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Holiday E-Newsletter, 2008
Helping Out in a Tough Economy
All of us are affected by this recession and Canyon Calling wants to do its part to help those of you who wanting to travel with us in 2009. For next year’s trips, you can now put the total tour price on your credit card. Previously we had a $1000 limit. In addition, if you have traveled with Canyon Calling before and bring a new customer on a 2009 trip we’re offering 20% off the price of your trip by way of thanks.
No matter how hard it is struggling with job losses or shrinking investment accounts, we have so much compared with so many. Here are a couple of our favorite charitable organizations helping disadvantaged women. Please consider these organizations in your holiday giving.
http://kiva.org/
http://www.upfromthedust.com/
Upcoming Deadlines
New Zealand
There is still time to join our premier trip to New Zealand February 5 – 19 but its important to book your seat before December 20 so we can take advantage of the $1200 airfare being offered by Air New Zealand. 80 degrees is the typical temperature for summer in New Zealand where we’ll be sailing, swimming, sea kayaking, hiking a volcano, white water rafting and walking a glacier. I will lead this trip to my homeland often called one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Peruvian Andes
December 20 is also the date that you need to get a copy of your passport to our office so we can get you registered for the one-day hike on the Inca Trail. You can join our trip to Peru at any time up to April 15 but if you want to actually experience part of the Inca Trail December 20 is the date to remember.
In Memoriam
Susan Lake from California died on her 63rd birthday in November. Susan traveled to New Zealand with Canyon Calling in 2007. She had just married Ksenia, her partner of 20 years.
In 13 years in this business, Susan is the first of our Canyon Calling family to pass. Although losing valued clients is inevitable as the years go by, logic does not mitigate the shock of this news. Susan was the best - smart and funny, kind and considerate. She wrote a beautiful note in our tour book: "The support and acceptance of this small group of women was and is, the best It was my pre-requisite, that my adventure would be with women, strangers may they be. I've been able to be myself and I feel I have been accepted as I am. For me that is what women do and why each and every one is beautiful.” Our hearts go out to Ksenia.
Spring Trips
Aurora Alaska (March 12 – 17)
Solar winds cause the beautiful aurora borealis and research indicates there is an 80% chance of seeing the aurora at Chena Hot Springs in Alaska in March. We spend two nights there and during the day we dog sled, soak in the hot springs and see the ice carvings in the year-round ice museum. For many the highlight of our time in Alaska is the all day train trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks. We often see moose or wolves from the train and the all-white mountain scenery is stunning. From our boat on Resurrection Sound we see bald eagles, otter, sea lions and sometimes whales but it’s the glacier views and snow down to the waterline that makes for the memorable photos.
Hawaiian Islands (March 21 – 27)
Kauai and the Big Island are our two favorite islands for adventure activities and we spend three and a half days on each. On Kauai we swim with the sea turtles, hike the Na Pali Coast, zip-line through the jungle and kayak to a waterfall. On the Big Island we hike to flowing lava, hike the Kilauea Iki crater, sea kayak (usually) with dolphins and snorkel at Captain Cook’s memorial. There’s also time to relax on the beach with a well-earned umbrella drink and soak up the sun.
“Australia” at the Movies
Friends and I went to see Australia this week and can recommend this movie. At more than two and a half hours it’s a game attempt at being an epic but even though it falls slightly short, it’s an entertaining movie. Set up north in Darwin it shows some of the best of the outback scenery and certainly makes you want to travel to Australia. Join us on our Australia trip October 8 – 19 where we hike the Blue Mountains with an Aboriginie, explore the Outback, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, play in Sydney, kayak Byron Bay, raft in Queensland, ride horses along the beach and hold a koala.
Notes from the Trail
Halloween was a great time to be in Sedona. The weather was ten degrees higher than expected and we wore shorts every day. Renee even swam at Slide Rock! Newly retired Paula arrived on the Sedona Shuttle wearing her witchypoo hat and celebrated her birthday with us on Halloween. Ginny said “As I continue on my journey of self discovery I will remember you all and the adventures and laughs we shared.” Our Sedona trip is perfect for those who only have 5 days, for those with a smaller vacation budget and for those wanting a warm weather trip in the spring and fall that’s closer to home than Hawaii or the Caribbean.
Christmas in Sedona
At 4500’ Sedona gets about four snowfalls a year – usually no more than 4” but enough to make the red rocks especially beautiful. We have our fingers crossed for snow this Christmas. Many of us use stalks from agave cactus as our Christmas trees and wrap chili pepper lights around the branches. What we also see this time of year, are javalinas (see photo). Sedona is the northern edge of their territory, spreading all the way south to Argentina. Packs of twenty moms and babies tromp through our yards, nibbling what’s left of our annuals and knocking over our birdseed storage tins. The males travel in groups of two and three. Javalinas are also known as collard peccaries. In winter we also see more coyotes and roadrunners than the rest of the year.
2009 Trips
THANK YOU to all of you who traveled with Canyon Calling in 2008!
Wishing you a warm and safe holiday season.
Cheryl
funtrips@canyoncalling.com
928.282.0916
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