Experience the brand new American Pioneer, tailored for intimate cruising along the Florida Coast, accommodating just 125 guests. Immerse yourself in comfort and elegance as you traverse the serene waters. Delight in spacious staterooms adorned with private balconies, offering unparalleled views. Relax in the Sky Lounge, where camaraderie meets breathtaking vistas.
Day 1 Boston
The history and bricklaid beauty of Boston is easy to enjoy. Follow the Freedom Trail past Old North Church, Paul Revere Park, Fanieul Hall, the Commons, Old Ironsides and more landmarks of America's birth. Across the Charles River is Cambridge and Harvard. Venture to Marblehead and Salem to the south, or Lexington and Concord to the north. Back in town, have clam chowder at the warf or great Italian food in North End.
Day 2 Boston
The history and bricklaid beauty of Boston is easy to enjoy. Follow the Freedom Trail past Old North Church, Paul Revere Park, Fanieul Hall, the Commons, Old Ironsides and more landmarks of America's birth. Across the Charles River is Cambridge and Harvard. Venture to Marblehead and Salem to the south, or Lexington and Concord to the north. Back in town, have clam chowder at the warf or great Italian food in North End.
Day 3 Portland, ME
Maine's largest city, Portland is known for its stately elms, historic homes and restored waterfront area. Considered the gateway to "Down East" Maine, this coastal city is a great spot to enjoy Maine lobster fresh from the sea. Visit Longfellow's boyhood home or explore Portland Headlight, the oldest lighthouse in constant use today. Nearby is Freeport, home of a large selection of discount and outlet stores.
Day 4 Bath, ME
Best known for it's tradition of shipbuilding, Bath is also a busy port of entry. Many tourists visit the city to admire the well-preserved 19th century architecture or take a tour of the Maine Maritime Museum. Bath is also home to one of the largest American shipyards, Bath Iron Works, where many military as well as commercial vessels have been manufactured.
Day 5 Boothbay Harbour
Boothbay Harbor, a 17th-century English settlement in southern Maine lies on a peninsula of the Atlantic coast between two rivers, 59 miles northeast of Portland. It is now a resort and fishing area. Places of interest include the railway and historical-society museums and the Sherman Zwicker, a Grand Banks fishing schooner, also preserved as a museum.
Day 6 Bar Harbor
Drawn by the pines, granite shores, fresh lobster and stunning views from Cadillac Mountain, captains of industry once kept summer homes here. The charming little town, and all the rest, remain. And the rocky boulder beaches on its shoreline are now Acadia National Park, a preserved expanse of vintage Down East scenery.
Day 7 Bangor, ME
The Bangor Region is located between the rugged coastline of Downeast Maine and the spectacular North Woods of Maine. As the economic and retail hub of Eastern and Central Maine, Bangor boasts a significant retail industry which attracts travelers from throughout Maine and Canada. With a population of just under 35,000 in the city of Bangor, this community offers the benefits of a growing city, while enjoying small town charm and peace of mind.
Day 8 Rockland, ME
Rolling hills and a deep blue marina paint Rockland as a picturesque harbor town. Known for its lobster and as a foodie haven, Rockland hosts the Maine Lobster Festival every August. Visit art galleries and shop at quaint antique shops and boutiques, or spend an afternoon with renown American artworks by the likes of Thomas Eakins, Eastman Johnson, Fitz Hugh Lane and Gilbert Stuart at the Farnsworth Art Museum. The museum also features the country's second largest collection of Louise Nevelson's sculptures and a special exhibition of the Wyeth family's works at the Wyeth Center. The Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland is scenic, perched on the end of a long stone walkway. From Rockland, vist Thomaston, or to the Peneobscot Bay peninsula for spectacular views where you can also experience the Owl's Head Transportation Museum and the famous Owl's Head Lighthouse, from 1825. Port Clyde further afield features the Marshall Point Lighthouse and a museum made from the 1895 chambers of the light house owner.
Day 8 Camden, Maine
Camden is located within a beautiful sheltered bay in Maine. Residents and visitors enjoy sailing, hiking along the extensive trail network, cozy picnics, and bird watching. Shopping in Camden is a virtual cornucopia with everything from handmade furniture, to whimsical sculptures, and unique gifts. There are several world-class restaurants, but with fresh seafood available even budget-minded travellers with enjoy unsurpassed local lobster and seafood chowders.
Day 9 Portsmouth, NH
New Hampshire's one-time capital and only major seaport is a pleasantly small, low-key city. Start your visit with a stroll through Strawbery Banke, a 10-acre/4-hectare open-air museum. Wander around the collection of more than 40 structures, some of them dating back to 1695. Many of them have resident artisans demonstrating cabinetmaking, boatbuilding and other crafts.
There's plenty more vintage architecture outside Strawbery Banke. Among the choices are the 1784 Governor John Langdon House, the Rundlett-May House from 1807 (with a secret underground passage that was used to get to the mills), the 1763 Moffatt-Ladd House, the 1758 John Paul Jones House (where the famous naval hero once lived), the 1716 Warner House and the 1760 Wentworth Gardner House. Be aware that these homes are typically open only late spring-autumn. St. John's Church is a stately edifice with many appointments from the 1700s (including the Brattle Organ, said to be the oldest pipe organ in the country). Depending on your interests, there are several good walking tours throughout the city, highlighting impressive architecture and places of historical interest; maps of the self-guided tours are available at various venues in the city. Don't miss the magnificent flower gardens at Prescott Park across the street from the entrance to Strawbery Banke; in the summer, various live entertainments are staged there.
We particularly recommend taking a sightseeing cruise (some include a picnic lunch) through Portsmouth Harbor to the Isles of Shoals about 10 mi/16 km off the coast; you'll sail on the MV Thomas Laighton, a replica of a steamship from the 1800s (mid-June to Labor Day). In many ways, this is a magical location. Nineteenth-century writer Celia Thaxter lived and worked on Appledore Island, and the island called Smuttynose reputedly has been haunted since a gruesome murder there in 1873. Another nautical option is the whale-watching cruise on the Oceanic (late May-early January). If there's time, see the Piscataqua River Gundalow, a reproduction of a traditional river barge on the Piscataqua River, and the USS Albacore, a 1952 submarine that set numerous underwater speed records.
If you're traveling with kids, you may want to visit the Children's Museum of Portsmouth. It has performances, workshops and hands-on exhibits.
Just 3 mi/5 km from Portsmouth is the tiny but impressive island of New Castle (accessed via bridge), home to the impeccably restored (and saved from near-ruin) Wentworth by the Sea. Built in 1874, this was one of 19th-century New England's grandest oceanfront resorts, catering to the well-heeled. It was also the site of the signing of the 1905 Russo-Japanese Treaty (for which President Theodore Roosevelt gets credit in the history books, even though he was at home in New York at the time). This old beauty stood neglected and abandoned for years until the Marriott Hotel chain rescued and completely refurbished it in 2003. It's a great spot to spend the night (no bargain, but worth the extra cash in our opinion) or have lunch by the sea. The tiny island is also good for walking. Notice the wealth of colonial architecture, distant views and the remnants of a 17th-century military fort.
Annual events in Portsmouth include Market Square Weekend (street fair, food, crafts—June); Seacoast Jazz Weekend (jazz performances and a jazz cruise—June); and the Candlelight Tour of Historic Homes (nighttime tour of homes—mid-August). 40 mi/65 km east of Concord.
Day 10 Gloucester
Gloucester, Massachusetts is America’s oldest seaport. In 1606, Samuel de Champlain came into the harbor and named it ‘Le Beau Port’. Today, it is still a busy seaport where most of the town’s inhabitants fish for a living, supplying much of the world with its catches.
Day 11 Provincetown
Provincetown (or P-town as it's known locally), Massachusetts, exudes an artists-colony atmosphere. It's also known for its large LGBTQ community, which began growing there in the 1920s. In summer, the town is jammed with people sunning, partying and shopping (a lot of it trendy and pricey).
The Provincetown Art Association and Museum showcases the work of some of New England's foremost artists. The Expedition Whydah Museum and Gift Shop is a literal treasure trove: The sunken booty of the pirate ship Whydah was excavated in 1984 and is now on display.
Even during Provincetown's busiest time of the year, things get quiet—almost mysterious—when fog rolls in at Race Point, just outside of town.
Day 12 Newport, RI
Newport became important as a resort for wealthy industrialists who built their “summer cottages”, modeled after European palaces, here and elevated Newport to position of “Queen of Summer Resorts.” A tour of the mansions is a must. Newport is also famous as a yachting capital and site of international tennis championships. Colonial Newport boasts a collection of 18th- and 19th-century and pre-Revolutionary buildings. Colonial Downtown is best explored on foot, and much of the town was burned down during British occupation, but enough buildings survived to rival Boston in number of original 18th-century homes. George Washington’s assurances to Newport’s Jewish community of religious liberty encouraged them to build Touro Synagogue in 1763, making it the oldest in the nation. St. Mary’s Church is the oldest Catholic parish in Rhode Island. The Grand Newport Casino and International Tennis Hall of Fame held the first national tennis championship in 1881 and is now Tennis Hall of Fame with a museum on tennis fashions and trophies.
Day 13 Martha's Vineyard
A summer resort island just off the coast of Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard floats in the memories of generations of vacation society. Visit the beach front avenue of Oak Bluffs lined with gingerbread-trimmed cottages, and the Flying Horses antique carousel.
Day 14 Nantucket Island/Martha's Vineyard
Day 15 Plymouth, Massachusetts
Founded by the Pilgrims on December 21, 1620, this town situated on the banks of Plymouth Bay is ripe with historical significance to U.S. history. Any American grade-schooler can tell you about Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower and here one can see both. The town has a replica of the famous ship, the Mayflower II at the state pier. From museums to the Plimouth Plantation, where history repeats itself daily, Plymouth is a fantastic place to explore.
Day 16 Boston
The history and bricklaid beauty of Boston is easy to enjoy. Follow the Freedom Trail past Old North Church, Paul Revere Park, Fanieul Hall, the Commons, Old Ironsides and more landmarks of America's birth. Across the Charles River is Cambridge and Harvard. Venture to Marblehead and Salem to the south, or Lexington and Concord to the north. Back in town, have clam chowder at the warf or great Italian food in North End.