Mon, Sep 22: Fly from Indianapolis to Boston and meet your local guide to begin exploring Boston!  First stop, lunch at Cheers, originally the Bull Finch Pub and the inspiration of the hit television series and the place “Where everybody knows your name.” Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market for lunch on your own. Next, head to the Boston Tea Party Museum to relive the famous event that forever changed the course of American history. Historical interpreters, interactive exhibits, full-scale restored 18th Century sailing vessels, and historic artifacts are a sampling of what the experience involves. Of course, the visit would not be complete without a spot of tea!  Taste history as you sip a few of the five original teas that were thrown into Boston harbor.  Check into a centrally located 4-star hotel in Boston (The Bostonian or Hilton Boston Park Plaza). A Welcome Dinner is included this evening. (Meals: Dinner) 

Tue, Sep 23: After included breakfast at the hotel, meet a costumed guide for a visit to the Museum of African American History. Explore the rich history of the African American community on Beacon Hill in the 19th century with a focus on the abolition movement, the Underground Railroad, and the early struggles for equal rights in Boston. Following the museum, stop at various sites along the Freedom Trail including the Old State House which is the oldest and most important public building in American history prior to the Revolution. Relive the moment in July 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston. After a stop for lunch, visit the Old North Church, made famous by Paul Revere’s midnight ride for a brief interpretive talk on the site’s history followed by a walk along the battlefield and a tour of the Bunker Hill Museum. (B,D)

Wed, Sep 24: Travel down the coast to where the first harvest meal was enjoyed—Plymouth, Massachusetts. Step back to 1620 on a guided tour of the historic Plimoth Plantation, a 17th century English village. See how everyday tasks were performed, including how a timber frame house was built. Interact with Pilgrims in the village and experience their day-to-day lives. Visit the Wampanoag Indian Homesite and see how the people lived in the 17th century and how they live today. At the exhibition barn, meet some direct descendants of the original 17th-century livestock before touring the restored Mayflower II! If there were no forks in the 17th century, what did the Pilgrims use? Find out at the Pilgrim Hall Museum, at an included 17th Century themed family-style lunch hosted by a museum curator! The museum built in 1824 and housing an unmatched collection of Pilgrim possessions and Native American artifacts. Among the treasures on display are William Bradford’s Bible, the cradle in which Susanna White rocked her son Peregrine, and the great chair of William Brewster. (B,L,D) 

Thu, Sep 25: Today’s adventures begin at the *John F. Kennedy Library & Museum, our nation’s official memorial to the 35th president of the United States. Walk through the exhibits displaying the life and times of President Kennedy and his family. For lunch today, stop in at Time Out Market, Boston’s innovative eating-and-drinking destination featuring the city’s top chefs, most-talked-about restaurants and buzziest bars—plus the latest in arts and culture—all together under one roof! A meal at Time Out Market Boston means you’re truly digging your fork into the city’s most delicious local dishes, cooked by some of the most decorated Chefs in all New England. Next, take a tour at Fenway Park getting a behind-the-scenes look at America’s oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball where the Babe pitched, The Kid hit, Yaz dazzled, and Red Sox still thrill young fans today. See the press box and broadcast booths; the new Red Sox Hall of Fame Club; the Dugout Seats; and Pesky’s Pole. Then, experience the 360-degree view at View Boston Observatory atop downtown Boston’s Prudential Tower. This 52nd story observatory affords a 360-degree view of Boston, and it is said that on clear days you may even see the mountains of New Hampshire and the shores of Cape Cod! (B,D)

Fri, Sep 26: After breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart for Lexington, Concord with a local guide in tow to tour sites associated with the first engagements of the Revolutionary War. At Minute Man National Historical Park, the opening battle of the Revolution is brought to life as you explore the battlefields and structures associated with April 19, 1775. Other stops include Hancock Parsonage, Lexington Green and the Old North Bridge. Travel to Cambridge for lunch and free time before a walking tour of this famous town, home to poets, writers, and revolutionaries. Highlight Old Market Square, The Old Burying Ground, Radcliffe Yard, and more. The final stop will be Longfellow House, where George Washington took command of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Next, take a student led campus tour of Harvard University, Harvard Yard and the surrounding neighborhood of Harvard Square. Transfer to Logan Airport for your return flights home. (B)