Why I would hate to take a Guided Vacation

Nobody on a paid tour gets to see this.
The backside of the Grand Tetons

Today I went to the AAA Travel Show. If you have never been, the show has many vendors from cruise lines, all inclusive resorts, and travel agencies. All of these people are happy to book you to a vacation. AAA also books vacations. There were at least 150 AAA travel agents there with computers that will set you up on a vacation. I can only imagine the amount of money that changes hands.

There are also seminars. These seminars are done by the companies that want you to use them. For example the Alaska Cruise seminar was done by Holland America Cruise Line. Many of the tours were done by (not surprisingly) tour companies. I went to multiple seminars today. I started my day going to one on national parks. From there I went to a seminar on Scotland/Ireland. I also went to one about Eastern Europe and Alaskan Cruises. Since I found out today that I need a new hot water heater, none of these things are in my budget. However, since I had the shitty news that I needed a new hot water tank, I figured I'd go to the show and dream.

Here is what I realized. I would hate these trips. Most of these tour companies will tell you the reason you should book with them is "piece of mind". You don't have to plan anything because they take care of it for you. You don't have to carry your luggage. The accommodations are included in your itinerary. Most of the trips include many but not all of your meals. Of course, other than getting to the meeting point (usually an airport) you do not have to worry about transportation.

These trips would be positively actual torture for me. Let me give you an example. The first seminar I

If you choose to do your ow driving, stop at
Cedar Breaks National Monument. You will only need a
few hours there, but it is gorgeous!!

went to was western national parks. It was put on by CIE Tours. These people (and many other touring companies) pick you up at an airport such as Scottsdale, Vegas, or Salt Lake. For the next 7-14 days they will bring you to national parks. One of their tours was called the "Canyons Tour". It starts in Scottsdale, goes to the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce. Each day is planned out on where to go, where to eat, and where to sleep. Usually the hotels are very nice three to five star places. Other tours include Yellowstone, Badlands, and Mt. Rushmore.

The tour spends the better part of a day in a national park or a cool town like Jackson Hole. I'm sure they cover the highlights from the seat of their very luxurious coach buses. At every seminar I went to, they all spoke of "free time" where you can go off for a few hours some days and do your own thing.

 I have tried to make a case why someone would book this trip. Now let me tell you all of the reasons I would absolutely hate doing this. First off, I enjoy planning my own trip. I will go to seminars, and I will gladly take advice from anyone that wants to tell me about a hidden waterfall or cool art museum. However, I want to work it into my itinerary. Following someone else's plan would not only make me feel like I cheated, but I'm sure I'd be annoyed when I had to move on to the next thing before I was ready.

Secondly, When I plan a trip, I like to have a plan. I do not need to know where I'm going to be every second of every day. I do want to at least have a sort of "outline" and prioritize what I want to do. I like doing this research. There are people that just wing it, and there are those that need to leave a museum at exactly 3 pm so they can eat lunch for precisely 14 minutes. I fall in between those two extremes.

 Also, on a trip, nothing ever goes perfectly as planned. It is those improvisations that are memorable. Can you imagine having your one day in Yellowstone getting rained out? Imagine not seeing Artists Point because it is so fogged in. Unfortunately, you can't stay an extra day to see it because you have to be in Jackson Hole tomorrow! Holy shit, that would kill me! Imagine driving past a huge bull elk and not stopping to get any pictures because Old Faithful went off twenty minutes later than expected and you have to be at the motel for dinner by 6 pm. I'd choke on my own puke!!! Now, if I was on my own vacation we could improvise. If that day got rained out, we could stay an extra day. Maybe we would have to cut a day short at Grand Teton. Maybe we would only go to Little Bighorn for a few hours instead of a day to make up that time. It's these give and takes that make your vacation your own.

Lower Falls from Artist Point

My next complaint is really just because of my personality. These tours only take you to the highlights. I suspect a day in Yellowstone will take you to Artists Point, Old Faithful, Lake Village and Lamar Valley. These are all amazing places. There are probably a few stops at other scenic overlooks. However, I am not a highlights guy. I want to see EVERYTHING. Of course in a park the size of Connecticut that isn't going to happen. Still, I gave it my best shot. We stayed six days in Yellowstone. The day we went to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we did not just go to Artists Point. We did all the trails in the area including Uncle Tom's Trail which included 600 steps. As I've said before I'd rather see everything in one park instead of the highlights in five. Also the more you get to know a park, the intimate it becomes and the more you appreciate it, then fall in love with it.

Lastly, and again this is just because of my personality, these trips are a little too luxurious for my taste. Do not get me wrong, the buses are very comfortable. I also assume the food is delicious. However, I don't want anyone carrying my bag. I can do that myself, thank you. I also would prefer to camp outside than be in a five star motel every night. If I am at a campground I live for the campfire programs. I would rather go to one than watch Jeopardy (no offense Alex T). Also since I have to stay with the tour and we have to be at certain places at specific times, there is no chance to get a backcounty pass and sleep in the wilderness.

I knew all of this before I even went to the show. You might ask why I even bothered? Truth is, I just wanted ideas of new places to go someday and do a little dreaming. I have always wanted to go to the Scottish Highlands. So when I went to the Scotland/Ireland seminar I took notes. As they were explaining their itinerary, I took I wrote down important details. When they showed a picture of an interesting castle  I jotted down the name. If they said food was delicious at a certain pub, I wrote that down too. Of course, if a tour company takes you from place to place over a week, they do not explain the transportation system in that country. They do not tell (because they don't know) of the best hiking trails in the Scottish Highlands or if camping or backpacking is allowed.

I have questioned myself and looked inward and wondered: if I only feel this way because these trips are out of my price range anyway? Would I secretly want to go on one of these trips if money was no object? I can assure you, and myself the answer is no. If I won Powerball, I'd travel, and I'd travel a lot. Yet, I would still plan my own vacations. As I said, I enjoy that.I have over fifty guide and hiking books to prove it.  I'd probably eat more steak and less mac and cheese for supper, but truthfully, I love the way I vacation. I love eating supper on top of a mountain or stopping for lunch by a mountain lake.

If I were to go on an international vacation, I can't argue that the planning is so much  easier when you pay someone five thousand dollars to drive you around. Then again, if you told me I only had four hours to go to the Louvre in Paris, I just couldn't do it. If I went alone, I'd park my ass on a bench in front of the Da vinci's for hours because I'd be in such awe. I would need at least two days in that museum and a solid week in Paris. If not, I'd be sick missing out.