Tour 1 – Thursday, July 27 – The Breakers Mansion in Newport, Lunch & Wine Tasting.  9:00 am – 3:30 pm ~ cost $110.00 pp.  Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, one of the richest men in America, The Breakers was everything a millionaire of the Gilded Age could want in a summer getaway.  A classic Italian palazzo design, the finest American and European craftsmanship, views of the sea, and modern technology combined to make the ideal setting for luxurious living and entertaining. 

The Breakers was built from 1893-1895 to replace a smaller, wooden house that had been destroyed by fire.  To reduce the risk of another fire, Vanderbilt and his wife, Alice, commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt, a leading architect of the Gilded Age, to design the new structure of steel, brick and limestone.  After the tour we will stop for a New England style lunch, and enjoy a wine tasting at a local Newport Vineyard.

Tour 2 – Friday, July 28 – Museum of Our National Heritage and Lexington Battlefield & Lunch.  9:00 am – 2:30 pm ~cost $100.00 pp.  Established in 1975 by the Scottish Rite Freemasons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the museum and library tell the story of Freemasonry and fraternalism in the context of American history.  Unique in the nation, the museum aims to be the historical society of American Freemasonry by collecting, preserving, interpreting and celebrating the history of fraternalism.

After the tour of the museum, lunch will be provided, then it is on to the Lexington Battle Green to learn a little bit about the site where the American Revolution began with the “shot heard round the world.”  We will return to the hotel with enough time for candidates to attend their orientation.

Tour 3 – Friday, July 28 – Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.  9:00 am – 2:30 pm ~ cost $80.00 pp.  Take a stroll through living history.  The buildings you see aren’t replicas. They are trade shops and businesses from the 1800s that were transported to Mystic Seaport Museum from locations around New England. The Seaport Village is made up of many bustling maritime trades. From shipsmiths and coopers to woodcarvers and riggers, discover how America’s maritime past shaped life today.

Lunch is on your own at one of several restaurants along the Seaport, ranging from outdoor clam shacks to dine-in service.  Included in the cost is admission to the various museums and exhibits.  This is a self-paced walking tour.  We will return to the hotel with enough time for candidates to attend their orientation.