Take a short flight to Belize and discover the world’s second-largest barrier reef, miles of untamed rainforest, acres of Maya historic sites and thousands of locals waiting to guide you to it all. Visit Belize and Grab Life. TravelBelize.orgTHE BEST Place ToVacation IS OUTSIDE YOURCOMFORT ZONE
Country music may be the spark that draws you in, but once you drift beyond the neon glow of the honkytonks, Nashville reveals its deeper layers. History lingers in the brickwork, creativity hums through its galleries, and the food scene is bold enough to stand shoulderto-shoulder with any major culinary capital. This is a city where a sleek, modern skyline blends effortlessly with a warm, unmistakable sense of place—and every block carries a story waiting to be heard. Dreams have always found fertile ground here. Nashville has a way of seducing newcomers who arrive with a guitar case and stay for decades, adding their voices to the city that lives and breathes music. Set along the Cumberland River, the city feels at once historic and hungry for what’s next. Its restaurant renaissance—led by celebrated chefs and rising talent—has only amplified the city’s momentum. And best of all, most of its icons, cultural hubs, and tucked-away gems are an easy stroll from one another.STREET OF DREAMSEvery great music town has a main artery. For Nashville, it’s Lower Broadway—known, lovingly and loudly, as Honky Tonk Row. Here, the doors never seem to close, and the next great songwriter could be performing on any small stage you wander into. Many legends sipped cold beer and swapped stories in these very booths.To understand the city’s heart, start at the Ryman Auditorium. Revered as the Mother Church of Country Music, it was home to the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. Slip into the smooth wooden pews, watch the short film that traces its storied past, and linger over the exhibits that honor the artists who have shaped American music.A short walk away, the Johnny Cash Museum gives you an intimate look at The Man in Black. Gold records, handwritten notes, stage costumes, and Grammys tell his story in vivid detail, while his unmistakable voice plays softly in the background.GO HIGH / GO LOWNashville moves easily between downhome charm and highbrow sophistication. You can two-step along Lower Broadway, then wander a few blocks to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, where a Grammy-winning orchestra performs under a soaring, neoclassical dome.And, of course, no visit is complete without stepping inside the Grand Ole Opry House. Just fifteen minutes east of downtown, it’s the beating heart of the longest-running radio show in American history. Nights begin at 7 p.m., with lineups that pair classic country icons with the stars of today.GET OUTSIDEIt’s worth pulling away from Broadway’s glow to experience Nashville’s natural calm. Start with Radnor Lake, a 1,368-acre conservation jewel just minutes from downtown. Trails wind between quiet water and forest, offering a breather from the bustle.Short on time? Head to Centennial Park, a leafy stretch near the city center. Its crown jewel—the full-scale Parthenon—was originally built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition and later reconstructed. Inside, an impressive collection of American paintings surrounds a towering 42-foot statue of Athena.GOT BISCUITS?When hunger calls, follow the faithful to the Loveless Café, a beloved spot off Hillsboro Pike. The checkered tablecloths, the aroma of biscuits fresh from the oven, the classics—country ham with redeye gravy, crispy fried chicken, cheesy hash TRAVELCITY OF SOUNDA Spirited Journey Through Nashville’s Hidden GemsBy Patricia Canole | Photography by Neil J. Tandy
brown casserole—it all feels comfortingly familiar. Don’t leave without trying the biscuit sampler, a plate piled high with petite sandwiches layered with ham, chicken, steak, and barbecue.BEST STAYS: NEW & OLDGrand Hyatt NashvilleThe Grand Hyatt Nashville rises over Nashville Yards with stylish confidence. Named Best New Hotel by USA Today readers, it’s ideally positioned for exploring the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bridgestone Arena, and the city’s most-loved cultural stops. The 25-story property features 591 rooms, a soaring rooftop lounge, a fifthfloor pool terrace, and a serene spa. Rooms are spacious and inviting, complete with modern amenities and thoughtful touches.Dining is a highlight. The Nashville Grange offers a Tennessee-to-table menu grounded in local ingredients from morning to night. For an elevated evening, reserve a table at The Continental, where James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Brock brings new life to classic technique. Colorado Lamb perfectly roasted Prime Rib, and inventive sides make it a standout. For a rare treat, visit The Vesper Club inside—an intimate, five-course martini tasting paired with caviar. And when you need a quick jolt, Hummingbird Coffee Market pours exceptional coffee from Good Citizen roasters.The Union Station HotelA short walk away, the Union Station Hotel offers a different kind of grandeur—romance by way of history. Once a bustling railroad terminal serving eight major lines, it sat vacant for years before being lovingly transformed into a hotel in 1986. Today, its soaring ceilings, marble details, and dramatic chandeliers make the lobby feel like a portal to another era.No two rooms are alike, each framed by the building’s original architecture. Stationairy, the hotel’s restaurant, serves morning favorites like Buttermilk Pancakes and French Toast and continues into lunch and dinner with memorable, modern comfort dishes.Nashville is a city in full stride—alive early in the morning, electric late into the night, and endlessly ready to surprise. Whether you’re wandering from honky-tonk to gallery, tasting your way through its kitchens, or losing track of time under the shimmer of stage lights, Music City gives you every reason to stay a little longer.Info: VisitMusicCity.com
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55Roughly two hours from New York City and around 30 minutes from the Bridgeport/Port Jefferson ferry terminal, lies the quaint, historic Long Island Sound town of Madison and the treasure that is The Homestead Bed & Breakfast, which I had the absolute pleasure of visiting. Operated by the Guardiano family for over thirty years in one form or another, Ralph currently runs this boutique inn. The public areas contain a large amount of memorabilia, collected over the years by Ralph during his global travels, including my personal favorites, several vintage film cameras!I was greeted on arrival by general manager Ellen (who had called me the day before to ensure my stay was tailor made for me, including a personal choice of music—you will learn why later) and Ralph’s buddy, his dog and chief greeter, Heartman!I was shown around the property and Ellen told me all about the 24-hour tea, coffee, hot chocolate, snacks, water, juices andsodas that are available and what to expectfor the homemade continental breakfast.A LUXURIOUS STAYThe rooms at The Homestead are astonishing, the attention to detail is exceptional and the finishing touches are out of this world: From the 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, luxurious pillows and heavenly mattresses, to each room having a record player (remember that personal choice of music—yes, vinyl albums of music I liked). The showers are magnificent, the one attached to my room was a double shower stall and in keeping with every room, it came equipped with a luxury spa effect high-pressure shower head infused with vitamins C and E. Other luxuries include the bidet and a great touch—a towel warmer!There are 11 rooms in all, located on two floors and four of those are pet friendly with dogs under 30lbs being accepted in those rooms for a small daily fee.TRAVELWEEKEND GETAWAYThe Homestead, Madison: A Jewel In The Connecticut CrownBYLINE: Article & Photography Neil J Tandy
56DINING & EXPLORATIONOn Ralph’s recommendation, that evening I dined at Café Allegre in downtown Madison. The restaurant is a delightful Italian/Mediterranean offering a very tasty selection of dishes. That evening, I had a bean and escarole soup, chicken marsala and the biggest slice of cheesecake I have ever had in my life!! That night, I slept beautifully, cocooned in those one thousand thread count sheets!After a wonderful homemade breakfast of fresh fruit, quiche, yogurt, locally supplied tea and an espresso, I ventured off to explore Madison and the beaches. Downtown Madison is typical New England and is named for the 4th president of the United States, James Madison and includes several historic buildings and churches, including the First Congregational Church of Madison, a much photographed and well-known sight.After a walk around, I headed off to look around the beaches, to spend some time at the Meigs Point Nature Center and watch the birdlife while walking around Hammonasset Beach State Park on the well maintained trails. There are nesting ospreys, lots of nesting sites for tree swallows and an active nesting area for purple martins, I certainly had plenty to photograph!EXCEPTIONAL HOSPITALITYBack at The Homestead later that afternoon, I met up with Ralph for a truly fascinating chat and found out that he had learned a great deal about the hospitality business from the late South African hotel and resort magnate, Sol Kerzner and that certainly shows in this wonderful establishment. Ralph is an incredible host and his staff are super friendly, going out of their way to make a stay the very best experience.For charm, amenities, comfort, attention to detail and good old-fashioned genuine hospitality, The Homestead is right at the top of the list, a place that you will visit and want to keep going back to, time after time!Info: www.homesteadmadison.comTree Swallows at Hammonasset Beach State Park Downtown MadisonE.C. Scranton Library, Madison Café Allegre
203-245-0212www.HomesteadMadison.com391 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443Bed & Breakfast
If you’re finding it difficult to locate a place where you’re surrounded by nothing but beauty, then you should visit the Brooklyn Museum and immerse yourself in this gorgeous exhibit where nearly all the senses are set on high alert. Music throughout the exhibit is provided by the Brooklyn Museum’s Composer in Residence, Niles Luther. Even a special scent permeates the show—invented for the occasion by Brooklyn-based Joya Studio. Perhaps the only sense that is off limits is touch. Don’t touch the art…MONET’S JOURNEYThe show is comprised of more than one hundred paintings, sketches, and other works, nineteen of which were inspired by Monet’s only visit to Venice for 10 weeks in 1908. Here, he and his wife Alice would first stay in the home of painter John Singer Sargent and then move into a suite at the St. Regis hotel which featured a balcony that gave Monet a front row seat to paint one of the most beautiful cities on Earth—Venice, featuring such Venetian staples as the Grand Canal and the Doge’s Palace. However, even then, there were complaints about pollution and overcrowding. This is the first time these works have been reunited since their debut at GalerieJeune in Paris in 1912. The show is also the largest New York exhibit devoted to works by Monet in 25 years and was created in partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Centerpieces of the show are the Brooklyn Museum’s Monet masterpiece Palazzo Ducale, and San Francisco’s The Grand Canal, Venice. ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTVENICE BY MONETA Luminous Chapter In Art Comes Alive AgainArticle by Clint Brownfield Canaletto. The Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day, ca. 1745. Oil on canvas. Philadelphia Museum of Art, The William L. Elkins Collection, 1924
59VENICE THROUGH MONET’S EYES“It’s thrilling to reunite so many of Monet’s radiant paintings of Venice, including Brooklyn’s own Palazzo Ducale, which was acquired in 1920 and is emblematic of the Museum’s trailblazing commitment to modern French art,” said the show’s curator, Lisa Small. “Monet found the lagoon city an ideal environment for capturing the evanescent, interconnected effects of colored light and air that define his radical style. In his Venice paintings, magnificent churches, and mysterious palaces, all conjured in prismatic touches of paint, dissolve in the shimmering atmosphere like floating apparitions. We’re eager for our visitors to ‘travel’ to Venice and immerse themselves in the unfolding beauty of these dazzling paintings.” “We’re delighted to present this groundbreaking exhibition offering a fresh opportunity for visitors to engage with one of the world’s most celebrated artists in a bold new way,” said Anne Pasternak, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director, Brooklyn Museum. “Through thoughtful interpretation and design, we invite our audiences to see Venice through Monet’s eyes and feel inspired by his vision.”VENICE THROUGH OTHER MASTERSIn addition to works by Monet, other masters who painted Venice are represented in the show: Canaletto in the 1700s and contemporaries of Monet--John Singer Sargent, J. M. W. Turner, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. While many of their paintings include people, Monet’s works feature only views of the city in his signature style—he painted light, painting the same scene at different times of day. Monet is considered to be the founding father of Impressionism. WATER & REFLECTION \\In addition to Monet’s paintings of Venice, the exhibition also includes over a dozen other works created throughout his career that show his lifelong fascination with water and reflection. Paintings from Monet’s time in Normandy, London, and his home in Giverny—including three of his famed water lily canvases from the Musée Marmottan Monet in, Paris, a private collection, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco—are displayed, drawing Claude Monet.Palazzo Ducale, 1908. Oil on canvas. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of A.Augustus Healy.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir.Venice, the Doge’s Palace, 1881. Oil on canvas. Clark Art Institute,1955.596Claude Monet.The Grand Canal, Venice, 1908. Oil on canvas. Fine Arts Museums of SanFrancisco, Gift of Osgood Hooker, 1960.29. (Photo: Randy Dodson, courtesy of the FineArts Museums of San Francisco)connections between the artist’s Venetian experiments and his broader oeuvre. Monet’s trip to Venice was his last major international journey, serving as both an interruption and a replenishment of his artistic focus. He returned invigorated, with a new perspective on the water lily paintings created in his home in Giverny. As Monet asserted, “My trip to Venice has had the advantage of making me see my canvases with a better eye.” But before his trip he was quoted as saying: “Venice is too beautiful to paint.”ECHOES OF THE PASTThe exhibition also features historical ephemera such as guidebooks of Venice and postcards written by Alice to her daughter, including one marking where the couple stayed for part of their trip. Select postcards, photographs, and letters are on loan to the Museum from the collection of Philippe Piguet, Alice Monet’s greatgrandson from her first marriage. So, if you’re in the mood to be surrounded by beauty, then Monet and Venice at the Brooklyn Museum is your big chance to realize that dream. Go! For more information, visit brooklynmuseum.org. Monet and Venice through February 1, 2026.60
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