FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Adventurous Wench,
a New Women-Only Travel Company,
Gives Adventure a Feminine Spin

MAR 1, 2004 - Mesa, AZ

Adventurous Wench, a new women-only travel company, caters to women age 30 to 60, looking for active, high-end vacations.  Women who enjoy traveling with other women is a growing trend in the US travel industry.  Last year, 17 percent of women travelers took leisure trips without their families.  Arizona-based Adventurous Wench fits the bill, with soft adventure vacations designed exclusively for women.  Trips include outdoor activities like hiking or kayaking by day, with great restaurants and welcoming hotels at night.  Destinations range from Santa Fe to the Virgin Islands.

Tim Warren, President of Adventure Business Consultants, says that women traveling on their own or with other women make up a growing percentage of adventure travel bookings, about 25%.  Reasons for the trend include more financially independent women, and increasingly hectic lives.  As US travelers have moved to more frequent, shorter trips, it becomes less likely they'll take all of them with the same family unit.  Some women enjoy different vacations than their spouses - he wants a fishing cabin while she'd rather shop.  Others find it a good way to reconnect with relatives or friends.  A getaway trip with long-term girlfriends may be perfect for a milestone birthday.

"Men tend to be more competitive and faster paced, while women want to connect and absorb", says founder Deanna Keahey.  "Now we can look at the wildflowers as long as we want."  Destinations, accommodations and activities are chosen for their female-appeal.  You might find a morning hike followed by a spa massage, or a cooking class on regional specialties.  Upcoming trips include Santa Fe in June, and the San Juan Islands in July.  Solo travelers are welcome, and trips are also ideal for women traveling with friends or relatives.

Keahey has had a lifelong fascination with travel and adventure.  "It started when I was 10, climbing pyramids", she says.  Since then, she's traveled extensively.  The business inspiration came from a backpacking vacation with a girlfriend.  "Hiking through the drop-dead gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountains was incredible, and the shared challenge of climbing Mt. Whitney strengthened our friendship.  It's not always easy for women - not all women have someone to go with, or the confidence to do it on their own.  Travel brings joy to my heart, and I wanted to help other women feel the same way."  To get things started on the right foot, Keahey sought out some of the best minds in the adventure travel business to help her.  The Adventurous Wench team now has a combined 35 years of adventure travel business experience.  "I knew I couldn't do it all on my own, and I was fortunate to find some terrific people to work with me."

What about 'wench'?  Keahey says "It's an archaic term, with different definitions.  The general gist of it is that a wench wasn't a proper lady.  Back then, she might have been serving ale in a tavern.  Nowadays, a working woman might be a corporate executive, a doctor, or an entrepreneur."  The name perfectly captures the spirit of the company.  "You'd never see a prim and proper lady wearing bike shorts or paddling a raft down the rapids.  It's time we reclaim and modernize this term, and I'm proud to be an adventurous wench!"

Adventurous Wench offers soft adventure trips designed exclusively for women.  Guests enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking or sailing, with excellent cuisine, fine hotels, and women's touches like spa visits.  To find out more about Adventurous Wench trips, call 480-827-3922, or visit their website at www.AdventurousWench.com.