Home » Travel (Page 8)

Category Archives: Travel

On to Rajasthan — Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodphur and Jaisalmer

Posted on by | Leave a comment

By Sandra Hutchinson

This is the fourth installment on my blog about the trip I took to northern India in January, 2017. Earlier posts focused on Delhi and visiting Agra (site of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort). I also posted about the new United Airlines Polaris class for long-haul flights. Please see the end of this post for information on the heritage tourism agency we used to book our driver and hotels.

The northern Indian state of Rajasthan — literally, meaning “land of kings” — is the country’s largest state by area. The region is a popular tourist destination, known for its palaces and forts, wildlife preserves and religious sites. On its western border, the Thar desert borders Pakistan.

This blog post will just touch on some of the highlights of our trip. Rajasthan is large, complex and diverse. We spent a week in the region, visiting four major cities, as well as driving through some remote, rural areas.

Continue reading →

On to Agra: the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Chand Baori stepwell

Posted on by | 4 Comments

By Sandra Hutchinson

This is my third blog post on the trip my husband and I took in January, 2017 to northern India.

The Taj Mahal — termed one of the “wonders of the world,” and probably India’s most famous structure, is actually a marble mausoleum that was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after the death of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Completed around 1653, it is perhaps the best example anywhere of Mughal architecture. After this “monument to love” was constructed, one of the emperor’s sons murdered his three elder brothers and overthrew his father to acquire the throne. Shah Jahan was imprisoned at Agra Fort, with a view of his beloved wife’s tomb, until he died. He is buried alongside his wife in the Taj Mahal.

img_6314

Continue reading →

A Week in Delhi, India

Posted on by | 11 Comments

By Sandra Hutchinson

This blog post is my second about the trip to northern India that my husband and I took in January, 2017. My first post covered our nonstop round trip flights between Newark, NJ and Delhi on United Airline’s new Polaris class. (See my personalized tips at the bottom of this post for some quick Delhi travel ideas.)

Delhi, a region encompassing New Delhi, the capital city of India, is teeming, crowded and polluted. One of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the world, figures vary on how many people live there. Over 25 million people are believed to live within the region, with many thousands of people entering Delhi every day from outlying regions and other parts of the world.

map_of_india

Continue reading →

Fun at Sagamore’s Glacier Ice Bar on Lake George

Posted on by | 5 Comments

By Sandra Hutchinson

Having heard a lot of buzz about the “Glacier Ice Bar” and all the associated wintertime activities at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing on Lake George, a few of my best friends from childhood joined me in an overnight at the iconic hotel in January, during one of the two “Ice Bar” weekends. Turns out, there’s a whole lot more going on than just chilling out with a cocktail while standing around some blocks of ice.

img_6997

Front view of Sagamore Hotel, on a wintry January morning

Although the Sagamore’s foray into the “ice bar” only began several years ago, it has turned into a phenomenon, drawing huge crowds to the hotel on two weekends in January, a time when the hotel has in the past been closed. A number of other bars and restaurants in the region have followed suit, creating their own happening spots and events with the idea that people will stand outside in the cold to drink cocktails and beer if the mood and music is good, the fires are burning, and your friends show up. Continue reading →

27 hours in Manhattan — Hamilton!, holiday windows, Pooh bear, Bemelmans Bar and more!

By Sandra Hutchinson

Ten months after finally securing much-coveted tickets to the Broadway smash hit Hamilton, my husband and I finally got to see it last Wednesday evening. We tried to make the most of our short time in the city. Here’s an overview:

1. Hamilton! Does the hip hop historical musical live up to its hype? Yes it does. It’s a work of genius by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the life of Alexander Hamilton (based on Ron Chernow’s biography). Hamilton, of course, was one of the founding fathers, and was General George Washington’s chief aide during the American Revolution. Hamilton was key in the development of the Constitution, principal author of the Federalist papers that helped it win ratification, and the first U. S. Secretary of the Treasury.

hamilton-cast-img_3249

Hamilton cast after final bows. In front, with arm extended, is Javier Munoz, as Alexander Hamilton.

Continue reading →

A visit to Rockwell Museum & lunch at Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, Mass.

Posted on by | 2 Comments

Although my husband and I have been in Stockbridge, Mass. many times, we never made a point of visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum there until this September. We both enjoyed the museum so much that we wondered out loud why it had taken us so long to get there.

Exterior of the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Mass.

Exterior of the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Mass.

We also had an excellent lunch at the Red Lion Inn, the classic New England lodging in the center of town.

Continue reading →

Ale or cider? Stopping by Washington County breweries

Posted on by | Leave a comment

By Sandra Hutchinson

During the past two weekends, we’ve taken leisurely rides in Washington County and ended up partaking in some local brews — craft ales at R.S. Taylor & Sons Brewery in the sleepy town of Hebron, and hard ciders at Slyboro Ciderhouse, at Hicks Orchard, near Granville. In both spots, we ran into some old friends who were doing exactly the same thing we were—enjoying both the glorious late summer weather and the small batch, locally produced libations.

IMG_5327

Our group tried the ale samplers at R.S. Taylor & Sons Brewery.

Continue reading →

Books & antiques in Hebron, NY—at the 1786 Wilson Homestead

Posted on by | 9 Comments

By Sandra Hutchinson

If you’re really looking for a day away from your 21st century demands, technology and chatter, take a drive out to  Hebron, NY, in bucolic Washington County. At 1117 Chamberlin Mills Road, our dear friends Sally and Joe Brillon sell used books and an assortment of antiques in their 18th century barn, which just happens to be adjacent to their impeccably restored 1786 home. Click here for a link to the 1786 Wilson Homestead Facebook page.

IMG_5293

Sally and Joe Brillon have converted a barn at their 1786 Wilson Homestead in Hebron, NY, into a shop chock-full of old books and antiques.

While the book browser will find some fiction among the stacks, the shop’s focus is decidedly non-fiction. Indeed, Sally describes the shop as offering “non-fiction for the curious.” I can literally spend hours thumbing through the books, especially since Sally and I are drawn to similar themes— American and regional history; art, design and architecture; cooking; England and the British Isles; and descriptions of distant lands. It was at the Wilson Homestead where I found books on the history of Petra, in Jordan, before my family visited there earlier this year.

The shop includes an assortment of antiques, including framed prints, small furniture items, hand-woven antique coverlets, ceramics and hand-forged iron items. The Brillons also offer a selection of  architectural salvage pieces they’ve acquired during their restoration projects, in a separate part of the barn.

IMG_5303

Sally Brillon loves interacting with book browsers at her atmospheric shop. She will insist you have a homemade cookie.

Continue reading →

A peek inside the Caspari Design Store, Charlottesville, Va.

Posted on by | Leave a comment

By Sandra Hutchinson

Originally founded to import Christmas cards designed by European artists, Caspari, Inc. is known for its extensive line of beautiful, artful paper products. The range — paper plates, napkins, place cards, gift bags and wrapping paper, placemats, picture frames — are sold in fine stores worldwide. Caspari opened its first boutique in 2001 in Paris, and then in 2005, another in Charlottesville, Va., in the heart of the downtown shopping district.

It’s one of my favorite shopping destinations.

IMG_4152

Perfect for fall — deep orange and succulents.

Not only does the Charlottesville store carry the extensive line of Caspari paper products, but it is a treasure trove of beautiful decorative pieces for the home, such as dishes and glassware, pottery and garden-themed items (often British-made). And most wonderful of all is the way the items are displayed — in table settings and vignettes, always with floral arrangements (real and artificial), that offer a smorgasbord of ideas for creating tablescapes at home. Who knew paper plates and napkins could be so rich in color and design?

Continue reading →