Today we’d like to introduce you to Daren Saunders.
Hi Daren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was assisting a friend with his LDS Church History tour group in 2004, we had a great experience, and I was invited again the next year. On that tour was the owner of A+ Tours and Travel in West Jordan. He liked what he saw from me and we got together the next year to get things going. I was his historian/tour director for his company until Covid hit and he lost his business. I started Saunders Tours in 2021 and have been going ever since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
So far, so good. There are always some challenges and tough days. I just try to take one day at a time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I taught Seminary and Institute for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 30 years. I have always had a deep love and passion for our church’s history and have studied it intently. It led me to open up my company, Saunders Tours, as it was a church history tour on which I was assisting that I got my first opportunity to be a director for another travel agency.
I believe we have a unique experience for our church history tours, as we add a personal touch. We only take one bus at a time and get to know our participants very well. We do many things on our tours that make us unique and different with lessons taught on the bus before arriving at the sites. I have a tour book for all to read and use during the tour that I have written. We sing hymns, have a personal journal of each day that I write for everyone, and play games and do things to better get to know our groups.
I also do high school tours for bands, choirs, and orchestras. We take them to Disneyland, San Diego, Orlando, Hawaii, and many other places. We put together their trips and go with them to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My wife has been my biggest supporter and works side by side with me as my personal secretary for our business.
My parents, children, and family have also been a huge support for me and have always believed in me.
Jesse and Kelcey Greathouse–former owners of A+ Tours and Travel. They gave me my first chance to lead these tours on my own and I cannot thank them enough. They have also become very close friends of ours.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saunderstours.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saunders.tours/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saunderstours
