Entertaining Ways To Explore the Midwest for Groups On A Fixed Budget

We either step on a group’s bus or we provide the tour bus and an experienced step on tour guide will give an entertaining five to seven hour tour from our list of prepared tours. We will plan the day and meals around the theme of the trip.

 

 

Groups of all sizes travel on specialty tours

For those who don't know,  Step On Bus Tours is dedicated to providing entertaining tours to groups that enjoy traveling by bus whether onward to a destination or simply for a day trip in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Whether it is a church, school, senior citizens or the home schooled, it’s a niche that is growing as people are seeking ways to travel and have fun on a fixed budget.

I got the idea for creating Step On Bus Tours because of a client that I promote and market in the far corner of southwest Michigan – a fascinating part of the state punctuated with history and loaded with the quaint charm of the Amish mixed with friendly city walks and fabulous art and monuments.

Tours are great for religious or school groups, seniors, family reunions, employee trips, scouts, history buffs and more. Your guide will be articulate and experienced in conducting your tour, and can even dress in character upon request. This is your chance to learn more about the state of Michigan and its interesting facts.

Then I started getting calls from church group interested in me providing tours for members of their congregation.  I absolutely love it and have so much fun giving tours.  My nature is generally curious, and it all started when I was visiting my customer in Three Rivers and I traveled from my home in Goodrich across I-69 to 94 west and south on US 131.  I learned that the highways were actually established by the Native American tribes and some were also used as an Underground Railroad passage.  Once learned, I scoured the libraries and historical societies for more details.  I can never stop learning.

Amish, Arts, and Adventure - Meet the Amish in their homes and enjoy an Amish meal.  Walk down the streets of Sturgis and visit the quaint shops offering one-of-a-kind merchandise such as oak furniture and hand-made quilts. Experience this unique world of horse and buggies, and mouth-watering home cooked Amish meals. There is something here for everyone.

Ghosts, Goblins, and Gremlins – Get spooked! Enjoy entertaining information about the ghoulish facts and folklore of the streets, villages, and history of River Country. Trailing the haunted fields, The Mendon River where the ghosts of Pottawattamie Indians have been sighted, visiting the hair-raising “Purgatory” area, and touring the spine-chilling paranormal homes are just a few of the stops to make on this fantastic tour.

Underground Railroad – Quilts, Quakers, and Questers – Visit the monumental sites of where fugitive slaves escaped to freedom. Walk through “Ramptown”, the town that disappeared, in Vandalia, Michigan where housing for fugitive slaves stood proudly. Learn about Dr. Nathan Thomas, a Quaker Abolitionist who housed and helped slaves escape to freedom.  This is sure to be a most informative tour.

Michigan’s Southwest Sacred Sites, Shrines and Sanctuaries – Visitors from around the country are coming to the Energy Vortex and you can, too. Feel the energy as you meditate and expand your knowledge. There  are about 6 religious sites that we visit from a Mennonite Retreat to an Episcopalian Abbey.

Michigan’s Military Mavericks, Militia, and Marshals – Your trip will cover monuments, memorials, landmarks, and any other places of interest.

Tours are walker accessible and we are prepared for emergencies. Hotels at discount prices are available for those who are interested. Tour director and bus drive stay free.

Tours are offered seven days a week, rain or shine.   The tour leader can step on your bus and start and end the tour from your location, or provide a bus for your group. The tour director is prepared for emergencies.  Bus driver is provided with a map so there is no question of the route.  And, buses have plenty of room to turn their buses and park.

Understanding the history of the state is basic to our democratic way of life; it gives us a better understanding of our state and nation and promotes a better appreciation of our American heritage.

Beverage and food stops are available upon request. Additional costs will be estimated in advance on a per person basis. All additional costs will be included in the final cost of the tour with full payment due in advance. Step On Bus Tours will provide the contract.

For more details or to make a reservation please call Step On Bus Tours at (248) 619-6692 or email us at steponbustours@gmail.com.  Visit us at http://www.steponbustours.com

HOTEL LOBBIES: A PLACE FOR ART

Check out the orange Chihuly  sculpture. 

Elegant hotel lobbies are always interesting places to visit, to sit and just take in the sites.  Sometimes
the artwork alone is worth the price of admittance.  So taking in the sites is just what I did at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Chicago, actually Rosemont.  

This particular trip did not allow me any time to site-see. Either the traffic was too intense, my presence was required on the showroom floor, or exhaustion prevented me from going around town. No matter. My philosophy is to always notice the nuances where I am at the present moment. 

The Chicago Travel and Adventure Show reserved a block of rooms for exhibitors at a very reasonable price. Meals were included in my two night stay.  

This elegant hotel is quite the sleeper, pun intended. It underwent a $64 million dollar face lift back in 2009.  It shows. It oozes elegance and a trendy streamlined design with high back leather chairs by sleek vertical fireplaces. There were several socially intimate spaces in the lobby just for lounging. Besides, the Hyatt O'Hare is also known as a hip, stylish spot for dining or relaxing. 

Restaurants are wonderful and the food is delish and tasty. This is not the way an airport hotel should look because it is so immensely beautiful.  And I can still feel the softness of the Hyatt Regency Grand Bed Sleep System -- worth every penny. 

In my limited spare time, I was able to explore a beautiful glass stairway topped with an orange Chihuly sculpture. What an homage to Dale Chihuly.  There is something about glass that makes a building so much "more".  This is the place. Visit. Take it in. 

The place has over 1,000 rooms and 11 floors. A glass elevator whisks guests to their rooms. Staff is so friendly and always on their toes.  About an hour from downtown, this glass structure is worth the view. 

THE OTHER FORGOTTEN SOLDIER

"It's like walking through a living travel book." I've been saying this all day at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show here at the Donald Stephens Convention Hall in Rosemont. 

Me with Officer Zander recently retired State Police pooch.

Here I am, although the pix is blurry, with a retired canine Massachusetts State Police Office Zander. (And just what happened to my hair I'll never know) At 7 years old, he is retired from the Force.  He was an apprenender dog for drugs and drug busting.  When he stopped biting, he was dismissed.  His handler told me that the police need a dog that bites criminals.

I found Zander to be quite the loving and gentle pooch. For me to be without a dog is quite lonely. So, this little "meet & greet" provided a much needed pooch fix for me.  

What I learned about Officer Zander is that it cost about $25,000 to train dogs like him.  Sadly, canines with  the military, Homeland Security, Police, Lockland Air Force are put down at the end of their careers even though they are viable and healthy.  The funny thing is that it cost nothing, nada, zero, to own this kind of pet.  One does have to qualify though.  Typically, the dogs go to veterans first, public second. 

My Alex is 14.  I see how she is aging and it is sad to see how cruel nature is to her little body.  She tries so hard to jump but can only manage to crawl up on the couch unless I give her a boost. She loves it when I help her into the car. Alex could not handle sharing me with another dog.  So, for me to adopt a dog is out of the question at this time. If I could I would.  

These working & armed forces pooches are kept in kennels and then out in the field with their handlers. They do not have a family. Naturally, this dog and I bonded immediately.  Of course, it helps to speak dog. And, the scent of Alex on my clothes told Zander that I am a dog-friendly kind of gal.  

The organization at the show is called Save-A-Vet.  Save-A-Vet.org. The other forgotten soldier. I think these pooches are ideal for those who live alone. For those who need the kind of wonderful companionship that only a dog like this can provide. 

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR: 5 POINTS OF LEADERSHIP

From the Investor's Business Daily, January 20, 2015.

This weekend's story in the Investor's Business Daily was apropos about Martin Luther King Jr., whose name day we will all celebrate on Monday.  

Yes, we know he turned a radical tide for everyone.  So, the paper had a unique perspective about Dr. King because he provided many lessons about leadership that have broad applicability.  They bear repeating: 

1. Set goals and make a detailed plan of action to reach them.  We've all heard this one.  What I didn't know about Dr. King was that he skipped two grades because he made a detailed plan of how to get to College faster. 

2. Understand your adversary's point of view.  In studying the great leaders, Dr. King's signature was to find common ground and work together peacefully. 

3. Conduct a postmortem analysis of every action to learn from mistakes.  I read that Dr. King worked in an atmosphere of relentless adversity -- almost like a tsunami of negativity. Wow. 

4. Understand your adversary's point of view. Very difficult to do.  In constant transformation, Dr. King understood: "What does it profit a man to be able to eat an an integrated lunch counter if he doesn't earn enough money to buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee."

5. Practice what you preach. "I would like to live a long life ... But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain...and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But ... we, as a people, will get to the promised land." 

The next day, after uttering those words, Dr. King was killed on the balcony of his hotel. Dead a 39.  What a testimony he left us. RIP Dr. King. Let's all be leaders if only for a day.

COLORFUL VERA BRADLEY DUFFEL SIGNALS GREAT START TO 2015

A cool, colorful bag is something that I wouldn't buy for myself.  Yet, there is something so

Colorful duffle adds fun to trip.

charming in traveling with the paisley deisgn on this Vera Bradley duffel bag.  It's trendy. It's a wonderful item to herald the promise of a fruitful and productive trip. 

Thoughtful and caring, my sister-in-law gave me  this luggage for Christmas. She knows that I would never buy something like this for myself.  Typically, I use nondescript dark suitcases. The ones that the cats sit on when I work in the basement 

 But this bag is fun.  It's great for this particularly long weekend as I am attending the Chicago Travel Show at the Donald Stephens Convention Center.  Excited is not even the word! Beyond pumped.  The bag displays the excitement of the trip. 

The bag is loaded with slacks, socks, hair care products and of course...books.  It's amazing what's in the bag. Or rather, what can fit in it.

Standing in an 8'x10' booth for two straight days is no easy feat.  The duffel has Sketchair black shoes. Comfy and supportive.  Perfect for trade shows.  Sketchers Level 3 slippers are also in there along with an off-the-beaten shoe path find of fabric and patent leather inch high heels for a just in case evening dressup. 

Gloves, ear muffs and a scarf rest inside until I pull them out for the walk along Lake Michigan. As winter is my favorite season, the cold is invigorating. The view intoxicating.

A big ole honkin' notebook, USA Today and markers are also waiting to be used.  

The first trip of the year! The bag adds to the uniqueness.  Welcome 2015. 

 

FRIDA: The Musical Life of the Wife of Muralist Diego Rivera

Frida at lunch

Frida Kahlo is probably one of the most misunderstood women artists even today  She was always in the shadow of her famous husband, Diego Rivera, whose mural decorates the Detroit Institute of Arts. Often she was referred to as Diego's wife. What artist wants to be known as "just his wife?" She didn't like it one iota. 

They had a troublesome marriage, argued frequently and each had numerous affairs. Still, she admired Diego's artistic style and he encouraged her painting and only gave advice when asked. They divorced and remarried. Neither of the unions were pleasant in their love-hate relationship. They were a source of inspiration and heartache to each other.

Famous or not, I would not want to be a guest in their house. 

First for the raucous arguments. 
Second, either of them would often have liaisons with their guests. For example, Leon Trotsky and his wife traveled from Norway to Mexico in order to take up a short residence in their home. Well, guess what, everyone got to know each other a little too well. 

Still, Frida was definitely all woman. For instance, she changed her birth date to correspond to the year of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. So she went up three years, while most of us try to dial down the age. 

Both of the Rivera's had large personalities in their own right.  Of course, Diego was the charmer, larger and louder of the two. He had no qualms about calling everything he did art including a sketch on newspaper with a mustard stain, which he made in Detroit. Who can resist a Detroit Coney Dog? Not even he. 

Frida's father was German and her mother was Amerincan Indian and Spanish. One of the most prominent features that Frida showed us in her paintings was her famous joined eyebrows, known as the uni-brow and her rather dark mustache, which she proudly showed. She was Indian more than anything else and set her own style.

Mexico of course, revers her like any country would it's own artist mainlly because she shows the indigenous culture with bold, bright colors. You can read the biography of this fabulously gifted lady because it never ceases to amaze.  However, her life has been turned into a musical opera as a rousing production of  Frida Kahlo. Rightly so. 

It starts off at age 18 when Frida was badly injured in a traffic accident, which necessitated many medical procedures. Her recovery in isolation, as well as a lifetime in physical pain, profoundly influenced her paintings -- some of the most compelling of the 20th century

The musical celebrates Kahlo's vivacious spirit, talent, and fragility, with splashes of music as colorful as her artwork.  

I borrowed from Frida in taking things to the limit with my trip to the show during early spring in March.  At lunch, an actress takes it a step further so you'll swoon with our loon! Prior to the performance, lunch is planned at Los Galanes where tour attendees will be treated to another "show" about Frida... one that is feisty & hilarious when "Frida" will engage crowds in her life as an artist.  She will "explain" a couple of her art works in a very brazen but comical manner  -- what made them good and bad all while applying "Love That Red" lipstick.  She''ll reveal her lurid & deepest secrets. Her affairs of the heart. Dishing the dirt on Diego. Even her food choices. No plate is safe.

In her 40s when she died, this is probably the ideal way to learn more about Frida Rivera. After this you may want to dive headlong into her journals which makes 40 Shades of Grey look like Pollyanna. 

WE'RE AT THE CHICAGO TRAVEL SHOW JAN. 17-18: COME SEE US

Rose Szwed w/the big hat

Who doesn't love to travel? Whether it's a one-day getaway or a luxurious trip to some distant continent. It's all about the joy of escaping the grind, relaxing and betting back in touch with yourself. 

 

 

 To keep tabs on the travel industry, I decided to "man the booth" while attending the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show. As the leading travel event in the Midwest, this is a-one stop shopping marketplace where consumers and the trade will find hundreds of travel providers offering their unique vacation options and travel information.

It all takes place at the Donald Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, the Chicago suburb.

Look for YT in booth #801 - in the Michigan section of the show. For me, it's all about getting inspired...connecting... and meeting with destination experts in between manning the booth (in this case, "girling" it) and doing all of the exciting things that this outstanding show has to offer.

It's like walking through a living travel guide instead of searching the web. After all, travel is the lifeblood of my business whether it's day trips or bus tours. I figure 'why ot mingle with the big guns' and see how they do it.

Besides, the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show is the largest and leading series of travel shows in the United States. Obviously, no matter the size of the copany, it's important to be present at travel shows -- and this is the top draw, she point out.

I'll be armed with literature galore, Amish Snickerdoodles (come and find out!), interacting with attendees who come to my booth and meeting with renowned travel celebrities like Pauline Frommer, Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild including offering show packages for all. Plus, plus, plus. Watch for selfies!

I am ready for some insider advice, too, at the several stages spotted around the show featuring some of the top names in the travel industry. I expect to hear about plenty of travel destinations and more efficient ways to plan a perfect vacation or getaway.