A CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY IN Massachusetts Northampton, MA

We have chosen a destination we have not explored before and decided this charming area will make you feel welcome and desire for you to enter and enjoy the holidays with the natives. Wait until you come back and tell your grandchildren you visited the home of Dr. Seuss where the Grinch tried to steal

Christmas. You will also delight in the Christmas decorations and lights in the area. You will return home with filled with the Spirit of Christmas and who knows, with a special gift for some loved one! Your tour includes three nights lodging, three breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners. plus, two live shows. We will depart Manassas at 6:15 a.m. and Woodbridge at 7:00 a.m. Return time is approximately 8:30 p.m.

The Itinerary

• DAY ONE:

Today, you depart on your deluxe motor coach for a scenic drive to Albany, NY. Here you have overnight accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express. Dinner this evening will; be at the local Applebee’s. Later, you are treated to an evening of holiday whodunnit hilarity when you attend the Capitol Rep Theatre’s production of “A Sherlock Carol.” In this exciting new play, famed detective, Sherlock Holmes is called in to solve a spine- tingling murder mystery – who killed Ebenezer Scrooge? Of course, classic Dickens characters Tiny Tim and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future will all be there to add to the fun! Enjoy!

• DAY TWO:

After a full buffet breakfast at your hotel, it’s on to the lovely town of Deerfield, Massachusetts. Here, a special Christmas Tea luncheon with sandwiches and dessert awaits you at the historic Deerfield Inn. Next,you are the personal guests of the Historic Deerfield Society as you and your tour group take a private tour of two of this town’s most historic landmarks: the 18th-century federal- style Williams Mansion, with its historic period furnishings, and the Hall Tavern with its colonial charm and roaring fireplace. An early American cooking demonstration is included here before ending your touring day at New England’s most visited tourist attraction: the headquarters of the Yankee Candle Company. On display here are gift shops galore, the candle dipping room (where you can dip your own candles), a Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream shop, animated reindeer, plus: a castle with a moat and a Bavarian village with a forest and falling snow – all indoors! (Snow falls every 4 ½ minutes.) Later, you check in to your beautiful two-night lodging at the legendary Hotel Northampton in nearby Northampton, MA, right next door to the prestigious Smith College. This luxurious hotel has been housing the nation’s presidents, actors, and writers since its official opening in 1927. After a buffet dinner at the hotel this evening, don’t miss the festive decorations in the lobby with its beautiful Christmas tree and gas-lit fireplace with garlands and red stockings on the mantle.

• DAY THREE:

After a full buffet breakfast at your hotel, you have a free morning to enjoy the many shops and restaurants the colonial town of Northampton is famous for. Don’t forget to stop at the Thorne Marketplace with three floors of shops at 150 Main Street, which has been hosting Christmas shoppers for many decades. (An approximate 3-minute walk from your hotel.) After having lunch on your own on Main Street, you take a short drive to nearby Springfield, MA home to one of America’s best-loved children’s authors, Dr. Seuss. Here, you visit the Dr. Seuss Museum where you learn how the writer’s most well-known stories, such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” were created beginning in the 1930s. On display, you will find Dr. Seuss’s pencil sets which he used to illustrate his books, his personal bow tie collection, and the Dr. Seuss sculpture garden. Your admission ticket includes the Museum of Science next door with a special holiday display of indoor gingerbread houses. A dinner is included with a choice of pork loin, boneless chicken, or baked scrod at the Student Prince, a Springfield restaurant that has been welcoming guests for nearly 100 years. The Student Prince has the largest collection of antique beer steins in America and is famous for its wonderful Christmas carolers, who will walk around your table and serenade you while you dine. Dessert this evening is the house specialty – homemade apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. Yum! Now we drive to the city’s Forest Park where you enjoy a spectacular hour at Bright Nights, a yearly Christmas tradition. Your motor coach will travel through 3 miles of holiday displays including thousands of lights, gardens, animated Christmas displays, and of course Santa’s Workshop. What a wonderful way to end your tour!

• DAY FOUR:

After an early breakfast buffet at your hotel, you depart at 7:30 a.m. with wonderful holiday memories! Our next stop is New York City where we will enjoy an early lunch at the Dallas BBQ followed by reserved seats at Radio City Music Hall for their fabulous Christmas Spectacular. What a way to end a day!