Q: Hi Ann! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with Southwest Adventure Tours.
A: I've been with Southwest Adventure Tours for the past eight years and love every minute of it. I started guiding after I retired from Utah State Parks. I'd been a park ranger for 25 years and decided that I had not had enough, I still needed to be outdoors and what a better way than to share it with others.
Q: What do you think sets Southwest Adventure Tours apart from other tour companies?
A: The thing that sets Southwest Adventure Tours apart from other guiding companies is the small group size. You can get on these big tour buses, you don't get to spend much time in the parks, you're just driving through. But with Southwest it is so small and intimate and we really get into the backcountry. We go hiking and it's not just sightseeing from the van.
Q: What would you say makes you special as a guide?
A: I have been in the outdoors for my whole career and I raised my children hiking and recreating in the outdoors and so I really have a passion for sharing that with other people.
Q: So which is your favorite tour destination that you go to?
A: Boy that is a tough one! I think whatever park I'm in or whatever tour I'm doing is my favorite because they're all so different. There's so much to see and such variety that it's really hard to nail down a favorite.
Q: What would you say to someone who is thinking of booking with Southwest Adventure Tours?
A: I would say do it! We have some trips of a lifetime for you. You can check those off your bucket list and so if you're thinking of these awesome national parks we have here in the west, go ahead and do it. You'll never regret it. You'll have great memories and lots of great stories to tell.
Q: Any last thoughts?
A: At Southwest Adventure Tours we go to some incredible places. We get into the backcountry which you won't get from many other companies. The small, intimate group setting is wonderful. What a way to make memories!