Although we are fairly well-traveled, my wife and I have spent little time in the Southwest. So, based on the strong recommendation of friends, we just returned from a guided tour of Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Lake Powell. In a word, fantastic! And just as important as the sights themselves was our guide, Cory. With his upbeat attitude, excellent knowledge of the wonderful places we visited, boundless energy and terribly corny jokes (which we all loved), he deserves to be called The Perfect Tour Guide.

Before things really got started, my wife and I added a day on the front end to see and volunteer at Best Friends, the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country. Being an animal lover, I could write a book about how wonderful the place is, how they have almost 4,000 acres of land, take care of over 1,000 cats and dogs, plus horses, birds, etc. If you have the time, it's a great experience and renews your faith in basic human goodness. It's a special kind of place.

The base of operations for the tour is a quaint B&B in Kanab, Utah. Kanab, a tiny town whose excellent dining options are an indication of how many tourists go through the area, is geographically well-situated to visit the sites in easy day trips. Our tour took place the first week of October, and the weather was perfect--chilly in the morning but quickly warming up to the 70s by lunchtime. If I repeat this experience in the future, I would probably target this time of year again.

I won't waste your time in a pitiful attempt at describing the beautiful and mind-blowing scenery, although I will say Bryce Canyon was my favorite, with the Grand Canyon a close second. One reason I liked Bryce Canyon so much was what we did afterward: we went on an ATV ride that turned us all into kids again! It doesn't matter how old you are, tearing up the side of a giant sand dune will have you laughing and yelling like idiotic teenagers! To top it off, the turnaround point of the ride is a large slot canyon that narrows to the point you can only hike through it single file. The entire day was magical. Everyone loved it.

Although there were a few walks up mild grades at high altitude--close to 9,000 feet at Point Imperial--nothing we did was what I would term physically demanding. There were 10 of us on the tour, all in the 60 and up age group, with a broad range of physical abilities. Kudos to Cory, who effortlessly managed the hikes, etc., and maximized the experience for everyone.

Before I forget, I have to mention the delicious breakfasts at the B&B, prepared by Berlinda. I think my favorite was the biscuits made from scratch. No, on second thought it was the thick slices of bacon. Or maybe the pancakes. And I forgot to mention the frittatas! Well, let me put it this way: you're not going to starve to death on this tour.

One word of caution: the dryness. My wife and I are from Florida, where the humidity is often above 90%. If, like us, you're not used to extreme dryness, be prepared to double up on the skin lotion. Your sinuses might bother you a bit as well. Small price to pay to see what we saw.

This is way longer than any other review I might undertake to write. But I want to stress how excellent a job Cory--and his lovely wife, Tiffany--have done to make the experience unforgettable. And they are truly nice people.

Thank you, Cory and Tiffany, for making this so special!!

We just completed our second tour with Cory, and he provided our group with a comprehensive tour of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. (Last year we joined Cory for the tour of Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon.) Cory is very attentive to the group's requests and needs, and is fully committed to delivering a memorable experience. We are planning to have our group reunited next year for a tour of Moab!
Thank you Cory & Tiffany!

We just finished a fabulous vacation in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Cory was a fabulous guide, and so much more. Our small group was perfect for a wonderful experience, Cory was great at accomodating everyone's wishes and needs. We didn't have to worry about anything, it was all taken care of. The sights were great, he knew where to go to look for animals, the right time of the day to visit the different sights and we had so much fun being with him. Can't wait to sign-up for another trip next year.