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.

Ever get the incredibly calming feeling of having a Guardian Angel peering over your shoulder? The founding owner of Phoenix hiking tours operator Wild Bunch Desert Guides can relate to having a watchdog keeping her safe with every move she makes. Now, she honors the memory of her little angel with every step she takes guiding Phoenix adventure tours – and by showing off the natural beauty they experienced together on so many hikes in Phoenix and beyond.

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.

The Wild Bunch Desert Guides open a new chapter this week in their history of providing five-star rated Phoenix adventure tours. Founding owner Laurel Darren is turning her annual summer retreat into a working vacation by adding Colorado hiking tours in the remote tourist destination of Lake City CO. Here is a detailed look at the natural beauty to be discovered on the five trails offered in our new service.

So where do Phoenix hiking guides escape when they go on summer vacation? For the founding owner of the Wild Bunch Desert Guides, the remote wilderness wonderland of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains is the answer. The breathtaking beauty in the area surrounding Lake City serves as a superb summer home for those interested in the outdoors – whether fishing or hunting, or if hiking, mountain biking or climbing is your jam. Laurel Darren’s personal piece of paradise also is allowing her to make this summer a working vacation – and offer amazing, guided Colorado hiking tours this summer.

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.

When you're planning your hiking vacation in the Scottsdale area, you need to find a certified team to take you on your guided adventure. If you're looking to book a tour and find a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Keep in mind that your safety and any friends or family with you are most important when on a hiking adventure. More than saving a few dollars.

When hiking the beautiful trails of Arizona, a hiking guide makes the experience safer and sweeter. Seeing the Sonoran Desert on foot is truly an intimate experience when led by professional guides who know every inch of the trails.

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.”

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.

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.

With Spring Breaks fast approaching, there is no need to wait until “Selection Sunday” to choose the must-do adventure tours Phoenix/Scottsdale. If planning a “March Madness” dance to Arizona, these are the “Elite Eight” stops to make during your visit to the “Valley of the Sun.”

A pair of Florida teens have added new meaning to the old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” The duo are dedicated to ocean conservation, with their clean-up efforts turned into artwork sold to benefit environmental causes. After delivering their latest sculpture to Super Bowl LVI, the boys and their moms shared their “super message” during a Phoenix hiking tours pit stop on the way home.

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.

Wild Bunch Desert Guides owner Laurel Darren resolved long ago to avoid making New Year’s resolutions. However, she does have a 2022 promise for guests – the Wild Bunch will continue to offer the same great Phoenix hiking tours, Scottsdale mountain bike tours & superb customer service.

'Tis the Season for holiday hours, and Phoenix hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours are no exception. Wild Bunch Desert Guides do offer hiking and biking help on the holidays, though, to make your Christmas merry and New Year's celebrations happy..

A Yuletide wish granted for a Phoenix hiking tours guest turned into an unexpected and unlikely Christmas present for the owner/operator of the Wild Bunch Desert Guides.

What makes a Phoenix adventure tours owner thankful this Thanksgiving? Turns out, an awful lot since last year's holiday and, before that, the worst days of the COVID pandemic. Feast on these many blessings realized during Phoenix hiking tours and Scottsdale mountain bike tours.

To borrow the set up from a famous and much imitated advertising campaign: Plane tickets for a family of five to Arizona? $1,460. A week’s stay at one of those posh all-inclusive resorts? $5,200. A guided Phoenix hiking tour with the Wild Bunch Desert Guides? $575. The looks on the faces of your loved ones while hugging a cactus and witnessing the incredible otherworld landscape during one of these memorable Phoenix adventure tours? PRICELESS.

A group of West Point classmates recently reunited in the Phoenix area on one of the Phoenix hiking tours from the Wild Bunch Desert Guides. Witnessing the event reminded company owner Laurel Darren that every day should be Veterans Day, with our collective thanks to the military for their selfless service protecting our freedoms not limited to one day each November.

The Phoenix Metropolitan Area rates among the top communities nationally for hiking and mountain biking opportunities. Sun-kissed weather conditions allow for endless days of exploring the hundreds of miles of trails in the other-world beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The incredible variety of trails includes dozens of ADA accessible hiking trails suitable for every age and ability level. Everything from wheelchairs to walkers, and scooters to strollers can be used on these handicap hiking trails, which in turn allows every member of a family or group to experience one of the Phoenix hiking tours from the Wild Bunch Desert Guides.

Travelling with your dog and want Bingo by your side for all the unforgettable moments in the Valley of the Sun? This is not “Ruff Stuff!” You are more than welcome to bring Rover on one of our guided Phoenix hiking tours. Here are the rules and recommendations to follow to enjoy a dog friendly hike with man’s best friend.

What did I do on my 2021 summer vacation? Instead of a back-to-school story, this is my return-to-business tale. Here is how a return to competitive mountain bike racing has more than prepared me to tackle the challenges to come from the “busy season” for tourists at my small business of offering guided Scottsdale hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours.

What does a Phoenix adventure tours owner think of two tragedies in six weeks of unguided public hiking in Arizona’s triple-digit heat? Quite a lot, actually, especially in relation to the Scottsdale hiking tours offered by her Wild Bunch Desert Guides.

Beer, brats and Lederhosen are the usual fixtures at any Oktoberfest celebration. However, guided Scottsdale hiking tours and Phoenix mountain bike tours also are part of the party this fall in Arizona. Wild Bunch Desert Guides owner Laurel Darren observes her October Homecoming from a summer full of rest and relaxation that has recharged, refocused and reinforced her commitment to providing once-in-a-lifetime memorable Phoenix adventure tours.

The extended Labor Day holiday weekend is upon us. Time for picnics, cookouts, and all sorts of great get-togethers as we all work hard to have some last summer-blast fun. If considering a quick getaway this or any other weekend, guided Scottsdale hiking tours with Wild Bunch Desert Guides also is a perfect part of any couples retreat or family outing on the long break from the workaday grind.

Phoenix hiking tours with Wild Bunch Desert Guides are completely customizable to the desires of our guests. From trail difficulty to private group size to celebrating special occasions on the trail, every adventure is tailored to your wants, needs and wishes. The one unchangeable item in the summer, though, are early-morning start times. Read on to discover why.

So, where does an adventure tour company owner go on vacation to take a break from the workaday grind and seek their getaway thrills? The answer might surprise you! The providers of guided Phoenix hiking tours and Scottsdale mountain bike tours are just like everybody else when chasing the ever-elusive physical, mental, and spiritual healing powers of recuperative rest and relaxation.

So, you have hot summer vacation plans that include guided Phoenix hiking tours. Here is how to make sure instead of fizzling in Arizona’s legendary July heat, your adventure with Wild Bunch Desert Guides sizzles like an Independence Day firecracker. Hint No. 1: Start by crossing off an iconic Camelback Mountain hike.

Whether the calendar says July 4 or Nov. 4, an Arizona adventure tour is a great way to celebrate everything from a holiday to an anniversary, birthday, or another personal milestone. Guided Phoenix hiking or Scottsdale mountain biking also makes for a fantastic way to put a unique stamp on any corporate retreat, business event, family reunion or weekend group getaway. However, for the largest groups, hiking in the Sonoran Desert with the Wild Bunch is the best option and here is why.

Memorial Day is more than a long holiday weekend to mark the beginning of summer with an avalanche of activities. Mountain biking & hiking on Phoenix adventure tours is among the many freedoms Americans enjoy because of the sacrifices made by our war heroes. Never forget who blazed the trail to your fun.

A man with a prosthetic leg scaling Camelback Mountain. A first-time bike rider learning fundamentals on the fly. Guided Scottsdale hiking trips or guided Scottsdale mountain biking tours with either the famous or the fascinating. These are the Eight Great Memories from my company’s Phoenix adventure tours.

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 Wild Bunch Desert Guides are offering an online booking discount along with the annual roll out of special summer start times for the safety of our guests from June 1-Oct. 1. Read on to get discount details and understand how a highly rated Phoenix adventure tour company handles the heat of the summer.

I am posed with this question often: When friends or family visit from back home in the Midwest, where does a Scottsdale adventure company owner take them for a Phoenix guided hike? The answer: The same places I like to walk my dog – and the Wild Bunch Desert Guides take our guests! Here is my list of all-time favorites, though.

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.

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.

Life is an adventure, but especially when you own an Arizona adventure travel tour company. The demands of the industry make long-term personal relationships a tough business. An understanding significant other is a requisite for success in both business and love.

When the CoVid-19 pandemic began a year ago in March, I was worried the dream of owning a small business was over for me. However, my Arizona adventure tour company not only survived, but is thriving a year later – and I have a front-line job to thank for saving my small mom-and-pop specialty shop, as well as my sanity. Here’s how I got from that perilous Point A to the paradise of Point B.

“Selection Sunday” is fast approaching. Spring Break also is upon us. If planning a “March Madness” Spring Break dance to Arizona, these are the “Elite Eight” adventure you must consider during your visit to the vaunted “Valley of the Sun.”

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.”

A cancellation policy is a necessary protection for a small business in the service industry. However, as an Arizona adventure tour company owner, I am torn by putting myself in other people’s shoes when a last-minute cancellation crops up. We all have been there as a customer, right? But there have been a few nightmarishly notable reasons for a strict 48-hour no refund policy in the past for the Wild Bunch Desert Guides.