50 back seat drivers

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal, Nov 19, 2008

Can you imagine taking 50 friends for a drive to look at Christmas lights? That is what happens every fall on Club Ed's Hill Country Lighting Tour. It is second nature to Don Ball, our longtime tour host and owner/operator of Si Texas Tours. To Ball, a seat on his bus is the best seat in the house.

"In a car, you sit low and look up," he said. "On my bus, you sit high and look out. It is an unrestricted view - you know you are going to see the best of the best."

Ball has been driving buses since 1973. He never tires of escorting travelers to all the popular destinations, and he can recite all the reasons people prefer to travel by bus.

"A lot of seniors don't like to drive at night; big cities are easy to get lost in; people don't want the hassle; when they take the bus, they leave the driving to us."

Ball believes that people also like the fellowship of traveling with a group. On board his 45-foot, climate-controlled 54-seat cruiser, riders travel in comfort.

"Many people think of that old yellow school bus they rode 50 years ago," Ball said. "It was not very comfortable. But when get on a motor coach costing a half million dollars, you get a different perspective. You can recline, plug in your headphones and watch TV, or just visit with your neighbor. You can't do that while driving a car."

Ball also hosts Club Ed's Holiday Barge Ride, where passengers cruise San Antonio's famous Riverwalk and see the Christmas lights from a different perspective - being able to see lots of lighting they couldn't ordinarily view unless they did a whole lot of walking.

At Club Ed, Ball has watched the profiles of his passengers evolve over the years. He notes that "today's 50 is yesterday's 70." That is, he sees more people retiring in their 50s, with the resources and time to get around more.

Even as he approaches the 3 million mile mark, Ball never tires of driving. But he does mention one special challenge.

"If you have four people in your car, you have three backseat drivers," he said. "I have 50 back seat drivers!"

He still enjoys it.

"In the bus industry, everybody buys the same piece of equipment; it's what kind of service you give people," he said. "You meet the best people in the world this way. Yes, sir, that's why I do it."

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Club Ed is offering two holiday travel opportunities: The Hill Country Christmas Lighting Tour on Dec 13, and the Christmas Barge Ride on the Riverwalk on Dec 17. There is also time to sign up for the trip to China scheduled for next April. To learn more about these and other lifelong learning classes, call 830-895-4386, or visit www.clubed.net.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com.