Chris Henry, 76, of Chester Springs, Chester County, booked a bus tour last fall at the suggestion of a friend but had no idea where she was going other than that it would be within the state of Pennsylvania and would be within two hours of their departure point in Douglassville, Berks County.
The tour guide of the Fall Mystery Tour offered by Klein Transportation gave her and the other passengers some hints once they got on board.
“They told us we’re going to be about an hour away and that we’ll be going through gorgeous countryside,” Henry said.
The trip encompassed six surprise stops.
“First was Glick’s nursery in Oley; next we went to the Boyertown Car Museum, and we went to a wine tasting,” she said. “It was the first time I ever did a wine tasting in my life — it was at Vynecrest Winery in Breinigsville.”
They stopped at Kirbyville Farm Market in Richmond Township, Berks County, and from there they drove through Kutztown.
“She showed us all the different hex signs on the barns, and that was interesting to learn what they stood for,” Henry said.
Along the way, passengers received an apple and a cookie from Frecon Farms in Colebrookdale Township, Berks County. They rounded out the trip at Premise Maid Candies in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County.
“We all got free ice cream cones that were huge and it was included in the price of the tour,” she said.
The winery turned out to be a highlight of the trip for Henry.
“We tried six different wines — it was a fun experience,” Henry said. “I also found the hex signs fascinating. I’m sure I went past them several times in the past but never thought to look.”
Klein’s Mystery Tours are offered throughout the year. Each tour offers a different itinerary planned by Christa McCusker, vice president of sales and marketing.
“We have another coming up on April 18,” said Alison Klein Sherman, who represents the fourth generation in management serving as the president and co-owner with her father, Wayne Klein. “The Mystery Tours are a way for us to introduce customers to destinations they might not have chosen themselves, but are places we knew they would really enjoy.”
The Mystery Tours serve as mini escapes. Henry’s tour was on a weekday. It began at 9 a.m. and lasted until around 5 p.m. It offered her a welcome change of scenery within easy reach.
“It was beautiful,” Henry said. “I had to remind myself that I was only an hour away.”
While she went on the trip with two friends, she said she would not feel intimidated going alone. Henry recalled most of the men and women on the tour were in their 60s and 70s.
“I sat next to a woman who was on her own, and at the end of the tour she knew everything about me and I knew everything about her,” Henry said. “What I have encountered on these bus tours is that everyone is friendly, and they are there to have a good time.”
She appreciated the organization of the tour in how they spaced things out.
“You aren’t rushed and have plenty of time at each stop,” she said.
No stranger to tours, Henry and her sister, Denise Liberatore, 70, of Lewes, Del., went with some friends on a three-day trip last summer to Block Island in Rhode Island hosted by Perkiomen Tours. The tour included a hotel stay for two nights.
“When we got to Rhode Island we got off the bus and got on the ferry that takes you across to Block Island,” she said. “The next day they took us on a bus tour all around the island.”
This summer, Henry is booked on a five-day Royal Caribbean Cruise tour with Liberatore and four other women. They will leave from a port in New Jersey and head to Bermuda. She booked the trip through Boscov’s Travel.
“I like having a travel agent because she can get you the best price and do all of the extras for you,” she said. “I have been to Bermuda when we took our kids on a cruise there when they were young, but I’m looking forward to going again.”
For those with time constraints who still want to have some fun in the sun this summer, Klein offers a Mystery Beach Bus series in addition to their regular bus service to Ocean City, N.J., Ocean City, Md., and Cape May, N.J.
Sherman said that while they have a large base of senior citizens traveling with them, there are also families on board.
“In 2022 we introduced a different beach location each month,” Sherman said. “It’s a way for us to introduce different beaches to the customers in hopes they will want to return.”
In addition to not having to deal with traffic, passengers don’t have to deal with parking, tolls or gas..
“You don’t have to bother driving home after a tiring day at the beach, and we also have plenty of space under the bus for beach towels and chairs,” Sherman said. “Our beach trips are a great way to make memories with your family, friends and loved ones.”
For more information
Klein Transportation: www.kleintransportation.com
Perkiomen Tours: www.perkiomentours.com
Boscov’s Travel: www.boscovstravel.com
