Final Thoughts on Bilbrey Tour

In my initial entry on this Bilbrey tour (see "Bilbrey Tour to San Antonio"), I discussed at length that we were taking this short tour to see if such trips were something we were interested in taking. In reality, we really aren't interested in taking short trips such as this one with a tour company -- we would rather do short trips on our own -- but we are really interested in taking longer trips in this fashion.

So, how did the test go?

Traveling with a tour company offers many, many benefits, such as

• Someone else does all the driving.
• Someone else does all the planning.
• Someone else handles your luggage.
• Someone else handles all the details, such as getting tickets, finding parking, securing seating, etc.

It was nice to sit back and let someone else handle everything. I've always done most of the planning and so forth for our trips, and I tend to get a bit frustrated these days trying to make everything work, trying to find hotels, planning length of trips, routes, and so forth. When Bilbrey picked us up in San Angelo, we gave them our bags, found a seat on the bus, and didn't worry about much after that. At each stop (hotel, restaurant, museum, etc.) they dropped us off at the door and picked us up at the door. They handled our luggage at hotels, even delivering everything to our rooms. When we were set to check out of a room, we simply placed our bags outside our rooms at a designated time, and went on our merry way.

Bilbrey tour bus dropping us at the entrance to the Institute of Texan Cultures, with the Tower of the Americas in the background. Look closely and you will see Miss Donna bottom center.

We did not have to stand in lines to buy tickets for anything as Bilbrey took care of all of that. They made such arrangements for the Institute of Texan Cultures, the Tower of the Americas, the Peddler Show, the Christmas boat parade, and everything else. We did not have to tip anyone. In fact, the only money we spent was for gifts we picked up while shopping or for additional snacks, such as ice cream at the SAS store or coffee and pastries in Fredericksburg.

Donna and I getting ready to enjoy lunch atop the Tower of Americas

When we arrived at the Drury Hotel (parked right in front at the main entry, I might add), our escort went inside while we remained on the bus. She returned shortly with our room keys. All we had to do was enter the building, catch an elevator to our floor, and find our room. When we left a hotel, we simply placed our bags outside our room at a designated time, then climbed aboard the bus, which would be waiting right outside the hotel entrance.

Murals in the lobby of the Drury Hotel. It was originally a bank building.

At restaurants, we pulled right up to doors. We were given specifically designed meal options, complete with salad and desert. We'd enjoy our meal, then leave and reboard the bus (no tip required). 

I can't emphasize enough how great all of these benefits are. They really take the nuisance out of travel. Of course, you pay for such perks, and whether or not this has value is up to each individual.

But as with everything in life, there are some negatives.

You surrender a certain bit of freedom when you travel with a tour company. You work on their schedule. On this particular trip, we were kept busy. There was very little down time for us to enjoy on our own. We did manage a few free moments our second day to visit San Fernando Cathedral. I do think longer trips schedule in some free time, but this short trip was pretty jam packed with activities. We were kept hopping, and I was amazed at the stamina of some of the older folks.

You also end up doing some things you normally would not do on your own. Donna and I, for example, are not shoppers. We normally would not go someplace like the Peddler Show or the SAS store. However, I have to admit that I enjoyed the SAS store. There were numerous interesting items to see, and I enjoyed the relaxed time there. We sat in the ice cream parlor section of the store for quite a while as I enjoyed an ice cream cone. We were joined by other members of the group, and we enjoyed getting to know one another. One lady that visited with us that morning was on her 27th Bilbrey trip, so she had a lot to share. We learned a great deal from her.

Donna and I in the ice cream shop section of the SAS store in San Antonio.

I was not that comfortable on the bus. I wish there was a bit more room, as I did not have enough leg room to stretch out much. I tend to stiffen up pretty easily. When I'm confined to a tight space for very long, I become quite uncomfortable. When we began our trip, we drove non-stop from San Angelo to Kerrville, which took about 2½ hours. I was really uncomfortable the last hour or so of that leg of the journey. When we travel by car, we stop every two hours or so to refuel, grab a drink, or use the facilities, and this gives me the opportunity to move about. But when someone else is in charge, you travel on their schedule. I could have stood up on the bus while in motion, and probably should have, but I'd rather stop, get off the bus, and walk around on stable terra firma.

I do think we'll take other trips with Bilbrey. It's a good company, and it is local to West Texas, being based in Abilene. They travel all over the U.S., and they offer a few trips abroad as well. Personally, I am most interested in a trip to New England to see fall the fall colors, and I'd like to visit the Pacific Northwest at some point. These are trips I do not feel up to planning myself, so a tour company looks like a good option for this. And there are other tour groups as well. King's Highway is located in Lubbock, and they offer a few trips, though not nearly as many as Bilbrey. And there is also Collette, which has extensive tour packages going all around the globe. Collette usually makes one or two stops at our clubhouse each year to provide information on upcoming travel packages. In fact, a lady down the street is taking a trip to the Netherlands with Collette in a couple of months.

But we were impressed with Bilbrey. It is a family-owned business. The founder of the company recently passed away, but her children continue to be involved with the business. Bilbrey is coming to San Angelo on January 9 to provide information on tours for the upcoming year. We'll probably attend, even though they will send us a tour package for 2019 anyway. We'll see what is in the works, then sign up if anything looks interesting to us. If there is nothing in their plans that suit us, then we'll load up the car and take off on our own.

Day 4, Bilbrey Tour to San Antonio

Activity Date: Monday, November 26, 2018

Comparatively speaking, our last day of the tour was the shortest.

As usual, we started our day with breakfast at the hotel. Our bags were then loaded on the bus, and we climbed aboard for a short drive to downtown Fredericksburg. We were dropped off near the National Museum of the Pacific War. I had visited the museum years ago, so Donna and I opted to simply wander the shops along the Main Street.

It was a very cool morning, and the north wind was quite strong. Even though we had enjoyed breakfast just a couple of hours earlier, we decided to stop in a coffee shop and sample their coffee and pastries. I can't recall what Donna had, but I enjoyed one of their apple strudels. Yum!

Donna in front of  the tree at the Marktplatz across from the courthouse in Fredericksburg. It was rather cold, so the original party girl was bundled up in heavy coat and gloves.

I don't know what this thing is called, but you can find it every Christmas on the Marktplatz in Fredericksburg.

We then visited numerous shops, and we even made a couple of purchases. We encountered many members of our tour group wandering the streets as well, and quite a few of them decided to have an early lunch at one of the many fine restaurants along Main Street. After our breakfast and the coffee and pastries, though, Donna and I decided we would skip lunch altogether. After a while, we headed back to the bus pickup at the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Center located near the National Museum of the Pacific War. If you aren't familiar with Fredericksburg and the surrounding area, the Convention and Visitor Center is a great place to visit.

By 12:30 or so, everyone was on the bus and we began the short trip home. We made a brief rest stop in Brady, and then got back on the road. By 3:30, Donna and I had our bags loaded in the car and were on our way home.

It was a good trip overall, and I'll summarize things in the next entry.

Day 3, Bilbrey Tour to San Antonio

Activity Date: Sunday, November 25, 2018

After another good, filling breakfast at the Drury, we all boarded the bus at 9:15, and soon our driver, Rudy, made his way through the streets of San Antonio heading towards Fredericksburg. We made a short stop in Comfort at Love's for necessities, then made our way the last few miles to Fredericksburg, a town Donna and I know well.

Lobby of the Drury. Breakfast and supper are served on second floor, as seen above. Look carefully and you will see Miss Donna sitting lower-right center with other members of our tour group.

Our first stop of the day was the Peddler Show, held at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds on the southern edge of Fredericksburg. The Peddler Show is a collection of vendors and artisans spread out in 3 buildings. Although this is not something Donna and I would normally attend, we did enjoy our time there and we even picked up some Christmas presents. It was a rather cool day, though, and those old fairground buildings were a bit breezy. We were glad to get back on the bus.

Some of the vendors at the Peddler Show

More Peddler Show vendors.

Next stop was a chocolate shop in town appropriately named Chocolat. Our tour group squeezed into this small shop along Main Street just west of the courthouse for a brief tour of the shop, then we were each provided a sample of the liquid filled chocolates made there. I do love good chocolate, and this is some really good chocolate.

Lecia Duke, owner/operator of Chocolat in Fredericksburg

We were then able to check in to our hotel, the Inn on Barons Creek. Donna and I stayed here on a recent trip, and we really enjoyed the place. Not only are the rooms nice, but the complimentary breakfast is quite good, and it is located close to the shops we enjoy on Main Street .

After checking in to our rooms, we then climbed aboard the bus once again and headed east to Johnson City. Supper that evening was at the East Main Grill. After supper, the bus took us a few blocks south to the Pedernales Electric Co-op to view the Christmas lights there. Fantastic! I think you'd really have to see these lights to truly appreciate their beauty. More than 1.3 million lights adorn the oak trees clustering the property. We also drove by the beautifully decorated town square.

Beautiful scene at Pedernales Electric Co-op

Over 1.3 million lights in these trees.

Visitors viewing the lights.

Another look at the lights.

Square in Johnson City

Blanco County Courthouse, with tractor pulling trailer loaded with people in foreground.

Rudy, our bus driver, did a great job the entire trip.

Then it was back to the hotel. It had been a long day, and it was good to finally crawl into bed.

Day 2, Bilbrey Tour to San Antonio

Activity Date: Saturday, November 24, 2018

Our second day of the tour began at 7:00 with breakfast at the Drury. Those folks put out a good spread, complete with biscuits, gravy, waffles, eggs, sausage, and other items. Our escorts then herded us onto the bus at 8:30. Our first stop of a long day was the SAS General Store and Shoe Factory. Now, when we first saw this on our itinerary, we were a bit taken aback. But there were quite a few old geezers on our tour, and they really snatched up the shoes at this place. And I have to admit, I enjoyed our stop there. Going into the general store is like taking a step back in time. You can get a fountain Coke for a dime and a bag of popcorn for a nickel. I got 2 scoops of Blue Bell for $1.50. Donna got a bucket of candy for $3.00. We didn't buy any shoes, but I enjoyed browsing through all the things, and we spent quite a bit of time visiting with folks traveling with us. It's nice to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak. We never seem to do that on our solo trips.

SAS General Store in San Antonio

You can browse these and other old cars just outside the store.

Ice cream parlor

There are more than just shoes here. Note the old gas pumps on right.

But there are plenty of shoes everywhere

When was the last time you saw one of these?

Our next stop was the Institute of Texan Cultures. This is a really interesting place. As you wander through the exhibits, you see just how rich and varied Texas is, with cultures from all over the world contributing to this great mix. We started by viewing a short video in the Dome Theater. As the film plays, panels above show photos of all the people making up the culture of Texas. It's a great start to a tour through the exhibits that illustrate how we have gotten to where we are.

Dome Theater. Those seated are seeing the same pictures above them on opposite panels.

I don't know how many panels there are. Each protrusion you see above is a panel. Sometimes only one is lit, while at other times perhaps a dozen are alive.

There are sections and exhibits representing all the peoples that make up Texas. This is Donna posing in front of a display in the Chinese section. 

This is a good picture to show how exhibits are organized by group.

Sharecropper cabin

Lipan Apache exhibit

After our visit to the Institute of Texan Cultures, we made the short walk over to the Tower of the Americas. The Tower is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having been constructed for the 1968 World's Fair (HemisFair '68). The Tower is 750 feet tall, and provides outstanding views of the San Antonio area. We went to the top of the Tower, where we enjoyed lunch while making 2 full rotations. I'm not sure, but I believe there are 2 elevators to the top, and they are on the outside of the Tower, so you get a great view of the area as you go up and down.

One of the benefits of traveling with a tour company is that they take care of all arrangements. For example, to visit HemisFair Plaza, including the Tower and Institute of Texan Culture, we would have had to pay for parking as well as entrance fees. But with Bilbrey, all of this was done for us, and lunch was part of the package as well.

Tower of the Americas, as viewed from the entrance to Institute of Texan Cultures.

I don't really like this picture, but it shows the view we enjoyed from our table near the top of Tower of Americas. Those are some of our fellow travelers, by the way.

View of downtown San Antonio from the Tower.

The Alamodome from the Tower

After lunch, we boarded our bus once again. Part of the group went to the River Mall, but Donna and I elected to return to the hotel. This allowed us to spend the afternoon roaming the area around the Drury. I really wanted to visit the nearby San Fernando Cathedral. The cathedral is an active church, and it is adorned with beautiful statues and other items of interest. But what drew me to the location is its connection to the Alamo.

People from the world over who visit San Antonio usually make it a point to visit the Alamo. I can't tell you how many times I've visited that sacred Texas shrine over the years, but I had never visited San Fernando Cathedral, and that is a real shame. Not many people -- including Texans -- are aware that the ashes of the Alamo heroes rest in a tomb just inside the entrance of this church. I must admit that I was a bit overcome as I stood before the tomb, and I think Donna was likewise affected. I don't think you can be a true Texan without feeling something as you stand in the presence of that tomb.

I snapped this picture of San Fernando Cathedral from a terrace at the Drury Plaza Hotel.

Tomb containing ashes of Alamo heroes.

R.I.P.

Interior of cathedral

Organ loft

The story of how the remains came to be entombed at San Fernando Cathedral is an interesting one, and there are questions as to whether the remains are actually those of the Alamo defenders. It would take quite a bit of space to present the details, so if you are interested, I'll leave you to research the question on your own. But the cathedral is tied to the Alamo, and its role in the battle and the recovery of the ashes by Juan Seguin and his men is a wonderful story.

After our tour of San Fernando, we returned to the hotel and explored it. The hotel has both an indoor pool as well as a rooftop pool. We visited the terrace and enjoyed views looking west. It's a very interesting hotel, as hotels go.

Donna and I were still full from lunch, so we skipped supper. We then joined our group for a night-time boat tour of the river. The boat picked us up at the back of the hotel and we made the loop of the river. Since we had some extra time, the boat captain took us up the river as well.

It was a Saturday night, and the river was alive. Along the popular stretches of the river, the walkways were congested. Lines for boat tours stretched endlessly along the river. I was glad Bilbrey had arranged our private tour. I took numerous photos, but few turned out well.

This picture is a bit blurred and not too good, but it does show the crowds lining the bank of the river.

Another poor picture, but I wanted to show how the trees are decorated with hanging lights.

The Tower of the Americas jutting above the downtown skyline. That is our boat "captain" on left. He was very good, and provided a wealth of information about the area.

What a beautiful building!

Typical restaurant along the river, with lights dangling in the cypress trees lining the river

This was a long day for us. I was glad to get back to the room and relax. We really saw a lot on this day.

Day 1, Bilbrey Tour to San Antonio

Our recent Bilbrey tour began last Friday, November 23. At 9:40, the bus pulled into the Baptist Retirement Center on the north side of San Angelo, where it picked up the 11 members of the San Angelo contingent of the tour. 23 folks had started earlier in the day from Abilene. So, our group consisted of 34 members from all over this part of West Texas.

As the bus moved down US 87, the tour escort, Nancy, with assistance from her husband Danny, did a little team building. She took pictures of each of us. She then uploaded the pictures to the onboard system, and passed around a microphone. As each of us gave a little information about ourselves, our pictures appeared on the onboard monitors. Although I'm not big on this sort of stuff, I realize it did help us to get to know one another, and since we would be spending 4 days together, this would be helpful. Over the course of the trip, I did come to appreciate meeting and visiting with members of our group. In fact, in looking back at the trip a week later, that may be my favorite part of the experience.

Our first stop was at the YO Ranch and Conference Center in Kerrville, Texas. We arrived there sometime past noon and enjoyed their seafood buffet. I enjoyed the stop, as I have seen the hotel for years and have wanted to visit. By the way, this meal was included in the trip.

Lobby of the YO is filled with western art and other items of interest.

Bear in front of entrance to restaurant.

YO Ranch Hotel lobby

After a nice lunch break, we resumed our trip along I-10 to San Antonio. It was a bit early to check in to the hotel, so we stopped for an hour or so at the historic Market Square. Donna and I were here years ago, and we loved the place. You can find just about anything you want here. On this particular day, the first day after Thanksgiving and the official beginning of the Christmas season, there were numerous events. In one area, there was traditional Hispanic music being performed onstage, while a country/western band performed on a stage set up on San Saba Street. In the Market Plaza Center, various groups were dancing onstage. Donna and I strolled through the mercardo, watched some of the acts, then roamed through the park just to the north until time to head to the hotel.

One of the dancing companies on Market Plaza Center

Another troupe of dancers on same stage as above.

It was then time to check in at the Drury Plaza Hotel. This is not only a great place to stay on the river, but it is an interesting old building as well. Originally built as the Alamo National Bank in 1929, the 24-story building is located on the river and provides a beautiful view of the old San Fernando Church as well as much of downtown San Antonio. For a history and description of the building, click here. Each day, we enjoyed a full breakfast -- waffles, eggs, sausage, bisquits, gravy, cereal, yogurt, etc. -- and evening meal -- hot dogs, nachos, tortillas, etc.

After checking in, we settled in our rooms and then went downstairs for supper. Afterwards, we went out the back of the hotel where we had seating available for the River Parade. Decorated boats passed before us along the river, all lighted for the holiday season. Thanks to Bilbrey, all we had to do was walk out the back of the hotel and sit down.

Although this picture does not show the float well as it emerges from beneath a bridge, it does show the crowds along the river as well as on the bridge above. Also note approaching float at far right.

Good close up of a float.

Notice cypress tree in background as well as crowds lining bridge above right.

And with that, the first day of our trip came to a close.

Bilbrey Tour to San Antonio

Donna and I have just returned from a guided tour to San Antonio with Bilbrey Tours. You might think it odd that we used a tour service to visit San Antonio, but there is a wee bit of method to our madness.

Traveling is becoming a bit more difficult for me. I once was able to jump in a car and drive for hours and hours. Donna and I moved from our home territory -- East Texas -- to West Texas in the late 1970s. Every year we made the long trek home. From our first West Texas home in Olton, it was over 550 miles to Donna's hometown of Conroe. My hometown of Fairfield was a tad bit closer. Sometimes we would make that drive several times a year.

Ever since, we've found ourselves criss-crossing the state again and again. Even in our final years of work in Kilgore when we were back home in East Texas, we would travel to West Texas to visit our daughter, who was born and raised in West Texas. In those days, it was nothing to hit the road at 5:00 AM and travel all day, then return home a few days later.

Today, it isn't as easy. I find my limit in a car today is about 8 hours, and I would prefer to spend even less time than that. Yeah, I could do more if I had to, but I'm pretty beat after 8 hours behind the wheel. So, if we want to go to far away places, we probably are going to have to use a tour company or get another RV. Decisions, decisions . . . . .

So, that brings me back to Bilbrey Tours. In the past, Bilbrey has taken some nice tours to distant locales in the U.S., and some in other countries as well. This past October, for example, they hosted a 10 night trip to New England. And at some point in the recent past, they went to the Pacific Coast, with stops in the Reno area and some of the national parks in Northern California. All of these places are pretty distant, and I don't know if I'm up to scheduling everything on my own. You might suggest we fly, and we could. However, I hate flying -- I hate everything about it -- and I don't like driving in big cities. Donna claims she loves flying, but every time we fly, I end up with bloody arms from her fingernails digging in to me during takeoffs and landings. I can fly; in fact, we lived abroad for several years in the 1980s, so I've flown quite a bit, including some very long flights. I just don't like it.

Anyway . . .

We decided to book a short trip -- both in time and distance -- to test Bilbrey. We needed to find out if we could travel with other people aboard a bus. We also needed to learn if we could give up our freedom in exchange for someone else making all the arrangements.

So, after this 3 night trip with Bilbrey, we will have a better idea of how we might be traveling in the future.

Over the next few entries, I'll give details about our trip, then conclude with a review of Bilbrey in general.