The Hudson River School: Kindred Spirits in Life and Art
The British-born Thomas Cole (1801–1848), considered the school's 'founder,' inspired contemporaneous artists as well as successive generations to take up their brush to capture America's unique landscape. He encouraged the elevation of this genre through the incorporation of biblical, historical, and literary subjects and symbolism.
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Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
I moved from Atlanta to Panama after retiring with my 97-year-old mother with dementia. Prices aren't too much cheaper, but we love the culture and calm.
This as-told-to interview is with Debbie Boyd, 71, who moved to Panama from Atlanta with her 97-year-old mother, Doris Britto, who has dementia. Boyd and Britto moved in early 2025 and have enjoyed their time so far. Boyd has particularly appreciated the medical resources and lower cost of living abroad. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I moved to Panama in March this year, and my mother followed a few weeks later. I had always considered the possibility of relocating outside the US and had looked into moving for a couple of years before I retired. I read about the lower cost of living being less, but I think what spurred my action was the political climate. My first impression is that I love it here. The people in Panama are very friendly and caring. Our goal now is to get more entrenched in this new life. Are you an older American comfortable sharing your retirement outlook with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form. We are especially interested in hearing from people 80 and older. I've had a number of different careers My mom and I are both native New Yorkers. She was a long-distance operator for the New York Telephone Company for over 40 years. I relocated to Atlanta in 1983, and my mom followed me there in 1986, when she retired. We were in the Atlanta area up until this year. She traveled with her friends and helped me raise my son. She became active in some senior citizen groups in the area. I had a couple of careers. I've been a real estate broker with my own residential real estate firm, worked as an administrative assistant, and taught classes in criminal justice for online universities as an adjunct professor. I retired in 2016. I found that I was becoming bored and wanted to make better use of my time. After retiring, I took swim classes, got together with friends for lunch, and traveled. After I initially retired, I took about one year to decompress and give some thought as to what I wanted for the next phase of my life. I spent mornings reflecting over a healthy breakfast and good coffee. I enrolled in Water Zumba classes and started a walking regime. I also used this time to reconnect with friends and making quite a bit of lunch dates with my former tennis team members. I went back to work after a couple of years in a work-from-home position. In 2018, I got a bladder cancer diagnosis, and it involved a serious surgery. I wasn't well enough to take care of my mother, though she and I lived together. She moved into a nursing home and lived there for seven years. Once I determined earlier this year that I was going to move to Panama, I asked my mom if she wanted to come. She said she did. I decided that it was probably best for both of us. Otherwise, she would be in Atlanta, and I would be abroad. My son and grandchildren are grown up and have very active lives, so I knew she would be pretty much alone in the nursing home, which I didn't want for her. Panama checked a lot of the boxes. Healthcare seemed excellent, and I had a friend who retired there who answered my questions. At the time, we were doing fine financially. We're not wealthy people, but we've worked our whole careers, paid bills on time, handled finances responsibly, and have good credit. But things have gotten so tight in the US; it's really hard to make ends meet as a retiree living off of Social Security and a small pension. As an African American, I feel we are being targeted and knowledge of our proud heritage is constantly under assault. The first few weeks abroad involved managing many logistics I did three scouting trips. I wanted to come first to find a place that was suitable for us logistically. My mother's in a wheelchair, so I looked for a place that was more level. We got as much paperwork done as we could ahead of time so she could leave her facility. My son made time to help me out by bringing my mother a few weeks later. I set up an appointment with a doctor, and he was able to see her within a week of her getting here, making sure we could transfer her medications and prescriptions. My mom told me that since I'm here and I've handled everything, she's happy and has enjoyed it so far. She came down with a cold a few weeks ago and lost her appetite, but she started eating again and felt better. She's happier to not be in a nursing home environment. We're now looking to find more activities we can participate in together. My friend who retired here introduced me to another person who had a sister with MS and who connected me with a home care agency. A young lady comes in six days a week to tend to my mom; she helps bathe her, prepare her meals, change her sheets, and do her laundry. I get much more home for the same price here Rental prices are a little higher than what I expected they'd be, but there's a gamut of price ranges. I've seen everything from $500 a month up to beyond $3,000 where I'm located. I have a four-bedroom house, an in-ground pool in the backyard, a very large living room, dining room, and kitchen. The rent is $1,500 a month, a bit more than what I was paying for my mortgage on my house in the States, the mortgage on which is $777 a month. I still own my home. However, there have been recent property tax and home owner insurance increases and I estimate my mortgage will be approximately $250 more in 2026. I get so much more for the same amount of money. The utilities aren't too bad. One month, I had a $70 bill, but the next month was $300. Each bedroom has its own individual air conditioning unit, so we're trying to figure out when to run it and for how long. I'm still doing some paperwork and making phone calls to get things settled. A couple of friends have come to visit, and my son has come three times. I have a lot more company coming over the next two months. I handle my business here like I would at home; I go to the grocery store, the bank, and the pharmacy. I take Ubers because I don't want to drive here; they drive really fast. An Uber one-way is about $2.20. I'm still getting acclimated I've discovered, though, that Panamanians love to party and love music. There are also always dogs barking early in the morning and late at night, so I'm trying to get used to the noise. We don't live in an expat neighborhood. I wanted to be immersed in Panamanian culture. It's been about two months since we've been here, but I haven't had much of a chance to meet our neighbors yet. All of the houses are gated individually, so it's not like you can just walk up to your neighbor's front door. But when I go to the mall, people talk with me. When they realize I only speak a little Spanish, everybody's helpful, pleasant, and willing to help me find things. I haven't gotten to eat out much, but I've gotten really into going to the market and getting fresh fruit and vegetables. The hospital near me has a program where they will accept Medicare Advantage if you have an emergency situation and are hospitalized, which I'm applying for. I'm also applying to a program that's $220 a year to have any tests, blood work, or lab work done. I have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and I was on oxygen when I was back home. I haven't had to use it since I've been here. My goal now is to get more involved with expat groups. I joined one recently and went to a very nice luncheon, where I met new people. I hope to continue expanding my social network. I plan to make this my new home and get more involved in volunteering.
12 hours ago
Disney World closes iconic attractions to make way for new land
Walt Disney World is closing several iconic attractions beginning Monday to make room for a brand-new land. Frontierland's Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat at Magic Kingdom will shut down on July 7 as Disney prepares to bring a national park-themed area called Piston Peak to life. Rivers of America has been a staple of Frontierland and Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom since Disney World opened in 1971. The Liberty Belle steamboat and Tom Sawyer Island were added in 1973, offering guests a narrated ride through scenes of early American frontier life. Visitors could also take a raft to explore Tom Sawyer Island, inspired by Mark Twain's beloved novel. Last month, Disney announced that Piston Peak National Park will be the "largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom," continuing the storytelling tradition that has flowed through Liberty Square and Frontierland since opening day. Inspired by the American frontier and the majestic Rocky Mountains -- stretching from British Columbia to New Mexico -- Piston Peak will transport guests into a wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, waterfalls, roaring rivers and dramatic geysers. Visitors will be able to explore a "visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, trails and more," all inspired by Disney and Pixar's "Cars" universe and its "wheelderness." Disney's Imagineers are even basing Piston Peak's architecture on that of the real-world "Parkitecture" style, which focuses on blending buildings with the surrounding natural landscape harmoniously. And Piston Peak isn't the only major project underway. Disney also confirmed that Imagineers are hard at work on the first-ever land inspired by Disney villains. Located beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the land will feature two major attractions, themed dining, shopping, and a darkly magical aesthetic on an "incredibly twisted grand scale." Additionally, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom is set to reopen next year with new magic, while later this summer, Disney Starlight will make its grand debut on Main Street on July 20. Meanwhile, The Beak and Barrel will welcome pirates of all ages to join in the adventure.
The Hill
13 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump order calls for national park fee hikes for some: What to know
(NEXSTAR) — Just weeks after the Department of the Interior's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 suggested a surcharge for some national park visitors, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling for just that. The order, signed Thursday, directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to develop a 'strategy' to boost revenue and improve recreational experiences at national parks, The Hill reported last week. As part of that, entrance fees and the cost for a recreation pass are intended to rise for 'nonresidents.' International visitors do not currently pay more to visit the national parks than U.S. residents. The White House said the price hikes will make national parks more affordable for American families. Here's what we know about Trump's order and the Interior Department's budget proposal. The Department of the Interior's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 said a surcharge will help bring in more than $90 million, but didn't outline how. 'There could be a billion-dollar revenue opportunity without discouraging visitors,' Burgum said during a House Committee on Natural Resources oversight hearing in June. He didn't expand on how the extra fee could bring in more than $90 million, and the Department did not respond to Nexstar's request for additional information last month. An analysis by SFGate, using an estimate that 14.6 million international visitors went to U.S. national parks last year, determined that if the parks saw the same number of visitors in 2026, the necessary surcharge to reach the aforementioned budget goal would be about $6 a person. 'I think we're way undercharging, as a nation, for international visitors,' Burgum said during June's oversight hearing. Burgum pointed to other international venues where Americans and other non-resident tourists are charged more than locals, like the Galapagos Islands. There, non-Ecuadorian adults must pay a $200 entrance fee, in cash, to the Galapagos National Park. The entrance fee for children is $100. Meanwhile, Ecuadorian citizens over the age of 12 pay $30 while the fee for younger citizens is $12. Citizens also have discounted or free admission to popular tourist attractions around the world. College-aged residents of the European Union have free access to several museums within member countries, including the Louvre and The Orsay Museum in Paris. Tourists pay over 20 times more to visit the Taj Mahal than local residents do. Hawaii will begin charging a 'Green Fee' tourist tax next year in order to generate funds for mitigating future environmental challenges the state expects to face. Chicago's Field Museum offers discounted admission to city residents. Residents of the state of New York are able to pay whatever they prefer to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art, though they are required to pay at least one penny per ticket. Even Disney World and Disneyland offer deals for those who live near their parks. Regarding international visitors at national parks, Trump's order calls for increased fees for foreign visitors, as well as a price hike for the America the Beautiful Pass and 'any site-specific agency or regional multi-entity passes' that are sold to foreign visitors. The America the Beautiful Pass is currently available at various price points and provides free entrance into national parks and federal recreational lands. An annual pass, available to 'everyone,' is $80. A senior annual pass is $20, while a senior lifetime pass is $80. Others may qualify for a free annual or lifetime pass. The price hikes, according to Trump's order, apply only to those parks that charge entrance or recreation pass fees. Currently, only 106 of the 475 sites that are managed by the National Park Service charge an entrance fee. Neither Trump's executive order nor the Interior Department's budget outlined how much entrance and pass fees could rise. Increased revenue from nonresident visitors would then be used to 'improve the infrastructure of, or otherwise enhance enjoyment of or access to, America's Federal recreational areas.' While the foreign visitor fees could bring in more revenue for the parks, the Trump administration has also proposed cutting the National Park Service's staffing budgets and service operations by 30 percent, The Hill reports. Meanwhile, the Interior Department's budget proposal is requesting $2 billion for the national parks, down more than $1 billion from the current budget. It would be the largest cut in NPS history, according to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Nonetheless, Trump's order calls for efforts to increase visitor capacity at America's national parks, invest in infrastructure at the sites, and improve park access to American families by ensuring they 'receive priority access in any permitting or reservation systems.' The National Park Service had its biggest year of attendance in 2024, with more than two dozen sites seeing record visitation.
