Backroads in the Central Highlands –  Prescott to Sedona, Arizona

Trip Details

Trip Type: Hard-surface Cycling, Lodge-Based, Educational, Kayaking, Conservancy, Gastronomy.

Difficulty: 4 (Somewhat strenuous.)

Length: 6 Days

Group Size: 4-15

Price: $2000 inclusive

Dates: November 1-7, 2011 and 2012.

Meeting Time and Place: Arrival Prescott, Arizona. Hassayampa Inn

Sedona and Central Arizona Wine Country by Bike

Introduction

6 days of lodge-based cycling on backroads in Arizona’s hidden Central Highlands.  Elevations between 6000 feet and 3100 feet, gradually descending day by day.  You will wind through a lightly traveled region of rolling pasture, chapparal, and  lush piñon juniper forest.  Special little cabins, lodges, bed and breakfasts, and inns will grace each nights rest.

Our course will allow us to visit wineries each day.  While we will forego tasting during the days and keep upright on the bikes, in the evening your guides will prepare a fine tasting of a vintage or two  collected at each stop.

The special bioregion of the Central Highlands has been found to give surprising benefits to grape production.  There are challenges as well.  As we travel our hosts at the various wineries will give us insights into the bioregional concerns of the area, and as well demonstrate their craft at viticulture and oenology.

ITINERARY – Prescott to Sedona, Arizona Wine Country Route

Day 1  : Arrival in Prescott PM. Historic Downtown Ride and bike test.  Welcome Dinner and Orientation.

DETAILS:  Prescott is Arizonas Victorian City and the first state Capitol.  Your charming Inn, the Hassayamp,  will place you right downtown.  After checking in meet your hosts for a sunset bike ride through the historic neighborhoods and visit the well preserved Victorian style architecture.  The ride will also serve as a shakedown and fitting opportunity for your rental bike or personal bike. Welcome dinner at the fine Hassaympa Restaurant and then a short orientation meeting to lay out the plan for the week.

Day 2  :  Prescott to Juniper Well.

DETAILS:  Climbing up out of town on the the Copper Basin Road and topping out with a great view from the Sierra Prieta Overlook.  Rolling backroads into Wilhoit for a preview of Arizona’s next grape growing hotspot.  Through to historic Skull Valley with a visit to the historic schoolhouse.  A walk to petroglyphs and lunch by the creek.  Afternoon we roll up into the foothills of Granite Mountain to the cabins and vineyard at Juniper Well Ranch.

Day 3  :  Juniper Well to Granite Creek Vineyards

DETAILS:  Today we tackle some lovely country, crossing into Williamson Valley and then Chino Valley, some of northern Arizona’s extensive short–grass prairies will prove expansive vistas.  Today we will be able visit some prehistoric sites along our traverse and will end up in a great Bed and Breakfast overlooking the Verde River, the last wild river in Arizona.  Barbecue tonight on the deck.

Day  4  :  Granite Creek to Jerome

DETAILS:   Today our backroads route will take us up into the Black Hills of Arizona following old railroad routes and winding gravel roads.  A stop at the Buddhist Sanctuary will grace our morning.  Expect tremendous vistas of the Sedona area, the Mogollon Rim, and the San Francisco Peaks.  Tonight we stay in the Asylum atop the hill, the old hospital now a travelers rest, nice rooms, restaurant, bar, and soaring views.  You are crazy if you don’t come!
In Jerome we can sample from the cellars of Cadeuceus, Jerome Winery, and Bitter Creek Winery.

Day  5  : Jerome to Page Springs

DETAILS:   Today we get not only a screaming downhill into the Verde Valley, we also will have an avalanche of new wineries to visit.  We are rolling down into the Verde Valley bioregion, a favorable climate and availability of surface water here have produced Arizona’s oenological hub.  Tonight in a nice Inn closer to Sedona.

Day  6 :    Sedona Area Riding and PM kayak trip on the Verde.  Farewell Dinner.

DETAILS:   The Red Rocks of Sedona beckon.  Today is all about finding the great trails and backroads around Sedona.  Tailored to group’s riding abilitiy.
Cathedral Rock, Soldier Pass, Battleship Rock, Oak Creek, Bell Rock Trail,.  You’ll find the real vortex of 360 degree Sedona riding, hubs humming in the red dust.

HAPPY TRAILS from all of us here at WANDERLAND.ORG and we look forward to seeing your bright smiles on this exciting adventure.

Education – Adventure Curriculum:
Oenology
Central AZ Geography
Prescott Arquitecture
Bioregionalism
Colorado Plateau and Sonoran Desert
Arizona Archaeology
Astronomy
Natural History

Our Mission:

Wanderland Mission Statement Art

Our South America trips in Chile and Argentina – Migrate with the Birds!!:

South America Bird Cloud

Our Summit to Shore Bike Tour in Chile:

Summit to Suds Cycling!

Eric, Brice, Glenn, Cayo and myself invite you on a learning adventure.  Fully-supported, lodge-based, great food, amazing landscapes, and terrific backroads await you and your clan.  Give us a ring if you want to find out more.

Stewart   1-866-701-2113

Mogollon Rim

Start and End Dates:     October, 2011

Duration:    5 Days, 4 nights

Location:    Sedona, Jerome, and Grand Canyon, AZ.

Price starting at:    $1630 –Price may vary based on date – please call for details.

Program Type:     Mountain Bike, Kayak, Vineyards, Oenology, Educational, Lodge-based.

Meals:    Included.

Sedona Wine Region Biking and Kayaking – A Wanderland Multi-Sport Trip

Overview:  Jerome, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and The Verde Valley of Arizona.  Cycling backroads from Grand Canyon to the wine valleys of Jerome and Sedona and mellow kayaking the Verde River to select wineries.   Learning about bioregionalism and the ideal conditions here.

Enjoy a fun-filled trek by mountain bike during this week of adventure, breathtaking beauty, and camaraderie. In the cooler plateau and highlands of Northern Arizona we will explore and enjoy the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Verde Valley country.

This trip will present some of Arizona’s most rewarding and beautiful mountain cycling routes.  Our route traverses the rolling Colorado Plateau and Grand Canyon country (UNESCO World Heritage Site designated), the surprising Canadian Oak & Ponderosa Forests of the rim, land of snows and meltwaters.  Next we descend into the land of Gin and Pine Nuts – the expansive pygmy forests of Juniper and Piñon of the Central Highlands.  Arizona’s wine producing Verde Valley awaits us down at 3500 foot elevation, a riparian thread of rich and rocky soils, bountiful both for grapes and gear grinding!

We will meet with local oenologists, bioregionalists, and agricultors to learn about the abundance of the region.  Each evening we will sample from the delicacies and vintages of the region.

Adventure Itinerary

Day 1:   We will meet the group in Williams and explore forest roads as we do the bike fitting and group orientation.

DETAILS:  Williams, which is surrounded by the Kaibab National Forest, is the closest town to the South Rim and is considered the gateway to the Grand Canyon. The thriving community is named after a famous American mountain man called Bill Williams, who also has a mountain named after him. Bill Williams Mountain, which is also one of the many inactive volcano remnants in the area, is one of the highest points in the state. Over dinner we will discuss the details of the tour.

Day 2:   South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

DETAILS:  We will drive to the South Rim (about an hour north of Williams).   Arizona’s Natural Wonder of the World!  We are going to bike Arizona Trail pathways in the Kaibab National Forest close to the rim.  At breaks in the day’s activities you can ride on your own to the rim for amazing views.  The story behind the scenery.

For today’s adventure the Highest point is 7,193 ft – Starting point 7,026 ft – Ending point 7000 ft
Total Climb 500 ft ¬ Total Descent 500 ft

Day 3:  Williams to Jerome; Jerome Vineyards.

DETAILS:  The road drops into Williams and we will head south climbing the hills of the Kaibab National Forest.  Reach the pass at Summit Mountain. Descend to Bear Canyon and begin ride on the dirt road. Stop for lunch by the Verde River at Perkinsville. From there, it’s a long gradual climb to Hopewell (48 miles) Descend into Jerome.

Today’s cycle will be a mixture of tarred and dirt roads that wind their way along the boundary of the Woodchute wilderness which drops steeply into the majestic valleys and into the Prescott National Forest. The bird life of this area is amazing and views from a bicycle are probably the best. The day ends with a climb to the pass that overlooks Jerome. We roll into the Caduceus Cellars for a tasting and trasfer to our hotel.

Jerome is a throwback to what life used to be like a century ago. Its buildings and houses cling to the slopes of Cleopatra Hill. Perched on the Verde Fault, the town is known for its rumblings.  At one point the town jail broke free and slid 225 feet down the hill. Rescued from becoming a ghost town by a thriving artists community, and now vineyards, this little copperopolis will be a high point on your bike trek.  The entire town has now been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Total distance: 53 miles – Highest point 7100 ft – Starting point 6,500 ft ¬ Ending point 4000 ft

Day 4:  Jerome to Cornville and Sedona. Mingus descent and Oak Creek and Page Springs wine producing region.

DETAILS:  Leave Jerome onto fine dirt backroads that wind from the top of Mingus Mountain to the Verde Valley and the Sedona area.  The beautiful scenery will challenge your ability to keep your eyes on the road. The vineyards that await us at the end of the trail will cap off a spectacular day of cycling.
Total distance: 38 miles – Highest point 7356 ft – Starting point 7356 ft ¬ Ending point 3,120 ft
Total Climb 500 ft ¬ Total Descent 4,000+ ft

Day 5:  Riding in the Wine Region and Vinyards of the Verde Valley and Sedona. Paddling the Verde River through Vineyards, pastoral lands, and emerald riparian communities.

DETAILS:  AM Cycling in the Page Springs Wine Producing region and Sedona. Kayaking with sit-on-tops down the Verde through the wine-producing region.
Total distance: 10 miles by bike; 4 miles by kayak.

Please Be Advised:

A.  An early start is necessary most days as we breakfast around sunrise. That way we get to see and do more throughout the tour, and of course it is better to lose sleep and beat the heat whenever possible in the arid Southwest.

B.  This itinerary is an example of what typically happens on this mountain biking trip.  Please bring an open mind and a readiness for adventure!  Last-minute adjustments due to weather and such are built in as a safety cushion.

C.  Sí, All itineraries can be customized.

November through March the arrival of Spring and Summer make for an excellent climate. The perfect escape from the Northern Hemisphere winters.

Spring and Summer ride locations begin in the Norte Chico North from the Santiago and move South following the bubble, that seasonally perfect latitude in Chile and Argentina where you will find near perfect weather. Our tour locations move organically from north to south in the summer, and then south to north in the fall and winter, tracking the perfect climate as it moves up and down the country.

EVEN BETTER? Lace the whole season together into a 35+ day backroads extravaganza!! You might get tired, but you won’t get tired of Chile.

We offer from 1 day to 15 day bike treks. We have set dates for some rides and also arrange custom trips for your group. We have a small group focus always, rarely more than 10 or 11 riders, though larger groups can be accommodated with special arrangements.

The famed La Bicicleta Verde city bike tour in Santiago will grace any trip that you do with us (providing that you travel through Santiago on your way) giving you a two-wheeled historical and cultural perspective of the country and its people.

WHY WE LOVE CHILE FOR MOUNTAIN BIKE TOURING

Chile, in all of its myriad realities, is our beloved base of operations. The country of Chile is an immense region that runs from from 18.5 degrees south Latitude to 56 degrees south Latitude. On the East – West axis the country is narrow but contains the extremes of elevation from sea level to 22,000 feet. Peru is to the North, Bolivia and Argentina to the East, the Pacific Ocean to the West, and the South Pole to…well to the south of course.

We can find you a lovely climate zone on ANY given day of the year by moving our program locations to that perfect window of temperature and geography. Like an elevator that opens only for agreeable temps and interesting places, our trips will present Chile at only its most delicious attitude.

This bubble of fine weather moves up and down the whole southern cone of South America and our Bike Treks follow it where it leads us. So keep tabs on our menu throughout the year as we follow the bubble. If you join the site’s Social Network we will be able to keep you posted when new programs arise. Otherwise, surf on by whenever; you will find that our programs change dramatically with the season.

The Southern Cone, or Cono Sur, is made up of both Chile and Argentina and tapers like a huge arrowhead pointing at the Antarctic continent. From our base here in Chile we will be helping you explore this vast region and its neighbors Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. Don’t forget about Easter Island, the bellybutton of planet Earth, also is Chilean territory and a fine cycling destination.

Our backroads bicycle treks take in the beauties and distinct cultures of the two main residents of the Cono Sur, Chile and Argentina. Our principal trips feature these two countries famous wine regions and their temperate rainforests spangled with deep blue lakes and hot springs.

These trips wind you through quiet grape-growing countryside or the deep green temperate rainforest further south snuggled into the Andes. We want your trip to South America to give you a regional perspective so you will find many of our trips introducing you to the wine valleys, Lakes Districts, the Araucaria forests, and Patagonia regions of both countries.

The Cycling: We will travel a combination of smooth dirt roads, paved backroads, and gentle two-track. Elevation gain and loss on this trip follows a profile where 5% – 15% grades ease us into the cordillera of the Andes gaining elevation from 1500 feet to 6000 feet in Chile and then down to 3000 foot elevations on the Argentine side. The roads are not heavily traveled and we plan to be at certain locations at certain days of the week and times of the year to avoid vehicles and crowds, for the most part. We always provide you with ‘rolling-enclosure’ so that we have a vanguard rider and a rearguard vehicle notifying oncoming traffic of the cyclists.

Chile is the perfect country for Summit to Shore trips, with 3000+ km of Andean Cordillera mirroring an equal distance of wave-tossed Pacific coastline, and hundreds of peaks, dozens of passes and thousands of km of backroads. We let the bubble of perfect weather tell us when and where. There are three of these treks on the menu right now: the Elqui and Limarí valleys in Norte Chico, The Pucón to Valdivia slice and in the Fall and Spring from Sewell to Pichilemu.

We often host cicletadas related to specific events. In our bike trek menu lineup you will find opportunities to plug your bike trek into specific regional events and festivals (ferias costumbristas). These events range from frivolous to top priority, and are all related to fun and exploration. The top priority of Chile Bike Tours is the protection of Wild Patagonia and wild lands throughout the Andean Cordillera. Travel with us to the Carretera Austral and find out why it is a landscape worth preserving and revering.

Maybe your tastes run more to the ‘fundane’ and our week-long travesía through the bejeweled Lakes District to the Valdivian coast and the yearly Kunstmann Bierfest. Our bike and wine trips are particularly interesting during the Vendimia Festivals of Santa Cruz and Mendoza in March each year. Keep an eye on the site or sign up for notices on more event-specific treks.

I often travel to Mexico, Chile, and Argentina with my bike and I have been having to devise ever-more inventive ways of getting the bike through all the check-in procedures without it being recognized as such.  For the airlines, as long as you satisfy their guidelines for weight, shape, and size dimensions then normally they will not bother you at all.

Bikes in big boxes should be charged for, they take up valuable space and are unwieldy for the handlers.  Hard cases are great, to be sure.  The bike is snug as a bug in a rug and comes through the flight completely unscathed no matter how many apes have invaded the baggage handling procedures.  But the cost per bike per flight has risen to $100 and even $150 in some cases.  And then you have to drag the case around with you once in country or pay a hotel to store it for you.  Now, you can support the airlines in their year-end profits if you want, or read on and learn how to get your bike into a regular piece of travel baggage.

I recognize the need to balance the affordability of bringing your own ride while also protecting the investment in the bike.

Of course, you do have the option of renting.  The rental bikes that we use with Wanderland are always in the best condition available.  The problem with Rental bikes is that the fit can be slightly off, or the components unfamiliar, not to mention that the rental can add up to another $200 or $300 on top of the cost of your professionally guided trip.

So, if you want to save upwards of $400 on overall trip costs per person check out the methods outlined below.

There are a couple of approaches for ‘disguising’ your bike as just regular luggage.  If the airlines cannot easily identify your baggage as a bike, then you will be able to get it through without an extra charge most of the time.
The first rule is to not have a suitcase, hardcase, or bike carrier that shouts,  “I am a bike!”  Stickers, bike-company brand names, you wearing tight lycra shorts and a helmet will get you charged every time.  As well, the hard edges of the frame poking out the end of the bag are a dead give-away.  Make sure that everything is well padded with foam and clothing.

There are two principle approaches:
Method #1 – Buy bikes that disassemble.  As you investigate the purchase of your new bikes keep in mind a company in Bozeman, MT that makes S&S Couplers – (http://www.sandsmachine.com/).  Bike Torque Couplings can be incorporated into a custom frame that then can be split in the middle of the cross-tube and the down-tube and laid into your regular suitcase.  So, the couplers  allow you to take the front and rear of the bike completely apart and I have found that with most frame sizes you can usually then fit the bike into a regular suitcase along with your clothing.

A regular-looking suitcase is the best disguise, just as long as it doesn’t clank.  Take the additional time to place the bike and all of its separate components into opaque plastic bags, just in case someone wants a peek inside.  For my part,  I am a fan of soft luggage like large canvas duffels.  I don’t like to have to drag around a hard piece of luggage for my entire trip..I usually have my bike set up with a sturdy rear rack, Old Man Mountain makes rack models that will mount on any kind of bike.  With a rack snapped on and your soft duffel rolled up, you can usually then ride right out of the airport parking lot with your stuff in a couple of panniers!

Rock Art – Petroglyphs and Pictographs – Yes, the “Artifacts of former cognitive universes” of the amazing Southwest. The pine forests, mountain streams, and florid deserts of the SW US and N. Mexico are home to an amazing array of styles and images from the deep past.  We offer archaeology enthusiasts and rock art devotees a unique opportunity to visit and learn from the rupestria of this vast province.

The “Greater Southwest”is an archaeological province that spans two countries, the US amd Mexico. “Las Vegas to Las Vegas, and Durango to Durango”, as the saying goes.  Inside this elongated oval that stretches East-West from Las Vegas, NM to Las Vegas, NV and North-South from Durango, CO to Durango, Mexico can be found some of the world’s finest rock art and easily-accessed archaeo sites.

The SW Rock Art Series: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Sonora, Baja and California.   This first trek is the first of 10 trips we will offer radiating out from Utah to explore the Rock Art of North America.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of individual motifs and thousands of sites tucked into the front and backcountry. Too many of these sites have not been afforded any protection whatsoever, or enjoy only scant protection.

This program will feature only sites that have been gifted a level of protection.  We are not giving up any carefully guarded archeological treasures.  To be sure, we will journey well off the beaten track, we are offering you access to the little known but well protected gems of our archeological heritage.

We want you to wonder at and to better understand these ancient symbols and the information they contain.  By visiting the sites and the complexes they are associated with and learning the history and customs of the peoples who left them you will learn to love them as we do.  This is what is needed most.

The visits and our instructors will help you to appreciate the measures that are being employed to better study and protect their mysterious messages.  Wanderland Travel wants to fete these conservators of our patrimony whether they be federal, state, community, tribal, NGO, or family by bringing their programs to a concerned public.

ITINERARY – Moab to Peñasco
Day 1– Arrival PM to Moab and B&B. Introductions and Orientation. Welcome Dinner. Night Visit to Glyph Panels.

Day 2  –  Moab Region Petroglyphs.  Roadside attractions and off the beaten path discoveries.

Day 3  –   On the road to the Bluff, Utah area.  Backroads sites in Montezuma Canyon and Hovenweep NM.

Day 4  –   Exploring sites in the Bluff, Utah area.  The Comb Ridge and Butler Wash Sites.  Expect some great hiking today.

Day 5  –   On the road to Flagstaff, Arizona.  Visiting sites along this route of travel.

Day 6  –   Sites in the Flagstaff Area.  Wupatki, Elden, Parks, Beaver Creek.

Day 7  –   On the road to the Prescott, Arizona area.  Backroads sites in Arizona’s Central Highlands and private ranchlands.

Day 8  –   Sites in the AZ Central Highlands.  Perry Mesa and Salida Gulch.

Day 9  –   On the road to Gila Bend.  Selected sites in the Sonoran Desert and Gila River Drainage.

Day 10  –   On the road to the Caborca, Mexico area.  Rock Art Preserves near Caborca.

Day 11–On to Puerto Peñasco and the Sea of Cortez.  A visit to the Center for Deserts and Oceans. Farewell dinner on the beach.

Day 12– AM border crossing to Tucson, AZ through Lukeville.  Noon Arrival.

Duration:    10 Days,  9 nights

Location:    Buenos Aires, Bariloche, San Martin de Los Andes – Argentina

Price starting at:  $1,900 –  Cost can vary based on number in group.  Price includes one complimentary position for chaperone or group organizer.

Program Type:     Service Learning Travel for school groups, companies, and organizations.

Meals:    Included.

Patagonia Service Learning — Adventure Argentina

Help a small community school to be more sustainable and enjoy an adventurous and impactful  travel experience in Buenos Aires and Northern Patagonia of Argentina.

You arrive and depart from the impressive capitol of Argentina, Buenos Aires.  Your travel itinerary will take you to the Lakes District of Northern Argentina.  Here you will have an opportunity not only to explore this majestic area but also to leave a positive impact through a  service learning project.  Help us to make this region more sustainable year round, not just in the tourism seasons, through adventure travel that brings needed seasonal income to the local providers with whom we work, and small-scale agricultural service projects that help to nourish the youth and families that make this lovely region their home.

We invite your school group, community organization, club, or business to take part in a travel paradigm that will redefine how you travel in the future.  Voluntourism, adventure philanthropy, service EDventure, whatever you want to call it.  Your travel can be rewarding on so many levels and the joy experienced in working and playing in close contact with the communities where you journey will make for vacation memories that endure.

Duration:    11 Days, 10 nights

Location:    Moab, UT to Caborca, Sonora.  End in Tucson.

Price starting at:    $4217 –Price may vary based on date – please call for details

Program Type:     Archaeology Education, Light Hiking

Meals:    Included.

Rock Art of the Greater Southwest

Rock Art – Petroglyphs and Pictographs – “Artifacts of former cognitive universes” of the semi-arid rangelands, forests, and deserts of the Southwestern US and Northern Mexico.

We offer archaeology enthusiasts, and specifically Rock Art devotees, a unique opportunity to visit and learn about the rupestria of this vast province.  The Greater Southwest is bounded by a long oval that takes in the width and length coordinates: “Las Vegas to Las Vegas, and Durango to Durango”.  Las Vegas, NM to Las Vegas, NV; Durango CO to Durango, Mexico.  Each of these Rock Art Treks will spin off the hub at Moab, UT and head along one or another coordinate of the compass rose.  Any of these trips would thrill the amateur archaeo-buff and professional alike.  Our range: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Sonora, Baja and California.   This first trek is the first of 10 trips we will offer radiating out from Utah to explore the Rock Art of the Greater Southwest.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of individual motifs and thousands of sites tucked into the front and backcountry. Too many of these sites have not been afforded any protection whatsoever, or enjoy only scant protection.  This program will feature only sites that have been gifted a level of protection.  We are not giving up any carefully guarded archeological treasures.  To be sure we will journey well off the beaten track, we are offering you access to the little known but well protected gems of our archeological heritage.

We want you to wonder at and to better understand these ancient symbols and the information they contain.  By visiting the sites and the complexes they are associated with and learning the history and customs of the peoples who left them you will learn to love them as we do.  This is what is needed most.

The visits and our instructors will help you to appreciate the measures that are being employed to better study and protect their mysterious messages.  Wanderland Travel wants to fete these conservators of our patrimony whether they be federal, state, community, tribal, NGO, or family by bringing their programs to a concerned public.

Duration:    6 days, 5 nights

Location:    Peach Springs and Supai, Arizona

Price starting at:    $1785.00 – Price may vary based on date – please call for details.

Program Type:     Hiking and Service Learning

Meals:    All inclusive.  Diamond Creek Restaurant, Supai Cafe, Local Homes.

Program Overview:  Hike the fabulous canyon, work with the Havasupai people.

Havasu Canyon has been a treasured destination for hundreds of thousands of hikers and visitors in the last decades.  This massive flood of humanity through the tiny hamlet of Supai has been both blessing and bane for the first peoples, the Havasupai, who inhabit this slice of paradise deep in The Grand Canyon.  Probably the most remote town in all of the continental United States (Supai is the only U.S. town that still receives its mail by packhorse) Supai and the Havasupai balance precariously between the modern and the ancient worlds.

Explore this remote world on its own terms.  See the canyon through the Havasupai’s perspective.  Your trained naturalist coordinators will bring the past and present alive.

We will work to help the Havasupai attain sustainability between their hunting, gathering, farming, and tourism worlds.  You will be ushered into this world, and hopefully will come away in touch with your own inner hunter / gatherer / gardener / explorer.