Just before Jack Frost comes calling, when summer ends in New England, Mother Nature slips into her autumn finery for the stunning blaze of colour that marks the coming of fall.  Join Tauck for a fall foliage tour like no other, showcasing the history and traditions of this charming corner of America as the leaves turn from summer's green to the red, gold and orange of autumn.  Begin in historic Boston with a two-night stay before exploring New England's seafaring heritage in Salem and on the rocky coast of Maine at charming Boothbay Harbor.  The brilliance of the turning leaves entices as you head into the White Mountains of New Hampshire for a stay at the fabled Mount Washington Hotel and a tour and Q & A session at the Mount Washington Observatory, perched atop the mountain and claiming the 'worst weather in the world'.  Not to be outdone, Vermont's Green Mountains don their most vivid fall colours as you tour Shelburne Farms, go back in history at the Shelburne Museum, and partake in an extraordinary culinary dinner theatre experience presented by the New England Culinary Institute.  Discover both the peaceful side of Lake Placid and the excitement of the Winter Olympics when you visit the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex.  Amid the glory of autumn's vivid hues, explore the exciting world of thoroughbred horse racing, the 'Sport of Kings' at the National Museum of Racing in fashionable Saratoga Springs.  Your tour concludes back in Boston.

1. Depart Boston.  Tour departs:  The Langham Hotel, Boston at 18.15.  A transfer is provided from Boston's Logan Airport to the Langham Hotel.  Tauck has a long history of welcoming travellers with a parade of seasonal delights throughout New England, a tradition of hospitality shared by the Langham Hotel, Boston, a national historic landmark and one of the city's finest hotels.  Join us for a welcome dinner tonight as autumn blankets the landscape with fall foliage.  Meals: D

2. Boston 'The Footsteps of American History' Boston entices on so many levels.  History buffs think of the city as the hotbed of the American Revolution while baseball fans associate it with the 2007 World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox!.  There's something intriguing everywhere you look.  We'll show you some of Boston's most famous sights this morning on an orientation tour - including the Harvard Museum of Natural History, where you'll sneak a peak at the lifelike Glass Flowers Exhibit - before turning you loose to further explore the faces of Boston, 'America's walking city', every Boston street reveals another fascinating discovery.  Meals: B

3. From Salem's Seaside to Maine's shores.  While Salem might be best known for its infamous witch trials, during the Revolutionary War it was the port of choice for 158 privateering vessels.  Salem's privateer fleet helped the American cause by, between them, capturing 445 English ships.  You'll discover more about seafarers who plied these waters - and the art and artifacts they brought back from their voyages throughout the world - on a visit to the Peabody Essex Museum.   Continue on to your inn in Freeport, still retaining its charm as a classic Maine village despite the influx of world-renowned retail shops.  Meals: BD

4. The beguiling Boothbays. Clustered along Maine's rocky coast are several scenic small villages, known as the Boothbays, which were a favourite summer retreat of the rich and famous with saltwater in their veins in the 19th century.  Sailors continue to go down to the sea in ships here, just as you will when you board a private schooner for a cruise on beautiful Boothbay Harbor.  Later, your fall foliage tour includes a guided stroll through the Botanical Gardens to view the outstanding collection of plants and flowers dressed in their autumnal best.  Meals: BL

5. Mountains of New Hampshire.  Head inland today to the ancient White Mountains of New Hampshire, characterised by the hillside forests, valley rivers, rocky ridges and brooding peaks.  Enjoy scenic views of the lush landscapes during lunch in North Conway, highlighted by a presentation on area wildlife - it serves as a great introduction to your afternoon drive along the meandering Kamcamagus Highway, especially breathtaking when autumn leaves begin their annual transformation into the brilliant reds, golds and oranges of the much-acclaimed New England fall season.  Your overnight accommodations at the Mount Washington Hotel reflect the turn-of-the-century elegance that first lured wealthy summertime patrons from Boston, New York and Philadelphia back in 1902 when as many as fifty trains stopped here each day.  Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, this hotel is a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture.  Meals: BLD

6. Mountain Observatory / Vermont.  Morning brings a fascinating excursion to the Mount Washington Observatory located on the mountain's 6,288-ft summit, where esteemed meteorologists have been keeping watch on the atmospheric phenomena of one of the planet's most extreme places since 1932.  You will have the unique opportunity to meet resident scientists during a lecture and Q & A session.  Later, cross into the Green Mountains of Vermont.  You've always just poured on your pancakes without giving it a single thought... well, no fall foliage tour would be complete without a sweet encounter with the maple syrup that Vermont produces more than any other state.  After arriving at your charming Vermont inn for a two-night stay, you'll have another treat in store tonight as you attend a culinary dinner theatre experience presented by the New England Culinary Institute.   Meals: BLD

7. Shelburne Museum.  Today offers an enriching journey through Americana at the 45-acre Shelburne Museum, recording three centuries of American ingenuity in 37 historic structures, including the horseshoe-shaped Circus Building, an 1890 Railroad Station, an 1871 Lake Champlain lighthouse and the rescued SS Ticonderoga steamship.  Rediscover "Americana" at this lakeside restoration, viewing a fascinating array of diverse exhibits includes American painting and sculpture, folk art, carriages, toys, cigar-store Indians and much more.   Spend the afternoon as you please, and enjoy dinner tonight at your leisure at the Inn.   Meals: BLD

8 Shelburne Farms / Ferry to New York.  Dedicated to "Cultivating a Conservation Ethic", 400-acre Shelburne Farms has been a model agricultural estate since its creation in 1886.  Today, this National Historic Site practices environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable rural land use.  During your visit, you'll meet the cheese-makers who turn the milk from a herd of 125 purebred Brown Swiss cows into award-winning farmhouse cheddar cheese, and see the Breeding Barn built to provide Vermont's farmers with hackney horses at the turn of the 20th century. Later, enjoy a ferry ride across Lake Champlain from the Green Mountains to the spectacular Adirondack Mountains; arrive in the alpine village of Lake Placid, nestled amidst the spectacular Adirondack Mountains.  The scenery is stunning everywhere you look as you begin your two-night stay at an award-winning Mirrow Lake Inn.  Meals: BL

9. Life in Lake Placid.  The alpine village of Lake Placid is probably best know as the site of the Winter Olympic Games in 1932 and again in 1980.  A boat cruise on the lake celebrates the area's idyllic beauty and a visit to the Olympic Ski Jumping complex  entertains with stories about the athletes who have medaled here.  A must for history buffs, a visit to the John Brown Farm and Gravehouse intrigues with a glimpse of the life of this man whose legacy against slavery endures today.  The rest of the day is free; the resort boasts a fabulous spa as well as many outdoor activities (some at additional cost).  Meals: BD

10. Fast Track toSaratoga Springs.  Explore Saratoga Springs en route to Ludlow, Vermont. Visit the Museum of Racing to learn about the history and new developments in the world of thoroughbred horse racing.  The town's mineral springs attracted Victorian society each summer to enjoy it's therapeutic waters, indulge in elegant resort living and watch their favourite horses at the Saratoga Racetrack.  Stop at the Vermont Country Store on the way to the Jackson Gore Inn for an overnight stay and fairwell dinne.  Meals: BD

11. Journey home.  Journey back to Boston today, a beautiful drive through classic autumnal landscapes; its a distance of approx. 190 miles.  Stop in historic Deerfield and have lunch at the Salem Cross Inn.  A colonial restoration listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the orginal building was built by the grandson of the first male child born on the Mayflower in162.  Tour ends: Boston Logan Airport at 15.30, or the Langham Hotel, Boston at 16.30 (traffic permitting).  Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in at the airport.  Meals: BL


Just America will be pleased to assist with reservations for additional nights in Boston, pre or post tour.  Why not round off your Tauck tour by taking the train to New Your and adding a few nights in the Big Apple before flying home from New York?  Just America can make Amtrak rail and New York hotel reservations for you.