August 6-10 (Friday-Tuesday)

Day 2: After a hearty continental breakfast we depart for Boston, Massachusetts and an exciting lighthouse cruise that will take you through Boston, then along the north shore of Massachusetts to view more than 10 lighthouses. Highlights include Boston Light, the oldest lighthouse in America, and Thatcher Island, with the only twin lighthouses still in operation in the country! The 5 hour cruise is narrated by an expert member of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Following our cruise enjoy some free time for browsing, shopping and dinner on your own at Quincy Market before we return to the hotel for a good night’s rest.

Day 3: After a hearty continental breakfast we depart for Portland, Maine for another day of lighthouse cruising. In Maine we will meet our step-on guide, and depart for a tour along the coast, including a stop at the “Nubble Light”, one of the most frequently photographed and painted lighthouses on the New England coast. Next we will visit Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine, commissioned by George Washington and built in 1791. We meet our step-on guide for a narrated driving tour of Portland, following lunch on your own and some leisure time for exploring and shopping in Portland’s renovated “Old Port” area. Our tour of Portland will take us into Portland’s beautifully preserved Victorian district, and past the grand dame of Portland architecture, the Victorian Mansion; to the Wadsworth Longfellow House, where lived four generations of one remarkable family that made significant contributions to the political, literary, and culture life of New England and the United States; and along Portland’s busy, working waterfront for views of the Casco Bay Islands. Later we will enjoy a 2 hour narrated “Lighthouse Lover’s” cruise of Portland’s busy harbor, and the opportunity to view up to seven lighthouses, including a dramatic ocean view of Portland Head Light. A traditional Maine Lobster dinner is included on board our cruise.

Day 4: After a hearty continental breakfast we depart for Newport, Rhode Island. Enjoy some free time in Newport for lunch and shopping on your own along the busy harbor. This afternoon we meet our step-on guide for a narrated driving tour of Jamestown, Rhode Island. Later we will enjoy a 90-minute narrated cruise through beautiful Narragansett Bay. You will see 10 Rhode Island lighthouses, 10 beautiful islands, historic sites, and dramatic views of the Jamestown & Newport Bridges. In addition to the lighthouses, highlights include Newport Harbor, Hammersmith Farm, the childhood summer home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Clingstone, the “house on the rock”. Before returning to the hotel, we conclude our day with a delicious dinner at a oceanfront restaurant.

Day 5: After a hearty continental breakfast we depart for home with fond memories of New England’s unique seacoast with it’s lighthouses, port cities and rich maritime history.

- Portland, ME

Gunther 6:00 AM 6:45 PM