Day 1
SHENANDOAH VALLEY:
Early
today we board our comfortable
Christian Tours Prevost motorcoach
and head to Maryland. Our route take
us through the Shenandoah Valley.Day 2
LONGWOOD GARDENS • MYSTIC:
This morning we take a walk
through one of the world's largest
indoor conservatories at beautiful
Longwood Gardens! Longwood
Gardens, sometimes referred to as
the DuPont Gardens, was created
by industrialist Pierre S. du Pont. The
entire estate offers 1,050 acres of
gardens, woodlands, and meadows; 20
outdoor gardens; 20 indoor gardens
within 4 acres of heated greenhouses;
11,000 different types of plants, and
spectacular fountains. We leave
Longwood and travel to Mystic, CT, for
overnight.Day 3
NEWPORT • TEN MILE DRIVE •
SANDWICH & HYANNIS TOUR •
DINNER:
Our first stop of the day is
in Newport at the famous Bowen's
Wharf to explore the many shops
and boutiques. Then we're off to see
the acclaimed “Ten Mile Drive.” As
our coach slowly winds through the
many homes and exquisite estates of
the “400,” we'll marvel at the beauty
of these buildings & grounds. In the
early afternoon, we will depart from
Newport and travel to Cape Cod.
We travel historic Route 6A through
Sandwich viewing the village green, the
dunes at Sandy Neck, a cranberry bog
and Cape Cod Bay. We continue our
journey into Hyannis for a tour of the
area including the Kennedy Memorial,
Korean War Memorial, Hyannisport
and a view of St. Francis Xavier Church,
where the Kennedy's worshiped. We
spend the next four nights on Cape
Cod. Tonight we'll enjoy an included
dinner! (D)Day 4
MARTHA'S VINEYARD • LOBSTER
DINNER:
This morning we board
the ferry for a cruise to Martha's
Vineyard, where we enjoy a sightseeing
tour of the island. You'll discover that
much of the island remains as it was
when the first white settlers came. See
Oak Bluffs, beaches in long sweeps of
unbroken beauty, salt sea marshes,
picturesque yacht harbors, and
Edgartown, a fashionable harborside
community of narrow streets and
stately old homes. Tonight we'll treat
you to a delicious lobster dinner at one
of the local restaurants. (D)Day 5
CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE
• PROVINCETOWN • OPTION OF
WHALE WATCH OR DUNES TOUR:
Today we travel historic Route 6A, the
Old King's Highway, a scenic byway
winding through centuries of Cape
Cod history. It winds past hundreds of
historic structures which characterize
its early development. We see the
Eastham Windmill, a Cape Cod
Lighthouse, and visit the Cape Cod
National Seashore Visitor's Center.
Sand dunes and the ocean surround
us as we approach “Land's End,”
Provincetown. We are now at the
extreme tip of Cape Cod. Formerly
known as the “Province Lands” the
pilgrims landed here first before they
decided to settle across the bay in
Plymouth. You will have time for lunch
and browsing through the wonderful
variety of shops, and galleries that
make this artists/fishermen village so
unique. This afternoon you can choose
from two options: Board an excursion
vessel for an amazing experience of
whale watching. You travel into the
natural habitat of a diverse marine
environment including birds that
migrate here from all over the Atlantic
and fish which use these shallow waters
to feed. An onboard naturalist will
introduce you to everything you see
and will answer any of your questions
about the whales, birds, fish and
lighthouses. Or you may choose: The
Dunes Tour Excursion rides through
the protected lands of the Cape
Cod National Seashore, the largest
protected coastline in the country. Your
driver/guide will point out the “dune
shacks” where famous artists and
writers became inspired to create their
art. Late this afternoon we return to
Hyannis. Dinner is included this
evening. (D)Day 6
HYANNIS • NANTUCKET ISLAND:
We board the high speed ferry to
Nantucket, which is not just an island
but an experience! Here, on the warm
clear waters of the Atlantic is nestled
a community whose original colonial
New England heritage and atmosphere
of 300 years ago is virtually unchanged.
It's a treasure chest of history, legend,
art, & architecture reflecting the longgone,
but never forgotten whaling era.
You will have a sightseeing journey
around the island and time to browse
the old maritime town and enjoy the
quaint shops and sights before boarding
the ferry back to the mainland. We
arrive back to Hyannis where you'll
have free time on Main Street to
browse the shops and have dinner (on
your own).Day 7
MAYFLOWER II • PLYMOUTH ROCK
• PLIMOTH PATUXET • LUNCH • BOSTON CITY TOUR:
The Mayflower II
returned to Plymouth after a 3-year
multi-million dollar restoration and
was the centerpiece of the 400th
commemoration of the Pilgrims'
arrival in 2020. We tour this full scale
reproduction. Next, we see Plymouth
Rock, the point of the Pilgrims' landing
on December 21, 1620. We make a stop
at the impressive National Monument
To The Forefathers, erected in 1889
to commemorate the Pilgrims. We
continue to Plimoth Patuxet, a living
village recreating life in early Plymouth.
Costumed people in 17th century attire
portray actual residents of the 1627
community. Lunch is included today.
This afternoon's agenda includes
a guided tour of Boston. See the
Boston Common, the oldest public
park in the country, where cows once
grazed, soldiers drilled, witches were
hanged, and “common scold” were
dunked in the Frog Pond. See the Old
State House, from whose balcony
the Declaration of Independence was
first read to the citizens of Boston in
1776. And see Faneuil Hall, known as
the “Cradle of Liberty” because of
the frequent protest meetings that
took place there. We also see the Old
North Church, from whose tall steeple
Robert Newman hung two lanterns
that started Paul Revere's famous ride.
We see the USS Constitution, “Old
Ironsides” of the War of 1812 before
traveling to Massachusetts for our
overnight. (L)Day 8
MARK TWAIN HOUSE • DINNER:
In Hartford, Connecticut, we'll
visit the Mark Twain House. If you've
seen A&E's series on Castles of
America, you may be acquainted with
the Mark Twain House. Tom Sawyer,
Huckleberry Finn and other classics
were penned while Samuel Clemmons
resided here. The three-story Victorian
mansion features many rare Tiffany
pieces and Clemmons memorabilia.
This evening we enjoy an included
dinner together. We overnight just
outside of Delaware. (D)Day 9
HOME:
All good things must come
to an end. This morning finds us
homeward bound, filled with delightful
thoughts of new places to add to our
treasure house of memories.