
SEPTEMBER 26-30, 2022
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This custom-designed New England autumn getaway offers some of the best inspiring natural sites, historic attractions, delicious regional cuisine, and immersive experiences to be found in the great states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts!
We will travel through New England with stops along the way for shopping and learning opportunities at some of the finest places in New England. Explore the Lincoln family home in Vermont and the American Indian legacy in New Hampshire. Witness iconic lighthouses, learn about the history of the locomotive and dine on fresh lobstah’ in Maine. Step back in time and revel in the distinct architecture of two remarkably preserved Massachusetts villages while indulging in a Shaker Village feast. All this and more awaits you on a trip you are sure to “fall” for!
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NOT INCLUDED: ​​
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Optional Travel Insurance
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Gratuities for the local guide and coach driver are not included and are at your discretion based on service
INCLUDED:
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4 Nights accommodations
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4 Breakfasts
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2 Lunches
4 Dinners (including a traditional New England Lobster Bake and private farewell dinner at Hancock Shaker Village)
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Welcome reception
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​Complimentary glass of wine or beer on last evening
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Visit to Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home
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Tour and shopping at the Badger Balm Factory and Company Store
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Guided tour of the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum
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Visit to the Stonewall Kitchens Company Store
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Admission to the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
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Scenic train ride aboard a historic locomotive in the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad
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Time to explore Portland's Olde Port district
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"Lighthouse Lovers" sightseeing cruise
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Narrated trolley ride through Downtown Kennebunkport
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Time to shop at Kennebunkport's Dock Square
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Photo stop at the Nubble Lighthouse
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Guided walking tour of Historic Deerfield
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The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home
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Private tour of the Hancock Shaker Village
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Visit to Sand Flats Orchard
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Souvenir gift
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Baggage handling for one piece of luggage per traveler
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Accommodations, baggage service, admissions and group meals for the coach driver
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Taxes and Gratuities (Note: Gratuities for the local guide and coach driver are not included and are at your discretion based on service.)
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ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Monday, September 26, 2022:
With early morning departures from the Burlington, Vermont area, arrive at Hildene, the Lincoln family home in Manchester, VT. Explore this grand 24-room estate and the beautiful gardens that were built by Abraham Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln in 1905. It was home to only Lincoln descendants until 1975, longer than any other Lincoln residence. Your visit includes a self-guided tour of the home and the display of fall hues in amazing formal gardens.
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From Hildene, it’s just a short ride to your hotel, a Vermont lodge with the warmth and charm of a country inn and the space, amenities and conveniences of a modern hotel. Situated above the West River Valley, you quickly become entranced with sweeping southern views from each room’s private balcony. The lodge is both locally owned and operated and the high level of Yankee hospitality will immediately make you feel welcome.
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Once you have unpacked and refreshed, gather around the huge stone fireplace in the spacious lobby for a welcome reception. Savor the flavors of a selection of Vermont artisanal cheeses. You’ll soon learn why they are award-winners!
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Gather for an included dinner served in the lodge’s restaurant. After dinner, play a game of pool or sit back and relax a glass of wine or other beverage purchased from the in-house lounge.
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DAY 2 - Tuesday, September 27, 2022:
After a hearty breakfast served at the lodge, check out of your rooms and depart for neighboring New Hampshire and Maine. Before you leave, make certain to capture photos of the amazing mountain views.
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Your first stop is at the W.S. Badger Company Factory and Store nestled in the woods of Gilsum, New Hampshire. Badger is a small, family-owned and operated company that blends the finest organic plant extracts, exotic oils, beeswax and minerals to make the safest, most effective products possible to soothe, heal, protect and otherwise treat your body. The company was started by Bill Whyte in 1995 when, as a carpenter working in the cold New Hampshire winters, he created an amazing balm that helped his cracked hands and he wanted to share it with the world. Today, the company produces over 100 products, including sunscreens, lip balms, moisturizers, muscle rubs and other personal care products. During today’s visit, you’ll get a behind-the- scenes tour of the company facility and learn how its famous “Badger Balms” are made. There will also be time to shop the store and stock up on the freshest Badger products around. You can even pick up bottles of the very same organic extra virgin olive oil they use in their products!
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About noon, you will arrive at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. Start your visit with an included picnic lunch served under the roofed pavilion on the museum’s beautiful grounds that offer sweeping views of New Hampshire’s Mink Hills. Situated on 12.5-acres, the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum is dedicated to connecting people with ongoing American Indian cultural expression and its mission is to help the visitor see the beauty in Native-made objects, and to try to imagine the world-views of the maker.
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After lunch, a museum docent will lead the group on a one-hour guided tour of the museum’s extensive collections which display artifacts and information on prehistoric to contemporary Native Americans from every corner of the North American continent. The Main Gallery is arranged in a circle, and divided into geographical regions of North America, with an emphasis on their different environments. There may be 100 or more different tribes in each of those regions! The Contemporary Art Gallery is an area for members of the Native community to create exhibits of contemporary Native art, and each year two members of the Native community guest-curate new exhibits.
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Depart the museum and continue on your way east, to York, Maine. Here you’ll explore Stonewall Kitchens, a specialty food shop that carries just about any specialty food item that you may be looking for. The welcoming environment of Stonewall is exemplified in the friendly staff ready to greet you, who are happy to offer you samples or assist you in picking out the ideal gift. The store features an entire line of foods, plus useful kitchen gadgets, cookware, tableware and home décor. The demonstration kitchen is often cooking up something delicious to taste and is on-hand to share recipes and food for thought. Make certain to try their savory maple bacon onion jam or decadent strawberry champagne jam—delish!
From Stonewall Kitchens, it is only a short drive down the road to your oceanside resort in York. Before dinner, relax and rejuvenate in the indoor pool, have a cocktail in the bar or head on out and sink your toes into the sandy beach.
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Dinner this is served at one of the most popular restaurants on the Maine Coast. It is highly regarded for excellent service and is known by locals and visitors as “a beautiful place to eat by the sea.”
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DAY 3 - Wednesday, September 28, 2022:
Rise and shine to the sun’s rays bouncing off the ocean’s waves and enjoy a relaxing breakfast served at the resort. This morning’s travels take you to Portland where you will get to experience a remarkable piece of Maine history when you arrive at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum.
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Starting in the latter part of the 19th century, Maine had a unique system of railroads that ran on rail only two feet apart! From the 1870s until the 1940s, some 200 miles of these narrow gauge lines served many of Maine’s smaller communities. Transporting both passengers and freight, they were the smallest narrow gauge common carrier railroads in the United States. They connected the less populated rural areas of Maine with the larger cities and thus were an important part of the state’s economic development. There will be time to visit this gem of a museum (which features several historic rail cars and a rail-themed gift shop) before boarding a vintage 1949 diesel locomotive for a scenic train ride along Portland’s Casco Bay.
Depart the Museum and venture in to explore Portland’s Olde Port District. There will be time to visit the shops and boutiques and to have lunch on your own at one of the many local eateries.
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Reconvene in the early afternoon and embark on a narrated, scenic Lighthouse Lovers’ Cruise. Sail through Portland’s busy harbor and innermost islands to see lighthouses, forts, lobster boats, seals and seabirds. Multiple lighthouses can be seen, including a close-up view of Maine’s oldest and most photographed lighthouse, Portland Head Light. Take in the salt air and the spectacular sights!
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Following the cruise, board the coach and travel back toward York. Along the way, stop in Kennebunkport and board a trolley for a 45-minute narrated sightseeing tour. Learn about this storied resort town and its 300-year history, from the Native Americans, early settlers, the shipbuilding era, to the summer resort and the Presidential summer home of George H.W. Bush. After the tour, enjoy time to explore the shops and galleries in Dock Square.
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Return to the resort for some time to refresh before dinner. Walk along the beach or just sit back and relax with a refreshing beverage.
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Tonight, tie on your lobster bibs and get ready to feast on an included traditional New England Lobster Bake served at the hotel’s shore-side restaurant. Savor the flavors of clam chowdah’, mussels and whole steamed lobstah’. Don’t worry, there are selections for landlubbers!
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DAY 4 - Thursday, September 29, 2022:
After breakfast at the hotel, check out of your rooms and board the coach. Before departing Maine, you’ll want to stop at the beautiful Cape Neddick “Nubble” Lighthouse. The lighthouse stands on Nubble Island about 100 yards off of Cape Neddick Point and just minutes from the hotel. Nubble Light is perhaps the most famous American lighthouse. The Voyager spacecraft, which carries photographs of Earth’s most prominent man-made structures and natural features should it fall into the hands of intelligent extraterrestrials, includes a photo of Nubble Light along with images of the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal—talk about fine company!
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The lighthouse is positioned next to Sohier Park, where travelers may disembark the coach, take photos and simply stop, look and listen. The lighthouse itself is no longer accessible to the general public, however, there is a telescope in the park for an up-close view or you may enjoy the views from any spot in the park.
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Depart Maine and travel to Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts where you will arrive just in time for lunch. Your included buffet lunch is served at the charming, 1884 Deerfield Inn. This is the ideal setting for your immersion into the best-documented small town in America.
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After lunch, meet your guide from the Old Deerfield Historic District and embark on a walking history and architecture tour of this quintessential New England village that serves as a living “museum” along a mile-long street laid out in 1671. The street is still lined with 18th- and 19th-century houses on their original sites and is surrounded by working farms and rolling cornfields along the Deerfield River. There is simply no better place to get the feel of early New England, which is undoubtedly why the village has been designated as a National Historic Landmark District.
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From Deerfield, it is only a short distance to The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home, Fodor’s top 10 historic homes to visit. Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was born into a tightly controlled society at a time when women were discouraged from achieving anything beyond a proper marriage. Wharton broke through these strictures to become one of America’s greatest writers. Author of The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, and The House of Mirth, she wrote over 40 books in 40 years, including authoritative works on architecture, gardens, interior design, and travel. She was the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Yale University, and a full membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The Mount is one of only five percent of National Historic Landmarks dedicated to women. It is an autobiographical house, one that embodies the spirit of its creator.
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Board the coach and continue westward through the beautiful mountain scenery of the Berkshires. Arrive about 5:30 pm at the Hancock Shaker Village for a private, after-hours tour of these spectacular grounds and architectural treasures, including the world famous Round Stone Barn. Established in the 1780s as the third of only 19 major Shaker Villages in North America, the village was called the “City of Peace” by the utopian community who lived there, and with its gloriously simple and uniquely efficient stone and brick building style, it is easy to see why. The Hancock Shakers were primarily dairy farmers, however, the raising and sale of garden seeds was perhaps the most lucrative of their early businesses. As the community began to dwindle, the village was opened to the public in 1960 as a living history museum dedicated to promoting the values that the Shakers embraced—equality, pacifism, community, sustainability, responsible land stewardship, innovation, simplicity and quality in work.
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Following your private tour, you’ll be treated to a special farewell dinner served in one of the museum’s historic buildings. Your hearty meal will feature traditional Shaker recipes and during dinner your museum docent will speak about Shaker customs, traditions and “cuisine.” The docent will also sing authentic planting songs in between courses. Lyric sheets will be provided, so you may sing-a-long!
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After dinner, board the coach and travel just down the road to your full-service Pittsfield hotel. After check-in, you may choose to join your co-travelers in the hotel’s lounge for a complimentary glass of wine or beer to toast the final night of your tour.
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DAY 5 - Friday, September 30, 2022:
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart for home. Along the way, pay a morning visit to the fine folks at Sand Flat Orchards in Fonda, NY. Take a stroll through the orchard and nurseries, pick some fresh apples to take home, or browse their fine variety of homemade jams, cider donuts and other treats!
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With additional comfort stops and lunch on your own as we head back home.
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PRICING PER PERSON
DOUBLE
(group of two)
$2,499
PER PERSON
SINGLE
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$2,999
*20% deposit at booking.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
STEP
1
BOOK YOUR
TRIP
You will receive a letter of confirmation within one week.
STEP
2
GET YOUR TRIP DETAILS
Receive your travel packet with all your travel details 1-2 weeks prior to departure.
STEP
3
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Contact us at any time. We are always happy to speak with you.
STEP
4
ENJOY YOUR TRIP
Relax and enjoy your stress-free travel!