Prepare to be swept away by the natural beauty of early America on this escape along the roads of our colonial past. These are the landscapes that inspired the first paintings of the New World, with brilliant colors in the foliage dotted along glimmering rivers, lakes, and ponds, accompanied by the calls of wildlife that make their home in this pocket of paradise. Book-ended by two of the first major American cities, you will travel along a route rich with national history and natural splendor, stopping at the most beautiful vantages to visit villages, monuments, ravines, mountains, and more. From New York City to Boston, you will wind your way through New England, soaking up the power of the places that inspired our forefathers to create a country all their own. Enjoy nature walks, historical reenactments, the history of the native peoples of this area, and views that will remain imprinted on your memory for the rest of your life. This is the confluence of the past and the present, with so many rich experiences you’ll find yourself wanting to return to these places again and again.
Degree of Difficulty –
Arrive New York and transfer to your hotel. Tonight, meet your group in the lobby for a welcome dinner on the town. ALOFT HOTEL.
(Dinner)
Begin your tour with a scenic drive through the Catskills viewing mountain scenery, waterways, and rolling farmland. You’re likely to come across one of the region’s numerous historic covered bridges from the 1800s. After lunch, ride the Ulster and Delaware Railroad – a 12-mile round trip between Phoenicia and Cold Brook station (Boiceville) — a wonderful hour and a half railroad excursion. Along the way you may even spot Bald Eagles, Great blue Herons, hawks, deer and other wildlife. Afterward, drive to Kingston and check into your hotel where the rest of the evening is free. BEST WESTERN PLUS KINGSTON.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
See America’s First Canvas at the Hudson River Skywalk, a scenic walkway connecting the homes and studios of major Hudson River School artists, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Cross the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, which spans the Hudson River and from three viewing decks along the Skywalk, hundreds of feet in the air, enjoy panoramic views of the Hudson Valley. Continue with your drive to Lake George, a town in New York’s vast, majestic Adirondack region of mountains and old growth forest. The town sits on the lake of the same name. With numerous historic sites and monuments and more than 20 beautiful lakes, the area offers countless outdoor activities and exciting attractions. Tonight, enjoy a sunset dinner cruise aboard a steam boat on Lake George. SCOTTY’S LAKESIDE RESORT.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
Take a short drive to Fort Ticonderoga, welcoming visitors since 1909, which preserves North America’s largest 18th-century artillery collection, 2,000 acres of historic landscape on Lake Champlain, and Carillon Battlefield, and the largest series of untouched Revolutionary War era earthworks surviving in America. Take a guided historic introduction before exploring the gardens, museums, demonstrations and endless outdoor activities. After lunch, head to the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves, and take a self-guided, 20-stop trail as it winds from cave to cave, with potholes and deep natural pools in between. SCOTTY’S LAKESIDE RESORT.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
Head to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, home to more than 900 live Adirondack animals, to spend the morning wandering wildlife exhibits, watching otters swim, and roaming the nature trails. After lunch, visit the Six Nations Indian Museum in Onchiota, packed with more than 3,000 artifacts with an emphasis on the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy: Mohawks, Oneidas, Senecas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Tuscaroras. Afterwards head to Lake Placid, host of two Olympic Games, where the rest of the day is at leisure. CROWNE PLAZA LAKE PLACID.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Drive through the Green Mountains to Stowe, Vermont. Take a scenic drive to Mt. Mansfield, the highest mountain in Vermont, and ride a gondola to the peak for stunning vistas of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks, the Sterling and Worcester Ranges, Mt. Washington and the White Mountains, the Green Mountains, and, on a really clear day, you may even catch a glimpse of Mount Royal in Montreal. Continue to Gorham, a small mountain town, situated in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. TOWN & COUNTRY INN AND RESORT.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
A short drive brings you to Franconia Notch State Park located in the middle of the White Mountain National Forest. Your destination is the Flume, a granite gorge, 12 to 20 feet wide and nearly 100 feet high, carved by roaring waters. Take a short walk on the Flume trail (one way, 2-mile loop). Prepare to walk up steep hills and climb many sets of stairs, all the while getting an up-close look at the park’s flowers, ferns, and moss. Enjoy a picnic lunch before departing for Mt. Washington where you will embark on a 3-hour journey on the Old Cog Railway to the Sherman Adams Visitor Center, for a 360-degree view of the northern Presidential Range. TOWN & COUNTRY INN AND RESORT.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
Leave the mountains behind and head to Boston, a city full of American history, but also known for its inspirational architecture, diverse culinary cuisine and craft beer. After lunch, explore the Freedom Trail for the ultimate walking tour. The trail has 16 historical sites, all significant in this country’s early struggle for freedom, all connected with a 2.5-mile red brick line that not only links one place to another, but the past to the present. Your guided exploration will provide insight into the stories of the people, places and events along the way. (Approximately 5.5 miles/2 hrs.) GODFREY HOTEL.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
Enjoy a docent-led tour of the New England Aquarium where exhibits showcase the diversity, importance and beauty of aquatic life and habitats, and highlight critical aquatic conservation issues. Programs emphasize species, habitats, and issues critical to New England. After your tour, board the museum’s own vessel (weather permitting), for a 3 ½-hour whale watching cruise. Your high-speed catamaran will whisk you to the whale feeding grounds just 30 miles east of Boston, to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a busy feeding area for whales, dolphins, sea birds and other marine life. Return to land and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Tonight, meet up with the group and enjoy your farewell dinner. GODFREY HOTEL.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
Transfer to the airport for your homeward flight taking with you all the wonderful memories of your adventure through the Northeast.
(Breakfast)
Bid farewell to your fellow travelers and continue on your next adventure as you head north to Portland, Maine. This extension will immerse you in the American fairy tale that is the state of Maine; from cozy villages on rocky beaches to hiking at Acadia National Park, to pine forests and tiny islands, to the beauty of Bar Harbor, you’ll be getting a grand tour of it all. Enjoy scenic lighthouses, lobster cruise and dinners, craft beer, and local folklore on this little extension to paradise.
Prices vary by season and package. Please inquire by phone at (800) 627-1244 or email info@classicescapes.com for more information and a pricing estimate.
Maximum group size: No restrictions, although we recommend a maximum of 30 travelers.
YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES:
- Superior accommodation at hotels as indicated in the itinerary (or similar).
- Transfers between Airports and hotels on the main trip and the extension. (Please note one group transfer will be supplied each way. Anyone not arriving on group schedule, will require a personal transfer at additional cost.)
- Breakfast daily. All other meals as specified in itinerary.
- Services of driver/guide throughout the tour.
- Transportation in private minibuses throughout the tour.
- All park and admission fees.
- All applicable hotel taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.
- Complimentary baggage tags and water bottle.
