A Taste Of New England

Pick-up your rental car, depart Boston and proceed to Kennebunkport, one of Maine’s most popular summer vacation destinations. Experience the tranquility and enjoy the beauty of this quiet seaside village with its charming shops and galleries, country grocery store, lobster pounds, fish markets and the numerous restaurants known for their fabulous fresh seafood. After having your fill, enjoy a peaceful walk at Goose Rocks Beach. This beautiful and pristine three-mile-long beach boasts sand dunes and wonderful views making it a favorite of walkers of all generations. Continue to Freeport, a beautiful coastal Maine village, where an overnight stay has been arranged.

Accommodations: (SUP) Harraseeket Inn or similar (1 Night)

This morning enjoy some of Freeport’s treasures before continuing to North Conway. Freeport was founded in 1789 and is home to well-known Pettengill Farm and Wolfe’s Neck Farm, both offering nature walks and guided tours. The Wolfe’s Neck State Park contains varied ecosystems, including climax white pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary, the rocky shorelines on Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River. As you continue to North Conway, drive through the White Mountains which is a perfect area for outdoor activities. The mountains provide exceptional hiking and mountain biking opportunities as well as water activities such as kayaking, canoeing and boat tours.You will stay in this beautiful area, at Merrill Farm Resort. Accommodations: (SUP) Merrill Farm Resort or similar (1 Night)

Leave the White Mountains behind and drive toward Essex. On your way, you will first pass Waterbury where you can visit Vermont’s icon, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory. Take a brief tour of this delicious plant which affords visitors an elevated view of the factory floor, a video depicting their humble beginings, and a “taste test” of samples from whatever ice cream flavors the plant produced that day. Afterwards, stop by the gift shop and the popular “Flavor Graveyard”. Once you are able to tear yourself away from all that scrumptious ice cream, continue to Vermont. Because Vermont is the largest producer of pure maple syrup in the U.S. and was the first state to establish a maple law you can visit some Maple Syrup farms on your way. The overnight will take place at the Inn at Essex which is nestled in the panoramic Green Mountains.
Accommodations: (SUP) The Essex, Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa or similar (2 Nights)

Today you will enjoy a memorable culinary experience by attending the renowned Cook Academy at The Essex. Enjoy a low-pressure, hands-on culinary experience where you can learn new techniques or hone the skills you already have. You’ll work alongside one of the chefs as you prepare a delicious meal using local Vermont ingredients. Classes include a three or four-course meal and a glass of wine.

Depart Essex this morning and drive through the Green Mountains. The Green Mountains, a signature symbol for the state of Vermont, are a premier, four-season travel destination. Hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and viewing the maple leaves, resplendent in their changing fall colors, are just a few of the favored activities. Experience the Vermont Cheese Trail by visiting 8 cheese-making members who produce over 60 varieties of award winning artisan and farmstead cheese. An overnight stay has been arranged here.
Accommodations: (SUP) Governor’s Inn or similar (1 Night)

Today you can visit The Boston Beer Company, the leading brewer of handcrafted, full-flavored beers, on your way to Boston. Tour the facilities where founder and Master Brewer, Jim Koch, brews Samuel Adams® beers using the time-honored, traditional four-vessel brewing process, and the world’s finest all-natural ingredients. With 18 distinctive, award-winning styles of beer, Samuel Adams offers discerning beer drinkers a variety of brews, taste them for yourself! Drop-off rental car