New England and The Freedom Trail

New England is historic, relaxed and friendly.  The six states of New England are fabulous for discovering quintessential villages and small towns, picturesque village greens, covered bridges, lighthouses and fishing harbours.  New England offers distinctive opportunities to seek out artists’ colonies and museums.  For seafood lovers, the clam chowder and fresh lobster are great too!

Boston

This 15 day trip starts in Boston, a city which combines the old and new like no other city in America. Explore the Freedom Trail, a 3 mile walking tour of 16 historic sites from the colonial and revolutionary era. Hop on the famous Old Town Trolley Tour which brings Boston’s history to life while offering an excellent way to traverse the city.  Maybe take in a whale watch cruise from Boston’s spectacular Aquarium or enjoy Quincy Market with all its great shops and irresistible food stalls.  Take the ‘T’, the MBTA subway, to Harvard Yard and Cambridge if you fancy a spot of shopping in the 100 stores in Cambridgeside Galleria.

Stay at The Bostonian for 3 nights

Pick up a hire car and drive for about 1 hour 50 minutes to Portland.

Portland

Portland is the largest city in Maine and utterly enchanting.  Ornate mansions and ocean views are synonymous with the city’s landscape.  Saunter down the brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets of the revitalized Old Port District where you can browse bookstores, explore craft shops and find eateries aplenty.  The Portland Head Light dates back to 1791.  It is the oldest lighthouse in the US and still in use.  Visit the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the great poet and take the opportunity to hop on the ferry to the islands in Casco Bay.

Stay at the Westin Portland Harbourview for 2 nights.

Drive to Jackson, about an hour and 45 minute drive.

Jackson

Jackson is located on the edge of the 750,000 acre White Mountain National Forest and offers spectacular natural beauty as well as many opportunities for outdoor activities: enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding and golfing. The crystal-clear waterfalls, winding rivers and relaxing lakes offer a superb landscape for a wide variety of watersport experiences.  Visit Mount Washington and experience a 3-hour guided train journey on the Cog Railway, to the highest peak in the North East.  At the summit, take in the view which spans the mountains and valleys of New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.  Look up to the sky at night and see incredible star filled skies.

Stay at the Inn at Ellis River for 2 nights

Drive to Stowe, Vermont, a journey or 2 hours 30 minutes.

Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is known as America’s most welcoming resort, spread put beneath one of Eastern America’s famous ski resorts on Mount Masfield, the state’s highest mountain.  Drive the Mount Masfield toll road or take the gondola up the 4393 foot peak for a bird’s eye view of the forests and rugged terrain.  Summer concerts are held at the Trapp Family Lodge west of town.  Other places of interest are the Historical Society Museum, the Bloody Brook School House and the alpine slide at Spruce Peak.

Stay at Stowe Vermont Trapp Family Lodge for 2 nights.

Drive to Manchester, Vermont, a journey of about 2 hours 30 minutes

Manchester

The town of Manchester is small yet trendy.  Manchester embodies the quintessential Vermont town with white steeples, local breweries, fantastic restaurants, amazing art galleries and many other attractions.  Visit the Southern Vermont Arts Center, open all year-round and which exhibits a diverse range of work from outdoor sculptures to photographs, abstract paintings, Cubist portraits and classical landscapes.  Manchester is not known for its raucous party scene but you can catch live music at the Equinox Resort’s Falcon Bar or rock back and forth on a porch chair and take in some stargazing back at the Copper Grouse.

Stay at The Reluctant Panther Inn & Restaurant for 2 nights

Drive to Cape Cod, a journey of about 4 hours.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod is famous for its white sandy beaches, picturesque harbours, art galleries, varied shopping, plentiful restaurants and an abundance of attractions.  Visit the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis.  Visit Sandwich, the Cape’s oldest town and a small community with a town green and a village centre. Sandwich is home to the Hoxie House, built circa 1637 and therefore the oldest house on the Cape.  The Sandwich Glass Museum celebrates the town’s superb 19^th century glassmaking and is well worth visiting.  Take a ferry across to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket or spend the day taking in one of the many beaches located along Cape Cod’s 300 mile long coastline.

Stay at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel for 3 nights.

There are of course lots of different options for discovering New England and plenty of lovely places to stay depending on location, time and budget.  Do get in touch to find out more.