Take a journey of New Orleans, Memphis, and Nashville, three of America's most famous musical places, and experience finger-snapping, toe-tapping fun. Discover New Orleans, where laughter, delicious food, and jazz are always on the menu. Learn about Mardi Gras World, where enormous parade floats are built. Stay two nights in Memphis, the "birthplace of the blues." Either take a tour of Elvis Presley's Graceland or participate in MLK's final march to learn more about Memphis' past. Take advantage of the Grand Ole Opry's reserved seating. Visit RCA Studio B to see the locations of famous country music recordings. A chocolate-making class will allow you to make your own Goo Goo Cluster Candy. You’ll be hummin’ and strummin’ long after you’ve returned home.

See more info at https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1213893 (The fee noted is for 2 travelers. Charges may vary based on your choices upon registration.) 

Collette Guided Travel treats you like their guest, and this is evident in their itinerary! Because it matters to you, every minute matters to them as well. This can be as a result of the fact that they are a family-run firm with a 100-year history. The advantages of using Collette will elevate your guided trip experience. With our all-inclusive excursions, you get more for your money and experience more of what makes travel unique.

Six murders. One hundred pages. Millions of possible combinations… but only one is correct. Can you solve Torquemada’s murder mystery?

In 1934, the Observer’s cryptic crossword compiler, Edward Powys Mathers (aka Torquemada), released a novel that was simultaneously a murder mystery and the most fiendishly difficult literary puzzle ever written.

The pages have been printed in an entirely haphazard order, but it is possible – through logic and intelligent reading – to sort the pages into the only correct order, revealing six murder victims and their respective murderers.

Only three puzzlers have ever solved the mystery of Cain’s Jawbone: do you have what it takes to join their ranks?

Please note: this puzzle is extremely difficult and not for the faint-hearted.

Join us as we break this book down and try to find out who-done-it.  We will be meeting once a month for the year, or until we crack the code.  We will meet the first Thursday of every month starting in October through June.  Books will be ordered in August and dispersed once received.

In this two day workshop you will make a round-base basket, otherwise known as stake-and-strand, traditional to much of Europe.  Learn to make the slath, two-rod twining, staking up, 3-rod waling, French randing, a waled border, and handles of your choice.  Take home a round-base basket to use for the rest of your life and the skills to make more.

The workshop is taught by Mary Lauren Fraser, who apprenticed with Karen Collins in northern Scotland. Mary has been weaving coffins for green burial and teaching basketry workshops throughout New England since 2015. Of Scottish heritage, she grew up and resides on the banks of the Connecticut River in today's western Massachusetts, on unceded Abenaki land. 

Date: October 5-6, Saturday 10:00 am to Sunday 4:00 pm

Cost: $400-500 sliding scale, meals and accommodation included (see registration form for more details)

Online Registration: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeW56NVV58jg3nOQYMsUrNaTvx2CfQ27e38iTZ0NEnBSnM8vA/viewform

Learn the basics of coastal navigation using local charts, parallel ruler, and dividers. Learn what the symbols mean, how to determine safe and dangerous routes, create courses, learn rules of the “road”, what aids to navigation look like and do, plan for emergencies and more. For kayakers, sailors, powerboaters, and future Registered Maine Guides. Students will need access to either a Casco Bay Chart or Penobscot Bay Chart, parallel ruler and dividers.

Alice Bean Andrenyak is a Master Maine Guide and Maine native who lives at Mere Point in Brunswick. Owner of Alice's Awesome Adventures and Maine e-Learning, she trains future Registered Maine Guides and outdoor enthusiasts in navigation, canoeing, SUP, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, nature studies, and overnighting skills , and is a former Guide's Board Examiner. She has been visiting Malaga Island for over 30 years and leads regular sea kayak and hiking tours of Malaga Island.

We are heading back to Salem!  Join us for a fun filled weekend of exploring Salem and all of its history.

Saturday October 12, 2024 – No Guide Today (Boston)

4:00 pm QUINCY MARKET. For over 250 years the marketplace has played an integral role in the life of Boston’s residents. You will feel the cobblestones beneath your feet, see roaming performers and be able to taste the wonderfully diverse ethnic foods available to you. There are 100 shops, carts and artisans to offer treasures for you to take home with you!

5:30 pm Travel to dinner.

6:00 pm DINNER at MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY RESTAURANT. Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant 

7:15 pm Travel to Blue Man Group.  “Blue Man Group will rock your world, blow your mind, and unleash your spirit. Leave your expectations at the door and let three bald and blue men take you on a spectacular journey bursting with music, laughter and surprises. 35 million people of all ages, languages and cultures know what Blue Man Group is really about. Now it’s your turn. Hard to Describe. Easy to Love.” Quote excerpted from internet site. Berkshire Tour Company 2 (Based on availability)

10:00 pm Travel to your hotel.

10:45 pm Arrive for CHECK IN at your hotel. 

Sunday October 13, 2024 – Guide Today (Salem) 

7:30 am BREAKFAST included at the hotel.

9:00 am Meet your LOCAL GUIDE at the hotel and travel to Salem for a day of touring. Your guide will give you commentary about Salem as you travel into town and as you travel from place to place today.

10:30 am REAL PIRATES ~ PIRATE AND WITCH EXPERIENCE. “Immerse yourself in the stories of Real Pirates! The family-friendly pirate experience features the true tale of ‘Black Sam’ Bellamy – the richest and one of the youngest pirates of all time – and Maria Hallett, the love of his life and so-called ‘Witch of Wellfleet.’ During the early 1700s, Bellamy captured the infamous slave ship Whydah, as well as more than 50 other ships, earning him the nickname the ‘Prince of Pirates.’ Meet the crew and follow their journey as they seek fortune on the high seas, amass the greatest pirate treasure of all times, and ultimately meet their untimely fate when the Whydah sinks in a violent Nor’easter off the coast of Cape Cod. ... See Real Pirate Treasure! See the world’s only fully authenticated pirate treasure ever discovered – including coins, jewelry, and weapons – retrieved from the wreck, and last touched by the hands of pirates more than 300 years ago.” Quote excerpted from internet site.

12:00 pm FREE TIME and LUNCH on your own. Your guide will make suggestions.

3:00 pm Visit SALEM WITCH MUSEUM. “You are there. Witness the testimony of the hysterical girls, the suffering of the blameless victims, and the decisions of the fanatical judges who sent innocent people to their deaths. When the witch hunt began no one was safe from being accused. This presentation is based on actual trial documents. With 13 stage sets, you’ll enter the web of lies and intrigue of the Salem Witch Hunt, one of the most enduring true stories in American History.” Excerpt taken from Salem Witch Museum brochure. 

4:30 pm Depart from Salem for DINNER on own. Choose from various restaurants at the North Shore Mall. 

9:00 pm Approximate arrival at your hotel.

Monday October 15, 2024 – No Guide Today (Salem)7:30 am BREAKFAST included at the hotel.

10:00 am Travel home.  Will stop for lunch.

Single: $1000.00

Double: $735.00

Triple: $700.00

Quad: $675.00

COURTYARD PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Overnight room for 2 nights

2 breakfasts at the hotel

1 dinnerQuincy Market and Faneuil Hall

Blue Man Group Performance (Based on availability)

Real Pirates of SalemSalem Witch Museum

Round Trip Baggage Handling

All applicable taxes and gratuities (except customary guide and housekeeping gratuities)

To secure your spot please register as soon as possible.  You will receive an email with a link that goes with which room you choose.  Whether it be single, double, triple or quad.  You will need to make an $80 deposit to secure your spot.

**CANCELLATIONS**  If you choose to cancel before August 1st, all your fund minus the $80 deposit will be given back.  If you choose to cancel after August 1st there will be no refund.

Acorns: the amazing, bountiful, ancient staple of humanity! But did you ever try eating a raw acorn? Yuck! However, it just takes some simple processing to transform acorns into a truly delicious grain-like (and gluten free) food. This is real food; we eat hundreds of pounds a year. As part of this day we honor indigenous cultures that have enjoyed acorns for thousands of years, and we investigate the potential of acorn to transform modern food systems and culture. We'll begin the day with harvesting and end with baking!

Date: Saturday, October 19, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Cost: $30-60 sliding scale

For Online Registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-ivEDl5Uf5ZdGuaLybModku3sTsBv_5fVR37xsrY5Po/viewform?edit_requested=true

Are you up for a fantastic adventure? Travel by train across the English Channel and experience the best of these renowned cities, from cosmopolitan London to romantic Paris. Take a walking tour of Westminster and visit Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. Choose to enjoy an exciting dinner and cabaret performance at the Paradis Latin Theatre or luxuriate in a traditional brasserie dinner before sliding into the backseat of a vintage Citroen classic automobile for a drive through the city's fashionable boulevards to make your trip to Paris uniquely yours. Dine at the Eiffel Tower and spend an evening cruising the River Seine. For more info or to register: https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1213877 (The fee noted is for 2 travelers. Charges may vary based on your choices upon registration.) 

Collette Guided Travel treats you like their guest, and this is evident in their itinerary! Because it matters to you, every minute matters to them as well. This can be as a result of the fact that they are a family-run firm with a 100-year history. The advantages of using Collette will elevate your guided trip experience. With our all-inclusive excursions, you get more for your money and experience more of what makes travel unique.

Wouldn't it be nice to spend a week in Italy?  Here is your chance! We are going to Italy April 19 to 26, 2025!  Below is a quick summary of what we will be doing.  We will be hosting an informational meeting soon but if you want to know more click on the link at the bottom and check out this amazing adventure!

Day 1 Start tour

Day 2 Ciao Milan

Meet your tour director, travel to Bologna & check into hotel

Bologna city walk, Piazza Maggiore, Le due Torri, Basilica di San Petronio

Day 3  Bologna

Parmigiano & Prosciutto di Parma factory guided visit - Discover the long history and unique production process of Parmigiano-Reggiano, one of the most famous cheeses in the world. See first-hand how wheels are made and stored, and sample the delicious cheese in a unique tasting. Following your Parmigiano tour head to a Prosciutto factory and learn the secrets to producing the cured meat.

Modena balsamic vinegar tasting

Day 4 Bologna--Florence

Travel to Florence

Florence guided walking sightseeing tour with Whisper headsets -Immerse yourself in the charms of old-world Firenze. The birthplace and focal point of the Italian Renaissance, Florence still has the masterpieces to prove it. Brunelleschi’s monumental cuploa (dome) atop the city's renowned Duomo dominates the skyline. Your local licensed guide will take you to Giotto's Bell Tower and the aptly named Gates of Paradise, the bronze east doors of the Baptistery that spurred the burgeoning Renaissance. Don’t overlook the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli at the Chiesa di Santa Croce, or Florence’s amazing leather goods. You can check them out when you visit one of the area’s famed workshops!

Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Chiesa di Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo visit, Leather Workshop, Gates of Paradise, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Dante's House

Traditional Florentine dinner

Day 5 Florence

Truffle & olive oil grove visit

Local market guided visit

Chianti winery visit and tasting

Dinner on your own

Day 6 Florence--Rome

Travel to Rome

Ancient Rome guided walking sightseeing tour with Whisper headsets - The ultimate symbol of Ancient Rome, the Colosseum still dominates the modern city. Tour the amphitheater with your local licensed guide. Built by the emperor Vespasian in A.D. 72, the structure held almost 50,000 spectators but was so well organized that the entire place could be emptied within 15 minutes. Inside, the spectacles varied from gladiator battles to immense naval contests to wild beast shows, in which thousands of exotic animals like giraffes and ostriches were popped into the stadium through trap doors and left to fight Roman hunters. See the system beneath the floor that operated the trap doors and housed the animals, then continue on to the relative calm of the Forum. Ancient Rome’s commercial, religious and political center, the Forum held markets, temples and the Senate House. Near the Rostra, or speaker’s platform, you can still see game boards scratched into the marble by bored politicians--anyone up for a game of tic tac toe?

Colosseum visit, Forum Romanum visit, Piazza Venezia

Dinner on your own

Day 7 RomeVatican City guided walking sightseeing tour with Whisper headsets

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel visit, St. Peter’s Basilica visitRome city walk

Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona

Pizza-making class & dinner

Day 8 Flight home from Rome

Total Fee: $4,461.00*OR 12 monthly payments of $367.58, after initial payment of $50.00

To register for this amazing trip and to find out the specifics of what is included go to:  http://www.explorica.com/Hallett-1785

Tour Includes:

Round-trip airfare

6 overnight stays (8 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms

Full European breakfast dailyDinner daily

Full-time services of a professional tour director

Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary

Visits to select attractions as per itinerary

Guided sightseeing tours with high-tech headset as per itinerary

Tour Diary™Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips

Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided

Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.