“I am attaching a document to help you train for your hike into the canyon,” the email said. I was a bit shocked – a training plan? I know I wasn’t supposed to take hiking in the Grand Canyon lightly, but I had never before had a tour operator be so thorough and serious about […]
“I’m going to play you something,” my rafting guide Mike said to me. It was just the two of us as my other raftmates were in the kayak. Mike, a 40+ year veteran of the Colorado River set down his phone near me in the raft and I heard the familiar sound of Vivaldi’s Four […]
I’ve never owned a home. I like architecture, but I’m not well versed in it. So, when I was told that I ‘had’ to go visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous homes Taliesin and Taliesin West, I answered, “Ok, but I don’t really know who he is.” Note: This is probably not the way to start […]
Scottsdale Arizona is one of those cities that has lots of things to do for every type of person. But one thing it’s particularly exceptional in is art. There’s public art walks, museums and galleries galore, and even the restaurants are creative! Here is a list of things to do in Scottsdale for an art-lover, […]
I’ve been in deserts all over the world, however it’s a landscape that is foreign to me. I grew up in the Midwest and never really thought I’d actually see a desert – it was as far off as the ocean was to me as a kid! As an adult I’ve come to learn that […]
In an effort to bring you some new voices on Ottsworld, here is a guest post from writer Sherry Spitsnaugle. Sherry has written for me before, so I’m thrilled to have her back to tell this story about her first horse riding experience. I can certainly relate to horse riding fear, I was bucked off […]
Speeding down the open highway signs quickly zip past your window. As we drove from the Grand canyon to Antelope Canyon we saw many scenic overlook signs that caught our eye. My favorite part about road trips is the complete freedom you have to stop anywhere, anytime. And, as an avid photographer, I wanted to […]
I heard a rustle in the bushes and immediately tensed up; what if it was coming after me and would attack without reason? I imagined big fangs and sped up my strides. Suddenly I heard a noise above me, I stopped; looked up and wondered if I should run for cover. Everywhere I looked there […]
I close my eyes and shut off my brain’s internal GPS system; when I re-open them I see a foreign land. Surrounding me is barren, red landscape stretching out as far as my eyes can scan; random alien-like rock formations are peppered throughout and clay colored mountains are in the distance. There are no trees, […]
