Boston Revealed

• Friday, Oct 1 – 9:30am - 1:30 pm
• Saturday, Oct 2 – 9:30am - 1:30pm
• Monday, Oct 4 – 9:30am - 1:30pm

Referred to as the "Athens of America" and known universally for its role in the shaping of America, Boston represents a colonial cornucopia of sites, sounds and historical significance in its contributions to our nation. Your group will travel through Copley Square and the Back Bay, home of the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church. Atop Beacon Hill, disembark for a stroll with an enchanting view of the Boston Common and Public Garden, offering a verdant and graceful respite from the pace of the city, as well as the State House and the 54th Regiment Memorial.

Guests will be guided past Kings Chapel and the Old Granary Burying Grounds, the final resting place for several original Patriots. View the Old South Meeting House, where planning for the Tea Party "coup" took place, and the Old State House where the Declaration of Independence was recited to Boston residents. Head through the back streets to Charlestown to visit the old navy shipyard and view "Old Ironsides", better known as the USS Constitution.

Guests will continue to roam the streets and head to the heartbeat of the Italian community, the North End.

Boston By Bike

• Saturday, Oct 2 – 10am - 1pm
• $69 per person

Your journey begins by pedaling down the length of the Back Bay, observing the transformation of architectural styles and learning what makes this neighborhood one of the most prestigious in Boston. Traveling on to the Back Bay Fens area, bikers will pass by the Victory Garden allotments, the Keller Rose Garden, the Museum of Fine Arts and the unique Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum.

En route to the Charles River Esplanade, riders will see Boston University and Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in major league baseball and home of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox. A brief peek at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and panoramic views of Boston can be seen from across the river. Pedal past the Hatch Memorial Shell concert pavilion where the Boston Pops Orchestra traditionally plays each Fourth of July.

Travel on to the quaint, quiet, historical neighborhoods of Beacon Hill. From the antique shops on Charles Street to the cobblestones of Acorn Street, Beacon Hill is loaded with charm and character. As you explore Boston, an expert guide will not only point out sights, but will also stop and narrate the history as you travel along.

This tour is suitable for adults of all bike-riding ability, from beginner to expert, and utilizes mostly parks, pathways and streets. This tour is also suitable for children who are competent and responsible bicyclists. *Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Gloucester: Fishing History and the Call of the Whales

• Friday, Oct 1 – 7am - 5pm
• Monday, Oct 4 – 7am - 5pm
• $122 per person

The group will travel north to Gloucester, Massachusetts. Here they will visit the famous bronze statue of the Gloucester Fisherman, still overlooking the ocean in memory of the more than 10,000 fishermen who have been lost at sea. One of the best kept secrets in New England, Gloucester enjoyed recent international exposure as the inspiration for the film and novel, The Perfect Storm, by travel writer and author Sebastian Junger. This novel dramatically chronicles the way of life as a swordfisherman as well as tracks New England's most notorious storm. Follow the land journey from the Crow's Nest to the local docks where the Hannah Boden and Andrea Gail vacated their catches after 30 days at sea.

Arriving on the waterfront, guests will board a chartered vessel for an up close and personal view of the dances of whales. Participants frequently report close-up contact, including spraying, and looking into the whale's eye. On board, guests will be accompanied by an accomplished naturalist who explains the personalities and peculiarities of the giant mammals. Not for the faint of heart, this tour should take approximately four hours, but is certainly a special treat for those hearty souls who enjoy a little sea spray and the unique opportunity to "bond" with these gentle giants.

Upon the return of the charter vessel, guests will enjoy lunch at one of the many seasonal waterfront and marsh side eateries.

"La Dolce Vita" North End Culinary Tour

• Friday, Oct 1 – 9:30am - 12:30pm
• Monday, Oct 4 – 2pm - 5pm
• $89 per person

A docent-guided tour will provide guests with insight on the infamous "Little Italy" of Boston, the North End. This borough attracts visitors and Bostonians alike with its intimate and familial setting. One of the oldest neighborhoods in America, the North End is made up of quaint and narrow cobblestone streets. Participants will stroll while listening to a brief history of the area. As the group ambles along, stops are made at various shops which may include: a pastry shop, a confection store, a coffee/spice store, a greengrocer, a salumeria (deli) and a liquor store.

The guide will divulge secrets on how to spot authentic ingredients, where to buy them and how to prepare them. Participants will be encouraged to get involved by sampling and asking questions throughout the tour. As an added benefit, insights on different restaurants in the area will be shared. Handouts describing the different stores stopped at along the way will also be distributed to participants.

Boston DUCK and Fenway

• Friday, Oct 1 – 1:30pm - 4:30pm
• Monday, Oct 4 – 9am - 12:30pm
• $85 per person

All aboard the duck! Guests will cruise by the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts from the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the Boston Garden; Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig; Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street; Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower; and more. And just when you think you've "quacked" it all . . . the Duck splashes into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skyline.

At the conclusion of the Duck Tour, the group will disembark at Fenway Park, home of the 2004 and 2007 World Series Champions the Boston Red Sox. Though generations have come and gone, Fenway Park remains much like it was opening day on April 20, 1912. The park resounds with the echoes of baseball history's greats, for here is where the Babe pitched, The Kid hit, Yaz dazzled, and Pedroia and Ortiz still thrill young fans today.

Soak up the rich history and hear the echoes of the past. Imagine being one of the "Knights of the Keyboard" as you see the view from the Press Box before strolling around the field. When available, fans may also have the opportunity to walk along the warning track and come face-to-face with the fabled Green Monster.

At the end of the tour the group will return to the BCEC on a coach.

Bewitching Seaports: Salem and Marblehead

• Saturday, Oct 2 – 9am - 4pm
• $114 per person

"Witch" way to Salem? Salem and Witches, two words synonymous with New England, where witchcraft hysteria defined this seaside mecca's place in history and even today. Heading north to Salem reveals that much more went into the formation of this picturesque enclave.

Upon arrival, the group will head to "The House of Seven Gables," the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's great classic. Winding past the Hawthorne Inn and Pickering Wharf, the macabre of the "witchery" draws the group into a fascinating glimpse of 17th century mob hysteria. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant.

After the highlights of maritime history of the Salem Wharves, visit the Peabody Essex Museum and connect the maritime trade in Salem to the birth of the nation. Included in the Peabody Essex Museum is a guided tour as well as admission to the Yin Yu Tang; the Huang family ancestral home. As an option, a portion of the tour may be led by a Salem Witch or Nathaniel Hawthorne impersonator.

Travel on to Marblehead with breathtaking views of one of the nation's most protected and picturesque coves in the world. Home to a sleek fleet of prestigious yacht clubs, Marblehead is a charming town still dependent on its own fishing industry. Embark down the streets of Old Town up where town meetings are still regularly held.

Post-Boston Fall Foliage Tour to … Massachusetts and Vermont

We know you're looking forward to NECA's 2010 Convention in Boston. Here's your chance to spend two additional days to experience New England's spectacular fall foliage.

On Wednesday in Stockbridge we'll visit one of America's treasures, the Norman Rockwell Museum. Your trip down memory lane will include favorites from Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers and the powerful Four Freedoms paintings.

Thursday morning finds us enjoying Vermont's fall colors as we journey north on scenic Route #7 to Rutland and Killington. At Killington Ski Resort we'll have lunch and see the colors first-hand from the ski-mountain gondola ride. From here we continue north along Vermont's spectacular Green Mountains to Burlington from where we'll fly home Friday.

For Details Contact:

Geoff Robertson
American Travel Association
706-663-2171
e-mail: travelata@aol.com