CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS OF WOMEN CHANGING HISTORY June 11 through 16, 2018 Travel with a Purpose
CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS OF WOMEN CHANGING HISTORY The College of William & Mary Alumni Association presents the Idyllic Hudson River Valley, a six-day tour of the majestic Hudson River Valley designed to celebrate over 100 years of women shaping history. In New York State, just two hours north of one of the busiest cities in the world, rests another place where the slow-moving Hudson River snakes around the old estates of America s wealthiest families; where once enslaved people risked everything moving up the Underground Railroad to find a better life; where female patriots, painters, poets, and first-ladies changed the course of American history. No other region in the country can provide such a relaxing atmosphere while, at the same time, allowing us to better understand the lives of some of our nation s most remarkable women and the place that shaped them, the bucolic Hudson River Valley. Join fellow women of William & Mary on this memorable trip designed specifically to commemorate 100 years of co-education at the College. Tour Details At-A-Glance June 11, 2018 - June 16, 2018 $3,595 per-person double occupancy $395 supplement for single occupancy the MOHONK mountain HOUSE Founded by the Smiley Family in 1869, this Victorian castle resort is nestled in the Hudson Valley, only 90 miles north of New York City. Surrounded by 40,000 acres of pristine forest and protected wildlife, the National Historic Landmark resort offers farm-to-table cuisine and an award-winning spa. The resort is an ideal base for lovers of the great outdoors. Among the activities guests can participate in are guided nature and hiking tours (there are over 85 miles of groomed trails to explore), climbing, and even tomahawk throwing!
W&M ALUMNAE IDYLLIC HUDSON RIVER VALLEY JUNE 11-16, 2018 Day 1: June 11, 2018 Arrive in Albany Today we arrive in Albany to relax and explore. Later in the afternoon, we ll gather at our hotel for a welcoming cocktail reception and dinner. Hotel: Renaissance Albany Hotel or similar Day 2: June 12, 2018 Steepletop and Hosack Gardens We begin the day with a visit to Steepletop, the beautiful home and gardens of Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. We ll breathe life into her legacy, learning This evening we ll make our way to the fabulous Mohonk Mountain House, one of the most iconic hotels in the country. The Mohonk Mountain House will be our home for the next three nights. (B,L,D) Day 3: June 13, 2018 - Eleanor Roosevelt and Beatrix Farrand Today we ll spend a significant part of the day exploring the life and times of one of America s most powerful and pioneering women, the great Eleanor Roosevelt. In the morning, we ll visit her private retreat and cottage that she used throughout the time she was first lady and until the end of her illustrious life. From Val-Kill, we make our way to Bellefield to explore the gardens and legacy of more about the events and places that shaped her as an artist and activist. From there, we ll make our way to the lovely and historic Bartlett House in Ghent for a delicious farm-to-table meal. After lunch, we visit Hosack Farm and its 95 acres for a private tour of the house and grounds. The farm represents a small part of the former Vanderbilt farm complex that once encompassed hundreds of acres in Hyde Park, New York. Hosack Farm offers a historic example of the romantic landscape, designed and shaped during the Vanderbilt ownership. Beatrix Farrand, a gifted architect and landscape designer. Farrand was also the only founding woman member of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1899. We ll enjoy a special tour with the Executive Director and refreshments in the garden. For lunch, we ll enjoy a delicious meal together at the great Culinary Institute of America, one of the top-rated culinary schools in the country. After lunch, we ll have the option of either continuing on to tour Springfield, the estate
CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS OF WOMEN CHANGING HISTORY her journey to freedom as an escaped slave to one of the most powerful abolitionists, public speakers, and women's rights advocates. From here, we ll return to the Mohonk Mountain House for relaxation and dinner. (B,L,D) Day 5: June 15, 2018 - Beautiful Ceilings and the Women Who Break Them Today we ll begin at West Point Military Academy for a private tour. The entire central campus is a national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, of Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt for those who wish to sightsee more, or, for those seeking relaxation, there will be an option to return to the peaceful Mohonk Mountain House. (B,L,D) Day 4: June 14, 2018 - Cultural Landscape of the Hudson River Valley In the morning, we re bound for the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, the epicenter of the Hudson River School of Art and former terminus of the Underground Railroad. We ll also learn about the female artists of the Hudson and monuments. It was the first American college to have an accredited civil-engineering program, the first to have class rings, and its technical curriculum was a model for later engineering schools. Our tour culminates in a special tea with the first female commandant, Diana Holland. * For lunch, we ll enjoy a private cruise aboard the Pride of the River School, including the remarkable sister of Thomas Cole, Sarah. For lunch, we ll enjoy a picnic lunch at the stunningly beautiful Olana Historic Site overlooking the Hudson River. Afterwards, we ll make our way to Ulster County to explore the life and times of Sojourner Truth. We ll follow Hudson. We will travel leisurely on the Hudson all the way to Poughkeepsie, viewing the beautiful homes and estates by water, while dining and sipping wine. In the afternoon, we ll visit Manitoga, the home and gardens of mid-century pioneering product and lifestyle designers, Russel and Mary Wright. Russel Wright intended Manitoga to be not only a home for himself but an exaggerated demonstration of how individual a house can be. He shaped his home into a house of high drama, a theme evident from its approach -- a vine-draped wooden
W&M ALUMNAE IDYLLIC HUDSON RIVER VALLEY JUNE 11-16, 2018 EXPERT Guest Lecturer pergola separating the house and studio, seductively veiling the view of the Waterfall. For our final evening together, we ll then make our way to the Tarrytown Doubletree for dinner and relaxation. *Pending confirmation. Day 6: June 16, 2018 - Tarrytown and return home For our final day, we begin with a tour of Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate. Home to four generations of the the illustrious Rockefellers, Kykuit is a preeminent landmark in the Hudson River Valley for its stunning architecture, garden design, art collection, and breathtaking scenery. John D. Rockefeller s imposing and elegant six-story house is situated on the top of the tallest point in Pocantico Hills, on over three-thousand acres, surrounded by sweeping gardens across the privately maintained 250 acres. From Kykuit, we ll visit Union Church, an unassuming country church that contains a stained glass window by Henri Matisse, his last work of art, and nine windows by Marc Chagall. The works create a dramatic combination Dr. Jennifer Putzi Associate Professor of English and Gender, Sexuality and Women s Studies Since arriving at William & Mary in 2002, Professor Putzi has been a prolific and creative scholar and a gifted teacher. She has also served the campus with an energetic commitment to governance in a range of roles. Her dedication to her scholarship has resulted in the publication of one monograph, an edited novel, an edition of the letters of the writer Elizabeth Stoddard and an edited collection of essays on 19thcentury American women s poetry, as well as multiple articles. She is currently working on a book about women poets access to print in antebellum America. She balances her writing projects with the successful teaching and mentoring of students in both the English Department and the Gender, Sexuality and Women s Studies Program (GSWS). Putzi has also taken on leadership roles such as director of the GSWS Program and associate chair of the English Department. Her commitment to a safe and diverse environment on campus is evident from her service on the President s Task Force on Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention and the LGBTQ Working Group. She holds a doctorate in English from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. reading list Guide to Easier Living by Russel and Mary Wright Collected Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Eleanor Roosevelt Franklin & Eleanor, an Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley ADDITIONAL INFORMATION of light and color, art and spirituality. The commission honors the memory of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, one of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art, who admired Matisse and collected his work. In the afternoon, we ll part ways to return home via Westchester or Laguardia Airports. Connoisseurs Tours 1-800-856-1045 Email: WMAlumnae@ConnoisseursTours.com
CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS OF WOMEN CHANGING HISTORY TERMS AND CONDITIONS TOUR COST: $3595.00 per person double occupancy. Supplement for single occupancy $395.00. DEPOSIT: $500.00 per person deposit is required to confirm a reservation on a definite basis. Final payment is due March 10, 2018. Deposit and payments can be credit card or check. TRAVEL PROTECTION: Connoisseurs Tours offers Cancellation/Delay/Medical Protection. The cost of travel protection is $242.00 per person based on double occupancy. $276.00 per person for single occupancy. Travel protection can be paid with your deposit or at the time of your final payment. Connoisseurs Tours strongly recommends that you purchase Cancellation/Medical Protection. Traveling is a big investment. It pays to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances that can result in trip cancellation and additional expenses such as costs related to medical emergencies. This Travel Insured Protection Plan is specifically designed to provide you with peace of mind knowing you are protected against the financial impact of unexpected events while on your trip. Additional insurance is available to include the cost of your airfare. Please contact Connoisseurs Tours if you would like to insure the cost of your airline tickets after you have purchased your airline tickets. INCLUSIVE PRICES Tour Prices: Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, porterage, and the services of the local guides, drivers and the Tour Escort/ Guide are included, as per individual details of the itinerary. Transportation from arrival Airports to the beginning hotel is included in the cost of the tour on most journeys. Please review your specific itinerary for details. Transportation from the last hotel to the departure airport listed in the brochure is also included when you check out of the hotel. Transportation to and from airports and train stations may be shared with other guests. Hotel Accommodations: The tour price includes all hotel accommodations with private baths. Our standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality of accommodations may differ slightly from one hotel to another, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are usually two bedded rooms plus a roll-away cot and are not recommended for comfort. Meals: Meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Gratuities: All customary gratuities for hotel, restaurant staff, and local guides are included. NOT INCLUDED Air Transportation: Air transportation to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Gratuities to your Guide/Escort and drivers: Gratuities are not included to your overall guide/escort and coach driver, a recommended gratuity amount will be provided to you in your final tour documents. Connoisseurs Tours wishes to stress that this gratuity is optional and on a voluntary basis. Personal Expenses: Personal expenses such as phone calls, use of fitness center, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, mineral water, soft drinks, laundry, airline service fees, excess luggage fees, and other optional incidental extras are not included in the tour price. Itinerary Change and Flexibility: Connoisseurs Tours pledges to make every effort to operate all tours as advertised. Connoisseurs Tours reserves the right to alter or curtail any aspect of the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels/ and or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any additional expense for these substitutions will be covered by Connoisseurs Tours. Health and Fitness: Connoisseurs Tours are moderate exertion journeys. Travelers must certify that they are in good health and can walk one to two miles a day. These journeys are not recommended for those who have mobility limitations such as walkers, wheelchairs and scooters.
W&M ALUMNAE IDYLLIC HUDSON RIVER VALLEY JUNE 11-16, 2018 CANCELLATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: $300 per person from the time of booking to 120 days prior to departure is non-refundable. $600 per person from 119 to 90 days prior to departure is non-refundable. 50% of the tour price from 89 to 60 days prior to departure is non-refundable. 100% of the full program cost from 59 to 0 days prior to departure and during the tour is non-refundable. All cancellations must be in writing RESPONSIBILITY: Connoisseurs Tours acts only as an agent for the traveler with respect to transportation, accommodations and other services offered on the tour. Connoisseurs Tours and the agents assume no responsibility or liability for any act, error omission, or for any injury, loss, accident or delay or irregularity that may be caused by any defect in any aircraft, ship, train, bus or other carrier or through negligence or default of any subcontractor or other third party. The passage contract in use by the carriers when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the carriers and the traveler. Connoisseurs Tours and/or their agents will not responsible for loss, injury, damages or expenses to person or property, due to illness, weather, strikes, local laws, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature or other causes in connection with the tour for anything beyond their reasonable control. Connoisseurs Tours is not responsible for transportation or other delays or changes the tour program beyond their control, nor any additional expenses or loss of time that may be incurred by the traveler. It may be necessary or advisable for the wellbeing of all travelers to alter the itinerary at any time, without notice to the travelers, and such alterations will be made without penalty to Connoisseurs Tours. Any payment made towards a tour booking shall constitute a confirmation by the Guest on behalf of themselves and all other persons named on their booking that he or she has read, understood, accepted and agreed to the Terms & Conditions of this tour, the terms of which will apply to the Guest and all other persons named on their booking. & Connoisseurs Tours reserves the right to decline or not to retain any person as a member of any tour or to change or withdraw a tour as circumstances demand. All rates quoted are based on tariffs in effect at the time the tour was planned and are subject to change in the event of adjustment therein. Baggage is carried at the owner s risk and baggage insurance is recommended. Connoisseurs Tours reserves the right substitute hotels of equal or superior quality. The proposals of this section are governed by Georgia law, and final payment by the traveler to Connoisseurs Tours shall be deemed to be consent to the above provisions.