Sunset Crater with the Savenelli family

Today turned out to be an unplanned private tour for the Savenelli family doing an Ancient Spirits of the Canyon Tour with Red Rock Western Jeep Adventures. We started the day with a volcano, indian ruins, lunch on the Navajo Reservation, followed by a full and fun day at Grand Canyon's South Rim.

This Connecticut family was fun all day long. We laughed re-named their kids, got rained on, hailed on, and still...
Fun Day.

Future Comedy Channel Star... Sedona

At just 13 years-old, this young lady has about the sharpest wit and sense of humor I've experienced this year.

At one point today, she gladly took the time to point out to her two younger cousins a young lady at Grandview Point who was "going commando." She also shared with us the logic of good tattoos vs. the dumb ones received after a night of too much alcohol. Her wit was never-ending today.

Her name is Sedona, and I expect the world will someday hear much more from this sharp witted little Shirley Temple with a very impressive collection of funny bones. Best wishes on her goal of appearing on the Comedy Channel. I have no doubt she'll make it.

Special Ed

From Desert View Overlook

Ed points out a "special" place in Grand Canyon for his other brother Edd. 

Ed, Edd, & their cousin Eddie made this day absolutely enjoyable. It was just sad that their close friend Plank couldn't join us today. We'll have to let him know we missed him, but we weren't bored.

Last Minute Save

Delaney Savanelli's Boy Saves his Mom
and makes a last minute save at Grandview Point along the south rim of Grand Canyon today.

Giggles went around all day as the family from Connecticut enjoyed "hanging out" together. A quick stop at Grand Canyon Brewery (for a cool t-shirt) in Williams soothed the nerves for the trip back to Sedona, Arizona.

Nic with Dilophosaurus Footprint

Nic shows us the true size of dino footprints.
Nic traveled with us on an Antelope Canyon Photo Tour in Northern Arizona.

The imprints were made by a one ton, twenty foot long, meat-eating dinosaur. The slab of sandstone came from a side canyon at Lake Powell... near Page, Arizona. When Dilophosaurus tracked through th silt 170 million years ago, this was a different landscape than today's desert. Shallow streams meandered across a marshy plain. Throughout Glen Canyon the red-orange layer of kayenta sandstone appears - a lost world turned to stone, then river-cut and weathered into view.

Meet Future Naturalist

 Today I traveled with the greatest "deer spotter" to EVER ride with us to  the Grand Canyon. This 8 year-old twice today spotted mule deer during our trip hiding in the brush. He and his family took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. He's an avid watcher of Animal Planet TV Network and was an impressive assistant on today's trip.

Arizona's summer weather is cooling a bit with our monsoon season finally showing up this year.

Dust Storm

On Saturday evening, we encountered a summer dust storm, or as the news now calls it... a haboob. It was exciting to race it across the desert from Cameron, Arizona to Flagstaff.

Hold Up

Yesterday I took 13 people to Page, Arizona. Some of our guests went smooth water rafting on the Colorado River, the others took a photo tour of Antelope Canyon.

Having fun on the set of "Roadrunner and Coyote" Cartoons holding up a balanced rock.

The Baudendistel Family take Heli Tour

At the Little Colorado River overlook the Baudendistel family takes in the views across the Painted Desert during a Grand Canyon tour and helicopter flight.


http://www.greatventures.com/tours.aspx?id=2


The Baudendistel Family with triplets July 23, 2012

The Spiers Family

On July 23, 2012 the Spiers family... Latessa, Tim, with kids Jackson and "smurfette" joined our tour to grand Canyon and endured a bit of rain and lightning at the Desert View overlook with the Watchtower in the background.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/news_2010-1-11_watchtower.htm

35th Anniversary at Grand Canyon for Canadians

Earle Wheatley and his wife from Canada celebrated their 35th anniversary with us on a Grand Canyon Tour. At Cameron Trading Post we captured their picture in front of a bronze sculpture by Susan Kliewer.

http://www.camerontradingpost.com/
http://www.judithhalegallery.com/featured_artists/artist_kliewer.php

Brittney and brother at Kolb Studio

Kolb studio sits at the entrance to Bright Angel Trail into the Grand Canyon. The story of the Kolb brothers is one of my favorite stories of businesses and history of the area. Photo taken July 23, 2012.

http://www.grandcanyon.org/kolb/kolbbrothers.asp
for more information on the Kolb Brothers.

Smooth Water Rafting

The Mosquito family after a raft trip July 19th.

Shark Tooth fossil along the Colorado River

Michael (Smokey) found a sharks tooth fossil in the limestone beside Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River.

Colorado River Rafting July 19, 2012

Smooth Water Colorado River Trip
Last week took 8 people smooth water river rafting on the Colorado River through Glen Canyon, ending at Lee’s Ferry.  Lee’s Ferry is the point which Grand Canyon officially begins. The tour is a full day trip from Sedona or Flagstaff, Arizona.

Great Venture Tours

& Redstone Tours

http://www.greatventures.com/tours.aspx?id=13
My name is J.R. - and if you had a great time on your tour... please write about me on TripAdvisor. My boss loves to see reviews of my tours.

Sharing Arizona

I turned 50 this week, and having been married in 2009, my wife asks me, “Do we have photos and stories from all of the peoples that you’ve been tour guiding and entertaining all of your life”?  Well, no... until now.

So let this be the beginning of a collection of photos and stories from my passengers each day on our Arizona highways.

You can find out more about Ko’ko, my wife at: http://sedonamassagebykoko.com/