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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.
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