North Atlantic Gems – New York to Reykjavik

The ‘City that Never Sleeps’ beckons — renowned museums and sites galore by day; the glittering sophistication of clubs, theaters and restaurants by night. Explore Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the United Nations, Central Park’s Museum Mile and Wall Street’s towering steel and glass monuments to commerce, then hop into a cab for an afternoon of world-class shopping along Park and Fifth Avenues.

Known as the ‘Queen of Summer Resorts’, Newport was home to many of America’s wealthiest Gilded Age tycoons including the Astors, Belmonts and Vanderbilts. Today, the traveler can tour these opulent mansions, carefully restored by the Newport Preservation Society. Walking tours of Newport showcase a fine collection of pre-Revolutionary War buildings in the Colonial Downtown section, sophisticated boutiques and excellent restaurants.

Home to more colleges and universities than any other city in the United States, Boston has been the intellectual capital of America for more than 350 years. Step into the past along Boston’s Freedom Trail, leading you through some of the most interesting chapters in U.S. history: the site of the Boston Massacre, the Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall, and Beacon Hill. You will discover 16 of America’s major colonial and revolutionary sites in all, and all within a 1.5-mile walk.

Explore the sophisticated urban delights of Canada’s oldest incorporated city and its extraordinary natural wonders in St. John and the Bay of Fundy. Discover the area’s Loyalist heritage and shipbuilding industry with a visit to the New Brunswick Museum. Enjoy the Victorian Architecture as you stroll to the Old City Market. Look for maple syrup, local handicrafts, hard cider and other food items and souvenirs. With the world’s highest tides, head out to view the thrilling natural wonder of the water as it roils and swirls literally reversing the river’s flow during the change from low to high tide.

Welcoming travelers to an innovative and historic cityscape, Nova Scotia’s Halifax offers excellent dining and friendly maritime smiles. Tour Halifax Citadel or take a stroll along the historic waterfront or through the delightful Public Gardens, the oldest Victorian gardens in Canada. Lobster and seafood are local specialties and always tempting to the taste-buds.. The Micmac Indians, called the area ‘Chebuctook’, meaning Great Long Harbor and the city’s ideal location on one of the largest natural harbors in the world made it a strategic asset for convoys in both world wars. Scenic Dartmouth lies on the opposite shore and can be visited by crossing on the oldest saltwater ferry in Canada.

Poised on Cape Breton Island, Sydney is your gateway to the scenic and historic attractions of the Cape Breton Highlands, and the incredible Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, Canada’s largest historical reconstruction. Once known as the “Gibraltar of the New World”, the Fortress of Louisbourg, site of momentous 18th-century battles between the competing empires of France and Great Britain, has been restored to exactly as it looked in 1740. Sydney charms the traveler with harbor views along The Boardwalk and at the nearby summer home of Alexander Graham Bell, now an enlightening museum.

Start by taking in the breathtaking view from the monument honoring Captain James Cook, the first to map the area in 1767. More history awaits you in the Corner Brook Museum and its marine artifacts, forestry exhibits and collections from aboriginal people. The breathtaking Humber Valley is just outside the city, an ideal location for skiers, hikers and anglers.