This day-tripper takes others along on journey

Diane Rowe gets paid to go to shows, visit museums and eat lunch out.

Sounds cushy, huh?

Well, there is work involved. Rowe is the trip coordinator for the Geneva Park District. As such, she arranges the trips offered by the district, which has up to four per month in conjunction with other area districts. (Most often, she splits the duties with a planner from the Batavia Park District.)

That means coming up with ideas, making reservations, finding transportation, handling payment and escorting the group.

She loves it.

"I did not know a job like this existed," said Rowe, 54, who saw the position advertised in a newspaper.

"It is a very busy job. But it is fun because I am with terrific people."

The job is part time. She also teaches adapted physical education in the St. Charles school district.

Rowe has worked for the Geneva Park District for 15 years.

Most of the people she deals with are senior citizens, although trips are open to adults of all ages.

She loves the seniors.

"When they say they are going to be there, they are there and they are an hour early," she said of the seniors' enthusiasm.

"They are a fun-loving, patient group."

One of the more popular types of jaunts is any kind of ethnic trip, where they may visit a cultural attraction and then dine at an ethnic restaurant. The last one was "A Taste of Polonia." They visited a noted Polish church in Chicago and ate at a restaurant on the Southwest Side.

Three times a year, she takes a group to the Fireside Theater in Fort Atkinson, Wis., for a lunchtime theatrical show.

Rowe provides snacks and light entertainment, such as puzzles or videos, on the bus. She also has to figure out the route for the bus to take.

She even enjoys the time on the bus: "It's a good time to visit with people," she said.

Much of her job is spent on the phone, looking for the best deal on renting a tour bus, checking reservations and revising the number of people attending.

Over the years, she's learned a few things.

One is that when taking a group out to eat, a buffet is a quicker meal than a sit-down.

Another is that more men are traveling than when she first started.

Single seniors are sometimes wary of traveling in a group where they don't know anybody, so they often bring a friend on their first trip. "They can get to know new people," Rowe said.

There are a lot of mother-daughter duos, and sometimes people will bring a grandchild.

And she's rarely lost anybody, although there was the Navy Pier case. Everyone was told to meet the buses at one end of the long pier. However, two women waited at the other end of the pier, finally giving up and taking the train home without calling anybody.

She finds a little humor, a little sarcasm, goes a long way to lighten the mood when there are glitches, such as getting stuck in traffic.

"It is like vacationing with a large family," she said. "I would like people to enjoy all the trips. What we truly try to do is learn and hope they have a good time doing it."