Not much has been written about the U.S. escorted tour market of late - despite the fact that national destinations are soaring in popularity in the wake of the pandemic.
What I've come to realize from participating in an eight-day Globus "Californian Dreamin': Northern California By Design" is that an escorted tour, done right, has much to recommend it.
The tour was the first of 13 itineraries in Europe and North America to debut in the company's new Choice Touring program, which includes a generous selection of what Globus calls YourChoice Excursions.
On this itinerary - which operated roundtrip from San Francisco and explored Sausalito, Sonoma, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite National Park - passengers were offered three one-of-a-kind excursions choices on three of the eight days.
Although the itinerary and the Globus Choice Touring concept were intriguing, I nonetheless had some reservations about the experience, including what it would be like traveling on a motorcoach during the pandemic.
One major selling point was that we didn't have to navigate the ever-changing COVID-19 requirements that travelers to the Caribbean and Europe deal with.
We were simply required to provide proof of full vaccination and that we had not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in 21 days prior to departure.
Our group was required to wear face masks when physical distancing wasn't possible, including on board the motorcoach and during certain excursions.
We had our temperatures taken during a meet-and-greet at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, and intermittently before boarding the motorcoach in the mornings.
I also wondered whether, despite the YourChoice Excursions, I'd feel trapped by a regimented schedule and a lackluster tour guide.
Suffice it to say my concerns were unwarranted.
Although some YourChoice Excursions were canceled due to issues relating to the pandemic, my concerns were quickly debunked.
For starters, our tour director, Derek, couldn't have been more engaging and truly brought each destination we visited to life in a vibrant and memorable way.
Furthermore, I didn't feel trapped by the schedule or traveling via motorcoach.
Rather, it was freeing not to worry about the details and instead focus on the experience itself.
I also loved the fact that porters took care of loading and unloading my bag to and from the hotels - and that there was no standing in hotel check-in and check-out lines.
And Derek took care of checking us in. We simply waited on the bus while he gathered our room keys and distributed them.
The tour group itself skewed a little higher in age than is typical for Globus, at about 70.
It was an eclectic group, which also included members of the media.
There were several guests who were formerly FIT travelers and were tired of having to deal with all the logistical issues that are part and parcel to independent touring.
One couple said they enjoyed a Globus Canadian Rockies tour so much that it inspired them to book the "California Dreamin" itinerary.
A well-traveled guest from Greenwich, Conn., said she chose the itinerary primarily because she had yet to visit Yosemite National Park and it was on her bucket list.
A 62-year-old from New Jersey, who endured the wrath of Hurricane Ida in early September, said she booked the trip two days before it departed, having decided it was important to live in the moment and experience life as best she could.
The Globus tour enabled us all to do just that.
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