Things to Do in Napa & Sonoma

The Kon-Tiki Museum is home to a variety of boats and other artifacts from the famous Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions. Thor Heyerdahl is a Norwegian expeditionary and ethnographer who famously sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. The museum includes the very raft used during that expedition.

The museum also houses permanent exhibits on Ra, Tigris, Kon-Tiki, Fatu-Hiva, and Easter Island and even has a cave tour (that is 100 feet/30 meters in length) and an underwater exhibition with a life-size whale shark. For those who are not well acquainted with Norway’s topographical landscape, there is a recommended widescreen film that takes the viewer on an aerial tour of the country’s coastline and settlements.

Once you’ve soaked in all the exhibits the museum has to offer, the restaurant offers a lunch menu which includes authentic Norwegian cuisine, including the highly recommend Kon-Tiki Fish Casserole and Tapas buffet.

Built in the 13th century, the Konopiště Chateau was originally built in the Early Gothic era on the model of a French castellum near Prague. Renaissance and Baroque reconstruction changed the castle into a grand stately home. At the end of the 19th century Konopiště Chateau was refurbished in the Romantic style for Franz Ferdinand d'Este, successor to the Habsburg throne, and famous for his death in 1914 which acted as a pretext for the start of WWI.

The chateau offers a fine display of furniture, drape tapestries, sculptures, paintings and a cornucopia of hunting trophies. There is also a baroque rose garden and a greenhouse. 

Dedicated in 1995, this memorial to the troops who fought in the Korean War (1950-1953) lies adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial in West Potomac Park, at the south end of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Created by sculptors Louis Nelson and Frank Gaylord, this depiction of a walled triangle intersecting a circle is assembled from over 100 tons of granite and includes 19 stainless steel statues, each over seven feet tall, which symbolize a patrol squad assembled from every branch of the armed forces.

These steel statues, when reflected on the walled triangle, appear to be 38 figures, representing the 38th parallel, Korea’s location on a map. The wall of the triangle itself incorporates over 2,500 sandblasted photographic images depicting scenes from the Korean War. The memorial’s circle encloses a reflecting pool, a grove of trees, and a ring of benches, as well as inscriptions of the numbers of people who were wounded, killed, missing in action, and more. Juniper and Rose of Sharon bushes planted around the memorial symbolize the South Korean landscape.

The closest Metrorail station is Foggy Bottom at 23rd and I Streets, approximately 7/10 of a mile away and serving the Orange and Blue Lines.

From ancient Greek ruins to Byzantine monasteries, Cyprus has an incredible variety of historical sites, and the Kolossi Castle is one of the most striking remnants of the island’s medieval era. Built in the 13th century by the Knights of St. John and later restored in the 15th century, the castle has changed hands several times throughout its long history, but remarkably, remains beautifully preserved.

Appearing more like a stone-brick tower than a fortress, the imposing square keep rises 21 meters tall and taking in the views from the rooftop is a popular pastime for visitors. The dramatic landscape of vineyards surrounding the castle is also significant, as it was here that the Knights of St John first began producing wine and processing sugar cane, leading to the birth of ‘Commandaria’ – the sweet dessert wine, renowned as the world’s oldest named wine still in production. Explore the ruins of the castle chambers and you’ll find further evidence of the historic sugar production, including the millstone used to crush the canes and the aqueduct which once brought water to the mill.

Set high on a cliff top overlooking Cyprus’ south coast, the ancient city-kingdom of Kourion was once one of the island’s most prominent cities, with its roots dating back to as early as 1200 B.C. Although the ancient city was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in the 4th century AD, the site was later used as a Christian settlement, before being abandoned in the 7th century. Today, the extensive Roman and Byzantine ruins discovered at the Kourion archaeological site continue to impress, making it one of Cyprus’ most visited historic attractions.

The still-ongoing excavations have unveiled a startling array of Roman ruins including a Forum, a series of public baths, an elegant Nymphaeum and the stately House of Achilles and House of the Gladiators. Most remarkable is the Greek Roman amphitheater, which is now fully restored and even hosts occasional classical concerts and Shakespearean plays. Other fascinating discoveries include the Villa of Eustolios, with its exquisite mosaic floors that date back to the 5th century AD; an early Christian Basilica dating from the same period and the nearby ruins of a Roman stadium.