Lessons from the Off Season

The Minute Man
Daniel Chester French
Concord, MA
Training for Smithsonian Student Travel


It has been a little over two months since I posted a blog; I haven't done any tours since October 11 with the exception of trip to Virginia wineries with a group of past PTSA presidents and a couple of meetups with DC Local Tourists. This afternoon I find myself "snowed in"; actually, I am just too lazy to brave the cold and the potential black ice on the local streets. With time on my hands, I thought it might be a good opportunity to reflect on the future of tour guiding and directing and the lessons I continue to learn in the off season.



The cold is an issue. Noone wants to tour in the cold. Most tour guides don't work from November through the start of March, at least here in the mid-Atlantic. I have given up posting meetups; we could visit any of the many fabulous museums or galleries in the area, but you don't need a tour guide to do that, and I don't believe in charging if my presence has no added value. We had a great visit to the U.S. Botanic Gardens with lunch at the Museum of the American Indian, but besides a few minutes of background information, and checking out the museums so I knew which way to walk, there was not much that I did. Doing "free" tours isn't a waste of time. It's fun, and I add to my experience (and my resume).

Tour operators, museums, and other sites use the off season for professional development and training. I completed a three-day training with one company and look forward to a two-day training with another here in DC. I have National Cathedral training as well as special training for a program at the Historical Society of Washington, DC called Facing History and Ourselves. The annual Symposium for the International Tour Management Institute is in Atlanta in January, and I am representing a company at the Texas Theater Teachers' convention promoting their theater tours. So, I am busy, even if I am not making any money (just spending).

Spring is the time to make money. It's clear that if you have a DC license and live in the area (even if you don't -- two of my tour guide friends, one from Boston and the other from Florida have gotten work) you will work in the spring. Thousands upon thousands of students, mostly 8th graders, descend on DC in the spring, and the student companies need almost every licensed body they can hire. Before I could put my availability on line for one of the largest student companies, they had scheduled me for several tours. It's good money (and good work) to meet the students at their first stop in the morning and guide them through their day in DC (and sleep in your own bed), but that is not what I really want to do, at least not every day for three and a half months. I quickly filled in as "unavailable" for the rest of the time, including my three scheduled tours to New York with the company I am representing in Texas and an additional three with another highly reputable student travel group.

Then Smithsonian Student Travel called. I didn't think that there was much of a relationship between the Smithsonian and the travel group, but after attending their three-day training with 30 other potential tour directors, I was pleasantly surprised. I like the way they do business. Even though there was no one in the company over the age of 35 (I think -- unless they are all very young looking), the training proved that they were of the utmost professionals with a dedication to the teachers and the students. I have the luxury of not supporting myself with the tour business, so I can choose to work with the companies I like (who want me) and not choose based on where I am going to make the most money!

I think I love the training and the research even better than I like the guiding! I love the educational aspect -- the research, the learning, the practice touring -- without the stress of being in charge. Perhaps with more experience and more self-confidence, I will learn to love the actual tour guiding as much as learning to do it! Through three days of getting to know the history of the company, the way they do things, safety, touring in Boston in below freezing temperatures, and completing the paperwork and getting paid, I was never bored and always intrigued. Still, the highlight was a visit to the Old Manse in Concord where Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife scratched writing into the window, and I touched the desk where Hawthorne began to write, "The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allott a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison." I had tears in my eyes; I hope that I get to take students (or adults) back there some day.

I have had some extremely challenging jobs throughout my career. As a camp director I was responsible for the well-being of 350 campers and 150 staff members. As the advanced academic specialist I was involved in a politically tense situation providing the best programs for our students. Yet, being a tour director has proven to be the most demanding and difficult job for me. I know I can be good (and have successfully met the challenges). But at the end of the two back-to-back on-the-road trips I questioned whether it was worth it. After some time to reflect and additional time to continue my education, I have decided to go forward with what I always considered to be my "dream" job.

I am learning to listen better. I love my colleagues who are willing to point out my errors and to show me some better ways to do things. I know I won't repeat some of my mistakes and I will continue to develop my strengths. Sometimes you need a different perspective. Why not eat with the passengers? The reason is that they are always watching; you cannot play favorites. You need to develop a relationship with each individual, but you need to maintain your professionalism. You need to know your company and to represent them well. And it is hard, but it is what I want to do.

Second Time Around

The second time around is easier.

That doesn't mean that it isn't difficult. It also doesn't mean that fewer things go wrong. It does mean that I have more confidence in handling situations and especially have a better understanding of the procedures and more destination knowledge.

The second time around for me is also different because of the make-up of the passengers. I have mostly Americans, and, of those, 25 are a part of a group of Asian-Americans from Hawaii. It brings a different perspective to the tour, and, for a reason I still have not been able to determine, less pressure

I started with 49 passengers and am currently down to 45. Two cancelled due to health reasons before the tour started, and a passenger became ill in Montreal and had to be hospitalized. That was two days ago, and, unfortunately, they are still in Montreal although they should be heading home to Hawaii soon. I hate to be mercenary, but it is difficult not to think of the lost tips when I should be thinking of their health!

My first tour was greatly impacted by a non-communicative driver who got lost on a regular basis; our circling became a running joke of the tour. Although I have the same driver this time around, like me, he has a better sense of where he is going. What I really like about Chris is once he gets somewhere, he knows how to do it again! It is also obvious that someone had a good talking with him based on my numerous complaints, and he is really trying. We are on a two-bus run with another Cosmos coach in tandem. One of Chris's trainees is the first-time driver on that coach, and I think that gives him a sense of comraderie as well as a need to be a leader! The other bus driver is friendly, but her lack of experience as well as some weak driving skills, is giving my tour directing colleague some fits. At one point, she almost missed a turn. We were following her but yielded to the left exit when she realized she was heading in the wrong direction and cut in front of us. I saw the two coaches colliding in my mind! That was a close call.

One of the themes of this tour is RAIN! We started on day two with a city tour of New York; it rained throughout most of the morning. Although it stopped enough for some pictures of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, by the time we got to the World Trade Center Site, the rain was so steady we went into the building where we could observe the progress of the work and headed to Grand Central Terminal for lunch. The drive to Boston was in torrential downpours. With an unwanted bird's-eye view from the front seat, I was glad to know that Chris was comfortable driving in the rain. The city tour in Quebec with the afternoon cruise were both in the rain; this theme continued here in Toronto with a steady downpour all day (we still did the harbor tour) and the forecast for today in Niagara Falls is the same. I am amazed at the good humor of the pax!

Yesterday's city tour of Toronto initially caused me great anxiety. Although we had a city guide for my training tour (my training tour director hired him), and Globus provided us a guide for our first tour, this city tour was on my own! I spent hours researching, took lots of notes the last two times, mapped out the route and discussed it with Chris, who actually turned out to be a great help, and off we went! It was almost great. I hit all of the high spots, gave appropriate commentary and even had a laugh or two or three, and I believe I gave my pax a good overview of Toronto in the rain. But I was too fast. I could have fit in at least a few more sites, and we arrived at the harbor a good 15 - 20 minutes early. But my passengers were happy to have some time to walk around the quay mall, and all of them enjoyed the harbor cruise despite the weather.

It all lies in the details and the dealing with crisises. And this tour is not without mistakes, conflict, and problems.

Problem number one: male shares. Shares usually don't work out, but people take the chance there won't be anyone else, and they won't have to pay for a single room. One of my shares is insisting that he had an agreement he wouldn't have anyone over 60 (although I think he is 62) and no one with a medical condition. He is fighting this the whole way. The other passenger paid for a single one night, and one night I inadvertently did the same (details not important). I misunderstood an e-mail from the office, so now I have two happy males with single rooms and a very unhappy boss. Still working out the details, but it might mean the end of the start of a career! At least the people are happy.

Therein lies my problem with this job. I want everyone to be happy, and that is impossible. I want to please everyone, and that is impossible.

Problem number two: lost passport. Again! This time I have a group leader, and she helped the woman, with limited English skills, and, in the end, it was solved with a letter from the consulate allowing her to cross back into the states where she can apply for a new passport.

Problem number three: ill passenger. One of the men from Hawaii had some bleeding in the middle of the night. He was taken to a hospital by an ambulance, and a note was put under my door. Ironically, it worked out best for timing. When I woke for my usual 4:00 am bathroom break, I saw the note. I was dressed by 4:30, called the hospital and spoke to his wife, downloaded all of the paperwork (lots) and was at the hospital by 5:30. Whoever travels without travel insurance, no matter what the age, is foolish. Travel insurance company was called, and they take care of everything -- including making the arrangements for travel home. The pax and his wife were in good spirits, and I left them in the Montreal hospital. As yesterday he was expected to get out of the hospital and return home today. I wish them the best. Logistically, this meant cancellations of excursions, and reconfirmations of all the hotels.

So, two tours, and probably enough obstacles to last me a few years.

I love the people; I love when they are happy. When a passenger tells you that you are the best tour director he has ever had, it makes it worth it -- almost. In addition, I still get excited when I see the beauty of different places. And the foliage! Now I can see why fall foliage tours in the north are so popular. The colors simpy burst, and despite the consistent rain, it is still gorgeous.

So the question is where do I go from here? Right now all I want to do is nothing. Perhaps I need some perspective before making any decisions. After a few glitches, I also need to see if they even want me again! So for now, the baggage pull awaits, and I have to count luggage!

On the Road: First Cosmos Tour

The following blog was written on three separate days over the course of the tour:

It is day number 9, and I have a moment to write, an hour to breathe. And lots of stories to tell. With the first couple of days of my first solo over-the-road tour, it could only get better, especially if I maintain a good attitude and work hard, even though most of what went terribly wrong was not under my control.

Day number 1 is a relatively easy day. I meet and greet my passengers (referred to as PAX, an abbreviation I will use) either as they arrive in New York or, as in many cases, as I catch them in the hotel lobby on their second or third day. A couple of the PAX have just completed another COSMOS tour; their TD (tour director) even took the time to send me an e-mail to tell me how delightful they were. I enjoy meeting my PAX, and all goes well. Then Joanna comes to tak to me; she and her traveling companion have been in NY for a couple of days, and it seems that her passport has disappeared along with some other belongings. She has an appointment with the Australian consulate in an hour, but it looks like the temporary passport they will issue her will not allow her to leave the county and return. She has two options: not to travel with us to Canada and meet up with us back in the states or come to Canada and fly home from there. That seems strange to me, although I learn that it is accurate. Joanna would be forced to leave us in Boston and meet us again in Lancaster.

I stop checking in people around 6:30 even though 4 couples haven't arrived. They could arrive at any time, so I leave their packets at the desk and head to bed with a quick phone call later in the evening.

We pull the bags at 6:30 the next morning, although my driver doesn't arrive until about 7:20. He should have been there at 7; this would be the beginning of a difficult relationship. I was told to expect Marty, but there was Chris. And he doesn't smile. And he doesn't really talk. And that becomes very difficult to change. By 8:10 or so I am giving the safety talk, and our city guide, Eddie, takes us on a wonderful journey through Manhattan. He is witty, animated, funny, and knowledgeable. And a consummate New Yorker. About halfway through the tour he directs Chris to make a right when an impatient driver attempts to pass us on the right; we take off his mirror and his silver car has remnants of our bright red coach. Although we are in front of a police station, it is not the "correct" one; they call the appropriate precinct (the 5th) and we wait. And we wait. I make a few phone calls, and, luckily, we are right in front of a public park with bathrooms. After about an hour, I talk Eddie into taking our PAX for a walk; they get to see the steps of the court house on which Law and Order is filmed. When they return we still have a wait for the police followed by an additional wait for them to finish their report when they finally get there. After about an hour and a half, we are able to continue our tour, and with only one or two little rumblings.

We don't miss a thing, and we finish our morning in New York with a tour of Grand Central Terminal, one of my new favorite places after taking an extensive tour with guide extraordinaire, Justin Ferrate followed by lunch. I meet up with Joanna who has some hope that she might be able to find another solution, one that would later be dashed by the fact that the Australian consulate deemed her marriage certificate not the appropriate "state" document. Chris meets us on time, and we are off on our coach to our hotel in Brookline, or at least that is where I thought we were going.

My first lesson in communicating with my bus driver is making sure we are on the same page. We talked about the hotel. What I didn't realize is he had an old technical with a hotel that has since closed. About 30 minutes into Boston traffic I began to wonder where we were going only to learn we were heading to Braintree rather than Brookline, and after turning around and heading back into traffic, we finally arrived at the hotel an hour and a half late -- 7:30 p.m. And I still had to sell the optionals.

I canceled the "get-to-know" each other activity, and most PAX sat in the lobby restaurant for dinner and a chance to purchase the excursions for the tour. It was suggested that we might have pictures of the excursions to help our PAX make the decision about what they wanted to purchase, so I put together a book of pictures from my training tour and passed it around the coach after I gave a brief introduction to each of the choices. And it worked! I made a very nice commission on the optionals, and I am confident that my PAX's holiday will be enhanced by all of these experiences. I totally undersold the Oh Canada, Eh? show, a corny tourist evening that brought lots of complaints on my training tour. I would rather the people be happy. Ironically, the 11 people who went were thrilled and told me that I shouldn't undersell it so much!

As I was writing the above, time demanded a return to my PAX, and now, 5 days later I am finally getting to continue to blog about this experience. I am utterly, unbelievably exhausted. I give so much credit to people who do this on a full-time basis; my mind doesn't work too well ,anymore and I cannot imagine doing this for another 2 weeks, but I will.

I must have been tired when I began writing again since all I wrote were the above two sentences. The tour ended today, and the evaluations and notes in the tip envelope have put a different perspective on things. I was trying to talk myself into the fact that the driver wasn't ruining the trip -- that his consistent talking on the phone, isolation from the pax, turning in circles lost wasn't as obvious to the PAX, but that turns out not to be accurate. Most everyone recognized my friendliness and effort to please and work things out, but they also said I needed to be more communicative with Chris.

I need to reflect on the requirements of this job and see if I might have what it takes. But I also did have so many fabulous experiences with the group and met some tremendously smart, fun, and easy-going people. I promise a blog with some of those stories -- once I can "think" again.

Training Tour with Cosmos/Archers Direct

My trainers: Brenda Brooks, our tour director and Henry Horton, bus driver extraordinaire


14 days over the road training for my first adult tour, and I haven't written a thing. They were long days filled with touring, studying, 2370 miles, and a lot of fun but very little time to write on my blog. I suppose, like many people who keep a blog, I write for introspection, analysis, and the opportunity to share experiences, so now that I have a few hours to myself without anything that must be done right now, it's time to reflect on this extraordinary experience.




The first thing I say when asked about the tour is that there is a tremendous amount of paper work, but imagine this: I am on a helicopter flying over Niagara Falls. I didn't pay the $118 the excursion cost, and I got paid for taking the ride! As trainees we had to take all of the excursions so that we can sell them to the passengers on our own tours. As tour directors, we also escort our guests on all of the excursions, although we only ride the helicopter if there is room; on top of that, it is no secret that tour directors get a percentage of the sales of the excursions, so the more we sell, the more we make. As the cliche goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I took pictures on the training tour -- lots of them on the excursions. I created a book with greater in-depth descriptions of each of the activities with pictures of each, including the helicopter ride over the falls.







Helicopter ride over Niagara Falls

There are many challenges providing commentary and information on the road. I am not funny -- at all (ask my family, especially my brother-in-law, Ronny). I did tell a joke to an individual passenger (PAX) who laughed so hard, adding that I needed to tell her husband, that she gave me a little hope. It's an old joke -- What do we call someone who speaks two languages? bilingual. What do we call someone who speaks more than two languages? multilingual. What do we call someone who speaks one language? American. But I really cannot rely on my humor. My training tour director (TD) showed a lot of videos. Most of the videos were great for the first 15 - 20 minutes and then became boring. I thought I wouldn't do the same, but with 2,500 miles on the road and at least one deadly ride from Niagara Falls to Lancaster, PA, I relented. It also seems to be common on Cosmos Tours. The purchase of the DVD's (and music) is our responsibility, so I ordered a bunch from Amazon -- Destination Quebec, Destination Montreal, the CN Tower (how they built it -- my favorite shown) and more. But I also decided it might be good to entertain while educating, so I bought one movie for two of the long trips -- 1776 on the way up to Boston and Witness on the way to Lancaster.

Most of the people on Cosmos/Archers Direct tours are from Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain. My first tour has 33 Aussies. Although, my second tour has 27 Japanese-Americans from Hawaii. Just like I don't know much about Australian or New Zealand history, most of the PAX (except for the history professor) didn't know much about American history. I could see that they were confused by Brenda's attempt, so I decided to try a "fun" way to give them at least some understanding of the founding of America with 1776. It may be a musical comedy, but it is relatively accurate, certainly enough to understand the accomplishments of Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson and to give them a little humanity.

One of my challenges on my tour that starts tomorrow is knowing when to talk and when to shut up and when to give out games and when to mingle with the PAX. I want to mingle more and get to know individual guests. But they also want to talk to each other and to rest, so you have to read them, just like we have to read our students. I also know that you cannot please everyone. I thought our tour director in Costa Rica was fabulous, but others thought he talked too much. He never did give us quiet time, but I loved learning so much about the country. I have learned that not everyone cares about the local government. But everyone cares about the food; I am going to talk a lot about food.





Cooking demonstration at Hershey Farm:
shoo-fly pie and whoopie pies










There is so much to remember -- so many details that need to be attended to along the way and closed out within 12 hours of the end of the trip; my next tour starts 22 hours later. I drop my PAX off around 3:00 on Sunday, September 26th and meet the next group at 1:00 on the 27th. To do that I have to create loads of documents, copy them, organize them into welcome packets, print my vouchers, make confirmation calls, and more. But I am doing all of that doing what I love to do more than anything else (well, almost anything else) -- traveling, meeting new people, learning.

It's time to pack for 48 days on the road.

Creating Commentary

Although the responsibilities of the tour director go far beyond commentary, it is probably the most "up front" part of the job, the part that most people associate with the tour director. In the last week I have received a 75-page technical, the TD term for the detailed itinerary; a 203-page book of guidelines; an e-mail with templates for all of my handouts that I need to create for the tour; and a box full of supplies and equipment, including a small printer that gets hooked up to my laptop to print receipts for optional excursions, evaluation forms, and various other things needed to do the job. When I opened a simple white envelope and took out my engraved nametag with "TOUR DIRECTOR" on it, I couldn't believe my reaction: I literally started to cry. I remember looking at Colleen's nametag on my first over-the-road tour and wishing it were me, and here I am!

We have the opportunity to follow an experienced tour director on the Grand Vacation and to take notes, but with only 4 days in between the training and my first tour, I want to have a good outline of facts, stories, and history for the commentary. Then, I can add to it during the training tour. So after purchasing a tour book for each of the U.S. cities and one for Canada, I went on to Google Maps and started to map out the route. The technical includes driving directions, so it was easy to make any changes on Google Maps to match the suggested route the tour company has laid out. Before I went to ITMI I assumed it was the bus driver's responsibility to know the route; I learned and was reminded in reading the guideline that it is ultimately the tour director's responsibility to know the directions. I was, however, very happy to read in the guidelines that they do everything possible to match experienced drivers with novice tour directors.

After I mapped out our first drive (one of the shorter ones on the trip), I could see the sites we would pass in Manhattan and the towns and cities we would pass as we drove through Westchester, Connecticut, and through Massachusetts to Boston. Using the Blue Guide for New York, I outlined some details about the United Nations and the neighborhoods of Sutton Place, Upper East Side, and Harlem as we make our way to the Willis Bridge. I learned that in an attempt to replace the bridge, New York City offered the bridge for $1 to anyone who would pay to have it moved. There were no takers, so a new bridge is being built next to the current swing bridge that ties Manhattan to the Bronx.

From there I researched all the towns we pass through in Westchester. I have driven by these towns hundreds of times every holiday, with my family living on Long Island, and my then-husband's family living in New Rochelle. I think the participants will be interested in knowing (or being reminded) that New Rochelle was home to the fictional Petrie Family and the real-life Carl Reiner.

When I got to Connecticut I realized I didn't have any books on the state! Since we aren't stopping in the Nutmeg/Constitution state, I didn't want to invest in a tour book, so I headed out to Barnes and Noble with my laptop in hand and was able to find enough information to get a good start. I learned that the area just north of New York is referred to as the Gold Coast and that the median price of a home in Greenwich is 1 million dollars!

This evening I finally got to Massachusetts. Since my friend and colleague who is doing the same tour as I am and has lived in Boston his whole life, I decided to ask for help; he agreed to send me ideas. I did make lots of notes about Boston history, although we need to remember not to steal the thunder of the step-on guide, so I am waiting to see what is included in the city tour and what is not. But I can also see the challenge of discussing the Revolutionary War with mostly British passengers! I did find one quote that I love, one that ties together the two cities -- from New York to Boston. "In New York they ask what is a man worth. In Boston they ask what does a man think." Mark Twain

One day of travel down, eight more to go.

Goal in Reach: I Got My First Over-the-Road Trip!

Although the biggest turning point in my career has happened in the last two weeks, I have yet to write about it, thinking that no one was really reading these blogs anyway. Every once in a while there is a comment -- thanks mostly to one of my former students (thank you, Gillian!), but most of the time I have no idea if anyone is reading this. Someone told me there is a way to see if blogs are viewed; I guess I need to figure that out. Then last night at my elementary school reunion (yes, elementary school, and it was an absolute trip -- this one figuratively rather than literally), one of my former classmates told me he enjoys reading my blog! Really, Ron...you are actually reading these? It made me feel so good that I decided it was time to carry on (thank you, Ron!).

I got a job! (Can you hear my exhilaration?)

About two weeks ago I stopped at Fireflies, a small restaurant in Del Ray that specializes in pizza; I almost never order pizza, but I had a craving for their upscale specialties. As I sat at the bar waiting for it to come out of the brick oven, I was checking my e-mail on my iPhone as I always do, and there is an e-mail from Globus Tours saying that I was highly recommended from ITMI, and they had some fall tour openings. If I were interested and available, they would set up a phone interview. It was all I could do to contain myself in the restaurant, but as soon as I walked out, I was on the phone calling everyone, starting with my dad: I had a job interview! And it sounded very promising.

That was a Friday, and since I got the e-mail around 7:30, I knew I had to wait until Monday to get a response. By 5:30 Monday night I was getting anxious, until, finally, there it was -- an e-mail asking me for a time and date for the call. About the same time I learned that Bob, my friend and colleague from ITMI got the same e-mail. His interview was set for Tuesday at 5:30; mine would be Wednesday at the same time. I asked him to call me immediately and let me know the questions; he followed me on the DC and NY tour guide tests, and I gave him all of the questions I remembered. When he called he told me that it wasn't much of an interview; she asked what he had been up to since graduating ITMI and then told him he was recommended and asked which tour he wanted! Now I was even more excited and assumed I would have a similar experience. 5:30 the next night I received the call. But she didn't even ask me what I have been up to; perhaps that is because I sent her an updated resume just a few weeks before or perhaps she was just so tired of interviewing and anxious to get her tours filled. First question was which tour I wanted to do! I told her that even though I would love to travel the National Parks of the West (she had previously explained that she had openings for three tours -- the national parks, fall foliage, and Eastern U.S./Canada), I should probably stay with what I know. I was booked on the Eastern U.S. and Canada Grand Vacation Grand vacation.




At first I was disappointed that the tour was with Cosmos, the budget division of Globus. The tour itself was almost exactly the same as the higher end Globus version, but it includes no meals and a lower class of hotels. When I thought about it, as a tour director with a per diem for food, no meals was good. I could eat when and where I wanted during "free" time or what I wanted on our lunch stops. When I looked up the hotels online, they were all fine, although in a few cases a bit out of the way of the town center. Most importantly, I had a tour despite my concern that it wouldn't come for months, or even years.

I would do the tour three times: the first time is a training tour. I get paid to take the tour and learn. Then, after two days in New York, just in time to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I fly home for another two days before meeting my first over-the-road tour back at the Skyline Hotel for two back-to-back 14 days tours of 9 cities in the Eastern U.S. and Canada.

Who would take this tour? We start in Manhattan for a night and a morning city tour with lunch at Grand Central Station before heading north to Boston for two nights where we have a city tour and an optional harbour cruise. The hotel is out in Brookline, so it's not an easy walk to the city center. From Boston we have a long drive past the Canadian border to Quebec for two nights followed by a night in Montreal and another in Ottawa before stopping for two days in Toronto. Each stop includes a city tour, most with a step-on guide. However, our bus tour of Toronto is guided by the TD (me), so I have a little learning and research to do. Our last stop in Canada is Niagara Falls before making the very long trip south to Lancaster, PA and home of the Amish. After a night at the Lancaster Host Hotel, where I spent a few family vacations as a child, we continue to Washington, DC. It is a wonderful coincidence that the DC hotel is actually in Alexandria, just a few blocks from my condo, giving me time to go home, get my mail, and do some laundry before heading back to New York by way of Philadelphia and picking up the second tour. A total of 9,000 miles in 45 days! It made sense that many of the clients are from Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia, people who flew far distances to see as much of the countries as possible.

When I was in Napa Valley this winter I purchased a 98-point Cabernet, planning to hold it until I got my first tour. I truly thought it would have at least a year more to age. Now I just have to decide with whom to share it.

Beyond the Tourist

The state of the economy has made breaking into tour directing difficult at best, so I decided to concentrate on two avenues: developing my own tours through Beyond the Tourist Tours LLC (I actually followed through and not only got my Alexandria business license, but also became an LLC to protect my assets) and ensuring student tours in the spring. The summer heat wave has made the walking tour quite undesirable, so I am concentrating on evening tours in hope that the cooler night will be more enticing. I also am concentrating on Old Town Alexandria; this is where I live and know the best, so why not start right at home.

The work starts with research. I am very surprised how much I love the research, almost as much as the tour itself. When I find a story that I think would be a great addition to a tour, it's like finding a hidden jewel. But I also learned that a lot of people aren't as interested in the historical aspects as I am. The tour of historic homes in Old Town was great, although the wine-tasting at Prince Michel's on King Street was what really pulled it together. On that tour I asked for ideas, and Randi Adleberg had a great one: Sex and the Old Town.

I started researching immediately. I learned that there were 75 brothels in Old Town during the Civil War, a great place to start. I already knew the story of George Washington's love interests in other local women, and I could bring that to the tour. In my research I learned the legend of the Female Stranger whose husband carried her to Gadsby's Tavern (then City Hotel) where she died. She was buried in an expensive funeral in the Old St. Paul's Cemetery; when they came to collect the $1,000 from her husband, he had disappeared. Her ghost is said to still roam Gadsby's Tavern.

A trip to the local history room at the Barrett Library was particularly helpful. The librarian helped me find some great resources, and when I located several of the brothels with good stories, he also helped me translate the addresses since the streets were all renumbered after the Civil War. A tour of Sex and the Old Town wouldn't be complete without the biggest modern scandal -- the sex shop on King Street (now there are actually two of them, but Lotus Blossom, the more upscale one, closes too early for the tour). I have tried several times to contact the central office of the store as suggested, but they don't call back, so we will just visit the store at the start of the tour. We will end the tour with a fancy cocktail at PX, the speakeasy in Old Town. Reservations are limited to 6, so I limited the tour to 12 and will make two separate reservations. You can preview the tours with pictures on Facebook on Beyond the Tourist Tours page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Beyond-the-Tourist-Tours/119823191393227?ref=ts

At this point I am happy developing the tours (and very happy that I can live on my retirement since I am not making any money yet) and knowing that the student tours will come in the spring. World Strides has promised employment for the student season which is fron March 1 through July 1. Gerber Tours has said that they would hire me as well, and Capitol MusicFest, who gave me my first break, said that they would give me as much work as they can, but they are a small company. My priority is to work for Capitol first; I like them and I like the way they do their business. Gerber Tours has a great reputation, and I like the way that they organize their tours, still using a tour leader for each group. World Strides, being the largest student tour company, has gone to hourly leaders rather than dailies, so I hope to be able to figure out a way to work for them to "fill in the days."

Licensed to Guide in DC and NY

It's been more than a month since I added to my blog: that was the day that I took the DC tour guide license test. After completing an insanely convoluted application and answering 100 short- answer questions that included such important facts for a tour guide as who was the President of the U.S. when the DC City Council was created, I waited a week beyond the expected two to call to learn that indeed I had passed, albeit by the skin of my teeth. Yet, here I am with a letter documenting my license but with no actual license in hand. It seems that the one person at the DCRA who can issue the license has just been too busy to do so. She says, perhaps, that might have it by the end of next week. No matter...I am a licensed DC guide and it looks like that might actually bring me work next spring!

Having that license in hand (or at least, in letter), I dedicated myself to getting the New York license. The processes could not be more different. The NY application takes about 5 minutes to complete; you can do this on line or in person. Once you complete the application, you take a picture, and go into a testing room where, having kept up with technology, the NY Department of Consumer Affairs tests you on your knowledge of the Big Apple. The test is comprised of 150 multiple-choice questions. Although some of the questions are as obscure as those on the DC test (On what street was the Huxtable's house filmed? That is St. Luke's. Better yet, what does the Satmar Jewish sect in Williamsburg believe about Israel? ), I had almost all of the questions in advance thanks to tour guides who previously sat for the exam as well as sample questions on various sites on the Internet. (Since then, my ITMI colleague, Bob, who is staying with me in preparation of his DC tour guide test this Tuesday, has found many of the DC questions on the internet as well!) Most amazingly, after answering the 150 questions online, I press a button labeled "submit" and 30 seconds later learn that I passed, and this time not by the skin of my teeth! I leave the city with my tour guide license number in hand with the actual license to follow. I am thinking NY might even arrive before DC if history is any indication.

In this picture Justin Ferate, New York tour guide and the author of the NY sightseeing guide test, illustrates how everything in Grand Central Terminal is designed around the human body. I took his free tour of Grand Central in preparation for the test; it was a very smart move!


So now that I am licensed to guide in New York and DC, all I need is a job! Not being the kind of person to sit around and wait for a job to come, I decided to start my own tour business, one for local tourists to show them all the wonderful places I have discovered after 36 years in DC limited to the monuments and museums on the tourist itinerary. The fastest, easiest, and least expensive way to offer tours is through a meetup site, so I set up DC Local Tourists with the first tour free. Eight of us enjoyed a trip to Meridian Hill Park, the U Street Corridor, and the African-American Civil War Monument. I was terribly nervous. I previewed the tour twice to be sure to know where to walk and what to say, with hours of research before and after, including listening to an audio tour I found on the official DC tourism site. I had all of the details on 3 by 5 cards, and I practiced in the metro on the way. Since the tour was free and the forecast was hot and thunderstorms, we had almost as many people show up as not, but I know from the reviews on meetup that those who came had a very good time and appreciated the information.

I am reading Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad about his travels with a group to Europe and the Holy Land, and I took note of one of his many observations about tour guides. "These are the people that make life a burthen to the tourist. Their tongues are never still. They talk forever and forever, and that is the kind of billingsgate they use...If they would only show you a masterpiece of art, or venerable tomb, or a prison house, or a battlefield hallowed by touching memories or historical reminiscences, or grand traditions, and then step aside and hold still for ten minutes and let you think, it would not be so bad." After arriving at Meridian Hill Park and a very brief introduction, I gave everyone 20 minutes to enjoy the magnificent site and listen to the falling water. Time for pictures as well.

Yesterday was my second tour: The Brewmaster's Castle and the Dupont Circle Area. This one cost $15 which included the $5 admission to the Heurich House. I only had 3 paying, but I still think it was a great success. After we finished at the Dupont Memorial Fountain, a gorgeous sculpture of sea, wind, and sky by Daniel Chester French and Henry Bacon (Lincoln Memorial), we headed to James Hobans' Irish Pub and Restaurant. Having a beer or martini and something to eat and giving everyone a chance to talk and "meetup" really added a significance to the day. I will definitely add some type of food, wine, or other time for people to socialize.

I will never get the business going limited to weekends; there are just not enough free weekends. I am trying to create tours that might bring people out after work; I just posted two -- one of Old Town with a wine-tasting at Prince Michel Tasting Room on King Street and one of Lincoln Park and the Eastern Market with a light picnic dinner. Both are still only $15. As my good friend Susan told me, I need to be patient and build my database in order to build the business. I am also trying to be patient as my son Josh and daughter-in-law Kristin design my website and business card.

It's a journey, and, I suppose, I am well on my way with a long way to go. However, I like the work getting me there. My favorite part of the whole process surprises me: I absolutely love researching the sites and finding interesting and intriguing stories to tell. Therefore, I will end with a story. The most lavish mansion in Dupont Circle was once the childhood home of Evalyn Walsh McLean, the last private owner of the Hope Diamond. Unfortunately, she also seems to have fallen under the legendary curse of the diamond, losing her son in a tragic automobile accident and her husband to a mistress and then to an insane asylum. The strangest story, however, was her involvement in the Lindbergh kidnapping. It seems that a former FBI agent devised an extortion scheme, asking Evalyn Walsh McLean for $100,000 to ransom the Lindbergh baby. After she gave him the money, he absconded with it, only to return much later to say that it wasn't enough and asking for more. This time she didn't fall for the plan; her contacting the police led the arrest of Gaston Means.

The DC Tour Guide Test

After two months of studying: creating a study guide, memorizing the line of succession to the presidency, taking every tour I could, I finally took the DC tour guide test today. I heard horror stories. There are 7 different versions. All have pictures. Some have multiple choice and true and false. I couldn't memorize all of the addresses, so I took a calculated risk and only concentrated on the 4 that everyone told me were on the test: Textile Museum (still got it wrong), Frederick Douglass's house (not on the test), Kennedy Center (was on the test), and the White House (everyone knows that). However, my test was 100 short answers, including at least 15 addresses, of which I got about 10 of them wrong.

I was surprised to find about 20 people taking the test, and I was the only female! About half of the group were working for the Old Town Trolley with 3 months of training. They were making me nervous. When I opened the test I counted 76 out of 100 questions that I thought I knew. I quickly answered them, and, the mistake I made was not going back and checking and second guessing myself (didn't we always tell students to go with their first answer? I changed two correct answers to the wrong ones!).

I am pleased to know that the DC Tour Guild is rewriting the test. 100 questions and none about the FDR, Vietnam, or Korean Memorials. Yet, there were two questions on the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and another 4 questions on other churches. My greatest confusion is why a tour guide needs to know who was president when the DC council was created. And, am I a worse tour guide if I confused that rather than 52 columns, there are 54? One of my dear friends said I was sort of like the elementary student lamenting the need to learn long division when we have calculators. Perhaps I am. Chances are 50/50 I will need to take the test again in a couple of weeks!

Washington, D.C. Senior Trip

Before I left New York on my first job as a tour director, I was offered a tour in Washington, D.C. for a small high school senior class trip. The dates coincided with my scheduled DC tour guide test, but after consulting with my Facebook friends, I decided to take the tour and postpone the test. This would give me two more weeks to study, but, more importantly, essential experience to add to my resume.

I was told that the students were from a small school. One of the suggestions I picked up at ITMI was to learn a little about your group before they come so that you can make appropriate comparisons and references, so I went to the school's website. It turns out that "small school" was a little bit of an understatement. The senior class had 16 students; the school is pre-K through 12, with a total of about 150 students with a teacher-student ratio of 1:12. The school board was paying for all of the seniors to participate in the senior trip to Washington, but 6 of them decided the trip would be either too dangerous in light of terrorist threats or was just going to be "uninteresting and dumb." So, there I was at 1:00 a.m. at National Airport picking up the 10 students, school band teacher, and the school nurse. They would end up teaching me almost as much as I taught them.

Eight of the students had never been out of Texas, and the same eight had, obviously, never flown in an airplane. None of the ten had been in a subway or in a taxi; in fact, for at least one young lady, riding the metro turned out to be the highlight of the trip. One young man had already finished boot camp and was off to the army the day after graduation, and two others were heading to the marines. What this taught me was perspective: what is important to me or what I think might be important to students is not necessarily so. A good tour director, like a good teacher, has to know the students: where are they and where do you want to take them? This caused me to make some changes in our itinerary as we started our three-day tour of the nation's capital.

I had already checked into the hotel, a recently renovated but still "classic" hotel not far from Navy Yard. The teacher leader was thrilled that I was ready with the keys, but even though we got to the hotel around 1:30 a.m, the students were more interested in food than sleep. Unfortunately, the hotel doesn't have a late night restaurant or anything close (or safe) within walking distance. I was very glad that the school chose to hire a security guard for each night; I think the students might have tried to sneak out. At my age, if I kept talking to the teacher, I couldn't be my best the next morning, so I excused myself by 2 a.m. (way past my bedtime) and set a couple of alarms just to be sure.

Like the NY trip, we would be traveling by metro for the first two days. But I know the metro (and it is much easier) a lot better than the NY subways, and I was ready to go. Even though I could make my way to each destination easily, I still routed everything ahead of time and included it in my detailed itinerary. This time, after all of the kvetching about walking in New York, I tried to utilize the metro as much as possible; we had all-day passes, so we were good to go. I was "escorting" them the first two days and on the last day we would be joined by a licensed "step-on" guide, but it is hard to escort without guiding. I really need that license!

Forewarned that they could not take anything liquid, including hair spray, we made our way to our visit to the Capitol. We had plenty of time, so we stopped at the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress where I quietly pointed out a few things before going through security in the Visitor's Center and having an early lunch before our timed visit. I thought our tour was a bit short, but I didn't think much of it until the teacher expressed his great disappointment. Unlike his students, he is a lot more worldly and has been to DC several times and knew that we were short-changed. I was reminded that we usually see the Old Senate Chamber, the corncob columns, and a lot more. To make up for this, he decided he was going to take his students into the chambers to see Congress in action. A phone call later, we were scheduled to pick up tickets at the Rayburn for all of the students to visit the house and senate. I would go pick them up during their lunch tomorrow, and we would cancel the scavenget hunt of the Museum of Natural History. Unfortunately, when we went back to the Capitol see observe in the galleries the following day, I forgot to remind them about the liquid restriction. They had just shopped in Union Station while I ran to the Rayburn, picked up the tickets, and ran back and had packages filled with shoe spray (for their new shoes), perfume, drinks, etc., so I sat outside watching all of the bags while they went in. As I waited for them, I was amused by how many people tried to "hide" their bags outside the trash bins, but the security officers always caught them! Soon, I had company as well. Lesson: don't forget that you can't take anything liquid into the Capitol, including EMPTY water bottles or coffee mugs!

By the time we were walking back to the metro to make our way to Arlington Cemetery, the kvetching began. Are we really walking? The forecast was for rain, but it was still dry, so we took the Blue line to Arlington, where, unlike DC, I could actually guide without the danger of being arrested. I had previewed the trip, and I was confident in taking the students to the site of JFK's gravesite and the Tomb of the Unknowns. I bagged Arlington House when it took half of the students a long time to walk to the fork in the road: up to Arlington House or down to the Tomb, so down we went. We were at the Tomb of the Unknown not only for the changing of the guard, but also for a wreath-laying ceremony. They got the history of the tomb and an explanation of the symbolism in the ceremony. So, you can imagine my dismay when asked by the tour guide on the last day if they had seen the changing of the guard, and one of the young ladies answered no! Oy!

By this time the rains did come, and we made a quick as possible walk from the metro to dinner at Buca di Beppo for a family style Italian meal with no consensus of whether it was good or not before heading to the obligatory student tourist show: Shear Madness. Although I have seen it at least three times, they do attempt to make it topical (although I was the only one who laughed at the joke about Rockville) and they seemed to have changed the focus to engage the students greatly. The students really got into it, although I was squirming at some of the interruptions.

The trip home was another lesson for me. Since we knew from the night before that there wasn't any food at the hotel, and the students had an early dinner, we agreed to stop on the way back for some snacks. The only place between Navy Yard metro and the hotel was a 7/11. Now, there I was with 10 students, a very large young male teacher, and 10 high school seniors. Although I would never walk alone at night in the same direction, I didn't feel threatened or uncomfortable: that is, until the cashier whispered in my ear, "You know, you are risking your head"! Really! Did he really just say that? There were two policemen in the 7/11 and I thought for a minute about asking one to walk us there. (We had a one block walk). Although I decided against it, I also decided that we would not make the same walk the following night. Hence, all of the students got their first ride in a taxi! They loved it! And, with only 10 students and 3 adults, the less than 2 mile taxi fare was some of the best-spent money. Of course, I called my boss and asked permission first; I was delighted that she said she trusted my decision.

The highlight of the trip for the students was the student cruise on the Spirit of Washington; it was great watching the students have such a good time. I knew that pointing out anything we were passing was worthless, but I did excitedly point out my own place to the two teachers. The students wanted to dance, and dance they did, although we almost missed the boat. Again, walking! Why can't 17 and 18-year olds keep up with a 56-year old out-of-shape woman? The excuse is that no one walks in Texas! In discussing this with other tour guides, I have learned with the exception of students from Colorado and New York, most don't walk.

On the last day, rather than the mini-bus we expected we had a full motor coach with a driver who had not done a city tour in 8 years and his lack of experience took us in many wrong directions, but we managed to see all of the monuments and memorials on our tour with our step-on guide who had just gotten her license and had finished ITMI this past summer. It was frustrating for me because the bus had no mike, the kids were tired, and she was soft-spoken; I wanted to scream the tour out and get the kids more involved. When one young lady didn't want to walk up the steps to see Jefferson, I made her at least walk over with me to take a look up the steps. I did get a few good stories from her, including my favorite for kids -- "Kilroy was here" at the World War II Memorial.



We were just a few hours shy of heading to the airport, and it was obvious that the students had had enough. We made a detour to Iwo Jima, especially for our two young men who had already joined the marines. After making our way to the Old Post Office Pavilion for lunch and a view from the tower, I decided that a trip to the National Archives to see the faded Declaration of Independence would be the last thing the students would want to do. Instead, we gave them extra time to finish their souvenir shopping and headed to the airport a few minutes early. The students were ready to go home.

I am not sure how I knew, but I expected no tip. The students, despite their fatigue and complaining, were extremely happy with the trip and gave me an excellent evaluation. The teacher asked me to work with him again. But I could tell that there was no thought of a tip; we were told at ITMI that most student tours do not tip and that is why the pay is a bit higher for students than adult tours. Someone told me they would guess about 40% of the student tours tip. But I am good; I am happy, and, especially for now, each experience is a learning opportunity for me.

New York: First Tour Escorting

It was my first job as a tour director or tour escort as Capitol MusicFest defines the position: New York City with 20 high school students from a small school in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since I was sitting for the grandkitties in New York a week before the trip, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and scope out the itinerary. As I arrived at the corner of Second Avenue and E. 42nd Street, the sign above the door of this newly renovated hotel was being changed: the Tudor was now the Hilton Manhattan East. Were these students really going to stay at this now upscale hotel? It seems that, in fact, the original reservations were being honored, and I was delighted, especially considering some of the dives I have stayed in with students like the Carter!


On my frequent trips to New York I always shy away from the subway, preferring to spend the money on taxis or using my feet to get around, so a subway trip following the itinerary was in order. The biggest challenge was not finding the right subway or knowing when to get off, but finding the right exit to get where I wanted to go. The entire week of the trip I never seemed to come out of the same exit twice! That makes it a little suspect when you get on to the street with 20 students and have to ask which direction to walk! Again, I found the iPhone my greatest tool; a downloaded app, Hop Stop, literally tells you where to walk, what train to take, all of the stops along the way, where to exit, and how to walk to your destination from there. I mapped out each of the subway rides and added the details to the itinerary. Now I was going to look like I really knew what I was doing!


I was appropriately anxious as the date of the trip neared. I arrived in New York a day early to pick up tickets and check out a few more sites, especially Central Park since I would be taking the students for a walk in the park. I knew what I wanted them to see -- Alice in Wonderland, Imagine, and the angel in front of the lake. I also came upon the Delacorte clock just as it chimed and the animals started to move, and I decided to time our arrival on the hour or half hour. On the day of our tour, when one of the students asked how long the clock "show" was, and I couldn't answer, I started to time it on my handy iPhone. After four minutes, we all decided it was time to move on. Some things that are cool for a minute get tiresome after two. On the day of our trip to the park I couldn't find the bathrooms by the lake; I remembered too late something we learned at ITMI: always scope out the bathrooms! Now I know that they are in the tunnel leading from the mall area to the angel statue.


Anxious not to be late on the day of the students' arrival, I left the hotel early to take two subways, a NJ transit, and the Air Train to LaGuardia. In the end, it was a little too anticipatory, since I had two hours to kill at the airport. When I finally saw the students coming out of the secure area, I relaxed and everything seemed to fit into place. Bags arrived, the bus was right outside the door, and after counting 16 teenagers, three teachers, and a very over-protective father, we were on our way. I couldn't practice my microphone skills that we spent so much time doing at ITMI since there was no mike in this mini-bus, but that also made it easy to talk. Most of the way into the city to start our trip with lunch at Bubba Gumps, a perennial tourist place, we talked about procedures and expectations.

I really loved being with the students. However, I was reminded several times of the importance of patience. The questions were funny. "Do we have to dress for breakfast?" I asked them what they were thinking; I believe they wanted to come down to the Hilton restaurant in their pajamas. "Is the play tonight in the same theater as last night?" Do you think they could strike the set and set up for the next play? Remarkably, I was asked this question at least four times, including by over-protective dad. After taking the S train, the shuttle that goes between Grand Central and Times Square, at least three times, I was still asked, what stop do we get off? And the ultimate question: how far do we have to walk? And then there was Jose, a sweet young man with more of an interest in buying sneakers than seeing the Big Apple. This was the first time anyone called me, "Miss Faye." Often, I would hear "Miss Faye, how many more stops? Miss Faye, do we have to pay for our own dinner? Miss Faye, are we really having breakfast without sausage and eggs?" And always, "Are we really going to walk there?"



That was the mantra of the trip. It seems that outside of the big cities students don't walk very much. By New York standards, we didn't overdo it, but when we walked down Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center at 49th to the Empire State Building at 34th, we had to stop at the New York Public Library for a rest stop. I thought they might like to take pictures of the lions; most of the students had seen them come to life in Ghostbusters or destroyed in some end-of-the-world movie, but all they wanted to do was to sit. When the bus picked us up Friday morning and stayed with us throughout the day, we had some very happy students.




I guess I should admit that there was an afternoon of walking: a three and a half hour tour of lower Manhattan with ace tour guide Matt Levy who led the students to Battery Park, the financial district, the World Trade Center site, and over the Brooklyn Bridge. The students loved his light saber leading the way and suggested that I get one of my own. After the walking tour, Matt led the students to Chinatown by subway rather than the planned walk (yes, there were complaining) where they had an hour and a half to shop and eat whereever they wanted in Little Italy or Chinatown. I am afraid to know how many students found the McDonald's. Next time I am going to do a better job leading students to good eating spots.


I loved it. I couldn't believe I was getting paid to see two fabulous Broadway plays -- Wicked and In the Heights as well as one rather mediocre one -- Mary Poppins (even the students didn't really like Mary Poppins). One of the highlights of the trip, both for me and for the students, was a suprise to all of us, including our teacher leader who was taken aback that these students, who have never put on a musical, chose singing and dancing for their Classroom on Broadway. I never heard of this program; a cast member and music director lead the students for 90 minutes, in this case, learning the music and choreography of one verse of a song from the play. The students, who were hesitant at first, did marvelously well singing and dancing to "One Short Day." Jose was our photographer.


I didn't lose any students, although when one room of boys overslept the last morning despite a wake-up call I had put in, they left behind a wallet and a pair of shoes in their haste to get on the bus. I learned that anyone under the age of 18 accompanied by an adult does not need an ID to go through security. We decided that it was a natural consequence for the young man to pay for his wallet and shoes to be shipped back home rather than attempt a ride back to the hotel during lunch. Lunch that day was in the East Village as Dallas BBQ. I thought that it was the best lunch we had with the exception of the "free" time choice meals, but I guess the students had a point that taking Texans to barbecue in New York seems a little silly.


Everyone went home happy, especially the teachers who were able to relax on the escorted trip. Next time I will utilize the teachers more; it would have been easier for each of them to count fice or six students than for me to count 16 each time. The students, despite their whining, were respectful and fun. I truly loved being with them and sharing a city that I love as well. It is said that to be happy in your career find something you love to do and get paid for doing it; I found it!

My First Tour

I prepared: I drove the route I planned three times -- Sunday, Monday night (to get a sense of traffic), and Tuesday morning. I took notes, read more background information, and took the Old Town Trolley Tour Monday. I learned a lot on the Trolley Tour and added to my note cards. Although I wasn't totally confident, I felt that I could handle a three-hour tour for three persons -- grandmother, grandfather, and student on a college tour. I also considered the tour great preparation for my test on April 27th and felt that the experience was more in line with showing my friends and family around town than leading a tour.

Imagine my first surprise when the student, rather than the sophomore or junior I expected, turned out to be a 7th grader! This was his Bar Mitzvah present; I don't know many seventh graders interested in touring colleges. The tour started out well. I picked up the family unit at National Airport where they had dropped off their rental car after a tour of UVA, and we headed to the district. With all of my practice, I was actually able to get around, not an easy thing, especially with my poor sense of direction. It is not a rumor that L'Enfant designed the city in a way to confuse invading armies, including the scores of tourists here for spring break and the cherry blossoms. I had my GPS for back-up.

We went up 14th Street and headed immediately to 10th Street to see Ford's Theater. We were able to stop for a picture before continuing our tour. We did a circle of the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and around the Capitol with a picture stop as well. I thought that the family might appreciate some water and snacks, so I had stopped and picked some things which turned out to be a good idea. It was hot (90 degrees in DC in April!), and everyone wanted water; Grandpa enjoyed the cheese crackers and grandson had an apple. What surprised me was that none of them seemed to appreciate this gesture; at least, I never heard a thank you.

From the Capitol we made our way to Raoul Wallenberg Place and to the memorials. Grandpa had some difficulty walking and brought along his handicapped sticker which turned out to be very helpful. Parking around the FDR memorial has been removed in preparation of the new Martin Luther King Memorial, but they kept a small area for handicapped parking. We were able to do a full tour of the FDR memorial, one of my favorites and one close to my heart since this was the last place I visited with my mom who passed away a number of years ago. We were also able to stop at the Lincoln and take time to see the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial as well as the Korean Memorial; it was difficult for the grandfather to walk around, so he waited in the car while Grandma and grandson visited.

From there the tour went downhill. I knew from my previous driving runs that I had to turn around to 17th in order to drive into the handicapped parking. What I forgot is that you cannot make the left from Constitution during rush hour. Grandpa said to forget it and just go to the White House, which his grandson wanted to see. There is no place to park at the White House, so I dropped them off at the corner by Decatur House and told them I would be right back after a trip around the corner. Big mistake! Rush hour was particularly bad this evening (I found out later that it took my friend who works in DC two and a half hours to get to Tyson's Corner, more than double the usual rush.) and it took me about 35 minutes to go around the corner. Grandma was not a happy camper. "Why didn't I go the other way around the block? Did I know that traffic was better the other direction? Maybe I should know.

By now they were concerned about getting to the airport. Ironically, although I am usually very anxious about getting to an airport on time, I was somehow confident we would be fine. I promised them to be there at 7:30, and I was determined that I could do that. It was 6:50 when I finally was able to pick them up at the corner on 17th, and we found ourselves in the same traffic mess. I tried to keep up the conversation because I knew everyone was on edge. As we cleared 14th Street and I could see an open road in front of me at 7:25, I knew that we would make it. Drop off at the airport exactly on time, bags taken out of the car, good start, bad end: no tip.

The first tour was certainly a learning experience.

Practice, Learn, and Familiarize

Now that I have my first assignment as a professional tour director on my schedule, the next challenge is to be prepared like any good boy scout (or, in this case, girl scout). Although I have taken my own students on New York theater tours, we always had a motor coach at our disposal; I have never taken students on the subway. However, I have also never had the luxury of a step-on guide for a student tour; the student tour company provides a local, licensed tour. My job is to escort the group around New York, but I still want to be as knowledgeable as I can, so I spent the last two days familiarizing myself with the itinerary.


I started the day by locating the hotel. This proved to be more of a challenge than I thought. It seems in the last day the name of the hotel changed. The hotel was recently renovated and truly elegant, not the usual student hotel, at least on my student tours. When I inquired about the group, the desk manager couldn't find the reservation, but I also didn't know under whose name the reservation was made, so I sent a quick e-mail to the company who confirmed that, indeed, this was our hotel. The students are in for a very pleasant experience. Its location close to the United Nations and not far from Fifth Avenue and Bryant Park add to its charm.

I love to walk. When I don't walk in the city, I take a cab. I never learned the subway system, but it was clear from the itinerary that on at least one of the two days that we do not have a bus, the students are going to need to take the subway: it is just too far to walk. Therefore, my main purpose of running through the itinerary was to make sure I know where to get the subway, which train to take, where to exit the station, and in what direction to walk once we make our way out. I surprised myself and found it easier than I thought. All those wasted dollars on taxis on my past trips!

On day three the students will begin their day with shopping on Fifth Avenue before heading to Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building. I had the sense that the walk from the hotel to shopping would offer a better perspective of the city than a subway ride, so I walked up 42nd Street to Fifth Avenue, discovering (as native New Yorkers already know) the magnificent Bryant Park along the way. Directly in front of Bryant Park is the New York Public Library. Since Project Runway is very popular among high school students, I assume most of them will have heard of Bryant Park. All kids know the lions in front of the New York Public Library from the popular Ghostbusters, so I have decided that a picture stop at the library followed by a few minutes walk around Bryant Park will be a good way to start the morning before letting the students loose on Fifth Avenue.

On the second day, after seeing a production of Wicked, the students are participating in a class with cast members from the show. With an early morning call, I decided the subway will definitely be the best way to go. Notoriously bad at numbers (including remembering as well as adding them), I walked out of the subway and to Eighth Avenue confident that I was looking for 800; by the time I got to 52nd Street and couldn't find an 800 building, I decided to recheck the address. This reinforced the importance of previewing the trip; I should have been looking for 500 -- about 17 blocks away. Better to walk the blocks myself than with 20 high school students!

After locating the building and checking procedures with the security guide, I located the closest subway station right outside the door and headed to the students' next destination: South Street Seaport, a great place to hang out, shop, and take pictures of the great view of the Brooklyn Bridge. At this point in our trip we will be joined by a licensed step-in guide who will take us across the bridge, through the financial district, St. Paul's, and Ground Zero. Our itinerary also says that the student will experience Chinatown and have dinner in Little Italy, so I decided to a familiarize myself with the two adjoining neighborhoods.

Chinatown was a quick walk from South Street Seaport. The second largest Chinatown in the states (San Francisco is the largest) adjoins Little Italy where the students will be enjoying dinner. I learned that the best subway line to get back to Times Square for the group's evening performance was the R at the end of Canal which takes you straight up Broadway where we can walk to our performance of Mary Poppins. I have discovered that my greatest tool for this job is my iPhone! I downloaded the HopStop app, and now all I need to do to get anywhere is put in the location and destination and I am on my way. And, if I ever do get lost, all I need is to click on Google Maps, and I am on my way.

I didn't feel the need to preview the tour to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, or the Empire State Building; I have done all of those previously, and we have a bus to the ferry for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I previously found a walking tour of the theater district on Goldstar that I booked for the next morning; adding to my knowledge is always a good thing. Even though I majored in theater and took a fabulous course on American Musical Theater, that was 35 years ago!

The tour, which started in Times Square and walked us around to the various theaters, was a walking history of American theater using the physical buildings as the focal points. Much of the tour served as a reminder of past history and details learned and much forgotten as well as a new sense of modern theater history. I wish I had thought of taking notes, but with what I picked up and some reading I plan to do in the next week or so, I feel I have a lot more to offer the students. I asked our tour guide, Nathan, for his card; I thought that this might make a nice addition to any tour for high school theater students.

My first professional assignment is in three days: I am taking a family on a private tour of DC for a few hours that they have between a college tour in Virginia and taking off for more from National. I consider it great practice for everything I have learned in preparation for the DC tour guide license test. My second professional assignment is the New York tour, and I am feeling a lot better about that now that I have had a chance to walk through the itinerary. I am also coming up the day before the tour and will have some additional time with the final technical to be sure that someone with a bad sense of direction doesn't take 22 high school students down the wrong street!

Let the Tours Begin

Since retiring I have been home about 10 days: I took a fabulous tour of the Costa Rica Natural Paradise from Caravan in early March, returned home for a few days, and then headed up to New York for a high school drama reunion at a performance of The Miracle Worker and am staying until Passover. So much has happened since then, and I have been neglecting my tour guide blog. I decided to take a few minutes before heading over to the Passover seder at my sister's house to catch up.

After a lot of leg work, consternation about the process, and trips to the Alexandria police station and the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, I successfully submitted all of the paper work for my DC tour license guide and have my appointment for the test on April 27th. It wasn't easy. I have never seen as much red tape as in the process for securing a tour guide license in the District. In the process I have learned that the DC Tour Guide Guild has successfully lobbied to revise the test, but that will be after my examination. In the mean time, I have secured a study guide for $110 and have spent about 60 or more hours researching the answers to the questions that the guide doesn't provide. The argument is that you will learn the details better if you have to research them yourselves. I will let you know if this argument is supported by the results. Some of the test is outright absurd -- matching addresses to sites with almost 100 addresses to memorize for perhaps two questions or so (I will most likely get these incorrect since it is an impossible task) and identifying photos that are old, taken at odd angles, and perhaps are inches of a large statue. I still have about 5 I have not been able to identify. But after hours of research and reading, I know have an 80-page study guide, and on tap for tomorrow's seder is a question and answer period with my 11-year old wonderful niece, Sophie.

My first job interview was before leaving for the Big Apple. It is one of the largest student tour companies, and they are primarily interested in my doing work in DC; I am supposed to let them know when I have my license, and it seems that they will make me offers then. Although most of the spring tours are fully staffed, there is a possibility of the need for last-minute fill-ins and then work next spring. In the meanwhile, they suggest that I shadow tours, and that is what I have done and will continue to do so. They set me up with one of their "star" guides, and I followed him and the students around to the Capitol, National Cathedral, Jefferson Memorial, and the FDR Memorial. I learned a lot (less is more) and look forward to continuing the process.

But, the most amazing thing is that the job offers have started to come in! After meeting with one of the owners of a student tour company that specializes in tours for music and theater groups, I have secured a tour of New York theater in April. Are they really paying for me to see Wicked, In the Heights, and Mary Poppins, as well as touring all of the usual spots in New York? Transportation, hotels, meals, sightseeing, and plays -- the pay isn't great, but the environment and opportunity to do something I love even if it is working a 16-hour day is my idea of bliss. I also have a step-on guide for the tour part of New York, so I can act as the tour escort without the New York license, a distant goal.

There is another company that creates tours for college visits; I didn't even know there was such a thing! They are more interested in tour leaders with educational backgrounds, and with my work in the IB as well as teaching, they have showed a great interest in my participation. For my first job I am going to show a young man looking at the top schools in the nation, including UVA, around DC before they head up to New Jersey and Princeton. Is life grand or what? I hope to be able to do more of these tours with this very innovative company.

So, although I thought it might be a long time coming, and those international tour directing jobs with Tauck, Collette, or Globus might be, it seems I am actually on my way to fulfilling a dream.

DC Tour Guide License

Job opportunities in tour directing aren't much better than the general job situation. I have come to terms with the fact that my first job isn't likely to be an international tour directing position for a deluxe adult tour. But, in the unlikely chance that anyone from Tauck is reading, I would certainly jump at the chance! What I can do are student tours. What is available are local DC tours. However, as I have learned from a few conversations with student tour providers, no one is going to hire me without the DC license. My next goal: obtain a DC tour license.



That might sound easier than it is; I already knew that the application for the license was mired in red tape. In fact, I took a class in "Cutting Through the Red Tape in Getting a DC Tour License" with First Class a couple of months ago, and after downloading the application and being totally overwhelmed, I thought perhaps I could dodge it. But now I have contacts and people encouraging me and supporting me, and I am confident that by the end of April I won't get arrested (or fined) if I point in the district. We were told in ITMI course that a tour director who pointed out some things on her group's way from the hotel to dinner was actually fined $200 for tour guiding without a license. I wonder what happens if one is guiding friends and family through our nation's capital?



There are two types of tour guide licenses: A and B. I even learned that a question on one of the 7 different tour guide tests is what is the difference! The tour guide A license allows you to start a tour in DC; tour guide B requires you to start the tour outside of DC. Residents of the DC area are encouraged to get the A license, and if I am going to start with local tours, it only makes sense.



The requirements for either license include a long list of paperwork and a 100-question test: physician's statement, "clean-hands" document (not affirming your hygiene, but the fact that you don't owe DC any more than $100), 6 letters of recommendation, a business license, DC tax certificate, fingerprints, and a criminal report. After successfully submitting all of those, you can sit for the test comprised of 100 questions: multiple choice, true and false, fill-in-the-blank, and picture identification. Legend has it that the pictures have been copied so many times that it is sometimes difficult to make out the photo let alone identify, locate, and state its purpose. I thought a $110 study guide would be a good investment.



I learn better experientially. When I started to study with the Capitol, I realized that although I have lived in DC, I have never visited the Capitol. It seems that all of my visiting family and friends want to visit the same places -- the Air and Space Museum, the FDR Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial. I wonder why no one want to visit the Capitol. Perhaps its being closed to the public for an extended period had something to do with it as well. So, I decided to tour the Capitol.


I booked a 1:30 tour online and take the advice of the study guide's author to visit the Department of Commerce and Regulatory Affairs to get the insider's guide to the DC tour license process. The visit proved worthwhile; she took me step by step, even highlighting the parts that needed to be completed. I got my tax certificate stamped, the dates for future tests, and walked out confident that I can complete the application without too much more anxiety.


After a quick lunch at Union Station, I did some picture-taking in Union Station: I wanted to document some of the statues that I had studied the previous night. The most interesting fact I learned was that the Centurions, sculpted by Saint-Gudens, who adorn the main hall were not originally fronted by a shield. It seems that the manners of the time took objection with the fact that some of the statues were naked under their tunics.


The Capitol tour was interesting. Although I didn't learn much new, I now had a visual and experience to which to attach my knowledge. The challenge for me is going to remember the details -- the dates and the statistics. I won't forget the Brumidi Corridors -- the magnificently painted frescoes recently restored to their original. I won't forget that the enter of DC, where the quadrants meet, lies dead center in the Capitol, marked by a bronze star.

As I make my way through the sites of DC I will post photos and facts on my Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/fayebrenner. I have about a month to study; I will concentrate on the natural beauty of Costa Rica during my ten-day tour there and leave the studying for home time.