AdventureBus Passenger Profiles

AdventureBus passengers come from all over the US and the World. They are lawyers, teachers, singles, retired, musicians, moms, dads, kids, hikers, bikers, photographers, but most of all Adventurers! No matter what their background, they all have one thing in common; they all want to experience the inspiring beauty of the West with other fun and interesting people!  See for yourself!
Where are you from? Kentucky originally but I'm living in Tucson now.
Occupation? I'm still collecting rejection slips for my fiction writing but during the day I'm a supervisor at an ad library where we provide summaries, images & occurrence data for clients wanting to track their competition.    
How did you hear about AdventureBus? I was newly divorced & working as a child support caseworker when I stumbled upon the AdventureBus website while searching for some kind of getaway. 
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour? Since I've been on the bus 5 times, I think it's pretty obvious that there a lot of things I like about your tours. There are always interesting people & beautiful places but I think my absolute favorite thing is that you take care of all the details. I love camping & getting outdoors but if it's up to me to do the planning, it's probably not happening.   








 

 

 Hansa Bloomquist's Profile
Where are you from? Oslo Norway
Occupation? Live-Sound Engineer
How did you hear about AdventureBus?  Internet

What tour? Fat Tire Dreaming June 05 & May 06
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour? Learning bike skills from our guides Rob and Colleen…I love you. And Stephanie J you are amazing. Your food is excellent and your new buss driver Curtis is doing a great job  
Rick Van Wicker's Profile
Where are you from? 
-Long Island, NY
Occupation? 
-PE/Health teacher and coach
How did you hear about AdventureBus?
-Internet search
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?
-The combination of the places we went and the things we did, while sharing it all with such great people from all over the globe.  The experience was truly one that I believe could only be had on the AdventureBus.  I would never trade it for a hotel.
 

Rick hiking at Grand Canyon

Pete and Melissa in Monument       Hiking in Grand Teton.
Valley.

 		 Peter Toftey's Profile
Where are you from? Minneapolis, Minnesota
Occupation? Import Transportation for large retail company
How did you hear about AdventureBus?     Internet
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?              All the great hikes!
Mindy Samay's Profile
Where are you from: I live in Cleveland, Ohio.

Occupation: I work in Corporate Communications for one of the largest banks in the U.S.

How did you hear about Adventure Bus: I found it in a search online, and then heard that my sister’s co-worker had just signed up for a trip!

What was your favorite thing about your Adventure Bus tour: There’s just too many to name, but here’s a few. Awe inspiring sights and hikes through the hoodoos at Bryce, around the Great Sand Dunes, down to Navajo National Monument. Waking up to an incredible sunrise at Monument Valley. Hiking at my own pace or with one of the interesting people I’ve just met. Eating (a lot) of terrific food. The adventure of it all.

 

Carol and Carl hiking the Narrows in Zion.

Carl and Carol on their 2nd AB tour, North to Yellowstone, Aug 2007. We helped them celebrate their one month anniversary!

Carol Strimple's Profile
Where are you from? Greenfield, Indiana
Occupation: As little as possible, but mostly play w/our cats, clean house, travel, and totally enjoy life.
How did you find AdventureBus?
Was surfing the net for a tour of the Canyons, especially Zion, and came upon the AdventureBus website.  I was immediately hooked, and called the number to set up a tour.
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour? Gosh, that is a hard one, as there were many favorite things about the trip.  Guess it was the people involved.  We had a great time together.
                    ______________
Carl Clear's Profile
Where are you from? I was born and raised in Missouri but have lived in Indianapolis, Indiana area for the past 28 years.
Occupation? I have worked as a senior technician for a large Recreation Vehicle Dealer here in Indianapolis since I retired from the Army in 1980.
How did you find AdventureBus? Carol twisted my arm and made me go on the trip with her otherwise I may not have heard about the adventure bus.
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour? The best part of the trip was the relaxed camping feeling and the outdoors enviroment. Loved it all. Thanks for a wonderful trip.
Chris Milito's Profile

Where are you from? New York, NY

Occupation: Attorney

How did you find AdventureBus? 
I met a guy from California while in a hotel in Florence. We started talking about the Great American West and he highly recommended the ABus outfit. I checked out their website while in Paris and a brochure was waiting for me when I got back to New York!

What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?
Driving south from Jackson Hole and listening to Neil Young as the sun set over the Tetons.  A stunning moment.
 

Chris "Hank" Milito

Katharine Bichard, rapelling near Morning Glory Arch near Moab, UT

 Katharine Bichard's Profile
 
Where are you from? 
Fulham, London, England

Occupation: Lawyer
How did you find AdventureBus? 
On the internet - a google search I think.  I knew I wanted to explore the West and wanted to do it on a fun group bus trip so narrowed down my choices from there.

What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?

I came away bursting with energy, feeling healthier than ever before and burning with a desire to explore even more. Memories of the view from the top of Angels Landing, sunrise at Monument Valley, shooting stars, camp fires, S'Mores, rapelling off stone arches, rafting the Snake River, spotting bison, moose and grizzlies.  The great people, delicious food, and amazing landscapes.

 
Jim Cannon's Profile
Where are you from? Englewood FL.  Occupation: retired federal fire fighter  I spent 7 years growing up in southern Calif. How did you find AdventureBus?
I remembered camping out in the dessert in the winter time and wanted to start doing it again. The only problem is my wife (not a hiker or camper) did not want me to do it alone so I started searching the internet. Found some outfits that were twice the price as Adventure Bus and some that stayed in hotels. Then I came across Adventure Bus. It sounded great and the price was also great.
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?
 It offers just the right amount of adventure where you don't have to be in top physical shape. Stephanie and Ardell are really great people and the food is fabulous. I would highly recommend their trips to any one that loves the outdoors and camping but where you don't have to take ten mile hikes.  

Jim feeds the Oatman Burros
on a Death Valley Tour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Souliere's Profile
Where are you from?  We live in Williamsburg, Va

Occupation:  Health and Physical Educator/Coach 
How did you find AdventureBus?  We looked on the internet for a western adventure. I was thinking dude ranch and then saw all the cool things that are offered on the Adventure Bus! 
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?  I do not know if I can say there was one thing. It was all great. I would say a definite top of the list would be the "people." Stephanie and Ardell
were amazing. They seemed to know how to pace the group where it was laid back but adventure at the same time. I love that my family got to meet people on the bus with various background, experiences and personalities. I also loved the locations. There is not a week that goes by that I don't think of some of the most beautiful sites we had the opportunity to see. The food was amazing. I still think about the yummy food. I think that for me personally my all time favorite was that it allowed me quality time with my two boys. My husband was in Iraq at the time. We had a long year with out him. The trip on the adventure bus was an experience that brought my boys and I together and a memory we will all treasure.

Charlie & Jennie Steele's Profile
Where are you from:  Hawthorne, CA
What we do for work: 
Computer programmer; Marketing VP
How we heard about Adventure Bus:  So many years ago, we forget!  We're
adventure tour obsessed...
What tour:  Fat Tire Dreamin' - October 05
What we liked best:  Navajo Stew!  No, seriously - the utter joy of not having to worry or plan anything once we're in your capable hands.  I loved so much about our trip:  learning new skills on Gooseberry Mesa, the Disneyland ride that is Thunder Mountain; hiking in Arches National Park; the Unimog ride in Moab; Slickrock Trail!

Joan Hemlich's Profile

Where are you from?
Florida

What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?

Our last trip in August 2006 (#4) was just great!  I was really relaxed and enjoyed everything so much.  It was especially nice to know what side trips I wanted to go on, but I’m not sure I’ll do the horseback trip at Bryce Canyon again.  It was great and beautiful, expert guides with a lot of knowledge about the area, but I just wasn’t in good enough shape.  Well, maybe I’ll try it again.  You never know.  I especially loved the Navajo stew that Ardell did.  Super fantastic!!  Of course all the food was good all the time.  I’ve already started planning my next trip for next summer.  Not sure which one I want to do, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know.
Mark and Rebecca Cox's Profile
Where are you from?  Sunbury, PA
Occupation?  High School Communication Arts Teacher
How did you hear about AdventureBus?  I found AdventureBus after searching for a trip to go on in the western part of the US.
What was your favorite thing about your AdventureBus tour?  Which time?  My first memory scary at first, but humorous later) was seeing this safari van and a guy looking like he had a really rough night walking toward us from the Luxor parking lot in Vegas saying, "You looking for AdventureBus?"  After loading up and heading out, this character named Ardell passed this box of packaged cinnimon buns around and said, "Here's breakfast!"  Although I thought we were in trouble, the next few days of the Super Loop were awesome.  When we arrived back at Las Vegas, Rebecca and I renewed our wedding vows at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel.
 
Our second tour was Go North! The Tetons, Jenny Lake, and Old Faithful!  The beauty!  Although I did not see any grizzlies, but I did see that same crazy Ardell retrieve his hat (that was blown off by a gust of wind) from underneath a moose standing along the trail in the Tetons!  I also enjoyed the white water rafting in Jackson Hole.  Rebecca and I both thought this was great.  We saw eagles soaring and awesome scenery.  I decided to stay for a second week, even though Rebecca had to return home to work.  Bryce, Zion, and Moab.  There was also a trail run down into the Canyon!  I am amazed by the panoramics of the west.
 
Year three - Rebecca and I traveled the second half of my last year's tour.  Not only did we once again love Zion and Bryce, we shopped Moab for decor for our kitchen that we had just redone.  Great metal work, pottery and more.  The evening ride in the Unimog over Fins and Things and Hell's Revenge took me to places I never imagined.
 
Year four - Trail of the Ancients - This year I was thrilled and saddened.  What happened to these advanced people?  Why did they leave?  But what an awesome place these people had to call home!
 
From fireworks to forest fires, white water to natural water slides, canyons to mountains, Monument Valley to Sin City, AdventureBus has taken Rebecca and I all over the region.  Dreams of leaving this coast for the mountains, lakes, arches and valleys in the Western US are played over and over in our minds.  Although we were unable to travel AdventureBus this year over the 4th of July, we attempted to call and wish the tour a happy Independence Day!  AdventureBus has changed our perception of the world we live in.  Thank You AB!
 


Mark and Rebecca at Emerald Pools
Zion National Park