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It is time to saddle up your friends and family and head on down to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby 2013. This annual competition draws thousands of spectators from around the globe. All are eager to bask in the glory of the most celebrated horse race in the history of mankind. In fact, not even the horse drawn chariots that once barreled down the lanes of the Circus Maximus drew so much attention and admiration.

Now, the Kentucky Derby 2013 is not simply an event you just “show up” for. In order to fully enjoy the atmosphere and ambiance, it is highly advisable to do some planning and preparation before you go. Here are some simple tips to get you pointed in the right direction so you will get the most from this fantastic experience.

Great Tips for Attending the Kentucky Derby

1. Make your hotel reservations early. The Brown Hotel is the top spot in town and The Galt House is a close second. If you are traveling on a budget or have no clue where to stay ,we can help you as well with great Group Hotel Rates!
2. Arrive a day early. Casual attendees don’t know that there is another, equally as important race that happens the day before the big race. The Kentucky Oaks is just as much fun, and attending it will give you twice the horse racing experience while adding just a little more to the cost of your trip. That means double the hats, double the mint juleps, and double the fun. Furthermore, proceeds from this race are donated to cancer research, so if you go, remember to wear plenty of pink for the occasion.
3. Park your car and take a charter. Parking at Churchill Downs on the day of the event can be a little hairy. For that reason, it’s best to catch a charter bus so that you don’t have to worry about it. Let someone else do the driving so you can focus on having fun.
4. Do your homework before you go. The Kentucky Derby has a long and rich history, and the more you know about it, the more you’ll understand the traditions which make it so unique.
5. Go shopping before you go. Of all the events you will ever go to, “the Derby” is world famous for the incredible fashions and styles that folks wear in the stands. Most notably, make sure you are wearing a hat for the occasion.
6. Be prepared to socialize. The race itself lasts just a few minutes, but the anticipation leading up to it takes hours. During this time, be prepared to press the flesh and meet the other attendees. Everyone is in a great mood and excited to be there, so it is a great time to make new friends, learn a bit about horse racing, and even make a few new business contacts.
7. Learn to gamble. You don’t have to throw thousands of dollars down, but betting a few dollars on the horses and their riders is a great way to pull yourself into the fun. Not only will it help build your anticipation, but it will enhance your excitement as you watch your horse cross the finish line before all the others.
8. Let your hair down. Explore the grounds, talk with the jockeys, and attend the parties. It is not hyperbole to claim that the Kentucky Derby 2013 is unlike any other experience on your bucket list. Enjoy it and savor the flavor because once you go, you will want to return to Kentucky year after year just to taste the excitement one more time.

As always, check check out The BusBank for Group Travel to the Kentucky Derby!

Just Some of The Flowers You Can See

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia is known as the city of Brotherly love, for the movie Rocky and Cheesesteaks but did you also know it has one of the largest Flower shows in the World?

The Philadelphia International Flower show was the United States first flower show in 1829 and now it is the World Largest Indoor Flower show. Located over 33 acres in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, The Flower show is held in the beginning of March and features a wide array of activities ranging from culinary tastings to interactive lectures, and has people come from all over the world to check out it out.

More Beautiful Flowers at the Philadelphia Flower Show

They make it easy for group travelers heading to the flower show as they offer group travel packages that include:

• Complimentary Wine Tastings – (YUM)
• Horticulture Demonstrations ( To Make Your Garden & Flowers Better)
• Culinary Presentations ( TO Make Better Meals)
• Shopping in Marketplace ( Who Doesn’t Love Shopping)

Free bus Parking is available for your group along with discounted ticket prices all of which make it worth going. You can grab group tickets here Grab a group of friends and charter a bus to one of the American Bus Associations Top 100 Events!

If you are looking to head to Washington D.C. for the Presidential Inauguration, you need to get on it soon. Every four years, the presidential inauguration weekend is one of the busiest around the Washington Dc area.

The BusBank has taken thousands of people from across the country to presidential inaugurations and even more customers to Washington, DC and wanted to share some tips for your group.

1. Book Your Hotel Room Early – Hotel rooms in DC book up fast for the Inauguration weekend, therefore you need to book your rooms ASAP. We can assist you with group hotel rooms if you want to ease some burden on yourself for looking for great rates from national chains. Remember, to ask the hotel if they have bus driver discounted rooms and bus parking!
2. Avoid sitting in DC Area traffic by taking the Metro from suburban areas into the area. They also have inauguration commemorative cards that can be bought in advance online.
3. Dress for the Weather! It is typically very cold during the inauguration and be prepared for the conditions. President Harrison actually died from the Pneumonia in the weeks following his inauguration.
4. Don’t bring these items as they’re not allowed: Baby Carriages, backpacks, tents or strollers are some items to not bring
5. Last but not least have Fun! Presidential Inaugurations only come around every four years and you are taking part in a unique part of American History.

The BusBank is proud to be the leader in group and event transportation and look forward to bringing many visitors to Washington, Dc. as part of their inauguration travel. This year for the inauguration, if your group is looking for a way to get everyone to the event, don’t hesitate to Get a Quote today!

As Thanksgiving is now quickly coming upon us, many people across the United States will be travelling across the country to visit good friends and family.  We decided to share some cool facts that we found about Thanksgiving travel via infographic.

Some Quick Facts is that holiday travelers number 1 way of travel is via the Car with almost 92% of people using that method. Airplane is the next highest method with over 5% of travelers taking that method.  The Majority of our trips for Thanksgiving are fairly short and should take about 60-90 minutes to travel to under normal traffic conditions.

As you can imagine the larger cities in the United States and the highways surrounding those are the busiest with

1. I-95 Corridor
2. Boston
3. Chicago
4. New  York City
5. San Francisco
6. Atlanta
7. Washington D.C.
8. Dallas
9. Detroit
10. Miami

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Hurricane Sandy shut down much of New York City and its tourist attractions for a few days. New Yorker’s are resilient and are slowly getting things up and running again.  Many of its prime museums and attractions is now beginning to resume operations with Thursday being a big day for reopening.

Here is a short list of some of the top locations that are expected reopening on Thursday for tourist.

• The Met Museum
• MOMA
• The Empire State Building Observatory
• Top of the Rock
•  Gray Line New York Sightseeing

Sites, in Lower Manhattan are going to be remained closed for a longer period for more cleanup work to be done. A small list of some key sites  to remain closed  indefinitely are listed below:

• The 9/11 Memorial
• South Street Seaport
• Statue of Liberty
• Ellis Island

New York is a prime tourist destination and we hope if you live in New York or the surrounding areas affected by Hurricane Sandy that you were able to stay safe.  For more information about areas open in New York city visit Facebook.com/nycgo. Special thanks as well to the RSAA for providing this information to us.

Apples and Festivals involving apples are one of the major themes of fall. The Apple Scrapple Festival is another in the line of fall apple related festivals.

Now I know what you are thinking is what is Apple Scrapple? Half of our office wondered what Apple Scrapple was and why would someone have an Apple Scrapple Festival so we did the research for you.

Apple Scrapple is a special form of Scrapple which Wikipedia describes as “traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal, wheat flour and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then pan-fried before service.”  Sounds Delicious, or maybe not so much at all…

Scrapple Doesn't Look Too Bad...

However, after reading a bit more about this festival, and speaking to people from the Mid-Atlantic states, we found out that it is a common food eaten of that area. So Apple Scrapple is now on the list of true Americana foods. (Who Knew)

Apple Scrapple Festival

The Apple Scrapple Festival is held in Bridgeville, Delaware each year during the second full week of October and has grown each year since it’s beginning in 1992. The Apple Scrapple Festival now receives over 25,000 people in just two days.

Obviously Apples and Scrapple are two of the major themes of the event with various activities happening throughout the festival. The festival features a couple of fun events such as a Apple Baking Contest, a Little Miss Apple Scrapple Contest and a music throughout the weekend.

Check out the Apple Scrapple Festival if you are anywhere near the Mideast states. It is a great event for groups as it is yet another festival listed on the ABA Top 100 Events in North America list.

Be sure to check back with The BusBank’s Group and Event Travel blog for more fun festivals, trip ideas, and travel news.