Travel Along the Black Heritage Trail in Boston and Cape Cod

Available Spring, Summer and Fall

7 Days – 6 Nights

Come along for a walk along the Black Heritage Trail that explores the history of the African American community in 19th century Boston. The Black Heritage Trail focuses on the emerging free black community of the 1800s and their leading efforts in the Abolition Movement, the Underground Railroad and the early struggles for equality and justice. In 1783, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to declare slavery illegal — mostly out of gratitude for black participation in the American Revolutionary War. Learn how the island of Nantucket was a key part of the Freedom Trail movement. A tour along the Heritage Trail will take you to 10 sites that reveal the heritage of African Americans living on Nantucket, especially in the nineteenth century. Travel along the historic shoreline of Massachusetts and to the rocky coast of Maine. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty, charming sea-side towns and delicacies from the sea. This vacation is certain to leave you feeling great pride in your ancestry, an enhanced knowledge of your past and memories of a great time with family and friends. Day One: Arrive in Boston by 2:00 pm and explore the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Visit unique, locally loved and nationally recognized shops. The cobblestone promenades are filled

with the music and jaw-dropping routines of world-renowned street performers and musicians. After you have checked into your Boston hotel there will be time to relax and refresh. Your included dinner is served at a waterfront legend on Long Wharf, across from Faneuil Hall. As Long Wharf's oldest surviving structure, formerly the John Hancock Counting House, this restaurant is a fusion of history and modern style. Your Welcome Dinner will be a most memorable one with the restaurant’s unique cuisine ad exceptional service. Return to the hotel after dinner. Day Two: Start your day with a hearty, included buffet breakfast served in the hotel’s restaurant. Then, join your guide and travel into Boston where you will spend the morning on a walking tour along the Black Heritage Trail. Follow your guide along this path that winds through the Beacon Hill neighborhood and passed sites important in African-American history. The Trail links more than 15 pre-Civil War structures and historic sites, including the 1806 African Meeting House, the oldest surviving black church in the United States. Sites you may see along your tour include the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial, the Colonel George Middeton House, The Phillips School, the John J. Smith House, the Charles Street Meeting House, the Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, the John Coburn House, Smith Court Residences, the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House. Next, visit the Museum of African American History, New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. Exhibits and programs at showcase the powerful stories of black families who worshipped, educated their children, debated the issues of the day, produced great art, organized politically and advanced the cause of freedom. The African Meeting House (Museum) is the first of its kind in America and the oldest black church building in the country. The adjacent Abiel Smith School is the oldest building in the nation constructed for the sole purpose of housing a black public school. Today, the Abiel Smith School galleries feature rotating exhibits and a Museum Store open year around. Your visit includes a 60-minute guided tour. Depart the Museum and travel to the JFK Library and Museum where you will arrive about 1:00 pm. Start your visit with lunch on your own at the JFK Café. Then venture out to explore this presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States (1961–1963). Designed by the architect I. M. Pei, the building is the official repository for original papers and correspondence of the Kennedy Administration, as well as special bodies of published and unpublished materials, such as

books and papers by and about Ernest Hemingway. The Ernest Hemingway Collection is the most comprehensive Hemingway archives in the world. The Civil Rights exhibit is expansive. Depart the museum and return to the hotel where you will arrive about 4:45 pm. You will have time to refresh before dinner. Board the coach and depart the hotel about 6:15 pm and travel to your dinner destination. Gather for a most memorable dinner served at the oldest, continuously operated restaurant in the United States, The Union Oyster House. This historic building, situated on the Freedom Trail, began serving food in 1826 and has served patrons such as Daniel Webster and President John F. Kennedy. Day Three: Check out of the hotel after breakfast. Board the coach and travel south to historic Plymouth. Upon arrival, meet Leo Martin, author, historian and storyteller, for an eye-opening walking tour of Plymouth. You will visit the Plymouth historic district and the National Monument to the Forefathers, the largest solid freestanding granite monument in the country. Leo, dressed in period costume, will explain the rich history of the Pilgrim story and tell you about the people, places and events that shaped the Colonial Era. You will also visit the Parting Ways Cemetery. Parting Ways was an African-American settlement of freedmen on Route 80 in Plymouth. It was founded on 94 acres by four former slaves who fought in the American Revolutionary War: Cato Howe, Prince Goodwin, Plato Turner and Quamony Quash and their families. They were granted the land and their freedom by the Massachusetts courts due to their service in the war. Part of this land was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1979. The site consists of a cemetery, trash middens and the foundations of the families' houses. Next, follow Leo to the harbor to visit Plymouth Rock. This is a great place for a group photo! Say goodbye to Leo and head into Plymouth’s “downtown.” Have lunch on your own at one of the many eateries along the shore. Depart Plymouth and continue south to Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod. Arrive at The Heritage Museum and Gardens and embark on a self-guided tour of the largest public garden in Southern New England. The Heritage is especially famous for being the North American Hydrangea Test Garden, the most comprehensive in the US. During your visit, witness the abundant Hydrangeas and other various flowers in bloom. The Heritage Museum offers three gallery buildings housing permanent exhibits of world-class automobiles, a working vintage carousel and American folk art. Depart the museum and travel to your waterfront resort in Yarmouth. After you have settled in, there will be time to search for seashells along the spectacular white-sand

beach just steps from your door, relax in one of the lounge chairs overlooking the ocean, enjoy a beverage at the hotel’s bar or take a dip in the indoor or outdoor pools. After you have recharged, gather in the hotel’s restaurant for your Welcome to Cape Cod Dinner. Following dinner, watch the sun sink into the ocean as you warm your toes by the fire pit on the beach. Day Four: Start your day with an included buffet breakfast served at the resort. Then, board the coach and travel to the ferry dock in Hyannis where you will board the 9:30 am ferry to the Island of Nantucket. You will travel as foot passengers, as motor coaches are not allowed on the island. Upon your 10:30 am arrival, either walk (about 15 minutes) or travel via The Wave (public transportation) to the Museum of African American History (The African Meeting House). Join a local guide and follow along the Black Heritage Trail. The trail features 10 sites that reveal the heritage of African Americans living on Nantucket Island during the 19th century. During your tour you will see are the Florence Higginbotham House. Florence was a cook who moved to Nantucket to work for families in Siasconsett, bought the house next door to the meeting house. In 1933, she acquired the meeting house and two other buildings. The meeting house continued to be a social center for a time, but after World War II, Mrs. Higginbotham rented it out as a garage and then as a storage shed and bicycle repair shop. Mrs. Higginbotham died in 1972, leaving her property to her son, Wilhelm, with the request that he retain and maintain the meeting house. The Meeting House and the Florence Higginbotham House are just two of the four sites on the New Guinea section of the tour. Five Corners features the homes of prominent African Americans in Nantucket, like Seneca Boston and Civil War veteran, Sampson Pompey. There’s also the “Colored Cemetery,” where some of the island’s well-known African America community members are buried, including Pompey, several religious leaders and Eunice Ross, who helped to integrate Downtown sites on the trail include the Unitarian Church, Sherberne House, Anna Gardner’s House, the Atheneum, Dreamland Theater, the Whaling Museum and the Folger Museum. When your tour ends at the Meeting House, you will have time to visit the exhibits. A National Trust Historic Site, the African Meeting House is the only public structure remaining on the island that is identifiably central to the history of the African community of the 18th and 19th centuries. This meeting house was the centerpiece of Nantucket Island's free African American community during the height of the whaling industry in the 19th century.

The small post-and-beam building dates from about 1827, when it was a church, a school for African children and a meeting house. This once-segregated community, south of Nantucket Town, touched the lives of escaped slaves, Native Americans, Cape Verdeans, Quakers, educators and abolitionists. After your tour, walk or take “the Wave” and head into the historic district. There will be time to have lunch on your own and to explore the shops, boutiques and galleries. Gather at the ferry dock about 3:45 pm for your 4:10 pm departure to Hyannis. Upon your 5:10 pm arrival, board the coach and return to the resort to relax before dinner. Board the coach and travel just down the road to your dinner destination, The Yarmouth House. The casual but classy atmosphere provides an ideal setting to share tales of your adventures on Nantucket. Day Five: Check out of the resort after breakfast. Board the coach and travel north to Salem, a historic coastal city located in the North Shore region. It was settled in 1626 and was one of the most significant seaports in early American history. Much of the city's cultural identity reflects its role as the location of the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692, as featured in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Police cars are adorned with witch logos, a public elementary school is known as Witchcraft Heights and the Salem High School athletic teams are named the Witches. Upon arrival, meet a local guide and embark on an African American Walking Tour of Salem. Learn how African-Americans made great strides in the community and major contributions to Salem society by influencing policy, establishing businesses and leading the abolitionist movement. Hear the story of Charlotte Forten, Salem State’s first African American Graduate. During her life, she was an abolitionist, educator, writer, poet, translator and women’s rights activist. You will walk by the Charlotte Forten Park that was recently dedicated in her memory. You will learn about Charles A. Benson, a black steward, aboard the merchant bark, Glide, during voyages to Zanzibar, Mozambique, and Madagascar. The journals cover almost two decades. Written during lengthy sea voyages from Benson's home port of Salem, to trading destinations throughout the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, the journals were intended to be private, for personal reflection. In the journals, Benson describes life aboard the ship, health problems and family matters. These journals are unique, as they are one of the few existing narratives composed by a black mariner in the nineteenth century.

Hear the story of Jones Very, an American poet, essayist, clergyman and mystic associated with the American Transcendentalism movement. He was known as a scholar of William Shakespeare and many of his poems were Shakespearean sonnets. Born in Salem, Jones Very became associated with Harvard University, first as an undergraduate, then as a student in the Harvard Divinity School and as a tutor of Greek. He was invited to lecture in his hometown, which drew the attention of Ralph Waldo Emerson. When your tour ends at 11:30 am, you will have free time in historic downtown Salem. Have lunch on your own, visit the shops, walk on Pickering Wharf and perhaps take in a museum or two. Depart Salem early afternoon and begin your travels to Maine. Along the way, there is one stop you simply must make! Time-travel over two hundred years from the modest simplicity of the late 17th Century Colonial world to the grandeur of the early 20th Century Country Place Era, as you follow the scent and sound of the ocean to Castle Hill on the Crane Estate. A magnificent broad lawn undulating down to the sea, a beautifully designed landscape and meticulously manicured gardens complement this lavish 59-room Stuart-style mansion dramatically sited overlooking the ocean. During your visit, you will have a guided tour of the house and grounds. Depart the Crane Estate and travel along the coastline to your ocean-side resort for a two-night stay. The minute you approach the entryway, you will feel like you’ve arrived at the very best that Maine has to offer! The Inn is located on Long Sands Beach, directly across from the Nubble Lighthouse. The property features 2 outdoor and 2 indoor pools, Sun and Surf Oceanside dining, two miles of Maine’s shoreline and ocean views that go on forever. And, best of all, the seashells are free! Once you have arrived, you won’t want to leave! An included dinner is served at the on-site restaurant so you may watch the sun set into the ocean. Day Six: Wake up to the sounds of the ocean greeting the day. Listen to the shore birds, watch the soaring gulls and take in the panoramic views. An included breakfast served at resort’s restaurant will start your day off on the right foot. Board the coach and depart the resort after breakfast. Travel along the scenic coastline to Cape Elizabeth, home of the Portland Head Light. The light station sits on a head of land at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in the

state of Maine. The light station is automated, and the tower, beacon and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard, while the former lighthouse keepers' house is a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park. There will be time to walk around the lighthouse, explore the gift shop and take photos. Depart Cape Elizabeth and travel a short distance to Dock Square in Kennebunkport where you will arrive about 12:30 pm. The town center, the area in and around Dock Square, is located along the Kennebunk River, approximately 1 mile from the mouth of the river on the Atlantic Ocean. Historically a shipbuilding and fishing village, for well over a century the town has been a popular summer colony and seaside tourist destination. The Dock Square area has a district of souvenir shops, art galleries, seafood restaurants and bed and breakfasts. Kennebunkport has a reputation as a summer haven for the upper class and is one of the wealthiest communities in the state of Maine. Upon arrival, have lunch on your own at one of the many local eateries. Then, it’s time to shop ‘til you drop as you explore this quaint area At 3:00 pm, climb aboard the Intown Trolley for a one-hour narrated sightseeing tour. Learn about the town, its 300-year history, from the Native Americans, early settlers, the shipbuilding era, to the summer resort and the Presidential summer home of George H.W. Bush. Return to the inn about 5:00 pm. Put on your flip-flops and head out for a walk on the beach. This evening, get ready for a “Downeast” Dinner as you dine on a traditional New England Lobster Bake served at the on-site Sun and Surf Restaurant. Tie on your lobster bibs and get ready to dig into clam chowdah’, mussels and whole steamed lobstah.’ Don’t worry ---there are selections for landlubbers! Day Seven: Enjoy a relaxing, shore-side breakfast before you check out of your rooms. Board the coach and say goodbye to the resort’s friendly staff. Before you leave the area, travel just down the street to Sohier Park on Cape Neddick and home of the “Nubble” Lighthouse, considered to be the most photographed lighthouse. Nubble Light is a famous American icon and a classic example of a lighthouse. The Voyager spacecraft, which carries photographs of Earth’s most prominent man-made structures and natural features should it fall into the hands of intelligent extraterrestrials, includes a photo of Nubble Light with images of the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. You may disembark the coach, take photos and simply stop, look and listen. The lighthouse itself, is no longer accessible to the general public, however there is a telescope in the Park for an up-close view, or enjoy the views from any spot in the Park.

Your last stop before you travel back to Boston for your flights home is at Stonewall Kitchens. Stonewall Kitchens started in 1991, selling handmade jams and jellies at local farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals. A passion for innovative recipes and flavors soon led them to expand to sauces, condiments, mustards, baking mixes and more—all made with the same high-quality ingredients and painstaking attention to detail. Today, their products are sold in more than 6,000 locations both nationwide and internationally, as well as through their 10 company stores and on line. They are the winners of 28 prestigious awards from the Specialty Food Association, including three Outstanding Product Line awards. From their classic Wild Maine Blueberry Jam to their Mustards and Condiments, innovative Savory Spreads, Baking Mixes and Gift Baskets for every occasion, award-winning recipes from their kitchen have been transforming everyday occasions since 1991. The large selection of free samples will tide you over until you arrive for lunch at the airport. Depart Stonewall Kitchens late morning and travel to the Boston Logan International Airport for your afternoon flight home. Along the way, everyone will receive a souvenir gift as a reminder of the trip. Your Package Includes:

• 6 Nights accommodations • 6 Breakfasts • 6 Dinners including a New England Lobster Bake • Time to explore historic Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Marketplace • Guided Black Heritage Trail Tour in Boston • Admission and guided tour of the Museum of African American History • Admission to the President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library and Museum • Guided tour in Plymouth • Visit to the Forefathers Monument • Stop at the Parting Ways Cemetery • Photo stop at Plymouth Rock • Admission to the Heritage Museum and Gardens • Round trip ferry passage to the Island of Nantucket • Guided Black Heritage Tour on Nantucket • Time to shop and explore Nantucket • Guided African American Walking Tour in Salem • Time to shop and explore Salem • Admission and guided tour of the Crane Estate • Admission to Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth • Time to shop and explore Dock Square in Kennebunkport • Trolley tour in Kennebunkport • Visit to the Nubble Light • Shopping time at Stonewall Kitchens

• Souvenir gift • Baggage service for one piece of luggage per traveler • Private motor coach service, round trip Logan Airport • Accommodations, group meals, admissions and baggage service for the coach

driver • Taxes and gratuities (Note: Gratuities for the coach driver and full-time tour

manager/guide are not included and are at your discretion based on service.) Pricing Information:

• Call for custom pricing.

824 West Lakeshore Drive, Suite 3, Colchester, Vermont 05446 802-881-0661Copyright2019NotchAboveTours,Inc