8 Day Tour: June 2-9, 2027
Pricing for First State
- Base Pricing is always calculated for double occupancy.
- $925 supplemental for Solo Travelers.
Tour Highlights
- Maryland
- Delaware
- Rhode Island
- Fort McHenry
- Dover Air Force Base
- Winterthur Mansion
- Horseshoe Crabs
- Newport Mansions
- & So Much MORE!!
- LIMIT 14
Tour Includes
- Round trip airfare from Chicago
- First Class Hotel Accommodations
- All Breakfasts and 4 Dinners
- Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
- Admissions to all listed Attractions
- Round trip airport transfers in the Chicagoland area
- Guided by Bill Ball
- Baggage Handling
- All Gratuities
Tour Itinerary
Day One When it comes to American history and scenic wonders of the East coast, few places compare to the triangle of Maryland, Delaware and Rhode Island. We begin in Baltimore and visit historic Fort McHenry—the inspiration for the “Star Spangled Banner”. From the early American, we quickly proceed to modern America with a visit to the Goddard Space Center to see the pinnacle US technological achievement of space flight.
Day Two We head to the first state of the US, Delaware, today. For the next 3 nights we will hub and spoke out of Dover visiting the places that helped form this nation. In Dover, we will visit the one-of-a-kind Air Mobility Command Museum on the grounds of the Dover Air Force Base. Here you can see rare, vintage aircraft, climb aboard World War II propeller aircraft and current four engine jets and you can fly simulators. We, of course, will visit the state capital in the historic district.
Day Three We head to one of the greatest mansions in the US—Winterthur. It is the premier museum of American decorative arts with nearly 90,000 objects spread out in the 175-room mansion. It was once the home of Henry du Pont. The gardens are alone worth the visit. No mansion in America compares to it. We have yet another incredible site—Odessa. This small historic town is known for its well-preserved 18th and 19th century architecture. A large amount of the town is on the Historic Register of Historic Places preserving this historic area for future generations and you.
Day Four Today we will see one of the greatest, though odd, wildlife wonders in the world—the mating of Horseshoe Crabs. Not really crabs, these ancient creatures come ashore in the millions to mate in the spring, drawing hords of waterbirds to feast on the crabs and their eggs. It is truly one of nature’s great spectacles and worth the price of the trip alone.
Day Five We head along the coast today and step in “Jersey” and reach back to the earliest part of American history—the Revolutionary War. Morristown, NJ was one of the winter headquarters for Washington and his ragtag army that would even defeat the polished British forces. We will visit that historic site as well as a surprise or two.
Day Six We end up in Providence Rhode Island today-our smallest state in size but not in importance. It was here that the idea of religious freedom was born. Benefit Street with its “Mile of History” features colonial and Victorian homes will be our first stop. Other sites we will visit include the Rhode Island State House with its impressive architecture, the Swan Point Cemetery with its art and famous graves and the Athenaeum—a historic, beautiful library.
Day Seven A daytrip to Newport where the rich and even richer lived is on the agenda today. Touring mansions, seeing topiary masterpieces and the iconic Ocean Drive are all on the agenda today. We will even see where JFK and Jacqueline had their wedding reception.
Day Eight One last surprise in Rhode Island (is the state even big enough for a surprise—yes, it is) before we head home having visit the sites that took America from the Revolutionary War to the Space race. This is a fun, historic, wildlife wonder-packed trip!
