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Museum Gems of New England: Hartford to Newport

Program Number: 20746RJ
Start and End Dates:
5/2/2013 - 5/9/2013;
Duration: 7 nights
Location: Hartford, Connecticut
Price starting at: $1,845.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: On the Road; Arts, Misc.
Meals: 16; 7 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 4 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Mansions from the Gilded Age, maritime legends and renowned works of American art — the museums of Connecticut and Rhode Island offer a fascinating look into the history and culture of these New England states. Experience the impressive collections of the Wadsworth Athenaeum and New Britain Museum of American Art, and learn about their significance to America’s art scene. Get a glimpse into seafaring life and the maritime history of Old New England during an exploration of Mystic Seaport, and explore the interiors and properties of Newport’s seaside mansions. Get insight on collections during informative lectures, and enjoy free time to explore local landmarks and eateries on your own.




Highlights

• Explore the holdings of the Wadsworth Athenaeum, the first public art institution in the United States.
• Immerse yourself in maritime history as you learn about the historic vessels, shipyard and 19th-century village of Mystic Seaport.
• Thrill in the grandeur of the Gilded Age as you explore the historic mansions of Newport.



Activity Particulars

Extensive walking, standing in museums; getting on/off motor coach.



Itinerary Summary

Arrival Hartford, Conn., 4 nights; coach to Newport, R.I., 3 nights; coach to Hartford, Conn., departure.



Coordinated by Road Scholar.




Hartford

Hartford’s history covers the spectrum of American urban development, from an agricultural market to a thriving, post-industrial city rich in cultural and recreational opportunities. Its crown jewel is the 1796 Old State House building designed by Charles Bulfinch.
Accommodations
Comfortable hotels.
Meals and Lodgings
   Hilton Hartford
  Hartford, CT 4 nights
   Newport Beach Hotel and Suites
  Newport, RI 3 nights
 Hilton Hartford
Type: Hotel
  Description: The Hilton Hartford hotel is ideally located in the business and dining district of the historic city of Hartford, Connecticut; an upscale property that completely satisfies all levels of Hilton guests. Conveniently located at the intersections of I-91 and I-84, the Hartford, CT hotel guests can reach over 30 fine restaurants and performing arts leaders within easy walking distance of our entrance on Trumbull Street
  Contact info: 315 Trumbull Street
Hartford, CT 06103 USA
phone: 186-072-8515 x1
web: www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/HFDHHHF-Hilton-Hartford-Connecticut/index.do
  Room amenities: All guest rooms offer the blissful support of Hilton's Serenity mattress set with fine Italian woven bed linens. Bathrooms offer the exclusive herbal and peppermint scent of our Crabtree and Evelyn® bath and skin products. Desks have ergonomic desk chair, stereo MP3 players or FM radio, high speed internet access and comfortable sitting areas.
  Facility amenities: Automated Teller (ATM) Beverage Area, Complimentary Coin Laundry Gift Shop Laundry/Valet Service Local Area Transportation Lounge News Stand Room Service Safety Deposit Box Fitness Room Pool Wi-Fi in common areas
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior:  As this is an on the road program, pre and post nights are not avaliable
  Check in time: 3:00 PM

 Newport Beach Hotel and Suites
Type: Full Service Hotel
  Description: The hotel is located within easy walking distance of the world famous Cliff Walk and just one mile from downtown Newport.
  Contact info: One Wave Avenue
Middletown, RI 02842 USA
phone: 401-846-0310
web: newportbeachhotelandsuites.com/index.cfm
  Room amenities: The original Historic Building recently reopened following a multi-million dollar restoration which incorporates carefully restored interiors with luxurious furnishings and amenities. Completely redesigned guest rooms in these elegant Newport accommodations feature luxurious bedding, and a variety of room configurations. The new décor features beige and blue tones popular within contemporary New England beachside interiors. The same craftsmen who have designed furniture for Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Wynn Hotel, and other luxury hotels designed custom furniture for our rooms with wood inlays and granite tops. Custom furniture with wood inlays and granite tops. 37-inch LCD TV with HD cable, DVD player and complimentary use of our in-house DVD library. MP3 player with iPod docking station. Luxurious bedding with imported linens, duvets and featherbeds, with your choice of plush down or fiberfill pillows. Bathrooms finished in imported Carrera marble, granite vanities with custom cabinetry, and luxury bath amenities. Refrigerator, microwave, iron & board, hair dryer, and electronic safe. In-room gourmet coffee and teas. Complimentary wireless Internet. Proud member of Historic Hotels of America, an exclusive collection of uniquely restored hotels and resorts.
  Facility amenities: An indoor pool and hot tub elevated over Newport Pond provide soothing water views from walls of windows and Juliet balconies. A cascading water wall, nautical artwork, and inlayed glass block mosaic tiles contribute to the relaxing ambiance of the indoor pool environment. The rooftop deck with hot tub, fire pit, outdoor shower, and seating areas overlooks Newport Pond arguably the best views of any of the hotels in Newport, Rhode Island. Additionaly the hotel offers: Free wireless Internet access available in all guest rooms and public areas. Complimentary business center with Internet terminals and printers. Guest laundry in the historic section of the hotel. Complimentary gourmet coffee and teas throughout the hotel.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights after: Depending on Availibilty Please contact the hotel directly for additional nights before or following the program no earlier than 2 months before the program begins. Depending on availibilty a special rate maybe available for Road Scholar Participants.
  Check out time: 11:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
3-5 pm: Check in at the Road Scholar Welcome Desk at the hotel lobby You will be staying at Hilton Hartford that night.
  End of Program:
12 noon: The bus will be returning to Airport in Hartford You will be staying at Newport Beach Hotel and Suites the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
longterm parking available at the first hotel for $18 per day.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Hartford, CT
  From End of Program
  Location: Hartford, CT
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Hartford

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation
Bradley Flyer

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$1.30
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

30 minutes 
   

Please note: All buses stop on the outer roadway at Bradley Terminals A&B. Please be sure you are at the bus stop five (5) minutes before your bus is due. Disembark bus at the Main St. & Pearl St stop. Walk 4 blocks to hotel
 

Hartford

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi
Many

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$45 average price per taxi from airport to downtown Hartford
Prices are subject to change.
 
Driving Directions
  From 84 Westbound to Hartford Take exit 50 (Main Street)- go straight to the 3rd light, make left on to Trumbull. Hotel will be on right side, one block down. Go past the hotel to the first light turn right onto Church Street, go 1/2 block to parking garage and turn right; Hilton parking is located immediately on the right side.
  From Bradley International Airport to Hartford Follow directions for I-91 North/South
  From I-91 North/South to Hartford Take exit 32b (Trumbull Street) - Continue straight through the light at the end of the exit. Go straight up the hill and the hotel will be on the right. Go past the hotel to the first light turn right onto Church Street, go 1/2 block to parking garage, make right park on the right side.
  From Route 84 Eastbound to Hartford Take exit 49 (Ann & High Street), go straight to the third light, make a right the hotel is on the right. Go past the hotel to the first light turn right onto Church Street, go 1/2 block to parking garage and turn right; Hilton parking is located immediately on the right side.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Arrival, Welcome Dinner and Orientation
(Thursday, May 2)
   
 Arrive To: Arrive at the hotel between 3 and 5 and receive your Welcome Packet from your group leader who will be located in the hotel lobby.
 Dinner: Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
 Evening: Orientation and Welcome to Hartford
   
Accommodations: Hilton Hartford
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Trinity College / Governors Mansion
(Friday, May 3)
   
 Breakfast: Full breakfast
 Morning: Visit Trinity College and the Widener and Broad St. Galleries
 Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant
 Afternoon: Visit the Governors Mansion situated on four beautifully landscaped acres at 990 Prospect Avenue in Connecticut's capital city of Hartford. The Residence with its 18th century original and reproduction furniture and decorations truly reflects Connecticut's historic and cultural history. This stately and gracious house has been home to Connecticut’s governors and their families since 1943
 Dinner: Dinner will be on your own this evening so that you may sample some of the local cusine.
   
Accommodations: Hilton Hartford
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Harriet Beecher Stow Center / Mark Twain Museum & House
(Saturday, May 4)
   
 Breakfast: Full breakfast
 Morning: Visit the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and see the approximately 6,000 objects and over 200,000 manuscripts, pamphlets, books and images. They illustrate important themes in nineteenth-century U.S. history: women's history including suffrage; abolition; African American history and racial history and racial attitudes in the U.S.; the activist Beecher family; and decorative arts and architecture.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant
 Afternoon: Learn about Mark Twain, his family, the historic house, and the author's legacy on a self-guided visit of the Mark Twain House and Museum
 Dinner: Enjoy dinner and an evening on your own.
   
Accommodations: Hilton Hartford
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Wadsworth Anthenaeum/New Britain Museum of American Art
(Sunday, May 5)
   
 Breakfast: Full breakfast
 Morning: Visit Wadsworth Antheneum, which is more than just the first public art institution in the United States. It is the first museum in America to begin collecting contemporary American art – resulting in the world renowned Hudson River School collection. It staged the first retrospective of Pablo Picasso in America; it was the first museum to both exhibit and purchase works by Surrealist artists – today almost every exhibition about Surrealism includes works borrowed from the collection. It the first art museum to also have a theater – and it was the first to show Gertrude Stein’s Four Saints & 3 Acts – which it also produced.
 Lunch: Lunch on your own either at the museum or at one of the many restaurants in the area.
 Afternoon: Admire the works at the New Britain Museum of American Art's founding in 1903 entitles the institution to be designated the first museum of strictly American art in the country.
 Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.
 Dinner: Prepare for tomorrow's journey to Newport with a lecture about the area.
   
Accommodations: Hilton Hartford
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Mystic Seaport
(Monday, May 6)
   
 Breakfast: Full breakfast
 Morning: Depart on the coach for Mystic. Upon arrival explore the Mystic Seaport Museum.This museum is notable both for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of crafts and fabric of an entire 19th century seafaring village. It consists of more than 60 original historic buildings, most of them rare commercial structures moved to the 37 acres (0.15 km2) site and meticulously restored.
 Lunch: Lunch in museum or nearby local restaurant
 Afternoon: Free Time to relax and enjoy this traditional New England town
 Afternoon: Continue the journey to Newport and check in to the Hotel
 Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant
 Evening: Lecture about the Gilded Age
   
Accommodations: Newport Beach Hotel and Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Newport Mansions / Tennis Hall of Fame
(Tuesday, May 7)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Visit the Newport Mansions. These summer homes along the Atlantic Ocean in the Bellevue Avenue Historic District once belonged to some of the United States wealthiest citizens
 Lunch: Lunch in historic Newport
 Afternoon: Explore the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, housed in the historic Newport Casino, is an uncommon example of sporting excellence. The entire history of the sport, dating from the 12th Century through today, is chronicled within its 18 galleries. The Museum encompasses more than 20,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, momentous videos and popular memorabilia of tennis champions past and present.
 Dinner: Dinner will be on your own to allow you to explore the Newport area.
   
Accommodations: Newport Beach Hotel and Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7: Newport Mansions / Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum.
(Wednesday, May 8)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Continue learning about the rich history and culture of the Newport Mansions
 Lunch: Lunch in downtown Newport
 Afternoon: Visit The Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum. This 13 hectares arboretum is located on Bristol Harbor with views over Narragansett Bay. It includes a mansion, with a 4 hectares lawn and over 300 species of woody plants in its arboretum and gardens, including both native and exotic species. The Mansion and its grounds were established in the 1890s by Augustus and Bessie Van Wickle as their summer retreat. Augustus Van Wickle was from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, with a fortune in the coal-mining business, and donor of the Van Wickle gates at Brown University. Today's grounds are primarily the design of John DeWolf, and date between 1896 and 1913.
 Dinner: Farewell Dinner
   
Accommodations: Newport Beach Hotel and Suites
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Return to Hartford for Departures
(Thursday, May 9)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: After breakfast, the coach will take partcipants back to Hartford
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


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