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Over the past few months, I have become a loyal customer of a European bath and body line that has become mine and my girls go-to personal care products.

The brand is Kneipp (pronounced ken-ipe) and although most Americans are not familiar with this German brand, it has been around for over 125 years!

I literally stumbled upon the Kneipp Store while walking around Roosevelt Field mall with Kelsey, back in December. Trying to find a gentle face wash and moisturizer for my 11 year old girl, we came upon the lovely and inviting bath and skin care products store. My interest was piqued, by the words "Vegan" and "Natural" in the window and the delicious aromas emanating from inside. 

Me and my girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE anything with aromatic and vibrant scents as a general rule, and when you combine this with the ritual of pampering, its a win-win for my gang of three. The problem is, with so many "good smelling" products on the market that do not adhere to the standards of being animal friendly and/or that contain chemicals and other harmful, unhealthy ingredients, I felt drawn to check things out at Kneipp.

My enthusiasm was growing as we entered this boutique, whose name, I was not yet sure how to pronounce,​ as I began to visually scan the displays full of body washes, lotions, hand creams, bath salts, bubble baths, essential body and bath oils, skin care and more.

History of Kneipp
The story of this natural, botanically-based line of products is depicted in-store on a visually engaging timeline, having its humble beginnings back in the 18th Century, in a small village in Bavaria, Germany. Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897), a naturopath and priest, cured himself of a severe case of tuberculosis using the very nature around him in combination with cold and hot water therapies (hydrotherapy). At that time, the disease was usually fatal, but Kneipp came across an eighteenth-century book about hydrotherapy that inspired him to immerse himself several times a week in the icy Danube River. These brief exposures to cold water seemed to bolster his immune system, sending his disease into remission.

I was fascinated as I read the historical account, and Michele and Colleen filled in with additional product details.  It all resonated strongly with me as I am a strong believer that the earth has everything necessary to keep us healthy and heal us from disease, and Sebastian Kneipp had proved this through his life's mission.

Having cured himself, Father Kneipp began a lifetime of devotion to providing all people a simple plan to improve and maintain good health with the healing powers of water, plants and herbs. His reputation and fame grew as a healer and thousands of people would journey to the foot hills of the German Alps to learn the naturopathic methods he developed and to be "cured" and achieve optimal health.

One of the cornerstones of Sebastian Kneipp's holistic philosophy is The Five Pillars, which were the basis of the "Kneipp-Kur" and proudly displayed in-store. Kneipp believed in total wellness for body, mind, and soul and his therapies not only cured illness but were also a means by which maintaining good health was and is possible - what we would refer to today as "preventative care."

The Five Pillars refer to the elements of water, plants, exercise, nutrition, balance, used in combination to improve health and well-being.  Kneipp developed treatment methods using hydrotherapy with plants and herbs that proved very beneficial for a holistic way of life. 
 
Realizing the need to make these healing remedies available to greater numbers of individuals, Sebastian Kneipp partnered with a Würzburg pharmacist who shared his conviction for using naturopathic medicine and using only natural plant essences and pure ingredients as a base, together, they created the formulas that are still used in the company's bath, body and wellness products today, according to the company's website.

Kneipp Today 
With headquarters in Würzburg, Germany, the Kneipp Company is an independent company within the Hartman Group, with a modern production site located in Ochsenfurt-Hohestadt, near Würzburg, along with research and development laboratories that continues the legacy and holistic philosophy of its founder, Sebastian Kneipp. Throughout Europe, the brand is well recognized, and the plan is to bring that same consumer recognition to America, through Kneipp-owned retail stores along with an online presence. 
 
As a travel blogger, I was ecstatic about the company's tie-in to travel!  In the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, an entire town is devoted to Kneipp Wellness. It is Kneipp Town-the spa village of Bad (Spa) Wörishofen, where every hotel and guesthouse offers the "Kneipp-Kur" and the doctors practice Kneipp's Five Pillars of Wellness. 

​I can assure you that my travel bucket list now includes Bad Wörishofen!

Lastly, a little something for myself. I could not resist their shower foam, which I consider, one of their best products!  The soft, silky foam is a combination body wash and in-shower shaving cream.  The kids have become obsessed with it, so I have to hide it!

Having tried most of the Kneipp scents to date, my favorite shower foam is White Hibiscus and Shea Butter and my gang of three's overall favorite Kneipp Shower Wash scent- hands down - is Passionfruit and Grapefruit!!

There are currently eight Kneipp stores in the United States along the east coast, which include two right here on Long Island in the Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall in Garden City and Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove.
Their prices are super reasonable too and when you sign up for the Kneipp Family loyalty program, (which, of course, I did!) it saves you an additional 5% of all purchases in store and online!

Thanks Kneipp, for giving consumers an animal friendly, botanical, natural, vegan alternative in the bath and body care category!
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​- Elisa

These days, weekends are filled with a plethora of activities for kids and parents. From sports to dance,  birthday parties, extra curricular classes, family commitments and more. It's no easy task trying to find down time to enjoy some good old fashioned spur of the moment activities with your kids.   

As a parent who loves the precious and few spontaneous free weekend and no-school days that come around, I treasure the  impromptu local adventures with my kids for which they allow.  Next time you find yourself with a few hours or an entire day free, consider these 25 possible simple pleasures to share with the special kiddies here on Long Island.

2. Take Time to Smell the Candles
A beloved pastime of mine and my younger daughter's is wandering through Yankee Candle store in the Roosevelt Field mall, smelling the different scents. We usually end our olfactory excitement with a purchase or two! There are a total of seven Yankee Candle stores for your smelling pleasure located throughout Long Island.

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3. Tapas Lunch
Tapas are not just for adults!  The  small portions and fun assortment of eats is perfect for sampling a variety of culinary options in one seating with your young foodie! Spuntino Wine Bar and Italian Tapas located in The Gallery in Westbury Plaza, Long Island is the perfect tapas destination. My kids LOVE this place.  We usually order way too much, but in the end, my picky eater, Kelsey has tried may new things as a result of the small portions and shared style of eating. We especially love their Ciambelle for dessert, which are mini doughnuts served with chocolate sauce, Nutella and salted caramel dipping.

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4. $5 Movie Ticket Tuesday
Gone are the days that a trip to the movies was an economical activity with kids, especially when you add in the snacks and drinks. Thanks to AMC Theatre and their $5 Tuesdays, you can take your little ones for a movie excursion and not break the bank. The catch is that you have to buy the tickets at the box office (no pre-sale via the internet).  For that kind of savings, it's worth it.  Additionally, with the AMC Stubs card, you can rack up points for additional savings on food and drinks! Beat the crowd on a Tuesday afternoon or evening with your favorite youngster(s). 

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5. Nature Walk At Clark Botanic Garden
Founded in 1969, Clark Botanic Garden is a 12-acre living museum and educational facility located in Albertson. Nothing is more relaxing than the surroundings of beautiful plants and flowers, particularly in the Spring and Summer months. Walking the grounds of this local botanical garden is a way to forget about the hustle bustle day to day pressures and just focus on the joys of nature and your little ones Check their website for events!

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6. Saturday Afternoon Tea
I never knew how much my kids loved the ritual of afternoon tea until we spent a week in London together.  But, you need not cross the pond to enjoy this lovely (and delicious!) timeless tradition. The Garden City Hotel offers a wonderful Afternoon Tea every Saturday at 2pm.  With a well crafted menu that includes an array of international teas, delicious tea sandwiches and wonderful pastries, the experience will long be remembered.

7. Take A Carousel Ride
Who says you need to spend an entire day at an amusement park - why not just enjoy a memorable carousel ride - a beloved old fashioned pastime.  The Historic Nunley's Carousel at the Cradle of Aviation 41 horses and a lion await you on this legendary, over 100 year old, beautifully restored carousel has forty-one horses and a lion on this legendary, over 100 year old, beautifully restored carousel. At $2 per ride, you can ride as many times as you like!
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8. Ice Cream Sundaes at The International Delight Cafe 
What says fun more than ice cream and gelato! Located in Bellmore, The International Delight Cafe has over 80+ homemade gelato flavors to choose from.  Not to mention, amazing sundaes, like their largest one that has over 2 gallons of gelato and lots of other treats!! Treat yourselves to a delightful afternoon or evening of yummy goodness.

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9. Step Back in Time at Walt Whitman Birthplace 
If you've got a budding writer, like I do, Walt Whitman Birthplace in South Huntington is a delightful way to spend a few hours. The small farmhouse still exists, where Walt Whitman was born in 1819 and it is a National Historic Site today. Walking the grounds and the house is a wonderful way to impart some history in a lighthearted manner and learn about the poet’s early childhood years, which had a profound influence on his poetry.! Check the website for its list of ongoing events. 

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10. A Visit to a Railroad Museum
An afternoon outing to the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum will delight both adults and kids alike.  Comprised of two elements, the museum includes an indoor exhibit in the historic Oyster Bay Railroad Station, as well as an outdoor exhibit area featuring Locomotive #35 and other historic examples of railroad rolling stock.
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11. Mommy & Me Mani-Pedi
Who doesn't like to get pampered?  If you are looking for the perfect blend of bonding, relaxation and something that wont take up an entire afternoon, then a mani-pedi is just right for you and your little princess(es).  Long Island is in no short supply of nail salons, so finding the right one should be a breeze!

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12. A Day At The Park
One of my favorite parks on Long Island is Eisenhower Park. Centrally located in East Meadow, this 930 acre open space has 16 lighted tennis courts, one full-court basketball court, picnic areas and fitness trails, barbecue areas, playgrounds, athletic fields, a lake and a bandstand for live music. You can also bring your fur baby to the one acre dog park which is fenced and divided into large dog and small dog areas.

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13. On the Waterfront in Greenport
The historic Greenport waterfront's East End Seaport Museum is full of rich maritime heritage of Long Island's East End.  This port played a significant historic role in the American Revolution and Spanish American War, and served as a principle whaling port with seventy-seven ship arrivals and departures between 1832 and 1857.  In addition to the beautiful aesthetics of the seaport, there is a full day's worth of activities including The East End Seaport Museum,  guided cruises and tours with up-close viewing of historic lighthouses, an aquarium, a village blacksmith shop and an annual East End Maritime Festival.  

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14. Walking Through a Preserve
Who would have thought that right in the heart of Massapequa there exists one of the most beautiful preserves in all of Long Island. Officially named The Peter J. Schmitt Massapequa Preserve, it is comprised of 432 acres and contains a bike trail along a stream surrounded by trees and gardens, a hiking trail via the Greenbelt, as well as fishing and nature walks. 

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15. Artistic Expression
Love painting with your youngsters, but hate the mess? ARTrageous in Rockville Center is perfect for expressing artistic creativity with plenty of lovely options. If you are dropping in, you have your choice of pottery painting or glass fusing. Classes are also offered with advance registration for clay creations and canvas painting. 

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16. Relaxing Foot Massage 
One of the few spas that are child friendly, Happy Feet Relax Center offers Traditional Chinese Foot Rubs and Back Rubs for a true pampering and relaxation bonding experience for you and your youngster.  There are two locations: Massapequa (opened 6 days and closed Tuesdays) and Stony Brook (open 7 days). 

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17. Roller Skating Fun
United Skates of America in Seaford is one of the top destination roller rinks on Long Island.  With a fully stocked cafe and arcade, you can be a kid again with your kids for a fun-filled day.

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18. A Day at Sea Fishing
Fishing is big part of the culture of Long Island - I still remember when my dad bought me my first ishing rod!  If you have a little fisherman or fisherwoman in the making, there are several options, conveniently located in Nassau County.  Take a charter with the Captree Fleet, in Babylon -  the largest fishing fleet on Long Island.

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19. Make Your Own Teddy Bear
What fun it is to create your own Build a Bear Workshop stuffed toy!  While this place is meant for children, I have seen many an adult create custom bears for themselves!  This is a wonderful and relatively quick outing with kids, but the memories and the custom toy will last for years!  Need I tell you how much your kids will enjoy the ritual of naming, registering and selecting clothing and accessories for their new stuffed masterpiece! Locations on Long Island include Garden City at the Roosevelt Field Mall and Huntington at the Walt Whitman Mall.

20. Mini Golf Anyone?
Mini golf has always been one of my go-to outings with my kids.  Great for both boys and girls, and another activity that can be enjoyed if time is in relatively short supply.  One of my favorite mini golf destinations is Spring Rock Golf Center in New Hyde Park. Currently open for the season and open 7 days a week from 10AM to 12AM, the center has two mini golf courses, the "Romeo" and "Juliet."

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21. Visit The Big Duck  
My kids are not to fond of national landmarks, but in the case of the Big Duck, I think most would agree, this is a most unusual one and totally entertaining for kids of all ages!! Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Big Duck overlooks Reeves Bay in Flanders, Long Island. The vision of Long Island duck farmer Martin Maurer, The Big Duck was designed by Broadway set designers, the Collins Brothers, and crafted by locals George Reeve, John Smith, and Merlin Yeager in 1931. Check the website for local events.
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22. Time Capsule to the 19th Century 
Like a living time capsule, Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a collection of 19th-century houses painstakingly preserved in their original condition for a taste of the 19th Century.  Take the kiddies back to the 1800's as the park staff play the part by dressing up in old time clothing. Regularly hosted Revolutionary and Civil War re-enactments are sure to excite young onlookers.  The grounds also have a Restoration Farm, which offers organic vegetables, berries, herbs, flowers, eggs and poultry at its farm stand. 

23. Bike Ride Along A Sunny Boardwalk
Nothing like being outdoors for a leisure bike ride especially along the shore amidst the salty air. The newly built 2.2 mile Long Beach Boardwalk is a lovely place for a family bike ride. Although a beach pass is required to enter the beach on weekends May 7, 2018 - June 17, 2018 (including Memorial Day Monday) and daily June 23, 2018 - September 3, 2018 from 9:00am-6:00pm, the boardwalk is free to walk and ride along.

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24. Helping An Animal Shelter
Molding kids into good people is not easy and doing charity work is a good way to get them on their way.  Why not put a care package together for one of the area's local no-kill shelters and hand deliver it.  Even better, do some volunteer work for a few hours with your youngster.  Most places allow children to help out as long as they are accompanied by an adult.  Last Hope, Inc. is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization, located in Wantagh, dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of death-due pound, stray and abandoned animals.
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25. Plant A Vegetable Garden
With Spring upon us, get started on your summer vegetable garden. You'd be surprised how much pride and excitement kids will take in cultivating the edibles in their own backyard, not to mention the life skills they will be acquiring. Our annual Spring visit to Hicks Nursery in Westbury is full of anticipation as we select our vegetables and herbs for the new season!  Don't underestimate the time you will need for spending at the nursery and then planting your garden.  After the hard work, you and your kids can enjoy daily time together watering, caring for and later, harvesting the fruits of your labor! You may want to check with the Old Farmer's Almanac if  you are beginner farmers!


-Elisa

​With the nation currently celebrating Women's History Month, the spotlight is shining on women who have made their mark on our great nation and the world, with their accomplishments and contributions. Many of these female trailblazers have made history right here in the empire state of New York.

As the warm weather is slowly approaching, a visit to these destinations are ideal for a day visit or overnight stay!

1. Eleanor Roosevelt National Historical Site
Hyde Park, New York
​Val-Kill Cottage, the simple, two-story stone structure located within the Roosevelt family property at Hyde Park, served as Eleanor Roosevelt's home for the last 17 years of her life.

Eleanor moved permanently to Val-Kill after the death of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She once described Val-Kill and its pastoral surroundings as the place "I used to find myself and grow" and where "I emerged as an individual".

The years following her husband's death, Eleanor Roosevelt emerged as a world figure, becoming one of the most well respected former American First Ladies.  Beginning with her appointment as American ambassador to the United Nations in 1946, she is remembered for her work on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written chiefly at Val-Kill. Her humanitarian activities took her around the globe, often touring nations to promote American concepts of justice, freedom and opportunity. Her pursuit of these ideals led President Harry Truman to identify her as the "First Lady of the World."  

From 1945-1962, Eleanor hosted many world figures at Val-Kill, which included Winston Churchill, and she would host groups of neglected children, who had the honor of being read to by Eleanor during their visits   during the summer. 

2. Susan B. Anthony House
​Rochester, New York 

Perhaps one of the most influential and prominent leaders in the American women's rights movement was Susan B. Anthony. Working tirelessly to lead the cause out of her private residence in Rochester, New York, her red brick home became her political and organizational headquarters, and is now a national historical landmark.

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Anthony began her activist career in 1849 when she moved to Rochester, where she quickly involved herself in the town's active reform movements and traveled throughout New York organizing abolitionist meetings. Her observation of society's false ideas regarding the superiority of males and women's inferior role was one she became increasingly aware of, before and during the Civil War.  But, for Anthony, it was blatantly clear after the Civil War with the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments which granted African-American males full citizenship, but not white women, just how much much inequality there existed for women.

It was at this point that Anthony and other feminists formed the Equal Rights Association, and broke with their abolitionist allies. In 1869, Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed a militant wing of the women's rights movement that argued for the full acceptance of the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments. During the 1870s and 1880s, Anthony and Stanton formed a powerful partnership, traveling, speaking, and inspiring the formation of suffrage societies all over the United States.
  
This red brick house was the site of innumerable "cabinet" meetings between Anthony and women's rights movement leaders like Carrie Chapman Catt and Anna Howard Shaw, and is directly tied to one famous example of Anthony's constant agitation. It was in the house's front parlor, after trying to force the Supreme Court to question the 15th Amendment's constitutionality, that Anthony was arrested for illegally casting a ballot in the 1872 Presidential election. In 1906, Susan B. Anthony died here, but left a legacy in a new century that would see women finally begin to gain equality with men.

​Susan Brownell Anthony (1820-1906)
American Suffragist, Reformer

The Susan B. Anthony House, a National Historic Landmark, is located at 17 Madison St. in Rochester, NY. The property is a house museum. The Susan B. Anthony House is open for tours year-round, Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last tour begins at approximately 4:15 p.m. The House is closed on all Mondays and most major holidays. Please telephone 585-235-6124 for the latest information, or visit the Susan B. Anthony House's website for more information.
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3. Women's Rights National Historical Park
Seneca Falls, New York
​The Women's Rights National Historical Park celebrates the origins and history of the American women's rights movement and tells the story of the first Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19-20,1848.

Established in 1980, this National Historical Park covers a total of 6.83 acres of land in Seneca Falls and nearby Waterloo, New York.

The history of this park has its beginnings in the 19th-century in Seneca County, New York, where advocates for temperance, dress reform and abolitionism were very active. This atmosphere of reform and agitation in Seneca Falls and nearby Waterloo led several women to meet at the Hunt House in Waterloo on July 14, 1848, to discuss the inferior status of women.

During the meeting, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, Jane Hunt and Mary Ann M'Clintock decided to organize an open convention to discuss the position of women in American society. Three days later, the group reassembled to compose the now-famous 1848 Declaration of Sentiments, which mimicked Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence by proclaiming "all men and women are created equal" instead of just "all men are created equal."

On July 18, 1848, Lucretia Mott made the opening presentation. Then Elizabeth Cady Stanton gave the public reading of the Declaration of Sentiments, which formally began a struggle for equality that has continued to the present. A great trip to take with young women to understand the struggles that their foremothers engaged in to secure the rights that today's young girls take for granted. 

Cady Stanton
(1815 – 1902)
​American Suffragist, Social Activist, Abolitionist

The Visitor Center for the Women's Rights National Historical Park is located at 136 Fall St. (U.S. 20) in Seneca Falls. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9am-5pm. For more information call 315-568-2991.  Women's Rights National Historic Park uses the setting of the first Women's Rights Convention in Wesleyan Chapel and the homes of important participants to tell the story of one of the most important movements in American history--the fight for women's equality.

4. Alice Austen House
Staten Island, New York
With the development of the camera and photographic paper in the late 1800's,  Alice Austen of Staten Island, New York made her mark as one of the earliest American photographers.

Alice Austen House, also known as Clear Comfort, is a two-story Victorian cottage-style house where Austen lived for 78 years.  Set in pastoral surroundings with extensive ocean views Austen developed all seven thousand of her photographs in Clear Comfort's darkroom. In fact, her detailed pictorials of the home were the basis from which the home was eventually restored.  

Austen's work challenged many of the Victorian traditions and often mocked the mores of the era. For example, her photographs featured examples of everyday, ordinary society in late 19th and early 20th century America and she would also have her female subjects in men's clothing as well as showing women smoking in public, which was an illegal act during the Victorian age. The common experiences of life were the focus of her photography, more so than other photographers' work of the day.  

Her photographs were displayed in prominent shows and her series on the quarantine facilities for immigrants on Staten Island was exhibited at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. Sadly, Austen died destitute, having to sell off half of her photos.  In the 1950's, a rediscovery of her work by the Staten Island Historical Society, which had saved most of her photos, led to keeping her legacy alive.

5. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Historic District
Cold Spring Harbor, New York
The Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences established Cold Spring Harbor in 1880 as a fish hatchery, but in 1890 shifted its focus to proving or refuting Charles Darwin's theories of evolution. By the 1930s, the combined institutions that made up the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories were among the most respected in the United States. ​

Long before it was part of the mainstream for women to be scientists, Barbara McClintock was among the few women of science who made their mark. Winner of the Nobel prize in 1981, she was a brilliant geneticist whose discoveries at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory would be the basis for spawning entire new fields of research. 

On December 7, 1941, McClintock arrived at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory complex and began a 50-year tenure that would see her discover "jumping genes," for which she would eventually win a Nobel Prize in Physiology. The daughter of a physician, McClintock was born and raised in Connecticut and  majored in biology at Cornell University, receiving a B.S. in 1923, a master’s degree two years later, and, having specialized in cytology, genetics, and zoology, a Ph.D. in 1927.

It was her graduate school studies that would come to occupy her entire professional life: the chromosomal analysis of corn (maize). She used a microscope and a staining technique that allowed her to examine, identify, and describe individual corn chromosomes. Her specialty took her abroad to study in Germany, which was cut short due to the rise of the Nazi regime. She returned to Cornell, but, because of her gender and university policy, was not given a professor position. From here, McClintock moved onto the University of Missouri, which led to yet another brick wall for her being a women, as they would not grant her tenure.  

Alas, she moved to New York in 1941,  to work at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, where she spent the rest of her professional life. Continuing her research on multi-colored "Indian corn" McClintock meticulously crossed different strains of corn, and eventually realized that Indian corn's random coloration was produced by a "jumping gene" that turned some kernels red, and others yellow.

The scientific community rejected this theory as a "general" rule of genetics and a disheartened McClintock stopped publishing. However,  in the 1970s, new research proved McClintock's findings correct--"jumping genes" were a common genetic occurrence in plants and animals, and in 1983, at the age of 81, Barbara McClintock was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 

For a complete list of places where women made history, check out the National Parks Services.

-Elisa

Little did I realize just how much time would be required for me to get the full impact of just one destination alone -  Woodlawn Cemetery. ​

There are many famed cemeteries throughout the world, and let me assure you, that the nonsectarian cemetery of Woodlawn is one of these.  This site is more than just the final resting place for those buried within it, but, is also a must see destination for viewing some of the most breathtaking monuments and edifices contained within the city and should absolutely be added to your important points of interest list within New York City. 

As an active, 400-acre non-sectarian cemetery, it is without a doubt, an oasis in an urban setting, built on rolling hills with tree-lined roads.  There are more than 310,000 individuals that are interred on its grounds, many of which were great figures in American industry, the arts and politics.

History
Woodlawn Cemetery was established during the Civil War in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874. To this day, it is one of the largest cemeteries in all of the city of New York. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011, joining an exceptional roster of 2,500 sites nationwide, it has been described by the National Parks Service as “a popular final resting place for the famous and powerful,” and the cemetery is distinguished by memorials that “represent the largest and finest collection of funerary art in the country.”

This historic site attracts over 100,000 visitors from around the world each year, to behold the monuments and mausoleums designed by the nation’s most accomplished architects, landscape designers and sculptors.

Additionally, within Woodlawn is an entire section of grave sites that date back to the time of the Civil War.  Many of these are being give tender loving care in repair work by adult cemetery volunteers and students from the local schools.  I was so taken with one memorial marker within the cemetery dedicated to the historic Site of the Redoubt, where General George Washington's troops fired their cannons at the British army during the American Revolution.  Who would have known such events happened two centuries ago right in the middle of this borough!

Memorials of Great Architecture 
I do not easily get awestruck but let me tell you I was so taken with the craftsmanship, beauty and architectural detail at every turn within Woodlawn Cemetery. It was hard for me to get my arms around the fact that these beautifully designed buildings were constructed to lay people to rest, as many of them looked like churches and public buildings worthy of individual recognition.  

Many of the memorials were designed by famous American architects, including McKim, Mead & White, John Russell Pope, James Gamble Rogers, Cass Gilbert, Carrère and Hastings, Sir Edwin Lutyens, Beatrix Jones Farrand, and John La Farge.

Additionally, the cemetery contains seven Commonwealth war graves, which include six British and Canadian servicemen of World War I and an airman of the Royal Canadian Air Force of World War II.
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Through my private tour with Alexandra, I was able to get an up-close view of some of the more illustrious and well-known of these mausoleums and monuments which include those built in memory of F.W. Woolworth, Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont and George Ehret, just to name a few.  

One needs days to literally take in all the beautiful sculptures that adorn Woodlawn, as each road and hill is filled with artistic creations.  Of the small few I was able to view and snap a picture of during my visit,  I was I was captivated by the magnificence of the bronze sculpture, Memorial to a Marriage and The Outcast by Attillo Piccirilli.

1. James Cash ("J.C") Penney (1875-1971) Department Store Founder

2. Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919) - First American Woman millionaire - founder of African American hair care products.

3. Dr. Ralph Bunche (1904-1971) - First Black American to be awarded the Nobel Prize

4. Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1947) - Mayor of New York (1934-1945)

5. George M. Cohan (1875-1942) - Actor, producer, and composer. His songs include "Over There" "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag)

​6. Celia Cruz (1924-2003) - Cuban-born singer known as the "Queen of Salsa"

7. Irving Berlin (1889- 1990) - American Composer. Songs include: "God Bless America" and "White Christmas"

8. Miles Davis (1926- 1991) - Innovative jazz trumpeter memorialized by his 1954 Composition "Solar"

9. Duke Ellington (1899 - 1974) - Internationally acclaimed band leader, composer of over two thousand songs.

10. Lionel Hampton (1908 - 2002) - "King of the Vibe" memorialized by his signature song, "Flying Home"

11. Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach (1924 - 2007) - Pioneer drummer of the bebop era and civil rights activist.

12. LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012) - Painter known for colorful images of sports figures.

13. Nelly Bly (1864-1922)-  Pioneer in investigative reporting.

14. Herman Melville (1819-1891) - Author of the classic America novel Moby Dick.

15. Gertrude Ederle (1906-2003) - First woman to swim the English Channel.

16. James A. Bailey (1846-1906) - Promoter and co-owner of the Barnum & Bailey Circus

17. Robert Lehman (1892-1969) - A partner in the family financial firm of Lehman Brothers and major donor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

18. Augustius Julliard (1843-1919) -  Financier who left his estate to establish the Julliard School of Music.

19. Jay Gould (1836-1892) - French financier. 

20. F.W. Woolworth (1852-1919) - 5 &  10 cent Store founder

21. Barbara Hutton (1912 -1979) - Heiress to the F.W. Woolworth Fortune

22. Robert Moses (1881-1981) - NYC Parks Commissioner

23. Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont (1856-1908) -  American socialite and U.S. Representative from New York, member of the banking firm of August Belmont and Co.

24. George Ehret (1835-1927) - New York Brewery Mogul

​25. George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) - Naturalist and founder of The Audubon Society.

Woodlawn is host to many historic events and tours, for the young and old who are looking to garner a more historic perspective of this cemetery, the architectural and artistic aspects of this site, and the people interred within its gates.

-Elisa

For Your Information:

Woodlawn Cemetery

Main Entrance: 
Webster Ave & E 233rd St Bronx, New York 
Jerome Avenue Entrance: 
Jerome Ave & Bainbridge Ave Bronx, New York 
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Tel:  718.920.0500- 877.496.6352
Email: [email protected]
 www.thewoodlawncemetery.org
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Throughout history, much of the glory as it relates to exploring and traveling the world has gone to men.  Why, I remember as an elementary school student, learning exclusively about the "men" who ventured into parts unknown, having encountered new and exciting places, peoples and aspects of nature. They were the "explorers."

These early western navigators of the globe did some amazing things. Brave, belligerent, and intent on pursuing their inner drive to unearth the new and unknown, they risked much for what they would discover, and, indeed, the majority of them male.

However, with just as much tenacity and determination, and often battling sexism and acceptable mores of their times, our world has seen some phenomenal female pioneers, whose existence and accomplishments, history has not brought into the mainstream with the same exuberance.

After a bit of research, I would like to present ten such women, who have made an important mark in the world of traveling and exploration.  Reporting about history can be quite subjective, and I am not immune from coming at my articles with my own personal opinions when it relates to having selected the women featured below.

These pioneers come from a pool of many female travel adventurers that I read and researched, but, whose achievements hit a special note within me. I'm hopeful that becoming familiar with these incredible ladies will ignite your curiosity to probe into the annals of history for other female travel trailblazers.

1. Jeanne Baret
Origin: French
(1740-1807)
One of the most interesting stories is that of Jeanne Baret, better known as "Jean" Baret, a member of Louis Antoine de Bougainville's expedition on the ships La Boudeuse and Étoile in 1766–1769. Disguised as a man, it is believed that she and her former employer/lover, Philbert Commerçon, hatched a plan for Ms. Baret to join the expedition by enlisting as a male valet and assistant to Commerçon, who was the expedition's naturalist, shortly before Bougainville's ships sailed from France. 

It was eventually discovered that she was, in fact, a woman, but she had gained the utmost respect of Bougainville, who by his own account, said Baret was herself an expert botanist. She was further, granted a pension of 200 livres a year by the Ministry of Marine, which is believed to have been as a result of Bougainville's own respect for Baret. The document granting her this pension makes clear the high regard with which she was held by this point:

"Jeanne Barré, by means of a disguise, circumnavigated the globe on one of the vessels commanded by Mr de Bougainville. She devoted herself in particular to assisting Mr de Commerson, doctor and botanist, and shared with great courage the labours and dangers of this savant. Her behaviour was exemplary and Mr de Bougainville refers to it with all due credit.... His Lordship has been gracious enough to grant to this extraordinary woman a pension of two hundred livres a year to be drawn from the fund for invalid servicemen and this pension shall be payable from 1 January 1785."

She died at age 67.
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2. Ida Laura Reyer Pfeiffer
Origin: Austrian
(1797- 1858)
It must have taken a great deal of guts to follow her childhood dreams, after her sons had grown, to go on to become one of the first female explorers.  In 1847, at age fifty, Madame Laura Pfeiffer traveled alone around the world, and then proceeded to publish books of her numerous explorations. Eventually, her popular books were translated into seven languages.

Born in Vienna, Laura was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. As a child, she preferred boys' clothing and liked sports and exercise, which was encouraged by her father, and in fact, she received the education usually given to a boy. Her first long journey was a trip to Palestine and Egypt with her father, when she was only five years old. This experience would influence her, the rest of her life.  Unfortunately, following her father's death, when she was nine, her mother who disapproved of her unconventional upbringing, would insist she lead a more "feminine" life with girl clothes and piano lessons.  Laura would eventually live a traditional life and marry and have two sons.

She later wrote in Visit to Iceland:
"When I was but a little child, I had already a strong desire to see the world. Whenever I met a travelling-carriage, I would stop involuntarily, and gaze after it until it had disappeared; I used even to envy the postilion, for I thought he also must have accomplished the whole long journey."

Madame Pfeiffer would make several trips around the world, with destinations that included Brazil, Chile and other countries of South America, Tahiti, China, India, Persia, Asia Minor and Greece, England, South Africa, the Malay archipelago, spending eighteen months in the Sunda Islands, visiting the Dyaks of Borneo and was one of the first persons to report on the behavior of the Bataks in Sumatra, and the Malukus.

After a visit to Australia, Madame Pfeiffer proceeded to California, Oregon, Peru, Ecuador, New Granada, and north again to the Great Lakes.
 
Her contributions also included collecting plants, insects, mollusks, marine life and mineral specimens during her travels. The carefully documented specimens were sold to the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna and Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Madame Pfeiffer was a member of geographical societies of both Berlin and Paris, but not of Royal Geographical Society in London due to her sex. 
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​3.  Isabella Lucy Bird
​Origin: English
(1831 - 1904)
​Isabella Lucy Bird, was a nineteenth-century English explorer, writer, photographer and naturalist. As a child, she suffered from spinal ailments but they never seemed to stop her throughout her life. The education she received came from her parents. Her father, a keen botanist taught her all about flora, and her mother instructed Isabella and her sisters a varied mix of subjects. An avid reader with a high intellect, Bird would have her first publication at age sixteen, a pamphlet addressing Free Trade v Protectionism after which she continued writing articles for various periodicals.

Bird's traveling life began in her twenties, when her doctor recommended she take a sea voyage to aid with her recovery from a recent spinal surgery. Within no time of his suggestion, the opportunity arose for her to set sail for America. This trip proved very fruitful for her as a writer, and the letters she would write about her time in America became the basis for her book "An Englishwoman in America." 

Throughout her life, Bird would travel throughout Australia and Hawaii, climb Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and  visit Colorado, then the newest state in the United States.  Her travels took her all throughout Asia to Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaya.  Embarking on the study of medicine, she began work as a missionary at age sixty in India, with additional travels to  Persia, Kurdistan, and Turkey.

In 1890, she became the first woman to be awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Two years later, she became the first woman allowed to join the Royal Geographical Society (an honor previously denied Ida Laura Reyer Pfeiffer due to her gender) and was elected to membership of the Royal Photographic Society in 1897. Her final great journey, that same year, was traveling up the Yangtze and Han rivers in China and Korea, respectively. Later still, she went to Morocco, where she traveled among the Berbers and had to use a ladder to mount her black stallion, a gift from the Sultan.

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4. Fanny Bullock Workman
Origin: American
(1859 - 1925)
Fanny Bullock Workman was an American geographer, cartographer, explorer, travel writer, and mountaineer, notably in the Himalayas. She was one of the first female professional mountaineers, who, both explored and  wrote about her adventures. She set several women's altitude records, published eight travel books with her husband, and championed women's rights and women's suffrage.​

Workman was born to a wealthy family and was educated in the finest schools available to women at the time.  After marrying a wealthy man, the two traveled the world together, which included bicycle tours of Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Algeria and India, always writing books about their adventures.  For fourteen summers, they would visit the Western Himalaya and the Karakoram, exploring several glaciers and reaching the summit of several mountains, including 23,000 feet on Pinnacle Peak, a women's altitude record at the time. 

Becoming the first American woman to lecture at the Sorbonne, and the second to speak at the Royal Geographical Society, Fanny Workman received many medals of honor from European climbing and geographical societies and was recognized as one of the foremost climbers of her day. 
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5. Nellie Bly
Origin: American
(1864 - 1922)
Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman is better known by her pen name Nellie Bly. She was an American pioneering journalist who was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, in emulation of Jules Verne's fictional character Phileas Fogg.

Bly is also recognized for launching a new kind of investigative journalism. In this pursuit, one of her greatest investigative reports was that of the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island (now called Roosevelt Island). Working for Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper the New York World, she went undercover, agreeing to feign insanity to to enter the Asylum in order to investigate reports of brutality and neglect. Committed to the asylum, Bly experienced the deplorable conditions firsthand for her ten day stay. Her exposé, later published in book form as Ten Days in a Mad-House, caused a sensation and prompted the asylum to implement reforms.  It also brought her lasting fame.

Perhaps her greatest success was in convincing her editor at the New York World that she should embark on a trip around the world, in order to turn the fictional Around the World in Eighty Days into fact for the first time. A year later, her suggestion became reality and she began a worldwide trip out of Hoboken, New Jersey that would include visits to England, France (where she met Jules Verne in Amiens), Brindisi, the Suez Canal, Colombo (Ceylon), the Straits Settlements of Penang and Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan.  Bly would also visit a leper colony in China and, in Singapore, she bought a monkey.
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Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City in 1922 at age 57 and she was interred in a modest grave at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx in New York City.
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6. Aimée Crocker
Origin: American
(1864- 1941)
Amy Isabella Crocker was quite a character, making headlines and living an unconventional life.  An American socialite, Bohemian, poet and author, Amy (later changed to Aimée) was born in San Francisco, California in 1864. She would become an heiress in 1875 after inheriting $10 million (approximately $222,848,000 today) when her industrialist father "E.B" Crocker died. She was sent off to European finishing schools and would become quite wild, making headlines for her romances, escapades and scandals, including a nasty custody battle over her daughter Alma, with her former first husband, Porter Ashe, whose forefathers had given their name to Asheville, North Carolina and whose uncle was the great Civil War Admiral David Farragut. She would lose custody of the child.

It was at this point, she began extensive travel around the world, including an extended tour of the Far East, stopping first in Hawaii. It is said that King Kalākaua was so enamored with Crocker that he gave her one of his islands and an official title: Princess Palaikalani—Bliss of Heaven.  

Her life was far from ordinary and in Crocker's 1936 autobiography, And I’d Do It Again, she chronicles many adventures while living and exploring the Far East, sometimes with her second husband, Henry Mansfield Gillig and sometimes traveling alone.  Among the stories included in her book, she writes about are an escape from headhunters in Borneo, a poisoning in Hong Kong; a murder attempt by knife-throwing servants in Shanghai; three weeks in the harem of Bhurlana (She claimed to be the first English speaking woman who had ever seen the inside of a harem); a search for Kaivalya (Liberation) at the cave of the Great Yogin Bhojaveda in Poona; and two bizarre sensual experiences, one with an Indian boa constrictor, and another with a Chinese violin in the House of the Ivory Panels.
 
She was known for her cultural exploration of the Far East, for her extravagant parties in San Francisco, New York and Paris, and for her collections of lovers and multiple marriages, adopted children, Buddhas, jewelry, tattoos and snakes.
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7. Gertrude Bell
Origin: English
(1868 - 1926)
Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, was an English writer, traveler, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored and mapped Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Arabia. Her experience and knowledge built up through extensive travels in these territories, enabled her rise and highly influential position related to British imperial policy-making.

She is absolutely one of my favorite pioneers as she was highly esteemed and trusted by British officials and given a tremendous amount of power for a women at the time, making decisions with lasting political effects.

Along with T. E. Lawrence, Bell helped support the Hashemite dynasties in what is today Jordan as well as in Iraq, playing a major role in establishing and helping administer the modern state of Iraq, utilizing her unique perspective from her travels and relationships with tribal leaders throughout the Middle East. She has been described as "one of the few representatives of His Majesty's Government remembered by the Arabs with anything resembling affection"

She was born into a wealthy and prominent family, and enjoyed a high education and enabled her travels.  Additionally, it is said that from a young age, her intellect, energetic and adventurous personality and a thirst for adventure, shaped her life path. This in combination with her early exposure to international politics through her grandfather, the ironmaster Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell, an industrialist and a Liberal Member of Parliament, in Benjamin Disraeli's second term, more than likely encouraged Gertrude's curiosity for the world, and her later involvement in international politics.

She never married, but her contribution as a member of the Red Cross, working with British Intelligence during World War I and strong ties and knowledge of navigating the middle east and fluency in Arabic, were invaluable to the world at large for years to come.
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8. Freya Stark
Origin: English and Italian (French born)
(1893- 1993)
For her ninth birthday Freya Stark received a copy of One Thousand and One Nights, and became fascinated with the Orient.  From an early age, she loved reading - even in other languages, namely French and even taught herself Latin. Later in life, she would learn Arabic and Persian and studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.

In 1927 she would begin her travels to the east and boarded a ship to Beirut and would travel from there to Bagdad, Iraq.  By 1931, she had completed three dangerous treks into the wilderness of western Iran, parts of which no Westerner had ever visited, and had located the long-fabled Valleys of the Assassins. Then in 1935, she travelled to the Hadhramaut, the hinterland of southern Arabia, where only a handful of Western explorers had previously ventured, never as far or as widely as she went. After World War II, she would travel throughout Turkey and document numerous books and essays about her expeditions.  

Her writings, essays and books are extensive and Stark would continue to write throughout her entire life. In her old age, one of her last trips she would take was to Afghanistan, before returning to Asolo in Italy, where she would live out the rest of her life, a few months past her 100th birthday. 

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9. Amelia Earhart
Origin: American
(1897- 1937)
Amelia Earhart is best known as the first woman to fly solo across Atlantic. No small feat, but her accomplishments go well beyond this one incredible triumph. In her world renown fateful journey in 1937,  to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in her famous Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island and was forever lost to the world. Fascination with her life, career and disappearance continues to this day and often overshadows the plethora of successes she achieved throughout her lifetime.

A love of the outdoors and the rough and tumble, Earhart was a tom-boy, who, as a little girl, while sledding with her younger sister "Pidge" only to have emerged from the broken wooden box that had served as a sled with a bruised lip, torn dress and a "sensation of exhilaration" is known to have exclaimed, "Oh, Pidge, it's just like flying!" 
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After attending a year at Columbia University in New York, Earhart quit, to return to California with her family.  on December 28, 1920, Earhart and her father visited an airfield where Frank Hawks (who later gained fame as an air racer) gave her a ride that would forever change Earhart's life. "By the time I had got two or three hundred feet off the ground," she said, "I knew I had to fly." And fly, she did!  On October 22, 1922, Earhart flew to an altitude of 14,000 feet setting a world record for female pilots. On May 15, 1923, Earhart became the 16th woman in the United States to be issued a pilot's license Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. 

In April 1928, Earhart got a phone call from Capt. Hilton H. Railey, who asked her, "Would you like to fly the Atlantic?" She and her team departed from Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland on June 17, 1928, landing at Pwll near Burry Port, South Wales, exactly 20 hours and 40 minutes later.  There is a commemorative blue plaque at the site.

During her career, she did endorsements, was an associate editor at Cosmopolitan Magazine, set a world altitude record of 18,415 feet in 1931, became involved with The Ninety-Nines, an organization of female pilots providing moral support and advancing the cause of women in aviation, became the first aviator to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California and joined Purdue University in 1935 as a visiting faculty member to counsel women on careers and as a technical advisor to the Department of Aeronautics.  All toll, between 1930 to 1935, Earhart had set seven women's speed and distance aviation records in a variety of aircraft.  

On July 2, 1937, the world lost one of the greatest aviators, as Earhart's plane went missing and was never recovered.  
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10. Jean Batten
Origin: New Zealand
(1909 - 1982)
As the first person, let alone first woman, Jean Batten flew between England and New Zealand solo, thereby breaking other records. The daughter of Frederick Batten, a dental surgeon, and Ellen Batten, whom she had the strongest support from, in her choice of becoming a career pilot, Batten was a successful aviator.

In 1924 Batten was enrolled into a girls' boarding college in Remuera in Auckland where she studied ballet and piano. Though she was a gifted pianist, at age 18 she determined to become a pilot after the Australian pilot Charles Kingsford Smith took her for a flight in his Southern Cross airplane.

She and her mother moved to England in 1929, to join the London Aeroplane Club. Batten's first solo flight was in 1930 and she gained private and commercial licenses by 1932. The story of her raising the money to fund her 100 hours flying time to receive her license, as well as the funds to later "buy" her plane, the Gipsy Moth, came as the result of relationships she had with men.   According to NZ History Online, "Raising money by taking advantage of her relationships with men was a theme that continued throughout her flying career."

In May 1934, Batten successfully flew solo from England to Australia in the Gipsy Moth. Her trip of 14 days and 22 hours beat the existing England-to-Australia record of English aviatrix Amy Johnson by over four days. For this achievement and for subsequent record-breaking flights, she was awarded the Harmon Trophy three times (1935, 1936, 1937) and also received an endorsement contract with Castrol oil.

Batten was created Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1936, and she was also given the Cross of Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour that year. Also in 1936, for the second successive year, Batten was again awarded the Royal Aero Club's Britannia Trophy for most meritorious performance in aviation during the previous year.

In 1938, she was awarded the medal of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, aviation's highest honour; she was the first woman to receive the medal. Throughout the 1930s she was very social and made many friends with other aviators internationally, as she described in her autobiography My Life. 

At the end of her life, Batten lived as a recluse in several places around the world with her mother until her mother's death in 1965. In 1977 she was guest of honour at the opening of the Aviation Pioneers Pavilion at Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology, after which she returned to her home in Spain, where she would pass and be buried.