Tell us about a time on the road when you made a spontaneous itinerary change.
Cheryl Burcham
US Bank | Elite Club
Sevierville, Tennessee
We took a group to a festival, and as soon as we pulled up, it was obvious that it was not at all what we expected. It was just a small affair with craft booths and a few food options.
So I used my spare cash and gave each person $5, set a time limit and told all that there would be prizes for certain purchases at the festival: the best, the worst, the ugliest and the most unusual. You wouldn’t believe what they came up with.
One man bought a huge hair bow and taped it to his bald head, one man talked a barbecuer into selling him a huge bone, and one lady had to talk down a vendor to purchase the ugliest statue you’ve ever seen.
We sat on the motorcoach, everyone had a chance to show their purchase; we did the hilarious-prize presentation and had some of the most fun we’ve ever had. We still talk about it.
Ann Hight
First Bank & Trust Company | Pride of the First Travel Club
Perry, Oklahoma
On our way to a fall foliage cruise in Iowa, I really wanted to make an unexpected stop at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch. Lucky for me, everyone thought that was a good idea, even though everyone had to pay their own way. We all enjoyed it.
Sheri McCoy
Nodaway Valley Bank | Nodaway Valley Bank Ambassadors
St. Joseph, Missouri
I had planned a surprise backstage tour at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson, but it ended up that we had little time for lunch. Thanks to GPS, I found Culver’s Restaurant, and they had 55 hamburgers and french fries ready for us to pick up and saved the day.
On another occasion, we had a pizza delivery at a hotel during a tornado watch — with 100 travelers. Our bank is so supportive; it pays for these unexpected expenses.
Vicki Pannebecker
Eagle Bank | Journeys
St. Louis, Missouri
On a day trip to the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, we got stuck in a storm, so we went to the famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard instead. Not only did we have the treats delivered to the motorcoach, but the owner came aboard and talked to our group about the history of this legendary establishment.
Doug Robinson
Morton Community Bank | Goldens
Morton, Illinois
En route to a destination in the East, we diverted to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the site of the United Flight 93 crash on 9/11. It was in the early stages: The earth-moving equipment was still there, and the memorial was yet to be built. We gathered around a park ranger holding a photo album and had an incredibly poignant experience.
Cecilia McCamish
Security State Bank | Funchasers
Littlefield, Texas
It was my first trip, and we were on our way to Branson, Missouri. The company we had contracted for this adventure gave me the wrong number for the hotel, there were no restrooms on the bus, and rain even seeped in, and we used paper towels to clean up. We had many unexpected changes in our itinerary on that trip, much to my dismay; but I learned some valuable lessons.
That company later went bankrupt.
