
October 16-23, 2022
New England has been center stage for our nation’s history since the Mayflower dropped anchor near Plymouth Rock. From the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the lavish galas on Bellevue Avenue; from literary giants to revolutionary heroes – and heroines – from seafood to, you guessed it, tea, New England shaped the nation through literature, art, revolution, and protest.
Join Susan and Beckett, hosts of the popular podcast,The History Chicks, to explore our past and the people and places that shaped our future.
This tour takes you through Boston, out to the sweeping vistas and mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, and back again.
DAY ONE- Welcome to New England! Check in to the centrally located Hilton Faneuil Hall and prepare to meet your fellow travelers. Tonight we toast to the beginning of this incredible tour at the historic Bell in Hand Tavern, a Bostonian favorite since 1795, then keep the party going with an evening trolley ride through Boston to get us familiar with this charming city!
DAY TWO- Grab breakfast at the hotel and board our bus to Concord, just north of Boston, which is rich in both literary and American history. We begin our day at Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott. The March sisters will come to life as you see where the masterpiece “Little Women” was set and written.
Lunch is on your own to soak in the quaint main street of Concord at your leisure.
After lunch, we are joined by a local guide for a visit to the North Bridge to learn the story of how the Revolution began. We will also visit Walden Pond, the tranquil inspiration for Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden”. Upon our return to Boston, the evening is yours to explore the city. Walk the Freedom Trail or cross the river to check out Harvard’s campus.
DAY THREE- Newport! We leave Boston for a few days to explore the summer playground of the Gilded Age elite only an hour and a half away. On our way to Newport, we learn of the life and crimes of Lizzie Borden when we stop to tour her home in Fall River.
From Fall River it’s a short drive to Newport. Explore the many shops and restaurants on the pier before checking in to the beautiful Newport Marriott.
Next up…The Breakers! Built for Alice and Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1895, this is the grandest and most ostentatious of the Newport mansions. After touring the home and gazing at the dramatic ocean views, the evening is yours in Newport, to relax.
DAY FOUR- What does it take to keep a mansion running smoothly? Today we find out on the Servant’s Life tour at The Elms. The Elm’s is an elegant mansion built for Julius Berwind and family in 1901. The servant’s tour explores the service areas in depth with a look into the sleeping quarters, kitchen, laundry, and more. This amazing tour really showcases the incredible people that served the Berwind family. After the Servant’s Life tour we will see how the other half lived upstairs in the mansion.
People come to Newport for the mansions but, now we get a little taste of Newport’s favorite pastime- sailing! Climb aboard the Adirondack II, a classic pilot schooner, to sail around Narragansett Bay complete with a glass of wine in hand. The evening is once again yours to enjoy. Perhaps take a peek at the chapel where the Kennedys tied the knot!
DAY FIVE- No talk of the Gilded Age would be complete without the mention of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont. Alva is responsible for elevating the Vanderbilt family into society’s “acceptable families” and this morning we visit Marble House, her first “cottage” in Newport. Marble House was not only home to Alva, but Consuelo Vanderbilt as well during her youth.
We dine together for lunch as a group at the place where the Gilded Age set went to see and be seen, La Forge Casino. Not what we think of when we hear about casinos, La Forge was created in 1880 and quickly became the hot spot in town for all the Gilded elite to gather.
After our decadent lunch, we will be ready to move! Cliff Walk is an integral part of Newport and can’t be missed. This ocean- front walkway allows glimpses of the mansions from the backside and stretches three miles total. We will only walk along a portion of that before heading to our next activity.
Sweeping ocean views and yes-more mansions for our afternoon activity. We are joined by a local guide who will hop aboard our bus to give us the gossip of Ocean Drive. Our guide will point out the mansions of note along Ocean Drive such as Mamie Fish’s Crossways, Jay Leno’s Seafair, and Jacqueline Kennedy’s childhood home, Hammersmith Farm as well as some of the stories surrounding them. Explore Bowen’s Wharf on your own tonight.
DAY SIX- Back to Boston! We depart Newport and stop at the Adams National Historical Park on the way to Boston. Tour the birthplace of John Adams, the home he and Abigail first lived in together and their burial sites. Then it’s back to Boston and the Hilton Faneuil Hall.
The entire afternoon has been left free for you to catch those Boston attractions like the Boston Museum of Fine Art or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. We will reunite this evening for a fun-filled harbor cruise and dinner. We board our privately chartered boat and meet up with The History Chicks Boston local fans for a delicious dinner and party complete with an open bar and DJ!
DAY SEVEN- Our last day begins with a suffragist walking tour, Boston Women Finding Their Voice! Learn about the Bostonian women who played a part in this decades-long movement. Our tour conveniently ends near Quincy Market, the perfect place to grab some lunch and some Boston souvenirs.
After ample dining and shopping time at the market, we will head to the Boston Public Library. The Boston Public Library is well known for its art and architecture. You will get time to explore the library before retreating to our private room for a lovely afternoon tea service as a group.
All good things must come to an end, including our tour of New England. Join your new best friends for a farewell dinner in Boston’s famed Little Italy. We say goodbye and reminisce about all the wonderful times we shared in New England.
DAY EIGHT- We hope you leave this tour filled with new knowledge and appreciation of all that New England has to offer. Check out of the hotel this morning and head home or consider extending your stay here in Boston.
If the walls of New England could talk, the stories they’d share! Exploring this rich, vibrant area steeped in history and legend with The History Chicks, and like-minded travelers, will make this a trip an adventure to remember!
INCLUSIONS:
- 7 nights in centrally located 4 star hotels
- Breakfast each morning
- Welcome cocktail party at the Bell in Hand Tavern
- Farewell dinner in Little Italy
- Private Boston Harbor dinner cruise with open bar
- Lunch at La Forge Casino in Newport
- Trolley tour of Boston
- Afternoon tea at the Boston Public Library’s Courtyard Room
- Schooner cruise in Narragansett Bay with drinks
- Guided tour of Orchard House
- Local guide for tour of Concord North Bridge and Walden Pond
- Lizzie Borden House
- Audioguide tour of The Breakers
- Audioguide tour of The Elms
- Guided Servant Life tour at The Elms
- Audioguide tour of Marble House
- Cliff Walk Excursion
- Local guide for Ocean Drive tour
- John Adams Historical Site tour
- Motorcoach transportation to tour activities
- Official The History Chicks swag