Fly to a major city such as Tel Aviv, Israel, and begin a bus tour of the Holy Lands during the Christmas holidays. Visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and include stops to Galilee, Nazareth, Mt. Zion and Mt. Olive. If you have time, consider a side-trip to Italy to see the Vatican. Plan ahead by speaking with travel agents, people at your place of worship and others you know who have visited the Holy Lands. Ask for references from bus tour operators to make your planning easier. Consider getting a group together so you can arrange for a customized bus tour. Make sure the tour includes a guide onboard to point out historic facts and make your tour even more meaningful.
Plan an excursion to head west and hop on board a bus to tour America's national parks. The Easter holiday season is a perfect time to enjoy the spring blooms of wildflowers and the lush new sprouts of greenery on trees. Make arrangements by bus, car, train or air to start your journey in Phoenix or Scottsdale, Arizona. From there you can arrange to join one of several bus tours headed for the Grand Canyons. Add additional parks of interest such as Grand Teton -- the world's first national park. Continue on your bus tour to Yellowstone to catch the Old Faithful geyser erupt, and to see the Lower Yellowstone Falls and vast fields of brightly colored spring bulbs in bloom. Grab your camera to take pictures of buffalo, deer and elk as your bus drives along the countryside.
Make Boston your point of embarkation for an "ode to Summer" and "hello to Fall" tour of New England. Take local bus tours in Boston to visit historic the Old Boston Church, where Paul Revere began his midnight raid. Then ride on to Plymouth Rock and Lexington where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired. Tours can be arranged to include a stop at tony summer playgrounds of the rich and famous such as Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. From there, get down-to-earth and take a tour to Vermont, the state home of the master Americana artist, Norman Rockwell. Take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy New England's splendid scenery, if time permits, and continue your travels up to Maine. Select a bus that stops for dining on crabs and lobster and pick up some genuine New England maple syrup from one of the many quaint gift shops to take home as a souvenir.
Pick a coast to bring in the New Year. On the East Coast you can take a double-decker bus tour of New York City and see Central Park and the Empire State Building, and stay around to see the ball drop at midnight in Times Square. Or you can opt for warmer weather and go to California to bring in the New Year "Hollywood style." Take a bus tour to see movie star mansions and the Walk of Fame with stars' handprints and footprints, and stop to have your picture taken near the famous white-lettered Hollywood sign in the hills.
