Grand New England

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Grand New England



Tour Description:

An autumn fall foliage tour paints New England landscapes with bold, Impressionist colors that surprise, delight, energize and mesmerize, and awaken the visionary in you.
This excursion through Grand New England offers more than the visual excitement of a fall foliage tour. Enjoy exclusive filmed vignettes by filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan that share personal stories and take you behind the scenes of their films. See American history in a new light in places where it was made, then re-made by poets, painters and icon-makers... the Revolutionary heart of Boston, the Berkshire retreats of Norman Rockwell and Edith Wharton, and the Gilded Age mountain resort at Bretton Woods. Travel through lush forests and fertile fields sweet with fragrant air, rich in tradition and brimming with antique charm. Search out the elusive soul of New England from Boston to Portland, from fishing boats to the summit of Mount Washington... in the taste of fresh lobster and maple syrup, and in the dazzled eye of the beholder.

Map for Grand New England
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Dates & Pricing

Wednesday 18 Sep 24 — Sunday 29 Sep 24Starting at $7,490 Get a Quote
Thursday 19 Sep 24 — Monday 30 Sep 24Starting at $8,490 Get a Quote
Sunday 22 Sep 24 — Thursday 03 Oct 24Starting at $7,690 Get a Quote
Tuesday 24 Sep 24 — Saturday 05 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Thursday 26 Sep 24 — Monday 07 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Friday 27 Sep 24 — Tuesday 08 Oct 24Starting at $7,690 Get a Quote
Saturday 28 Sep 24 — Wednesday 09 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Monday 30 Sep 24 — Friday 11 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Thursday 03 Oct 24 — Monday 14 Oct 24Starting at $7,690 Get a Quote
Friday 04 Oct 24 — Tuesday 15 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Saturday 05 Oct 24 — Wednesday 16 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Sunday 06 Oct 24 — Thursday 17 Oct 24Starting at $7,690 Get a Quote
Monday 07 Oct 24 — Friday 18 Oct 24Starting at $8,790 Get a Quote
Thursday 10 Oct 24 — Monday 21 Oct 24Starting at $7,690 Get a Quote


Destination & Sightseeing

An autumn fall foliage tour paints New England landscapes with bold, Impressionist colors that surprise, delight, energize and mesmerize, and awaken the visionary in you. This excursion through Grand New England offers more than the visual excitement of a fall foliage tour. Enjoy exclusive filmed vignettes by filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan that share personal stories and take you behind the scenes of their films. See American history in a new light in places where it was made, then re-made by poets, painters and icon-makers... the Revolutionary heart of Boston, the Berkshire retreats of Norman Rockwell and Edith Wharton, and the Gilded Age mountain resort at Bretton Woods. Travel through lush forests and fertile fields sweet with fragrant air, rich in tradition and brimming with antique charm. Search out the elusive soul of New England from Boston to Portland, from fishing boats to the summit of Mount Washington... in the taste of fresh lobster and maple syrup, and in the dazzled eye of the beholder.

Highlights
TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Insider stories about New England during filmed narratives by documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan
A visit to the Maine Maritime Museum and authentic lobster dinner at Cook's Lobster & Ale House 
A private tour and lunch at Edith Wharton's Berkshire home, The Mount
An exclusive hands-on lobstering experience in Portland with a local lobsterman

ITINERARY

Arrive Boston
Tour begins: 5:30 PM, The Langham, Boston. A transfer is included from Logan International Airport to The Langham, a historic, luxury central Boston hotel steps away from Faneuil Hall Marketplace and the famous North End neighborhood. Join us at the hotel this evening for a welcome reception and dinner; the dazzling reds, golds and oranges that accent Boston's cityscape are a colorful prelude to your fall foliage tour.

Boston, the cradle of America
History is alive and around every corner of the exciting city of Boston on a locally guided tour this morning that includes Boston Common, Beacon Hill with its elegant townhouses and narrow cobblestone streets and the ethnic flavors of the North End. Walk back in time in the footsteps of literary giants, artists, and visionaries who inspired and shaped America in its infancy. Later, explore on your own this city teeming with historic treasures and hip modern pleasures, where the venerable past is always present.

The Mount & The Clark in the literary Berkshires
Begin today's travels in the Berkshires, long a retreat for artists and writers, at The Mount – the hilltop Georgian mansion of Edith Wharton. The celebrated author of The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence called it her "first real home." Wharton was also a consummate entertainer – you'll feel like one of her guests at a private lunch overlooking her bucolic grounds. Continue on to Williamstown for a docent-led tour of the internationally renowned Clark Art Institute ("The Clark"), one of the few institutions in the US combining a public art museum with research and academic programs. Arrive late afternoon at your historic resort in Manchester, Vermont. Note: On Mondays and holidays when The Clark is closed, enjoy an alternate visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge – dedicated to the beloved illustrator who spent the last 25 years of his life in this small Berkshire town, and displaying many of his original works and his studio.

Hildene's Lincoln legacy
The classic New England town of Manchester, Vermont is tucked between the Green Mountains and the Taconic Range, and is home to Equinox Mountain, the Taconics' tallest peak. This morning, it's off to Hildene, the Georgian Revival mansion of President Abraham Lincoln's son Robert who served as US Secretary of War and minister to Great Britain, and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln. The 1905 Georgian Revival-style mansion – which today is on the National Register of Historic Places and is furnished largely with Lincoln family furniture and artifacts – remained in the Lincoln family until 1975, and has since been restored and maintained by a non-profit group. Dinner is included this evening.

Visit to Fort Ticonderoga and a Lake Champlain Cruise
Depart Manchester this morning for Fort Ticonderoga; built by the French in the 18th century, near the southern end of Lake Champlain, the site entered history books as the first American victory in the Revolutionary War. This afternoon, you're off for a scenic cruise along Lake Champlain, before settling in for dinner and a good night's rest at your hotel.

Shelburne Museum of Art and Americana – and chocolate
Continue exploring Vermont's classic New England landscapes as you make your way to Shelburne for a visit to the Shelburne Museum of Art and Americana. Spread over 45 acres, this unique museum holds a vast collection of prints, paintings, folk art and quilts reflecting 19th-century American life, in historic buildings – including barns, a meeting house, a jail, a lighthouse, and a railroad station – in a village-like setting around the Ticonderoga, a 220-ft. steamboat that once ferried passengers and livestock on Lake Champlain. This afternoon, a special visit – to Lake Champlain Chocolates. Proud to be a second-generation, family-owned Vermont company, they "dare to do better, driven by our passion to change the world one delicious chocolate at a time." The believe in using business as a force for good; 100% of their chocolate is fair trade, grown with sustainable farming practices, while helping to build stronger cacao-growing communities. Return to the hotel late afternoon, where the remainder of the day is free to spend as you please in Burlington.

From the Green Mountains to the White Mountains
Head out from the Green Mountains of Vermont via the state capital, Montpelier, and the elegant gold-domed State House. Just outside the city, Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks offers you a taste of pure maple syrup and an education in how it's made, from the tapping of trees to the distillation of sap and the subtle shades and grades that result from an art they've perfected over eight generations in the family business. Explore Vermont's granite history – then continue on out of Vermont and into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. arriving in Bretton Woods for a two-night stay at the historic Omni Mount Washington Resort, one of New England's last grand resort hotels. Since its opening in 1902, this palatial hotel has been a magnet for presidents, robber barons and celebrities; Babe Ruth and Thomas Edison loved to golf here. In 1944, the World Bank was established here in the Gold Room; the stunning mountain landscapes outside glow with the same color.

The Mount Washington experience
Travel to the summit of Mt Washington in vans with a local company. The harshest winter weather on the planet can be found at the summit, where a wind speed of 231 mph was once recorded in 1932, and the stone houses are anchored to the ground with chains. Run by the state of New Hampshire, Mount Washington Observatory is a special organization that is usually only visited by members – as a Tauck guest, you'll have special access and a talk by one of the experts (pending availability) who will brief you on their work in this unique environment. It's a day for indulging in the colorful quintessence of a fall foliage tour as you wind down New England back roads to return to your luxury resort at Bretton Woods, where you'll enjoy a presentation on the local ecology and wildlife. Dine as you please this evening.

Maine Maritime Museum and an authentic lobster dinner
Your journey continues this morning as you make your way toward the final leg of your New England adventure, Maine, but starting with an old-fashioned scenic rail experience aboard the Conway Scenic Railroad. This afternoon, visit the Maine Maritime Museum for a closer look into Maine's seafaring history with its vast collection of various objects and rare documents related to the state's maritime heritage and its direct impact, from ancient times to modern day. Tonight, you're off to dinner at a Maine staple – Cook's Lobster & Ale House. Established in 1955, Cook's started as a small, one room take-out stand, and has since grown into a national icon including being featured as a property in the Maine edition of Monopoly! Enjoy an classic Maine lobster dinner before returning to your hotel. Tomorrow, you'll continue on to Portland.

A day in Portland
Arrive this morning in Portland, Maine, where you begin the day with a fascinating walking tour. You'll be guided through the historic "Old Port," a rich and interesting section of the city, on a journey back through time over the cobblestones of a working waterfront with insights of Portland's past and present. The "Old Port" is today a bustling connection between the present waterfront and the growing community of Maine's largest city and active commercial port – see how Portland has been shaped over the years by its unique geographical location on the southern coast of Maine. Have lunch at a local harbor restaurant, and then a Tauck exclusive when you join a local lobsterman who takes you out into the harbor aboard his working boat for an authentic, hands-on experience in the lobstering trade. Portland has developed quite a good reputation for its craft beer; a tasting this afternoon, at New England's first craft brewery since Prohibition, Geary Brewing Co., provides an opportunity to sample some innovative varieties. A day well spent ends with dinner in the city this evening.

Along the spectacular coastline of Maine to Kennebunkport
Say farewell to Portland with a visit this morning to Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine (dating back to 1791) – a favorite subject of photographers and artists. Journey south along the beautiful, rugged Maine coast to coastal Kennebunkport, best known for its long, sandy beaches, abundance of lighthouses and fresh seafood delights. Return early this afternoon back to Portland for an afternoon at leisure, exploring this city however you wish. Tonight, join us for a farewell reception and dinner back at your hotel as your New England adventure comes to a close.

Journey home
After breakfast, travel from Westin Portland Harborview to Boston. Tour ends: 12:00 PM at Logan International Airport, Boston. Airport transfers are included. Flights shouldn't be booked before 2:00 PM; allow a minimum of 2 hours for check-in. Ask at booking about extending your stay with additional hotel nights (rooms may not be ready until 3:00 PM).

Check Mark Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.

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