For 2010, Rail Travel Center again offers our unique tour in the Northeast, concentrating on Rhode Island, Block Island, Nantucket Island, the Cape Cod area of southern Massachusetts, and part of southern Connecticut. Our program is timed for late spring, just before the major tourist influx comes to these extremely popular destinations. The tour includes a five-night stay in Providence RI and two nights each on Nantucket Island and in Hyannis MA. Nantucket Harbor

Transportation highlights include dinners in the diner on the Newport Dinner Train and the Cape Cod Central Railroad; rides on the Essex Steam Train, Shore Line Trolley Museum, Amtrak's 150 mph ACELA EXPRESS, Block Island Ferry, and Hy-Line ferry to Nantucket; and mass transit rides in Providence. All train trips on the tour ride scenic lines once part of the vast New England empire of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Other attractions include touring Newport RI,, a day on Block Island (tour and lunch included) with free time, touring and free time on Nantucket, and visiting Cape Cod National Seashore, the wonderful Heritage Museum and Garden in Sandwich MA, and Plimoth Plantation. Please consider joining Rail Travel Center Vice-President/General Manager Carl Fowler on this great spring program. All aboard!

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• Rides on the Providence to Newport ferry
• Essex Steam Train
• Amtrak's ACELA
• Vineyard Fast Ferry
• Hy-Line Ferry to Nantucket
• Five nights in the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Providence (Historic Union Station Plaza)
• Day trip to Martha's Vineyard
• Tour of Nantucket
• Dinner on the Cape Cod Central Railroad
• Newport Dinner Train
• Visit and tour the 100-acre Heritage Museums and Gardens (Sandwich, MA)

Day One, Friday, June 4
Independent arrivals into Providence RI. The program begins with independent arrivals today into Providence, Rhode Island. The hotel for the next five nights is the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Providence in the historic Union Station Plaza, just one block from the current Amtrak station or about 15 minutes from the airport. This was the landmark former New Haven RR depot.

Day Two, Saturday, June 5 (L,D)
Newport sightseeing: Providence to Newport ferry - Marble House - Rosecliff - Newport Dinner Train. A short ride in mid-morning takes you to board the RIPTA ferry to Newport RI. Lunch is included on arrival, followed by tours at famous Marble House (built for William K. Vanderbilt in 1892) and Rosecliff, used as the setting of the movie "The Great Gatsby" filmed in 1974. Rosecliff was designed by Stanford White in the style of the Grand Trianon at Versailles and features garden ornaments by famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Following a brief tour of the general area, you have free time before boarding the Newport Dinner Train for a run along the shores of beautiful Narragansett Bay as we enjoy a four-course dinner in their Budd dining cars.

Day Three, Sunday, June 6 (L)
Essex Steam Train - Shore Line Trolley Museum - Amtrak Acela. Your motorcoach takes you southwest today, stopping first in the lovely village of Essex CT for a late morning ride behind steam along the Connecticut River on the Essex Steam Train. Upon your return, you have a fine included luncheon at the Griswold Inn, a Colonial inn operating since 1776. The Griswold claims to be America's oldest continuously operated inn, although the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck NY makes a similar claim! There is free time to walk, shop or make an optional visit to the Connecticut River Museum in the village before we depart for the Shore Line Trolley Museum. Here you can visit the museum itself, which contains almost 100 historic U.S. and Canadian trolleys, and ride a three-mile line (the last portion of the Branford Electric Railway in operation) on an historic trolley. Your day concludes with a ride on Amtrak's Acela Express high-speed train from New Haven to Providence, a ride of approximately one-and-one-half hours. Reach speeds of 150mph as we follow the very scenic former New Haven "Shoreline" along the coastline of the Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay.

Day Four, Monday, June 7 (L)
Day trip to Martha's Vineyard. Depart from North Kingston this morning on the Vineyard Fast Ferry to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. Upon arrival, you have an included tour of the island and lunch in Edgartown, followed by several hours of free time before your return departure by ferry. Historically, Martha's Vineyard was a whaling town, and fishing still is an island industry. Now, it is a noted travel destination for its beautiful beaches and sport fishing as well as a getaway for the well-to-do and famous during the summer. Beautiful homes, wildlife sanctuaries and shopping abound. After re-crossing to the mainland, we return to Providence by motorcoach in early evening.

Day Five, Tuesday, June 8
Free day in Providence. Everyone on the tour is provided with a LINK trackless trolley pass for today, which allows visits to many of the important sites in Providence. The Gold Line in the Capitol Hill area stops at the Amtrak station; the State House (which contains a painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, the original 1663 Royal Charter granted by King Charles II of England and other objects of interest); and Waterplace Park, a four-acre park in the city center which hosts WaterFire on some evenings. The Green Line includes Restaurant Row, the Eastside Marketplace, the First Baptist Church in America (established 1638 and housed in a 1775 structure with a 1792 Waterford crystal chandelier), and the famous Rhode Island School of Design. The Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design contains over 80,000 works of art and is well worth the visit! The Gold and Green Lines join at Kennedy Plaza, within walking distance a few blocks from our hotel.

Day Six, Wednesday, June 9 (D)
Motorcoach to Hyannis - Ferry to Nantucket. This morning your motorcoach transfers you to Hyannis MA for the noon fast ferry to Nantucket, with optional lunch available on the ferry. Upon arrival on Nantucket, you (and your luggage) are transferred to your hotel for the next two nights, the charming Nantucket Inn. This property has both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an exercise center, tennis courts, billiards and bicycle rentals. Located about three miles outside the village, the hotel provides complimentary hourly transfers to/from town or Surfside Beach. You have free time this afternoon before an included dinner at A. K. Diamond's restaurant.

Day Seven, Thursday, June 10 (B)
Tour of Nantucket and free time. Following a lovely included breakfast buffet, you have a mid-morning tour of Nantucket Island, ending by mid-day. The afternoon is yours to explore on your own. Nantucket has a number of historic sites, shops and restaurants. Included are History Passes on this tour which allow free visits to the spectacular new Whaling Museum, the historic Hadwen House, the Oldest House, the Old Mill, the Old Gaol (jail), the Quaker Meeting House and the Fire Hose Cart House (fire equipment). The Historical Association also offers walking tours of downtown Nantucket at an optional cost. An inexpensive bus service is available to visit areas outside the village.

Day Eight, Friday, June 11 (B,L,D)
Cape Cod National Seashore - Dinner on the Cape Cod Central Railroad. Following your breakfast buffet, you are transferred to the Nantucket ferry dock and ride the ferry back to Hyannis, where your motorcoach meets you. Drive the Cape Cod National Seashore, with box lunches included, stopping at points of interest en route. The Seashore stretches for forty miles along Cape Cod, consisting of towering sand dunes, forests, cliffs and marshlands. Cottages, lighthouses and villages are found along the route. Upon your return to Hyannis, you have time to freshen up at your hotel, the Holiday Inn Hyannis, before your Farewell Dinner on the Cape Cod Central Railroad. The journey of three hours takes you along the Cape Cod Canal and across the historic Cape Cod Canal railroad bridge to Buzzards Bay. Pass cranberry bogs, marshes and sand dunes while enjoying a five-course meal on a diesel-powered train following 23 miles of original trackage of the Old Colony Railroad.

Day Nine, Saturday, June 12 (L, D)
Heritage Museums and Gardens - Tour ends in Providence. This morning you take a very short drive to Sandwich MA to visit Heritage Museums and Gardens, which specializes in American history and art. A replica Shaker round barn houses a wonderful collection of antique automobiles including a Cord 812 Phaeton, a Duesenberg Model J, a 1962 Corvette and a 1932 Auburn 8-100A Boattail Speedster. A working hand-carved carousel, Nantucket baskets, scrimshaw and numerous art works are located in the Art Museum; and the American History Museum includes antique toys, military miniatures and Native American artifacts. Paths and a shuttle service provide access to the 100-acre site which also includes gardens, nature trails, a maze and an old mill. Lunch is included on site. Returning to Hyannis, we have time to freshen up at our hotel before our Farewell Dinner on the Cape Cod Central Railroad.

Day Ten, Sunday, June 13

Tour ends. This morning we depart on our chartered motorcoach back to Providence, where we provide drops at the Amtrak Station and the Providence airport for flights/trains leaving after noon.

   

   

   

 Departure Dates:

• June 4 to 13, 2010

 Per Person Rates:

• $2399.00 per person, double occupancy
• $2999.00 per person, single occupancy