Cape Cod Summer Breezes

Departure Points:

Yankee Trails, Rensselaer - 7:30am

Friday, August 9

We’ll board the coach this morning and meet up with our local guide at the Route 3 / Exit 13 Commuter Lot as we will travel to America’s Hometown – Plymouth, MA. Home of our Pilgrim Fathers and one of the country’s first settlements, it is well known in the United States for its historical value. A picture stop will be made at the Forefathers Monument, the largest, solid granite monument in the United States. She stands facing the harbor, welcoming those who come by water. A picture stop will also be made at Plymouth Rock, the traditional site of disembarkation of the Pilgrims in 1620. View the newly restored Mayflower II, a reproduction of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World. Board a LOBSTER TALES CRUISE to learn about the many creatures that live-in Plymouth Harbor. Experience a “hands on” approach to see how lobsters are harvested from their natural environment. Roll up your sleeves to help haul in lobster traps. You will have free time for lunch on your own on the waterfront. Next we will head to our accommodations at the Fairfield Inn (508-771-6100) in Hyannis, MA. There will be time to relax and enjoy the indoor pool or have some down time after check in. Dinner is included tonight at a local restaurant. The rest of the evening will be on your own following dinner.

Saturday, August 10

After an extended continental breakfast (included), a local guide will join us as our Cape Cod summer adventure continues. You will travel historic Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway, a scenic byway winding through centuries of Cape Cod history. View the Eastham Windmill, a Cape Cod Lighthouse and visit the Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor Center on our way to Provincetown! Sand dunes and the ocean surround us as we approach “Land’s End” - Provincetown! Formerly known as the “Province Lands” the pilgrims landed here first before they decided to settle across the Bay in Plymouth. Take some time to enjoy the wonderful variety of restaurants, shops, and galleries that make this artists/fishermen village so unique. Upon arrival, board an excursion vessel for an amazing experience of WHALE WATCHING. (3 hours) You will travel into the natural habitat of a diverse marine environment including birds that migrate here from all over the Atlantic, and fish which use these shallow waters to feed. Try to spot Humpback, Minke, and Fin Whales going about their daily business. An onboard naturalist will introduce you to everything you see and will answer any of your questions about the whales, birds, fish and lighthouses. OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO STAY ON DRY LAND: Admission is included on a one-hour DUNE TOUR excursion. Ride through the protected lands of the Cape Cod National Seashore, the largest protected coastline in the country. Your driver/guide will point out the “dune shacks” where famous artists and writers became inspired to create their art. You will have free time for lunch and exploring in P-Town after your whale watch or dune tour. Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. After dinner you will be on your own to enjoy the last night at our hotel.

Sunday, August 11

An extended continental breakfast is included this morning at the hotel. Today we will meet up with our local guide upon checkout. We will enjoy a tour of Hyannis including the John F. Kennedy Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and a view of St. Francis Xavier Church, the summer parish of the Kennedy Family. Our next destination along the way is Sandwich, MA the oldest town on Cape Cod! We will view the Village Green, the Great Salt Marsh, a Cranberry Bog, and Cape Cod Bay. Sandwich became the site of one of America’s largest glass factories, an industry that flourished during the 19th century. This quaint and quiet seaside community is the hometown of Thornton Burgess, naturalist and author of 170 children’s books. Lunch will be on your own at Seafood Sam’s along the Cape Cod Canal. Admission is then included to the Heritage Museum & Gardens. Heritage offers one hundred acres of trees, shrubs, flowers, and sweeping lawns. Be sure to visit the JK Lilly III Automobile Collection Museum, the American History Museum, and the Art Museum featuring an operating, hand-carved Carousel made in 1912. We will depart at 2:30pm with an approximate arrival in the Capital District at 8pm. One stop each way.

CB=Continental Breakfast, LU=Lunch, DN=Dinner