What:  “A Country Christmas Carol”

When:  Friday-Sunday…December 7-9

Where:  Western Maryland

About:  Journey back in time to spend Christmas with Charles Dickens in the Country! This tour offers two days of nostalgic holiday cheer, music, food, entertainment and the chance to peek inside some beautifully decorated Country Homes! Plus, you’ll hear about “Christmas on the Frontier” from Laura Ingalls Wilder, see a version of “A Christmas Carol” or another holiday movie classic, enjoy the live show “Christmas on Stage and Screen” – and maybe even do some Caroling yourself! It’s a tour like no other, a holiday treat you won’t want to miss!

Cost is $649p.p. and includes:  motor coach transportation, baggage handling, hotel taxes and meal gratuities, 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, 3 lunches and all attractions listed.

You will have a guide the entire time you are there and her gratuity is included in the cost.

Trip Itinerary:

Day One,  Friday December 7, 2018

·         5:45 am           Depart William Penn Park N Ride

·         9:30 am           Arrive at the Western Maryland Train Station in Cumberland, MD to meet your guide. Take a quick rest break before starting our tour.

·         10:00 am         Emmanuel Episcopal Church. We begin our journey through time by jumping all the way back to 1755, when the old FORT CUMBERLAND was built on this site. The current church was erected in 1849, right on top of the trenches dug for the fort, which then became tunnels. They were used as a station on the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. But what makes this a Christmas stop is the enchanting 1905 TIFFANY stained glass window: “Adoration of the Shepherds”, which adorns the sanctuary. There are three TIFFANY windows in all, and their stories will enthrall you! Here you will also hear several vocal pieces, such as “O Holy Night”, “Ave Maria”, and “The Old Wexford Carol” to start us off in a holiday mood!

·         11:30 am         C. William Gilchrist Gallery and Museum. This enchanting 1845 Georgian/Greek Revival mansion, now an art gallery and museum, will take us back to the Victorian era. All decked out for the holidays, it makes a perfect venue for a light luncheon.

·         1:00 pm           Gordon-Roberts House. This lovely museum is charming at any time of the year – but at Christmas it will take your breath away! This year’s decoration theme is Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, and each room you visit will represent a scene from this timeless holiday classic. There will be live dancers at “Fezziwig’s Party” in the ballroom.

·         4:30 pm           Check into your hotel, the Fairfield Inn and Suites in downtown Cumberland. There will be time for a nap or a swim in the hotel pool before we finish off our day with a traditional Christmas dinner.

·         6:00 pm           Embassy Theatre. This restored 1930s movie theatre provides the perfect venue for a turkey and trimmings classic holiday dinner, followed by the showing of a favorite Christmas movie. It could be one of the many sparkling versions of “A Christmas Carol”, or another old holiday chestnut like “The Bishop’s Wife” or “Holiday Inn”, which marked Bing Crosby’s first performance of “White Christmas”. No matter what, it’s a magical end to the first day of our tour!

Day Two,  Saturday, December 8, 2018

·         8:00am           Breakfast

·         9:00am                Depart hotel

·         9:30 am           “Laura Ingalls Wilder: Christmas on the Frontier”. You’ll meet Mrs. Wilder, who will share with you what it was like to celebrate Christmas on the prairie, in the years after the Civil War. Wild blizzards kept Santa from getting through, so the family often had to make their own cheer out of very little.  You’ll discover who walked 80 miles to bring the Ingalls girls a holiday treat, how Christmas Candy saved a life, and so much more. This is a truly unique event, and a chance to see St.Patrick’s Church Parish Hall in all its festive glory!

·         11:00 am         A light lunch at Windsor Castle. This impressive event space is housed inside the former National Guard Armory, and looks very much like the castle it’s called! During lunch you’ll enjoy a performance of “Christmas on Stage and Screen”, a collection of seasonal pieces from your favorite holiday movies and TV shows. Then it’s “eat up”! We’re headed out to the country now!

·         1:00 pm           We’re off on the Christmas in the Country Holiday House Tour. This is your chance to peek inside some of the loveliest antique country and farm houses in the area, to see how they decorate for the holidays! We’ll travel out into the country to 5 wondrous old homes and visit with their owners as they share their holiday cheer!

·         5:00 pm           Town Hill Bed and Breakfast. This quaint inn began its life as a fruit stand at the turn of the 20th century. It boasts one of the most magnificent views in all of Maryland! We’ll savor our classic Christmas Dinner and make the rafters ring with a Christmas Carol Sing-Along. It makes a lovely finale to our Country Christmas Tour.

Day three, Sunday, December 9, 2018

·         7:45am           Breakfast

·         8:30am           Check out of hotel

·         8:45am           Depart hotel

·         9:00 am           B’er Chayim Synagogue. While many of us are celebrating the Christmas holidays, the Jewish faith celebrates Hanukkah. At this historic pre-Civil War temple we will sample traditional holiday treats for our breakfast, and take a tour of this sacred space. Rabbi Mark Perman and your guide may serenade you with a musical performance while you dine!

·         11:00 am         Driving Tour. A chance to see this historic and scenic countryside! We’ll travel the National Road, begun in Cumberland in 1811, passing inns which served the horse-and-buggy trade, and the only remaining Toll Gate House in the state of Maryland, built in 1836. If you’re willing to brave the cold, we’ll go inside! Then, if you’re good, we may even stop at Candyland, which offers over 900 types of your favorite candies, plus baking and candy-making items and fresh produce! Stock up for the trip home, or grab some stocking stuffers!

·         1:00 pm           Toasted Goat Winery. A new and exciting addition to the Frostburg, MD downtown scene, the Toasted Goat Winery offers wine tasting and meals in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. We'll have a light buffet lunch here with a tasting of 6 of their offered wines, and the chance to purchase more! It will be a light-hearted and pleasant finale to our weekend of holiday festivities in Allegany County, MD.

·         2:30 pm           Depart for home! Happiest of Holidays and Godspeed!

·         6:30 pm           Approximate arrival time back in Bethlehem

For reservations, please email Ted’s Tours.

Payment plan:

·        A $200 deposit per person will be needed within two weeks of booking.

·        An additional $200 deposit per person deposit will be needed by August 1.

·        Final payment due by November 7.