Hello Ted and Randy :

You are right everyone likes a surprise. Or to put it another way,get more for your money than you had anticipated.

My walking tours are always interesting,whether in NYC or British Columbia,or Montreal. I try to research little known places along the way,so that we discover them together. I always try to make them feel special,so that I do not give the impression that this is the 50Th group that I am bringing to this “special Place”. People always like to think that they are first to see somewhere,so this way you make them feel that they are privileged to be in this group,and therefore with this Tour Director. In other words make them feel “special”.

Frank Tarantino

ITMI Graduate Dec. 2004

There is a well known musician who performs each summer at Tanglewood in the Berkshires. I learned he wakes early and is known to take his guitar to a secluded overlook and play as the sun rises.

I had a particularly ornery group of German and Dutch visitors so I set up the scenario. The entire two days prior to our arrival in Lenox, MA, I used the Brer Rabbit technique.

I will be rising early to take a silent walk through a magical wood where once a year beautiful melodies can be heard wafting through the trees as the summer sun rises.

Not so surprising was the fact that only 24 of the 29 passengers took me up on the offer to accompany me. The others scoffed, arrogantly proclaiming it was utter nonsense.

The Inn appreciated my adventure and I set out well supplied. In my backpack I carried a carafe of coffee, a carafe of hot water, tea, cocoa and condiments along with two loaves of bread, some cheese and meats. We headed out 35 minutes before dawn with constant reminders that once we were in the woods we must be silent.

Our circuitous route through the woods lead us to a perch where the vast valley spread below us surrounded by Berkshire mountain sentinels. Placing my index finger to my mouth I quieted everyone. Just as the first ribbon of sun’s rays broke the darkness of the valley we heard it. It couldn’t have been scripted this well. The timing was perfect. Faint, familiar strains of guitar melodies.

My groups’ expressions were worth the effort. Good-by ornery passengers. For several tunes we sat silently with our thoughts. As the new day dawned and the morning fog lifted from the valley, the music ended replaced by incredulous smiles all around. I opened my pack and revealed our hikers’ feast. Could life get any better than this?!

Yes, yes it could. It was my turn to be surprised, a rustling in the woods to our right startled us. Fearing the worse, I rose with my plastic butter knife, stood on my haunches ready to defend my group. A faint laugh followed by, “Good thing I’m not a bear. Would you mind if I join you?” The eavesdropping travellers were caught. He knew we were there all along.

The Berkshires – October 2009

Kim Cabral

Licensed Charleston Tour Guide

Hello guys! I try to do this all of the time. Practicing random acts of kindness – one of the best is when first getting to know your group and finding out if anyone has grown up in an area or has family there, leads me to the answer to your question. On a trip to Branson, when finding out that a passenger had a father who was born very near an area we would be driving near on our return to the airport, I arranged with the driver, and with the permission of the tour company to leave a little earlier, detour thru the little mining town ( I had called ahead and talked to the city, and had family information for her) and show it off to the client and the tour with a little history and a promotion that it is wonderful to travel to where our families originated from. She was in tears, everyone in town was waving to us as we went thru (it was really small), from the postman, to the police chief, the kids, etc. all grinning at our 1/2 million dollar tour bus crawling thru a typical small midwest town that time left behind. We stopped at the town square and everyone got out and talked about their fathers, mothers, family history and how this town reminded them of something in their history – including the water tower with the high school slogan painted on it. It was a true touch of Norman Rockwell and they woman couldn’t stop thanking the driver and I for thinking of her. She kept saying now that she had been to Missouri and the town, she understood her father better and really felt him while we were there. Hooray!

Jo-San Arnold

I was recently in the Bahamas and saw a lot of Coach knockoff purses in Nassau that I wisely restrained myself from. Last week, I visited a cousin in N.Y. and wouldn’t you know, his gift to me was a darling Coach knockoff tote bag–completely unexpected. I was delighted! I love impromptu and always the last minute or the unexpected.

Genie

What special something extra…a surprise have you cooked up for your group or perhaps something someone has done for you that didn t cost a penny only imagination and creativity?

Went off route once to show my group the wagon wheel ruts from the pioneers. It delayed lunch a bit and some seniors got a little cranky but, overall, everyone appreciated the side trip.

Once, in Spokane, I offered to pay for anyone that wanted to ride the carousel. Most of my seniors (virtually all of the women) took me up on it. Money well spent.

On a trip through Laramie our bus was going down some side streets to get back on track when I spotted a lemonade stand. I had the driver stop, asked the kid if he had enough cups and lemonade and most of my bus bought a cup of 25 cent lemonade from a very happy kid. Made the people feel great, too.

John Schueler

Hello, something extra that I have done for my groups, is get some Mariachis in Mexico Tour and sing to all of my groups. They were quite surprised and I was shocked that I could sing

Be Safe

Connie

We all are children at heart…

Who does not love a surprise?

specially when it is unexpected,

and exactly at the right moment.

The Question of the Week is:

What special something extra…a surprise have you cooked up for your group or perhaps something someone has done for you that didn t cost a penny only imagination and creativity?

Hope you are all enjoying the first signs of spring.

Safe journeys…

Ted and Randy

I stopped for a morning break at the Botanical Gardens in Mobile AL. on the way to Savannah GA. the blooms were beautiful.

Self guided tour is free.

Liz Farris

Kerrville, TX