Grow Day By Day

Can you think of any job more wonderful than working outdoors in some of the most beautiful country on the planet?

Picture the awesome California coast, the world-famous San Francisco Bay, the jaw-dropping beauty of Yosemite National Park. Add to that the joy and honor of sharing these sights with travelers from all over the world, and the daily opportunities to learn more ourselves.

That’s the tremendous upside of owning and operating a corporate retreat business like ours. The downside is that, much like farmers, we’re subject to the whims of Mother Nature. Torrential rain, floods, fires, mudslides, earthquakes all affect the tour industry. When there’s a fire in Yosemite, roads close and there goes our tour. Inclement weather means flights are cancelled, and there goes our tourists.

And there’s nothing like a pandemic to kill a tour business. San Francisco, where our business is based, was one of the first cities to virtually close down for COVID-19. For the travel business, it was like being hit by a monsoon, typhoon, earthquake and tornado all at once. Cash flow ebbed exponentially, and some travel businesses closed. The rest of us hunkered down. Small businesses like ours had to tighten our belts. We weren’t too proud to take on other jobs to bring in an income during the drought.

Just as the pioneers and adventurists and naturalists like Kit Carson and John Muir persevered and overcame obstacles, we were determined not to give up, and here we are rebuilding and beginning to thrive again. It’s a metaphor for Yosemite, where the fires engender new and healthier growth. So don’t just see us just as business people. Know that we are strong and resilient and determined to give you the best tour to some of the coolest places on earth.