Writer takes her first bus trip designed for seniors —  from Baldwinsville to the Jersey Shore

By Suzanne M. Ellis

Author’s note: I had never taken a travel tour of any kind, let alone one designed for “senior citizens.” I’m a few years shy of the official senior citizen age of 65, but the price was right and I had never been to the Jersey shore, so I figured what the heck? What follows is the journal I kept during a recent five-day trip to Wildwood Crest, N.J.

MONDAY

5:20 a.m.
Today’s the big day, and I’m getting ready to depart for the Jersey shore in Wildwood Crest. But I’m not really thinking about that right now; I’m trying to remember the last time my eyes were open at this hour!
6:45 a.m.
Even though I’m five minutes early, I’m about the 20th of the Wildwood Gang of 34 to arrive at Canton Woods Senior Center in Baldwinsville. The Quality Coach Lines bus from Syracuse truly is a “luxury coach” with eight video screens, adjustable foot and arm rests, seats that recline far more than airline seats, a roomy aisle and personal ventilation controls. The bathroom is spotless and odor free (even at the end of the trip). There is ample storage under the seats and in overhead compartments for books, magazines, sweaters or anything else you want with you during the trip.
7:05 a.m.
We hit the road, and tour coordinator Jacki Abbott, the owner of Belle Tours in Syracuse, is introducing herself (though there are only three of us, I think, that have never been on one of her tours). Our driver is Jesse Glass. Soft music from our younger years plays … “Theme From a Summer Place,” “Blue Velvet,” “Unchained Melody,” “Unforgettable,” “Mack the Knife.” Jacki tells us there are snacks, bottled water, soda, beer and wine in the back of the bus. The goodies fill three seats and include chips of every description, popcorn, mints, candy, crackers, cheese, pepperoni and much more. Jacki is going seat to seat, sharing a big box of Dunkin Donut holes, and I am wishing I hadn’t left my travel mug of coffee in the car.
8:25 a.m.
We’re at The Spot Diner Restaurant in Binghamton. Jacki has made reservations, so we’re seated immediately. Service is excellent for some of the group; not so for others. By 9:20, we are back on the road.
2:30 p.m.
We have arrived at Bal Harbour hotel in Wildwood Crest, about a half hour earlier than expected. We made one more stop — for lunch — in Allentown, Pa. En route, we watched “The Blind Side” and a “Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show” DVD that was hysterical. I didn’t see anyone sleeping the whole way (when’s the last time you could say that about any trip you took!?) I heard a cell phone ring exactly three times in eight hours and each time, the conversation was hushed and respectful of the other travelers. What a joy. There is no “check-in” and we are handed keys and room numbers on the bus.

My luggage and beach chair were delivered to me in about 15 minutes. My room had some issues but once Jacki found out, I got a new room that was wonderful. Amenities, however, are almost non-existent: three small bars of “Vacation Sun” soap, bath towels (no hand towels) and washcloths. No shampoo, no conditioner, no hair dryer, no body lotion, no clock or clock radio, no Kleenex and (gasp) no cute little coffee pots. Thankfully, I never travel lightly so I had pretty much everything I needed — but I don’t travel with a coffee pot!
4:45 p.m.
Dinner bus (to Neil’s Steakhouse) is departing (quite early, probably because we have all been up since 5 a.m. or so). When we return, there will be a “Welcome to Wildwood” cocktail party from 7 to 9 p.m. (aren’t cocktail parties usually before dinner?) on a deck overlooking the hotel’s four swimming pools and the beach.

TUESDAY

9:30 p.m.
Today began with an 8 a.m. breakfast (excellent French toast, bacon, coffee and OJ) at the hotel, a trip to Victorian “Cape May City,” then to the historic Cape May Lighthouse at the southernmost tip of New Jersey. What a fascinating history this area has, dating back to the 1600s. I didn’t climb the 199 steps to the observation area of the lighthouse because it cost $7. Frankly, I think they should have paid us $7 to make that trek. Dinner was at La Piazza; that didn’t go well but it was no fault of Jacki’s. The restaurant messed up bigtime, and I think we sat for nearly an hour before we were acknowledged by the wait staff.

WEDNESDAY

10 p.m.
Dolphin/whale watch cruise today aboard the Atlantic Star. Weather even more gorgeous than yesterday. Cruise lasted two hours and we saw more dolphins than I could count (but no whales) plus marshland filled with shore birds and fishing piers that have been there for hundreds of years. It allowed us to see firsthand the potential path of the BP oil spill and the devastation that could follow. Wonderful dinner and fabulous entertainment tonight at the Wildwood Convention Center. Most folks on the tour were couples married for decades (two couples were “dating”) but there were about a half dozen women who came alone. I don’t think anyone felt alone or out of place; I know I didn’t. It was a comfortable atmosphere, no matter your circumstances.

THURSDAY

9:30 p.m.
Packing for morning departure and once again enjoying the soothing sound of the surf. Today included trips to the 3-mile long wooden (yes, wooden!) boardwalk in Wildwood, which is lined with shops (some very nice, some very tacky) and a Coney-Island type amusement park, plus a visit to an old-fashioned soda fountain and dinner and dancing at the Lighthouse Point restaurant. Being our last full day, I opted to spend the afternoon oceanside on my beach chair.

FRIDAY

4:00 p.m.
We are about an hour from home, and I’m assessing the week in my head. Not being a “touristy” kind of person, my plan was to spend the week sitting by the Atlantic and not participating in ANY of the daytime activities. I never dreamed I would do 90 percent of them and have a great deal of fun doing so. Jacki, our tour coordinator, was amazing, as was Jesse, our driver. Both were always pleasant and smiling, and both went out of their way to accommodate changes made, for our benefit, in the schedule. On a scale of 1-10, I give this trial “senior citizens’ tour” a resounding 8 and would do it again in a heartbeat. If you’ve been contemplating one of these tours (pretty much every senior center in our area offers them) I highly recommend it.

The Details

Single occupancy (slightly higher than double) was $605 and included round-trip transportation, all tips and gratuities, four nights at Bal Harbour hotel, four full breakfasts at the hotel (five choices daily), four dinners at four different locations, nightly entertainment, whale/dolphin cruise, two trips to historic Cape May, a morning on the boardwalk, a trip to Sunset Beach, cocktail party, sing-alongs, dancing and “free” time for the beach, shopping, napping or whatever.