Welcome to "Beantown!" This evening, mingle with your travelling companions at 6 pm for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure.
Your guided sightseeing focuses on the city's most prominent landmarks. See Boston Common; the Old State House; OLD NORTH CHURCH, from where Paul Revere got the signal to start his famous ride; Freedom Trail; and Faneuil Hall, with a chance to browse through Quincy Market. Next, board a harbour CRUISE that takes you to see the Bunker Hill Monument and the site of the Boston Tea Party. Balance of the day is at your leisure. (B)
Head south to Plymouth, where the Pilgrims landed nearly 400 years ago and founded the first permanent settlement in New England. See famous Plymouth Rock. Next, explore PLIMOTH PLANTATION and learn about how daily life was for the Pilgrims and the true story of Thanksgiving. Continue to FLAX POND FARMS, a working cranberry bog, and hear how this native fruit is harvested and processed. On to Hyannis, a favourite Cape Cod resort town for a 4-night stay. Enjoy a traditional LOBSTER dinner this evening! (B,D)
SPECIAL FEATURE: Spend the next four nights at the Red Jacket Beach Resort, located on the waters of Nantucket Sound. Amenities include a private beach with water activities, outdoor pool, tennis court, restaurant, lounge, and spa. Please note that some resort activities are seasonal.
This morning, head to the harbour for your FERRY ride to Nantucket. Time for lunch and a stroll around Straight Wharf with its marinas, shops, and art galleries. Your guided tour spotlights the strong Quaker influence during the early days of settlement. Drive the narrow streets and admire charming Colonial-style houses and imposing mansions that reflect the prosperity of Nantucket's whaling era. During your free time, visit the WHALING MUSEUM with its top-quality exhibitions and rooftop observation deck. Return to Hyannis and see the John F. Kennedy Memorial and St. Francis Xavier Church before reaching your hotel. (B)
Drive the length of the peninsula's arm to Provincetown and CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE. At MacMillan Wharf, board a cruise boat and head out to sea for a WHALE-WATCHING EXPEDITION, narrated by a local marine biologist. Free time later to wander through "P-town," a lively summer resort and artist's colony. Return to Hyannis and your beach resort. Enjoy dinner this evening at a local restaurant. (B,D)
FERRY to Martha's Vineyard and enjoy a guided tour that features Oak Bluffs with its Victorian "gingerbread" architecture. Spend some time in Edgartown, once an important shipping and whaling centre. Check out the enticing village stores, take a walk along the ocean, and admire the elegant homes along the tree-lined streets during your time here. Return to Hyannis where the remainder of the day is at your leisure. (B)
This morning, head to Newport, an elegant yachting mecca on Narragansett Bay in the "Ocean State" of Rhode Island. Enjoy an orientation tour of Newport and see the first state house, the nation's oldest synagogue, and the city's oldest meeting house and library. Afterward, explore the extravagant lifestyle of a bygone era when visiting THE BREAKERS, shipping magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt's opulent mansion. Then, continue to Providence, the capital of Rhode Island and one of the oldest cities in the United States. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner. (B,D)
Depart this morning for Boston. After a transfer to the airport for guests who have homebound flights, the motorcoach continues downtown to the Sheraton Boston Hotel, where the tour ends. Please schedule flights from Boston's Logan International Airport after 2 pm. (B)
