Touring America

Those of us who live in high tourism areas constantly wonder about the cost of gasoline, the value of the dollar, etc., and what those factors will do to tourism.

Mesa Verde is out our living room window about 10 miles, and I have several forms of involvement with the park, including doing occasional group tours, talks and serving on the board of the cooperating association that sells books in the park. 

It seems to me that we're seeing more bus tours this spring, and we're definitely seeing more foreign visitors, due to the low value of the dollar.

But I've never seen anything like this bus, seen in the park yesterday. It's a Mercedes, licensed in Alaska and British Columbia (you think they go up and down the Alaska Highway with this?). I would have inquired more about it, but the driver curtly rebuffed me twice when I tried to ask questions, informing me that he was on his lunch break. He may have overhead and not appreciated the humor in my observation aloud that it looked like a chicken coop on wheels! The passengers seemed all European, with few having any facility in English.  

This highway Pullman coach apparently carries sleeping accommodations for 26, with a scenicruiser section up front. I'd hate to guess what it costs to fill it up, but it's probably less than 26 separate smaller vehicles would use. You can already bet that any rental motor coach you see at Mesa Verde is going to be driven by a German, so this might fit right in with the travel preferences for singles and couples. Kinda sardine-ish, though.

Think this is the travel mode of the future? tv