Everyone wants to save money on vacation, but steep discounts are rare for most — unless you are a high-profile celebrity, influencer, or, it seems, the mayor of New York City.
25.09.2024 - 18:33 / insider.com
When the Van Cortlandt family acquired their sprawling Hudson Valley estate in the late 1600s, they couldn't have imagined that it would one day host a jack-o'-lantern festival with pumpkin sculptures including a Kraken, moving windmill, and Statue of Liberty.
Dutch trader Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who served as mayor of New York City, bought the land and built the first version of Van Cortlandt Manor between 1665 and 1681, according to the National Park Service. His grandson, Pierre Van Cortlandt, was New York's first Lieutenant Gov. and added the manor's top stories and porches in 1749.
Today, Van Cortlandt Manor is best known as the site of The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, an annual festival featuring elaborate pumpkin carvings and sculptures.
The entire estate measures around 125 acres, and The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze spans a total of around 10 acres, making it the largest Halloween event in the tri-state area.
I attended The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in September to explore the historic mansion and grounds — and, of course, enjoy the fantastic pumpkin artistry.
Everyone wants to save money on vacation, but steep discounts are rare for most — unless you are a high-profile celebrity, influencer, or, it seems, the mayor of New York City.
I love visiting kitschy or unique tourist landmarks on a road trip or weekend getaway. In fact, after visiting all 50 states solo, I've enjoyed my short visits to nearly all the major tourist attractions in the United States.
Autumn is a big season for hotels, especially those that represent the winds of change. In New York City, Standard International debuts its latest hotel concept, The Manner—which feels less like the hedonistic Standards of yore, and more like any of the city’s growing number of fabulous private-members clubs. Across the country in California, a beloved Laguna Beach icon enters an exciting new chapter. Salt Lake City is finally getting a new lifestyle hotel—just in time for another ski season. And the country’s first ultra-sustainable, “carbon positive” hotel opens its doors in Denver to set an example for hotels everywhere. There’s a lot happening, and a lot to explore—where will you go first? These are the most exciting new hotel openings of fall 2024.
There’s never a wrong time of year to visit the Berkshires, the mountainous stretch of western Massachusetts located just 140 miles north of New York City. You can thank the fall’s vibrant display of foliage, summer’s Tanglewood music festival that draws crowds from all over the world, and a steady tide of new hotel openings to take advantage of as cozy winter getaways and for ski season. The region also has strong roots as an artists community, with a robust community of galleries, independent boutiques, and museums. And for city dwellers looking to stretch their legs, the Berkshires is also home to scenic hiking trails and winter slopes for every activity and ability level.
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There’s a refreshing fluidity and freeness to the best wine bars of New York City, which can appear in many forms—a sleek power-lunch hotspot, a cozy bar on the Lower East Side, or a tranquil backyard in Brooklyn. “To me, a wine bar serves limited food and is more focused on the beverage at hand,” explains Chase Sinzer, owner of wine bar Claud and Penny in the East Village. “It might feel more ‘casual’ in that it invites guests to maybe peruse the bottles on the wall or pour their own wine from an ice bucket.”
Southeastern France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is famous for some big things, from Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and the rolling landscapes that unfurl below it to the millennia-spanning architecture that defines the region’s capital city, Lyon, and beyond. Ironically, one of the best ways to experience all that grandeur is to think small — that is, to visit the small towns that reflect the best of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ endless outdoor possibilities, robust agriculture and gastronomy, and long history and cultural heritage.
GetYourGuide, an online travel agency for tours, activities, and experiences, has been the target of ongoing protests by World Animal Protection, an activist group.
Amtrak is launching a brand-new route this fall that will run from Chicago all the way down to Miami.
Fall is officially here and October provides travelers an excellent combination of ideal weather and great rates ahead of the busy holiday travel period.
JetBlue recently unveiled plans for lounges at both Boston Logan International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
JetBlue is making a major splash in the premium travel space with its first-ever airport lounges. The New York-based carrier will open two lounges starting in 2025, JetBlue said Thursday — one at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and another at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).