TourTheSouthwest.com LLC
         Your Source for "Custom Designed Private Tours" of the West & Southwest USA

TESTIMONIALS

"Dear David, We had a wonderful trip and saw all the magnificent things we had hoped. Huge thunderstorms rained out Lower Antelope canyon but we visited Upper and got some great photos We had wonderful tours through Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge and Capitol Reef. What a great guide we had! Ean was always right there, always on time, did all that driving no problem which we never could have done ourselves, knowledgeable about the area, always friendly and helpful, a pleasure to be with. Now we have lots of lovely photos of our own of these magnificent sites to remember the trip. The last 2 hotels (Bluff and Torrey) were our favorites. Thank you for making all this possible." ~ Louise and Anthony Troutt

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"I just wanted to send you a short note to let you know that Kathy and I really enjoyed our trip last month. We saw a lot of amazing scenery and beautiful country. One of the guides, I believe it was at Antelope Canyon, described it as 'natural art' and I certainly agree with him, that’s a very accurate way to describe much of Arizona. Ean was great. He was very obliging, full of information, and pleasant to spend time with. Thanks for a great trip, we’ll remember it for a long time." ~ Randy and Kathy Gramlich

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"The family all had a Great trip, one exciting adventure after another. Can not express our gratitude! Thank you." ~ Joe Abate (Seven-day tour for a family of 20)

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"Hi, Christian....We have been enjoying looking at our pictures (about 4500 in all), making prints, and reminiscing about the experience. I am working on two albums: one of the trip and one of great photos in general. Thank you for a wonderful time. You made it all possible with your energy, enthusiasm, and kindness. It was such fun getting to know you, and I hope we will have the opportunhity to tour with you again." ~ Ginger Parsons & Lloyd Eby
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"Our guide escorted our family of 17 through the most wondrous adventure. Over a week on the road, with 3 generations aged 17 to 75, all were fascinated by an array of sites, vistas and adventures. The guides local knowledge and engaging disposition combined to make our trip incredibly enjoyable for one and all. I hope to travel again one day with this remarkable guide." ~ Dennis Frank, La Jolla, CA
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"We wanted to be in some very specific areas of the Southwest: the Hopi and Navaho reservations around Monument Valley. I wanted to have Navaho tacos in the Tuba City truck stop, where I ate 30 years ago (we did it, and it is now a bigger restaurant). We wanted to stay in the Goldings Trading Post in Monument Valley, where I had stayed also 30 years ago. We wanted to enter into Monument Valley, so David found us Navaho guides (Belaganas cannot guide in the Navaho Nation). The Navahos took us up to Hunts Mesa, cooked dinner and breakfast for us, set up camp and were so congenial and wonderful. The most exhilarating experience I had was climbing to the mesas in a suburban SUV that sometimes looked like it was going to go out on a glide down to the bottom of the Valley Then we wanted to go to Arches, Zion, Brice, the North Rim and so on. Altogether, I think that we spent 10 days, but I wish it had been more. That was the trip.

The organization: That was David’s job. All I can say is that it was outstanding. Anything and everything that we wanted to do, David found a way to set up for us. Of course that is his job, but he did it quickly and efficiently from the very beginning. Some of our wishes were more demanding than others, as for example the initial part of the trip in the Reservations, but he always found a way and everything worked out to perfection. I recommend David’s outfit without hesitation and with the highest degree of enthusiasm (this is a phrase that we use in Academia to indicate that we are one thousand percent behind a person).

The delivery: That was Christian Young’s job, and I am copying him this email, as well, for the same reason that I copy David. Christian was the epitome of the best guide that you can ever find.He knew his way (save for getting out of the Phoenix Airport), but otherwise he took us everywhere, had the SUV ready every morning and our itinerary ready to discuss, to the point that we thought that he didn’t sleep, because the tank was full when we would get up and he had done his homework by then, choosing the best way to go, informing us of all detail, with printed information as to what was good to see and where to stop for lunch, or dinner, information about where we would sleep etc. He is very photography-savvy and gave us a lot of pointers to do good photos, especially on the sunset and sunrise on top of Hunts Mesa. He was easygoing, friendly and with a great sense of humor, and believe me, in a trip like this, the worse possible trait is to have a guide that can’t laugh! He taught us how to hike without losing our breadth, he knew the geology of the area and was very well read on the various formations that we saw, he was companionable and also knew how to leave us to ourselves. I have only praise for him. I am 70 years old, Ying is considerable younger. Christian managed to make us look more on a par when we hiked. He again, I recommend with the highest possible enthusiasm and without reservation." ~ Ying & Alvaro Puga

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"Nature made the Southwestern United States the most spectacular scenery in the world. TourTheSouthwest.com made seeing it a well organized pleasure." ~ George E, New Jersey
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"Our guide made our family trip with a group of 17 easy. His knowledge and insight enhanced our enjoyment of an awe-inspiring vacation." ~ The Lisk Family, Bridgewater, NJ
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"Timeless moment to treasure. A renewed sense of spirituality from the hoodos of Bryce, the Ancients of Cliff Palace on Mesa Verde, early morning quite, to the Navajo Maiden at dusk in a rock amphitheater at Monument Valley singing in her native tongue "God Bless America" - says it all. ~ Teri Lee, NJ & Florida
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"Thanks for showing us so many amazing sights. This was a trip we will never forget." ~ The Doris Family, Rockaway, NJ
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"TourTheSouthwest was very knowledgeable and helpful photographically. We arrived at great spots for awesome sunrise and sunset viewings at appropriate times. It was a great trip and we have some spectacular pictures." Terry and Nancy McGrew
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"I recently took one of the Grand Circle Tours of the National Parks of the American Southwest with TourTheSouthwest.com. My main purpose for taking the tour was to photograph the canyons of the Southwest. I could not have picked a better company to do that with. Our guide was an accomplished photographer with the knowledge of the right spots to photograph from. It was a great tour of the parks with a guide that knows them inside out and backwards as well as places of interest between the parks. He also knows the history and geology of the area and that of the Native Americans that have inhabited the Southwest for hundreds of years. The trip was as awesome as the natural grandeur and beauty of the parks. I can highly recommend TourTheSouthwest.com." ~ Ron Pruss, Sterling Hts., MI
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"My students and I are so happy we came across your page: http://www.tourthesouthwest.com/links.htm. Your page has offered us some great resources (on the grand canyon) that we were able to use in my tutoring class.  Thank you!" ~ Jessica @ ColoradoTutors.org
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"Thank you sooooo much for our wonderful travels!!!! I'm still missing the scenery of the southwest and all of the members in our tour and you. David guided us to the Grand Circle Tour for 8 days. He also took us to the place where we could find petrified woods. It was an adventure for me. I was fascinated by all of the scenery every day. They were incredibly beautiful. David was a really nice guide and photographer, and he was always attentive to each of our needs. His preparation was perfect every day. In addition, he was flexible about our tour. English is my second language, so I couldn't catch all of the English. However, David and other nice traveling companions always took care of me. Thanks to their kindness, I could have great time. I really appreciate all of them. I won't forget our nice tour forever. It is a kind of adventure for people who don's speak English as the first language to join the local tour. However, David always takes travelers to wonderful nature with his interesting talk. I'll join his tour again someday! Than you so much for giving your nice tour!" ~ Miyuki Sakamoto, Japan and Canada
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From the Pantagraph.com, Bloomington, IL newspaper; 6/12/2011 Doctor Makes Rare Finds at National Park Visits

"When Horng defines "best," he means the most photogenic. The region's rough terrain transforms into beautiful landscapes at sunrise and sunset. Because the point was to record the best digital images possible, Horng hired guides from www.tourthesouthwest.com who were photographers. They short-circuited the trial and error normally needed in nature photography. They knew the location of the best scenery and the best times to view them. For example, despite its name Sunset Point, the guides knew the light was best to photograph the spot at sunrise. Because they were familiar with each place, the guides also could make suggestions based on experience on what aperture settings and exposures to use."

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"We had the good fortune to be guided by David Menne of Tour the Southwest, for a most rewarding four days to the Grand Canyon's North Rim, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park. David is pleasant, professional, prepared, principled, and prudent. He knows every aspect of the southwest, including its history, geology, all the interesting nooks and crannies, photogenic spots, where to eat, acceptable bathrooms, and routes to avoid crowds. He is sensitive and attentive to the needs and desires of those he conducts. This was one of the few occasions when a tour was all that we had hoped it would be." ~ Dr. and Mrs. Harvey E. Finkel, Brookline, MA
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"Coming from Australia to ski in Colorado, two friends and I decided we also wanted to see some of the true America. We had spent more that 20 hours on the Internet researching and getting nowhere. However, our luck changed, when we came across TourTheSouthwest.com. After two phone conversations, we decided David Menne was our man...and he was.

We went to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation, Canyon de Chelly, the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert. Instead of flipping through guide books, missing the scenery and points of interest, we sat back in comfort, while David showed us so much more than we could have found ourselves. As we traveled, David picked up on our interests such as architecture and drove us to the extraordinary hotels of Mary Coulter, someone I'd never heard of previously but now I'm a huge fan.

After two weeks of the best skiing we'd ever had, four days in the national parks could have been a letdown. However, we completely forgot the skiing and were totally immersed in a relaxing, fascinating, educational experience. This was due to David's preparation, his wide knowledge and very pleasant personality.

Thanks David for a really memorable experience!!" ~ Catherine Ward, Sydney Australia
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"We did not quite know how to do a Grand canyon trip in 2 days arriving by train with two small lads. David talked with us about what we liked (and did not like!) and was able to arrange an itinerary that was diverse and spectacular! He was sensitive to the kids' needs and interests and engaged them with his wonderful stories and side trip to look for dinosaur bones and tracks. My six year old daughter said that she was going to miss him - and my kids arn't impressed by many adults.

He managed everything so we could just relax and enjoy. His experience and knowledge is so impressive that we could discuss any question or interest we had! He even shopped and bought snacks we liked along in the car. It was a wonderful trip and as my daughter said, we had a great time in Arizona, especially because of you, David." ~ David and Danielle Zucker, producer, writer, director, actor
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I am so thankful for this past week of touring the Southwest. I've been stretched and challenged. I am thankful for the excellent guidance through Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, and Arches National Parks, Monument Valley, and more. What a privilege to behold these inexpressible beauties. Most of all, I'm thankful for being inspired, through these places, to worship God. ~ Hilda Tecklenberg, Ellenboro, NC
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We have just completed the 7-day scheduled Grand Circle Tour, and I don's believe we could have found a better way to visit the great national parks in the Southwest. We felt so privileged to be with a small group (5) of very congenial people and to have an extraordinarily experienced, knowledgeable, gracious and sensitive guide. Our days were filled, not only with the typical sights at the various parks, but also with visits to other, little-known places of special interest or beauty. We also very much appreciated our guide's understanding of geologic features and theories of formation. Our thoughts were repeatedly turned to the greatness of our Creator God. ~ Paul Tecklenberg, Ellenboro, NC
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"Do you want to see the Southwest as only you can experience it, on your own schedule, at your own pace, tailored to your physical abilities and wallet? Hire Tour The Southwest with David and Martha Menne as your tour guides and driver. My Grand Circle Tour of 2100 miles over 9 days was absolutely perfect. Everything was planned for my taste, including the accommodations and my limited physical ability (No Hiking!). David is quite an expert about the area, including geology, beautiful vistas, the best places for photos, and, if you wish, canyon hikes and river rafting. Martha knows her roadside wild flowers. It was just great!" ~ Cornelia Baker, Hawleyville CT
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"Thank you for being such a wonderful tour guide for our family... Ed: I had reservations about paying for a guide, but it was money well spent. David knew exactly where to take us without wasting time figuring out what was next. I was intrigued about the information he knew and the facts about the lake that once covered the ground near Grand Canyon. Karen: ...the facts about petrified wood (we love our rocks), the condors, and the measurements of how deep and long the Grand Canyon is was so amazing. We never would have had the learning experience and stories without you. With a family our size, you were very hospitable, flexible, and kind. We treasure our time at the grand Canyon. Even the small things were a blessing from God: the antelope, coyote, elk and condors. Ben (5): Mom, you know that man that is our leader? Why does he know everything? Gabe (6): It was awesome looking at the grand Canyon. Julie and Amy (22, 20): David was friendly and he felt like family. He knew how to answer every question we had. He was like our grandpa. Holly (10): I was glad he was there to tell us the stories of Grand Canyon and then show us. Mary (14) He made it all exciting from a Christian view. Anna (12): Mr. Menne explained things very well in detail so we could understand them..." ~ Karen and Ed Graves, Tyler Tex
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"Hallo David, coming back from our long vacations we just wanted to thank you for the trip you organized for us in the South West in July. We had a wonderful time, everything went smoothly, and we appreciated very much the assistance, competence, discretion and effectiveness of Jason. He definitely was the person we have wished to have with us!! Thank you and best regards" ~ Emilia, Denis and their three French-Italian kids, from Paris.
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TourTheSouthwest guides are terrific. They really know their stuff. My husband is leagally blind and has a bad back and they designed a tour that accommodated all of our needs so that my husband and I were completely able to enjoy our trip and missed nothing we wanted to see. We went to many parks and other sites of interest, including the Hopi reservation, as we had requested. Each stop was planned and timed in a way to make things easy for my husband but still allow us to fully partake of all the wonders of nature and Indian history. Their choices of places to stay and eat were perfect and the dining spots were reasonably priced as were the accommodations. I have recommended them, including to my own relatives, and will continue to do so. We could not have been happier. This is a very personalized service in which you will see everything you hope for plus more that the guidebooks don't tell you about. ~ Bob & Linda Lerner, NY, NY
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"My wife and I toured Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon starting from Flagstaff with David, including a half-day of horseback experience among the monuments with a Navajo guide. David went out of his way to be sure we had the best the region had to offer, and not only were the accommodations wonderful, David’s knowledge and passion for the area, its rich history and geology, and his ability to explain what we were seeing made the trip one of the best we have ever taken.

David has a kind and professorial nature, like your favorite graduate teacher, he was patient and very familiar with the surroundings. He was willing to take us out of the way to see and teach us special things from petro-glyphs to perfect sunsets, meals to geologic theory, and science to anthropology. He also had flawless weather prediction capabilities! We found we simply could not wear him out! His enthusiasm and patience, foresight and planning, even his snacks made us feel very well considered to the most minute detail.

David is flexible, friendly, and particularly helpful with tips on photography. He miraculously showed up to take photos of us on several occasions on the horses, and has a lot of insider knowledge of this gorgeous area. He has stimulated a great urge for us to return for more! Our next trip will be longer and involve more parks; it will not be with anyone but David! We had a fantastic time. You are the best!! ” -Jeffrey Rose, MD, Clayton, MO
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"The tours were great. We really enjoyed our time in all the parks. Private tours certainly enhance the experience. Ron was especially knowledgeable. We appreciated his extensive experience in the area. It was particularly nice of him to hike around with us in the snow and cold! Thanks for arranging everything for us. I will definitely recommend you to any clients I have who are planning trips to the Southwest." - Sherry Riggs, Travel Solutions, Louisville, Kentucky
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"David, I am now back home with all the usual day to day issues to distract me. Despite this my mind does drift back to the fantastic 4 days we had with you in March. I feel compelled to write to thank you for such a great trip through North Arizona and all its wonderful sights. The obvious preparation & planning you put in ensured everything went smoothly. Your knowledge of the area gave us an insight & understanding of both the natural & personal history.

Thank you again & look forward to the opportunity to travel with you again." - Paul Ward, Sydney Australia
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" Our family of three – two grandparents and a teenage granddaughter – spent six days in January touring Utah, Arizona, and Nevada with Tour the Southwest.com. We were a little concerned that we had chosen to visit this part of America in the winter, but how wrong we were! Certainly, the days were cold, but there was no wind, and the snow highlighted rather than hid the wonders that we saw. It is difficult to say what was the most impressive, the sight of the incredible rock formations etched with snow set against brilliant blue skies, or the expertise and consideration of our guide.

Thank you, David, for making our holiday so memorable. Your planning was flawless, your vehicle perfect for our needs, and you were good company at all times. Your vast knowledge added enormously to our experience. We can not imagine any way in which the tour could have been improved." - Joy & Bob Wilson, Kensington, Australia
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" VISIT TO ZION NATIONAL PARK, BRYCE CANYON AND THE GRAND STAIRCASE OF ESCALANTE WITH DAVID MENNE

We spent a truly wonderful few days with David. We were extremely impressed with his professionalism. He tailored the tour to meet our needs exactly and was prepared to work every minute of the day from pre-dawn until after dark to ensure that we had the maximum benefit and enjoyment from our trip. David is clearly a gifted photographer who has an amazing ability to see and compose a special photograph and he made the effort to take us to some outstanding locations unknown to most tourists. The most important aspect of the trip was that David was prepared to share and teach his skills, pointing out features which enhance the shot such that we learned a lot from our tour and returned home with many interesting photographs.

Many thanks David – we hope to see you again some time." -Alan and Linda Battersby, UK
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" Just wanted to let you know that our trip to Canyon de Chelly met all expectations and more. Your guides were outstanding. Wish we had a week to spend with them. You can be sure we are planning trips back to the area... The Navajo guide...was also outstanding. It was a perfect day, perfect trip, with such wonderful and knowledgeable people. Thanks so much for arranging this for us. We walked away with memories that will stay with us always." - Maureen L., Falls Church, VA
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" We had a wonderful trip!! We plan to return in October. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed his commentary very much. We would go with him in a 'New York Minute'. Thank you for all your assistance." - Arlene and Norm Tucker, Sun City, AZ
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" We recently enjoyed a tour of the Grand Canyon with a terrific and erudite guide. He has a vast knowledge of the area, the population, the history, and the flora and fauna. I feel as if I gained post-graduate credit on that one-day journey (I happen to be a college professor!). I have recommended him to my parents as well as others. You can look forward to hearing from more of us. Thank you very much!" - John and Lisa Hader, Chicago, IL
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" Before another week goes by, I must write to let you know what a wonderful day we spent with our guide. Our tour through Monument Valley was everything we had hoped for, and more. His knowledge of the culture and geology of the area, and his joy in sharing it made the day one we will rank as a highlight in all of our travels. We feel our lives were enriched beyond measure in those hours we spent with him. We would not hesitate to recommend TourTheSouthwest.com to anyone who might be interested. We look forward to future opportunities of touring with you again. Thank you most sincerely." - George and Kay Wiggins
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" I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding tour to Monument Valley that TourTheSouthwest.com led for our family - your breadth of knowledge about the area was impressive, informative, and made our day in the Valley the absolute highlight of our Western trip, and your love for the land made a deep impression on all of us. We will most certainly recommend TourTheSouthwest.com to our friends and neighbors traveling to Arizona, and when we come out there again, as we most certainly will, we hope you can lead us on another tour. It was a wonderful experience to have as a guide someone who not only knows the region, but who so obviously loves it. Again, our thanks." - Steve Hirsch, Phoenixville, PA
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" Thank you for organizing such an excellent weekend. James and I both enjoyed our time very much and we learned a huge amount from our really wonderful guide. He left us both convinced that we had only scratched the surface of the wonders to be seen in Arizona, and we both intend to return." - Anton Kearsley & Dr. James Whit by, United Kingdom
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" I wanted to thank you for a lovely trip to the Grand Canyon. We will always cherish the memories that you gave us. Last night Dwayne and I watched a television special on the history of the El Tovar Hotel and the Grand Canyon. They interviewed the Grand Canyon artist you were telling us about, Bruce Aiken. The show was very interesting and exciting since we were just there." - Mary and Dwayne Meadows, Wake Forest, North Carolina
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" We shared our van with one of your guides last week on a trip to Flagstaff and I want to let you know what a great and informative trip it was! Had we undertaken the day ourselves, we would have missed hearing and understanding what was going on in the surrounding lands. Our 12 year old listened to your guide for hours (worth the price alone :-)) and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. We wound up having to drive the entire way back to NC because of the recent events and flight cancellations. We all wished then that we could have kidnapped him for the LONG drive through New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, etc., simply to add perspective and history to the landscapes that we passed through and knew nothing about! We are not normally "guide directed" people but when we return, you can bet that we will schedule more days and request his services again!" Thanking you again! -Steve, Theresa and Tommy Filarsky (NC), Jenny Brown (GA), Jane Filarsky (PA)
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" Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much we enjoyed spending three days on tour with you last week. We have been to Arizona and the Southwest before, but you made it very special for us this time. We received a real education. It was thoroughly enjoyable. You were the real highlight of our trip and enabled us to really "see" Northern Arizona for the first time. We'll be back for sure." - Daniel and Nora Cardone
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"You really made our trip the most fulfilling of all trips we have ever taken. My pictures were super. We were so lucky to find you. Thank you so much for making our first trip to Flagstaff Arizona one to always remember. We will be back." - Betty and Richard Burton
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" Just a note to thank you for a pleasant and informative trip into Hopi land. My daughter and I will enjoy telling our friends all we learned." - Larry and Kathy Beach
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" We enjoyed your country, especially 'Grand Canion'. We never forget that great view. We plan to visit America again. Thanks a lot for the wonderful day. Take Care! From Japan with Love." - Seiji & Akie Fujinaga
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" Near the end of August we booked a tour of Monument Valley for myself and the kids. I just wanted to write and let you know that everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a great deal to boot." - Linda Bennett, Irvine, California
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" Wanted to let you know everyone is still raving about our Labor Day Weekend trip to Monument Valley. Everyone has commented that they knew we would have a good time, but this was beyond all expectation! Our tour guide was magnificent. He was kind and considerate and very knowledgeable about the area and the native cultures. We especially liked Coal Mine Canyon. We also enjoyed visiting the Hopi village. We appreciated the places he took us to eat. Daniel and Jerome were amazing Monument Valley tour guides. We thoroughly enjoyed their humor and their knowledge. It was heavenly when we sat around the rocks and listened to them play their music and sing their songs.

I could go on and on forever. It was truly an unforgettable vacation. We have lots of pictures and will treasure the memories. Thank you so much for working with me to make this a memorable event.

I hope to do business with you again in the future." - Kaayla Taylor, Scottsdale,
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The vistas of TourTheSouthwest's Grand Circle tour is a poem written by a hand much larger than mine, and the path selected by the guide reflects an impressive grasp of art, geology, history, science, language, psychology, and mathematics. Amazingly, after returning home yesterday, I've received invitations to other participants' homes. This speaks to the personal attention and education provided by our guide. If you are looking for a tour that defies your expectations, I recommend TourTheSouthwest.com. ~ Nancy Tyson, Decatur, GA
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"Hallo David, coming back from our long vacations we just wanted to thank you for the trip you organized for us in the South West in July. We had a wonderful time, everything went smoothly, and we appreciated very much the assistance, competence, discretion and effectiveness of Jason. He definitely was the person we have wished to have with us!! Thank you and best regards" ~ Emilia, Denis and their three French-Italian kids, from Paris.
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