Travel News: Tour the Queen of Soul’s Recording Studio, Free Museum Entry on 9/22, and Get a Slice of Pie on Your B&B Pillow
From the funkiest corner of Alabama to free museum entry across the U.S., not to mention the sweetest B&B perk we’ve heard in a long time (it involves pie), this week’s travel news is all about making the most of your vacation days.
TOUR THE QUEEN OF SOUL’S RECORDING STUDIO
It is impossible to overstate Aretha Franklin’s musical abilities and cultural impact. We mourn the passing of the singer, songwriter, and pianist whose songs helped define the American experience of the past five decades. Travelers who wish to celebrate the Queen of Soul’s legacy may want to head to FAME Studios at Muscle Shoals, in Florence, AL, where, in 1967, Franklin recorded her fiercely brilliant breakthrough album, “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You,” including the classic “Respect.” Swampette Tours (visitflorenceal.com) can take you on a guided tour of the studio, which includes the piano Franklin played, plus a visit to the nearby Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
FREE MUSEUM ENTRY ON 9/22
Our friends at Smithsonian magazine are delivering their 14th annual Museum Day, with tickets now available for download. On Saturday, September 22, 2018, museums across the U.S. will adopt the free-entry policy of the Smithsonian, opening their doors visitors who present a Museum Day ticket, which provides free admission to the ticket holder and one guest. Check out the list of participating museums and download a ticket at smithsonianmag.com.
GET A SLICE OF PIE ON YOUR B&B PILLOW
Sure, you’ve had turndown service. Maybe it included chocolate? Or flowers? How about pie? No? Well… Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast (caldwellhouse.com), in Salisbury Mills, in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, is offering guests a slice of pie on their pillow from September 4 through 30. The inn will be baking fresh pies using locally sourced ingredients, then placing a tasty slice atop each guest’s pillow as part of its annual Pie on the Pillow turndown service. “The pie on the pillow gets bigger and bigger in demand each year,” said Dena Finneran, who co-owns the bed and breakfast with her husband, John. “Our guests return each Fall to enjoy the pies and the foliage.”