6 Day Tour: October 12-17, 2021
Pricing
- Base Pricing is always calculated for double occupancy.
- $400 supplemental for Solo Travelers.
Tour Highlights
Top Fall Colors
in the US
2
State Capitals
3
Places to see
Before
You Die
- Concorde, NH
- Autumn colors in the Flume Gorge
- Rock of Ages Quarry
- Montpelier, VT
- New England Culinary Institute Dinner
- Shelburn Farms
- NH & VT State Capital tours
- Ben & Jerry’s Tour
- Maple Sugar Farm Tour
- Dartmouth College
Tour Includes
- Roundtrip airfare from Chicago
- First Class Hotel Accommodations
- Daily Breakfast
- 4 Dinners (including Culinary Institute Dinner)
- Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
- Admissions to all listed Attractions
- Roundtrip airport transfers in the Chicagoland area
- Guiding by Bill Ball
- Baggage Handling
- All Gratuities
Tour Itinerary
Day One We depart Chicago on a flight to New Hampshire. We travel to Concord, the state capital and tour the oldest state capital building in the US. The gold domed building also holds another record—it has the largest state representation (400 legislators). After our tour, we head on to the fabulous scenery of the White Mountains.
Day Two Spend the day exploring the picturesque White Mountains. Colorful foliage covers the slopes of the mountains as we drive along the scenic byways. We explore Flume Gorge, a natural chasm, where we walk along meandering paths, past roaring waterfalls and over charming covered bridges, with each bend in the path opening to another breathtaking view. As we travel to our next site, Bill will explain the autumn phenomenon of leaves changing color. One of nature’s magic tricks, the science behind the color change is almost as magical as the colors themselves. This afternoon we head to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. As we climb the mountain, look for changes in the weather, the plants and animals. Bill will explain how changes in altitude effect the flora and fauna of the area.
Day Three We start our day on the Cannon Aerial Tram for a bird’s eye view of the fabulous mountains ablaze in fall colors. From the tram you can see Vermont, Maine and even into Canada. This afternoon, we cross into Vermont. Our first Vermont stop is Rock of Ages Quarry. This is a working 50 acre granite quarry, where stone was cut for many famous buildings. We continue to Montpelier, where we will overnight for the next 3 nights.
Day Four We explore the Burlington area. Our first stop is Vermont Teddy Bear where adorable bears are created from start to finish. At lunch time, we board a boat for a luncheon cruise on Lake Champlain. The lake is both beautiful and historic with Revolutionary War battles taking place on the lake. Benedict Arnold was stationed at a fort on Lake Champlain. Back on dry land we head to Shelburn Farms, one of Vermont ‘s premiere cheese-makers. Designated a National Historic Landmark, the farm contains many original buildings from the 1880’s when the farm was built as a model agricultural estate.
Day Five This morning we tour the state capital of Vermont. Montpelier is the smallest state capital and the 57 foot gold dome shines out over the city. We tour the legislative chambers and learn the history of the building and its art work. Some of Vermont’s most famous residents served in this building or are immortalized in the statuary and paintings. Our tour brings Vermont’s history alive in one short hour. After all that information, indulge in a tasty treat at Ben and Jerry’s. We tour this unusual ice cream factory that went from 2 guys with a vision to a multi-national company. On to another Vermont taste treat—Maple Syrup. At our final stop of the day, we visit a Maple Sugar farm and learn about tapping trees, boiling down the sap and creating syrup. This evening we dine at the New England Culinary Institute.
Day Six Before we fly home, Bill has one more treat for you—Dartmouth College. No you don’t get admitted to this elite Ivy League School, but you do get a tour of its historic campus before we visit the famous Hood Museum. The Hood is part art/part history museum with one of the largest collections in the US. Artifacts cover all 6 inhabited continents from ancient sculpture to modern prints. We bid a fond goodbye to two of the most beautiful sates in the US. Fall colors, history, ice cream and majestic mountains—all are part of this memorable trip.