Friends Travel Adventures

riends Travel Adventures River Rafting through the Grand Canyon

A warm spring sun soothes your shoulders, a breeze misted by fresh water cools your face; and the world's greatest natural wonder swooshes by you in a whirl of stunning color and majesty. You're on a dream of a trip - rafting down the rushing Colorado River as it ribbons through the Grand Canyon.

Need anymore? How about learning from a master how to photographically capture the life and beauty around you? That's the ticket May 12 through 19 when Friends of Arizona Highways sponsors a river rafting Photo Workshop led by nationally noted outdoor photographer Gary Ladd.

Beginning at historic Lees Ferry, the eight-day trip will be a grand mix of quiet water and spirited rapids that winds up 280 miles later at Lake Mead. Stops along the waterway will include Redwall Cavern, Elves Chasm, Tapeats Creek, and, says Ladd, “nameless and seldom visited” photographic sites.

Ladd, who has photographed for publications including the Smithsonian and Life, says his special instructional misson will be to “patiently search out the inconspicuous but extraordinary and to devise new photographic treatments of magnificent side canyons.” Ladd says the ancient rock walls of the Grand Canyon will emerge higher and higher from the river throughout the trip, exposing formations as old as 100 million and even 1 billion years.

Following are more trips in upcoming months.

PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Ghost Towns/Old West; March 8-11; J. Peter Mortimer. Sonoran Desert; March 22-25; Randy Prentice. Monument Valley; April 5-8; Edward McCain. September 27-30; Marc Muench.

FRIENDS SCENIC TOURS WITH CELEBRITY HOSTS

Yuma; April 5-6; Marilyn Taylor.

WHEN YOU GO ART TOURS WITH SCOTTSDALE ARTISTS' SCHOOL

Canyon de Chelly; May 3-5. Grand Canyon South Rim; October 4-6.

SCENIC TOURS WITH RAY MANLEY

Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Grand Canyon; May 1-5 and October 16-20.

Friends of Arizona Highways offers a variety of ways to explore the wonders of Arizona. Photo Workshops led by our master contributing photographers provide picture-takers of all skill levels with hands-on instruction to help them take photos like those in the magazine. Friends Scenic Tours offer the bonus of “celebrity hosts,” magazine editors and writers who bring along their own special insight. Scenic Tours with Ray Manley are organized primarily for mature adults. And amateur artists will pick up tips from the experts on Art Tours with the Scottsdale Artists' School. Assistance provided by Nikon, Hasselblad, Fuji, and Image Craft. To inquire, telephone the Friends' Travel Office, (602) 271-5904.

Relive the exciting history of Arizona's boisterous boomtowns in the Arizona Highways book Ghost town authority Philip Varney brings to life the romantic vestiges of the Old West with intriguing anecdotes and a gallery of rare historical photographs. Regional maps, detailed travel information, up-to-date accounts of the locations, and a full-color photographic portfolio tell what each site is like today, and make this fascinating history of Arizona's mining boom a reliable travel guide as well.

ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS MINING CAMPS A TRAVEL GUIDE TO HISTORY

The 136-page softcover book is just $14.95 plus shipping and handling.

To order, use the attached card or call toll-free nationwide, 1-800-543-5432. In the Phoenix area or outside the U.S., call 602-258-1000.