Are you thinking about making your first trip out of Canada? If so, I highly recommend going on one of our New York City bus tours (and I’m not just saying that because I work here lol)
I couldn’t imagine my first time out of Canada going so smoothly, and with very little planning on my part. It can be nerve racking to plan a trip to a new place, let alone a new country! Read below for my day by day recap of our most recent tour to NYC to help give you a sense of what it is like to travel with Target Tours.
Day 1: Maritimes – Portsmouth, NH
Starting bright and early, the motorcoach picked up all of our PEI folks first, and headed for the bridge. Our first rest stop and pick up was in Aulac New Brunswick, where travelers from Nova Scotia joined, then we picked up the rest in Salisbury and Lincoln.
Then it was lunch time! We stopped at Murray’s Restaurant in Beardsley, NB, where the service was fantastic and the food was delicious!
Back on the road for a quick 20 minute drive, we arrived at the Canada/US border, where the process took a tiny bit longer than normal due to some technical difficulties, but the officers were great. One even came on the bus a few times cracking jokes to help keep us entertained.
Once back on the road, our Tour Director Merv decided to break out Bingo! We spent the next few hours playing bingo, getting to hear some of the amazing stories that Merv has and I even got to sneak in a small nap.
Arriving in Portsmouth, for our overnight stay, the rooms were ready as soon as we got there, so everyone headed to their rooms for the evening. Some headed out to dinner, while others went to Target for some shopping. My dad and I were wiped from the day of driving, so we decided to order in pizza, and hit the hay early as we were starting the next day at 7am!
Day 2: Portsmouth, NH – New York City
After starting the morning off right with an included breakfast buffet at the hotel, we were back on the bus and headed to NYC! Merv started us off with the famous Frank Sinatra “New York, New York” sing-along – Nothing like a little karaoke to get the excitement flowing.
We stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch and some shopping in their amazing gift shop.
As soon as we hit New York state Merv made sure to welcome us, and start some New York trivia! Surprisingly it was harder than I expected, I guess I didn’t know as much about New York as I thought LOL.
We arrived at our hotel around 3pm, and while the rooms weren’t quite ready yet Merv sent us off for an hour of exploring, while him and our driver Brett watched the bus.
That evening, everyone went their separate ways. Some spent hours walking the city, some went to a Broadway show and some went to a rooftop party for Cinco de Mayo and got their party on! My dad and I spent the evening wandering around, getting to know the surroundings of our hotel, and having some dinner.
Day 3: Touring New York City
Our first morning, and first full day in New York City, started with a guided tour from our favorite local guide in NYC, Jimmy! Jimmy is a true New Yorker and has been doing tours for 18 years, and his father did the same before him. The amount of knowledge he has is truly amazing and he brought along his trusty stuffed chicken, Reggie!
First stop of the tour was Central Park..
Then Grand Central Station..
and the 9/11 Memorial Grounds..
After the tour, we got dropped off at the Rockefeller Center. Some people went off together for some shopping, while others had afternoons at museums planned. I opted to take advantage of being at the Rockefeller Center and head to the Top of the Rock!
The views from here are INCREDIBLE! I was in awe the entire time. It was amazing to see the city from a different view and getting to see Central Park from this angle.
We got lucky with the weather this weekend, because it was HOT. After Top of the Rock, we went back to the hotel room to cool off before our evening cruise around Manhattan and New Jersey.
I think this was my favorite part of the weekend. Getting to see the skyline, watch the sunset and see the city come to life!
We even circled around the Statue of Liberty! If you take this cruise, don’t worry about where you sit on the boat, since it circles back, you get to see it from every angle.
Day 4: Free day in NYC
Today was a full free day to explore the city. Merv invited everyone join him, and Brett to take the Subway to Brooklyn and walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge. We already had tickets purchased to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, or else we would have joined. Their pictures looked amazing!
This is one of the best parts about travelling with Target Tours – you have free time and can do what you want but you can also join others and do things you may never have thought of doing!
The museum is a powerful experience, which I highly suggest going, but I strongly urge you to take tissues as it is an emotional journey. The museum’s exhibits pay tribute to the victims, heroes, and the resilience of the human spirit. Walking through the halls, you see artifacts, personal belongings, audio and visual presentations that vividly show you the day’s events and their aftermath.
When you visit the 9/11 Museum, it brings a sense of sadness, reminding us how fragile life can be. Yet, it also shows us how people can unite and support one another when faced with challenges.
I needed some comfort food after that, so we headed to Famous Ray’s Pizza! This place was recommended to me, and I can’t stop thinking about this pizza. I had it twice lol.
The rest of the day was spent wandering around with no destination in mind, except checking out Times Square one last night once the sun had set. You can’t go to New York and not see Times Square at night!
Day 5: New York City – Portsmouth, NH
Our final morning in New York, we woke up early to get one last walk around the city before boarding the bus and heading to Portsmouth.
Along the drive, Merv came around with the microphone and asked what everyone’s favorite part of the trip was. This was really nice to hear, as some people were off doing their own thing the entire weekend, so it was nice hear about what they got up too and that they had a great time.
We stopped at the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets for lunch, and a few hours of shopping. Then it was straight to the hotel, where most of us got an early night, before the last day of driving.
Day 6: Portsmouth, NH – Maritimes
Our last day on the road started with a Target Tours favorite, the horse races! You wouldn’t think betting on cups would be that exciting, but its the opposite. We all got super competitive and were cheering our horse on!
After a stop for lunch at Dysart’s Restaurant, we were off to Duty-Free and then the border. Crossing the border was much quicker this time, and we were back in Canada within 10 minutes!
Then started all drop offs, and the start of many hugs! It was amazing to see the connections everyone makes. I can only imagine how much more amazing it would be on a longer tour.
I am still in awe of this amazing trip, and my first of hopefully many trips with Target Tours.
If you’re thinking of planning your first trip out of Canada, I highly recommend New York City! And travelling with Target Tours is a great way to do it. Just sit back, relax, and let us do the planning!
