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	DC–NYNY–Boston Proposed Itinerary September 2011

DC/NYNY/BOSTON TRIP, September 2011

Led by Curt Jantzen and Margaret Behenna

and On-Trek Tours of California

This is your chance to not only see the amazing historical sights of three of the world’s most important cities, but also to perform in memorable locations and participate with a group of enthusiastic traveler/musicians.  Everyone is welcome, whether playing an instrument, assisting as a “Band-Aid,” or just coming along for the ride.  This trip will take place in the last half of September 2011, when the heat of summer has dissipated a little, the weather is conducive for outdoor concerts, and there is a chance of experiencing the fall colours of New England near the end of the trip.  One potential departure date is Friday, September 16, but exact dates will not be known until airfares and hotels are booked.  Rehearsals for the tour band would occur in early September of 2011.

Prices are shown at the bottom of this document.  They will include the following from On-Trek Tours:

- Highway coach at our disposal for the full 12 days, through On-Trek.

- An On-Trek professional tour leader throughout our trip, 24 hours.

- Accommodation in outstanding hotels.

- Tours of, and transportation in, Washington DC, New York City, and Boston, as well as stops at Philadelphia city center, and Plymouth, Massachusetts.

- All taxes.

- Driver’s gratuity.

- 11 breakfasts and 5 dinners

- Approximately 6 performances by the Delta Music Makers, organized by On-Trek

- All admissions, taxes, and gratuities for group activities unless otherwise indicated on the itinerary.

- Workshops for the DMM in New York and Boston.

ITINERARY

Please note that the order of some of the daily activities may be switched or reversed, or substituted.  The following is a sample itinerary, with some items confirmed and others merely suggestions.

Day 1: Fly Vancouver to Washington DC

- Flight details TBA.

- Dinner included at Bistro d’Oc!

- Bus tour of Washington DC in evening, to see the monuments and Capitol buildings under their spectacular night-lighting.  You will be very impressed with your first view of this capital city.

Day 2: Free day to explore National Mall and Smithsonian. 

- Breakfast included in our hotel.

- Your first day on the east coast is a free day for touring the sights on your own.  We chose not to have a concert on the first day due to possible jet-lag and travel weariness.  The various monuments, and the buildings of the Smithsonian and the National Gallery, will give you no shortage of exciting areas to explore.  Our bus driver will drop various groups of people where they would like to go, and will arrange suitable pickup points and times.  Our On-Trek Tour Guide will be able to offer helpful suggestions and directions (US Botanic Garden, National Art Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, National Museum of African Art, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, Ford Theatre, etc)

- Dinner on your own, either back at the hotel or at one of the many restaurants and cafes around the city center.  Suggestions will be available.

DAY 3: Second full day in DC: Two concerts today by DMM.  Now we must get to work and prove why we came here!

- Breakfast included at the hotel

- First we’ll go to the Capitol Visitor Center for sight-seeing if time permits, depending on our performance times.

- Performance #1: “Delta Music Makers perform at Canadian Embassy!”  We hope this will be the newspaper headline back home, and we will make every effort to make it happen, but venues like this are much harder to arrange since 9/11.  But our first concert will definitely be in a memorable location!

- After re-loading, the bus will take us to an area with many choices of restaurants where you can get lunch on your own.

- Performance #2: our tour leaders are arranging a DMM performance at one of the monuments or famous sites in Washington DC.  These two concerts have been grouped on the same day in case we need to rent drums or other equipment from a DC rental store, thus shortening the rental period.

- Dinner will be included tonight, either at our hotel or a different pre-arranged location.  We must pack our suitcases this evening for a morning departure.  Specific morning checkout procedures will be announced.

DAY 4: Check out of our hotel, drive from DC to New York City via Philadelphia.

- Breakfast included at the hotel before our early departure.

- Three-hour stop at Philadelphia for lunch and a walking tour that will include:  

•       Independence Hall:  it was in the Assembly Room of this building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, and the US Constitution was created and ratified in 1786.

•       Congress Hall:  the newly formed United States Congress occupied Congress Hall when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790-1800

•       Liberty Bell:  tradition tells of a chime that changed the world on July 8, 1776, with the Liberty Bell ringing out from the tower of Independence Hall summoning citizens to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

•       Constitution Center:  the first-ever national museum honoring and explaining the U.S. Constitution tells the story of “the document that framed the American ideal.”

- After lunch and walking tours in Philadelphia, our coach continues on to New Jersey (2 hours) and we check into the Hilton Newark Airport Hotel.

- After a suitable period to check into our rooms and freshen-up, our driver will take us into New York for a Manhattan tour.

- Dinner included at The Garage Dinner Jazz Club in Greenwich Village!

DAY 5: First full day in New York City, with workshop and concert

- Breakfast included at the hotel.

- Broadway Classroom Experience!

·       Experience an interactive workshop at “Broadway Classroom”, a conservatory workshop with theatre professionals, designed to enrich our introduction to Broadway as musicians:  “Place your members in the world of a professional Broadway pit musician as you sight read and prepare a special performance of a piece of Broadway music, exploring the relationship between composition/ orchestration and story-telling on stage.  Your group will then be joined by a Broadway performer, who will discuss interpretation of the material and then perform it, accompanied by the Delta Music Makers!”

- Lunch at predetermined group location

- Performance #3:  after lunch we will drive to the famous United Nations Building and perform at the UN PLAZA!

- Please note: if we can get a Broadway Show for the whole group in the evening, we will likely need to return to the hotel in Newark for dinner (on your own) and freshen up for the theatre.  If the Broadway show is tomorrow night, then you have the remainder of this afternoon and evening to explore on your own.  See tomorrow’s itinerary for suggestions.  The bus will be available to pickup groups at pre-determined pickup points and times.  Subway is not possible to our hotel.

DAY 6: Second full day in NYNY

- Breakfast included at hotel

- Ferry to Statue of Liberty and Ellis I., with time at each location to explore these famous landmarks in New York Harbour.

- Lunch in or near Battery Park after arriving back on ferry.

- Performance #4: DMM Performance at Battery Park, near the ferry terminal.

- Sightseeing: our coach will take us to visit the site of the World Trade Center Memorial, and nearby St. Pauls’ Chapel, which miraculously survived the 9/11 disaster and provided assistance to the survivors and the recovery workers.

- Free time this afternoon for exploring the Guggenheim, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other fabulous galleries and museums, or experiencing the craziness of Times Square, shopping, taking in a Yankees baseball game, or relaxing at our hotel.  Dinner is on your own.  If our Broadway Show is tonight, then these activities would be suggested for yesterday.

DAY 7: Third full day in NYNY

- Breakfast included at our hotel

- Tour Carnegie Hall.  Experience a century-long performance tradition when you visit America’s most famous concert hall.

- Tour Rockefeller Center, a New York City landmark for nearly 75 years, located in the heart of Manhattan.  The complex is home to broadcast studios, dozens of shops and restaurants, and Radio City Music Hall.

- Tour Radio City Music Hall, learning about the Rockettes and the fascinating history of this location that produced so much entertainment in the early days of radio and TV.

- “Top of the Rock”: this is much more accessible than the Empire State Building, and the view of the famous skyline is equally amazing.

- Free afternoon and evening for galleries, shopping, sightseeing, dinner on your own.  Shopping might take place on Times Square or 5^th Avenue, at FAO Schwartz, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Nike, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany, Bulgari Jewelers, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel, The Disney Store, Banana Republic, Ferragamo, Fendi, Armani, Vera Wang, and many more!  Or take our coach back to the hotel in Newark.

DAY 8: Check out of NY City, drive to Boston via Plymouth.

- Breakfast included at the hotel

- Load the coach and take off for Boston!

- Stop for lunch and walking tour in Plymouth.  View the sights, such as the Mayflower replica, Plymouth Rock, etc. where the Pilgrims landed in 1620.  Passengers will need to pay admission fees for some of these optional historic attractions.

- Arrive Boston, check into hotel, dinner included.

- Attend evening concert of Boston Pops or Symphony, depending on concert schedules, TBA!

DAY 9: First full day in Boston

- Breakfast included at the hotel

- Participate in workshop at NE Conservatory of Music or Boston Conservatory or Berklee College of Music, TBA.

- Lunch on your own in the Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market area.

- Performance #5: DMM performs at the historic area of Fanueil Hall or Quincy Market.

- The famous “Duck Tour” follows our concert.

•       You’ve never toured Boston in anything that comes close to Boston Duck Tours.  The fun begins as soon as you board your “DUCK,” an authentic World War II amphibious landing vehicle, renovated for sightseeing.  You’ll cruise by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts!  View such sights as the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower, and more! (Admission charge)

- You may return to the hotel, or enjoy free time for dinner and evening activities on your own.

DAY 10: Second full day in Boston

- Breakfast at hotel-included

- JFK Library & Museum:  portrays the life, leadership, and legacy of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, conveys his enthusiasm for politics and public service, and illustrates the nature of the Office of the President.

- Lunch on own at the museum café.

- Performance #6: Delta Music Makers performance opportunity in Boston, TBA

- Remainder of the afternoon is free to enjoy Boston on your own!  All of the venues below are accessible by subway and the group will also have the motorcoach at their disposal.  We can split into smaller groups to choose from the following suggested activities.  On-Trek’s guide will help coordinate drops and pickups depending on what people choose to do.  There is no planned evening activity, so you are entirely free to explore at your leisure.  Once we know our exact dates, we can check on events at Tanglewood, the Symphony, the various galleries, baseball games, etc.

Suggestions include:

·       Fenway Park: 50 minute tours by an official park tour guide are $12.

·       Boston Commons and Gardens

·       The Museum of Fine Arts: Rivals the Met in New York.  The collection of Musical Instruments includes over 1,100 instruments ranging from the ancient times to the 20^th century.

•       The Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum: the location of the greatest art heist in U.S. history, the Italian-style villa has collections of art that include works from great masters spanning 30 centuries.

- Dinner on your own in Boston or back at the hotel.

DAY 11: Third full day in Boston

- Breakfast at hotel-included

- Today is free to enjoy Boston on your own!  Choose to explore on your own or with our tour escort.

- On-Trek’s trip leader will take you on the Freedom Trail Walking Tour; there is no other place in the United States where you can take in the rich history of the American Revolution — the events that led up to the historic break from Britain and the brave people who shaped our national government (no charge)

·       Old South Meeting House; the site where the fiery tea tax debate was held that led to the  dramatic results of the night of December 16, 1773.

•       Old State House; built in 1713, played a central role in the story of the American Revolution.  Today, the Old State House is a museum of the city’s history, housing a wealth of colonial artifacts.

•       Old North Church; where the famous lanterns that sent Paul Revere on his midnight ride were hung.  This active Episcopal church is a great venue for learning about the famous event.  The church has an exciting history dating back to 1723 that provides a glimpse into religious worship in Colonial America.

•       Museum of African American History (African Meeting House); a National Historic Landmark.  The Meeting House (1806) is the oldest extant black church building in the United States built by free African American artisans.
– Film & Exhibits (1 hr)

•       Massachusetts State House; the magnificent setting of Massachusetts state government for over two centuries has become an outstanding museum reflecting the history of Massachusetts since colonial times.

•       “Glory” Monument; the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment monument located in the Boston Common.  The movie “Glory” was based on this young officer and his regiment comprised of the first black soldiers recruited for the North during the American Civil War.

•       Old Granary Burial Ground; is the city’s third-oldest cemetery and the final resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots, including three signers of the Declaration of Independence and the five victims of the Boston Massacre.

•       King’s Chapel; King’s Chapel was organized as an Anglican congregation at a meeting in Boston’s Town House, the city hall of the day, on June 15, 1686.

- Afternoon is free to tour Boston, shop, or relax.  Check out the list from yesterday’s itinerary and see what you missed and what you might like to include today, your final day in this historic city.  Shopping in downtown Boston is another way to spend your time.  And some may wish to relax at the hotel.

- Farewell dinner is included, complete with stories, photos, and laughter!

DAY 12: Flight home:

- Breakfast included at hotel

- Sadly, we must check out of the hotel, load our highway coach, and head for the airport.  WELCOME HOME!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

1. On any given day, individuals are free to leave the group and see other sights or galleries or stores that are not on the group itinerary, as long as we are not performing that day.  Standard safety precautions should apply when traveling with the group or by yourself, the same as when traveling in downtown Vancouver.
2. Our highway coach driver cannot work more than a 15-hour day from morning startup to final shutdown.  Therefore, those staying for individual late-night activities in the three cities will require instructions on how to get home.  Taxis are plentiful in all three cities, and public transit is useful for Boston or DC (our New York hotel, actually in Newark NJ, is not convenient to public transit).
3. Breakfast is included every day, and five group dinners are included in the itinerary.  Passengers must pay for all their own lunches, and some of their own dinners. 
4. Details of luggage, musical instruments, and band equipment will be discussed later.  We may find it advantageous to rent some of our instruments on the east coast, such as drum set and amplifier.

PRICING IN US FUNDS:

If we have 33-38 passengers, then

- 2 people sharing a room would each pay $2784 plus airfare and contingency fee

- 3 people sharing a room would each pay $2459 plus airfare and contingency fee

- 4 people sharing a room would each pay $2194 plus airfare and contingency fee

- 1 person in a room would pay $3776 plus airfare and $100 contingency fee

If we have 39-43 passengers, then

- 2 people sharing a room would each pay $2649 plus airfare and contingency

- 3 people sharing a room would each pay $2314 plus airfare and contingency

- 4 people sharing a room would each pay $2054 plus airfare and contingency

- 1 person in a room would pay $3641 plus airfare and contingency

If we have 44-48 passengers, then

- 2 people sharing a room would each pay $2544 plus airfare and contingency

- 3 people sharing a room would each pay $2199 plus airfare and contingency

- 4 people sharing a room would each pay $1949 plus airfare and contingency

- 1 person in a room would pay $3536 plus airfare and contingency

EXCLUSIONS BY ON-TREK TOURS:

•   Roundtrip airline transportation to/from Vancouver, British Columbia

•   Rollaway beds

•   Transportation to/from your local airport

•   Meals not indicated in the itinerary

•    Airline baggage fees; excess or oversized baggage fees

•    Music equipment rental fees and transportation

COST OF AIRFARE:  Airfare will be arranged by Curt Jantzen and Margaret Behenna.  It is currently too early (14 months ahead) to get an accurate costing from the airlines.  The current cost for an open-jaw ticket where we fly into Washington DC and fly home out of Boston, is approximately $600 on Air Canada, with change of planes in Toronto or Ottawa.  Groups must be booked early, however, and therefore often do not get the best rates, ironically.  We are in conversation with different airlines now, and will have information as soon as available.

CONTINGENCY FEE:  Not only is individual luggage charged a fee by the airlines now, but also, there will be significant costs to taking our band instruments on the plane.  We will do everything we can to minimize this expense, but a contingency fee of $100 to $200 will be required, TBA.

BOTTOM LINE:

Therefore, if we have between 33 and 38 passengers, two people sharing a room would each pay approximately $3600 to $3900 in total.  That figure drops significantly as the number of passengers increases.

OPTIONAL INSURANCE COVERAGE:  The Jantzens will be able to supply medical and cancellation insurance to those who do not have it already.  We recommend that you do not travel anywhere out of province without additional medical insurance.