Join Jeremy D'Entremont, author
of eight books and hundreds of articles on
lighthouse history, for a van tour of some of New England's most
beautiful and historic beacons.A portion of the
proceeds from
all tours is donated to help lighthouse preservation.
Jeremy
D'Entremont has been called the leading expert on New England's
lighthouses. He's been photographing and writing about lighthouses for
about 25 years, and he is the webmaster of New England Lighthouses: A
Virtual
Guide at www.lighthouse.cc.
Jeremy is the founder of the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor
Lighthouse, and the historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation.
He has lectured on his favorite topic all along the New England coast.
All tours begin and end in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Pickup
and dropoff is usually at the parking garage (75¢ per hour) on Hanover
Street, but arrangements can often be made for pickup at area hotels. Directions
to the garage are here. The maximum capacity on all tours is
5 participants, but 6 can be
accommodated if at least one is a child. The tours are not recommended
for children under 6 years old. Advance reservations are needed for all tours. You can
purchase spaces below, or email nelights@gmail.com
for information on how to hold spaces by paying a deposit.
Offseason tours are available on request, schedule permitting. Email nelights@gmail.comfor information.
If you'd like to receive occasional
emails when new tours are announced, please email nelights@gmail.com.
Lighthouses
of Portsmouth & Portland
8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
$99 adults, $69 for children 6-12
This
van tour in New Hampshire and southern Maine starts with a look at the
1874 Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in Maine, a location made famous by the
artist Edward Hopper.
Next is a visit to Portland Head Light in
Cape Elizabeth, one of the most breathtaking lighthouses in the United
States.
Time is allotted to walk around the grounds of Maine's oldest
lighthouse (1791) and to explore its museum, housed in the former
keepers’ quarters. Admission to the museum is included in the tour
price.
We'll move on to Spring Point Ledge Light in
South Portland, a 55-foot
"sparkplug" type lighthouse that was first lighted in May 1897. Lunch
(included in ticket price) will be by the water at Joe's Boathouse at
Spring Point Marina in South Portland.
Following
lunch, the tour moves on to
Portland Breakwater Light in South Portland. This unique lighthouse,
known locally as "Bug Light," is modeled after the Greek Choragic
Monument of Lysicrates, built in the fourth century B.C.
We'll start heading back south for a
shopping stop at Lighthouse Depot, the world's largest lighthouse gift
store. We'll then continue to York, Maine, to enjoy the picturesque
Cape Neddick "Nubble" Light, one of the most photographed lighthouses
in the world.
The
last stop is a tour inside
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, New Hampshire. Participants
are invited to climb the 44 stairs to the lantern to enjoy the
magnificent view (including Whaleback Lighthouse) and to see the active
Fresnel lens.
Lighthouses
of Cape Ann
8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
$115 adults, $95 children 6-12
After leaving the parking garage in Portsmouth,
NH, we'll head to Eastern Point Lighthouse in Gloucester,
Massachusetts, America's oldest fishing port.
Next stop is the scenic Annisquam Lighthouse, followed by a visit to
Rockport's famous Bearskin Neck, where you can browse the shops and
enjoy some local seafood.
After lunch, we'll board a 2.5-hour narrated cruise (included in ticket
price) past all the lighthouses of Cape Ann (Thacher Island Twin
Lights, Straitsmouth Island, Annisquam, Eastern Point, Ten Pound
Island.)
We'll make a stop at the world famous Gloucester fisherman statue
before heading back to Portsmouth, arriving at approximately 6:30 p.m.
(Lunch cost
is not included in the ticket price.)
Available
Dates:
Wednesday,
June 16
Thursday, June
24
Thursday,
August 5
Thursday,
September 2
Lighthouses of Salem
and Marblehead
8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
$109 adults, $89 children 6-12
After leaving the parking garage in Portsmouth,
NH, this van tour begins with a visit to historic Winter Island in
Salem, Massachusetts, where you'll see Fort Pickering and the Fort
Pickering Lighthouse.
We'll then head to beautiful Salem Willows Park to board a 90-minute
narrated cruise (included in ticket price) that includes views of five
area lighthouses (Hospital Point, Baker's Island, Marblehead, Derby
Wharf, and Fort Pickering).
After lunch in Salem, we'll drive to the adjacent town of Marblehead,
where we'll view Marblehead Lighthouse at scenic Chandler Hovey Park.
After a visit to Marblehead's Abbot Hall (home of the famous "Spirit of
'76" painting), there will be time allotted for shopping or strolling
in Marblehead, before the tour returns to Portsmouth.
(Lunch cost is not included in the ticket price.)
Available
Dates:
Thursday, June
17
Wednesday,
June 23
Wednesday,
August 4
Tuesday,
August 31
Wednesday,
September 15
Pemaquid Point and
Bath, Maine (Two Days) $299 adults (per person, double
occupancy), $199 children 6-12
$329 for single room ONE TIME ONLY - June
30-July 1
After leaving Portsmouth at 8:30 a.m., we'll head
to the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. There will be time to view the
extensive exhibits and maritime art, and we'll then board the 50-foot Sagadahoc for the
one-hour "Great Ships and Lighthouses" cruise. We'll cruise
past the Bath Iron Works, where the most technologically advanced
warships for the US Navy are built. We'll also get close
views of Doubling Point Lighthouse and the Kennebec River Range Lights.
After lunch, we'll visit Colonial Pemaquid and Fort William Henry, the
site of a very early English outpost and fishing settlement. After a
guided tour, we'll check in at the Hotel Pemaquid. Dinner will be at
the very popular Shaw's Lobster Wharf.
On the second day, we'll visit the restaurant at the Seagull Shop at
Pemaquid Point for breakfast. You'll then have two hours to spend at
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, one of the most spectacular beautiful
attractions on the New England coast. The tower will be open for
climbing, and you may also visit the Fisherman's Museum inside the
keeper's house.
After lunch in the pretty village of Damariscotta, you'll have time to
stroll and visit the local shops. On the way back, we'll visit Doubling
Point Lighthouse on the Kennebec River. Arrival back in
Portsmouth will be at approximately 5:30-6:00 p.m.
(Lodging
and admissions are included, but meals are not included
in the price of this tour.)
June
30-July 1
Lighthouses
of Boothbay
Harbor & the Kennebec River (Two Days)
$299 adults (per person, double occupancy), $199 children 6-12
$329 for single room
ONE TIME ONLY - July 8-9, 2010
After leaving Portsmouth at 9 a.m., we'll head up
the scenic coast of Maine, stopping at Wiscasset for lunch. After
arriving in Boothbay Harbor, we'll cruise with Cap'n Fish Cruises for
the "Spectacular Kennebec River - Bath Cruise," a 44-mile trip
providing views of seven lighthouses, historic Fort Popham, and many
other interesting sights.
After the cruise, we'll check into Cap'n Fish's Waterfront Inn, right
on the harbor. There will be time for strolling and shopping in
Boothbay Harbor, one of the prettiest locations in Maine.
The next morning, we'll head to the Boothbay Railway Village. This
museum operates a narrow gauge coal fired steam train in a recreated
historic village composed of locally significant historic structures.
The museum also boasts one of the finest collections of antique
vehicles in New England.
After lunch, we'll join Balmy Days Cruises for a visit to Burnt Island
Lighthouse. A trip to Burnt Island is like a step back in time, with
staff portraying a lighthouse keeper and his family, circa 1950. Few,
if any, lighthouses, in the nation offer living and natural history
interpretation to the extent of the Burnt Island program.
We'll then head back to Portsmouth, arriving around 7:00 p.m. (Lodging
and all cruises and admissions are included, but meals are not included
in the price of this tour.)
July 8-9, 2010
Lighthouses
of Newport & Jamestown, RI (Two Days) $299 adults (per person, double
occupancy), $199 children 6-12
$329 for single room
ONE TIME ONLY - July 21-22, 2010
We'll leave Portsmouth at 8:30 a.m. and head to
Rhode Island's famous Beavertail Lighthouse, in a dramatic location
Narragansett Bay. There is a museum in the former assistant keeper's
house (admission included).
After lunch in historic Jamestown, we'll take a ferry to Rose Island
Lighthouse, one of the most scenic spots in New England.
We'll then visit Newport Harbor Lighthouse on Goat Island. Late in the
first day we'll visit Castle Hill Light, in a beautiful spot at the
east side of the entrance to Narragansett Bay.
On the second day, we'll board a trolley for a tour of Newport, one of
America's most historic seaports. Included in the trolley tour is a
visit to one of Newport's world famous mansions.
After lunch and shopping/strolling time in Newport, we'll head back to
Portsmouth, arriving around 6:00 p.m.
All admissions and lodging are included, but meals are not included.
July 21-22, 2010
SPECIAL EVENT!
GHOST CRUISE with the New England Ghost Project
Saturday, July 31, 2010, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
$49 per person
Join
Ron Kolek of the New
England Ghost Project and Jeremy D'Entremont of New England
Lighthouse Tours for a unique evening cruise, leaving Rye Harbor, New
Hampshire, aboard the M/V Granite
State at 7:00 p.m. There is a snack bar on board
the vessel.
The cruise will pass close to three
lighthouses: Portsmouth Harbor, Whaleback, and White Island, as well as
the Isles of Shoals and other points of interest. You'll learn about
the ghostly Woman in White who warns of approaching storms at White
Island, the longtime keeper who haunts Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse,
and much more. You'll hear first-hand accounts of paranormal
investigations by New England Ghost Project.
Ron Kolek is the founder and lead investigator of
the New England Ghost
Project. With a degree in environmental science, he was the ultimate
skeptic. A near death experience changed all that. No longer blinded by
his skepticism, he now uses scientific background to seek the truth
about the paranormal. In addition to hosting Ghost Chronicles on
Ghostvillage Radio and ITunes, he hosts a weekly internet radio show on
Toginet.com, and writes monthly paranormal newspaper columns in the Stateline Review
and Food and Spirits.
He is the co-author, with Maureen Wood, of the best-selling book The Ghost Chronicles: A Medium
and a Paranormal Scientist Investigate 17 True Hauntings.
To get to Rye Harbor:
FROM POINTS NORTH ON I-95
From
Rte 95 South, take Exit 3B. Right onto Rte 33 East.
Go 1.4
miles to 4th light; right onto Peverly Hill Rd. (becomes Elwyn
Rd.) Go 2 miles to Rte 1A; south 6 miles to Rye Harbor State
Marina.
FROM POINTS NORTHWEST ON RTS 4&16
Take I-95 South. See above directions.
FROM POINTS WEST
Rte
101 East. Take Exit 12. Left onto Rte 111 East,
follow 6.4
miles to Rte 1-A. Left onto Rte 1-A North. 3 miles
to Rye
Harbor State Marina.
FROM POINTS SOUTH ON I-95
Rte 95 North,
take Exit 2 onto Rte 101 West. Follow 1 mile. Take
exit
12. Right onto Rte 111 East (see above for 111 East).
Click here to buy tickets!
Cancellation
policy:
All
sales are final. Date changes can only be made only if we can
confirm availability on the new date.
All
change requests will be handled on an individual basis.
Directions
to the garage
FROM I-95: Take Exit 7, go east on Market
Street into downtown Portsmouth. Turn right at Hanover Street. Garage
is on the left.
FROM SPAULDING TURNPIKE: Exit 3 onto Woodbury
Avenue. Bear left at Market Street. Continue into downtown Portsmouth.
Right at Hanover Street. Garage is on the left.
FROM ROUTE 1 IN MAINE: Follow Route 1 south
over the Memorial Bridge into Portsmouth. About 0.1 mile after the
bridge, turn right onto Penhallow Street. In a short distance, turn
left onto Bow Street. Then, after a short distance, turn right onto
Market Street. Take the next left onto Hanover Street. The garage is on
the left.
FROM ROUTE 1 POINTS SOUTH: Route 1 north. Route
1 becomes Lafayette Road, then Middle Street, then Maplewood Avenue.
Right at Hanover Street. Garage is on the right after Fleet Street.
