It is never too early to plan a fall colors tour; in fact, it might be too late if you want to get the best prices and your favorite pick of the destinations. And if you are happy to just go along for the ride, then an escorted tour is probably your best bet. Everything is handled for you. You won’t have to deal with hotel reservations and meals and other transportation. It is all handled for you, including help with your baggage.
As a senior citizen, I rather like that someone takes care of everything for me, but I was not sure I wanted to have to eat where ‘the group’ eats or sleep where ‘the group’ sleeps for six to eight days at a time. And honestly, six to eight days traveling with ‘the group’ was not exactly my style. My fear was that it might make me begin to feel like I was being held captive with a bunch of strangers. I guess if you haven’t tried it you won’t know if you would like it. So I tried it. And I liked it.
Last year, I made the commitment, plunked down my money and vowed that if it became too uncomfortable for me to handle, I would just leave that group bus tour, rent a car or hop a plane and find my own way home. What a delightful surprise awaited me.
From my hometown in central Florida, we climbed aboard the big blue bus (herein referred to as Big Blue) and away we went. The seating was very comfortable and there was a bathroom (very, very small though) on Big Blue the Bus. The windows were large and all aboard could see very well.
Our first stop was just across the Florida/Georgia state line where we had lunch at one of the southern cooking restaurant chains (not bad), stretched our legs, and had a short period of time to look around the gift shop before we re-boarded Big Blue for our next stop just south of Atlanta at a reputable hotel for our first night on the road. Now, I don’t know if you have ever noticed this or not, but once you have dined with strangers, they are no longer strangers. So as we traveled on, we all began to feel like we knew each other just a little better.
Well, our first overnight stay at the mid-priced, but very clean and reputable hotel was uneventful. We all had dinner together, breakfast together and continued on our way. We made another stop or two along the way for meals and breaks and finally reached our destination, Asheville, North Carolina. The tour was a great success thus far. The changing of the colors in the landscape was fascinating. The countryside was gorgeous — everything I though it would be and then some.
Asheville, with all of its views and vistas was the best of all. Once we reached there, though still staying in the same hotel (a little rustic cabin theme this time), we were all free to do as we wished or we had the option to join in on a little sight seeing and history tour of the local area. Since we had two nights in Asheville, I chose to strike out on my own for one of the days and take the guided Biltmore tour on the following day.
That decision turned out to be a wise one for me. I was able to dine and shop as I pleased and I actually met and spent some time with some of the artisans in some of the charming little shops. The Biltmore tour with the group the next day was pleasant, but once again I chose to dine separately from the group and head for bed early at the quaint little cabin hotel room.
On the return trip home, again the vistas were lovely but by this time, some members of the group had begun to become a little disgruntled with some of the other members of the group. Barbara’s husband was the worst, but I guess there always has to be “one“. When traveling with a group, never, ever bring up the subject of religion or politics, unless you are quite sure everyone feels exactly like you do. But being “one” of those that assumed his way was the only way, Big John just wound up annoying the hell out of everyone all the way home.
The last night the tour surprised us with the dinner. Instead of a regular dinner, they booked a murder mystery dinner for us. This proved to be a wonderful and needed surprise. We were a little tired, and needed a different sort of event. The murder mystery troupe that performed for us brought in local history to the mystery, and involved many of us in the plot. It was loads of fun!
Would I take another escorted group tour again? Definitely yes, but…not if Barbara and John were going.