Event Summary
his Thanksgiving season, consider joining a small group of grateful families as we gather together in Plymouth Massachusetts to remember the Lord’s kindness and mercy, just as our Pilgrim Forefather’s did almost 400 years ago. Armed with great faith that upheld them through incredible trials that claimed half of them by the end of the first winter, these 104 hearty souls now have over 30 million descendants! Come spend the week learning, remembering and celebrating the providence of God in our nation’s founding and the birthplace of her spiritual heritage. This remarkable tour will include the celebration of Thanksgiving with a Pilgrim-style feast at Plimoth Plantation. We look forward to seeing you there!
Plimoth Plantation
Mayflower II
Plimoth Plantation Reenactors
Plymouth Walking Tour
Pilgrim Thanksgiving Dinner
Christian Fellowship
The U.S.S. Constitution
Plymouth Rock Monument
Distinctly Christian Historical Teaching
Lexington Green
Concord’s Old North Bridge
Boston’s Freedom Trail
Included in This Tour
- Opening night welcome reception Monday, November 14
- Thanksgiving feast at the Plimoth Plantation with the pilgrims
- America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade
- All venue admissions and guides throughout the tour
- Electronic headset receiver for ease of hearing guides
- Transportation on a top-of-the-line motor coach
- Teaching from 3 top-notch historians: Bill Potter, Richard Holland and Leo Martin
- Lunch Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Farewell dinner Friday evening, November 18
- Rich fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ
Ticket Pricing
 Child (0-4):Free* |
 Youth (5-16):$549 |
 Adult (17+):$649 |
* 4 and under free if sitting on lap of family member.
Tour Highlights
Boston
We will begin our adventure Tuesday in Boston traversing the Freedom Trail, visiting ancient burial grounds at The Granary, Kings Chapel and Copp’s Hill, along with historic patriot gathering places like Faneuil Hall, Old North Church and Old South Meeting House telling the stories of the liberty, conspiracy and victory that forged our nation’s independence. We will finish at Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution, America’s oldest commissioned naval vessel and veteran of the War for Independence.
Wednesday, we will walk the battlefields where the first military engagements of the War for Independence were fought beginning with Lexington — site of the “shot heard ’round the world”. We will travel on to Concord and charge over the Old North Bridge, driving the British back where they came before, scaling Bunker Hill to hear the remarkable accounts of that singular battle in the heart of Boston.
You’ll return from your trip with a renewed sense of gratitude and respect for these true founding fathers who sacrificed all they had to forge the liberty we now enjoy.
Lexington and Concord
King’s Chapel
Copp’s Hill
Plymouth
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together. And… by the goodness of God we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” —Edward Winslow, 1621
Thanksgiving is America’s holiday and Plymouth is the symbol of where our national celebration began. We will spend Thursday on a walking tour of Plymouth, exploring the many monuments and museums as our tour historians tell us of the brave men and women who seeded the country almost 400 years ago. We will learn about the people, places and events of the beginning of our country as we walk along Town Brook on the same paths our forefathers walked centuries ago. We will visit the grave sites of our ancestors and become acquainted with the thoughts of these remarkable people. Discover why the Pilgrims changed from communal living to land ownership, and how this change led to the beginning of free trade, industry and capitalism in our country. Hear about the relationship between the Pilgrims and Natives and how they worked together in support of each other. Stops include Burial Hill, Pilgrim Mothers Monument, Plymouth Rock, Brewster Gardens, Pilgrim Hall Museum and the National Monument to the Forefathers!
Friday we have a great day planned at Plimoth Plantation, the 17th-Century English Village re-creation of the small farming and maritime community built by the Pilgrims on the New England shore now inhabited by the best Pilgrim reenactors we know. We’re in for a real treat as we partake in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the New England trimmings among Pilgrim role players at Plimoth Plantation. In addition to our special time at Plimoth Plantation, we will be exploring the solid oak timbers and tarred hemp rigging of the full-scale reproduction of the tiny vessel that bore 102 souls across the sea on a 66-day voyage. . . the Mayflower II and touring the Jenney Gristmill, originally constructed in 1636 on Town Brook and fully operational today.
Plimoth Plantation
Reenactors in Character
Mayflower II
Plymouth Rock Monument
Pilgrim Mothers Monument
Burial Hill
* Photos of Plymouth Destinations Courtesy of TripAdvisor
Event Speakers
Historian Bill Potter
Historian Bill Potter combines a lifelong study of history with an uncommon ability to captivate audiences of all ages as he traces the providential acts of God throughout the ages. Leading tours of American and European historical sites, he has earned a well-deserved reputation as a gifted communicator, bringing to each event a wealth of experience and knowledge. A seasoned researcher and writer, Mr. Potter possesses a practical knowledge of antiquarian books, documents, and artifacts and has published numerous short books, as well as many articles and book reviews. He and his wife, Leslie, reside in Virginia.
Richard Holland
Born and raised in Boston, Richard Holland founded CTB Tours in 1994 after performing tours locally and abroad for over 20 years. In addition to earning a Masters in Education from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, he is a perpetual student of colonial and recent history of Boston. His depth of knowledge and passion for providential history translate into tours that are entertaining and educational, making history come alive.
Leo Martin
Leo Martin, an educator and expert on the early history of our nation, is a true patriot and compelling tour guide, who has been ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for the past seven years. Leo is the Education Director at the Jenney Museum in Plymouth, MA, where he is known for his service giving historical tours and lectures dressed in Pilgrim costume. He is a champion of our nation’s founding values displayed in the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth. A sought-after speaker, his book Pilgrim Pursuit of Happiness describes the various kinds of liberty brought in seed form by the Pilgrims to Plymouth. Leo and his wife Nancy have been married for forty years, have three grown children and four grandchildren. They have been working together at the Jenney Museum in Plymouth for the past 12 years preserving the Christian heritage of our country.
Event Schedule
Note: Schedule days and venues subject to change.
| Monday, November 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Tuesday, November 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Wednesday, November 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Thursday, November 17 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Friday, November 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Saturday, November 19 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Accommodations
Landmark Events has have secured a number of rooms at the Cold Springs Best Western Plus for $135 per night including tax. For more information or to reserve a room, please contact us via email at info@landmarkevents.org, or by phone at (210) 885-9351. The hotel is currently sold out so you would need to secure your rooms through Landmark Events.
Tour guests are welcome to book rooms wherever suits them best, however, bear in mind that on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the bus will depart for Boston from the Best Western. While the tour officially ends on Friday, November 18, Plymouth’s fantastic Thanksgiving Parade takes place on Saturday, November 19, so you may consider staying over that night.
Alternative accommodation ideas can be found at VRBO.com and Airbnb.com where there are several houses and apartments to choose from. Guests are responsible for their own transportation around Plymouth.
Study Preparation
Key People
John Adams
Samuel Adams
Governor William Bradford
William Brewster
General Thomas Gage
King George, III
John Hancock
Sachem Massasoit
Rev. Cotton Mather
James Otis
King Phillip
Major John Pitcairn
Paul Revere
Pastor John Robinson
Betsy Ross
Squanto
Miles Standish
General Joseph Warren
Mercy Warren
Governor John Winthrop
Key Issues and Topics
The Doctrine of Providence
The Mayflower Compact
The Virginia Company
Wampanoag Confederacy
The City on a Hill
Commonwealth
The Old Deluder Satan Act
Colonial Charter
Township Selectmen
The Battle of Bunker Hill
The Intolerable Acts
The Sons of Liberty
The Stamp Act
Writs of Assistance
Plymouth Plantation
Continental Congress
Suggested Reading
Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford
John Winthrop, by Francis J. Bremer
The Puritan Experiment, by Francis J. Bremer
The Puritan Family, by Edmund Morgan
The Mathers: Three Generations of Puritan Intellectuals, 1596-1728, by Robert Middlekauff
Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were, by Leland Ranken
The Guise of Every Graceless Heart, by Terrill Elniff
The Minutemen and Their World, by Robert A. Gross
Now We Are Enemies: The Story of Bunker Hill, by Thomas J. Fleming
Paul Revere’s Ride, by David Hackett Fischer
The Boston Campaign, by Victor Brooks
Driven to Resistance, Vol. 1, by R.A. Sheats
Upcoming Events
Virginia Historic Triangle Tour
October 18-19, 2024
Heart of American History Tour
Oct 21-25, 2024
