Hidden Charms of New England

Tour not offered in 2008 ~ Available for Custom Tours

ITINERARY

Day 1
Our tour begins at the lovely historic Hawthorne Hotel in the center of Salem, our base for exploring this enchanting region along the coastline north of Boston. This corner of New England is rich in colonial history, art and culture, beautiful vistas along the rocky coastline, picturesque seacoast villages and harbors, nature's bounty, and the best seafood in the country! Of course this is the home of Olde Ipswich Tours! You are sure to fall for this charming coastal town that boasts more 17th century houses than anywhere in America, the title "Birthplace of American Independence", spectacular ocean and salt marsh scenery, and don't forget we have the sweetest, freshest clams in the world! Once we've settled in at the Hawthorne, we'll take a walk with our entertaining historian/guide, Jim McAllister, who will show us the real Salem, not just the House of Seven Gables and the old Custom House, but many little known secrets and treasures of this marvelous maritime port.

Day 2
After a scrumptious New England breakfast we walk a few steps down the street from our hotel to the newly expanded Peabody Essex Museum. The $2 million addition to this 250 year old institution has transformed it into a world class museum. Our guide takes us through the Yin Yu Tan-a completely intact 17th century house brought over from China-as well as behind-the-scenes for a look at some of the oldest collections. We'll see the original court transcripts from the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, the only original copy of the Massachusetts Bay Company charter, signed in 1629 by King Charles I, and New England's oldest Native American artifacts, dating from 10,000 B.C. Next our entertaining historian/guide will take us to beautiful little Marblehead, whose harbor contains more sailboats than any other New England town. You'll feel just like you are back in the 18th century in the old town with its quaint houses crowded around the harbor. We'll have a seafood lunch overlooking the waterfront and then take a beautiful coastal drive along the "Gold Coast", through Beverly Farms, Manchester and Magnolia, with their plethora of stately oceanfront mansions, and onto Cape Ann. We'll stop in America's oldest seaport, Gloucester, and drive through the charming coastal villages of Rockport, Pigeon Cove, Lanesville and Annisquam. If the weather is right we'll take a ride on a three masted schooner around Gloucester Harbor. Throughout the day our guide tells us stories of the Puritans and colorful characters of Boston's 380 year old historic North Shore. Dinner tonight is a gourmet affair with a spectacular ocean setting.

Day 3
This morning we take a 25 minute train ride into Boston for a full day in Bean Town. Our native Boston guide takes us through some old Brahmin neighborhoods just oozing with charm. We'll ride a Boston trolley around the city where we can get on and off at will. In the North End we'll stop in Little Italy for some homemade biscotti; on top of the John Hancock tower we'll hear Benjamin Franklin's words pointing out Boston landmarks. We'll see the wonderful Isabella Stewart Gardner museum-formerly her ornate European Renaissance villa. And we'll have to choose between cocktails at the Ritz or the Hampshire House pub Cheers. At the end of the day we'll enjoy a special dinner at one of our favorite restaurants before returning to Salem.

Day 4
Today we have a day in my favorite town in New England, Ipswich! With more 17th century houses than any place in America, Ipswich makes you feel as if you've stepped backward 360 years in time. We'll enjoy private tours of three of these old houses, led by an architectural historian, visit the First Church in Ipswich, founded in 1634, and have lunch in the Federal period mansion built by the John Heard family. In the afternoon we'll visit the magnificent 59 room Crane Mansion on a hill overlooking the ocean and take a boat ride to Hog Island, where the film The Crucible was filmed. On a farm overlooking a pond and the beautiful salt marshes by the ocean is the antique colonial home of my friend Lisa, professional gourmet chef. Lisa invites us into her lovely home and gives us a tour and a cooking class of gourmet New England lobster and clam seafood delicacies-for which Ipswich is famous. We then enjoy dinner in her 1730 dining room, complete with a pairing of excellent wines with each course.

Day 5
Heading north along the scenic coast, we stop in quaint Newburyport with its boardwalk on the busy harbor, its boutiques lining the quaint narrow streets, and its stately sea captains' mansions commanding the High Street hill above the shops. We'll take a walk along the beach in the world famous bird sanctuary on Plum Island before continuing on up the coast to Portsmouth, just over the border into New Hampshire. The historic center of Portsmouth has recently been renovated and is now a delightful place to take a stroll near the harbor. We will visit Strawberry Bank, a collection of historic houses from four different centuries, outfitted with authentic period furnishings and each telling a fascinating story. We continue north along the coast, crossing the border into Maine. We check into our delightful, elegant bed and breakfast in Kennebunkport. After a cocktail in the lounge, we head out for a great Maine lobster dinner.

Day 6
Today we get a good dose of the ocean as we explore the Southern Maine coast. From Ogunquit to York to Portland, this region is rich in both beauty and culture We return to Kennebunkport in time for happy hour and another dinner of fresh Maine seafood.

Day 7
This morning we stop in Maine's capital city, Portland. We continue northwest away from the coast, following small country roads through towns with names like Poland, Paris. We arrive in beautiful, wild Rangeley, and check into the lovely old Rangeley Inn, with a gorgeous setting on the shore of Rangeley Lake. Our time here in Rangeley has all been arranged for us by our hosts. We receive a warm welcome and a glass of wine to sip by the grand fireplace in the cozy living room. Our French Canadian chef then prepares us a wonderful gourmet dinner. A walk through town tonight in the crisp Maine autumn air will assure a great night's sleep.

Day 8
If the weather cooperates, we can take a canoe trip on the pristine lake, or just relax on the veranda overlooking the water. Next we take a ride to the Norlands estate-a unique living history museum that will give us a new respect for this wild and beautiful region. We might try our luck at panning for gold, and then tonight is a special barbeque dinner followed by some "Downeast" story telling. And a visit to Rangeley would not be complete without an excursion to go moose sighting. Almost guaranteed we'll see a number of these extraordinary creatures.

Day 9
This morning we enjoy a scenic drive through New Hampshire's White Mountains to Bretton Woods. We'll have a special lunch at the famous Mt. Washington Hotel. Our drive continues through the mountains through quaint Jackson and North Conway, then across the Kankamangus Highway-one of the most beautiful roads in the U.S. At this time of year the foliage should be spectacular. We'll take a walk along a trail in the Flume nature park, where the brilliance of the trees is sure to dazzle you. Over the Vermont border we pass by Queechy Gorge, and arrive at the Woodstock Inn in the charming town by this name. Some say Woodstock is the prettiest town in Vermont. We'll check it out for ourselves and dine in grand style at the hotel's famous restaurant.

Day 10
This morning we turn south onto the prettiest road in Vermont, Route 100. This scenic drive takes us through quaint, picturesque villages-one after another: this is the real McCoy country backroad Vermont. After a stop at the quintessential Vermont country store for some samples of local cheddar cheese and home-made maple syrup, we travel south to lovely Manchester, where we have lunch in the beautiful old Equinox Inn. Just outside Manchester we visit the homestead of Robert Todd Lincoln, only surviving child of Mary and Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln descendants lived on this estate until 1905. The mansion is surrounded by lovely gardens and landscaped grounds. We continue south over the Massachusetts border into the beautiful Berkshire Mountain region and check into our charming country inn in lovely Stockbridge. Tonight we enjoy a performance at the famous Tanglewood theatre.

Day 11
After a grand country breakfast at our inn we visit two wonderful museums-the Norman Rockwell Museum and the xxx. In the afternoon we enjoy Shaker Village, a glimpse into an incredible way of life that will surprise you and leave you pondering modern society and a very unusual alternative. We spend a second night at our homey inn and enjoy a wonderful home-cooked dinner.

Day 12
Leaving the Berkshires, we head east across Massachusetts to the historic town of Deerfield. We'll have a dose of American history here, learning about the 17th century King Phillip's War and the Indian massacre that nearly destroyed this settlement still in its infancy. After a special lunch in a delightful historic inn, we drive to Concord, certainly one of the most historic towns in our country. We'll see the old bridge, where the shot was fired that was heard 'round the world, and walk along Battle Road, hearing a refresher lesson in American history. Tonight we have our farewell dinner and sleep in the beautiful old Concord Inn.

Day 13
After a gourmet breakfast, we drive to the airport for the return flight home. For those who wish to continue their adventure, we'll take you to your hotel in Boston.