First Multimedia Tours of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks Produced Through GeoQuest Tours and BarZ Adventures Partnership 

GPS Ranger™ tours available in six languages expand National Park access to diverse visitors

Release date: 8/11/2008

AUSTIN, Texas (August 11, 2008) - GeoQuest Tours and BarZ Adventures Inc are proud to announce the launch of the first multimedia tours of Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.  Educational and entertaining video tours available in six different languages detail the geology, history, plants and animals of these stunning national treasures, enabling visitors to get more from their visit. 

The self-paced tours are delivered through the GPS Ranger™, a patent-pending, handheld computer device that delivers compelling video, audio, musical soundtrack and historical photography based on the location of the user through the power of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology. Visitors can choose to take tours in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian or Japanese and as they hike through the park, informative full-color videos automatically play as the users approach pre-determined GPS waypoints or tour stops.  “Learn More” video segments can be viewed on demand to supplement tour stop videos with more in-depth knowledge. 

“For the first time ever, GPS Ranger tours will be truly supportive of an international audience. With these tours produced in six different languages, foreign visitors from a broad range of countries and regions will be able to enjoy entertaining and educational content delivered in their native languages,” said Wm. Lee Little, Founder and CEO of BarZ Adventures Inc. 

Both tours are hosted by Lynn Chamberlain, a 20-year veteran of wildlife photography and co-host of the PBS program “Utah Wild”. The Bryce Canyon National Park tour includes 39 video segments for a total tour time of 75 minutes without additional hiking. Some highlights of the tour include:

o Sunrise and Sunset Points and interesting behind-the-scenes information about the geology that created these beautiful and unique hoodoo formations.

o    Inspiration Point and the historical Paiute Legend of the Hoodoos.

o    Bryce Point and the history of Ebenezer Bryce, one of the early pioneers responsible for settling this rugged land.

o    Wall of Windows and the details about how this spectacular wonder was created by nature’s forces of precipitation and temperature.

o    In-depth looks at some of the native plants and animals of Bryce Canyon, including the Peregrine Falcon, California Condor, Osprey, Quaking Aspen, and Bristlecone Pine. 

The Zion National Park tour has 44 video segments for a total tour time of 60 minutes without additional hiking.  The Zion tour includes the following notable tour stops:  

o     Checkerboard Mesa noted as one of the most interesting Navajo Sandstone geometric patterns found in the park.

o     Cable Mountain and the intriguing history of the Flannigan brothers who built a system of cables and pulleys in 1900 to enable the transport of lumber from the rim to the canyon floor 1800 feet below. 

o     Kayenta Formation and the geology behind the sheer cliffs that decorate the park.

o     Angel’s Landing which is a thrilling hike with extreme drop-offs and the unique history of a ‘royal’ dedication.

o     The History of rock climbing in Zion National Park, dating back to 1927, and the story of a rescue mission responsible for the discovery of Hidden Canyon. 

GeoQuest Tours has partnered with BarZ Adventures Inc to bring these interpretive and cutting-edge tours to National Park visitors so they can explore the area like never before. An additional GeoQuest tour of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is also in development. 

“We are excited to partner with BarZ Adventures to bring the GPS Ranger to breathtaking southern Utah.  We are confident the visitors will love learning about Zion and Bryce Canyon while exploring the park with their own personal tour guide,” said Jeff Swyers, President of GeoQuest Tours. 

BarZ Adventures has produced GPS Ranger tours for a variety of resources within the National Park System including Death Valley National Park, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Vicksburg National Military Park and Shenandoah National Park.  The company continues to work with both the park service and independent tour operators interested in developing compelling GPS Ranger tours for additional locations. 

Both tours can be rented for the day for $30 each and can be shared by several visitors starting August 19, 2008. The Bryce Canyon National Park tour is available from the Bryce Photo shop within Ruby’s Inn on Hwy 63 outside of the park, while the Zion National Park tour can be rented from the Fatali Gallery in Zion Canyon Theatre Plaza in Springdale outside of the park.