October 4 thru 13, Ken and I joined forty-three others going to New England on a Tri-State Travel bus tour. The group included couples, four pairs of women and a single man. People were congenial–at mealtimes we sat down at a table with anyone and enjoyed a pleasant conversation.
Hans, our driver, and Gene, our guide, were excellent at their jobs. Each day, Gene moved our seats. The people ahead and behind us remained the same but those across the aisle changed.
Each person’s large suitcase was stored under the bus. At the motels, it was delivered and picked up from outside our room door. We brought our carry-ons aboard and stowed them overhead. The bus had WIFI and outlets to recharge devices.
“Early to bed and early to rise” could have been the theme of the trip. Usually bags had to be ready by 7 A.M. Gene told us we were on a tour–not a vacation. He had a schedule to keep. Louis Armstrong’s recording of “What a Wonderful World” began our bus ride every morning. We covered a lot of ground, saw a lot and did a lot. Most of the days were cloudy but we enjoyed seeing the autumn leaves at the peak of their color.
One advantage of living in the Midwest, we can reach any place in the United States in a matter of a couple days of driving. While traveling to and from the East, Gene showed movies and documentaries, played games and told a few stories about his experiences. He and Hans each had a repertoire of jokes. The first day, a side trip to Niagara Falls was a surprise treat to break up the riding. About every two hours, we made a rest stop and the coach had a restroom.
Complimentary breakfast buffets were provided by the superior motels where we stayed. The tour fee included all dinners and we ate well. We usually had a choice of two entrees. One evening, most of us chose a whole lobster. It came with bibs and instructions on how to take it apaart. I prefer the way tails are served in our neighborhood restaurants. Lunches on our own were our only added expense other than gift shops.
Knowledgeable local guides joined us at four points of interest–Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the northeast United States; Kennebunkport, a popular resort town including the Bush’s summer home (which we viewed at a distance); Boston, historic city from the Colonial & Revolutionary era; and Cape Cod, including Plymouth Rock and Hyannis with its history of the Kennedy family.
I’m glad Hans was dealing with the Boston traffic, especially the rush hour congestion leaving the city. We experienced Cape Cod’s first Nor’easter of the season. The wind and rain were mild compared to the weather reports of days following our visit.
If you plan to take a bus trip, choose a reputable organization. Forty years ago, my parents took trips with the same Galena-based company. After Dad died, Mom continued to join their tours by herself.
In 2004, a friend and I went to Alaska with an incompetent guide. Two years earlier, a three-day trip to Agawa Canyon in Ontario, Canada, to ride a snow train went well, so we thought we were making a good choice, but it wasn’t. For example, on a Sunday afternoon we arrived at a huge, shopping center that included amusement rides. An hour later, it closed. We ate in a lot of McDonald’s.
How do you travel on vacation?