Exploring the American Wilderness and Other Adventures

The Dreamland Women’s Adventure Award, Kanab, Utah

Dreamland Safari Tours is a successful 20-year-old desert touring company based in Kanab, Utah. They specialize in making your imagination come true – the desert is an incredible place to learn about Earth’s history and expand upon what you know about yourself.

The current owners are Sunny and Paul, and they are just as classic as their names might suggest. Blonde hair for miles, eternally sun-kissed skin, and so much love and respect for one another that it reaches into everything and everyone around them. They are brilliant adventurers, partners, leaders, friends, and stewards of the land. 

They took over the company three years ago, and The Dreamland Women’s Adventure Award was one of the dreams they manifested in the first year: an all-inclusive adventure to honor women who are leaders in the wilderness. 4-5 women are selected from nearly 100 nominations each year. Each woman selected is gifted with a jam-packed three-day weekend of community, education, and adventure. 

Why a women’s award to recognize their presence in the wilderness? Sunny and Paul certainly have received push-back from men who are upset not to be included. Here is one writer’s explanation: Diversity in the Outdoors & Why the Only Barrier is Definitely Not Just Yourself.  This year’s International Women’s Day theme is EMBRACE EQUITY. “Equity isn’t just nice-to-have; it’s a must-have.” And Dreamland Safari is here for it.

Their vision does not end here. Sunny and Paul hope to reach into all marginalized communities to highlight and reward their efforts and energy in our backcountry sports, where they’ve been unwelcome and unwanted. 

I am honored to have been nominated and selected for this award two years in a row. Last year I had to decline my participation because of my treatment at the cancer clinic. In response, Dreamland Safari sent me an incredible care package, including comfort items, a stay at The Best Friends, and a personalized adventure with their guides on my own time. When I won the award again this year, Sunny told me I was the only person to win twice – I did not want cancer to take this from me again. 

I decided I wanted to make a solo road trip to Kanab. You can read about that here:

Day One: Mill Creek Recreation Area, Walla Walla, Washington

Day Two: Quail-Harrison Hollows Loop at the Hillside to Hollow Reserve, Boise, Idaho

Day Three: Shoshone Falls Observation Deck Trail and Dierkes Lake Trail, Shoshone Falls Park, near Twin Falls, Idaho, and Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Walking Trail, Willard Bay Upward Game Recreation Area, Brigham City, Utah

Day Four: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Kanab, Utah

The award weekend began Friday afternoon with checking into lodging at The Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile and then a wine social before going out to dinner to get to know the award winners and spend time with Sunny and Paul.

Saturday was a full-day guided adventure! We were given an SUV, Maddi (our guide), and all the refreshments you might want on a full-day hike. Daypacks loaded with necessities and hearts full of happiness and wonder, Maddi took us to an unmarked, secret location that is lovingly and protectively (and unofficially) called Christmas Canyon. Paul had told us at dinner the night before that the first few miles would be boring, but he may have forgotten that most of us are coming from mountains and forests and that there would be nothing boring to us in a southern Utah desert – I found it to be incredible! 

Christmas Canyon felt like it was otherworldly, and I fully understand their desire to keep its location under wraps – not only does protecting it keep it as a special adventure that only they offer, but it helps protect the land from overuse and abuse. 

The hike ended up being 8 miles with a 1000’ elevation gain, which sounds relatively mild compared to climbing the mountains up north until you think about how those 8 miles were in the sand and the elevation gain was through actual climbing up and down canyon walls. It was a thoroughly exciting and unique excursion for this wilderness wanderer!

Following the Christmas Canyon adventure, our evening event was a get-together with many of the guides from Dreamland and the owners. Additionally, the winners from last year, the group I was supposed to be a part of, had returned to Kanab for a reunion and to celebrate the new award winners – it was a joyous (and overwhelming) evening filled with stories, wine, and incredible food. 

I made a friend that I suspect I will see again and always have, CT. I had never known anyone to have such a similar path as me. It was comforting and motivating to feel her energy and excitement over having the freedom to spread her wings, take chances, and see the world, especially personally, knowing how hard she had to fight to get to this place. One of the women from last year, JS, is who nominated CT. That woman is what is meant when you hear the phrase “small but mighty.” JS is a powerhouse, and I am sure she has never taken “no” for an answer. JS facilitated the winners’ reunion from last year, and she is already planning on all of us returning next year – I will return, even if it is only to see CT and JS.

The weekend ended the following day with a VIP tour at The Best Friends Sanctuary, but I will write about that separately. 

Thank you, Dreamland, Sunny, and Paul, for seeing me, believing in my love for the wilderness and community, and thinking I deserve to be recognized. I have never talked so much in a single period of time about my work, which was a meaningful experience. I constantly fear passing away before I can matter or make a difference, and I now feel more comforted that I have made some waves for good during my time. I would not have gotten the clarity I needed without being given the space and the community to share these conversations and learn. I am thankful and am already looking forward to seeing you again.