good times

Jul 10
1

Chartering a Motorcoach 101

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family4For most people, chartering a motorcoach isn’t an everyday task.  Where do you begin looking and how do you know you are getting a good and reputable company?

There are many questions, and we will attempt to give you a little guidance and help you find a perfect fit for your group.

First, how do you begin? Many details may still be up in the air when you first start planning, but think about what you do know and start with that.  For example:   Let’s say your family is planning a large get-together in Chicago next spring.   Your group has between 30-40 people who plan to travel together and stay at the same hotel.  Your group will need shuttling to and from group activities for the three days during the event.  You know the dates, the hotel and the number of passengers.  That’s a pretty great start.

Next you will want to begin looking for a motorcoach company in the general area you are coming from.  There are many great charter bus directories like BusRates.com who can help narrow down the search, and give you a bit of information on the companies in that area.  Keep in mind the amenities your group may want.  Is having a restroom on board important?  Will you need Wi-Fi?  What about outlets?  Websites like BusRates.com have that information available, making it quick and easy to narrow down the results.

Choose a couple of companies to contact and CALL them.  Although it’s easier to fill out their online quote request, you will get a better feel for a company in general by calling and speaking to a sales representative.  You are under no obligation to book at that time, but a good sales rep can give you pointers and tips you may not have thought of.  He or she does this everyday and can help guide you through the process.

At the end of the day, it’s really quite simple.  You do a little research to find a coach company.  They help you the rest of the way, leaving you to have a fun, relaxing travel experience.

Jun 26
0

Ahhhh, Summer!

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There is no better way to celebrate summer and our nations birthday than a road trip to some unusual All American places, with friend/family, on a motorcoach.

This great nation of ours is home to thousands of great travel destinations that would make a memorable vacation for any group.  Below you will find our Top 5 Places You May Not Have Thought Of As A Summer Destination list.  Enjoy! #GoMotorcoach

5.  Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska.  Many have heard of England’s Stonehenge, but have you heard of Carhenge?  Thirty-eight, gray spray painted cars placed as a life size replica of the ancient formation.  Created by artist Jim Reinders in 1987, Carhenge now boasts 80,000 visitors per year.  It’s free to the public and open year round.

carhenge

4. The World’s Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, Minnesota.  In 1950, Francis Johnson began winding twine for 4 hours per day until the he passed away in 1989.  What resulted was a 17,400 pound ball of twine that was nearly 40 feet in diameter.  Darwin, MN celebrates each August with its Twine Ball Festival in which visitors can create their very own twine balls.  The attraction is open year round and free to the public.

3.  The Desert of Maine in Freeport, Maine.  Enjoy camping, hiking and a tram tour of Maine’s very own Sahara-like desert.  Scientist believe that a glacier left this 300-acre stretch of sand, that was buried for centuries, until poor farming techniques exposed it in the 1800’s.  The park is open May through October with admission cost of less than $10 per guest.

coral-castle-22.  Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida.  For over thirty years, Ed Leedskalnin carved his castle out of solid coral, using only basic hand tools.  Leedskalnin who was only 5 feet tall and weighed 100 lbs. worked mostly  during the night, to prevent prying eyes from seeing his creations.  The castle consists of over 1000 tons of coral and has a 9 ton revolving gate.

1.  Marfa Lights in Marfa, Texas.  On clear nights, onlookers can oooh and ahhh over the mysterious lights that appear over the Mitchell Flats.  Scientists have yet to explain why the light phenomenon happens.  Some say the lights are car lights and others say they are alien spaceships or ghosts.  Whatever they are, each Labor Day, Marfa celebrates the lights with the three-day Marfa Lights Festival.  Enjoy music, food, craft and art vendors and a night parade during the festival.

Jun 16
1

Don’t Overlook One Important Detail!

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Anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows that it’s a HUGE undertaking.  Once a simple and fast tradition has turned into a multi-day, big, expensive extravaganza.  In 2014, we have more media and ideas coming at us than ever.  Wedding websites show us all of the new and latest must-haves at our ceremonies and sites like Pinterest make the weddings of our dreams seem like a DIY reality.

With so many things to check off the to-do lists, don’t forget about one very important, usually overlooked part of the day: shuttling your guests between the ceremony, the reception and the hotel.  It may seem like a small detail, but it could make all the difference.  Your guests won’t have to worry about directions, travel time, getting a DUI ticket or worse.

According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) website:

                “In 2012, 10,322 people were killed and approximately 345,000 were injured. Each crash, each death, each injury impacts not only the person in the crash, but family, friends, classmates, coworkers and more.  Even those who have not been directly touched help pay the $132 billion yearly price tag of drunk driving.”

It’s easy to eliminate the risk of drunk driving all together when you hire a motorcoach company to take care of you and your guests on your wedding day.  Let’s face it, that day is stressful enough.  Take the guess work out of finding a sober, confident driver and enjoy your day.

Motorcoaches come in so many sizes, it’s easy to customize to your specific needs.  Coach companies today have a wide variety of vehicles in their fleets from old fashioned trolleys to large, executive style motorcoaches.  Each company is different and fleet details vary, so make sure you ask questions when talking to your sales associate.

May 13
0

Top Movies to Watch on your next Charter Bus Trip.

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2013-04-25 16.17.25Nothing says road trip, like an awesome iPod playlist (stay tuned) and great movies to watch while on the motorcoach.  Young and old alike can enjoy these great feature films.

1.  The Muppet Movie: Nobody does a road trip like Jim Henson’s Muppets.  Music, mayhem and all kinds of silliness,  this classic movie is fun for the entire family.

2. Dumb and Dumber: Clearly not the smartest film on the list, but if you can keep a straight face as Lloyd and Harry bumble through America in their dog-shaped “shaggin’ wagon”, you need to pull over and have your funny sensor checked.

3. RV:  Who says you can’t road trip and work at the same time?  This hilarious movie starring Robin Williams will leave you laughing all the way to your destination – let’s just hope you leave your bus in better shape than they leave their RV.

4. Disney’s Frozen:  The newest hit movie from the Disney company, the film tells the story of a fearless princess who sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged, thrill-seeking mountain man, his loyal pet reindeer, and a hapless snowman to find her estranged sister, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped the kingdom in eternal winter.

5. National Lampoon’s Vacation:  Need we say more?  Wanting to spend more time with his wife Ellen and their children, Clark Griswold decides to lead the family on a cross-country expedition from Chicago to the Los Angeles amusement park Walley World, billed as “America’s Favorite Family Fun Park”.

6. Rudy:  What’s better than a feel good, sports movie where the underdog wins?  Not. Much.  That’s why Rudy earned a spot on our list.  It is an account of the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles.

7. Princess Bride:  This classic movie has everything.  True love, sword fighting, giants, comedy, torture, screaming eels and a beautiful princess.

8.  Finding Nemo:  It tells the story of the over-protective clown fish named Marlin who, along with his friend, Dory search for his abducted son Nemo all the way to Sydney Harbor.  Along the way, Marlin learns to take risks and let Nemo take care of himself.

9.  Mary Poppins:  Disney at its best.  The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews as a magical nanny who visits a dysfunctional family in London and employs her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family’s dynamic.

10.  Tommy Boy:  Knock, Knock…”Housekeeping, you need towel?” This movie is not only fun to watch, but you will be quoting it the rest of your trip.  Chris Farley and David Spade make a great team when they join up to save the Tommy’s family’s factory.