Fall Foliage Quilters Tour - New England
$2,250.00 per person/dbl. occupancy
Single supplement is $695.00
Download the signup form and mail to:
Barbara Lockwood, PO Box 243, Brookdale, CA 95007
(831) 338-9594 / barbaralck@sbcglobal.net
Trip Cancellation insurance is $135.00
Crazy Patch Jacket
Each tour participant will be able to make a coat like mine - with fabric scraps we find at our daily quilt shop stop! Bring with you a sweat shirt that is a bit big on you, fabric scissors, needle and thread (the same color of the jacket). If you have pinking or scalloping shears, they work well. That is what I used on this sample. Also, if you have any interesting yarns, tuck them in your sewing bag. We'll gather together each evening after dinner and create fabulous designer coats!
The coat I made has buttons and threads I collected from many stores in Vermont and New Hampshire on my fall trip out east in 2004. There is a fabulous yarns shop right next to Keepsake Quilting, where we spend one delightful morning next October.
If you'd like more information about this construction project, look at Karen Boutte's web page - she's the "Quilt Diva" who inspired me to make mine. www.quiltdiva.com
Tour Highlights
- Covered Bridges
- Lighthouses
- Historic Downtown Boston
- Keepsake Quilting Store
- Lake Winnepesaukie
- Boot Cotton Mills
- New England Quilt Museum
- Seafood Dinner in Ogunquit Maine
- Maple Sugar Museum
- Vermont Country Store
- Dakin Farm
- A Quilt Shop A Day
The splendor of fall foliage in New England states is incomparable! Join us as we explore the gorgeous array of colors -- yellows, reds, oranges and purples – and visit charming country villages. Century old churches with white steeples, warm and inviting antique shops and quilt shops, and hot apple cider brewing in the gift shops…what could be more cozy!
We begin our adventure with a driving tour of historic downtown Boston, viewing sights and sounds of this fascinating city, and visit Fanueil Hall at lunch time. The coast of Maine will charm you, with it’s quaint lighthouses and adorable homes and cottages. You’ll visit a huge lighthouse shop, where you can buy earrings, sweaters, salt shakers – anything you can imagine with a lighthouse on it!
New Hampshire boasts hillsides aglow with colorful trees, beautiful blue lakes, yummy foods, and crisp mountain air. Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, right near our classy inn right on Lake Winnepesaukie – The Inn at Mills Falls- will keep us busy picking up just the right fabrics as we have brunch. Dinner at the Turkey Farm nearby tops off a day of driving and offers a great selection of foods. North Conway will be another one of those charming villages where we rest overnight at the beautiful Red Jacket Resort and Spa.
A visit to a maple sugar museum will allow you to see and taste Vermont – the samples of maple candies and maple syrup will prompt you to send a few bottles home! Maple butter is my favorite – it tastes great on toast and reminds me of the trip, months later back at home.
Our visit to Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory and the cider mill across the street give you another taste of Vermont.
Gaining a glimpse of the Industrial Revolution in Lowell, Mass on the last day completes the tour. Boot Cotton Mills offers a wonderful tour, along with the New England Quilt Museum. Yankee Candle Factory’s gift shop is amazing – one last stop to fill up that extra suitcase you bring for all your goodies!
What’s the advantage of taking a group tour? A whole new set of friends, no worries about reading maps or finding restaurants, and no lines to wait in to check into hotels. You don’t even have to read a tour book or book hotels, because we’ve selected some of the greatest ones!
Simply step on the bus that first morning in Boston and let us escort you through the most beautiful part of the US in the fall. Check your brains at the door and leave the driving to us!
What about meals?
At the Welcome Dinner on Monday night you’ll meet and chat with some very interesting people – your companions for the 10 days of sightseeing. Each morning breakfast will be provided for you – because I don’t believe anyone should have to go hunt down a restaurant, gobble down a meal, and race back to the bus. Three dinners are also included in this wonderful tour.
What’s it like on an Empty Nest Travel Club tour?
Fun!!! Within a few hours we become ‘family’ on these lively tours, but you can elect to wander off on your own as we stop at the various towns if closeness and new friends is not what you’re looking for. And when we play games for prizes along the way, you can elect out of the frivolity and take a nap. Or you can walk away at the end with some great new friends…it happens every time!
What if I’m not interested in quilting?
Our last quilter’s tour to Vermont (2000) found us with several folks on the bus who were not quilters, but within 24 hours we were all like family and the non-quilters had just as much fun as the rest of us! When we visited a quilt shop each day they always found an antique store nearby or a cozy warm coffee shop, or just strolled around town for a bit, admiring the fall colors and Victorian architecture.
What if I want to capture these memories on my camera?
If you ever wanted to photograph covered bridges, or see that simply spectacular view of foliage - our driver stops for such picture-perfect moments! And if you like to sit back and leave the trip planning to us – this is the tour for you!
Included in Tour Package:
- Motorcoach tour of 4 states for 9 days
- 9 nights lodging at charming inns and hotels
- 3 delicious dinners - 9 hearty breakfasts (some continental)
- Admissions to all museums, factories, etc.
- Great fun and laughter with your new friends
- Drawings for prizes
$2,250.00 per person/dbl. occupancy
Single supplement is $695.00
Download the signup form and mail to:
Barbara Lockwood, PO Box 243, Brookdale, CA 95007
(831) 338-9594 / barbaralck@sbcglobal.net
Trip Cancellation insurance is $135.00
Daily Itinerary
Sunday October 1
Fly to Boston Hampton Inn, Boston MA
Monday October 2
Our Boston tour guide will escort us around town, pointing out historical markers: Old North Church, Fenway Park, the Cheers Bar, Boston Common and much more. You will have 2 hours for lunch and shopping at Faneuil Hall, and then it’s on to Salem Mass., home of the famous Salem Witch Trials. We arrive in Ogunquit, Maine around 6pm for our Welcome Dinner, at a lovely restaurant in this charming seaside village. Our day will end at the beautiful Meadowmere Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Tuesday October 3
Enjoy the ocean breezes and gorgeous fall colors in this Oceanside town, full of turn-of-the-century homes. You’ll find some interesting gift shops here, a great quilt shop, and some friendly folks. We may even see a lighthouse today – if the fog allows, but for sure we’ll visit the famous lighthouse store, where you can purchase anything lighthouse, from pajamas to salt/pepper shakers, from earrings to garden flags.
Our drive into New Hampshire will give you glimpses of many shades of reds, yellows, and oranges on the maples and birches. We arrive at our glorious Inn at Mills Falls – right on the shore of Lake Winnepesaukee. Meredith, NH
(Remember that funny movie “What About Bob?” – this is where it was filmed.)
Wednesday October 4
A morning cruise on Lake Winnepesaukee will show you some 100 islands, cute little coves, and gorgeous summer homes on the shores and islands. We will enjoy a mid-day dinner at famous Hart’s Turkey Farm – with a good selection of turkey meals & fresh vegetables
The largest quilt shop in the United States is here – Keepsake Quilting. You’ll be amazed at these artistic wonders– hanging from the ceilings and along the walls are dozens of projects completed by women across the nation. A great yarn store is just next door – and what a variety they have here! Bring your knitting needles & pick up some strings so you can knit in the evenings if you’re so inclined.
Then it’s back on the coach, through the White Mountains toward our destination – Conway, N.H. Red Jacket Resort Conway, NH
Thursday October 5
Experience more fall colors today as we head up over the Kancamagus Pass in the lovely White Mountains of NH. Clarks Trading Post will be our mid-day stop where you can view an 1884 fire station with antique equipment. Some of the other attractions here include trained bear shows, Merlin’s Mystical Mansion, an antique photo parlor and steam train rides.
The next stop will be across the Connecticut River in St. Johnsbury. The Maple Grove Museum will offer you insight as to the maple sugaring process, and give you a chance to buy some maple sugar candy or maple syrups. Waterbury, Vt. - Best Western
Friday October 6
Stowe is a charming village, complete with historic shops and a delightful covered bridge you can walk across and photograph. Yes, there’s a quilt shop here too! Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory tour and sampling is next, then it’s on to Cold Hollow Cider Mill and shops.
Bring your walking shoes for the famous Shelburne Museum – what a delightful complex with historic displays in 37 buildings around the 45 acres. Photograph the Round Barn, covered bridges, formal gardens, handcrafted model circus parade (500’ long!), steam boat, Webb Gallery of American Art…the place is magnificent!! Tonight’s lodging is in the mountains in a beautiful setting - it’s so pretty here we’ll stay 2 nights!
Comfort Inn Killington, VT
Saturday October 7
Woodstock Vermont is yet another adorable little village of well preserved historic shops, homes, and inns. After browsing here a bit we’ll head on over to Queechee Gorge. The Otaqueechee River is 162’ below you as you stand on the bridge! Nearby is a delightful antique store which has over 100 antique shops under one roof . Comfort Inn , Killington Vt.
Sunday October 8
Scenic Rt. 100 will give you a back-road feel as you view even more spectacular color along the route to Weston, a preserved 19th century village with a fascinating old-fashioned country store with wooden floors. You’ll find a delightful array of goods here - penny candy, pickle barrel, long johns, baking items, and anything you could ever need or want!
We arrive in Bennington, VT mid-afternoon to see the Bennington Battle Monument, Old First Church, and the Old Burying Ground out back, where Robert Frost is buried. An optional outing, for those who wish to go, is a stop at the Bennington Museum, where you’ll see displays of American art from grandma Moses, and American paintings, glass, and furnishings from a time before ours! Then we’ll head for Paradise! Paradise Motor Inn Bennington, Vt.
Monday October 9
Today’s stops include Yankee Candle Factory for shopping in their huge gift shop, Boott Cotton Mills in Lowell, with working machinery from 100 years ago, and the New England Quilt Museum also in Lowell Doubletree Hotel - Lowell, MA
Tuesday October 10
Get a few last glimpses of foliage as we ride over to the Boston Logan Airport. We may add a surprise stop along the way this morning…stay tuned! As you await your flight home, sit back in the airport and relax, eating your last bowl of Boston Clam Chowder, reflecting on the past 8 days of seeing some of the most spectacular colors ever witnessed!
