By Nancy Dorrans
Last February I booked two group sites at Lamoine State Park near Mount Desert Island for a four-night camping trip over the Fourth of July. I posted the group travel trip to members of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club. And about thirty members registered!
So much planning goes on behind the scenes when organizing such a large group adventure … or any group. And then there are the individuals in the group. There is a lot to it.
This is what I do in my role as travel advisor and small group tour operator! Organizational skills are key and one of my knacks!
Dinner Troubles in Italy
My friend Stephanie signed up for the MOAC camping trip and was glad that someone else was handling all the details. She said, “I know it’s a lot of work!” Then she told me the story of one time when she tried to help with a group trip in Italy.
It was a church trip that had been organized by her beloved Pastor Leonard and his travel agent. He had led many trips and had a great following. Stephanie recalled how excited she was to finally get a chance to go.
Unfortunately, a few months before the trip, Pastor Leonard passed away. The group considered cancelling, but the travel agent urged them to go in Pastor Leonard’s memory.
Stephanie recalled how she had stepped up to help organize a special dinner one night. She didn’t realize how much work it was. She made a list, took names, picked a recommended restaurant within walking distance of their hotel, made reservations, and set the time.
Most folks were on time but not all. A few showed up that hadn’t signed up. Then during dinner one of the couples complained loudly that they didn’t like the restaurant and that the service was slow. She was shocked and embarrassed by their garish behavior. Never again, she told me.
Europe with Mr. Leonard
Stephanie’s story brought back a flood of memories of a trip to Europe with another Leonard, Mr. Leonard, a high school teacher from the Southwest. In 1998 he invited me to help chaperone a group of forty-eight students on an educational tour from Madrid to Athens.
The connection? One of his sisters worked with my sister in Tennessee. I was chosen, not because I knew his sister or had travel experience or had worked with high school students, but because he needed someone with time to travel to Egypt with him afterwards. I had the time and wanted to go to Egypt too! The other chaperones were his two sisters and their aunt. I didn’t notice the red flags…
Our itinerary: An eighteen-day motor coach journey from Spain to Greece. Starting in Madrid we traveled to Toledo and took a night train to Barcelona. On through Southern France to Monaco and into Italy. We whirled through Pisa, Florence, Sienna, Rome, Pompeii, Naples, and across to Bari where we boarded an overnight Superfast Ferry to cross the Adriatic Sea to Patras, on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. The last stop was Athens.
The tour was fast paced. The students behaved well and modeled good traveling behavior! They were open to trying new things and were smart and kind. Mr. Leonard? Not so much.
Lost Passport
The first thing that happened was that one of the students lost her passport somewhere between Tucson and Madrid. Mr. Leonard did not believe it. He yelled at her and made a scene on the plane. That didn’t help.
I waited with her in the customs office for a faxed copy of her passport. After a long delay we were released and she was able to get her passport reissued the next day.
Missing Girls
Next, we headed out on a guided walking tour of Madrid. After our first cathedral visit, the tour continued with Mr. Leonard in the lead. I didn’t think we had everyone with us and caught up with him to ask how he kept track. He had no buddy system but assured me everyone was there.
I didn’t know all the students yet but knew at least two girls were missing. One was very tall with long curly hair. The local tour guide and I scurried back to the cathedral and found her and half a dozen other girls standing outside the restrooms wondering where we were… Ugh! Red flag coming into view…
Chaperone Down
The third day one of Brian’s sisters got sick. Turns out she was suffering from panic & anxiety disorder and this tour had triggered a severe episode. Brian had invited her because he thought it would be good for her to get away from all her troubles. She had to fly home and their aunt had to fly with her. So now there were only three chaperones and more red flags were visible.
Stay tuned…
There is a lot to organizing and escorting groups. I learned so much from this adventure and cherish most of the memories. Despite the ineptitude of Mr. Leonard, we made the most of the rest of the journey. I bonded with the students, they with each other, and I grew very fond of them. I was proud of these kids and their youthful curiosity, energy, humor, and good behavior.
I’ll share the more of the story and the best memories next month – Stay tuned…
In the meantime, enjoy your summer! Stay curious and please be kind to the people you meet at home and while traveling.
Nancy Dorrans is a professional travel expert and founded Adventure Marketplace in 2014.
