Posts for Category Mountain Biking

• Phoenix hiking tours a real winner by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  04/13/2024... The road to a national championship ended this week in my backyard. Congratulations to UConn for beating Purdue to cap a dominating run to a repeat title in the Division I men’s college basketball final. My Wild Bunch Desert Guides were blessed to host a number of guests in town for the Final Four including the operations crew in charge of the ladders for the trademark cutting down of the nets by the winners. However, hoops was hardly the only golden activity in the Sonoran Desert with five-star rated guided Phoenix hiking tours & guided Phoenix mountain bike tours offered daily.
• Winning selection: ‘Elite Eight’ of Phoenix adventure tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  03/11/2024... “Selection Sunday” is March 17. Three weekends after that, “March Madness” for college men’s basketball concludes with the “Final Four” in Phoenix. If making a fastbreak to the Valley of the Sun for “The Big Dance” – or even visiting for spring training baseball or Spring Break from school -- here is an “Elite Eight” list of must-do Phoenix adventure tours.
• New year, renewed resolve for same great Phoenix hiking tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  01/09/2024... So, how did you spend your New Year’s Eve? Did you watch one of the many TV specials to catch the famed ball dropping in Times Square? Maybe you went out for dinner or drinks or dancing (or a combination of those activities) with friends or family? Was there an epic party at your house or somebody else’s home that will never be forgotten? Perhaps there was a fireworks display to help mark the turning of the calendar? However you celebrated the moment, here is wishing this was the start to your best year yet in 2024 -- and that before, during or afterward you found some personal time to review the previous 365 days and take stock of your many blessings. The only New Year’s resolution the owner of Wild Bunch Desert Guides annually makes is to look back with gratitude to the people and experiences who were part of another memorable trip around the sun.
• Phoenix mountain bike tours on a roll by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  11/22/2023... The details differ dramatically. And there is no question who you’d prefer rapping to the laidback beat. But I can’t help but sing along in agreement when Ice Cube concludes in one of his biggest songs, “It was a good day.” That 1990s hit summarizes simply and perfectly an epic 24 hours recently for this little old owner of a Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours guiding company.
• ‘Family’ makes Phoenix hiking tours great by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  11/06/2023... From Goodfellas to the Godfather trilogy, I love all mob movies and TV shows. The most famous scene from them all is so legendary it has been aped for comedic relief in a number of programs from a wide variety of genres – including in the TV mob classic The Soprano’s. Surely you have seen Al Pacino, as a mentally tortured Michael Corleone in Godfather III, complaining about his failed attempts to leave the mob life. “Just when I thought I was out,” the countless Pacino impressionists have said with a rising level of anger, “they pull me back in!” I hate to admit I felt that same sort of anxiety initially while needing to help a friend with a Phoenix adventures tour last spring. However, the experience reminded me what’s great about both our relationship and a certain iconic challenge in our industry.
• Be my guest on Phoenix hiking tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  10/24/2023... Everywhere I went this summer during vacation in Colorado, I kept hearing the name and seeing the brochures of Irwin Guides -- the rags-to-riches adventure tour company that turned into a billion-dollar international business. Since I am the type of person who believes in signs, I finally stopped wrestling with the decision and went ahead to follow my fate by booking a mountain bike tour with Irwin. I am SOOO glad I did!!! By becoming a guest again instead of a guide allowed me to take a long hard look at myself and my own Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours outfit.
• Reasons to remember our Phoenix hiking tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  09/14/2023... As the movie “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion” made hilariously clear, “Post-It Notes” are one of the greatest inventions of all time. Some people also use desk calendars, written to-do lists or magnetic notepads on the fridge to remember the most crucial – but easily forgotten -- details in their life. Still others utilize the “Reminders” Apps on their phone or computer to recall these essential but maddeningly escapable action items. Whatever your chosen method, though, be sure to jot down somewhere these most important facts about Phoenix hiking tours if considering an unforgettably memorable, once-in-a-lifetime adventure with the Wild Bunch Desert Guides.
• Phoenix hiking tours: Early birds avoid the heat by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  07/29/2023... Arizona’s annual blast furnace is back in the national headlines. Already known as the hottest big city in America, Phoenix is experiencing a record-smashing heat wave that has created havoc, including third-degree burns for victims unfortunately coming into contact with the broiling pavement. So, how do Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours manage such sweltering conditions?
• Avoid Phoenix hiking tours last-minute challenges by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  04/04/2023... For the second straight year, the Phoenix adventure tours season has been one for the record books. But while 2022 was memorable for a seemingly endless stream of bookings, the 2023 calendar year has been remarkably inconsistent and maddeningly unpredictable. The most troubling trend? The rise of last-minute requests for guided Phoenix hiking tours and guided Phoenix mountain bike tours.
• Kids Day every day on Phoenix adventure tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  03/23/2023... The thrills rival any amusement park roller coaster. The surroundings are more beautiful than any theme park, too. If only your kids could be part of the unforgettable experience you are enjoying with the Wild Bunch Desert Guides! (Sigh) … But wait! They can! Avoid being the parents who mistakenly leave the children back at the resort! Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime family outing together on either guided Phoenix hiking tours or guided Scottsdale mountain bike tours.
• Phoenix hiking tours wins with Super team by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  02/11/2023... The top two teams in the NFL square off Sunday in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium right here in my backyard in Glendale. However, with all due respect to the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, the best team in Arizona this weekend can be found as usual in the Sonoran Desert showing visitors the best of the old Southwest. The Wild Bunch Desert Guides deliver once-in-a-lifetime experiences on their championship-level Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours.
• Phoenix hiking tours safest Super Bowl bet by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  02/02/2023... The long-awaited matchup is set. For the first time since 2017 – and only the 14th time in history – the top seeds from both the AFC and NFC are meeting in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Feb. 12. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are squaring off in what should be an instant classic right here in my backyard at State Farm Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Ariz. So, everybody asks these days, who you got? My politically correct answer: I’m rooting for everybody to have a “Super” time during their visit to the Valley of the Sun. But if you are a gambler looking for some action? Here’s the hottest inside betting tip in town -- Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours with my Wild Bunch Desert Guides is a fun-in-the-sun proposition I like to call “Laurel’s lock.” We are even offering a “Super” discount for hiking with us – whether or not you are in town for the NFL finale!
• Phoenix mountain bike tours a good call by ref by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  01/16/2023... Nobody loves the referees, it has been suggested, except by their families and friends -- and that's assuming those officials stay away from working a game involving a favorite team of those loved ones. If so, Wild Bunch Desert Guides owner and operator Laurel Darren is a notable exception – and for one very good reason after one of the Phoenix mountain bike tours she guided recently.
• Phoenix hiking tours: Happy New Year! by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  12/31/2022... Laurel Darren resolved long ago to avoid making New Year’s resolutions. However, the Wild Bunch Desert Guides owner does have a 2023 promise for guests. Her small mom-and-pop specialty shop will continue offering the same great Phoenix hiking tours and Scottsdale mountain bike tours made famous by five-star reviews. The Wild Bunch draws those raves regularly for homespun hospitality, superb customer service and customizable adventures.
• Merry Christmas, Phoenix mountain bike tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  12/23/2022... Christmas came early this year for guests booking Phoenix mountain bike tours with the Wild Bunch Desert Guides. But while first-timers and curiosity seekers surely failed to realize the holiday magic, repeat riders and veteran off-roaders lit up like Christmas trees upon finding out.
• Date Night ideas in Phoenix? Try Phoenix adventure tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  12/05/2022... The perfect pairing of comedic geniuses Tina Fey and Steve Carell makes the mistaken identity and madcap misfortune in the movie “Date Night” a truly hilarious experience to watch. But make sure to avoid a sad sequel yourself – especially when looking for romantic things to do in Phoenix during your next vacation or couples’ getaway. Here are some super cool Date Night ideas in Phoenix from the owner of five-star rated Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours. Best yet, this list of things to do in Phoenix for couples offers real-life adventures better than any film can conjure up.
• Sunrise or sunset: Phoenix hiking tours shine by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  11/12/2022... “Don’t let the sun go down on me” was one of Elton John’s biggest hits in the 1970s. A George Michael cover of that classic also was a No. 1 worldwide smash in the 1990s. However, the tune has completely changed for guests on Phoenix hiking tours. Instead of pining about a curtain-dropper, Valley of the Sun visitors celebrate the ultimate showstopper splashing a palette full of Easter egg-colors on their once-in-a-lifetime vacation memories.
• Vote for Phoenix hiking tours fun by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  11/01/2022... Tired of all the campaign ads on TV? Weary of the non-stop political rhetoric? I’m Laurel Darren, the owner of Wild Bunch Desert Guides, and I approve this message -- because I’m asking for your vote when the ballot addresses fun for the whole family. After all the venom and vitriol leading up to Election Day 2022, we all could use a getaway to get unplugged and get back to nature with our loved ones on one of our Phoenix hiking tours or Phoenix mountain bike tours.
• Phoenix hiking tours: No tricks; just a treat by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  10/18/2022... Phoenix hiking tours or Phoenix mountain bike tours from the Wild Bunch Desert Guides are a real treat for guests of the small mom-and-pop specialty shop. Totally private, completely customizable experiences stressing safety and homespun hospitality make these Phoenix adventure tours a great addition to Trick-or-Treat buckets any time – not simply this Halloween.
• Things to do in Phoenix in February by Laurel Darren - Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  10/08/2022... Arizona’s “Valley of the Sun” is a popular destination for everybody from Snowbirds to Spring Breakers to escape the worst of the winter weather. That has helped make Phoenix the epicenter for a “Frantic February” of annual events ranging from Major League Baseball’s spring training to the PGA Tour’s party-hearty Waste Management Phoenix Open to the world-renown Barrett-Jackson Car Collector Auction. But whatever your reason for visiting one of the world’s top vacation destinations, here are some travel tips and things to do in Phoenix February 2024.
• A ‘Dream Team’ behind Phoenix hiking tours success by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  09/26/2022... Jordan. Bird. Magic. Those first ballot Hall of Famers were among the biggest name standard bearers of the NBA's first Olympic basketball "Dream Team." The members of my personal "Super Squad" are hardly household names, but their love and support has helped me get through the toughest of times -- and turn my Phoenix adventure tours into something truly special.
• Phoenix hiking tours: ‘Nightmares on Cactus Street’ by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  09/15/2022... From “Psycho” and other classic Hitchcock thrillers to Stephen King chillers such as “The Shining,” horror films consistently rate among the most popular of movie genres. The great horror director Wes Craven often spoke of the feelings of fear, dread and danger as an addictive elixir keeping fans clamoring for more on the big screen. People simply seem to love sitting in a darkened theater on the edge of their seats for a rollercoaster ride of shocking surprises whether watching monsters, killers or psychological thrillers do their worst to unsuspecting victims. However, neither Freddy Krueger nor Michael Myers nor Pennywise is what keeps me up at night these days.
• Phoenix hiking tours: How I spent my summer vacation by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  08/25/2022... The Labor Day Holiday weekend used to be the finish line – and that still is a week away. However, the final strains of summer vacations have already played out in much of the country. So, what did your favorite Phoenix adventure tours operator learn during her working summer break from Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours? Offering Colorado summer hiking tours for the first time has brought back a lot of memories – and revealed some key differences.
• ‘Groupies’ limited on Phoenix hiking tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  08/08/2022... Movies such as “Almost Famous” and “The Banger Sisters” put Rock N’ Roll groupies in the spotlight. However, this Blog addresses “groupies” of a different kind – with corporate outings, both large and small, trickier propositions than one might think for Phoenix hiking tours and Scottsdale mountain bike tours. That is especially true for a small mom-and-pop specialty shop with limited resources such as the Wild Bunch Desert Guides. Group outings for Camelback Mountain hikes are also impossible for any Phoenix adventure tours operator of any size because of safety concerns.
• Phoenix hiking tours: Here comes the Boom! by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  07/02/2022... Fireworks are the major attraction on the Fourth of July. However, an Arizona adventure company owner offering Phoenix hiking tours and Scottsdale mountain bike tours loves Independence Day for so many other reasons. Here are some thoughts as beautiful as all the colorful explosions across the sky this holiday.
• Summer Phoenix hiking tours: Why so early? by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  05/25/2022... Sweltering heat dominates summertime activities in Arizona. Phoenix hiking tours and Scottsdale mountain bike tours are limited to early morning hours to avoid the worst of the triple-digit temperatures. Adventure tours guides also take advantage of this downtime to take much-deserved vacations during this June 1-Oct. 1 offseason.
• Phoenix hiking tours: Sun still shining by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  04/10/2022... I am a huge fan of the Rocky Balboa film franchise and its fictional philosopher in the boxing trunks. Among the many gems I was reminded of so far this year? “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows,” the Rock has said. During the busiest of busy seasons for Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours, I also got to successfully test his theory that life is “about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
• Group mentality of Phoenix hiking tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  03/23/2022... With new COVID cases recently dropping down to zero, Arizona tourism thankfully is what’s spiking in the Valley of the Sun. Phoenix/Scottsdale adventure tours are experiencing the busiest busy season many can remember. But the glut of guests has created a large problem for large group and corporate outings seeking Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours. Here is the fix for the Wild Bunch Desert Guides.
• Phoenix adventure tours: Cheers to ‘frequent flyers’ by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  03/12/2022... The song from “Cheers” is absolutely right. People do love “to go where everybody knows their name” – because everybody enjoys being made to feel important and special with superb service and tremendous treatment. That is why repeat patrons are a sure sign of success in any service industry. “Regulars” become the core of any great business by showing great loyalty to their favorite people, places, and products. However, for Phoenix adventure tours, “comebacks” become extended members of the Wild Bunch Desert Guides family – just like these folks featured in our latest Blog.
• Adventure tours Phoenix/Scottsdale: It’s a wonderful life by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  01/31/2022... Despite mounting troubles, George Bailey concluded in the classic Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Wild Bunch Desert Guides owner Laurel Darren discovered the same truths during some recent personal challenges away from adventure tours Phoenix/Scottsdale – and she has several Angels to thank for that.
• Scottsdale mountain biking becomes a Mother’s Day gift by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  05/09/2021... As a tour guide and adventure company owner, I feel my gift is being chosen to play pathfinder to people’s personal journeys by showing them amazing sights, incredible scenes and even discovering something about themselves in the process. Instead, the gift was all mine to receive countless times over during a Scottsdale Mountain Biking visit leading into Mother’s Day from my friend -- the inspirational adventurer, motivational speaker/author, and Social Media sensation known as The Mirnavator.
• 'The kids are all right' on hiking & biking tours by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  04/11/2021... The scenery is unbelievably beautiful. The experiences are unforgettably memorable. If only your kids could be part of your guided Phoenix hiking trip or guided Scottsdale mountain biking tour. But wait! They can! Here is how families can enjoy the same thrills together with the Wild Bunch Desert Guides.
• Hiking or Mountain Biking in Phoenix? Watch for these ‘Easter Eggs’ by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  04/04/2021... Easter comes only once per year, but the Wild Bunch Desert Guides offer an “Easter Egg Hunt” of a different kind daily in the Phoenix Metro area. From Flora to Fauna, Arizona’s Sonoran Desert boasts all sorts of colorful and exotic sights not seen elsewhere. And those cool plants and animals are just waiting to be discovered, too, during a guided hiking tour or guided mountain biking trip.
• IF YOU BUILD IT: 'Field of Dreams' realized through business, friendship by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  02/27/2021... A chance meeting with a top baseball executive has led to a wonderful friendship and annual spring training tradition for the Wild Bunch Desert Guides. While I have reveled in the career successes of “Mr. Diamond” -- including a huge promotion after winning the 2016 World Series with my childhood team and home-state Chicago Cubs – he has been incredibly supportive of my small mom-and-pop specialty shop’s steady rise, too. Suffice to say, we have enjoyed the ride since our first mountain bike meeting in 2015, and become each other’s biggest fan while building our personal “Field of Dreams.”
• An adventure guide walks into a coffee shop … (no joke!) by Laurel Darren, Wild Bunch Desert Guides
  01/28/2021... A chance meeting with visiting multi-media specialists TOTL turned into a glorious day of mountain biking in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. A mutual-admiration society also was formed that day in the Phoenix area, as well as a wonderful promotional video produced for my small adventure tour company, Wild Bunch Desert Guides. But more than anything, the experience served as a great series of lessons learned by this small business owner.