Gavin

I grew up in Helena, Montana and then moved to Seattle for college.  I love Montana and miss the people and the unbelievable outdoor opportunities.  Seattle was a great place to live and study, but the depressing gray winters eventually got to me.  I graduated with a B.S. in Geology and spent the two years after that traveling and working.

I moved to San Francisco about two and a half years ago and I love it.  The weather is mild (at least compared to everywhere else I’ve lived!), the people are friendly, the food is good, and the politics are progressive (and usually entertaining too).  I like to listen to music and go out for drinks with friends.  I love Mexican food which makes the Mission my favorite neighborhood in The City.  The things I like to do outside of work mostly involve outdoor activities – hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, biking, anything outside really.  I also love to travel and I have spent time in Australia, South America, a bit of Central America and Mexico, and many U.S. states and Canada.  I love to travel and take any opportunity I can get to see new places. 

I’ve been a Tour Guide with Extranomical Adventures for about a year and a half now.  What I love most about the job is the interaction with people from all over the world and being lucky enough to go to some of the most beautiful and interesting places in California.  It is really fun for me to learn about San Francisco and California, which makes enjoyable to talk about too.  My favorite tour is the Yosemite and giant sequoias tour.  It’s a long day, but completely worth it.  I always tell people to spend as much time as they can up there, but if you only have a day it’s still a must see.  My two favorite times of the year in Yosemite are spring, when the waterfalls and rivers are at there most impressive, and early fall, when all the leaves are changing.  That being said, every season has its plusses and minuses so it’s best to visit more than once.  I believe that spending more time with nature will make you feel better and be more successful in life anyway.  I also guide and enjoy all of our other tours.  The Muir Woods and Wineries tour is another great one.  You get to see a beautiful and peaceful redwood forest in the morning and then the afternoon is spent sampling wines and eating lunch in Sonoma Valley.  I also do the Monterey and Carmel tour and a couple of different City tours.

My future plans are to go back to school and earn a Masters degree in Environmental Policy.  I want to help keep our natural spaces as pristine as they are by limiting new development and encouraging sustainable living. 

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