Acting on Your Fantasies: Women's Adventure Travel in the Southwest

Acting on Your Fantasies: Women’s Adventure Travel in the Southwest - by Cheryl Bruedigam

Recently I heard a psychologist talking about acting out one’s fantasies. What a lovely idea in terms of self-fulfillment, growth, creativity and pure enjoyment. The thought kept going round and round in my mind. I would push it away, forget about it, only for it to resurface some time later. It got me to thinking about all of the things I would like to do, all of the lives I would live in one lifetime if I could. As a travel writer, I realized that there are many avenues for self-exploration such as this through workshops, tours, and other means. Photo courtesy Sedona, AZ Chamber of Commerce Many opportunities for women's groups abound in Sedona	Photo - Staff Want to be a biker chick? Feel the wind in your hair, wear a halter top? Hop on a Harley with Santa Fe’s Ride the Dream Tours. Custom three, four and five day programs covering as little or as much of the southwest as you can handle. Groups are limited to ten. Prices range from $1995 to $4900 and run year-round. Beautiful southwest scenery, exhilarating rides throughout New Mexico, Arizona, California, Utah and Mexico. For the trip of your life visit www.ridethedream.com and schedule your fantasy ride today.
For instance, the Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, sponsors a “Women of the West,” package at the Bellota Ranch east of Tucson. The package includes accommodations, local transportation, three meals per day, horses, chaps and five days of instruction and riding. The package includes horseback riding, team penning, roping classes, a nature program, hiking, a massage, and horse whispering with Tom Chambers. What more could a fantasizing cowgirl wannbe want? They even throw in a campfire, entertainment, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Rates for this six night program: $1,800 per person. Rates include all activities, meals and massage. These rates are also subject to 8.1% state taxes and 15% service charge. Each session will be limited to a maximum of 8 “gals”. Advance reservations are required. To become a "Woman of the West" please call Tanque Verde Ranch reservations at 1-800-234-3833 The Lear Luxury Package from CopperWynd Resort Photo courtesy Murphy O'Brien Public Relations	Photo - © Pavel Reband Fancy being a singer or playing guitar? Why not grab your guitar and take a cozy trip to a rustic mountain lodge, like The Lodge in Red River, New Mexico? While at The Lodge, pop in on a Thursday night for open mic night at The Motherlode Saloon just next door. A landmark on Main Street, the Motherlode is a great place to unwind, meet friends, two-step or just enjoy the feel of an old-town saloon and while you are at it, get in a few notes of your own. Visit them in June and you may just see the likes of Leon Russell. What a fantasy, you performed on the same stage as Leon Russell! The Lodge at Red River is a full service hotel with seasonal rates ranging from $42 - $225. Reserve your room early, some rates require a two or three night minimum stay. For reservations or more info visit them at www.lodgeatredriver.com
Or want to travel like the rich and famous? At least for a weekend? Traveling in luxury is always the best way to go and if you can enjoy your own private Learjet, stay at a luxurious resort, spa, dine and relax, then the sky’s the limit at CopperWynd Resort and Club. The resort is offering a A Lear Luxury trip to remember with a private Learjet, luxurious accommodations and a day trip to Sin City. The Lear Luxury package pampers the traveler who wants the very best and includes the following: four days, three nights of accommodations; two spa treatments; dinner for two in CopperWynd’s restaurant Alchemy; three breakfast’s for two in Alchemy; private flight in a Learjet to Las Vegas and seven hours of ground time in Sin City; two round trip transfers via town car to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport; and round trip via town car to Scottsdale Airport directly to the Learjet. The package costs $7500 plus tax, based on double occupancy, and is available through Dec. 31, 2007. For more information, visit www.copperwynd.com or call (480) 333 1900 . The CopperWynd Resort and Club Photo courtesy Murphy O'Brien Public Relations	If you are into nature, a Sierra Club service outing may be just the perfect thing. Live like a ranger, an environmentalist or an outdoor biologist for a few days or a few weeks. At the end of a week, participants can look at a stretch of a new trail, or a newly fence-free wildlife area and know they have made a real, lasting difference for the environment. Sierra Club service trips are a great opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. Trip participants work in cooperation with park rangers, form a special bond with a natural area, and often are able to access areas that are off-limits to other visitors. The Sierra Club offers 80-90 service trips per year, with about 1,000 participants. Prices in 2007 range from $295 to $1,645 and many are based in the southwest. However, 80% of their service trips are priced under $600. Most trips last 7 days. Of these, at least 1-2 days are “free,” to participate in an organized activity or just enjoy your surroundings as you choose. For more information visit www.sierraclub.org/outings/national Sierra Club Outings backpacking trip Photo Credit: Nick Vasquez
Is the artist begging to come out of the closet? Try a workshop with New Mexico’s Leigh Gusterson in her Taos studio. Paint Taos landscapes outdoors on location, incorporating subject matter such as horses, sheep, old trucks and adobe churches. Two afternoons in the studio will provide space to look at your creations and work on finishing them. You will also be using breath and yoga poses to find your quiet still place from which to create. All levels welcome. 10 students max. $450. Supplies and lodging not included. Visit www.leighgusterson.com or email Leigh at leegee@newmex.com, or call 505 751 3402 for more information or to register. Taos lodging facilities are abundant and range from charming casitas, vacation rentals or hotels. Visit Guidebook America’s Taos Accommodations Directory for a wide selection of lodging. Taos Artist Leigh Gusterson and one of her paintings, Dogs' Day Out	If you are fantasizing riding the rapids, the Singing Waters Women's Spiritual Raft Trip down the San Juan River, guided by Laura Theimer and Christa Sadler, May 16 – 20, 2007, in spectacular Southern Utah may be one way to go. A float trip with 14 women on an extraordinary journey of personal exploration. As you journey down the San Juan, you will enter a world of dramatic red rock, textured by time into alcove, cliff, and canyon. While there will be ample time for the exploration of side canyons and the exhilaration of whitewater rapids, the focus of the trip will be on using this outward journey to access your inner self. The fee for this retreat is $1,275. Lodging for the Singing Waters retreat will be at the Desert Rose Inn in Bluff, UT. The trip is sponsored by A Woman’s Way retreats in Sedona, Arizona. For more info on this and other retreats visit their website at www.awomansway.com photo courtesy Sedona Chamber of Commerce Go to www.visitsedona.com for ideas and tours
Or would you prefer photography? If you are an advanced amateur photographer wanting to develop your own signature style and you fancy an artistic approach, one of Santa Fe Workshops spring classes features Joyce Tenneson leading the class in, “Developing and Promoting Your Signature Style.” Tenneson is famous for her subtlety, beauty and simplicity in portrait photography featuring women. She is considered one of the 10 most influential women in the history of photography. Her work has been shown in exhibitions worldwide. In the workshop, Tenneson works individually with participants to address their work and their goals. The next workshop featuring Tenneson is scheduled March 4 - 10, 2007. The cost is $995 and includes meals. Accommodations are available on site and in Santa Fe. Lab fees and some supplies not included. Visit www.santaworkshops.com for more information or future dates. For a photographer’s fantasy, it is doubtful there is anything more perfect.	These are just a sampling of the multitudes of opportunities available to let you act on your fantasies. Just remember while you may be acting on your fantasies, others take their disciplines, commitments, and activities seriously, so be respectful when appropriate, learn from your peers, and reach for the stars. Whatever your desires, acting on your fantasias can be a healthy and enjoyable experience. The sky is the limit and you are the pilot. Get ready to fly! Hmm, speaking of flying . . .
Fantasizing about a simpler life? The Bodhi Manda Zen Center, a Rinzai Zen practice center located in a high desert river canyon in the Jemez Mountains, 60 miles northwest of Albuquerque, offers several types of Zen activities in which visitors and students may participate. Daily activities evolve around meditation; sitting, walking and working for an experience that is calm and engaging. Various jobs include cooking, gardening, building maintenance, housekeeping and sewing. The cost for a working student residency is $200 a month or $70 a week. Or for example, every month on the night of the full moon a formal sitting is held from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Visitors are welcome. There is no charge for this event, although donations are always welcome. Visit http://www.bmzc.org/ or call 505-829-3854 for events or more information.