Q: Hi Dave! 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 last three years. I got into guiding as a photography guide years ago for another company in Southern Utah. I had retired early as an anthropology professor and been throughout the southwest because of that. I started doing photo tours and about three years ago Jason contacted me after realizing that I'd had a lot of park experience and I enjoy being out there and I enjoy having my camera with me.
Q: What do you think sets Southwest Adventure Tours apart from other tour companies?
A: My favorite thing about working for Southwest Adventure Tours is that we do small groups and it becomes so much more personable when you have 6, or 8, or 12 people as opposed to a large tour bus. You get the time to get to know your people and have great interactions with them and make sure that they see the special iconic scenes that they came to see.
Q: What would you say makes you special as a guide?
A: What sets me apart is probably my educational background. Being a retired anthropologist I've been just about everywhere in the southwest and the western United States. So I can interact with people and help them get a historical perspective of what they're seeing.
Q: So which is your favorite tour destination that you go to?
A: A few of my favorite trips; one would be a tour that we have called The Grand Circle Experience and it encompasses seven different national parks, and three state parks, and a couple of Navajo sites including Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon and most of those places people haven't seen and so the excitement for me is how they react to seeing some of those things. My second favorite is that I really enjoy going up to Alaska in the winter and showing people the Northern Lights.
Q: What would you say to someone who is thinking of booking with Southwest Adventure Tours?
A: Take the time to really investigate what you're going to see, what the itinerary shows you, and if there's something special in your needs or in your desires when you're on your vacation, please let our company know and we'll make sure it happens for you.
Q: Any last thoughts?
A: Please keep in mind that there are an awful lot of people that live in the United States who haven't really seen the country and if you come from back east or you come from the midwest where I was born, coming to the southwest is a very, very special thing to do. Give yourself time and really enjoy it because it's an entirely different scenic aspect than anywhere else in the country.