Those are pretty common questions.  A lot of women wonder if this could be for them, but they're uncertain about who else would be along.  Who goes on these women-only trips, anyway? A new article on Connections for Women has the whole scoop.

C4W is a relatively new site, and you can see why it's getting so popular! It's free to register and have access to all the resources, so it's worthwhile checking it out. They have a broad array of articles for women, everything from finances to fitness, and mental health to the Mediterranean. Oh yeah, travel... that's where we came in!

Solo travelers find such groups ideal. It’s easier, safer, and more fun, than going alone. The number of adult women in the US who are single is now greater than the number that are married, for the first time in history. Many of these women want to travel, and why let the lack of a husband stop you?

Of course you could go by yourself, but a lot of women don’t feel comfortable, or don’t enjoy, traveling alone. And if you burst out laughing when you’re dining at a table for one, others in the restaurant may look at you oddly!"

Find the rest of the article at:

* Women's travel - Who does this? (article link, requires registration)
* Connections for Women (home page, you can sign up here)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is one of the most common areas of uncertainty for people new to our women-only travel tours. If you've ever wondered who goes on tours like this, or if you'd fit in, this article could help you out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Why we travel, and old-world travel advice
2. Women wore flashy shoes 27,500 years ago?
3. Air travel better than ever?

I'm here to sample some of the vortex tours, to decide which vortex guide to use on our trips in 2008. Unfortunately, the guide we've used for years is moving, so we need somebody new. We whittled it down to a short list, then I came up to meet the finalists, and see how they ran it in person.

The last tour wrapped up about 6pm. I'd been outside most of the day, and by this time was wearing 2 sweaters, 2 vests, an Alaskan jacket, 2 blankets, hat, gloves, boots, and more, and was so cold my words weren't forming quite right.

(The good news is that I'm convinced shivering is an effective weight-loss method. I've yet to see a scientific study on this, but a good full-body shiver must burn quite a lot of calories, and involve toning many different muscles.)

Each vortex guide has a unique style, but their overall purpose is to teach you about Sedona's mysterious energy vortexes, and help you connect with that energy in various ways. People always ask what this feels like, but there's no simple answer. It depends on the guide, the rituals you use, your receptivity, how you're feeling that day, and a lot of other factors. Some people claim miraculous visions and healing. Many people feel nothing at all. Most people fall somewhere in between.

On the first vortex tour, the leader did a guided meditation that had me soaring like an eagle around Thunder Mountain. This had a very surprising effect on me -- I still don't understand quite what happened. I left the tour wondering "what is going on with the eagle??" On the next tour, I was told that my spirit guide is a golden eagle. Among other qualities, this is supposed to mean that I can soar like an eagle. I left this tour wondering "what is it about eagles??"

I may or may not ever understand these links to eagles. But at least I accomplished the purpose of testing and selecting vortex guides -- cold weather and all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We do our Sedona hiking trips for women in nicer weather -- spring and fall are usually ideal. Warning: If you ever come here in January, remember that even Arizona gets cold, and pack the expedition-weight long-johns!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. So there we were... at a mysterious vortex
2. Ahhh... back to the red rocks
3. So there we were... watching imminent disaster