Gilded New England – New York to Montreal

The ‘City that Never Sleeps’ beckons — renowned museums and sites galore by day; the glittering sophistication of clubs, theaters and restaurants by night. Explore Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the United Nations, Central Park’s Museum Mile and Wall Street’s towering steel and glass monuments to commerce, then hop into a cab for an afternoon of world-class shopping along Park and Fifth Avenues.

Known as the ‘Queen of Summer Resorts’, Newport was home to many of America’s wealthiest Gilded Age tycoons including the Astors, Belmonts and Vanderbilts. Today, the traveler can tour these opulent mansions, carefully restored by the Newport Preservation Society. Walking tours of Newport showcase a fine collection of pre-Revolutionary War buildings in the Colonial Downtown section, sophisticated boutiques and excellent restaurants.

Tall ships unfurl their sails and make for the open sea, while harbor seals, porpoises and whales play in the wide blue bay. From the mid-1800s until the great fire of 1947, Bar Harbor was a haven for wealthy summer visitors who built shingled, 60-room “summer cottages” on rocky promontories and islands. Today, the main interest is Acadia National Park, a magnificent landscape of towering coastal mountains and coves, lakes, hundreds of streams and ponds, and Somes Sound, a splendid glacial-carved fjord.

Explore the sophisticated urban delights of Canada’s oldest incorporated city and its extraordinary natural wonders in St. John and the Bay of Fundy. Discover the area’s Loyalist heritage and shipbuilding industry with a visit to the New Brunswick Museum. Enjoy the Victorian Architecture as you stroll to the Old City Market. Look for maple syrup, local handicrafts, hard cider and other food items and souvenirs. With the world’s highest tides, head out to view the thrilling natural wonder of the water as it roils and swirls literally reversing the river’s flow during the change from low to high tide.

Welcoming travelers to an innovative and historic cityscape, Nova Scotia’s Halifax offers excellent dining and friendly maritime smiles. Tour Halifax Citadel or take a stroll along the historic waterfront or through the delightful Public Gardens, the oldest Victorian gardens in Canada. Lobster and seafood are local specialties and always tempting to the taste-buds.. The Micmac Indians, called the area ‘Chebuctook’, meaning Great Long Harbor and the city’s ideal location on one of the largest natural harbors in the world made it a strategic asset for convoys in both world wars. Scenic Dartmouth lies on the opposite shore and can be visited by crossing on the oldest saltwater ferry in Canada.

Poised on Cape Breton Island, Sydney is your gateway to the scenic and historic attractions of the Cape Breton Highlands, and the incredible Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, Canada’s largest historical reconstruction. Once known as the “Gibraltar of the New World”, the Fortress of Louisbourg, site of momentous 18th-century battles between the competing empires of France and Great Britain, has been restored to exactly as it looked in 1740. Sydney charms the traveler with harbor views along The Boardwalk and at the nearby summer home of Alexander Graham Bell, now an enlightening museum.

Surrounded by verdant mountains and high plateaus, Saguenay with its breathtaking scenery, is Canada’s only navigable fjord, and its rich eco-system draws pods of visiting whales, seals and seabirds. Nestled among the flowering hills discover some of the most picturesque villages in Québec. Saquenay is the travelers portal to a host of activities including: kayaking, power boating, whale watching and hiking amid simply gorgeous surroundings.

Prepare to be thoroughly charmed by this great historic city. The only walled metropolis in North America provides a taste of authentic, profoundly French culture. Stroll the cool cobbled streets of Basse-Ville with its outstanding 17th- and 18th-century architecture, graceful parks and delightful sidewalk cafés. Head over to the Rue du Trésor where many local artists display and sell their artwork. Discover Place Royale, a beautifully restored market square and the green-turreted castle of Château Frontenac, Québec’s most celebrated landmark. Stop for spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River, Île d’Orléans and the Laurentian Mountains at Dufferin Terrace.

The diversity and rich cultural heritage of Montréal never ceases to captivate the traveler. Take a horse-drawn carriage through the Vieux-Montréal, the largest collection of historic buildings in North America. Browse the shops and boutiques along the 19-miles of neon-lit corridors of the Underground City. Explore the exquisite works on display at the Musée des Beaux Artes or walk part of the Jardin Botanique, the largest Chinese garden in North America.

The diversity and rich cultural heritage of Montréal never ceases to captivate the traveler. Take a horse-drawn carriage through the Vieux-Montréal, the largest collection of historic buildings in North America. Browse the shops and boutiques along the 19-miles of neon-lit corridors of the Underground City. Explore the exquisite works on display at the Musée des Beaux Artes or walk part of the Jardin Botanique, the largest Chinese garden in North America.