Q: Hi Haydee! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with Southwest Adventure Tours.
A: I've been working with Southwest Adventure Tours since 2014. I got into guiding after I'd owned a couple of art galleries. I had sold those off and actually looked online "How to get paid to travel" and I went to a guiding school, graduated from there, and pretty much right after that I was lucky enough to find Southwest Adventure Tours.
Q: What would you say makes you special as a guide?
A: One of the things that sets me apart as a guide is that I love working for people. When I first started getting into this industry, I really did think that it was all about travel and all about sites to see. But as it turns out, it's really about focusing on the guests and ensuring that they're having the best time that they can possibly have.
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 companies is that they also really focus on their guests. It's a small tour group. So we have maximum 12 or 13 people that we can focus on. Instead of having about 40 people on tour, it's really just a small group. I love working with small groups. It gives us the ability to have special attention. It gives us the ability to go off the beaten path. To me, with Southwest Adventure Tours, that is the most important element - that we can do parts and see sites that other companies won't be able to do.
Q: So which is your favorite tour destination that you go to?
A: People ask me this all the time! What's your favorite tour? What's your favorite park? What's your favorite destination? I can never answer that! That's like having multiple children and saying "Who's your favorite child?" It's impossible! Each park is different from the last one. Each tour is completely different from the last one. I am sorry, but I don't have an answer for that.
Q: What would you say to someone who is thinking of booking with Southwest Adventure Tours?
A: If you're thinking of booking with Southwest Adventure Tours, I highly recommend it. The guides are great, the company is great, the staff are great. We always make sure that you're going to have a really great time. We know how to customize our trips to make sure you get the most out of it. If we have a group of people, some people hike 5 miles a day, some people hike 5 feet a day. We make sure that each person gets exactly what they're looking for on our tours. If you're thinking about coming on tour with us, definitely give us a call, look on our website, look on our Facebook pages, on our social media. We offer all different types of tours, all over the country, even off to Alaska. We have activities if you want them, we have hiking if you want them, we have all different sites for you. So come join the fun!