Reality Tour 2: San Francisco Dinner

Since I first met her, Cathy Donahue, Collette’s west coast Product Manager has been telling me that the dinner on Fisherman’s Wharf is something the passengers just love. Well, she was right. Neptune’s Palace was fantastic.

This was my first chance to get to sit down and talk with some of the other passengers. Chad and I sat down with Jo and her grandson Will. This goes down as one of the best dinner’s I’ve ever had. The salmon was perfect and we had a great conversation. It was excellent to see Will traveling with his grandmother. He’s an impressive kid and certainly has his head on straight and Jo was so willing to share stories about her life in Manhattan and New Jersey. We had done a lot already in San Fransisco but this was a highlight for me.

And thanks to the Carstens and Heilmans who were great sports as Chad snapped a picture of them enjoying dinner!

After desert we all headed out onto the wharf where David entertained (if you can call it that) the passengers. I think he even passed the hat. Can’t say enough about the job he did putting everyone as ease. I knew then that there would never be a dull moment, even if I wanted one.

Dave then led a large group of passengers over to the nearest cable car stop. He wanted to make sure everyone had a chance for a ride.

“How can you come to San Francisco and not ride a cable car,” he said.

Check back at Traveling Well on Monday for the next Reality Tour 2 update. Sierra Railroad here we come.

Tags: Reality Tour 2

Reality Tour 2: San Francisco Free Time

With our city tour complete, Chad and I took some time to gather some images and video of this wonderful city. We started with a cable car ride down to Union Square. Some of the other passengers did the same, some stayed in Sausalito to enjoy the shopping and fine restaurants.

Chad and I work right next to each other in the office so I know him a little bit. We have sons about the same age and (along with countless others) are working on a big project together. He really wanted to take a cable car ride. And of course that’s a must for any trip to SF but remember these historic landmarks are moving through city traffic and cars will try to pass.

Over the course of the rest of the afternoon we criss-crossed the the hills of the city. From heights above Lombard Street down to Ferry Marketplace and seemingly everywhere in between. On foot we got a true sense of the city, especially once we got away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Here’s brief video with the highlights of Day 2:

Tags: Reality Tour 2, San Francisco

Reality Tour 2: San Francisco City Tour

It’s time for our San Francisco city tour. The passengers are starting to fill the motorcoach. They look like a good group, upbeat and ready to start the day.

David, the Tour Manager, is milling about. He’s making sure everyone is aboard and introduces us all to Jane, our step-on guide.

What an opportunity. Jane is a San Francisco native. Before I know it we are rolling, down through Fisherman’s Wharf, past Lombard Street and up through Chinatown where she explains how numerous cultures come together here, producing a one-of-a-kind character.

As the tour continues, Jane delievers local insight into the neighborhoods and the people who live in them. We head over to Golden Gate Park and the bus breaks out into song. Yup. We sang, “If you are going to San Francisco be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” A spirit of peace and love filled the air. It may sound corny but it was a great moment.

Then it was going to be on to the Twin Peaks. But it’s way too foggy. Not missing a beat, Jane and David arrange a special highlight…

Jane made a quick phone call and then in the middle of the tour she started telling us about her parents and their Japanese heritage. Both had been placed in U.S. internment camps during WWII.

The coach twisted and turned high through the hills. Jane asked us all to look out the window and there is her mom! She was waving an American flag in front of her house. Back at the home office they say anything can happen on tour. Now I know what they mean. To see someone, especially considering her past, proudly holding the stars and stripes touched us all.

Then we set out across the famedGolden Gate Bridge. Even as the fog continues to roll in one of the passengers says, “what a majestic sight.”  Everyone stops to take pictures and look back at the city.

The jam packed tour continued on to Sausalito, an almost perfect seaside town.

Chad and I then took advantage of the chance to cruise back across the bay. From this vantage point we got an up-close view of “the Rock.”

I’ve been there and would recommend the tour to any San Francisco tourist. It’s a spooky place and really puts you in the place of the men who once occupied the island.

Tags: Reality Tour 2, San Francisco

Reality Tour 2: San Francisco Morning

This is Chad’s first time on the West Coast. He’s anxious to put his feet in the Pacific. So, early in the morning of day 2 we head down to the waterfront. The sun has just come up and now I know I am in San Francisco because fog covers the bay, obscuring the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The time change has me feeling ahead of the game but I’ll be careful to get on West Coast time. Otherwise, I know I’ll pay for it later in the trip.

In the perfect SF moment, Alcatraz emerges from the fog just as a huge container ship slides in, silent on the still water.  I can hear the seals barking over on Pier 39. A man practices Tai Chi on the docks. He’s solemn and focused but breaks into a smile when I try to sneak up for an up close picture of seagull. He puts his finger to his lips – the universal sign for quiet. Or maybe it’s a seagull hunting tip?

The years since my last visit to this spot rush up. Travel has a way of linking bits of our lives together, framing the stuff in between.

Next up our City Tour!

Tags: Reality Tour 2, San Francisco

Reality Tour 2: North Beach

On this night, Chad and I had dinner with Dave Mitchell, the Tour Manager. I wanted to head up to North Beach, San Francisco’s “Little Italy.” After a long day in the air, I was looking for some real pasta and a chance to dine outside. This is one of my favorite places in the world. We sat down at a small local place and Dave gave us a rundown of how a tour works and what he’ll need from us. Turns out he currently lives in Franklin, Massachusetts – the town I grew up in.

Immediately, I sensed Dave’s enthusiasm for his job. The Tour Managers do so much. Chad put it best when he remarked that “it takes a special kind of person.”

After dinner, Dave was heading off to triple check that the passengers were taken care off. He was also going to continue planning, briefing and confirming all reservations for the following day. With no real plan, Chad and I walked up Columbus Avenue.

The sun had started going down and the neighborhood took on a sense of excitement. There’s just something different about San Francisco that sets it apart. I dragged Chad into City Lights and then headed next door to check out Vesuvio Cafe, a world-renowned San Francisco saloon that captures the spirit of the city. But it was an early night. Later, we met a few of the passengers in the lobby of our hotel and everyone was heading to bed. With day 1 behind us there was still a lot to look forward to. Better to rest up for a full day tomorrow.

Tags: Reality Tour 2, San Francisco

Reality Tour 2: Arriving in San Francisco Day 1

It is not down in any map; true places never are.
- Herman Melville

I can’t help but feel literary in San Francisco. Many of my heroes have come through here – Jack Kerouac and Mark Twain especially. It’s a great American city. The end of the line (railroad allusion intended). We are on the fringe – WEST.

Our plane came in through the fog nicely, the bay appearing below us. Overall it was a great flight.

After grabbing our bags, Chad and I met up with our Tour Manager, David Mitchell. Since I started at Collette Vacations I’ve heard that these men and women are the backbone of the company.  I was anxious to see one of them in action. Before I could say hello, Dave is expertly moving us along, directing us to our shuttle. Some of the other passengers are arriving, and some he has already safely seen to the hotel. He’s making sure everyone is okay and taken care of. My first impression? We’re in good hands.

After checking in at the perfectly located Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel, we dropped our bags in the room and headed out for our first look at the bay.

At this point, the tour has officially begun. We are transcontinental, 3000 miles from home. Tonight, there will be some free time to explore the city. For me that means Columbus Avenue, North Beach and City Lights bookstore.

Thanks to Dan Kern and Sean McVeigh (our mediaguy) for providing the cool intro to all upcoming Reality Tour videos. Here’s a little recap of Day 1!

Tags: Reality Tour 2, San Francisco, Video

Reality Tour 2: Historic Trains of California

Welcome to Traveling Well’s second Reality Tour. This post comes to you almost live from 34,000 feet. I am drafting this just as our Airbus A320 has reached its cruising altitude. Sitting next to me is Chad Litchfield, a graphic designer at Collette. Together we are riding the Historic Trains of California tour.

Chad and I (through text, images and video) will bring you our impressions of what a Collette tour is all about. At this point I am looking forward to seeing San Francisco again. And this will be my first time visiting Yosemite National Park. And what boy doesn’t grow up fascinated by trains?

I got to the airport at dawn, not wanting to miss a flight on my first trip out of the office. I breezed through the self check-in and was on the receiving end of a full body scan. I always try to be super polite to the security, pilots, stewards and stewardesses. After all, we are all in it together.

Now it’s time to kick back with a book and listen to my iPod. Chad’s working out how to use the new HD camera Collette loaned us. Below America seems so quiet, timeless as the huge continent unfolds to the hum of jet engines.

Onwards and upwards.

Tags: Reality Tour 2, San Francisco

Coming Soon! Reality Tour 2: Historic Trains of California

In the next few days Traveling Well launches its second Reality Tour. Join us on a virtual journey as we return to a bygone era and ride four of California’s most historic trains. From San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Warf to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and beyond, adventure awaits. All aboard!

Highlights of this tour include:

• Two nights in San Francisco at the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf.
• The Sierra Railroad, built in 1897.
• A cruise of Lake Tahoe on the M. S. Dixie.
• Yosemite National Park.
• The Napa Valley Wine Train.
• Dinner on the Delta King, a restored stationary riverboat on the Sacramento River.
• A ride on the 121-year old Skunk train surrounded by redwood forest.

and more!

In the meantime, check out our Reality Tour 1 series, a South American adventure!

Meet your Tour Manager: David Lyle

Dave Lyle, Collette Tour Manager

We hear from happy customers all the time at Collette Vacations.

In fact, every letter or email that comes in eventually makes its way to me so I read a lot of testimonials. Many of these customer letters mention the tour manager…how professional and knowledgeable he or she is about the destination and how they seem to work around the clock, and always with a smile on their face.

Our tour managers are true road warriors.

For those of you have never been on an escorted tour, a Collette tour manager is with you from start to finish, often meeting you at the airport upon arrival, and handling your luggage on tour. They can recommend things to do in your free time and where to dine in a particular city. Adding a historical perspective and sharing anecdotes, a tour manager can make a destination come alive.

The wonderful thing about traveling with a tour manager (in addition to the luggage handling and stories!) is that you get to know a little about them and their personality. These are not anonymous, impersonal commentators, at the front of the bus.

David Lyle is one such tour manager who repeatedly is praised by his passengers for his friendly manner and interesting commentary.

So for those of you who may be considering travel to the Canadian Rockies or Turkey in the future (two travel destinations that Dave typically covers), here in his own words is a bit about Dave:

“I’ve been with Collette for over 10 years now. I speak some French and Mandarin; and enjoy hiking, cooking and photography. My advice to travelers is: Embrace cultural differences; allow yourself to see things from a different perspective and you’ll fully experience all of the magic that the world offers. I’ve lived in the Canadian Rockies for almost 20 years – it’s my favorite destination to share with travelers. There’s no place like it and it’s right in my backyard!”

Tags: 2010, Canadian Rockies, Collette, Escorted Tours, Tour Manager, Turkey

The Gulf Coast continues its comeback

To mark the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I’d like to direct Traveling Well readers to Tourism Cares. Our own Dan Sullivan is on the Board of Directors of this non-profit organization that strives to benefit society by “preserving the travel experience for future generations through awarding grants to natural, cultural and historic sites worldwide.”

They’ve done a lot of work in the Gulf Coast. In 2006, 350 volunteers from the travel industry gathered in Mississippi to help out after the destruction caused by Katrina. See their Facebook page here. I am very happy that the company I work for supports such a wonderful organization and that Collette Vacations was the first major U.S. tour operator to resume regular extended tours to New Orleans.

And for Traveling Well’s take on New Orleans (and why it’s one of the world’s greatest cities) check out Travel Bug’s post from January.

Tags: Collette Vacations, Dan Sullivan, Tourism Cares