NEW ENGLAND
October 4 - 17, 2023

New England: Fall Foliage Splendor

Day 1
We begin our adventure to New England today, traveling through Indiana and into Ohio, where we overnight at the Drury Inn, Dublin. Enjoy the included Kickback dinner at the hotel. (D)

 

Day 2
Today we continue our journey, overnighting at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. You will receive a $20 dinner coupon to use at any venue in the resort. You will receive $15 free play. (B, D)

 

 

Day 3
This morning, you will receive a $10 breakfast coupon to use at any venue at the resort. Today, we arrive in the lovely town of Manchester, in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont! After lunch on your own, we visit Hildene, former summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln. Tour the restored 24-room Georgian Revival mansion, restored Pullman car, goat dairy, Dene Farm, and magnificent gardens. Continue to the Jackson Gore Inn at Okemo Mountain Resort for a relaxing two-night stay. Upon arrival, receive a warm greeting and take some time to settle in before enjoying a  delicious dinner together. (B,D)

 

 

 

Day 4
Enjoy breakfast and set out with our local Step-On Guide for another fun-filled day of touring around the Green Mountains! Visit the village of Weston – home to the Vermont Country Store. From the cheery ring of the Storekeeper’s bell to the friendly creak of its well-worn hardwood floors, we’ll step back to a simpler time and place. Founded in 1946, this authentic country store is stocked with 1000’s of practical and hard to find goods and wares that will surely delight!

 

Then enjoy a visit to a Vermont Authentic Maple Sugar House for a maple demonstration and tastings! Mid-day visit the quintessential New England village of Woodstock for free time and lunch on your own. Enjoy the shops, restaurants, or take a walk to the covered bridge in the middle of town and view the stately homes surrounding the village green. Then enjoy a unique Vermont experience at Billings Farm, one of the finest dairy farms in America!  Enjoy a Wagon Ride and Ice Cream from their dairy bar! Tonight, enjoy a lovely dinner at one of Vermont’s Country Inns! (B, D)

 

 

Day 5:
This morning, we depart for the White Mountains of New Hampshire and arrive to the Mount Washington Cog Railway for an unforgettable and exciting “once in a lifetime” railing experience. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch on own before boarding the Cog. In 1869, the Cog Railway was an engineering marvel, a technology of toothed cog gears, rack rails and tilted boilers. Enjoy a rare glimpse of this world gone by while enjoying spectacular views as we travel up some of the steepest railroad tracks in existence.  Later, travel through Crawford Notch, arriving in Conway Village for a little free time to shop at the famous Zeb’s Country Store before checking into the Residence Inn by Marriott, North Conway. We enjoy dinner together this evening. (B, L, D)

 

Day 6:
After breakfast, journey to Coastal Maine and Mount Desert Island. En route, visit Fort Knox State historic site, one of America’s best-preserved examples of seacoast fortifications constructed in the 1800s and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, the tallest bridge observatory open to the public in the world. Explore the fort and enjoy breathtaking views of the Penobscot Bay area. This afternoon, arrive to Mount Desert Island and check into Bar Harbor Regency Resort and take some time to freshen up before enjoying a delicious dinner together this evening. (B, D)

 

 

 

 

.

Day 7:
After breakfast, meet our local Step-On Guide for a tour through one of America’s beautiful and treasured National Parks, Acadia National Park.  Visit thunder hole along with other scenic picture stops and travel to the top of Cadillac Mountain for spectacular views of Frenchman’s Bay, Porcupine Islands and Bar Harbor. This afternoon, embark on a scenic Nature cruise out of Frenchman Bay. Enjoy views of Acadia, islands, lighthouses, and the Downeast coast from the water while on the lookout for wildlife such as porpoise, seals, and seabirds.  Enjoy free time to explore Bar Harbor Village and dine on your own at one of the many wonderful restaurants! (B)

.

 

Day 8:
Enjoy breakfast, then venture ‘downeast’ to Coastal Maine for a visit to the popular summer resort of Kennebunkport for a scenic drive along the ocean to Walker’s Point passing the summer home of past President George H.W. Bush. Enjoy time at Dock Square for shopping and lunch on your own before continuing to the delightful village of Ogunquit, named by the Abenaki Indians which means, “Beautiful place by the Sea” and board the Finest Kind cruises for an authentic lobstering experience!  Later, check into the Anchorage by the Sea in Ogunquit for the evening. Tonight, enjoy a delicious dinner at one of Ogunquit’s great restaurants. (B, D)

 

 

 

 

 

Day 9:
Enjoy breakfast before we check out and depart for Boston and Cape Cod! Enjoy a drive through the coastal village of York for a picture stop at one the most photographed lighthouses in the country, Cape Neddick Light, or more popularly known as “the Nubble”. Arrive to Boston, the birthplace of American Freedom, meet our local Step-On guide and enjoy a guided tour along Boston’s famous Freedom Trail viewing and visiting many historic sites while hearing tales of the brave Bostonians and Colonialists who dared to challenge Britain and helped establish the greatest republic in the world.  Enjoy free time for lunch on your own at Faneuil Hall Marketplace which is as alive today as it was in 1742 when our nation’s fathers proclaimed it “The Cradle of Liberty.”

 

This afternoon, breathe the salt sea air and feel the coastal breezes as we arrive to the beautiful shores of Cape Cod and arrive to the Red Jacket Beach Resort, overlooking spectacular Nantucket Sound, for a relaxing three-night stay. After a refreshing welcome reception, relax and freshen up before enjoying a delicious welcome dinner. (B, D)

Day 10:
After breakfast, enjoy a brief tour of Hyannisport, home to the Kennedy’s with a special ‘group photo’ stop at the Kennedy Memorial and Korean War Memorial overlooking scenic Veteran’s Beach. Then, we’ll board the High-speed ferry for a cruise to Nantucket Island. This island, fondly known as “The Gray Lady,” was once the whaling capitol of the world back in the 1800’s. Now a popular vacationing spot for the wealthy, Nantucket’s charm is associated with its cobblestone main street, narrow roads, simple Quaker-style homes and handsome houses dating back to the whaling days of the early 19th century.Enjoy free time to explore at your leisure, enjoy lunch on your own, and meander through the many charming shops before we enjoy a guided tour around this beautiful island. Later this afternoon, we will re-board the ferry for our cruise back to the mainland. Enjoy dinner on your own along the Hyannis Harborfront. (B)

 

Day 11:
Following breakfast, meet our local step-on guide for a fun-filled day touring the lower and outer Cape!  Tour through the charming seaside village of Chatham with a picture stop at the Chatham Light and the Cape Cod National Seashore for spectacular views of the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Then it’s off to Provincetown, the tip of the Cape, where we can spend some time browsing around the downtown waterfront area with all its artistic and eclectic shops before embarking on a Provincetown Dune Tour in Suburbans for a one-hour tour through the dunes, enjoying beautiful natural scenery and coastline! Tonight, we gather for a delicious grand finale dinner at one of the Cape’s great restaurants. (B, D)

 

Day 12:
Enjoy breakfast this morning before we check out and begin our journey home taking wonderful stories and memories of our vacation to New England! Tonight we will stop at Leola, PA., lodging at the Inn At Leola. Dinner is included at the inn tonight. (B, D)

 

Day 13:
Continuing home, we overnight at the Drury Inn, Columbus South tonight. Enjoy the Kickback Dinner at the hotel tonight. (B, D)

 

Day 14:
We arrive back in Southern Illinois this afternoon, with wonderful memories of our beautiful tour, Fall in New England. (B)