River Currents Blog

River Currents is a blog open to many voices that have had a connection with the river and our trips. You’ll hear the voice of veteran river-runner and Holiday founder Dee Holladay, the voice of guides whose lives have been shaped by their time on the river, and guests who bring the perspectives that remind us why we’re still making these trips happen 45 plus years later. You’ll also hear the voice of and stories through our regular blog contributors, Peta Owens-Liston and Julie Trevelyan.

Category Archives: John Wesley Powell

Top 5 Exciting Rafting Adventures for Families

By Kenzie Comstock Holiday River Expeditions lists the top 5  family river rafting vacations.  We all know that kids love to go to Disneyland but if they’ll love going on a family rafting trip just as much if not more.  You’ll get to spend all of your time together instead of having to branch off … Read more

Trip of the Week: The Green River through Desolation Canyon, Where the Adventure Runs Deep

by Julie Trevelyan The Green River through Desolation Canyon “Desolation” usually conjures images of loneliness. However, Desolation Canyon is lonely in the best sense of the word: remote, uncrowded, and still untouched by the world. We think it’s a sweet river to run; so much so, in fact, that we have five great reasons river … Read more

Trip of the Week: The Colorado River through Cataract Canyon

by Julie Trevelyan Rafting the Colorado River through Utah’s famous Cataract Canyon is the river rafting adventure of a lifetime for many people. Cataract Canyon, which swirls its way through the heart of beautiful Canyonlands National Park, is renowned for its tremendous whitewater rapids, gorgeous canyon walls that tower up to the incredible blue sky, … Read more

Trip of the Week: The Colorado River through Westwater Canyon

by Julie Trevelyan Colorado River Rafting through Westwater Canyon Rafting the Colorado River through Utah’s Westwater Canyon is a short but super memorable rafting vacation of a lifetime. Big water, gorgeous desert canyon walls, possible wildlife sightings such as bald eagles and ravens and maybe even river otters, and a tight three-day schedule all make … Read more

GREEN RIVER JOURNEY: DESOLATION AND GRAY CANYONS with CloudRidge Naturalists

GREEN RIVER JOURNEY: DESOLATION AND GRAY CANYONS May 27-June 2, 2012 7 Days/6 Nights Drs. Geoff Hammerson, Emmett Evanoff, Mike Scott, Ed Wick, and Steve Cassells Cutting a series of chasms in the 10,000-foot-high Tavaputs Plateau, the Green River forms a gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon at Bright Angel Creek. Desolation Canyon, first named … Read more

Things to Do Around Green River, Utah

by Julie Trevelyan You’re heading to our Green River headquarters to embark on a sweet river rafting vacation—maybe Desolation Canyon, or Westwater Canyon. Or you just finished up your Utah whitewater rafting adventure and have some more vacation days at your disposal. Either way, you’re looking for a little more to do and want to … Read more

Five Reasons Why Rafting Desolation Canyon is Cool

by Julie K. Trevelyan Desolation Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon at the Bright Angel Trail. Yep. That has a serious wow factor. John Wesley Powell named it because when he ran it on his 1869 expedition, it seemed like such a barren, lonely place to him. Lucky for us, Desolation Canyon still is … Read more

Shhh, Listen, Do You Hear That? Eavesdropping on John Wesley Powell and his Historic Geographic River Expedition

By Peta Liston-Owens What comes to mind when envisioning John Wesley Powell’s 1869 three-month raucous river expedition through the unchartered terrain of the Green and Colorado rivers, and into the depths of the Grand Canyon? In his book, Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, passages paint images of striking landscape and stomach-dropping first … Read more