Highlights

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Itinerary

Day 1 – Boston

Today, you arrive in Boston, MA for a three night stay at an area hotel.  Dinner this evening is included at a local restaurant conveniently located near your hotel.  (D)

Day 2 – Boston Tea Party Ship – Revolutionary War Touring – Bunker Hill – Lexington Battle Green – Minute Man National Park – Colonial Inn Dinner

Today begins at the Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum. Join Samuel Adams as he leads a recreation of the historic town meeting held prior to marching on Griffin’s Wharf. Everyone will get a chance to participate in this rebellion by tossing the Crown’s tea into the same body of water where this brave act took place nearly 250 years ago. After taking part in the “destruction of the tea” aboard the full-scale replica 18th-century sailing vessels, enter the museum where you will encounter the Robinson Tea Chest, the only known surviving tea chest from the “Boston Tea Party”. Learn how this event sparked the American Revolution as you experience the immersive, critically acclaimed film, “Let It Begin Here”.  The Tea Party took place on Dec 16, 1773 nearly 250 years ago. It was a protest against taxation that occurred before the war started, but it set the stage.

A stop is also made today at the Bunker Hill Monument. The Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War and predicted the character and outcome of the rest of the war.

Shortly after Bunker Hill, the Continental army laid siege to the city for month after month. Neither side gaining advantage. Until the night of March 4 when Washington quietly occupied Dorcester Heights, within cannon range of Boston and the Harbor.  When the British awoke they were stunned to see 2000 troops and dozens of cannon looking down upon them. They had no choice but to evacuate or die and the Continentals took control of the city in what was America’s first great victory.

Enjoy some free time downtown for lunch on own, shopping and sightseeing.

Then start your Revolutionary War Tour beginning in Lexington where the first shots of the American Revolution rang out. Visit the Lexington Battle Green.  It was here, on the morning of April 19, 1775, that “the first blood was spilt in the dispute with Great Britain,” as George Washington wrote in his diary. In this first skirmish, 77 Lexington militia, often called Minutemen (local colonists who had volunteered to be first responders to military and other threats) faced British Regulars.

Eight Minutemen lost their lives and 10 were wounded. Two British soldiers were also injured. After the battle, Samuel Adams exclaimed to John Hancock, “What a glorious morning for America!”

The Battle Green is a National Historic Landmark, and is considered consecrated ground, both for the blood shed on it and for the Minutemen who are interred here. It is one of the only places in the United States where the US flag is authorized by Congress to fly 24 hours a day.  Also, located here is the Minuteman Statue, representing a member of the Lexington militia, local colonists who had volunteered to be first responders to military and other threats. The actual Minutemen were an elite subset of this group, young and fit and able to respond quickly.

Then visit the Hancock-Clarke House. This house was the destination of Paul Revere on the night of April 18, 1775, as he and William Dawes rode from Boston to warn the sleeping Samuel Adams and John Hancock (first signer of the Declaration of independence) of the coming of British troops.  It contains period furnishings and portraits, William Diamond’s drum, and the British Major Pitcairn’s pistols. A barn behind the Hancock-Clarke House serves as the Society’s Fire Equipment Museum.

Next, you see Minute Man National Park where the Battles of Lexington and Concord are brought to life through the preservation, restoration and interpretation of significant sites from “that famous day and year” when Colonists took up arms in defense of liberty and touched off the American Revolution.

At Concord’s North Bridge, see the place where, on April 19, 1775, Colonial militia men fired the famous “shot heard ’round the world.” Along the five-mile “Battle Road Trail”, travel back in time through a restored colonial landscape and retrace the steps of the British.

Along the way, stop in the Hartwell Tavern, a restored 18th-century tavern on Battle Road. It is now a “living history” center staffed by costumed Park Rangers who can offer you a glimpse of life in Revolutionary times.

Tonight your meal is included at the Historic Colonial Inn, a landmark historic hotel in New England’s charming town of Concord, Massachusetts. The restaurant serves classic American cuisine along new favorites.  The only thing better than their food is the Inn’s rich history. Following dinner, return to Boston. (B,D)

Day 3 – JFK Library – Whale Watching Cruise – Samuel Adams Boston Taproom – Dinner at Oyster House w/Guest Speaker

Start the day with a visit to the John F Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. Relive the powerful story of the Kennedy years. In three theaters, period settings, and 25 dramatic multimedia exhibits, you will enter the recreated world of the Kennedy Presidency for a “first-hand” experience of John F. Kennedy’s life, legacy, and leadership.

After a break for lunch on your own, set sail on a Whale Watching Cruise.  Our destination: Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding ground for whales, dolphins, sea birds and other marine creatures. You’ll have a good chance to view several different species of large whales, including humpbacks, finbacks and minkes, and the critically endangered right whales. And you’ll learn about them from New England Aquarium naturalists who are always on board to share knowledge, answer your questions and explain the mind-blowing behaviors of these truly magnificent mammals.

Also included this afternoon is a stop at the Samuel Adams Boston Taproom.  Located in the heart of Downtown Boston, the Taproom offers drinkers 20 taps including their favorite Sam Adams beers, a lineup of research and innovation brews and a gluten-free option in Truly Pure on draft.

This evening’s dinner will be at The Union Oyster House, located on the Freedom Trail, near Faneuil Hall. It enjoys the unique distinction of being America’s oldest restaurant. The building dates to Pre-Revolutionary days and continues with much the same atmosphere and food that Daniel Webster frequently enjoyed. (B,D)

Day 4 – Depart for Home

After breakfast this morning, depart for home. (B)

Tour Map