Extra Curriculum/Companion Program
Boston, first incorporated as a town in 1630, is
one of America's oldest cities, with a rich
economic and social history. What began as a
homesteading community eventually evolved into a
center for social and political change. Boston
is now the economic and cultural hub of New
England, and home to nearly 590,000 people. This
vibrant, thriving city is renowned for its
cultural facilities, world-class educational
institutions, and champion sports franchises, as
well as its place at the very forefront of
American history.
In addition to the technical program, AVS offers
tours of Boston and the surrounding area for
your enjoyment, so plan ahead and have some
fun.
The Extra Curriculum activities have been chosen
to allow people to spend time with AVS friends
and colleagues and take advantage of advance
organization and group discounts. While things
have been kept as flexible as possible, some
events have limited capacity so please sign up
as soon as you can.
I hope you will enjoy the program, below, and
invite your comments and suggestions.
See you in Boston!
Nicki Marrian, Tour Coordinator
ExtraCurriculum08@avs.org
Monday, October 20,
2008: Boston
 Deliberately
designed to be affordable and accessible, this
introduction to Boston will feature highlights
of the city, all within walking distance of the
hotel. People can come for the whole day, or
drop in and out as they wish.
Back by popular demand, we start the week with a
Duck Tour.
The fun begins as soon as we board our "DUCK,"
an authentic World War II amphibious landing
vehicle, renovated for sightseeing. First, we'll
be greeted by one of the legendary ConDUCKtors,
who'll be narrating the tour.
Then we're off, cruising by all the places that
make Boston the birthplace of freedom, from the
golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the
T. D. Banknorth Garden, Boston Common and Copley
Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to
fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the
Prudential Tower, and more. As the best of
Boston unfolds before our eyes, the ConDUCKtor
will be giving out lots of little known facts
and interesting insights about the unique and
wonderful city of Boston.
And just when we think we've seen it all, it's
time for "Splashdown" as our ConDUCKtor steers
the DUCK right into the Charles River for a
breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge
skylines (so wear something warm!).
Then we are
expected at the famous Parker House hotel, home
of the Boston Cream Pie and Parker House rolls,
for a light lunch of soup and salad followed by
a slice of that famous pie.
In the afternoon,
we’ll walk the Freedom Trail with Abigail Adams
and see where it all began. Wear stout shoes and
be prepared to step back in time. Maybe we’ll
be invited to tea with Abigail in the historic
Union Oyster House afterwards!
Length:
10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Price:
$60 each
Tuesday, October 21, 2008: Witches of
Salem
 All
aboard the bus for our conducted tour of
witchery in Salem, just in time for Hallowe’en.
Our guide will be Marilynne
K. Roach, author of "The Salem Witch
Trials: A Day-by-day Chronicle Of A Community
Under Siege." Marilynne will share her secrets with us on the
hour-long bus ride to Salem, then escort us as
we visit the Peabody Museum for tours of the
Chinese and Gardner-Pingree houses.
Lunchtime will provide a
chance to browse the many delightful shops and
restaurants of Salem before we gather again
“halfway down a by-street” where “stands a rusty
wooden house with seven acutely peaked gables”
in the famous words of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
This beautiful site on the water, first settled
in 1655, now also houses Hawthorne’s birthplace
in beautiful gardens. 
How
could we leave without a visit to the Salem
Witch Museum? The museum store promises to be
well stocked with Hallowe’en accessories.
Hours: 8:45 am to 5:00 pm
Price: $85
each, lunch not included
Wednesday, October
22, 2008: Museum of Fine Arts and Gardner Museum
Tour
 We
could spend the whole day in the Museum of Fine
Arts, but our docent will show us the highlights
and leave time for lunch in the café (not
included in the price). We’ll see art nouveau
jewelry, and ancient treasures from Assyria, 20th
century portraits from the acclaimed
photographer Karsh, as well as canvases by
European masters such as Gainsborough and van
Gogh.
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/index.asp?key=895
Isabella Stewart Gardner assembled one of the
nation's finest collections of art before her
death
in 1924.
Housed in a stunning 15th-century Venetian-style
palace, the three floors of galleries are filled
with paintings, sculpture, tapestries,
furniture, and decorative arts from cultures
spanning thirty centuries.
Length:
10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Price:
$35 each, lunch not
included
 Thursday,
October 23, 2008: Kennedy Presidential Library
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and
Museum is dedicated to the memory of our
nation's thirty-fifth president.
Located on a ten-acre park, overlooking the sea
that he loved and the city that launched him to
greatness, the Library portrays the life,
leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy,
conveys his enthusiasm for politics and public
service, and illustrates the nature of the
office of the President.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/
Hours: 9.30 am to 1:00pm
Price: $20
Nicki will be
available in the Extra Curriculum Registration
Area (Jefferson Room, Sheraton Hotel)
half an hour before the start of each tour, and
from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Sunday evening; she will
be happy to assist with any questions. If Nicki
is not available, please consult the staff at
the AVS Registration Manager’s counter and they
will contact her for you.
AVS
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