The Upper Class

30/09/2020

Thank you for all of your thoughtful calls, emails, cards and messages over these last few months. Your support and kindness mean the world to us. Now more than ever, we are so grateful for The Upper Class family.

Inspired by our grandmother, we started this company 18 years ago. With you, our Upper Class family, we've traveled near and far, creating a home on the road, filled with cherished friends and new experiences. Along the way, building a company beyond our dreams.

A NEW WORLD
The pandemic has turned the world upside down, with many people's health, homes, livelihoods and future in question. The CDC still recommends that seniors avoid crowds and unnecessary travel. Many of our destinations remain closed or at half capacity. The need for social distancing continues.

KEEPING OUR PROMISE
On every trip, you put your trust in us and we make a promise to you. We promise you more than a trip, we promise you safety and health to the very best of our ability.

Our first priority has and always will be the well being of our guests and our staff. This means doing everything possible to ensure your security and health on every trip, while delivering the joyful experience you deserve.

In the face of this ongoing uncertainty, no matter how hard we try, we cannot find a way forward that lets us keep our promise.

GONE BUT NOT GOODBYE
We are heartbroken to announce that we have made the agonizing decision to close The Upper Class. We tried everything to avoid this outcome, but the pandemic leaves us with no choice.

We have made every effort to stand by our guests and our staff. We have completed refunds to every guest and we kept our team together as long as we could.

THANK YOU
Thank you for the friendship and kindness you've shown to us and the entire Upper Class team. Thank you for the fun times on the road. Thank you for being part of The Upper Class family.

We made this decision out of concern, respect and love for you and each member of our Upper Class family. We truly hope you understand.

This gratitude extends to each of our guests and every member of our team. The incredible Tour Directors, Trip Planners and Reservationists that made this company go. We are beyond grateful for their loyalty and incredible hard work during staggering difficulty. We are humbled by their dedication.

Together, our guests and our team will always be the heart of The Upper Class.

NOT GOODBYE...
This company has been our life's work. It has been our enormous privilege to serve the seniors of our community. It has been our great honor to work with each member of our team. No matter what the future brings, the family we built will always remain.

It is impossible to convey the depth of our gratitude to our guests and our staff. For now, with all our heart, we must simply say, thank you.

We are parting, but we don't believe in goodbyes. So, instead, we look forward to the time our paths will cross again. You will always be family. And for that, we will be forever grateful.

All our thanks and very best wishes,
Debbie, Andy and Brooke

21/07/2020

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes...The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization and Playbill are making wishes come true as they present the original 1957 live television broadcast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, starring Julie Andrews.

The black-and-white kinescope film of the broadcast will be made available to stream for free on Playbill.com and Rodgers and Hammerstein's YouTube channel beginning at 8 PM ET July 24. It will be available to watch for free for 48 hours.

The broadcast captures Andrews when she was 21 years old, joined by a cast full of Broadway legends.The live broadcast was watched by more than 100 million people, and the musical became a near-instant classic.

For more information and all the details, click below to read the announcement from Playbill.

Enjoy and always believe in a little magic!

The 1957 broadcast will be available to stream worldwide for free beginning at 8 PM ET.

20/07/2020

We continue to look to the skies! Our latest skyward inspiration comes on the anniversary of the first Moon landing. On this day in 1969, the Eagle lunar landing module, carrying U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin (“Buzz”) Aldrin, landed on the Moon, and several hours later Armstrong became the first person to set foot on its surface.

Click below to experience more about this historic milestone and the incredible events leading up to it. Presented by The History Channel, see amazing photos, fascinating videos, a timeline of the moon landing and more!

On July 20, 1969, two American astronauts landed on the moon and became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface. The event marked the culmination of a nearly decade-long intense push to meet a challenge posed by President John F. Kennedy.

17/07/2020

We can all be astronomers this week! Click below to read a fascinating story from Travel & Leisure Magazine that reminds us there is so much beauty in the world and beyond!

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be visible to the naked eye in the night sky this weekend. Here's how to see these planets — no telescope required.

15/07/2020

Happy Birthday Rembrandt! On this day 414 years ago, one of the world's most important artists was born.

Considered one of the Old Masters, Rembrandt is recognized as one of history's most important artistic innovators due to the uncompromising realism he displayed in each piece and his work with shade and light.

In honor of the artist’s birthday (he was born on July 15, 1606), click below for a "guided" look at The Night Watch, considered his most famous painting.

For a more in-depth introduction to Rembrandt and his works, click here: https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/rembrandt/m0bskv2?categoryid=artist

We hope you enjoy this virtual birthday celebration!

Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

09/07/2020

In the face of the continued uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel all of our scheduled trips. This includes all 2020 trips and the few that were rescheduled for 2021.

On every trip, you put our trust in us and we make a promise to you. We promise you more than a trip, we promise your safety and health to the very best of our ability. No matter what, we will not break that promise.

We truly hope you understand we made this decision out of concern, respect and love for you and each member of our Upper Class family.

We never could have imagined that not traveling would be the best way to show our love and keep our promise.

We will continue to evaluate the situation and will start fresh with a new collection of trips as soon as the time is right.

We look forward to the day when we can be on the road, enjoying new trips with good friends. When that day comes, we hope you will join us again!

It is impossible to convey the depth of our gratitude to our guests and our staff. For now, with all our heart, we must simply say, thank you.

For more information, visit our Beyond The Bus page at www.theupperclass.net/beyondthebus

04/07/2020

This year, we’re creating our own fireworks and hope you’ll join us Beyond The Bus, for this new July 4th virtual tour!

America The Beautiful performed at West Point, a behind the scenes look at the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives and a concert presented by the Boston Pops are just the beginning of our star-spangled virtual, July 4th Celebration.

For all the flag-waving fun, visit www.theupperclass.net/beyondthebus

Even from afar, we salute you and wish you a very Happy July 4th! Cue the fireworks!

02/07/2020

The Upper Class family certainly knows how to celebrate July 4th! These patriotic, festive photos from previous summers show your amazing smiles and many fun times shared together. Sending you our very best and wishing you a very happy 4th of July!

25/06/2020

You are in our thoughts and hearts every day, even though we can't be together. Here is a message from one of our Tour Directors, Elizabeth. A huge thank you to Elizabeth for creating this amazing video that brings us together even while we are apart. We hope you enjoy it!

24/06/2020

The Upper Class family is bursting with Broadway enthusiasts, so we know this will be very exciting news! Hamilton, the theater phenomenon that has taken the world by storm, will be available to watch online or on television beginning June 3. Click below to watch the official trailer!

The show will feature a performance that was taped in 2016, featuring the entire original cast including writer and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who stars as Hamilton.

It does require a subscription for Disney+, but can be watched on a mobile device, a computer or on your television, depending on your streaming set up.

Broadway is always a favorite trip and we had hoped to bring you to see Hamilton this year. Since we can't go in person, this is a great option while we wait! We don't mean to do an ad for Disney+, but this is big Broadway news, so we wanted to share!

Experience the original Broadway Production of Hamilton, streaming exclusively on Disney+ on July 3. “Hamilton” is the story of America then, told by America...

23/06/2020

Every time we do a trip featuring Yo-Yo Ma, it sells out right away. Highly regarded as one of the most talented musicians in the world, Yo-Yo Ma is a beloved favorite of The Upper Class. The New York Times has a regular feature story that asks interesting people for a list of their ten cultural essentials. The below article interviews Mr. Ma, going well beyond a list, giving unique insight into the performer and the person, highlighting his many efforts to bring comfort and hope. Enjoy!

The renowned cellist, who has soothed us during the pandemic with “Songs of Comfort,” puts Fred Rogers, Pablo Casals and his Benoît Rolland bow on his list of cultural essentials.

20/06/2020

To celebrate the first day of summer, here are some photos of you enjoying summer-y trips in years past. Even though we aren't together right now, you are in our thoughts and we can't wait to get back out on the road with you! Since we miss seeing your faces, these photos make us happy. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Here's to you and here's to summer!

19/06/2020

Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Pops, is always one of our most popular summer trips. Keith Lockhart, the beloved Pops conductor, is always a customer favorite.

In honor of Keith Lockhart's 25th Anniversary as conductor of the Boston Pops, The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Pops present a rare peek into their archives! An online re-broadcast of Keith's very first Evening at Pops television show will begin streaming online this Sunday, June 21 at 3:00pm.

With Lockhart as the conductor, the orchestra is joined by soprano Sylvia McNair and Hollywood star Mandy Patinkin, with a special appearance by conductor laureate John Williams and the legendary Doc Severinsen.

Join the BSO At Home by tuning in Sunday starting at 3:00pm. You can see it all at their website:

https://www.bso.org/brands/pops/features/at-home.aspx

16/06/2020

With clear blue skies and a fresh breeze, today reminds us of all the beauty in the world. While we miss seeing all of you on the road, we are working hard to bring you fun and joy in new ways. We hope you'll join us on our latest virtual tour!

Over the last few years, one of our most popular summer trips has been the Fountain Festival at Longwood Gardens. With summer officially starting on June 20, we couldn't think of a better virtual tour!

Join us for this armchair travel experience that celebrates the start of summer from a distance! It couldn't be easier - just visit us Beyond the Bus at: https://www.theupperclass.net/beyondthebus/content/exclusive-virtual-tour-of-longwood-gardens-fountain-festival/

02/06/2020

On this day in 1953, 27-year old Elizabeth was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey. Today marks the 67th anniversary of her coronation.

Here are a few fun facts about the Queen and her coronation:

Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every British coronation since 1066.

The Queen is Britain's longest-serving monarch and one of the longest reigning monarchs in history.

Thousands of journalists from around the world converged on London for the coronation event. Do you know the name of the reporter sent by America's Washington Times-Herald newspaper? It was Jacqueline Bouvier, later to become First Lady of the United States.

Since we aren't able to bring you tours right now, we will continue to feature interesting information and virtual events we think you'll enjoy. We are so grateful to be able to stay connected with you Beyond The Bus!

31/05/2020

During a special day that was poignant for all our guests, we visited the new the Statue of Liberty Museum shortly after it opened. Since the Statue of Liberty is currently closed due to the coronavirus, we are excited to share these virtual tours of Lady Liberty.

Lady Liberty is recognized globally as a symbol of freedom and democracy. Our country needs the spirit of this iconic monument now more than ever.

The below video is from CBS Sunday Morning, showing every nook-and-cranny of the statue's interior, including areas traditionally off-limits to visitors. This news story marks the unveiling of the new online tour of Lady Liberty, presented by the National Park Service.

You can take the virtual tour by visiting: https://www.nps.gov/hdp/exhibits/stli/stli_tour.html

With Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty currently closed due to COVID-19, this is the perfect time to experience a virtual tour of the monument, featurin...

28/05/2020

Thank you for the many thoughtful calls, emails, cards and messages you've sent over these last few months. Your support and kindness mean the world to us, now more than ever. We are so grateful for our Upper Class family.

Exactly one month ago, we announced full refunds for all trips cancelled as a result of the coronavirus. Today, we are so happy to announce that we have completed the processing of all refunds. We hope by providing these refunds, we are showing just how important you are to us. When we say you are part of our family, we truly mean it.

While there is much improvement in the coronavirus situation, much remains unclear. In the face of this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that conducting tours this summer cannot be done in a way that ensures your health and safety.

We have decided to cancel all trips for July and August. Customers holding bookings for July and August trips will receive a full refund.

Please know the decision to cancel these trips, while heartbreaking for us, is made out of concern, respect and love for you, our Upper Class family.

You are in our thoughts and we can't wait to be traveling together again as soon as the time is right. In the mean time, we will be here planning new trips we know you'll love.

You are The Upper Class family and thanks to you, our family is stronger than ever.

For more details and our full announcement, please visit:
https://www.theupperclass.net/updates/

23/05/2020

This Sunday, to mark the Memorial Day holiday, Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise will host a special presentation of the annual National Memorial Day Concert. For more details, watch the video below. To see the concert, tune in to PBS on tv or watch the full broadcast at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0LUUK7smGI

Happy Memorial Day!

Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise host a special presentation of PBS' National Memorial Day Concert. Read more: http://ritzherald.com/joe-mantegna-and-gary-sinise...

23/05/2020

Thanks to you - our guests - The Upper Class is in the news! We are so grateful to Lauren Glassberg of Channel 7 Eyewitness News for including us in this amazing story.

We are so fortunate to be part of this community.

Here's to staying connected Beyond the Bus!

https://www.theupperclass.net/beyondthebus/

Senior trips aren't just for college kids, but for senior citizens as well. And that's where the Westchester County-based bus company The Upper Class comes in.

21/05/2020

Today's Fleet Week New York Virtual Events!

Take a virtual tour of the USS Laboon Navy destroyer and watch a performance by the USO, sure to give you goosebumps!

To go behind the scenes aboard the Laboon, click here: click here: https://www.facebook.com/FleetWeekNewYork/videos/538767110149913/

To watch the USO of Metropolitan New York perform America The Beautiful. Click here: https://www.facebook.com/FleetWeekNewYork/videos/285823815791116/

A big thank you to Fleet Week New York for these virtual events that come in perfect time for Memorial Day Weekend!

21/05/2020

This week, we celebrate Fleet Week! In addition to the video we posted earlier, here are some photos to get you excited. Thanks to the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard for making the celebration virtual so we can all take part! Stay tuned this week for more!

19/05/2020

Recently, we hit the road to see you in a different way, since we can't be together on the bus. We were so grateful for the chance to make surprise visits to some of your homes. Our hope was to bring a smile to your face. In reality, you brought a smile to ours!

With gorgeous flowers kindly donated by Amodio's Garden Center in White Plains, we delivered bouquets to many Upper Class guests across Westchester County.

We visited as many of you as we could in a safe, socially distanced way. We hope this small gesture shows how grateful we are to each and every one of you! We hope to make more of these visits soon!

Thank you for being part of The Upper Class family!

15/05/2020

We are so happy to share this great video from Forbes Magazine. Click below to watch their recommendations for 7 of the best online virtual tours available right now.

We promise to keep finding ways for us to adventure together, even while we are apart. Enjoy!

You can tour some of the world's best museums, art galleries and amusement parks from your living room.

14/05/2020

Last week, we would have enjoyed a spring adventure in Chicago. Since we couldn’t be there in person, we’ve put together this “virtual tour” so you can enjoy the Windy City from home!

We miss you and can’t wait to be on the road again together. In the meantime, we hope this kind of virtual content can help us all stay connected Beyond the Bus!

To take our exclusive virtual tour of Chicago, click here:
https://www.theupperclass.net/beyondthebus/

13/05/2020

The New Yorker Magazine created this incredible video showing side-by-side video footage of the same exact NYC streets separated by 80 years. The video was taken in the 1930s and present day (before social distancing), featuring views from the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square and much more!

Talk about a walk down memory lane! To watch the video click below. Enjoy!

A split-screen tour of the same streets in New York City, from the nineteen-thirties and today.

13/05/2020

Last night, Billy Joel performed as part of a fundraiser presented by the Robin Hood Foundation and hosted by Hollywood star Tina Fey.

Joel performed one of his most beloved songs made iconic by the lyrics, "I've seen the lights go out on Broadway." Mentioning various New York and New Jersey landmarks, the song has come to represent the strength and resilience of the tri-state area.

The finale of the fundraiser, Joel's performance was broadcast on big screens all across the city and synced to a light show at the Empire State Building.

Click below to watch the video, that shows Billy performing the song, the light show at the Empire State Building and an introduction by Governor Cuomo.

If you have a view of the Empire State Building, you can watch the light show every evening through Friday, May 15th, beginning at 9 pm. At the same time, the song will start playing on New York’s Q104.3 fm radio.

The Empire State Building synced its lights to Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017” in a brand-new music-to-light show as the surprise finale to Robin Hood & iHeartRadi...

08/05/2020

Happy Mother's Day from Broadway!

This Sunday, the Broadway community is coming together to give us the Mother's Day Matinee we all need!

Join Broadway stars, their children, and their mothers for a celebratory explosion of musical numbers, comedy, special guests, and lots of surprises.

Tune in for Broadway Does Mother’s Day, a digital variety show featuring sketches, performances, and appearances from Broadway's brightest stars (and their mothers!).

The starry lineup includes appearances from Celia Keenan-Bolger, Laura Benanti, Betty Buckley, James Monroe Iglehart, Vanessa Williams and many more, plus sketches from Moulin Rouge, Company, The Tina Turner Musical, Chicago, Diana, Girl from the North Country, Mrs. Doubtfire and MORE...!

Free to watch, Broadway actors say this event is for raising money, raising spirits, and thanking moms for raising us!

To watch, click here: https://www.broadwaydoesmothersday.com/

06/05/2020

Written by the legendary composer John Williams, Summon The Heroes is an inspirational anthem created for the 1996 Olympic Games. Today, we are seeing heroes in a whole new light.

Under the direction of Conductor Keith Lockhart, nearly 80 musicians from the Boston Pops Orchestra perform Summon The Heroes, playing individually but together in a musical video tribute to the front line and essential workers of the coronavirus epidemic. John Williams himself even joins this virtual salute with a musical and spoken introduction taped from his home.

Williams and Lockhart are favorites that many of our guests look forward to seeing during our trips to Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Pops. Since these trips are always best-sellers, we knew our Upper Class family would enjoy this video – and be moved as we were!

The Boston Pops musicians themselves conceived of the idea of a “virtual orchestra” rendition of Summon The Heroes as the perfect piece of music to honor Covid-19 front line and essential workers. Nearly 80 musicians recorded their individual parts in their basement, kitchen, living room, or bedroom!

BSO engineers, working from their homes, edited the audio and video from 86 individually submitted video files to create the musician’s gift to all who are giving so much of themselves during this time.

Bravo to the BSO, Keith Lockhart and John Williams! And our continued gratitude to the essential and healthcare workers who answered the call when the country – the world - was forced to Summon the Heroes.

The Boston Pops Orchestra, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, performs a musical video tribute, Summon the Heroes—featuring the work originally composed ...

04/05/2020

The Museum of Modern Art is famous around the world by its other name: MoMA. During our very first trip of 2020, we visited the museum to celebrate their 90th Anniversary. We were one of the first to see their innovative new design that that has received rave reviews and set the art world abuzz.

Now, MoMA is offering a wide selection of online art classes that you can enjoy for free!

Visit the museum's website at https://www.moma.org/ or go directly to their course selection by visiting: https://www.coursera.org/moma

Enjoy!