Sit back and relax as we continue our journey east in search of fall colors. We’ll arrive in Buffalo, NY, late this afternoon and enjoy an overview of this fascinating area. Buffalo has been experiencing a renaissance, with a reinvigorated waterfront, restored architectural treasures, and an impressive food scene. Time will be available to freshen up at our overnight accommodations before dinner as a group.

(Breakfast and dinner included)

This morning we will venture to New England, where autumn is radiant and beaming with beautiful reds, oranges, and golds! Today’s destination is the beautiful village of Manchester in the heart of Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains for a visit to Hildene, the former summer home of Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert Todd Lincoln. Robert and his wife built this Georgian Revival mansion in 1905, and descendants of Lincoln continued to live here until 1975. We will tour the twenty-four-room mansion and the restored Pullman car produced during Robert’s time as the president of the Pullman Company. There’s also the goat dairy, Dene Farm, and magnificent gardens to explore! Well then settle into our hotel and freshen up for dinner.

(Breakfast and dinner included)

Today we'll embark on a spectacular day of touring around northern Vermont to enjoy the splendid foliage and countryside. Of course, a visit to Vermont would not be complete without a stop at a traditional maple sugar house for a demonstration and tasty samples! We will then continue on through Montpelier, Vermont's state capital, and then make our way to the beautiful village of Stowe for a unique history tour of the famous Trapp Family Lodge. This stunning Austrian-inspired resort was built on 2,500 acres overlooking Stowe and is owned by the von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame!  We will end our day with a visit to Cabot Cheese Annex to sample some of the “Best Cheddar on Earth” before checking in to our Waterbury hotel and gathering for dinner. 

(Breakfast and dinner included)

Enjoy breakfast this morning before we make our way to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the historic Omni Mount Washington Resort.  A grand masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture, this National Historic Landmark was conceived by industrialist Joseph Stickney and was a two-year labor of love for 250 master craftsmen. The hotel quickly became a favorite summer haunt for poets, presidents, and princes after it opened in 1902. We will enjoy a guided tour of this magnificent hotel and then dine on a delicious luncheon in the grand dining room. Then we’ll board the Conway Scenic Railroad’s Mountaineer for a scenic rail journey through the rugged Crawford Notch and Mount Washington Valley. The train’s 1950s-era passenger cars replicate the experience of a post-World War II, transcontinental streamlined train, recapturing the tradition and romance of journeying by railcar! We’ll arrive back in Conway Village and enjoy some free time to shop and explore at the famous Zeb’s Country Store. Dinner is on our own before we check in to our hotel for an evening at leisure.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

We will say goodbye to New Hampshire after breakfast and head to “Down East” Maine for a tour of Kennebunkport, the summer haven for artists, writers, the upper middle class, and US presidents. As we enjoy a drive along the ocean to Walker’s Point, we’ll pass by the home of former President George H.W. Bush before continuing our tour to the seaside village of Ogunquit. Named by the Abenaki Indians, Ogunquit means “beautiful place by the sea”. Here we will board a lobster boat to cruise along Ogunquit’s scenic shoreline and learn all about lobstering. Then we are off to the village of York to see one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country – the Cape Neddick Light. Popularly known as “the Nubble”, this lighthouse was built in 1879 and is still in use today. After an exciting day, we will settle into our hotel and freshen up before a traditional clambake and a chance to try Maine lobster! 

(Breakfast and dinner included)

 Following breakfast this morning, we will depart on today’s drive to Corning, NY. Upon our arrival, we’ll visit the Corning Museum of Glass, where 40,000 unique pieces spanning 3,500 years of glassworks history await. Glass plays an important role in art, history, culture, technology, science, and design, and the museum explores it all. There will even be a live demonstration as master glassmakers take glowing blobs of molten glass and skillfully blow them into vases, bowls, or sculptures! Our day will come to an end with a delightful dinner as a group and an overnight at our Corning area hotel.

(Breakfast and dinner included)

Today we will head for home, heading into Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands in the Allegheny Mountains. There we will find the small town of Stoystown and the Flight 93 National Memorial commemorating those who lost their lives in the Flight 93 crash during the September 11th attacks. The memorial’s ninety-three-foot-tall Tower of Voices with its forty wind chimes serves as a poignant reminder of the heroism of the forty passengers and crew aboard the flight. Afterward, we will continue our drive to Columbus, OH, with a stop to enjoy a wonderful farewell dinner en route.

(Breakfast and dinner included)

After breakfast we will depart on the last leg of our journey home with stops for comfort and lunch on our own along the way.

(Breakfast included)