A fully escorted 12 day Amtrak Tour featuring Washington, D.C., Biltmore Estate, Asheville, Smoky Mountains, Boston, Cape Cod and Mt. Washington.

On this tour reclining coach seats with leg rests are included. West and Midwest members will spend the first night on the train, then eight nights in first-class hotels. On the return, you’ll spend another night on the train with reclining coach seats with leg rest. A Coach Comfort Kit is included.

A limited number of sleeping accommodations are available at a very modest additional cost; only $210 for roomette bedrooms and $545 for upgraded bedrooms (per person, double occupancy). Enjoy daytime privacy and two nights of normal sleeping conditions.

• View Prices and Dates
• View Route Map
• Highlights and Inclusions
• View Itinerary
• Tour Images

Washington, D.C. • Biltmore Estate • Asheville
Smoky Mountains • Boston • Cape Cod • Mt. Washington
Call 877-929-7245 for rail fares and schedules from your city
to and from Chicago, Washington DC or Albany.

• Your day of Washington, D.C. sightseeing will begin at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s beloved home. Other highlights will include the World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Korean and Vietnam Memorials. You’ll drive by the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Pentagon, the Capitol, Library of Congress, Supreme Court and the White House.
• The historic Biltmore Estate is the largest private residence in the Americas. You will tour the house built by George Washington Vanderbilt and visit the beautiful gardens.
• The Great Smoky Mountain National Park consists of 520,000 acres. You will travel along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, the East’s most scenic drive.
• On your Boston area tour you will see the Charlestown Navy Yard where the U.S.S. Constitution, “Old Ironsides” is berthed.
• Ride across the Cape Cod Canal and enter a world of sand dunes and salty beaches. You’ll visit a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
• There will be time for shopping and strolling in the quaint towns of the Cape Cod area.
• Go to the top of Mt. Washington on the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. The world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway. From the summit you can view four states, Quebec and the Atlantic Ocean.

• Round-trip rail transportation by Amtrak and deluxe motor coach.
• First-class hotel accommodations with private bath for eight nights.
• All participants one night on Amtrak in private Roomette sleeping accommodations for one night between Greenville and New York.
• 11 meals for West and Midwest members, 8 for East members.
• Sightseeing in Washington, D.C., Boston, Cape Cod and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Admission to all included attractions.
• Baggage handling, taxes & tips.
• Services of a professional Tour Director.

Day 1: En Route
West and Midwestern America the Beautiful . . . East members will meet the Tour Director in Chicago’s Union Station. At 7:05 p.m. you'll depart on the Capitol Limited for Washington. Relax in your comfortable reclining coach seat with leg rest. Roomettes or upgraded Bedrooms are available at an additional cost. All dining car meals are included. Go to the glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car for spectacular viewing. A full-course dining car dinner will be served upon departure. (D*)

Day 2: En Route
Following a full dining car breakfast, West and Midwest tour members traveling to Washington on the Capitol Limited will enjoy some spectacular scenery. This morning you follow the white water Youghiogheny River and climb over Sand Patch, the highest point of rail service in the Northeast. East of Cumberland you'll roll along the Potomac River for many miles. You’ll arrive into Washington at 1:30 p.m.

Upon arrival into Washington, travelers will have an “on-your-own” lunch in the large Union Station food court. You’ll then transfer to nearby Arlington, Virginia. Northeast participants will arrive at the Alexandria Amtrak Station on a Northeast Direct train. Your hotel is the Holiday Inn Arlington. There are numerous options for dinner near your hotel. (B*)

Day 3: Washington
Our day of sightseeing will begin at George Washington’s beloved Mount Vernon. You’ll tour the buildings and grounds. During the rest of the day, your destinations will include the World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Korean and Vietnam Memorials. You’ll drive by the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Pentagon, the Capital, Library of Congress, Supreme Court and the White House. A lunch stop will be made at a food court. A welcome dinner will be held at a local restaurant in the evening. (D)

Day 4: En Route/Charlotte
You’ll transfer to the Alexandria Amtrak station in time for the 11:12 a.m. departure of the Carolinian for the 470-mile journey across the Piedmont region of Virginia and North Carolina to Charlotte. Throughout the afternoon and early evening you'll pass through Richmond, Raleigh, Durham, and Greensboro. Reservations include comfortable Carolina Business Class seating. Upon arrival at 8:14 p.m. you'll transfer to the Drury Inn and Suites. (CB)

Day 5: Biltmore Estate
We’ll board your deluxe motor coach this morning and travel 125 miles east through the picturesque North Carolina countryside to one of the nation’s most popular and beautiful attractions, the Biltmore Estate. You’ll tour the mammoth home and its beautiful gardens. Lunch is included at the Biltmore.

The historic Biltmore Estate has a unique place in the heritage of the United States. Its centerpiece, the Biltmore House, is the largest private residence in the Americas. The house and its many other unique and awe-inspiring features have made it the most visited historic tourist destination in the nation.

George Washington Vanderbilt completed the Biltmore House in time to accommodate its first guests for Christmas 1895, during the “Gilded Age.” Built of massive limestone blocks and incorporating numerous architectural details, the home represented the wealth of the Vanderbilt family and the opulence of the period.

So, just how big is America’s largest private residence? Consider these numbers: Four acres under one roof, 175,000 square feet, 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, one indoor pool and a bowling alley.

No serious gardener should fail to visit the beautiful Biltmore Gardens, which begin displaying their gorgeous blooms in April and continue to exhibit an ever-changing display of nature’s beauty until the leaves fall.

At mid afternoon you'll continue on to neighboring Asheville. A city of 70,000, Asheville has been described as one of the most beautiful cities in America. Its setting between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Smoky Mountains is what stands out in the minds of most visitors. Your home for this evening is the attractive, centrally located SpringHill Suites by Marriott, May/June and Asheville Renaissance Hotel, September. (CB, L)

Day 6: Great Smoky Mountains
Today you explore selected areas of the vast 520,000 acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For a part of the day you'll be traveling along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, the East’s most scenic drive. Several photo stops will be made.

You’ll learn about this vast National Park at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The Mountain Farm Museum is next to the Center. Find out what life was like on a typical 1880s Southern Appalachian Farm.

An “on-your-own” luncheon visit is scheduled for historic Dillsboro. You can explore 50 shops, galleries and studios specializing in traditional mountain crafts. In the town of Cherokee, the history and culture of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians will be witnessed.

Your day long tour of the great Smoky Mountains will conclude in Asheville. Dinner tonight is included at one of Asheville's finest restaurants.

At 8:30 p.m. you'll reboard your deluxe motor coach and travel south to Greenville, South Carolina. At 11:20 p.m. you'll board Amtrak’s New Orleans-New York train, the Crescent. Viewliner Roomette bedroom accommodations are included between Greenville and New York for all tour members. (CB, D)

Day 7: En Route/Boston
Today is a pleasant, relaxing day on the train. When you awake this morning you should be near Charlottesville, Virginia. Enjoy a full-course dining car breakfast.

Take a brief train side stroll in Washington before the train rolls along the Northeast Corridor to New York. A full-course lunch will be served in the Crescent dining car at noon.

You’ll pass through Wilmington, Philadelphia and Newark before you arrive in New York’s Penn Station at 2:02 p.m. During your layover in the "Big Apple", the first-class Acela Lounge will be your base. You’ll want to have an early dinner in Penn Station or a nearby restaurant. You’ll depart Penn Station at 5:00 p.m. and continue on the Northeast Corridor to Boston. You’ll enjoy comfortable Business Class seating. Your arrival into Boston is scheduled for 9:05 p.m.

Upon arrival you'll transfer to Braintree, a Boston suburb where you'll spend the night at the Braintree Sheraton. A major shopping center is across the street. (B, L)

Day 8: Boston
This morning you'll embark on an extensive tour of the Boston area. You’ll tour the Charlestown Navy Yard where “Old Ironsides” U.S.S. Constitution is berthed and the Old North Church.

We’ll visit Faneuil Hall Marketplace during a 1-1/2 hour lunch and shopping stop. Nearby are Paul Revere's house, the Holocaust Memorial and Boston Massacre Site.

Following lunch, you'll continue along the historic Freedom Trail. View Scollay Square, King’s Chapel, the Old Granary Burial Ground where Paul Revere, John Hancock and Samuel Adams are buried, Park Street Church and Boston Common.

Day 9: Cape Cod
Today you discover the beauty of your country’s Atlantic Ocean shorelines as represented by Cape Cod. You’ll depart this morning on a day-long excursion by motor coach to explore a variety of sights and attractions. You’ll ride across the Cape Cod Canal and enter a world of sand dunes and salty beaches. You’ll visit a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. There will be time for shopping and strolling in the quaint towns of the Cape Cod area. You’ll join a 45-minute lectured harbor cruise which offers the best possible view of the Kennedy Compound. Additional attractions will include the Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen and the Sandwich Glass Center. You’ll return to your hotel in Braintree for a final night.

Day 10: Mt. Washington
We’ll reboard your deluxe motor coach this morning and travel 171 miles due north through the charming, quaint, beautiful New Hampshire countryside. We’re headed for one of the most spectacular destinations in your 12-day America the Beautiful . . . East odyssey, Mt. Washington. At 6,288 feet, Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States.

Ride up Mt. Washington on the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. The world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, remains, as it has for well over a century, an exciting and unforgettable experience. The ever-changing surroundings, the magnificent views, the sights and sounds of nine unique steam locomotives in action, and some of the steepest railway tracks in existence, combine to place it among the best of the world’s great railway journeys. Some days the view from the summit of Mt. Washington spans four states, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean, limited only by the curvature of the earth.

In keeping with the theme of this tour, the beauty of the Eastern U.S., your hotel for the final night is the classic, historical Mt. Washington Resort. The view of the surrounding New Hampshire mountains from the hotel’s mammoth front porch is magnificent. You’ll find the hotel gracious in amenities and ambiance. Since its opening in 1902, this National Historic Landmark has been a favorite retreat of presidents and other celebrities. The elegant dining room serves four-course dinners with orchestral accompaniment nightly. Both dinner and breakfast are included. (D)

Day 11: En Route
Following breakfast (included) you'll begin your day’s journey across picturesque New Hampshire and Vermont to Albany, New York. You’ll visit two of Vermont’s major attractions.

Your first Vermont stop is the fascinating Billings Farm and Museum. Here you will see both a modern, working dairy farm and a museum of Vermont farm life in the 1890s. The museum is housed in four reconstructed barns. You can see butter making, cheese making, ice cutting and sugaring. You can also observe the daily activities of the dairy operation.

Following an “on-your-own” lunch in nearby Woodstock, you’ll continue on to Hildene, the second of today’s major attractions. Hildene was the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln. This was home to his descendants until 1975. The 24-room Georgian Revival Mansion is filled with original furnishings and personal family memorabilia surrounded by formal gardens.

You’ll continue on to Albany, New York. Eastern and Mid-Atlantic tour members will leave the tour group at the Crowne Plaza Hotel where they’ll spend the last night of the tour.

Midwest participants will continue on to the Albany Amtrak station where they will board the Lake Shore Limited for Chicago. Departure is at 7:05 p.m. They’ll enjoy coach or Viewliner sleeping accommodations. Dinner is included on the Lake Shore Limited. (B*, D*)

Day 12: En Route
Eastern and Mid-Atlantic travelers will transfer to the Albany train station in time for the 8:10 a.m. departure of the train for New York’s Penn Station. They’ll transfer there for trains to home destinations.

Midwesterners will arrive into Chicago at 9:45 a.m. on the Lake Shore Limited. They’ll continue on to home destinations throughout the morning and afternoon. (B*)

   

   

   

 Departure Dates:

• May 31 - June 11
• September 13 - 24

 Per Person Rates:

• $2,595 - Midwest (Midwest Vacation begins and ends in Chicago.)
• $2,395 - East (East Vacation begins in Washington DC and ends in Albany.)
• $970 additional for hotel rooms and Amtrak Roomette bedroom from Greenville to NY Penn Station on a single basis Midwest and East.
• $495 additional for an Amtrak Roomette bedroom (Chicago-Washington and Albany-Chicago) on a single basis (Midwest).

 Per Person Sleeping Accommodation Upgrade Rates:

• Roomette Bedroom $210
• Upgraded Bedroom $545