions as outlined in the itinerary, picnics and meals on shore, cultural activities and Polynesian entertainment. Travelers booking a stay aboard the Aranui 5 can choose from eight different cabin categories.
Prices for a 2019 Aranui 5 vacation start at $2,920 per person and do not include port tax, cruise tax and tourism tax.
Victoria Cruises is offering reduced winter rates on February departures of its popular three- and four-night Three Gorges Highlights itinerary. The discount can be combined with Victoria Cruises 2-for-1 offer on bookings received by Feb. 28, 2019 for a total savings of more than 67% of the cruise fare.
NEW YORK, NY – Victoria Cruises, the only American-managed luxury cruise line operating on China’s mist-shrouded Yangtze, is offering reduced winter rates on February departures of its popular three- and four-night Three Gorges Highlights itinerary. The discount can be combined with Victoria Cruises 2-for-1 offer on bookings received by Feb. 28, 2019 for a total savings of more than 67% of the cruise fare.
“The Three Gorges region of the Yangtze is geographically closer to Vietnam than Beijing. As a result, our cruises typically feature more temperate weather during the wintertime,” said Larry Greenman, manager of public relations and customer service for Victoria Cruises. “February is therefore a great time to experience river cruising in China at a significant cost savings.”
In order to qualify for the 2-for-1 discount, bookings must include a $90 per person mandatory shore excursion package (billed at $45 per person after 2-for-1 savings is applied). The package features three excursions including an educational tour of the Three Gorges Dam, a tranquil sampan excursion along one of the Yangtze’s scenic tributaries and a visit to a famous Chinese monument such as a 100-foot-tall statue depicting the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity of Chinese Taoism, or Shibaozhai’s famous red pagoda. Excursions are subject to change.
With all discounts included, passengers can sail for as low as $285 per person, based on double occupancy – representing a total savings of $1,170 per couple.
Optional add-on excursions such as the Tribe of the Three Gorges cultural experience or an opportunity to experience the world’s largest ship elevator (capable of elevating a volume of water roughly equivalent to four Olympic-sized swimming pools), are available for onboard purchase starting at $45 per person, per excursion.
Onboard passengers will enjoy a world-class dining program designed for the Western palate, while Tai Chilessons and traditional dance and musical performances emphasize local culture.
Passengers can upgrade their onboard experience for an additional $200 per person with Victoria Cruises’ Luxury Amenities program, which offers VIP perks including upper deck stateroom placement, access to exclusive ship areas, “white glove” service, enhanced culinary privileges featuring a la carte options as well as wine and beer with dinner, exclusive happy hour and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access. The nominal $200 per person upgrade becomes $100 per person when the Luxury Amenities program is booked in conjunction with Victoria Cruises’ 2-for-1 offer.
New York-based Victoria Cruises established new standards of excellence for sailing China’s Yangtze River when its first ship edged out of port in 1994. Victoria Cruises remains a service leader on the Yangtze River with each ship earning the coveted five-star rating from the China National Tourism Administration. Victoria Cruises has earned numerous awards and recognitions over the years including the 2011 TravelAge WestWAVE Award Editor’s Pick for Best River Cruise Line as well as Best New River Cruise Ship in 2010 with the launch of the luxurious Victoria Jenna. In that same year, Travel Weekly also selected the Victoria Jenna as a Silver Award Winner for the Magellan Awards’ River Cruise Ship category. The cruise line operates a variety of itineraries on the Yangtze ranging from four to eight days.
For more information and a free color brochure or promotional DVD, contact Victoria Cruises at 136-18 39th Avenue, 12th Floor, Flushing, NY 11354; phone (800) 348-8084, (212) 818-1680; fax (212) 818-9889. E-mail [email protected] or visit www.victoriacruises.com.
Igloo Lodge, Greenland (photo: Off the Map Travel)
(Ilulissat, Greenland) – Experience the Arctic like the Inuit people with a stay in a traditional hand-built igloo. Comprising a village known as the Igloo Lodge, five spacious igloos are available for adventurous travelers, each with room to sleep two people.
Launched by Arctic travel specialists Off the Map Travel, the new Igloo Lodge is a first for this winter and an exciting choice for couples and small groups alike.
Travelers don’t have to worry about being cold as each igloo is kitted out with reindeer skins, warm sleeping bags and a petroleum lamp on a night table. On-site is a cozy wooden cabin with bathrooms and a communal meal area. Although outside temperatures can drop well below freezing, the igloos remain around 32ºF, with specialized outdoor bedding and gear providing coziness and comfort.
“The best Arctic adventures are about experiencing authentic moments and creating lifelong memories,” notes Jonny Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel. “As soon as you enter the igloo, you see the craftsmanship that goes into its creation, a skill that’s been passed down through generations. It’s quite special to lie back and sleep there just as the Inuits have done for thousands of years,” he continued.
As an example, a 5-day 4-night Ilulissat Igloo Experience itinerary, offered from the end of January 2019 to the beginning of April, is priced from £999 ($1304) per person including three nights on a B&B basis at Hotel Arctic in a double room, one night in an ice-hewn igloo at Igloo Village, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, two Northern Lights safaris, and transfers. Flights are additional.
This project is supported by Interreg Nord and the Visit Arctic Europe project, developing travel to the Arctic Europe region.
Off the Map Travel is a team of travel experts who work with experiences and destinations that allow people to explore hidden wonders of the world. Specializing in soft adventure and viewing of the Northern Lights, Off the Map Travel creates tailor-made itineraries that offer a distinctive vacation based on first-hand experience. Off the Map Travel vacations anticipate travelers’ needs with pre-planning and customization. Each bespoke itinerary is tailored to the ages of participants, creating experiences for families, groups, couples and singles that are comfortable and luxurious, with activity levels appropriate for all participants. www.offthemap.travel
