Relaxed Nature Tours

See below the scheduled upcoming tours.

Nevada and Two Utah National Parks

October 8-16, 2026

Leader: David Bradford/Andrea Ezerins

Four Clients Only (There are four spots available)

I recently returned from a great trip in the west, that included the Las Vegas area, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. My wife and I hiked, saw a lot of sights and birded a wide variety of habitats. This was a wonderful excursion that I want to repeat as a Relaxed Nature Tour in 2025.

We will spend three nights in Henderson, NV. away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. Staying southeast of Las Vegas, in the small town of Henderson, puts us in an excellent location to bird the many hot spots east of Vegas. From Henderson we have easy access to the o so birdy Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Las Vegas Wash, Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, Desert NWR. If time allows, we will venture into the mountains west of Las Vegas where we hope to find a different assortment of bird species. While enjoying the sights, we will spend two mornings birding, even though this is a relaxed nature tour.

While in Henderson, NV. we will visit Lake Mead and look at the oft-talked-about lake, plus there are a few birds in the area. A visit to Hoover Dam, a much-improved tourist attraction, is planned. I had not been to the Hoover Dam in quite a while and was surprised at the new viewing bridge that had been built, the new restaurant, and the many parking lots. This was a nice stop and one worth visiting.

After three nights in Henderson, NV. we will work our way to Zion National Park, a jewel in the park system. Here the sedimentary rocks have been uplifted, tilted, and eroded creating fantastic outcroppings of Navajo Sandstone. We will stay at the lodge within the national park and ride the park shuttle when necessary. In Zion we plan to take some hikes and enjoy the fantastic scenery, and we will eat at least one meal at the restaurant in the park. On our way to Zion we might stop at Snow Canyon State Park.

After two nights at Zion NP, we will travel to Bryce Canyon National Park for two nights at the lodge within the park. On our way to Bryce, we will probably stop at Cedar Breaks National Monument to get our first look at the rock formations called hoodoos. Parts of Cedar Breaks are at 10,000 feet in elevation and offer some short hikes.

Bryce Canyon NP cannot be described properly, and photos do not tell the true story. This park must be experienced, just as I have done in 1982,(camping) 1996,(with parents) and 2024(with wife). You must stand on the rim and look down into the canyon at the remarkable geologic structures to fully appreciate the park. And staying in the lodge at Bryce allows the tour participant to walk less the one hundred yards to the overlook rim. Bryce Canyon also has many easy to hike trails that allows the visitor to walk among the fascinating geology of this area.

Zion and Bryce do not hold a lot of birds, but the scenery and sights make you forget about birds and stand in wonder of the two parks.

Here is a link to my trip list from 2024. This will give you an idea of birds we might see in 2025.

https://ebird.org/tripreport/267126

The rooms in Henderson are reasonably priced, while the rooms at the lodge at Zion are pricey, and the cabins at Bryce are outrageous. Feels like gouging, but it is location, location, location. By staying in the lodges, and not the two gateway cites to the parks, we are right where the action and scenery is located.

Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is $2,900 and includes most meals. Single occupancy is an additional $850 per person. Meals are no longer a major production, but more relaxed casual affairs. We will fly in and out of Las Vegas.

Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.

Lodges: Please note, the lodges at Zion and Bryce are expensive, but they are not fancy. They are basic with no AC and no TVs at Bryce Canyon NP but there are ceiling fans in the cabins if for some reason it is warm. However, it is all about being on the park property when you wake up each morning.

Temperature: Temperatures in Las Vegas/Henderson can be comfortable in the morning and hot in the afternoons this time of year, but it is dry heat. (yeah right) The afternoons at Zion and Bryce warm up nicely, however, the mornings can be chilly. I wore a fleece each morning and evening at Bryce.

WASHINGTON STATE AND OREGON LODGES TOUR

September 9-18, 2026

Leader: David Bradford/Andrea Ezerins

Four Clients Only (This Tour Is Now Full)

The Lodges Tour is back because of a future tour participant’s request and will follow a similar itinerary to the very successful 2021 Lodges Tour. We will arrive in Seattle for a night and then make a pleasant and scenic drive to Lake Crescent Lodge on the Olympic Peninsula. As we work our way to the lodge, we will make some stops for scenery and birds. Spending three nights at Lake Crescent Lodge will allow us to visit Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, stroll through a temperate rainforest with massive Douglas Firs, Western Hemlocks and Western Red Cedars, marvel at Lake Crescent, look for migrating Salmon, and look for birds as well. We might hike the Moments in Time Trail or take the pleasant hike to Marymere Falls.

After Lake Crescent Lodge and the Olympic Peninsula, we will travel to Paradise Inn at about 5,400 feet on of Mt. Rainier, a lodge of epic proportion with Mt. Rainier as the backdrop. Paradise Inn was built in 1916 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a must-see lodge, as is Mt. Rainier. We will hike, bird, sightsee, read a book, and sit in the lodge and relax during our stay. I particularly like the Nisqually Vista Trail hike we did on our last tour.

Eventually we will have to leave this wonderful location, and travel to the state of Oregon where we will spend the next two nights at Timberline Lodge at 6,000 feet in elevation on the slopes of Mt. Hood. This is a magnificent historic lodge built by the WPA by hand and with all natural products; it is an engineering marvel. From the lodge we will explore a small portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, hike, sightsee, and act like tourists in the small town of Hood River or maybe the smaller town of Mt. Hood Village.

On our way to Portland, we plan to travel through the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. A trip through the gorge is unparalleled in beauty with its many waterfalls and high bluffs. The tour concludes in Portland

If you have read the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose this area will have special meaning to you.

The dining rooms at the lodges are very nice and we plan to eat at least one dinner in each lodge dining room. There will also be time to just sit around the lodge and enjoy the sounds and sights.

These are old lodges that are designed for efficiency, not creature comforts. There is no TV, microwave or fridge in the lodges and the rooms tend to be smaller than hotel rooms. However, I know from last year, you will like the accommodations and love the scenery.

We will fly into Seattle and fly out of Portland to save the long drive back to Seattle. Most meals are included in the cost of the tour.

This is not a birding tour, though we will for sure be looking at birds, but we will also “stop and smell the roses”, or look at pinecones, or lakes, or fungus, or whatever else we want to enjoy.

Cost of the tour per person for double occupancy is $4,000. For single occupancy add $900. Included in the cost of the tour are most meals with several of the meals taken at the lodge restaurant. (The price is an estimate, however, it is probably close to the cost. The rooms at the lodges are very expensive, but sometimes specials are run for month of September so I won’t know the real cost of the tour until 2026) The cost of the tour in 2021 was $3.750.

Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.

Relaxed Nature Tours

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On our way to Portland, we plan to travel through the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. A trip through the gorge is unparalleled in beauty with its many waterfalls and high bluffs. The tour concludes in Portland

If you have read the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose this area will have special meaning to you.

The dining rooms at the lodges are very nice and we plan to eat at least one dinner in each lodge dining room. There will also be time to just sit around the lodge and enjoy the sounds and sights.

These are old lodges that are designed for efficiency, not creature comforts. There is no TV, microwave or fridge in the lodges and the rooms tend to be smaller than hotel rooms. However, I know from last year, you will like the accommodations and love the scenery.

We will fly into Seattle and fly out of Portland to save the long drive back to Seattle. Most meals are included in the cost of the tour.

This is not a birding tour, though we will for sure be looking at birds, but we will also “stop and smell the roses”, or look at pinecones, or lakes, or fungus, or whatever else we want to enjoy.

​

Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.