THINGS YOU DON'T NEED ON AN ARIZONA RIVER RUNNERS GRAND CANYON WHITEWATER RAFTING TRIP

cell phone.....flat screen TV......rolling luggage......wristwatch.......computer.......car......stiletto heels.....make-up.....car keys......calendar.....day timer.....stock broker........grocery list.......coffee press.....magazines.....movie schedule.....to go menus......realtor......mirror......running water...... electricity......the newspaper......mail (snail mail and email)......to do list......push-up bra...... jewelry......hairspray.......necktie.......dress shoes......gasoline......alarm clock...... stemware......napkins......a sink......a bathtub......hairdryer......map quest......curling iron......straightener......radio.......

On your river trip with Arizona River Runners pack for fun and adventure! We are more than happy to give you packing tips and advice! Give us a call at 1-800-477-4738 for your adventure of a lifetime!

Starry Starry Nights (On an Arizona River Runners Rafting Trip)

When was the last time you slept under the stars? Were you a kid? Have you ever slept under the night sky? Camping along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon gives you the IMAX of star gazing.

On the river the Milky Way commonly appears as a flurry of so many stars that it is a magnificent, starry presence in the night sky. There are so many stars that they blur together. On a cloudless night it stretches lazily across your entire view.

You can track a satellite as it hurtles through outer space. Watch as it moves through the darkness, made visible to you only by it's reflection of the sun's light. Not all that moves are satellites. Don't be fooled by airplanes, maybe a red-eye heading for Los Angeles. Satellites are plentiful. They have jobs to do.

Constellations are everywhere. The Big Dipper, The Little Dipper, Orion's Belt, North Star, the Scorpion. Your view of this starry display will vary. As you slumber through the night, the stars will march across your view in the sky. The moon may rise and diminish their brightness but they are still there. No doubt you will witness some shooting stars.....these sprinters slash across the darkness. They flare brightly as they burn and die away.

As morning light creeps into the sky, the stars begin their retreat. The light of the sun overpowers their brilliance. But they are always there and they will show themselves again tomorrow night when the sunshine passes and the clouds vanish and darkness settles in.

Arizona River Runners would love to take you out camping under the night sky on a river trip. We offer 3-day trips to 13-day whitewater rafting adventures. Call 1-800-477-7238 for your Starry Starry Night experience.

Arizona River Runners Late Season Specials

Looking for a great summer getaway? What about a Colorado River Rafting trip? Late August and September tend to be less busy than mid-Summer as most families are heading back to school schedules and activities by then. If your schedule allows you to travel during this time there is still some trip dates with available space.

At Arizona River Runners, we have some incredible late season specials. Three of our trips in August have savings of up to $400.00 per person! For more information on these and other specials visit our website and click on "Browse Our Specials" tag.

It’s time that you come and experience what our guests continue to rave about, year after year. Many visitors come to do the Canyon…most are amazed by what the Canyon does to them. Come join us for this incredible journey!

Different Trips For Different Folks with Arizona River Runners

So, you checked out Arizona River Runners website and now you're undecided about which trip to choose. 3 days, 8 days. What's the difference?

Right up front, let me make it quite clear that the 3-day trip does NOT go where the longer trips go just floating really fast. No!

The longer river trips typically start at Lee's Ferry and travel downstream 187 miles to Whitmore Wash where a helicopter awaits those people for a breathtaking flight out of the Grand Canyon. This is where the 3-day people enter the river. So, after having spent a day at the Bar 10 Ranch along the Arizona Strip, the 3-day people swap seats with those leaving the river, on both the helicopter and the raft, as their river time starts at Whitmore Wash and continues downstream for more fun and fabulous scenery. The river is emerging out of the depths of the Grand Canyon. The corridor is widening and the rapids are less extreme. There is still grandeur to behold and rapids to ride but it is not the closeness of the Inner Gorge or the ebony Vishnu Schist that corrals the torrential waters upstream.

There are millions of awesome things to see in the Grand Canyon. You could spend a lifetime and never explore everything. But, in 25 words or less...the longer your raft trip is, the more time you have to explore off-river sites. There are Indians ruins, petroglyphs, fossils, waterfalls, grottos, pioneer homes, side creeks running turquoise blue, and places of immense serenity beckoning to your senses.

The longer you spend in the Grand Canyon the more you will revel in the vastness of this place. Time in the Grand Canyon is time well spent.

Call Arizona River Runners 1-800-477-7238. We’re more than happy to answer any of your questions regarding our white water rafting trips.

Arizona River Runners’ Rafts - What Are They Like?

Arizona River Runners has a pretty sweet motor rig. Our rafts are inflatable rubber tubes that are lashed to pieces of metal framework for strength and stability. An outboard motor is clamped to the back to give some guidance and propulsion. Boxes and large coolers are aboard and they contain everything. The coolers are in the very center of the rafts. The cold river constantly splashes the bottoms of the rafts. By day, they are covered by gear and by night they become the guides sleeping quarters. Storage bins are covered by 3" pads to make your seating on the boat quite comfy.

The inflatable tubes are made of many chambers so that a leak does not affect the whole raft. Each boat carries a spare motor, an air pump and lots of spare parts. River trips typically run two boats together for safety reasons as well as great photo opportunities.

There is an oval tube that forms the center of the raft and two straight tubes, one on either side, that come to a point in the front. The tip or snout of these tubes is called the "horn". It's a real rodeo up there and there are times when you can ride 'em cowboy. As a passenger, you can control how exciting you want your ride to be. There are parts of the boat that get all the excitement (water) all the time and there are places to sit that are much tamer and less wet. You can make your choice at any given time. You can change it up from time to time; even change boats from day to day. Get to know the other guides and people on the other boat.

When all the gear is packed and you're all aboard, heading down the might Colorado, the views are amazing. Our boats are built and packed so you don't have to crane your neck all day to get in the sights and sounds the canyon has to offer. You can relax back (on the gear) and gaze up into the canyon! What a difference, great views, no kinks in the neck - what more could you ask for?

Our motor rigs carry EVERYTHING you will need for your entire rafting trip. You will be amazed and thrilled as you see how it all fits together. Even the sleeping cots and chairs are on board. That's SWEET!!

So pick up the phone and call 1-800-477-7238 for your adventure of a lifetime – white water rafting through the Grand Canyon with Arizona River Runners!

Getting Aquainted in the Grand Canyon with Arizona River Runners

Maybe there are two of you going on an Arizona River Runners rafting trip. Maybe you are traveling alone (I did, on my first Grand Canyon River Trip). Maybe there are 12 of you who are best friends and family. No matter what your numbers, you are about to meet (and eat and sleep with) a whole new group of friends.

Your fellow river rats will very soon be your good pals. There's something magical about facing the unknown together. You'll conquer new territory as each others best advocates and supporters. The guides are there to ---"guide" you and help you on your journey. But you need to be an active participant in your own story. Be busy about getting acquainted. Introduce yourself and your friends and family to others that you don't know. You are all facing the same things. You have a lot of the same questions and worries.

You are about to have a fabulous week together so meet and greet one another right away. Don't waste a minute of your time being shy. There are grand things to explore in the canyon and fascinating things to discover about your fellow campers as well.

Enjoy everything about your Grand Canyon trip. Visit www.raftarizona.com for your Colorado River rafting trip today!

Arizona River Runners Rafters' Reviews

Read these reviews from Arizona River Runners' Rafters.

"The geology of time that we passed never ceased to amaze me, The variations - spectacular, beyond anything I've ever seen before. The concentration of geological activity all in one place! I want to praise the guides - obviously very hard work and yet they were always cheerful and helpful. I always felt that they were concerned about our health and safety and yet encouraged us to have fun, and maybe push ourselves just a bit, while still reminding us to know our limits." (Marilyn M.)

"My trip throught the Grand Canyon wa a life-changing experience that I never could have managed on my own. Your guides restored my confidence in the next genreation, and the Canyon nourished my soul. Please extend my heartfelt thanks to TJ, Riley, and Kenny. (I intend to write a letter to the National ark Sevice praising your company)." (Sandy B.)

"It's hard to explain the calming influence this trip has had on our family- we have all changed for the better on so many levels. Our kids (teens) have asked if there are other trips that are out there that are similar - not sure if we can to it!" (Lori H.)

"Here's a taste of life on the river from our trip at the beginning of June - take a peek:

http://web.me.com/anneryan/GrandCanyon/Movie.html"

Thank you to all our rafters - we love your comments. At Arizona River Runners we want all our passengers to "experience the trip of a lifetime!"

To book your journey call us at 1-800-477-7238.

Rosanne Rosanna Bandana and Arizona River Runners

The simple cotton bandana is one of the more practical items you can bring on your Grand Canyon rafting trip. Aside from the points you get for style, it has many other uses as well. Moisten it and wear it around your head, neck or shoulders and it will instantly cool you down. This is a good ploy throughout the day or for when you head out on a hike. Your friendly bandana can save you from sunburn… just cover the areas that are constantly in the sun, knees, feet or ankles, and ward off those blistering rays. For more traditional uses, you can blow your nose, wipe the sweat from your brow, or use it as a napkin! Don’t forget, there’s always the do-rag application or babushka for those bad hair days (and you will have them!). A few other ways to use your bandana: a headband or hair tie, clean your glasses, this comes in very handy as your glasses do get splashed. These are just a few of the ways your bandana can be functional. Above everything else, it’s easy to pack, inexpensive and comes in a plethora of colors. Make sure you have washed it a few times before you go if possible. The older the better. Wow! Get yourself one - even our guides wear them.

At Arizona River Runners, we want your rafting trip to be memorable. Call us today at 1-800-477-7238 for a river adventure of a lifetime!

Arizona River Runners April Photo Contest Winner

July 2009
Originally uploaded by njsue

Thank you njsue for this great picture! It truly is worth a thousand words! Here is what njsue said about their river trip.
"That's my boy! We loved EVERYTHING about our trip. Our guides Erica, Mac, Brian and Dillon totally rock!! We can't wait to come back - and would never ever run the river with anyone but ARR!!"

Don't forget to post your photos/videos on our flickr photo contest of your May rafting trip. We name a winner every month! Just go to http://www.flickr.com/groups/1338167@N23/ and post away!

Blooming Flowers and Arizona River Runners

What do blooming flowers and rafting the Grand Canyon have to do with each other? Arizona River Runners is offering specials in May that will give you the opportunity to see Canyon flowers in bloom! Did you know there are about 1737 known species of vascular plants (such as ferns, flowering plants, conifers, clubmosses and other gymnosperms), 167 species of fungi, 64 species of moss and 195 species of lichen that are found in Grand Canyon National Park? The park is home to the rare Tusayan Flamethrower, with approximately 1000 plants identified in 10 small populations; and the park has one Federally-listed endangered species called the sentry milkvetch, a perennial mat-forming herb.

Wouldn’t it be “grand” to see some of these unique and strange plants?

ARR has some unique specials to help you do just that! Click here to find your May trip or call 1-800-477-7238!

Recent Equipment Upgrades | Grand Canyon River Trip

Arizona River Runners has always strived to make sure our guests are as comfortable as possible on their Grand Canyon Rafting adventures. Recent equipment purchases and substantial redesign of our motorized rafts were done with our passengers comfort in mind. Come see why we call it "high-tec camping."

This year we're going to take "roughin' it" to a less literal place with some very welcomed adjustments to our gear.

For more info about our 2009 trips visit our website.

* New above ground cots for all motorized trips
* New larger tents with two doors
* Improved seating arrangements on rafts with thicker pads for your comfort