Hello Fellow Adventurers.
In the past three months, I think I’ve seen “my bed” less than 20 days. People on tour ask me where I’m from or where I will go when this tour ends and I honestly can say that I don’t know. I have been bouncing back and forth between running kids through the forest at an environmental education camp northeast of Seattle and leading school groups through, D.C, New York and soon Philly. It’s been a blast and I would love to keep touring, but I’m not

Since attending ITMI in July 2006 I’ve ventured down a path so different and new, which could literally take me anywhere in the world.

I did my 1st tour n August 2006, which was just amazing; it was around San Francisco, with a mostly elderly group from Minnesota. I was real nervous because I wasn’t sure if I’d remember everything, but I did and we had a wonderful tour. I was really in the moment, as the scenic route passed on by us peacefully on a pleasant day in the city by the bay. And I only got us lost once, but it was more like off track and we quickly found our way.

I was half an hour early so I stood out front of the Holiday Inn Fisherman’s Warf wondering what the tour would bring. It was a sunny day not a cloud in the sky, unusually warm for SF in this time of year. Mark Twain was once quoted saying “The coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

As I waited I noticed a couple wearing Minnesota Vikings apparel, so I approached them. They were a very friendly and easygoing bunch, and that would be just the 1st taste of how my 1st tour would go. It was a truly amazing experience, and I look forward to many more tours, for I am much more confident that they will be excellent.

I now live in Washington DC, I moved here in January 2007. I’ve been living as peacefully and as happily as can be.

I’m proud that I can say I’m a certified professional traveler and that I attended the International Tour Management Institute (ITMI) designed specifically to train professional tour directors and tour guides. I’ve already done a few tours and I am now attempting to line up jobs within the travel industry inside and outside of the Washington DC Metro area.

Stay tuned for more to come on happenings in Washington DC and around the world…

Tony Bowles, ITMI Class 232

Hi everybody

Tony Landavazo Flagstaff Az.

Good news, got my first job; bad news it was tour from hell. Life was good in Flagstaff I was working at my construction job when I get a call at 11:30 A M from Allied T Pro. They have a 10 day tour leaving L A tomorrow morning at 7:00 Can I come as an interpreter for the Spanish people. Holy cow! Tomorrow morning? Well I don’t need much preparation I am just the interpreter. I book my air, drive to Phoenix, arrive at hotel about 10:00 P M. The front desk informs me all our passengers are confused and don’t know what to do, they want me to call them. I decide to call Max instead. [He is the tour guide] He says don’t do anything he will deal with it in the morning. Maybe he has time to meet me for coffee tomorrow.

Day 1 bus is 30 minutes late 3 people never show up. We drive threw L A to Mans Chinese Theater. The Driver doesn’t have a clue what is going on. We make it to our hotel in Lompoc where our 3 missing passengers are waiting. They are 3 Spanish women who don’t speak any English and they are pissed no one picked them up at the airport. They spent $450.00 on a taxi and missed the L A tour.

Day 2—Max is selling optionals on the bus, our pax speak German Italian and Spanish. We have to repeat every thing we say 3 times. It was a disaster but we got through it. We stopped at Bubba Gump for lunch, the driver parked about a half mile away. It took us an extra half hour to get everyone back on.

Day3— We do the San Francisco city tour ourselves. The Bay to Breakers parade is going on we can’t get to much of the tour we had planned. We Improvised took them to the parade, where we got a ticket for illegal parking. Then we let them walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a big hit everyone was happy. The driver has no water to sell I have to scramble to get some.

Day 4— The bus was broken into last nite.It took me an extra half hour to find tape and cardboard to patch the window. We get it done and are on our way. The driver remembers he forgot his luggage at the hotel we have to return for it. Total lost time one and a half hours. I have to sit up front and talk to the driver because he is about to fall asleep. That night the driver informs us he is going home we will have a new driver and bus in the morning.

Day 5—The new driver seems a little better than the other one. At least he stays awake. We miss our exit to Flying J where we were to stop for food and pics of trucks. We find out we have to watch the driver he can’t remember where he is. We scramble to find a place to eat. The Italians are disappointed they did not get to see the big trucks at the truck stop. We get lost in the Mohave Desert for a while looking for Death Valley. The pax know something is not rite but we finally find the road. WE arrive in Los Vegas late and still have to do a night city tour. Traffic is horrible but we cut through some alleys and get through it ok. The next day is a free day in Vegas. Good thing I saw the driver getting drunk in the hotel lobby that night. [I guess I joined him for a drink or two.]

Day 7—Heading for St. George for lunch through the Virginia River Gorge. The bus breaks down in a bad spot in the canyon. The engine is dropping oil all over the highway. It is obvious we need a new bus. I have to climb a mountain to get my phone to work. We flag down another tour bus and we crowd our people in with them for the 20 minuet drive to town. I stay behind with the bus and luggage. 4 hours later the new bus arrives. The buss is a piece of shit but we finally got a good professional driver. I transfer the luggage. We pick up our people and are off to Bryce Canyon. We do everything we can to make up time. Including eating on the buss and skipping a rest stop. At Bryce Canyon one of our people starts having health problems at the bottom of the 2 hour hike in the canyon. I just about have to carry him out. He is fine the next day and loves me forever now. We arrive at page about 11:00 P M. We can’t convince the new driver to stay with us for the remainder of the tour. We are to get a new bus and driver in the morning.

Day 8— We get a new bus but we have the same sleepy driver and he had to drive all night to get to us. I have to keep him awake the whole time. We make it to Flagstaff ok.
The bus company informs us we will have a new bus and driver in the morning because the bus they sent us is not in good working order.

Day 9—We wake to yet another bus. Number 6 and a new driver. This is getting to be a pain because I have to keep asking the pax for the tip money every time we change drivers. The mike does not work on this bus so we are shouting out commentary all the way to phoenix. We arrive in Scottsdale and are making plans for our night trip when the driver informs us he is out of hours and it is illegal to drive us. He decides to drive us any way.

Day 10—New day, new buss this makes a total of 7 busses and 5 different drivers. We are on our way to L A when the driver notices we are low on fuel. After a while we decide to risk making it to the California boarder. I am thinking I hope the fuel gage works, every thing else has gone wrong with busses. We Make it ok. We end the tour in L A Everybody wants to hug me and say good by. I guess I cried a little.

It was an interesting trip. One for the books. I learned all about problem solving. And made a lot of real nice friends. I wouldn’t trade this trip for anything.

Tony Landavazo ITMI grad Class 237