Tour Director’s Travelogue
While 2020 has been challenging for our adventurous spirit, Globus followed our adventurous heart and took to the open road last month. Globus travelers joined veteran Globus Tour Director Steve Osten to explore America’s Canyonlands on our first North American tour since Covid delayed our wanderlust. This Canyonlands Escape tour delighted our fellow explorers with visits to our magnificent National Parks, including Bryce Canyon, Zion, Moab, Arches, Capitol Reef, and the Grand Canyon. We are thrilled to say our 2020 pioneering adventure was a safe and smashing success. Here is Steve’s report from the road!
Getting back on the road with a trusted tour operator like Globus was so good for the soul! Knowing that the Globus team spent countless months preparing on how to travel safely at this time with the best protocols for our safety and comfort made the trip a pure joy. The Globus team worked closely with hotels to ensure social distancing and that rooms were absolutely clean and safe for our guests. Our adventure began in Las Vegas, where our hotel and venues delivered thoughtful ways to keep us all safe with a separate dining area designed for social distancing for our guests.
We educated our guests with daily videos and polite reminders about safety procedures. But even with all the safety protocols being carried out, we had fun, enjoyed one another, and we were able to experience some of the most incredible national parks on America’s Canyonlands Escape.
Setting off for our much-needed adventure were just 29 of us, including our fantastic driver and myself, who enthusiastically took to the open road from Vegas with lots of space to spread out on the coach. Along our way to explore some of America’s most spectacular National Parks, our guests were awesome traveling companions, showing a camaraderie and respect for each other that made the whole experience a true pleasure. There were plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” from kindred spirits who were so happy to escape to the open spaces with open minds and hearts.
I’ll never forget the sheer joy and wonder on our guests’ faces. For the first time in several months, we were out in nature, enjoying the geologic beauty of our national parks and the happiness that travel brings. At Bryce Point, we all were overwhelmed by the vast and endless scenic beauty in front of us. Driving the Hogback ridgeline and onto Larb Hollow Overlook was nothing less than enchanting. Hiking with everyone at the Windows Section of Arches National Park was simply exhilarating, and the countless panoramas from Dead Horse State Park left us speechless. Monument Valley conjured scenes from classic westerns like She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Stagecoach, and we enjoyed exclusive educational and cultural experiences with our Navajo guides who shared the incredible Teardrop Arch hidden deep in the canyons.
The grand finale to our Canyonlands Escape was none other than the Grand Canyon itself, where we were able to split up into small groups of 10 to explore the beautiful scenery. We all celebrated our remarkable American road trip with a fantastic farewell dinner fit for royalty. Dining at the grand old Swiss Chalet perched on the canyon’s rim in the El Tovar Lodge was the perfect way to end our happy adventure. We just can’t wait to get on the road again!
I will always remember the joy this group brought to one another and our unequaled tour operations team who made our trip a great experience after so many months of being grounded. We felt like kids on our last day of school before summer break! – Steve Osten
