Moments That Made Us Say "WOW" in 2024
January 24, 2025
At Sunrise Tours, we take pride in the wonderful team of Tour Directors that lead you, our friendly Sunrise Tours travelers, when you're out on the road!
Even though our Tour Directors have spent so much time traveling, seeing so much of the world, there are still some moments they experience for the first time, and some moments that make them say "wow!"
Read on to hear about some of our Tour Directors' 2024 "WOW" moments from the road!
"I had three different folks, three different trips (one on Alaska, one on Cape Cod, one on Grand Canyon/Red Rocks), celebrating/toasting momentous things. Two were celebrating final cancer treatments and another was toasting her recently passed husband, as they used to travel together." -Matt R.
"Our group was eating at an Italian restaurant and the owner came around asking if we were OK with him live-streaming us back home to Italy. We were live-steamed celebrating birthdays with him and passengers had fun finding and sharing the link to watch it!" -Steve & Deb L.
"On the Arkansas Eclipse Tour, one of our guests met Walmart heiress and Crystal Bridges Museum founder Alice Walton in the main lobby of the museum and said she seemed very down to earth. Many of the other guests got to see Alice Walton in her multicolored jacket in the Eleven restaurant during lunch." -Lisa K.
"I just am in awe at how Sunrise connects strangers who ultimately become friends and ultimately become travel companions. I had one woman who was very nervous about going on a tour. Each day she told me how much fun she was having and how the tour was “life-changing” - she is now confident and so ready to sign up for more adventures." -Wendy K.
"I have had three people visit their 50th state this year!" -Patty W.
"The first human I saw in 2024 was Darryl Strawberry (NY Mets great) as he was right outside my hotel room at the LAX Renaissance on January first." -Caleb L.
"Our WOW moment would have to be experiencing a 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Ventura on the Yosemite & California NP tour in September!" -Lisa & Dan H.
"As I was traveling west on a Route 66 Sunrise tour, I ran into another Sunrise tour heading east from LA on the same tour. My group was at the Round Barn in Acadia, OK. As I stood outside on the barn walkway, the other Sunrise tour group passengers unloaded. As they began to pass by me I realized I knew 10-12 of them (and the driver, too), all of whom had ridden with me on previous Sunrise tours. It was like a family reunion!" -Tom K.
"My moment happened on one of my Best of Alaska tours when my group got to see Mt. Denali, in all of its glory, just showing off for us. Not a cloud in the sky!" -Kathy R.
"We still can't believe we saw the Northern Lights with Michigan UP and Grand Hotel while visiting Mackinac Island!" -Nina & Scott D.
"I have two! Right after the Olympics finished there was an event in Halifax where all the top sand volleyball contending teams competed for fun and charity. It was directly across the street from our hotel. Many of us went to the third floor garden of the hotel and watched the Olympic silver medal Canadian team play the US team. Then, two women who were great friends in high school found each other again in our trip to the Alps. It had been 50 years. They were like school kids again. They giggled and talked and sat together." -Holly R.
"I directed a tour whose guest list included Kenny Wallace, St. Louis-area native race car driver and brother of Rusty. Kenny’s gregarious personality and boisterous laugh added a spark to the 'Canadian Rockies by Rail' trip!" -Debbie R.
Unforgettable moments and memories that we'll cherish forever...that's what 2024 meant to the Tour Director team at Sunrise Tours. What moments will 2025 bring?
Back to Blog
