9 Day America's Historic East Road Trip

Arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and proceed to the hotel. New York is an adrenaline-charged, history-laden place that holds immense romantic appeal for visitors. Wandering the streets here, you’ll cut between buildings that are icons to the modern age. New York City is the ultimate cosmopolitan city in the world; there is lower Manhattan’s Chinatown and the traditionally Jewish Lower East Side, the more artsy concentrations of SoHo, TriBeCa, and the East and West Villages. Of course, there is the celebrated architecture of corporate Manhattan, with the skyscrapers in downtown and midtown forming the most unforgettable images. Whether gazing at the flickering lights of the midtown skyscrapers, experiencing the 4am half-life downtown, or taking a ride on the Staten Island ferry, you really would have to be made of stone not to be moved by it all. There’s no place quite like it in the world.

Get ready for an unforgettable day of sightseeing. New York City, deservingly called “the city that never sleeps”, offers something for everyone at all times of the day or night. Among the most visited attractions are Time Square, Central Park which houses the City Zoo, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the famous Brooklyn Bridge. After dark, the twin Gothic towers and strong steel cables make a striking silhouette against the night sky. Walking across the bridge is a huge thrill, particularly if you start from the Brooklyn side and view the Manhattan skyline as your stroll across. Of course, no tour of New York would be complete without a visit to America’s highest representation of freedom, the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, and the Empire State Building. For the artist at heart, the more established arts like dance, theater, and music are superbly catered for. If shopping is what you fancy, you have come to the right place; the choice of shops is so extensive that it is almost numbingly exhaustive. In between sights, you can eat just about anything, at any time, cooked in any style.

Today you leave New York City’s excitement behind. On your way to Ithaca stop at West Point and take a tour of this scenic military academy on the west bank of the Hudson River. Keep on your journey up the west bank to Hyde Park where the Vanderbilt Mansion stands virtually unchanged from the time the Vanderbilt’s used it as their summer retreat. The grounds feature breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the distant Catskill Mountains. After touring the mansion, head just a bit west and take a closer look at the Catskills. Vivid with natural beauty, the Catskill Mountains are a place of inspiration and reflection. Walk the trails and discover their history in the stone houses of Hurley. Continue on to Ithaca.

Drive away from Ithaca this morning in the direction of the majestic Niagara Falls by way of the Finger Lakes. Explore the wineries and gorges while enjoying the culinary delights of the Canandaigua Winery Trail in the Finger Lakes Region. Press forward in the direction of the falls. Once there, experience the sights and sounds of one of nature’s most beautiful creations. Let your adventure begin within feet of the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. Take an elevator ride 175 feet down to the base of Bridal Veil Falls where you can walk along the base of the falls on a series of wooden stairs and decks. Feel the power of Niagara Falls from the Hurricane Deck just feet from the pounding waters.

Afterwards, join your legendary boat tour of Niagara Falls aboard a state-of-the-art Hornblower catamaran. Our Voyage to the Falls boat tour provides an up-close viewing of the magnificent Great Gorge, American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and of course the mighty Horseshoe Falls. You’ll experience the thundering roar, awesome power and amazing mist of the magnificent Niagara Falls. Voyage to the Falls departs every 15 minutes and starts each day with our Early Morning Sunrise boat tour. This experience includes access to the Lower Landing and Falls viewing area.

This morning is yours to do as you please. Take one more look at the falls or explore the Greater Niagara Region. Another possibility is taking the one and a half hour drive to Toronto. Or, maybe you just want to relax before you depart for Corning in the afternoon. Once in Corning be sure to visit the Corning Museum of Glass which is the world’s largest glass museum, featuring 35 centuries of glass artistry and live glass-blowing demonstrations.

Leave Corning and travel south into Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster County is well-known for its quaint Amish villages where time seems to have stood still. The Amish, also known as “the plain people”, are by far the best farmers of this country. Explore and discover the Amish life-style by taking an educational guided tour through an authentically furnished 1840s Old Order Amish farmhouse.

An integral part of “The Amish Experience” is the Amish Farmlands Tour taking you deep into the countryside and the heart of some of the most beautiful farmland and the oldest Amish community in the world. These are the same fertile fields that had attracted and have kept our Amish neighbors here for over 250 years. And only a local guide can answer your questions and point out the fascinating activities we may observe on any given day. When you join one of Lancaster’s only certified guides on an air-conditioned motor coach tour of the out-of-the-way back roads and country lanes, you’ll experience a new sense of the work and family ethic that continues to mark the Amish way of life. You’ll see one room school houses like the one where Jacob and his younger siblings learned their “English” subjects. You’ll witness spectacular panoramas of patchwork farm land that are unparalleled in their intrinsic beauty, all farmed with horses and mules rather than tractors.

If you decide to have breakfast at the hotel this morning make sure to sit by a window so you can witness a true Amish spectacle as the children run across the fields toward the one-room school house in the horizon. Except for holidays, vacation or during harvest time, this is a daily occurrence between the hours of 8:00 and 8:30am. Drive away from Lancaster this morning toward Washington, DC.

Along the way you will encounter the Chesapeake Bay area and all its lighthouses. While in the bay area, visit Annapolis which is the state capital of Maryland and a beautiful historical seaport. Tour the Maryland State House, the oldest state house still in legislative use. Stroll along the City Doc or take a tour of the US Naval Academy, highlights include the Shipbuilding museum, Hemdon Monument, Crypt of John Paul Jones, and the Statue of Tecumseh. Continue traveling to Washington, DC.

Today you will have a chance to explore the nation’s capitol. Washington, DC attracts nearly twenty million tourists each year making tourism the second biggest industry of the area just after the federal government. Surprisingly, admission to most major attractions is free. Accommodations Explore the city’s most famous sites which are mostly concentrated along the National Mall, often called the “Nation’s Front Yard”; it expands from the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac to the Capitol Building and Supreme Court on Capitol Hill.

Along the Mall are the majority of the 18 museums which comprise the Smithsonian Institution, the War Memorials, and the Washington Monument which offers rides to the top of the obelisk and lies south of the illustrious White House. Other points of interest are Arlington National Cemetery, the Library of Congress, the National Cathedral, and the National Zoo. Of course, there is more to Washington than historical site-seeing. Washington has also developed an active nightlife. Besides the world-class restaurants, you can see Broadway shows, Washington-only political satires, and live music of all types.

Enjoy your last moments in Washington DC and depart at your leisure.