MARITIME WONDERS RICH IN HISTORY
Departures
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Ships which operate this route: | Nantucket Clipper |
Enjoy the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay - the “noblest bay in the universe” - and discover the fabled Hudson River, first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609 while searching for a route to the Far East.
| Day 1 | Washington, DC / Alexandria, Virginia (Embark) Arrive in Washington, D.C., and transfer to Alexandria and the Nantucket Clipper, which you may board later this afternoon. After dinner, the evening is yours to explore this historic area at your leisure. |
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| Day 2 | Washington, DC / Alexandria Designed by Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant around 1790, Washington, DC, is a vast “museum display” of our national heritage and greatness. You may join an optional morning tour of breathtaking Mt. Vernon, the meticulously preserved estate of George Washington. The afternoon is at leisure to visit the monuments that honor Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Sense the authority embodied in both the White House and Capitol Building. Lose yourself in the exhibits at the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, and the various Smithsonian museums. Regardless of your interests, our nation’s capital has no shortage of attractions to satisfy them. After dinner this evening, an optional excursion presents our capital’s unique resplendence, beautifully illuminated by the lights of the city. |
| Day 3 | Cruising the Potomac River & Chespeake Bay Enjoy a relaxing morning aboard the Nantucket Clipper, cruising down the Potomac River into the “great bay of shellfish.” One of the most complete estuarine systems in the world, the Chesapeake’s rich waters are fringed by marshlands and mudflats, hiding places for waterfowl, and nurseries for oysters and crabs. |
| Day 4 | Norfolk, Virginia Home of the world’s largest shipbuilding and repair center as well as the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk also houses Langley Air Force Base. The waterfront boasts the “Waterside” development with more than 100 boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops that face the Elizabeth River. Explore on your own or join an optional excursion to Colonial Williamsburg. Here, more than 500 buildings have been restored to their 18th-century appearance, and people representing actual citizens from the 1700s greet you in taverns, shops, and inns - it’s like visiting another era! Listen as these “citizens” discuss British taxes, religious freedom, and armed insurrection just as townspeople did on the eve of the Revolutionary War. As the ship departs early this evening, enjoy a narrated tour of the harbor, with informative commentary about the area’s history and the fleet of ships sheltered here. |
| Day 5 | Cruising Chesapeake Bay / Saint Michaels, Maryland In the early morning, the Nantucket Clipper sails across Chesapeake Bay to St Michaels, the charming village that was one of the shipbuilding centers for tall-masted Baltimore clipper ships. Enjoy leisure time to explore the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum or take an optional guided stroll through the quiet community, learning about its rich history as you view its colonial architecture. Later this afternoon, you’ll have the option to sail back in time aboard the skipjack Rebecca T Ruark. Constructed in 1866 to dredge oysters from the bay, she is the “queen” of North America’s last working fleet of sailboats. |
| Day 6 | Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis charms and delights visitors with its winding brick streets and uniformed midshipmen. Settled in 1649, the city was the first peacetime capital of the United States and an integral port for maritime trade. We’ll anchor in Annapolis Harbor, and a tender takes you right into the heart of town. Explore the city on your own or join an optional excursion that stops at the historic State House. The tour includes the US Naval Academy and the formal gardens of the William Paca House. The afternoon is yours to experience the attractions of Annapolis as you wish. |
| Day 7 | Cape May, New Jersey After a relaxing morning at sea, arrive in lovely Cape May early this afternoon. Purchased from its Native American inhabitants and settled by European colonists in the 1630s, Cape May saw almost immediate prosperity as a fishing and whaling port. By 1766, the beautiful setting and wonderful seafood of Cape May began to draw visitors looking for a retreat from the large cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore. Today the area is touted as America’s “oldest seashore resort” and there are plenty of attractions to authenticate this claim. Explore at your own pace or join an optional tour that provides an overview of the town and its Victorian architecture, which have built Cape May’s modern reputation. |
| Day 8 | Cruising the Hudson River Enjoy a day at sea as you sail through New York City Harbor toward the mouth of the Hudson River. Our onboard naturalist and historian preview the highlights of the next few days. |
| Day 9 | Kingston (for Hyde Park), New York Kingston served as one of the Hudson’s most vital ports during the 19th century, with barges, steamboats, and ferries crowding its riverbanks. You will have a full day to experience Kingston, viewing its handsome examples of 17th- and 18th-century Dutch stone houses, museum-quality antiques shop, and a church described by Calvert Vaux - co-designer of Central Park - as “ideally perfect.” Alternatively, you may join an optional outing that showcases the beauty of the Hyde Park area, including a delicious lunch at the Culinary Institute of America - and a visit to the Franklin D Roosevelt Library and Museum. |
| Day 10 | West Point / New York City, New York On your way to West Point, you’ll sail through a narrow, serpentine channel called “World’s End” where, during the Revolutionary War, colonists placed a heavy chain across the Hudson to prevent the British fleet from penetrating farther into the Hudson Highlands. Our nation’s most famous fortress, West Point was first occupied as a post in 1778 and was established as a school for military engineers in 1802. It is the alma mater of such military heroes as Grant, MacArthur, and Eisenhower, and the entire post is now a National Monument. This morning, join an optional tour of the grounds and historic buildings. Visit the Cadet Chapel and the Old Cadet Chapel, which symbolize the values and traditions of West Point. Your evening arrival in New York City is a moving experience, sailing past restored Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, standing in proud acknowledgement of America’s tradition of granting welcome and safe harbor to the world’s “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” |
| Day 11 | New York City (Disembark) Disembark the Nantucket Clipper after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your homeward-bound flight. |
| Departure Dates | Prices From |
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| Please ask us for details | |
