Steve always dreamed of seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The first time I met Steve and his wife, Chris, we talked about their desires and their past travel experiences so I could get a better feel for what they wanted this trip to include.
They have been to New York before, but primarily for business, so this trip would be focused on pleasure and new sites. Selecting the dates, I was prepared to find accommodations and other features to match their interests.
First the parade: a more comfortable option than standing in the variable weather is watching from one of the hotels on the parade route. There are several possibilities, and after reviewing my recommendations, we selected a parade view room at Hilton Midtown Manhattan. As with many special events, it required a nonrefundable deposit, but once paid, assured their desired location to enjoy the Parade.
Since they would be in New York on Thanksgiving Day, I knew that it was important to get restaurant and theater reservations. I provided a list of great restaurant possibilities and they selected their top preferences. With my calendar reminders noted, on the appropriate days I secured their desired reservations for Thanksgiving dinner, a special dining experience on Saturday and theater tickets for Friday night.
With such a wide diversity of museums and sites, our discussions included reviewing the options to determine what meant most to them. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) was of interest, so I arranged a semi-private tour. In many museums, a guided experience is desirable as it allows you to focus on your interests, gaining a deeper understanding, which brings to life the art and artifacts. After a few minutes of discussing their art interests, the guide devoted their two hours to insight into the back stories of several key art pieces, and then toured a special exhibit with them.
In planning any trip, I believe it’s important to weave activities with free time, so while two of their four evenings were scheduled, they had a list of possible venues to enjoy on the other evenings. They ended up dropping into a small jazz club one night, and meandered through Rockefeller Center and 5th Avenue after dinner on the other.
A trip to Macy’s Herald Square included finding the rare wood escalator, through directions in my NYC information. A morning with a guide from Big Apple Greeters, a special tourist board service, led to a new friendship with Lester and a fascinating view of varied architectural styles. It is providing those types of unique connections that add the personal touch for a trip.
Starting and ending the trip are key aspects, especially with the current construction at New York LaGuardia airport. Upon arrival, they were met by their driver and delivered to their hotel lobby. At the end of the trip they were driven from the hotel to the airport in a timely and comfortable manner.
The last step was to enjoy their photos, stories and huge grins while they shared the joy of a dream fulfilled. In their words: “The entire trip was brilliantly executed. Each event was better than the previous if that was possible. Our plans for our 5-day trip were executed without a hitch. Laura handled every detail to make this the most memorable trip we have ever taken. THANK YOU so much Laura”
A lifetime dream fulfilled. If I can help you plan your lifetime dream trip, please contact me at: info@globaldreamvacations.com
