Swept Away / Family Values
Grand Canyon Whitewater Rafting
July 3- 10, 2005
(Spans July 4th Holiday)
A FAMILY “OUTING”
Families! We all have them in one form or another—families
we were born into, ones we married into through our choice of life partner,
those we gave birth to, significant others, and those we created through
close bonds regardless of blood ties. Sometimes families are difficult
to live with, but imagine how empty our lives would be without them.
Whether your memories of past family vacations
are painful, pleasant, or absent, this is your opportunity to raise
the concept of a family outing to a whole new level! Toto Tours is pleased
to reintroduce a “Family Values” tour after several years'
hiatus.
This is the first time we have opened to families
our most popular trip—Whitewater Rafting in the Grand Canyon.
Whoever you consider special in your life is welcome—partners,
parents, siblings, children (age 16 and up), other relatives, and even
best friends. We guarantee that you could never experience a more bonding,
uniting, thrilling and awe-inspiring family vacation than this one!
Swept Away is
our sellout, action-packed Grand Canyon expedition, billed as the Ultimate
Whitewater Rafting Trip in the U.S.A. You soon find out why as you float
and plunge your way through 200 miles of the most dramatic rapids in
the country, surrounded on all sides by the most eye-popping scenery
anywhere!
The Grand Canyon is awesome! When we put
in at Lee’s Ferry, the walls are a mere hundred feet or so above
the river level. As each day progresses we cut deeper and deeper until
they tower one verticle mile above our heads. The walls of the Grand
Canyon provide an incredible view of geologic time, stretching back
as far as 200 million years. Perhaps nowhere else on earth has such
a geological record been so clearly exposed.
This adventure has been created with your
safety as our first priority. It is not a paddling expedition; you are
not required to do anything other than hang on tight. Our 15-passenger
rafts are long and oval-shaped, with stabilizing pontoons fastened to
each side. They never flip over, even in the most difficult rapids.
In addition to these safety considerations, motorized rafts enable us
to see much more of the Canyon than would be possible if we had to paddle
through the many slow flatwater stretches.
Part of each day is spent hiking, exploring
side streams, viewing Indian ruins and relaxing in scenic grottoes.
Our guides know the Canyon intimately and select beautiful hikes featuring
idyllic swimming holes and spectacular waterfalls.
This unique family outing is limited to
30 participants and is filling fast. It may not be offered again for
several years, so we encourage you to reserve today to guarantee a coveted
space on this family vacation of a lifetime!
GETTING THERE
The easiest way to get to Cliff Dwellers Lodge, where we spend our
first night, is to fly to Las Vegas and from there take a 90 minute
flight with Vision Air direct to the landing strip at the Lodge. This
flight is not included in the tour price, and costs $190. After you
register for the tour and notify us that you intend to fly to the starting
point, we will make the air reservation and bill you separately. Vision
Air will pick you up at the Las Vegas International Airport on the day
of departure. If you arrived in Vegas a day or so early, return to the
airport using your hotel’s airport shuttle.
Another way to get to Cliff Dwellers is
to drive, but only if you can bring your own car and leave it there
for the week. The lodge is out in the wilderness with no rental car
return facilities nearby. The Lodge provides a protected parking area
for your vehicle while you are on the river. We send a map with directions
to the Lodge once you inform us of your intention to drive. We fly you
back to your car at the Lodge when the trip is over.
Note to Flyers: The flight from Las Vegas to Cliff
Dwellers Lodge will probably be one of the most excfiting of your life!
You see Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from the air, and have spectacular
views over the Grand Canyon for much of the flight. However, these small,
twin-engine airplanes can respond to every updraft, and provide a ride
not unlike that of a roller-coaster. If you have the slightest doubt
about getting airsick, please take precaution of ingesting some dramamine
before takeoff.
ITINERARY
Sunday, July 3, 2002
Arrival at Cliff Dwellers Lodge
Arrive at Cliff Dwellers Lodge in Marble Canyon, Arizona, by late afternoon
today. Those who are using Vision Air should arrive in Las Vegas no
later than 2:00pm in order to make connections to your shuttle flight.
Those who are driving should plan to arrive at Cliff Dwellers by 5:00pm.
Gather for a brief orientation by your
Toto Tours escort and your river guides, followed by dinner. Our outfitters
will distribute equipment and collect the National Park Entry Fee of
$10. You’ll have time this evening to visit the Lodge’s
canteen and purchase sodas, wine and beer, plus any additional personal
items you may still need. (All Meals
Included, from Dinner July 3rd through Breakfast July 10th)
Mon. – Fri., July 4 – 8
Colorado River Rafting
After breakfast this morning at Cliff Dwellers, we transfer by vans
to Lee’s Ferry. There we are issued life jackets (which must be
worn at all times aboard the raft) and introduced to our crew. After
loading our gear and hearing a brief safety talk, we get underway.
A typical day on the river goes like this:
You awaken early with the aroma of campstove coffee in the air. Pack
your personal gear and take it to the shore near your raft. An active
vacation in the wilderness stimulates the appetite, and our creative
cooks will amaze you with the quantity and variety of food at each meal.
After a hot breakfast, dishes are cleaned and a “duffle line”
(like a fire brigade) forms to load the equipment and our personal gear
on the rafts.
There are typically a few stops for hiking,
exploring, and swimming each day. Lunches are “picnic” style.
As the sun disappears over the rim in the late afternoon, we pull over
to a sandy beach to make camp for the night. Everyone helps with a few
routine tasks as soon as we pull in. Another “duffle line”
unloads the gear, we put the “kitchen” together, draw a
few buckets of water for cooking and cleanup, then take personal gear
to a sleeping spot for the night.
The crew sets up toilet facilities (you
will never sit on a “throne” with more spectacular views!)
and prepares dinner while you arrange your gear, socialize, explore
and/or perform your personal ablutions. You will find it easier to take
an afternoon bath in the river rather than in the morning. The temperature
of the Colorado River is in the low fifties year ‘round, and it
is much easier to tolerate the numbing plunge while the Canyon walls
are still radiating heat at the end of the day.
After post-dinner cleanup, engage in beach
games, seek out a quiet spot to meditate, write in a journal or just
watch the magical transformation of the Canyon’s hues at sunset.
You’ll be astounded by the number of stars visible in the clear
desert sky! Campfires are not allowed in the Canyon, but that never
stops a group of Toto Tourists from gathering after dark to talk about
the day’s adventures, tell stories and further cement new friendships.
Saturday, July 9, 2005
Farewell Activities
Today we experience the plunge through Lava Falls. A few miles downriver
make camp one last time, near the landing pad where a chopper arrives
in the morning to lift us out of the Canyon. It is traditional on this
final evening to show our gratitude to the crew, who have brought us
safely over many miles, and who we have adopted into our family along
the way. Unusual accomplishments, daring feats or remarkable faux pas
of the tour participants are sometimes highlighted in an award ceremony
or a “roast.” These events always amaze and delight. We
will present a collective tip to the crew at this time.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Departure
Early this morning we are whisked by helicopter to the Bar 10 Ranch,
several miles back from the Canyon rim. If you left your car at Cliff
Dwellers Lodge, we fly you back there this morning.
Otherwise we fly you back to Las Vegas and shuttle you to the airport
for your home-bound flight.
IMPORTANT: Do not make any plane reservations departing
the Las Vegas McCarron Airport earlier than 2:00pm today. Vision Air
will try to have you back to the airport by noon, but will only guarantee
1:00pm. Reserving any ongoing flight scheduled to depart before 2:00pm
is at your own risk. Vision Air and Toto Tours cannot be held responsible
for missed flight connections.
|
