Desert Solitude

06/05/2024

Hey! I had the opportunity to be interviewed by The Consultress, Alissa Bickar on the Rise and Shine podcast! Check it out!

Alissa Bickar and Neil discussed the origins and scope of Neil's tour company, Desert Solitude. Neil shared that he started the company to provide personalized adventures in Utah's national parks, which he noticed were lacking in the tourism industry. Alissa, who had a transformative experience with Desert Solitude, spoke about the uniqueness of the company's offerings and how it catered to her and her mother's desire for a bespoke adventure. They also discussed their personal experiences of camping in the Red Rock wilderness and the challenges of finding a secluded spot. Additionally, Neil shared his personal experiences with a recent trip to Iceland and his company's national park tours in Utah, emphasizing the sense of security and adventure his services offer. Both agreed that these experiences go beyond typical tourist activities, offering a more authentic and memorable adventure.

Watch this episode of Rise & Shine with Alissa where we discuss:🌅 Adventure, Risk Mitigation, and Balance🌅 Networking for Business Consultant Hiring🌅 The ...

21/09/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxb9GXquVKv/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

13/07/2023

Laurel had always loved the canyons, red rocks, and mountains of the western United States. She grew up in Utah & Wyoming, but had moved to Chicago after college. Her twin sons had never been to Utah before, and they were excited to see the places that their mother loved.

The tour with Desert Solitude took them to some of the most iconic spots in the western United States, including Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. They hiked, camped, and stayed in a luxury RV. They also took a private scenic flight from Moab to Bryce Canyon, which gave them a bird's-eye view of the stunning scenery.

The tour was a great way for Laurel to share her love of the western United States with her sons. They had a wonderful time exploring the parks, hiking the trails, and camping under the stars.

The tour was a bonding experience for the whole family. They had fun together, and they made memories that they will cherish for a lifetime!

26/06/2023

In 1967 Burt Munro from New Zealand set a land speed record on his home built motorcycle. Over 50 years later his record still stands and these four kiwis just had to see the place that it happened.

06/05/2023

The sites, the hikes, the food, and the solitude were perfect on this 5 day Tour of Southern Utah.

09/04/2023

Snow balls and rock walls on this spring break trip with our guide Sarah and this fun family. See customizable tour options at Desertsolitude.com

07/04/2023

5 Days of fun with this hysterical group of friends. Thanks to Sun, Don, Dan, and Marianne for an epic start to the 2023 tour season!

20/12/2022

🏜️ What a beautiful day to spend with this fun family from Georgia!! 🏜️

02/12/2022

Winter is such a great time to visit the parks. It’s quieter and the sun is low adding great lighting and color for pictures.

21/10/2022

A Jew, a Baptist and a Methodist walk into a BYU football game….it sounds like a good joke but it’s the truth! These southern bells came to watch the Razorbacks stomp the cougars and then came on a four day tour with us! This trip marks the end of the 2022 touring season and with these gals it definitely ended on a high note.

13/10/2022

11/10/2022

Today a loving grandmother of more than 30 grandchildren brought two of her granddaughters to Arches. These cousins, who rarely see each other, started their excursion being a bit quiet and introverted. But by the end of the day you would have thought that these two had been exploring the world side by side for years! The drive back to Salt Lake only took as long as one short car-karaoke-concert from these two who performed the entire Greatest Showman soundtrack and other favorites. Arches National park was the itunerary, however it became simply the backdrop to the lasting memories these three created.

30/09/2022

Professional Party is the best way to describe the 2022 Utah Tourism Conference in Vernal Utah. So many great people and organizations were here including Visit Utah, Vibrant Management, Juab County Travel, The Swell Utah - Emery County, Utah Tourism Industry Association, Carbon County Utah, Utah Tour Guide Association, and so many more. Great conference! Delta Air Lines

30/09/2022

I had the privilege of being at this conference in person and hearing Governor Cox speak. I found him to be engaging and authentic and wish more politicians could be like him.

Tourism conference looks at turning around drop in Utah visitation

Tourism in Utah is down by a significant amount, and people from across the state are strategizing how to turn that around.

26/09/2022

The weather on this three day tour was PERFECT! Look how much fun we had in just three days!

12/09/2022

Bryce Canyon in the fall is GORGEOUS!!

04/09/2022

Night hikes are one of our favorite ways to enjoy the desert. Seeing the Milky Way is right up there with the seeing the Northern Lights. And as a bonus, scorpions glow under a black light! (It’s rare to come across one but fun when you do!)

31/08/2022

Typically I don’t do touristy type things, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to recreate this famous photo at John Ford Point in Monument Valley.

17/02/2022

Desert Solitude had a successful trip to RENO for the Go West Summit. We had the opportunity to build relationships with new companies from around the world as well as reconnect with existing partnerships including Raven's Rim Adventure Tours and Redtail Air Adventures. We appreciate the support that the Utah Office of Tourism gave to all of the utah businesses that came to Go West. And thank you to Go West for a well planned event!

02/02/2022

Check out this cool video showcasing the movies filmed in Utah! Thanks to the Utah Film Commission for this production.

https://youtu.be/12gQgBkZEUQ

Experience the films shot in the state of Utah. more: https://film.utah.gov/Like and share this video and let us know what you think in the co...

11/12/2021

Tour companies are exempt from needing to reserve a ticket for the timed entry system. We are very grateful to Arches National Park for allowing businesses this flexibility. Also remember that you can go into the park after 5PM without a timed entry ticket. During the evening and sunset hours Arches is a spectacular place to be.

Utah's Arches to require timed tickets as visitation swells https://www.ksl.com/article/50309648/utahs-arches-to-require-timed-tickets-as-visitation-swells

A Utah national park famed for its otherworldly sandstone arches will require visitors to get timed entry tickets during its high season next year, the second Utah park to implement such a system as visitation swells.

27/09/2021

For your entertainment, here are a few one and two star reviews of Arches National Park. This park is a geological wonder with stunning formations so it’s hilarious to hear from the folks who didn’t enjoy it.

14/09/2021

It’s a beautiful day in Arches. Thank you to the firefighters in California who have battled those fires and stopped the smoke that we have been dealing with.

22/06/2021

Maybe you’ve read recent articles saying that the national parks are overcrowded. That’s true but only at certain times in certain places. Here is an unedited picture I took today at 11:15AM at one of the most popular spots in Arches National Park. If you look very closely you might see the only two other people our tour group shared this Arch with. If you would like to avoid crowds and long lines please tour with us.

09/05/2021

These two sisters from California celebrated being 50 years young by experiencing Desert Solitude's Luxury RV Glamping tour of the Moab area. After spending 4 days in Moab they were able to take in parts of Goblin Valley and Capitol Reef before heading home. They enjoyed the hikes and scenery but particularly enjoyed being waited on around the clock. As mothers they are usually tasked with making the meals but on this trip they never had to lift a finger to enjoy all their delicious meals.

10/04/2021

You've got to know your limits. There was an interesting contrast in two of our recent tour groups. One knew that they weren't interested in hiking more than 30 minutes at a time. The other could have hiked all day but heights and cliff edges were simply not for them. Everyone is different in their abilities but knowing yours is key to having a good time in the desert.

I really enjoyed spending time with these very respectful young men whose athleticism and good attitudes carried them through a busy day in Arches and Canyonlands.