Peepers, Rockers & Shakers: A Glimpse of Autumn with Holiday Vacations If your interests are piqued by New England foliage and historic culture, we have three words for you: Peepers, Rockers, and Shakers. What are we talking about? Don’t worry. In short, they are a trio of fascinating facets to our New England foliage tours. Read on to learn more, but if you want to browse these tours’ itineraries, departure dates, pricing, and more right now, click these links. New England Fall Foliage Autumn in New England “Peepers?” Why, that’s short for “Leaf Peepers.” If you have ever been enchanted by autumn’s bright colors, browsed your newspaper’s fall foliage report, or you know what “peak color” means, you might be a Leaf Peeper. “Leaf Peepers” is the affectionate, informal nickname occasionally given to seasonal New England visitors (and parts of the Midwest) who are in search of bedazzling natural color. This tradition originates in Japan and is affectionately called momijigari. What began as a cultured pursuit and opportunity for contemplation and reflection by the court aristocracy became wildly popular by all in the mid-18th century. Every year Holiday Vacations takes hundreds of guests nationwide to the Northeast to become Leaf Peepers themselves. Our tours are deliberately routed to see spectacular foliage as we drive through New England’s rolling landscapes including Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, the verdant hillsides around Stowe, Vermont, and other scenic fall foliage destinations*. We are proud to be Leaf Peepers and we invite you to join us on our peeper pursuits. “Rockers?” That’s Norman Rockwell, for the Norman Rockwell Museum! When you imagine the works of Norman Rockwell, what comes to mind? Is it a sentimental moment in a small American town, a profound scene depicting our country’s Constitutional rights, or a funny snapshot of children learning about life? Artist Norman Rockwell defined a generation of American culture in his paintings and illustrations. Best known for illustrating more than 300 covers for The Saturday Evening Post, Rockwell may be virtually unmatched in his ability to observe the tiny fibers of the 20th century’s social fabric and render it to a canvas with broad appeal. We invite you to join us on our New England Fall Foliage tour for a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum. The museum’s collection includes about 475 original works plus over 100,000 items including photographs and fan mail. Join us at the Norman Rockwell Museum and be a “Rocker” with us this fall. Hold the salt and pepper – “Shakers” is for traditional Shaker villages The Shakers are a Protestant offshoot of the Catholic Church that formed in England in the 18th century. Originally known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, The Shakers earned their nickname for their history of dancing during worship. They moved to the fledgling United States to practice their religion freely, and on our fall foliage tours, we are invited to see, learn, and taste the Shakers’ way of life. We’ll visit the Hancock Shaker Village on our New England Fall Foliage tour and the Canterbury Shaker Village on our Autumn in New England tour. The Hancock Shaker Village is located in western Massachusetts and started in 1783. While the village closed in 1960 it reopened eight years later as a museum and historic site. During our visit we will learn about their communal lifestyle, admire the village’s famous Roundstone Barn, and enjoy a traditional Shaker lunch. The Canterbury Shaker Village is located in the center of New Hampshire and was established in 1792 and later declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. Our village tour includes visits to some of the 25 original buildings, plus gardens, and more. *The color of fall foliage is a natural occurrence and cannot be guaranteed.