Russ Lyon Sotheby's of Sedona

Without water, much of central and southern Arizona would still be arid desert, instead of home to a plethora of vibrant cities and towns where luxury Arizona homes and real estate are part of the fabric of life. Centuries ago, Native Americans started the first irrigation and canal systems, and in more modern times, the capture, storage and distribution of water has continued to play a central role in the growth of Arizona.

Roosevelt Dam is located about 76 miles northeast of the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. According to Arizona Oddities, at the time the dam was built, the area had more than 13,000 square miles of watershed from the mountains and the Mogollon Rim. No other large valley in the West came close to the magnitude of watershed available, and that’s why, following the National Reclamation Act of 1902, this particular location was chosen for Roosevelt Dam. Named for President Theodore Roosevelt, construction on the dam began in 1905 and was completed in 1911 at a cost of $10 million. The debt to the federal government was repaid in full in 1955.

Roosevelt Dam was the first major reclamation project in the West and was probably the most significant event in the entire history of the Salt River Valley. Before the dam was built, settlers would often have to leave during times of drought, but the dam’s creation provided a reservoir of lifesaving water.

Once the world’s highest masonry dam, Roosevelt Dam forms Roosevelt Lake which has a shoreline of 128 miles and a length of just over 22 miles. Its capacity is approximately 1.6 million acre-feet and its surface acreage, when full, is about 21.5 acres. The maximum depth of Roosevelt Lake is 188 feet.*

The Salt River Project (SRP), a quasi-governmental agency, manages the dams and lakes. In 1996, SRP completed a $430 million modification project on Roosevelt Dam, expanding Roosevelt Lake’s storage capacity by 20 percent.

(*Source: www.srp.net)

Rising majestically 3,000 feet above the floor of a desert wilderness, the Superstition Mountains stands guard, separating urban hustle and bustle from the desert stillness, protecting a veritable horde of ancient treasures -- artifacts of the long-ago Pima and Apache Native Americans, remnants of the Spanish conquistadors, and most notably, the unimaginable fortunes locked deep inside Jacob Waltz’s long-lost gold mine, a cache of riches that still waits to be discovered.

Thousands still search for that Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, but thousands more know the real treasures to be found today lie in Gold Canyon, the aptly-named upscale Arizona real estate community that’s home to no fewer than five championship 18-hole golf courses, a burgeoning, active arts community, and growing neighborhoods with exceptional homes to accommodate a range of lifestyles and prices.

These neighborhoods fit snugly within the foothills of the mountains, a protected preserve to remain unsettled forever. Homeowners revel in daily life that presents incomparable views from every perspective, along with incomparable choices in outdoor activities. There are ghost towns and historical museums to explore, vast, wide-open hiking and riding trails among the sage and saguaro, outstanding golf courses to challenge, boating or fishing at nearby Canyon Lake and Apache Lake, driving the wonderfully scenic Apache Trail that leads to Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake, or luxuriating in the pampering of a resort pool or day-spa.

Gold Canyon’s Arts Council presents regular exhibitions and an annual festival featuring local and regional artists, and shopping is plentiful and easily accessible along U.S. 60. Arizona’s annual Renaissance Festival, held every February and March, enlivens Gold Canyon with music and medieval revelry under the watchful eye of the magnificent mountains.

Life in Gold Canyon is laidback, easy and accented with the electric blue of the infinite Arizona sky, ideal year-round weather that affords time for a wealth of outdoor enjoyment, and the most spectacular crimson-hued sunsets that, daily, give way to a shimmering starry sky above.

Modern-day Gilbert Arizona is a study in contrasts, with a few farmhouses that hearken back to its days as an agricultural haven to marvelous master-planned <a href=http://www.azhomes.com/>Arizona real estate</a> communities that pay tribute to days gone by – and those who lived there – through their names, such as Morrison Ranch and Finley Farms.

According to the <a href=http://www.gilbertmuseum.com/>Gilbert Historical Museum</a>, the most recent, rich history behind Gilbert began around the early 1890s, when the first homesteaders consisted of four women and six men. Some of the land in the area was given away free of charge to homesteaders willing to remain on the land for a minimum of five years, while other land was sold for as little as 50 cents an acre. Back then, farm work was done with a horse, roads weren’t paved, and everyone swam in irrigation ditches to stay cool.

While the exact date of the town’s founding isn’t clear – according to the museum, the earliest homestead was purchased in 1893, but the town’s website says it was developed in the late 1890s – Gilbert was established around the turn of the century as a train station. The story, according to the town website, is that around 1902, area homesteader William “Bobby” Gilbert allowed the Arizona Eastern Railway to establish a rail siding on his land for a line between Phoenix and Florence. Gilbert grew from there, although the town wasn’t officially incorporated until 1920.

In the meantime, the charming little farming community was flourishing, in fact, the museum website notes the first school opened in 1900. The first grocery store, Ayer’s, came along in 1910 and became the site of the local post office two years later. In 1913, Gilbert’s own railroad depot was constructed; everything from cattle to sheep to watermelons went through it. Also that year, an elementary school known as “the Alamo” was built at Gilbert and Elliot roads; today, that old schoolhouse – which only went out of service in 1977 – houses the Gilbert Historical Museum.

Gilbert remained a small farming hub on the outskirts of Phoenix for decades. Then, in the 1970s, the Town Council annexed 53 square miles of county land and the town’s size and outlook changed. To wit: In 1970, Gilbert had a population of 1,970. But by 1980, that figure had risen to 5,717; by 2009, it was approximately 215,000. Yet, in spite of its rapid growth, the town has managed to honor its past, celebrating small-town goodness and a family-friendly focus.

Interesting factoid: One of Gilbert’s most notable achievements was being dubbed the “alfalfa hay capital of the world”, a moniker that was given to the town in about 1918. Indeed, during World War I, Gilbert was a main hay supplier for the U.S. Army’s horses.

Throughout the major metropolitan areas such as Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Tucson, Arizona finding a home for practicing pretty much every type of religion is fairly easy.

A little history: The first religions that were practiced in Arizona were the sacred beliefs and ceremonies of the Native Americans. In the late 17th century, Catholic missionaries came to the area and began to attempt to convert these native peoples to Christianity, but by the late 18th century, Franciscans were the major missionary group. It was around this time that the Roman Catholic Church was established in Arizona.

A 2007 survey conducted by The Pew Forum found that nearly 30 percent of Arizona residents identify themselves as Catholic and another 30 percent as Protestant. Six percent are Mormon or LDS, one percent are Jewish, one percent are Buddhist and six percent are affiliated with another religion. Over 20 percent do not consider themselves to be connected with any religious preference at all.

While some Arizona churches have just a handful of members, others, especially in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, are enormous facilities with multiple buildings and numerous services that cater to hundreds, if not thousands, of members.

Mormons (Latter-Day Saints, or LDS) have a rich history throughout the state of Arizona; even though a relatively small percentage of religious people are LDS, they do enjoy a significant legacy in the area. Brigham Young sent Mormons to Arizona in the mid-to-late 19th century, and these pioneers founded several Arizona cities and towns including Safford, Heber, Snowflake, Mesa and others. In fact, downtown Mesa is home to a magnificent Mormon temple that hosts a locally-famous holiday display every December.

If you are looking for a spiritual home in Arizona, many websites have extensive listings of local houses of worship, including www.Flockfinder.com, www.USAChurches.org and www.Synagogues.com (search under Phoenix).

Visitors come from around the world to experience Flagstaff’s sense of the Old West, outdoor adventures and the town’s amazing history, architecture and eclectic culture. Known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff Arizona real estate rests along the foothills of the San Francisco Peaks, an intimate and cozy town rich in Western and Native American history. Home to Northern Arizona University, internationally renowned Lowell Observatory, several museums and half a dozen parks, Flagstaff overflows with a plethora of possibilities in recreation, entertainment and culture.

The iconic scenery of the American West frames life in Flagstaff -- the high desert accented with oak, elm and pine trees provides a stunning backdrop for skiing to snowboarding, shopping to symphonies, canyon-rafting to rock-climbing, hiking to biking and so much more. Bordered by the famed “Mother Road,” Route 66, Flagstaff’s ambience neatly weaves an energetic emphasis on a magnificent four-seasons with an innate artistic presence.

Annual celebrations contribute greatly to Flagstaff’s community energy, drawing residents and tourists alike to activities such as movies on the square on warm summer evenings, the Festival of Science featuring exciting presentations from Lowell Observatory on heavenly skies and stars, and Route 66 days recalling the great era of road travel. In addition, there’s the wildly popular New Year’s Eve Pinecone Drop, which is the prelude to Winterfest, a grand month-long celebration of snow incorporating art, dining, music and every possible snow-time adventure, including sled-dog races.

Panoramic mountain meadows and endless sunny days and star-filled nights combine with Flagstaff’s active sense of small-town community to sing an enticing siren song of relocation. Flagstaff real estate offers many impressive homes set against marvelous mountain landscapes, as well as private, gated communities with a multitude of luxurious options.

A little history: Flagstaff got its beginning in 1871 when Edward Whipple, the first known settler in the area, arrived and began to operate a saloon. The next known settler wouldn’t arrive until 1876, when F.F. McMillen settled in the area north of present day Flagstaff. A few months later, a group of scouts and settlers who were traveling from Boston came across an open valley with a lone pine tree which they turned into a makeshift flagpole for their American flag. The group continued westward, but the flag staff from which the city would later get its name remained. In 1891, Flagstaff was named the seat of Coconino County; it was incorporated as a town in 1894 and as a city in 1928.

If you love sports, you will definitely love living in Arizona. The spectators’ list goes on and on and includes professional teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and more, in addition to plenty of college teams including the University of Arizona Wildcats, the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. There’s also a whole roster of community college teams, but if actively participating is more your style, there are tons of recreational leagues looking for ‘weekend warriors’ and regular team members.

Let’s start with the pros. The Arizona Cardinals (NFL) football team takes to the gridiron every year in the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, while the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) play at Jobing.com arena, which is also in Glendale near the Cardinals’ facility. Downtown Phoenix is host to the US Airways Center, home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. Other professional teams that call the Phoenix area home are the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL.

Getting back to baseball, every March the Phoenix area hosts numerous Major League Baseball teams for their annual Spring Training ritual. Thousands upon thousands of fans flock to the Valley of the Sun to watch professional teams play in smaller, more intimate stadiums where being close to the action is definitely the name of the game.

Moving to college sports, the Arizona State University Sun Devils in Tempe have a wide variety of sports options for both students and fans, from men’s football, baseball, basketball and cross-country to women’s softball, track and field, swimming and gymnastics. In Tucson, the University of Arizona Wildcats boasts athletic opportunities such as football, soccer, basketball, swimming and golf. Up north in Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University’s Lumberjacks also enjoy a full roster of sports choices.

High schools across the state offer multiple opportunities for students to participate in athletics, and most campuses have their own sports fields and/or stadiums adjacent to the main school buildings; on game-nights, the stands are often packed with friends, family members and local media.

If you would rather play sports than watch, you’re in luck because Arizona is home to at least 300-plus golf courses, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, fun-filled swimming facilities and a plethora of recreational leagues for the young and not-so-young alike. As you can see, it is easy, healthy and fun to stay active in sports-rich Arizona.

Arizona houses many state-of-the-art medical facilities, some of which attract people from all over the world who travel here to receive top-notch medical care.

Perhaps the best-known facility is the Mayo Clinic, which is world-renowned for its outstanding level of patient services. Thousands of people every year come to the Mayo Clinic to be treated for a variety of health care ailments ranging from cardiac care to cancer. Some patients are evaluated and treated all in one day and are then sent home, and others require a stay at the Mayo Clinic Hospital, which is on the Phoenix campus.

Additional medical options in Arizona include those found throughout the Banner Healthcare system, in fact, Banner Health hospitals operate over 30 facilities ranging from large hospitals to smaller clinics, some of which are urgent- and same-day locations. Banner Desert in Mesa, Banner Thunderbird in Glendale, Banner Ironwood in Queen Creek (southeast of Phoenix) and Banner Estrella in west Phoenix are four hospitals that offer high quality medical treatments to their patients. Meanwhile, St. Joseph’s Hospital near downtown Phoenix is also extremely well-known for its outstanding healthcare, in fact, U.S. News & World Report’s annual listing of top hospitals routinely ranks St. Joseph’s in the top 10 for neurology and neurosurgery. The hospital is home to Barrow Neurological Center, several Centers of Excellence in various specialties, and a busy Trauma Center that handles everything from gunshot wounds to traffic accident victims to drownings/near drownings.

From obstetricians and gynecologists to dermatologists, oncologists and endocrinologists, specialists abound in Arizona, and it is easy to locate a doctor who can help you with a specific health condition. For very focused needs, Cancer Treatment Centers of America recently opened a facility in Goodyear called Western Regional Medical Center. An easy freeway drive from Scottsdale and Phoenix, the facility is known for its leading-edge cancer care.

Children who require intensive or specialized medical treatment will often go to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix. The colorful building is staffed with kid-friendly doctors and nurses who do everything they can to make a child’s visit as stress-free and pleasant as possible. Along with its downtown location, the hospital also has two satellite offices that offer follow-up appointments, checkups and urgent care options.

Throughout Arizona, you will also find numerous smaller medical clinics and Urgent Care facilities. In addition, some national chain drug stores like Walgreens and CVS offer walk-in medical clinics located right inside many of their stores.

The great Grand Canyon State offers plenty to do and see here whether you already own a home or if you’ve purchased Arizona real estate that you’re holding onto until you can build your dream home.

One city in Arizona that’s made the front page a lot lately is Glendale, and guests, sports-nuts and shoppers alike definitely appreciate what’s been going on in this all-grown-up former farming town. Located on the western edge of Phoenix, Glendale is home to several sports venues including the University of Phoenix Stadium where the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals play and the newly christened Camelback Ranch, Spring Training home to Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers.

Similarly, shoppers love Glendale, since it is home to Westgate City Center’s bevy of high-end stores, nightclubs and restaurants. In addition, Westgate features a multiplex theatre, corporate offices, apartments and condominiums. Another one of Glendale’s most defining shopping assets is its Historic Downtown, an ultra-quaint area comprised of ten square-blocks of tree-lined streets, memory-lane merchants, bungalow boutiques and ethnic eateries. According to the Glendale Visitors Center, downtown is consistently ranked one of the top shopping districts in the country thanks to its wealth of antique stores and cozy shops that offer jewelry, art, crafts, collectables and bath and body accessories.

Another special place in downtown Glendale is The Bead Museum, a unique museum that houses an international collection of over 100,000 beads and beaded artifacts and features permanent and changing exhibitions. The Bead Museum also sells a wide range of bead-related publications as well as beads and supplies for the bead worker and specialist beads for the collector.

Whether you already own an Arizona home or perhaps you’ve purchased real estate you’re holding onto until you build your dream home there is plenty to do all across the great Grand Canyon State.

One of Arizona’s best kept secrets is definitely the Out of Africa Wildlife Park, located about 90 minutes north of the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area in the quaint town of Camp Verde, Arizona. Home to more than 400 amazing animals, Out of Africa Wildlife Park is nestled on 104 wilderness acres at the base of the Mingus Mountain range at an elevation of about 3,400 feet above sea level.

There are many ways to see the park, including the Wildlife Preserve Tour and the Serengeti Safari Tour. On the Wildlife Preserve Tour, visitors enjoy a narrated tram or trolley tour of the Preserve where unobstructed photo platforms provide excellent opportunities to capture scenes of majestic lions, tigers, wolves, hyenas and other predators as they roam in their natural habitats. A little more personal, the Serengeti Safari Tour is a 45-minute narrated tour in a safari vehicle. Hosted by expert park guides, visitors can expect a personal encounter with animals such as zebras, ostriches, giraffes and more, while on nearby hills, prides of lions and other big cats overlook their domain. If you prefer, you can also walk among the Preserve’s habitats where you will frequently see caretakers interacting with the animals.

Additional attractions include the Tiger Splash Arena, a Giant Snake Show and the Community Aviary, home to two dozen exotic birds of exotic origin, including various types of cocktatoos and macaws.

There’s plenty to do all across the great Grand Canyon State, whether you already own a home here or perhaps you’ve purchased some Arizona real estate you’re holding onto until you can build your dream home. And as long as we’re talking about homes, all across Arizona there are ancient homes that are still visible that allow visitors to take a peek into long-ago Native American life; some of them are tucked into the steep canyon walls of Northern Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “Shay”). Along with the site’s numerous ancient dwellings that reflect one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes in North America, Canyon de Chelly’s most distinctive geological feature is Spider Rock, a soaring sandstone spire similar to those that dominate the landscape in nearby Monument Valley.

Boasting artifacts and rock imagery that are remarkably preserved, Canyon de Chelly is thought to have been built between 350 AD and 1300 AD and is dotted with hundreds of ancient pueblo ruins that were once home to the Anasazi Indians. In the 1700s, Navajo tribes-people began to make their way west from northern New Mexico, eventually settling in Canyon de Chelly and even today, a Navajo community inhabits the canyon floor. Designated as a National Monument in 1931, Canyon de Chelly is the only National Park Service site to be completely located within the Navajo Nation.

If you go: Start at the Canyon de Chelly National Monument Visitor Center, where you can learn more about the area and the Navajo people. Two drives follow the rims of the canyon from the visitor center; these are the only drives allowed without a guide. If you have time, be sure to check out the well-preserved Puebloan ruins nestled in the 1,000-foot-tall rock walls (accessible only via guided tour). You can explore the White House Ruin trail on your own, but please be aware that most visits to the canyon floor require accompaniment by a park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide.

Overnight accommodations can be found in nearby Flagstaff, Chinle or Tuba City, while a free campground is available within Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

There are a number of reasons that living in Arizona is a goal for many individuals and families. From the gorgeous Grand Canyon in the north to the stunning saguaro forests of Tucson and southern Arizona, to the high Sonoran desert of central Arizona, Arizona is home to a wealth of diverse climates, seasons and amenities making it easy to see why Arizona is such a wonderful place to purchase a home, land or real estate as well as to live, work and do business.

One of the most famous places to visit in Arizona is, of course, the Grand Canyon. Vast, spectacular and undeniably majestic, the Grand Canyon is one of the ‘seven wonders of the world’ and simply must be seen to be believed...and even then, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the splendor, glory and enormity of what Mother Nature has carved over the eons.

For those who desire to see the magnificence of Mother Nature in a new and breathtaking way, it’s worth the extra drive to visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk. This unique horseshoe-shaped glass-bottomed cantilever bridge sits an amazing 4,000 feet high above the Colorado River and spans an astonishing 70 feet over the Grand Canyon’s rim. Not for the faint of heart, guests can stroll out over the canyon walls far below for an awe-inspiring view of the Grand Canyon’s soaring cliffs and deep crimson-hued gorges.

Completed in March of 2007, the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West is open 365 days a year. Located at Grand Canyon West, the Skywalk is approximately 250 miles from the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area and about 375 miles from Tucson/Oro Valley/Marana.

Owning an Arizona home is a lifelong goal for a lot of people...and it’s no wonder why. Some folks live for Arizona’s outdoor sports, while others prefer to spend their free time playing one of the state’s gorgeous golf courses, soaking up the spectacular sunsets or moseying around museums and other family-friendly venues.

Here’s something that pretty much everyone who owns a home or other Arizona real estate will enjoy: Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park.

Located east of Winslow, Arizona, the park is nestled inside the world-famous Painted Desert, and is home to 200-million-year-old fossils that will amaze even the non-science geeks in the family. The story goes that volcanic lava destroyed what was once a flourishing forest, embedding the remains of the trees into a vast acreage filled with ash and water. Millions of years later, erosion set the logs free, revealing a veritable wealth of magnificent petrified wood, which is made up mostly of quartz.

In addition to the Petrified Forest, the Park features more than 13,000 years of human history, including a nearly 800-year-old, 100-room dwelling called Puerco Pueblo. There’s also an extensive collection of prehistoric pottery fossils and numerous scenic hiking trails that range from half-mile to three miles – and each trail boasts breathtaking views of the surrounding Painted Desert. If you’re so inclined, head out into the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area on horseback or via burro, mule or even a llama...we kid you not. When it’s time for sweet dreams, no problem – you can do an overnight backpacking trip through the park, or for those less adventurous, there are plenty of nearby hotels and campgrounds.

There are always plenty of things to do whether you have Arizona homes, land, real estate or even a houseboat. And speaking of houses and boats, Arizona’s Lake Powell is one of the most popular places in the state to go house-boating thanks to its 186-mile-long smooth-as-glass surface snuggled alongside soaring crimson-hued canyons, rugged rock outcrops and the spectacular scenery of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Sprawled across an amazing 1.2 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers fabulous opportunities for water-based as well as land-based recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing a wealth of geologic wonders and magnificent scenic vistas crafted by a combination of volcanic lava, erosion, wind and time.

Formed by the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dam, one of the world’s highest dams, Lake Powell itself straddles the border between Arizona and Utah and was created as a result of the construction of the dam in the early 1960s. The lake, whose level changes with the years and the seasons, boasts nearly 2,000 miles of meandering shoreline – making it the perfect destination for fishing, water sports, house-boating and other outdoor activities.

Located near Page, Arizona, Wahweap Marina is the largest marina on Lake Powell and locals and visitors alike tend to agree that it is a great place to rent a houseboat or find a hotel or other lodging. You can bring your own boat or rent one and head out onto the lake for water-skiing, wake-boarding or whatever sporty adventure strikes your fancy.

If you’re not staying on a houseboat, you might want to make one of the campgrounds your home...options include a National Park Service campground at Lees Ferry, privately run campgrounds and there’s also a lodge at Wahweap Marina. If your idea of a home away from home includes a “real” bed, no problem - several nicely appointed hotels are available in Page, just a few miles away.

There are a number of reasons that living in Arizona is a goal for many individuals and families. From the gorgeous Grand Canyon in the north to the stunning saguaro forests of Tucson and southern Arizona, to the high Sonoran desert of central Arizona, Arizona is home to a wealth of diverse climates, seasons and amenities making it easy to see why Arizona is such a wonderful place to purchase a home, land or real estate as well as to live, work and do business.

One of the most famous places to visit in Arizona is, of course, the Grand Canyon. Vast, magnificent and undeniably beautiful, the Grand Canyon is one of the ‘seven wonders of the world’ and simply must be seen to be believed...and even then, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the splendor, glory and enormity of what Mother Nature has carved over the eons.

The South Rim

According to the Arizona Office of Tourism, due to its proximity to Flagstaff and Williams, the South Rim is the Canyon’s most popular destination. Grand Canyon Village features hotels and lodges, restaurants, a general store, a bank and a service station. The Grand Canyon Railway, a historic rail line out of Williams, brings visitors directly to Grand Canyon Village, which has a scattering of parking areas surrounding various viewpoints. But be forewarned: summer days and weekends can be extremely crowded and visitors are encouraged to skip the parking-space race and take the free shuttle busses instead.

The North Rim

Usually accessible from mid-May to mid-October, the North Rim is home to the rustic Grand Canyon Lodge, a general store, camper facilities and campgrounds. Additional campgrounds, lodging options and stores are available in Jacob Lake, which is outside the park and approximately 45 miles to the north.

A Sampling of Things to Do

(Please note that many of these options require advance reservations and/or permits)

• Grand Canyon Tours: Explore the Grand Canyon with a guided tour or ride on the ground, in the air or atop an experienced mule.
• Hiking: Enjoy an easy rim hike or a rigorous multi-day backpacking trip.
• Rafting the Canyon: Choose from motorized or oar-powered expeditions ranging from four days to two weeks.