Vermont’s Hills Burst into Bloom
Welcome to Fall Foliage Season at its Best!
Friday, October 11 - Tuesday, October 15, 2024
5 Days - 4 Nights
Packed with beautiful scenery and historic sights, this quintessential Vermont outing is truly unbeleafable! Vermont’s dramatic explosion of color each autumn is truly a sight to behold.
Step back in time as you travel through small villages and mountain passes and past hillside farms and big red barns. The farm stands are piled high with crunchy red apples, orange pumpkins and homemade apple pies! This immersive outing into the culture of the region is a spectacular vacation where you experience what you see.
From traveling on a country road to walking through the woods, this outing is certain to be spectacular! Turn over a new leaf and join us on this Vermont fall foliage vacation.
Day One, Friday, October 11:
Your fall foliage foray begins when you arrive about noon at the Albany International Airport. Board your private motor coach, meet your full-time tour manager, and travel through Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest (however, not so green at this time of year!), and arrive at the Landgrove Inn, your home for 4 nights. Cradled by an unspoiled valley and surrounded by the majestic Green Mountains, the Inn provides a picture-perfect Vermont getaway.
The Inn, built in 1810, was originally a dairy farm and in 1959 it was transformed into one of Vermont’s first ski lodges. The current custodians have tried to honor the well-established traditions of their predecessors, while leaving a modest footprint of their own.
Landgrove has long been a magnet for poets, painters and patrons of the arts and crafts. The hills, the surrounding valley and village are irresistible to people who wish to create, exhibit and learn in peace and natural beauty. It offers 18 uniquely decorated rooms in varying configurations, all with private baths. The charming dining room glimmers in the morning sun and twinkles in the evening with candlelit service.
Once you have checked in, gather in the dining room for a welcome luncheon. The innkeepers will warmly greet you and orient you to the property.
After lunch, join Sally Ogden, past president of the Green Mountain Gardeners’ Club, and follow her on a private garden tour. Vermont gardens are renown for the panoramas that frame them and their natural stone walls. You’ll see familiar mid-fall blooms framed by stunning views and historic Vermont homes and farmhouses.
Return to the Inn after your tour. Once you have relaxed and refreshed, gather around for a welcome reception followed by dinner at the Inn.
Day Two, Saturday, October 12:
After breakfast at the Inn, board the coach and travel just a short distance to Manchester. This quintessential town is home to The Orvis American Museum of Fly Fishing, big-name outlet stores galore and Hildene, the Lincoln Family home.
Your first stop is at Hildene, the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Marry Harlan Lincoln. .He was the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln and the only child of the president to live to adulthood.
The now 412 acre estate, with its Georgian revival mansion and 14 historic buildings, includes the home, gardens and observatory, the Welcome Center and The Museum Store situated in the historic carriage barn, a 1903 Pullman car, “Sunbeam” and Hildene Farm.
The formal garden, in the form of a cathedral's stained glass window, was planted in 1907. The window pattern is defined by privet hedge and filled with mixed borders of annual and perennial flowering plants providing the multicolored "stained glass." The garden is especially noted for its collection of over 1,000 herbaceous peonies. Kitchen gardens supplied the family with a full range of vegetables, berries and fruit. The cutting garden is a source for a supply of fresh flowers for use by the renowned “Hildene Flower Ladies.” The butterfly garden is designed to attract different species of butterflies and thus contains a variety of nectar plants, food for adult butterflies and host plants that are food for caterpillars.
Upon your arrival, you will embark on a self-guided tour the home. Hildene is furnished almost entirely with Lincoln family furniture, and contains artifacts belonging to Robert Todd Lincoln and his parents. Docents will offer historical facts and direct you through the home.
Next, you will be joined by a resident gardener and follow along a tour of the gardens. You will learn of their history, purpose and current day status. They’ll be plenty of time for photos!
Gather for an included picnic lunch served on-site in one of their historic rooms. Following lunch, you may visit the lovely Museum Store or walk through the Pullman Car.
Depart Hildene mid afternoon and travel to the nearby Southern Vermont Arts Center, a multi disciplinary arts organization. The original property boasted over four hundred acres of forest and meadowland, and a 28-room mansion complete with servant’s quarters. Owned primarily by Gertrude Divine Webster, a wealthy socialite who used the property as her summer retreat, the Webster Estate enjoyed a reputation for refined elegance and culture. Gertrude was a patron of the arts and her multi-windowed conservatory boasted the finest Vermont-made glass collection in the world.
This cultural center includes a beautiful Georgian mansion that showcases changing exhibits, the Arkell Pavilion, a performing arts center and the Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum, which houses the center's permanent collection of more than 700 paintings. The largest in Vermont, the Center’s stunning Sculpture Park and Garden provides a mix of culture and contemplation for art-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Your visit includes a guided tour of the galleries, where you will witness a special exhibit. After the tour, take a walk through the Sculpture Garden at its most beautiful time of year.
Depart the Center late afternoon and travel back to the Inn.
Once back at the Inn, there will be time to relax and refresh before dinner.
Day Three, Sunday, October 13:
Board the coach after breakfast at the Inn. Today’s travels showcase a renowned sculptor and his magnificent property and then take you to “the prettiest small town in America.”
Your first stop is at the Saint-Gaudens Memorial and National Park. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was an American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance
He achieved major critical success for his monuments commemorating heroes of the American Civil War, many of which still stand. Saint-Gaudens created works such as the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common, Abraham Lincoln: The Man, and grand equestrian monuments to Civil War generals: General John Logan Memorial in Chicago's Grant Park and William Tecumseh Sherman at the corner of New York's Central Park. He also designed the $20 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle gold piece for the US Mint, considered one of the most beautiful American coins ever issued. Your visit includes a guided sculpture and grounds tour followed by time to explore on own.
Board the coach and continue along a scenic road to the Village of Woodstock. Its historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The center of the district is an elliptical village green. Around the green and along the main road following the river are a number of residential, commercial and public buildings showcasing architectural development from the late 18th to late 19th centuries. You’ll soon see for yourself while this is referred to as “the prettiest small town in America.”
During your visit you may walk among the opulent mid-19th century homes and structures built around the Village Green and along broad streets. The stately Woodstock Inn, owned by the Rockefeller family, presides over the Village Green. Stop for photos at the most photographed bridge in Woodstock, the 139-foot-long Middle Covered Bridge. There will be time to explore the small shops and galleries and to have lunch on your own.
After lunch, you will arrive at the Billings Farm and Museum. Owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation, Inc., a non-profit educational institution founded by Laurance and Mary Rockefeller in 1968, the Billings Farm and Museum was established in 1983 to preserve the historic Billings Farm as well as the character and heritage of rural Vermont. Billings Farm offers diverse, interactive programs that focus on rural life, work and land stewardship as reflected in the traditions and values of 19th century farm families.
During your visit you will tour the restored 1890 Farm Manager’s House, visit the animals in the barns and stroll through the Farmstead Gardens. You’ll also climb aboard for a horse-drawn wagon ride that showcases the incredibly beautiful landscape of the farm.
And to close out your visit, learn the process of hand carding and spin a bracelet made from the wool of the farm’s sheep. You’ll take home your bracelet as a keepsake from your visit. Before you depart, make certain to visit the Museum Gift Shop where you’ll find local, Vermont products, unique treasurers and gifts for any occasion.
Depart Billings Farm and travel back to the Inn. There will be time to relax and refresh before you gather for dinner.
Day Four, Monday, October 14:
Following breakfast at the Inn, board the coach and head out on a day surrounded by Vermont’s flora and fauna. Yup, it’s gonna be a plaid flannel shirt kinda day!
Your first stop is at The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS). Its mission is to motivate individuals and communities to care for the environment through education, research and avian wildlife rehabilitation.
One role VINS takes on is to bring birds back to health and release them back to the wild. The birds of prey, or raptors, used for teaching, cannot be released into the wild because they would not survive. In addition, VINS has exhibit birds that live in outdoor enclosures.
Your visit begins when you “spread your wings” and enter the Forest Canopy Walk. Three special features and five Interpretation Nodes are built into the Walk. The Eagle’s Nest is a spur off the main walk that you may climb into and imagine the world from an eagle’s vantage point.
Next, you will greeted by a VINS educator and engage in a “Raptor Chat” session where you will get up close to eagles, falcons, owls and more. You may also witness in the “Live Raptor Program” that features a selection of the resident Avian Ambassadors. In the 2,160 square foot Songbird Aviary you will observe an extensive variety of non-releasable residents. Before you depart, make certain to visit the Nature Store!
Depart VINS and travel just down the road to the Quechee Gorge and Quechee State Park. The focal point of the park is Vermont’s deepest gorge, formed by glacial activity approximately 13,000 years ago. When you look down at the Ottauquechee River, flowing 165 feet below, you’ll quickly realize why this is referred to as “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon.” There will be time to walk out onto the bridge and take photos.
After being outside in the crisp fall air, you’re certain to have worked up an appetite. Just minutes from the gorge, is the renowned Quechee Gorge Village, an antique mall and retailer of Vermont specialty food products. Have lunch on your own at the Vermont Snack Shack and then take a walk down memory lane as you browse at leisure through an array of kiosks filled with antique treasures. At the Cabot Cheese store you’ll find an array of Vermont food products and samples galore!
Depart Quechee mid afternoon and travel back to the Inn. Along the way, there is one last stop that you simply can’t miss, the iconic Vermont Country Store. The company was established in 1946 and is operated by the Orton family. The store entered the mail-order business and gained national attention with the publication of a 1952 article in the Saturday Evening Post entitled, "The Happy Shopkeeper of the Green Mountains.” This family-owned store is known as “purveyors of the practical and hard-to-find.” You’re certain to be thrilled with their selection of high-quality bedding, housewares, apparel, toys, cosmetics, gifts and goodies that are perfect for any occasion.
Once back at the Inn, gather by the cozy fireplace and sip a refreshing beverage. Later, gather in the dining room for your farewell dinner.
Day Five, Tuesday, October 15:
After breakfast at the Inn, there will be time for one last stroll around the beautiful property. Check out of your rooms, board the coach and depart about 9:30 am for the Albany International Airport. With an 11:00 am, outbound flights should be scheduled to depart after 1:00 pm
Your Package Includes:
· 4 Nights Accommodations
· 4 Breakfasts
· 2 Lunches
· 1 Welcome Reception
· 4 Dinners
· Private Garden Tour
· Admission to Hildene with house and garden tour
· Guided Gallery Tour at the Southern Vermont Arts Center
· Sculpture Garden Walk at the Arts Center
· Admission to Saint-Gaudens with guided sculpture and grounds tour
· Time at leisure to explore the charming village of Woodstock
· Admission to Billings Farm and Museum with house and garden tour
· Wagon ride and wool carding hands-on experience at Billings Farm
· Admission to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science with Raptor program
· Forest Canopy Walk at VINS
· Photo stop at Quechee Gorge
· Visit to Quechee Gorge Village and the Antique Mall
· Time to shop at the iconic Vermont Country Store
· Services of a full-time tour manager
· Private motor coach service throughout the tour
· Taxes and gratuities (NOTE: Gratuities for the local guides, tour manager and coach driver are not included and are at your discretion based on service.)
Pricing Information:
Per person double occupancy: 1,844.00
Per person single occupancy: 2,268.00
Prices do not include airfare to and from the Albany International Airport.
Prices and itinerary are subject to change.
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