Posted on Mar 07, 2017
Driving a Motorcoach, affords one the opportunity to meet many interesting passengers. I suppose, because I am a retired teacher and coach, some of my favorite groups are school groups. I have taken school groups to Washington, DC, Raleigh, NC, North Carolina's Outer Banks, Williamsburg, VA, college campus tours, ballgames and other interesting places!
Occasionally I am able to go see some of the sights with groups. As a child my parents decided to take my sister and me to Washington, DC. I was consumed with Abraham Lincoln and all I cared about was seeing the Lincoln Memorial! Unfortunately we ran into a huge rain storm our first night out. I guess weather reporting wasn't as good in those days! My dad decided to turn back and said we'd go another time. We never got around to that trip! Finally, at age 57, I was able, from my driver's seat aboard a Holiday Tours bus, to see some of the famous sights of Washington, DC! I usually drop my group and have to go park the bus and stay with the bus. One trip to DC was on a weekend and I was able to find parking close to the Memorials. My group walked to the Lincoln Memorial and several others close at hand. Fortunately, I was able to quickly visit a few! I was overwhelmed by the quiet and serenity of the Vietnam Wall! Although there was a large number of people, everyone was silent! I observed several people with paper and pencil, making copies of names of fallen heroes! The Korean Memorial was also amazing! The soldiers, dressed in rain gear, seemed to be alive as they are, seemingly creeping forward through the mist, searching out the enemy! However the highlight for me was climbing the steps of the Lincoln Memorial! I was finally fulfilling a childhood dream! I was as thrilled as I would have been in 1962! I spent a few minutes just sitting on the steps, looking out over DC and thinking how amazing our Nation's Capital really is!! I hope many of the children we carry to places like DC have the same kind of magic in their eyes!!
Four years ago, shortly after I began to drive a Motorcoach for Holiday Tours, in Feb. 2013, I posted the following on Facebook:
I took fourth graders from Tabernacle school to the state capital today!!
"I was teasing these two little boys about their girlfriends they said they didn't have a girlfriend!
When we were parked they came up beside my seat asking me questions and wanted to know how the door open and close. I let them push the buttons and, open and close the door.
They went and did their tour and came back later in the afternoon. One of the boys came and stood by me as he boarded the bus. He looked as though he wanted to say something. Finally he leaned over and hugged me! It was my first "tip" and something tells me I'll never get a better tip!!"
If you are a teacher, administrator, Scout leader or group leader planning a youth field trip, please give our office a call! Our staff will be happy to help plan a magical trip for your group!
Hope you will visit future editions of Holiday Trails!!
Author: Ray Groseclose
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