Sweeping views of the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains came into view as the tour bus glided along the freeway from Laguna Woods to Los Angeles. Suddenly, the outline of the L.A. skyline punctuated the horizon with its zigzag mix of short and tall.
“That’s the clearest I’ve ever seen it,” said tour guide Bill Hoffman as he pointed out local landmarks to more than 40 members of the Laguna Woods Chicago Club on a recent club day trip to the big city.
The day trip was billed as a “Trifecta” of iconic L.A. sites – the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Original Farmers Market and a choice from among The Grove shopping center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the La Brea Tar Pits.
The Chicago Club, with current membership at about 600, hosts a bus trip to an area destination once a month under the guidance of Hoffman, known as “Hoffy” to his devoted followers.
“There is a great need to get out, and people don’t want to drive themselves,” said travel committee Chair Dorothy Pacella. “They like to go to wonderful destinations, have lunch and not drive.”
The club has been working with Hoffy Tours for about eight years. When planning a day trip, committee members meet with Hoffy, who brings a list of places that are popular, Pacella said. “We select trips that we would want to go on as passengers.”
Committee member Linda Yatchman does the paperwork for each trip. “If we are excited about a destination, we think that others will be, too,” she said
The travel committee knows how to pick excursions that turn out to be popular: The tour bus holds 48 passengers, and most trips are full, with waiting lists.
But not everyone cares about the destination.
“There are 15 loyal travelers who don’t care where or when we’re going or how much it costs,” Pacella said with a laugh. “They just want the experience, and I can always count on them to sign up.”
Travelers who are not club members are eligible to go on the trips, with a…
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