100% customisable travel idea
The Very Art of New England East Coast Museums and Rural Communities
United States - East Coast - Boston - Maine - Vermont - State of New York
100% customisable travel idea
United States - East Coast - Boston - Maine - Vermont - State of New York
100% customisable for you
On arrival, you have a private transfer to the city centre. Your hotel is a tall building with a lovely brick façade overlooking a park. It features contemporary interiors, tastefully decorated in a very American-style “industrial chic” décor, with high-quality materials and cutting-edge technology. The rooms are welcoming, comfortable and fully equipped.
Founded in the 17th century by English settlers, the capital of Massachusetts is one of the oldest cities on the continent - and the birthplace of American history: it was the theatre of the Revolution at the end of the 18th century, the first port in the United States, and a major industrial centre by the late 19th century. Here, you no longer really feel like you are in Europe, but you are not quite in America yet either.
On the itinerary: a stroll through two of Boston’s most iconic neighbourhoods accompanied by a local. You are about to spend a few hours with a Boston local, who shares their experience and knowledge of the city with visitors through anecdotes and secrets about its iconic neighbourhoods. Together, you set out to explore Beacon Hill, a very photogenic federal district, and home to the legendary Harvard University, whose secrets you uncover through a museum visit and a stroll across the campus.
Also included: Your tickets to the Institute of Contemporary Art , which enjoys an exceptional location in the Waterfront district, facing the ocean - you can reach it after a pleasant walk along the quays. The museum usually offers two temporary exhibitions - often surprising, sometimes avant-garde, and always interesting.
Pick up your rental car and drive straight to Rockport. Enjoy a two-night stay in a charming colonial-style building that is unapologetic about the clichés - with its red-painted shutters and the national flag fluttering in the breeze. She does not look her age (almost 200 years old) thanks to a successful renovation and careful upkeep. Your room is a cosy little haven, rich in colours and patterns, from the carpets to the wallpaper and the curtains. As for breakfast, it is delivered to your door each morning, and is just as perfect - a special mention goes to the delicious scones.
Houses embellished with buoys, colourful boats, and the iconic red fishing hut standing proudly on the harbour. Rockport is a charming little town with typical seaside décor. Peaceful as it is, it is nonetheless lively, with numerous shops, restaurants, cafés and several art galleries. Departing from Rockport, it’s easy to explore the Cape Ann peninsula and its other picturesque small towns, such as Newburyport, where you can set off for Plum Island and its superb beaches.
Drive to Portland, a vibrant port city - and the largest city in the state of Maine - rebuilt in 1866 after a major fire.
Things to see and do: Admire Victorian houses such as Victoria Mansion; stroll along the Old Port and test the local seafood, with lobster taking pride of place on the table; soak in the beautiful views of the coast and the bay’s islands from Eastern Promenade Park and Cape Elizabeth, where you’ll find Portland Head Light, a lighthouse built in 1791.
Settle in for the night in the heart of the Old Port’s brick buildings. In the hotel, cosy lounges with fireplaces and a lovely garden complement your comfortable room with its elegant décor.
Already included - Your tickets to the Portland Art Museum, one of the 25 largest museums of art in the United States - it covers 236,800 sq ft (22,000 m²)! The permanent collection includes more than 42,000 pieces, with some beautiful Asian works on permanent display. In addition to an Indigenous art centre, a Northwest art centre and a film centre, the absolutely enormous site is also home to a sculpture garden.
On the way to Rockland. Along the way, you can stop in Wiscasset, known as the prettiest village in Maine, founded in the 17th century. Its beautifully preserved architecture has earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Its position overlooking the Sheepscot River saw it function as an important trading port until the early 19th century. Remnants of this golden age include the Federal-style Nickels-Sortwell House , the Victorian-style Castle Tucker mansion and a jail, all bordered by a myriad of small restaurants, art galleries and antique shops. You won’t want to miss strolling from one to the other, picking up some local arts and crafts, or simply admiring beautiful period furniture.
In Rockland, settle in for the night overlooking the port, in a welcoming hotel with a contemporary and elegant design. Guests appreciate the modern, colourful furniture, the artworks and the beautiful fireplace sitting in the spacious ground-floor lounge. In the rooms, comfort is optimal and does not detract from the overall aesthetics. It’s an arty gem.
Not to be missed - Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. It stands in the harbour, at the end of a 0.9 mile (1.4 km) granite jetty, with a beautiful view over the port and, at times, passing birds, seals and dolphins. On site, you can visit the keeper’s house and, depending on the weather, climb to the top of the light to enjoy the sea view that solitary souls have gazed at many times in the past, watching for ships arriving from the open sea.
Already arranged - Your tickets for the Farnsworth Art Museum, an exciting visit to a museum with an impressive collection - several galleries are dedicated to contemporary art - with more than 15,000 works, including pieces by artists such as Louise Nevelson, Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Eakins.
Drive to the area around Jackson, New Hampshire, and settle in for the night by the river at a charming inn with a warm welcome and cosy rooms.
Optional - Scale Mount Washington aboard a panoramic train.
Drive to Burlington, Vermont, where you settle in for a three-night stay. Your hotel, built of brick, wood and stone, stands proudly in the city centre just 440 yards (400 m) from Lake Champlain. The atmosphere is peaceful, and the service is discreet and dedicated. The décor showcases works of art made in Vermont. The spacious rooms reveal a sleek, minimalist design. The day may begin with a yoga session and finish with a drink overlooking the lake from the garden terrace. On the plate, they've gone for a farm-to-table approach, and it works.
Located about 40 minutes from the Quebec border, on the shores of the beautiful Lake Champlain, Burlington is one of the greenest cities in the United States and is also renowned for its gastronomy. Lively and a foodie haven, the city is brimming with restaurants, cafés, bakeries and tempting bistros, all showcasing local produce. This is also where the famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory is found.
Must do - Cycle along the Burlington Bike Path, a bike trail that starts in the city centre and runs along the lake, following the former railway line route. Along the way, you come across many small beaches - perfect spots for a picnic or a quick swim in the fresh water.
To do - The Shelburne Museum, a real outdoor gem comprising several spaces, including a steamboat and a covered bridge brought from Massachusetts. The exhibitions present works by various American and international artists. Thus, the collection of the museum’s founder, Electra Webb, includes works by Monet, Manet and Degas, among others. Not to mention the recreation of the studio of artist Ogden Pleissner, a renowned landscape painter, and an exhibition of several of his paintings. Nearby, don’t miss a visit to Shelburne Farms, a nonprofit agricultural estate dedicated to sustainable initiatives. Several hiking trails crisscross the estate, including one that leads to a hotel with stunning views of Lake Champlain. A lovely time in the countryside and a chance to pick up some local products - cheeses, vegetables, fruit, flowers, and more.
Drive to the Williamstown area and spend the night at an hotel exuding a rustic yet elegant style, set within the walls of a large building dating from 1912. The rooms are spacious and bright, and the outdoor areas - beautiful terraces with fire pits and rocking chairs - are pleasant and open to nature. We really like the lobby - warm and welcoming, with a large fireplace as its centrepiece. At the restaurant, a varied bistro-style menu is served, prepared with local produce to support regional farms.
Already included - your tickets to the Clark Art Institute, also known as the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, which, together with the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the Williams College Museum of Art and the Bennington Museum, forms the Berkshire museums quartet - a key cultural centre in the region. The institute’s permanent collection includes American and European paintings - notably works by French Impressionists - as well as sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the early 20th century.
Drive to Stockbridge. On the way, we stop in North Adams to visit the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art or Mass MoCA - you already have your tickets in hand. Set within a beautifully restored former industrial site, it houses exhibition galleries, a performance hall, a restaurant and a design shop. An exciting place for art lovers, with numerous international events, as well as for those interested in how these former industrial strongholds are overcoming economic decline through art, culture and leisure.
In the charming village of Stockbridge, you have a two-night stay in an inn dating back to the 18th century - it is, in fact, part of the Historic Hotels of America. The main building, with its unmistakably country style, houses charming rooms with an appealing retro look.
An iconic Berkshire village seemingly frozen in time, Stockbridge is a true postcard scene that feels as if we have seen it in more than one film. In addition to the great charm of its picturesque Main Street lined with pretty white houses, the town is home to the famous Norman Rockwell Museum which visitors are keen to explore - once again, tickets have already been arranged. The museum pays tribute to the painter Norman Rockwell, who spent the last 25 years of his life in the Berkshires and did much to promote the arts in the region. On his death, the collection he had assembled since the 1970s in a house in Stockbridge became public. Nearly 1,000 original works by the artist are displayed here, alongside objects, books and furniture that once belonged to him.
Optional - A concert at the Tanglewood music centre.
Drive to Beacon, in New York State.
In your itinerary - Dia Beacon (tickets included). Created by the Dia Art Foundation to promote contemporary art, the museum occupies a former box printing factory dating back to the early 20th century. Opened in 2003 as a spacious and bright exhibition space, its minimalist and conceptual art installations have attracted a great deal of attention. The museum presents the Dia Art Foundation's collection of art, as well as temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary artists.
Overnight stay at a small property near the main street in Beacon. You will love the cosy rooms, the charming lounge with a fireplace, and the beautiful views of the river and the waterfall.
Not to be missed - Storm King Center, in New Windsor, in the Hudson Valley. This 500 acre (200 hectare) open-air museum holds one of the largest collections of contemporary outdoors sculptures in the United States. It also puts on regular temporary exhibitions. Several monumental works are scattered across the property's meadows, hills and woods, all crossed by paths.
Drive to the airport, return the car, and take your direct international flight home. Night on board, arrival the following day.
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