Day 1
SHENANDOAH VALLEY • HARRISBURG:
All
Aboard! Christian Tours has planned a special
scenic tour of New England. Today we travel north
through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and
then along Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River to
Harrisburg, where our overnight accommodations
await us.
Day 2
HUDSON RIVER CRUISE:
Following breakfast,
we’re off traveling through Pennsylvania to
New York. In Kingston, by the heart of the Hudson
River Valley, we take a Hudson River cruise. Relax
as the guide points out millionaires’ estates,
Hudson River lighthouses, and quaint villages
surrounded by natural beauty. We continue on
to the Albany area for dinner and overnight. (D)
Day 3
SARATOGA SPRINGS GUIDED TOUR • LAKE
GEORGE CRUISE • RUTLAND, VERMONT:
This morning we are off to Saratoga Springs,
New York, for a guided sightseeing tour of this charming little
town. Saratoga Springs is noted for its natural springs, friendly
people, and fine tradition of horse racing. Next we have a short
drive to Lake George, New York, where we enjoy a luncheon
cruise aboard Lac du Saint Sacrement. Next we travel to the
Green Mountains of Vermont where our accommodations
await us tonight in Cavendish, Vermont. Dinner will be included
at the hotel. (L, D)
Day 4
BILLINGS FARM • VERMONT’S LITTLE GRAND CANYON
• QUECHEE GORGE • CAFÉ LAFAYETTE DINNER TRAIN:
This morning we visit Billings Farm, one of the finest dairy
farms in America and a museum of Vermont’s rural heritage.
Next we make a photo stop at the beautiful Quechee Gorge,
better known as “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon.” At Quechee
Gorge Village we have time for shopping. Check out the
Quechee Country Store and the Vermont Antique Mall. Enjoy
a scenic drive in New Hampshire as we arrive at our hotel
accommodations for the next two evenings. Early evening we
board the Café Lafayette Dinner Train for an experience you
will long remember. Riding in vintage restored Pullman cars,
we enjoy an elegant five-course feast as we travel through the
lush New England forest and magnificent mountain vistas. (B, D)
Day 5
MT WASHINGTON COG RAILWAY • NORTH CONWAY •
KANCAMANGUS SCENIC BYWAY:
Following breakfast,
we journey to Mount Washington and the historic Mount
Washington Cog Railway. When you ride the Mount Washington
Cog Railway, you’re in for an unforgettable adventure: magnificent
scenery, efficient new bio-diesel locomotives and the
classic steam engine (generally scheduled early in the day)
combined with a spectacular climb up the highest mountain
in the northeast. When you reach the 6288’ summit you will
have time to visit the weather station and have a snack before
traveling back down the mountain. At the base you will have
time to visit the Cog Museum. Next we travel through Crawford
Notch to the charming town of North Conway for lunch on
your own and a little shopping. We conclude our afternoon
with a scenic journey across the Kancamangus Scenic Byway.
Dinner is included tonight. (B, D)
Day 6
WINNIPESAUKEE SCENIC RAILROAD • HOBO PICNIC
LUNCH • CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS:
We will enjoy a train ride
on Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. This is a nostalgic scenic
excursion along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee traveling
through the front yards of many of the fine resort homes. We
will enjoy a hobo picnic lunch on the train. After the train ride,
we tour the Castle in the Clouds, a beautiful mountaintop
estate with breathtaking views of New Hampshire’s Lake
Winnipesaukee. (On September 27 departure: The Castle
in the Clouds will be replaced with a visit to the Canterbury
Shaker Village.) (B, L)
Day 7
MAINE LIGHTHOUSE CRUISE • MAINE COAST:
Today we’ll
enjoy a narrated scenic cruise through the busy Portland
Harbor and innermost islands to see four lighthouses. Keep
your eyes open for lobster boats, seals, and sea birds. We
enjoy free time for shopping and lunch in the Portland Wharf
area. We board our motorcoach to travel the scenic Highway
1A along the coast of Maine. We overnight in Massachusetts.
Day 8
GILLETTE CASTLE OR MARK TWAIN HOUSE • MARYLAND:
On the July departures we travel to Gillette Castle to tour
this stone castle, designed, owned and lived in by William
Gillette. The 3-story, 24 room home contains many oddities,
designed by Gillette. On the September and October departures
we will visit the Mark Twain House. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry
Finn and other classics were penned while Samuel Clemmons
resided here. The 3-story mansion features rare Tiffany pieces
and Clemmons memorabilia. We enjoy lunch together then
travel through New York enroute to our hotel just outside of
Delaware. (L)
Day 9
HOME:
It’s always bittersweet when our vacation comes
to an end. We say farewell to our fellow travelers as we
return home with fond memories of the Scenic Trains &
Cruises of New England.
