Ports and Peaks

You’ll never forget the time spent exploring the Northeast, from the rocky coast of Maine through the White, Green and Adirondack Mountains to the quaint villages of Eastern Quebec. Moose, lobsters, stunning foliage, an Olympic Village, the Trapp Family, the highest mountain in the east, and a traditional British Tea. This tour offers excitement at every turn!

Ports and Peaks Tour Highlights

Day 1 – To Sherbrooke

Upon arrival to Montreal, meet your escort and luxury coach and depart for Sherbrooke Quebec, in the heart of the Eastern Townships.

Sherbrooke – This region is composed of small towns and cities each highlighting a bounty of culinary treats, a stunning landscape and passionate locals who love where they live and what they produce. And Sherbrooke is at the center of it all.

OMG Resto – Located in the former Ste-Therese church, OMG Resto is Sherbrooke’s new epicurean temple of food – a festive place where even the most well-behaved among us will be tempted by the devil within.

Overnight at the Delta Hotel by Marriot – Sherbrooke

Day 2 – Eastern Towns

After breakfast at your hotel, a full day of touring!

Murals Tour – In Downtown Sherbrooke, 18 immense frescoes highlight the rich heritage of this urban landscape of the city’s old neighborhoods. Wall to wall art!

Mont Orford Gondola Ride – The highest ski mountain in the Eastern Townships and 4th in Québec offers amazing views of the pastoral landscape.

Saint Benedict Abbey in Saint-Benoît-du-Lac – It’s not all prayer and chanting for the monks. They produce a dozen varieties of cheese, plus excellent sparkling ciders made according to the Méthode Champenoise. You will have some tastings here! You are also welcomed to attend services in the large chapel, where vespers are celebrated with Gregorian chants.

Afternoon Tea – Enjoy an afternoon tea in the purest of British traditions either inside or in the garden at the Uplands Cultural and Heritage Centre.

Dinner will be on your own in downtown Sherbrooke – but don’t stray too far…

Foresta Lumina – this is a multimedia nighttime experience. Theatrical effects and sophisticated lighting tell a beautiful story as you walk through the enchanted Quebec forest. It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced!

Overnight at the Delta Hotel by Marriot – Sherbrooke

Day 3 – To Lake Placid

After breakfast, checkout and depart for the U.S. Travel today to Lake Placid, NY in the heart of the Adirondack mountains, among the High Peaks.

Lake Placid – The host of the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980, Lake Placid has an exciting history, in the  shadow of Whiteface Mountain and surrounded by the Adirondacks and pristine lakes.

Cloudsplitter – The Whiteface Mountain gondola ride carries you from the Main Base Lodge to the summit of Little Whiteface Mountain in fifteen minutes. As you trace the mountain’s contours—soaring over streams, ski trails, steep rock faces and thick forests—the beauty of the Adirondacks reveals itself.

Grand Adirondack Hotel – The brand-new Grand Adirondack Hotel has reinvigorated an iconic building to again become a vibrant hub in the heart of Lake Placid.

Rooftop Reception – Magnificent views in a relaxed setting.

Dinner tonight will be on your own with many wonderful options just outside your door on Main Street.

Overnight at the Grand Adirondack Hotel, downtown Lake Placid

Day 4 – Lake Placid

After breakfast at the hotel, a full day of touring!

Olympic Ski Jump –The Jumping Complex serves as a training ground for ski jumpers and aerialists year-round. The centerpieces of the Ski Jumping Complex are the 90- and 120-meter ski jumps that tower over the trees around them. A glass-enclosed elevator offers panoramic views of the Adirondack High Peaks as you make your way up. At the top, you can walk up additional stairs and see what the jumpers see! You will take a gondola up to the elevator.

Olympic Center and Museum – On its grounds are skating rinks, where gold medals have been won – including the famous Herb Brooks Arena where the “Miracle on Ice” game was played and the speed skating Oval where many Olympic and other international speed skating competitions have been held.

John Brown Farm – John Brown was a white American abolitionist who believed armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery. Brown’s attempt in 1859 to start a liberation movement among enslaved African Americans electrified the nation.  You will hear this exciting tale!

High Falls Gorge – Four splendid Adirondack waterfalls cascading over rocks into a deep crevice carved a billion years ago. In the shadow of Whiteface Mountain, you can take a nature walk to view the famous Ausable River as it cascades over ancient granite cliffs. Comfortable walking.

Golden Arrow – A delicious farm-fresh meal overlooking Mirror Lake.

Overnight at Great Adirondack Hotel, downtown Lake Placid

Day 5 – To Vermont

After breakfast, checkout.

Traveling to Vermont means taking a wonderful 1-hour ferry ride across Lake Champlain with magnificent mountains views!

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory – A Bear Ambassador will guide you through a fun, informative tour where you’ll watch a small group of craftspeople creating the Bears by hand, one-by-one. You’ll even see the Bear Hospital, and you’ll get to meet the Bear Doctor, Dr. Nancy. If your Bear ever needs repair, Dr. Nancy will take care of everything.

Church Street Marketplace – Cobblestoned streets lined with cafes, restaurants and boutiques, in downtown Burlington.  An ideal stop for lunch and browsing!

Shelburne Museum – This is an unparalleled and unique experience of American history, art, and design. American folk art. French Impressionist paintings. Historic New England architecture. Duck decoys, circus animals, and dolls. The Museum includes thirty-nine distinct structures on forty-five acres, each filled with beautiful, fascinating, and whimsical objects.

Shelburne Winery – It takes determination and dedication to be a winegrower in Vermont. Come taste the passion and expression that only this soil and climate can produce.

Dinner at Von Trapp Family Lodge – After escaping Austria and coming to America, the real-life family settled here in Stowe!  Enjoy European-style cuisine!

Overnight at the Stowehof, Stowe VT

Day 6 – Vermont

After breakfast, a full day of touring.

Green Mountain Byway – Mountains, scenery, covered bridges and food. Vermont has it all, and today’s touring highlights all of this. As you travel east from Burlington the Green Mountains rise.  Today’s touring will highlight the foliage and take you to at least one of the Covered Bridges this region is known for.

Gondola Sky Ride at Stowe Mountain – Vermont’s greatest views the easy way – in the famous, and completely refurbished, Stowe Gondola SkyRide to the top of Mt. Mansfield – Vermont’s highest mountain! 

Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream – A Vermont original.  Quirky, fun, and delicious! Today you will visit their first factory, built in 1985 and enjoy a tour. Of course, there will be time for a tasting, and creating your very own flavor!!!

Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks– This family-run farm offers 200 years of maple experience. The Morse family’s eight generation maple experience is shown via live presentations in the farm’s Sugarhouse. Sample Vermont maple syrup, jams, jellies and more. An outdoor museum includes an antique replica of the Vermont State House. A gentle maple trail leads right to the trees where it all begins. Visitors delight in Burr Morse’s soft sculpture and tree elves.  And everyone will get a demonstration and tasting of Vermont Sugar on Snow, plus a maple creemee!

Dinner tonight will be near your hotel.

Overnight at the Stowehof, Stowe VT

Day 7 – To New Hampshire

After breakfast at your hotel, checkout. One last stop before you leave Vermont:

Rock of Ages – The guided quarry tour takes you to an overlook of the Smith Quarry. At nearly 600 feet deep, it is the largest operating deep-hole, dimension granite quarry in the world. And the factory is an exercise in contrasts, combining the new with the old. You will see artisans using hand tools in much the same way as Michelangelo did centuries ago.

Mount Washington Cog Railway – Today, more than 150 years later, the Mount Washington Cog Railway continues to thrill passengers from all over the world with its dramatic ascent to the summit of the highest peak in the Northeast. The Cog is the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world, and the only one currently operating in North America. And the views….

Mountain Club on Loon – At the base of Loon Mountain is this delightful year-round resort!

Woodstock Inn & Station – A renovated historic train station in the heart of New Hampshire’s scenic White Mountains, and an ideal stop for dinner.

Moose Tour – Guided tour to see moose in their natural habitat.  Best time to see moose is at dusk or later. June is a good time of year to see moose because the cows are having their calf’s that time of the year. (Guide makes every attempt to see a moose. Please understand moose, like all animals, can be unpredictable and there is no guarantee of seeing them.)

Overnight at Mountain Club on Loon

Day 8 – New Hampshire

After breakfast, a full day of touring

Lake Winnipesaukee Narrated Cruise -Enjoy the captain’s commentary as the ship makes its way around the Granite State’s largest lake with over 200 miles of shoreline and over 250 islands.

Wolfeboro – Wolfeboro prides itself on being the oldest summer resort in the country. It was the vacation spot for colonial Governor John Wentworth in 1764, and today Wolfeboro is one of the lake’s busiest ports. It’s a lovely little town full of galleries, stores and restaurants, an ideal location for lunch with the locals.

Castle in the Clouds – Sweeping views of the foliage and lakes. Located on a small mountaintop, the estate built in 1914 has been restored. Take the narrated trolley ride to the summit where you’ll have time to explore the two-story mansion and castle grounds at your own pace.

Café Lafayette Dinner Train – Featuring a two-hour train ride complete with a 5-course dinner aboard 1950’s restored vintage rail cars, the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train is a dining experience of a lifetime.

Overnight at Mountain Club on Loon

Day 9 – To Maine

After breakfast, check out and travel to Maine.

The Kanc – The Kancamagus Highway is a 34.5 mile scenic drive along NH’s Rt. 112 that is well known as one of the best Fall Foliage viewing areas in the country. “The Kanc” is now designated as an American Scenic Byway for its rich history, aesthetic beauty and culture.

Sabbaday Falls – This is one of the most popular locations on the Kancamagus Scenic Byway and is accessed via an easy 15-minute walk on an evenly graded and gravel surfaced trail from a paved parking lot. The falls are a picturesque series of cascades in a narrow flume.

Kennebunkport – It took George H.W. Bush to make Kennebunkport known to most of the country, but New Englanders have enjoyed this quiet coastal Maine town for years. After lunch on your own Dock Square, tour the sandy beaches, rocky coastline, the ornate “Wedding Cake House,” former President Bush’s summer estate and the seaside Franciscan Monastery.

Nonantum Resort – Overlooking the Kennebunk River, within walking distance of Dock Square’s shops and restaurants and a half a mile from Colony Beach, the Nonantum is an ideal place for discovering the Maine coast!

Dinner on your own in Kennebunkport as your shuttle brings you to the town chock-full of options!

Overnight at Nonantum Resort

Day 10 – Maine

After breakfast at our hotel, a full day of touring.

Portland Head Light – This historic landmark is the most photographed lighthouse in America, set in Fort Williams Park with crashing surf, a beach, and an old fort. 

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse – Enjoy a private tour that is not normally open to the public. The lighthouse is accessible via a granite jetty (some uneven footing).  You’ll see how the lighthouse keepers lived as you walk through the rooms to the top of the two-story lighthouse.  You can walk out on the ledge at the top for a beautiful view of the Portland waterfront.

Portland – The city maintains much of its 19^th century architecture and the character of its roots as a finishing and trading center. Your touring this morning takes you past Longfellow’s boyhood home, sea captain houses and the elegant Victoria Mansion as you drive through historic neighborhoods overlooking the islands of Casco Bay in Portland Harbor.   

Lunch will be on your own in Old Port, by the docks.

Lobster Cruise – Enjoy an unforgettable excursion on the waters of Casco Bay while you are guided through the daily routines of a Maine Lobsterman. Participate in the excitement of hauling up the traps or sit back and relax as you cruise near picturesque lighthouses, historic civil war forts, and the “Seal Rocks.”

Lobster Bake – Tonight enjoy a traditional Maine lobster bake at your resort. Because you have to have lobster at least one night while you are here…

Overnight at Nonantum Resort

Day 11 – Depart for home

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