Our “Western” theme at Adventures Out West invites you to lose track of time. Not only do our dashing Tour Drivers adorn Western gear, but they have carefully chosen a name to unleash the Western spirit further!
In the late 1800s, gunslingers were known for using aliases. Who renamed William H. Bonnie to “Billy the Kid” is still debated today. Maybe the newspapers of the day sold better when they replaced the first names of John Henry Holliday with “Doc Holliday”, James Butler Hickok with “Wild Bill”.
I asked the two drivers who have been with Adventures Out West the longest, “Denim” and “Dusty,” when the name-calling all started.
Denim was giving tours in Arizona around 1968, throwing around names like “Levi” and “Wrangler,” because, you might have guessed it, the Arizona dirt didn’t stick to his denim jeans. Denim’s personality reflects that rugged, treasured material: durable, dependable, and rugged.
Dusty’s name derived from the fact that he was raised in the heart of the Dust Bowl. When they began driving Jeeps for Adventures Out West and wearing western gear, the trail names took on a life of their own.
Even our Office Staff joined in the fun, like Wolfman. He matches the 1940s monster-movie archetype, but in a positive way. And do I really have to describe “Mrs. Green Bean”? Red Baron has the deepest red hair that a woman would cry for. I can’t forget to mention Marmot, whose name reflects his favorite winter activity… hibernating.
Now with over 120 AOW family members, the names have organically evolved from historical figures to local wildlife, old West clothing, flora, or the guides’ retired professions. But my favorite name will always be “Santa Fe”, a professional Santa who drove for us while not on his sleigh.
We couldn’t leave out our beloved adventure vehicle fleet, which has adopted names to reflect their personalities.
Our largest, most charismatic white Jeep is called Yeti, and the most melodramatic dark gray Jeep is called Gunsmoke. Not to mention the Jeep with 6 doors, which had to be called the 6-Shooter. 
In other departments, the names keep coming. The Zip Line Courses adopted names like Cliffhanger and Long Johns to reflect their unique attributes. Even the Balloons have names: Big Red, Giddy Up, Lone Cowboy, and Calvary. Sometimes we even hold a ”Name That Jeep” contest via our Facebook Page. Subscribe so you can get in on the fun!
AOW wants you to have the best experience out west. We have been creating memories for over 50 years that will last a lifetime. An AOW nickname gives you, and our guides, the opportunity to create a bigger-than-life adventure personalized just for you. What would your Old West nickname be?
Pick Your Next Adventure With AOW,
Sassafras (aka Tammila K. Wright)
*The drawings of Dusty and Denim were artfully provided by Sketch, one of our talented drivers.
