New England’s Autumn Colours

Welcome to Boston, the Cradle of Liberty and once home to such famous sons as Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin. Amble up and down the City on the Hill on your terms and immerse yourself in its revolutionary history or enjoy a stroll along the waterfront. This evening, we’ll meet our Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception to kick-start our colour-filled journey through New England landscapes.

March to independence, exploring Boston’s historic sites. We’ll spend the morning weaving along the Freedom Trail which reveals the rich history of the American revolution. Stop at Lexington and Concord, the site where “the shot heard round the world” was fired. We’ll embark on an afternoon drive along the Mohawk Trail, an early Native American and colonial trade route, and the first designated scenic drive in New England.

Today we will experience the best Yankee Ingenuity has to offer with a visit to the Vermont Country Store opened In 1946 by Vrest and Ellen Orton in the quaint village of Weston, Vermont. Next we’ll drive past picture-perfect farmlands and old-world towns enroute to the historic wool mill in Quechee. Watch craftsmen create the delicate glassware that has made Simon Pearce glassblowing workshop famous, delving into the art and science of glassblowing. Then, savour a Regional Meal lunch featuring local ingredients arranged on Simon Pearce’s beautiful stem and flatware.

Visit Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, where you’ll have an opportunity to learn about the company’s history, a peek into the manufacturing process, and a Q&A in their flavor room with of course, a sample of one of their euphoric flavours. We continue today’s adventure to North Conway, where you’ll learn about the local flora and fauna with a Local Specialist for an ecological look at Autumn in the North Woods. The group is taken into the forest and valley below to take a closer look at some of the wildlife that calls New Hampshire home as well as an overview of the spectacular fall colors. The Mt Washington Valley provides the scenic backdrop as we take this fascinating closer look at Autumn.

Journey along “The Kanc”, an American Scenic Byway that cuts through the White Mountain National Forest, admiring the glowing fall colours. Then this afternoon you will have an optional opportunity to learn the true nature and history of Mount Washington and the historical Auto Road. Driven by accomplished and dedicated tour guides, your “stage driver” will offer stories, anecdotes, legends, history and insight into the ecological wonder of Mount Washington, as well as point out interesting features and scenic opportunities from the base to the 6,288-foot summit.

We continue through the lush pine forests, highlands and river valleys that define the rugged Maine landscape. Descending “Downeast”, the looming Atlantic swells of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island are our final destination for the day. Join a lobster fisherman and Local Specialist for insights into lobster fishing and tonight, we’ll savour a traditional lobster dinner.

Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is the highest point along the Atlantic Seaboard. Admire the magnificent view over the Schoodic Peninsula, pink granite cliffs and ancient maple forests – their leaves glowing fiery red, burnt orange and mustard yellow in the crisp autumn air. We’ll return to Bar Harbor for an afternoon at leisure or consider joining an optional nature cruise on Frenchman Bay.

The intense hues of New England’s forests and mountains linger as we journey south past the rocky beaches and cliffs of Maine’s rugged coast. We journey past lighthouses, fisheries and seaside dwellings that have sheltered everyone from local lobstermen to holidaying presidents. Travel south to the mouth of the Piscataqua River and the historic seaport city of Portsmouth, one of the oldest cities in the United States. This evening, we join our fellow travellers for a memorable Farewell Dinner reminiscing over our fall foliage experience.

We’ll return to Boston and bid farewell to new friends. Transfer to Boston Logan International Airport or to the hotel in Boston if you’d like to extend your stay.