The Champlain Valley in the Revolution

What is included:

This tour includes:

• Four nights lodging at highly rated hotels, with breakfasts.
• Welcome dinner.
• Introductory presentation.
• Transportation by deluxe motor coach.
• Admission to all scheduled museums and attractions.
• Detailed study booklet with maps and educational materials.
• An active itinerary of daily guided tours.

What is not included:

• Transportation to/from our Albany, NY Airport hotel. 
• Some meals.
• Incidentals.

Tour Price: $1,395. per person (based on double occupancy)
Single Supplement: $375.

Registered tour participants should plan to arrive at our Albany Airport hotel in Latham, NY by 5:30 p.m. on July 7, 2023 to partake in the welcome dinner and introductory talk. Our hotel offers a free 24-hour airport shuttle (taxi-Uber-Lyft services are also available); the airport is about one mile from the hotel.

At the conclusion of our tour in the afternoon on July 11, 2023 we will be returning to our airport hotel in Latham. That night is not included in the tour price, but if you elect to stay the night prior to heading home we can put you in contact with the hotel to make a reservation.

July 7: Evening get-together for tour participants at our Albany Airport hotel in Latham NY, with a welcome dinner and a presentation on the military history of the Champlain Valley and its significance in the American Revolution.

July 8: We depart our hotel for Fort Ticonderoga. We will spend the day touring the iconic fort and its environs, including the breathtaking view from Mount Defiance. In the evening, we will take a cruise on Lake Champlain, taking in a number of interesting points from a very different perspective. Night in Ticonderoga.

July 9: Departing Ticonderoga, we explore the massive ruins at Crown Point and discuss the 1776 campaign before crossing into Vermont. Continuing with the events of 1776, we will visit Arnold’s Bay where Benedict Arnold was forced to scuttle the first American fleet. We then continue on to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum with its collection of relics from Arnold’s fleet and a reconstruction of the gunboat Philadelphia. After lunch, we transition to the crucial 1777 campaign with a visit to Mount Independence – across the lake from Ticonderoga and one of the finest archaeological sites of the Revolution – and end the day in lovely Middlebury, Vermont. Night in Middlebury.

July 10: We begin our day with a visit to the Hubbardton battlefield; we will discuss this bitterly fought action on the ground where it happened. We then cross back into New York to follow the advance of Gen. Burgoyne’s Anglo-German army as it pushed south toward Albany. Our day ends at the Bennington battlefield site, where we examine this strange and pivotal engagement. Night in Latham, NY.

July 11: Our morning and early afternoon are spent exploring the two battles of Saratoga – the most decisive action of the Revolution, ending in the destruction of an entire British army and leading directly to the Franco-American alliance. Our tour will end back at our Latham hotel about mid-afternoon.

Fort Ticonderoga: One of America’s great historic places, the restored stone fortress was pivotal during two wars and stands on one of the most beautiful locations in the eastern United States. Built by the French before the French and Indian War, the fort was taken by the British in 1759. Captured by the Americans at the beginning of the Revolution, Ticonderoga became a vital staging area for the invasion of Canada and continued to held by the Continental Army until the summer of 1777, when it was captured by Gen. Burgoyne’s British and German forces. Ticonderoga is an iconic place you will not soon forget.

Crown Point: The massive ruins of the Crown Point fortress starkly illustrate its importance to 18^th century military operations in the Champlain Valley. Like Ticonderoga, Crown Point began as a French outpost. The British Army took it over in 1759, building one of the largest fortified places in North America. A fire led to its abandonment in 1773, though the location was used to support the American operations in 1775-1776.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum: : Dedicated to the region’s extensive maritime history, the museum devotes significant space to the American Revolution and particularly the Battle of Valcour Island (October 1776), displaying numerous relics recovered from the lake. The most significant attraction is the full-scale reconstruction of the gunboat Philadelphia, sunk in the battle.

Mount Independence: Largely undisturbed since its abandonment in 1777, Mount Independence is a diamond in the rough as a historic site, where many remnants of fortifications and building foundations may be found and good walking trails interpret the vast American encampments of 1776-7.

Hubbardton Battlefield: Described by former National Park Service historian Ed Bearss as perhaps the most pristine battleground in America, Hubbardton retains its remote character and is largely unchanged from the bloody July day in 1777 when it was the scene was one of the most bitterly fought actions of the war – a largely forgotten battle that helped change the course of the war.

Bennington Battlefield: On August 16, 1777, the Americans under John Stark and Seth Warner decisively defeated the largely German force sent to the area by Gen. Burgoyne. The victory depleted Burgoyne’s army by nearly 1,000 men, caused many of his Native American allies to abandon him, and set the stage for the battles at Saratoga.

Saratoga National Historical Park:

The Battle of Saratoga (two battles in fact, fought about three weeks apart) ranks among the most decisive in military history.  The result of the hard-fought engagements led to the surrender of Burgoyne’s British army, helped turn the tide of a faltering Revolution, and led directly to the French entry into the war.  We will walk the ground where the fighting raged at Freeman’s Farm, the bloody wheatfield, the Balcarres and Breyman redoubts, as well as visiting the site of Burgoyne’s surrender, places that altered the course of world history.

Spaces for this tour are limited and will be reserved on a ‘first-come, first served’ basis. You are urged to reserve your space as early as possible, as there has been much interest expressed in this tour.

Costs / Deposit:

The total cost of the tour is $1,395 person, based on double occupancy. If a single occupancy room is desired, the supplement is $375. If you want a single room please be sure to indicate this preference when you send your deposit.

A deposit of $200 per person is required to book your place on the tour. Should you have to cancel your booking, your deposit is refundable up to 90 days prior to the first day of the tour (July 7, 2023) less a $45 per person administrative charge. 

Cancellation: Cancellations received less than 90 days from the first day of the tour will result in the forfeiture of a portion of the amount already paid; the percentages are shown below.

The date of cancellation is considered to be the date upon which we receive notification. Written notice of cancellation must be made by the individual who made the booking (or, if not possible, by next of kin.) Verbal notice of cancellation may be accepted only under certain emergency circumstances, as determined by us.

Any booking status changes requested by our clients will be made when possible, though these cannot be guaranteed. If we can make such changes easily we will not charge for doing so, but we reserve the right to apply a fee of up to $25 for doing so if necessary.

Any deposit received after the tour spaces are fully filled will be immediately returned to the sender. Fifty percent of the balance of the tour price is due before March 1, 2023. The remaining balance of the tour price must be received no later than June 1, 2023. Please make note of these dates.

Payment is to be made by PayPal (see Forms & Payment below) or via check, payable to ‘Stuart R. Dempsey’ (please indicate ‘Champlain Valley Tour’ in the memo space). Upon receiving any payment, you will promptly be sent a statement of receipt via email (or by U. S. Mail if requested).

We want your tour to be as personally enjoyable and meaningful as possible, so any special requests concerning the tour will be honored wherever possible, but are not guaranteed. Such requests must be provided in writing at the time the booking is made, or at the earliest possible date prior to the tour. If an additional charge is required to meet a request, we will advise you of it.

Booking requests must be made via our booking form. Be sure to fill this out completely.

Battleground reserves the right to cancel any tour if insufficient bookings are received, rendering it impossible to provide the tour as advertised. In such a case, notification of cancellation will be provided at the earliest possible time, and no later than 60 days from the first scheduled day of the tour. We also reserve the right to cancel a tour for reasons beyond our control that render us incapable of providing said tour as advertised.

Physical/Medical Considerations: Our tour will require some walking along inclines, fields, and steps. Tour participants must be able to stand and walk for 30 minutes at a time without rest or assistance. While the itinerary is not excessively strenuous, you must take these considerations into account before making your booking. You must provide us with notice of disabilities/medical conditions that might impact your travel at the time you book the tour (or, if newly diagnosed, as early as possible prior to the tour date). We do not accept any liability for your failure to inform us of limiting conditions, and reserve the right to reject any booking from any person who has not notified us of relevant disabilities or who we deem insufficiently fit to participate.

Behavior: You are responsible for your conduct and that of anyone in your travel party that you have booked. We reserve the right to refuse to book, or to remove from the tour, you or any member of your party, if your behavior or that of a member of your party, is dangerous, disrespectful  to other people, or otherwise disruptive. We will not provide a refund or pay any costs incurred by you under these circumstances.

Travel insurance: We strongly urge all participants to obtain travel insurance prior to the tour. You will typically receive the best rates and coverage by purchasing travel insurance as soon as you book the tour. You can determine the level of coverage you require, but it should include items such as luggage and trip cancellation protection, and applicable medical insurance. Websites of companies such as TravelEx are easy to navigate to determine cost vs. coverage, and AAA members can discuss insurance options with their local office.

Travel Information: We will provide booked participants with electronic informational newsletters prior to the trip, including logistics, travel suggestions, and the like. We want you to be an informed traveler!

We reserve the right to make modifications to any tour itinerary as deemed appropriate by the tour director/guide.

While we will of course make every effort to fulfill our obligations to our clients regarding all aspects of the advertised tour, we can assume no liability for damage, loss, or expense caused by events or circumstances beyond our control (‘Force Majeure’). Force Majeure is defined as unforeseeable or unavoidable situation(s) beyond our control including but not limited to: war, civil unrest, terrorism, strike/labor dispute, natural disaster, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, fire, adverse weather conditions, nuclear disaster, or the threat of any of these occurrences.

By signing the tour booking form, you are agreeing to all terms and conditions as provided in this document.

PDF The Champlain Valley Tour Booking Form 2023

Word Doc – The Champlain Valley Tour Booking Form 2023 

Payment may be made by check (See the Booking Terms and Conditions section above), or by using PayPal below. 

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Tour Deposit – $200.00 USD

50% of Balance less deposit:  – $597.50 USD

Full Tour Payment including deposit – $1,395.00 US

Single Room Supplement – $375.00 USD

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