Introducing: Patrice Dias

Hi, my name is Patrice Dias and I have been a tour director for ten years. Before I became a tour director, I tried my hand at a number of careers, from recreation to construction and law enforcement but after an eye-opening internship in the Philippines I knew I had found my calling in travel. I have been happily guiding tours ever since and really believe that travel broadens a person’s view of the world.

I guide Insight groups in the United States’ magnificent west. As a native Californian, I am proud to show off the splendid sights of my own stomping ground. During the spectacular fall foliage season, I also guide tours around the New England states, which are home to an absolutely dazzling display of colour that time of year.

I am fascinated by the various Native American cultures in this country and I love to share my knowledge and appreciation of them with my guests. I also enjoy showing travellers hidden gems that are only known to locals. Custer State Park in South Dakota has to be one of the country’s best kept secrets with so much to offer visitors from the serene beauty of the landscape and unique wildlife to the terrific bison stew at the historic lodge.

I am often asked if I tire of seeing the same sights over and over again and my answer is always the same – how can I tire of the surreal sight of the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, viewing millions of years of geologic history at the Grand Canyon or the colorful and amazing geothermal features found in Yellowstone National Park? Impossible!

When it comes to cuisine, San Francisco is the place to go, there’s so much on offer and several local specialties are unique to the region. Try a freshly made fortune cookie in Chinatown, a take-away seafood cocktail on Fisherman’s Wharf or a slice of the City’s famous sourdough bread, handed down from California’s Gold Rush days.

What I enjoy most about touring in the western U.S. is that each day brings a very different experience; one day you’ll be living it up in the glitter of Las Vegas, the next enjoying the quiet beauty of Indian cliff dwellings with a variety of amazing sights and experiences in between.

It’s not hard to have a great day at work in my job- it can come from a variety of sources; the sight of a rare desert bloom, morning light on a red canyon wall, a bear sighting, a waiter with a great joke or just taking advantage of an unexpected situation.