Getaway

Visiting GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

One of the best things about living in Arizona is ready access to one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park is one of our very favorite places to visit, all year round. On February 26, 2019, the Grand Canyon will celebrate it’s centennial – it was designated a National Park 100 years ago in 1919! Every season offers something different at the canyon, but this year will also host a many special centennial events.

You can get a new perspective of the majesty of the Canyon and its surrounding wilderness with every visit. Here is some advice for making the most of your visit to Grand Canyon National Park, every time you go.

IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE DAY TO REALLY SEE THE GRAND CANYON

The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is about 3-4 hours from Phoenix, depending on your location in the Valley of the Sun. The most direct route is straight north on I-17 to Flagstaff, but there are a few out of the way routes that can avoid traffic (roads that go through Williams or Winslow, for example). While it may be possible to make the journey in a day, you won’t be able do much more than see the Visitor’s Center and walk the rim for a short while.

And rest assured, there is a little something for everyone in Grand Canyon National Park. From sightseeing, history, science, walking and shopping to wildlife viewing, camping, biking and hiking for every skill level, the Grand Canyon has all of the best features available in a National Park and more.

For the casual sightseer, paved paths are handicap accessible and allow anyone and everyone to walk a few feet or a few miles along the South rim of the canyon and enjoy its spectacular views. As time passes and weather changes, you never see the same scene twice. The shadows and light shift with the sun throughout the day to paint a new picture from every angle. This is a photographer’s paradise.

For the avid outdoors people, there is

hiking for every level of experience both along the rim and down into the canyon. Bikers will find paved bike paths throughout the park at the rim and campers can choose from a variety of campsites, whether using a tent, camper or RV.

VISITORS CENTERS AND THE RIM TRAIL

The first destination visitors usually go to once they enter the park is the Visitor’s Center at Mather Point. This is probably the most busy point, and popular parking area, in the park, but it’s also a great place to learn more and help plan where you want to go next. The main Visitor Center, hosted by National Park Rangers, provides great educational displays, materials and movies, as well as a Junior Ranger Program that is fun and educational for kids. You can shop in the gift shop, rent bicycles or grab a quick sandwich or drink at the coffee shop. It’s also a hub for the free shuttle system.

Other visitor centers along the Rim trail include the Yavapai Geology Museum and the Verkamp’s Visitor’s Center in the Grand Canyon Village. Each stop provides a different focus on the Grand Canyon and gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about its history, geology, wildlife and preservation efforts. They are also great places to help your youngsters earn those Junior Ranger badges, so take the time to stop at each if you can.

GRAND CANYON VILLAGE, HERMIT’S REST AND DESERT VIEW

The historic, much loved Grand Canyon Village is also a definite must-see during your visit to the Grand Canyon. The National Park buildings and lodges along the rim tell the story of what it took to develop the park into a place that everyone can see and visit today. Fred Harvey, Mary Colter and the Kolb Brothers all left their mark on the park in their efforts to help tame the wild west and help people around the world experience the wonder that is the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Village has restaurants, shopping and lodging, and is the nearest point to the train station, if you decide to visit the park via the Grand Canyon Railway.

The furthest points along the rim include Hermit’s Rest, which is accessible by shuttle, and Desert View. Both of these visitor’s centers are worth the trip and provide a new and different view of the Grand Canyon, but be sure to plan ahead if you decide to make the trek. The Hermit’s Rest can only be reached by shuttle, hiking or biking along the rim, about 7 miles from the Grand Canyon Village. Desert View is located at the east entrance of the park, about 25 miles down the road from the main village.

BE SURE TO PLAN AHEAD

The busiest time of the year for visitors at the Grand Canyon is summer. Memorial Day through Labor Day is the peak season, in line with vacation times around the world. Temperatures are beautiful and mild in the spring, from March through May. Fall color is in abundance in October and November. The off-peak season is December through February but remember that you will encounter winter weather (and the hazards of cold, snow and ice along with it). Be sure to check the Grand Canyon National Park website for current weather and traffic conditions before you go.

Once you get to Tusayun, the town that sits about a mile outside of the park entrance, you will find a variety of lodging and dining options if you haven’t planned ahead and made arrangements in the National Park. It’s a great place to stay overnight and be sure to take advantage of the free shuttle that goes from the town into the park from March through November – it will save you a lot of parking headaches! Buy your park pass in advance to take advantage of this shuttle and save yourself time when entering the park.

Of course visitors won’t be able to see the whole park in one visit, but each point is worth visiting and spending some time. Be sure to check LadybugsBlog.com for more information about the Grand Canyon and other fantastic places to visit in Arizona. Happy travels!

COVER STORY RENEE A. HANSON: HELPING WOMEN IN TRANSITION WITH THEIR FINANCIAL NEEDS

By Jennifer Marshall McIlquham

Battling through a divorce, adjusting to widowhood and finding solid ground when facing major job changes are among some of the most challenging tests women can face. While all three situations involve a myriad of different and often conflicting feelings, these tumultuous emotions can negatively impact how women make decisions, and even the best decision makers can struggle to find and make the right choices.

Renee A. Hanson, a Private Wealth Advisor with Affinity Wealth Advisory Group in Scottsdale, has the expertise to navigate women through their changing financial circumstances to arrive successfully at the place they want to be in their new life.

“While I work with all individuals, I specialize in helping women in transition,” said Hanson. “Women in transition are those who are moving through divorce, coping with widowhood or experiencing a job change.”

Given that all three conditions can leave women emotionally scarred, seeking the help of a licensed and professional counselor can help to alleviate and heal their raw emotions. But emotional healing doesn’t happen overnight; it only begins when women are able to own their situation. Once empowered with this renewed self-confidence, they will be in a healthier place to make well-informed decisions that will positively impact their life going forward.

Many decisions women make during this time of incredible change are irreversible and will have financial repercussions on their future. Knowledge is power, and to fully comprehend how the decisions they are making today can benefit or hurt them in the years ahead, they need to seek the help of a licensed financial planner. When a divorcing couple doesn’t have children, the woman only has herself, her financial needs and her life to consider in the settlement process. However, when children are involved, the situation is made infinitely more complicated. Children are already dealing with a whole array of their own divorce related emotions, and the last thing a mother wants is for her kids to feel at fault in any way or be further hurt or scarred in the process.

“Women generally balance family needs in a way that often times leaves them sacrificing themselves or hurting themselves at their own expense,” said Hanson.

But it doesn’t have to be this way, and that’s why a mother needs realistic financial guidance to help protect her and her children’s interests. With careful planning, a woman can meet her own needs without sacrificing what’s best for her kids.

PHOTO BY FLYING ROBOT AERIALS

Who will retain ownership of the Widowhood encompasses its own family home is paramount in many unique package of emotions and divorces. Hanson reports that most financial scenarios. According to women want to retain the home hop- Hanson, most newly widowed women ing that if her kids can keep their rely on their adult children. However, same bedrooms, schools and friends, women are resilient, and within a year their lives will feel less disrupted or so, they usually find their footing, and more stable during the divorce and they no longer require the intense process. support they had originally needed. To highlight that this isn’t always the wisest overall financial decision for the future of the family, Hanson draws Hanson encourages her clients to balance this situation with love and care ensuring their children know that their ” “I want women to make the right decisions so that they don’t look back and wish they had done something different. – Renee Hanson an example comparison between the help was appreciated, and while they amount of equity in the house versus don’t require day-to-day financial and that in the husband’s 401k. life management, they will always Even if the house and his 401k have same way children always love and the same dollar value, they still may need their parents. not represent an equitable division of assets if the wife keeps the house and “Since children can sometimes feel the husband keeps the 401k. discarded,” said Hanson, “women “The house equity will not continue stead, manage it so they feel supported to generate a level of income where and not dependent.” the 401k will,” said Hanson. “The information women gain when working The key is to keep the relationship with a financial advisor to understand balanced so mother and children the financial consequences of their always feel like they’re supporting decisions empowers them to make and helping each other in a healthy better decisions.” respect.

After reaching an equitable division of the former family home and the 401k, a solution might see the mother purchasing a new place for her and her children in the same neighborhood thereby allowing her kids to continue attending their same schools and maintaining their same friendships.

“My ultimate goal in working with women in transition is that they journey through this transition period with the least amount of emotional baggage,” said Hanson. “I want women to make the right decisions so that they don’t look back and wish they had done something different.” need and love their children in the shouldn’t ignore their help, but inWhen it comes to women changing jobs, moving up in their positions and/ or embarking upon new career opportunities, Hanson sees them not being as respectfully aggressive as their male counterparts.

“Women generally don’t negotiate starting salaries and benefits to the same degree men do,” said Hanson, “nor do they negotiate during annual reviews.”

However, she firmly believes that women can be excellent negotiators. In fact, in the same way women naturally nurture, protect and care for others, they’ll negotiate for others but not for themselves.

Furthermore, Hanson believes that women often see the world as operating on “a sense of fairness” meaning they believe they’re being compensated fairly when maybe they’re not getting all that they’re entitled to receive. Therefore, Hanson tutors her clients in how to position themselves for honest and respectful negotiations by understanding the job inside and outside and doing appropriate due diligence to discover if there are hidden benefits like working from home or accumulating additional vacation days.

“I really help my clients understand where they are,” said Hanson, “so that they can paint the picture of where they want to go, and I can create a plan for them to arrive there successfully.”

Hanson is a Certified Financial Planner and Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisor. She provides comprehensive financial planning in the following key areas: calculating cash flow and net worth, addressing immediate financial needs and determining risk exposure for things that go bump in the night like disability. Hanson also helps her clients with: integrating employer benefits into a financial plan, helping minimize taxes now and in the future, calculating the savings rate and the expected longevity of assets and working with clients on estate planning with their attorney.

Transition is challenging enough; don’t tackle it alone. Get the financial knowledge you need to make your best decisions for your best future.

“Women don’t often seek advice,” said Hanson, “so I put out the branch, so they can accept the invitation.”

Call Renee A. Hanson at: 602-9239800 to schedule your complimentary consultation today in her Scottsdale office at: 7010 East Chauncey Lane, Suite 200, and check out her website at: www.ameripriseadvisors.com/team/ affinity-wealth-advisory-group/.

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach.

Putting the needs of clients first is the approach I believe in. I’ll work with you to find the right financial solutions to help you plan for your unique goals. And together, we’ll track your progress over time, adjusting your plan along the way to help get you where you want to go.

Renee A. Hanson CFP®, CEP®, CDFA®, CFS®, ChFC®, APMA®

Private Wealth Advisor

Affinity Wealth Advisory Group

A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

602.923.9800

7010 E. Chauncey Ln Ste 200 Phoenix, AZ 85054 renee.a.hanson@ampf.com affinitywealthadvisor.com

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser. © 2018 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (11/18)