Kathy Shayna Shocket has the inside stories on the people making a difference.  

 

With Craig and Barbara Barrett on their summer getaway. 

 Among the Arizona influentials who take fantastic summer getaways are two couples who each ventured into the tranquility of the wild in different parts of the world and bonded with nature. The Barretts not only have demanding career schedules, but they typically take vacations which challenge their personal growth.  

Over the years I’ve enjoyed getting emails and phone calls from Barbara Barrett, who most recently served as the President of the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Whether she’d call from Finland where she was U.S. Ambassador, or  correspond over email when she was in Russia training to be an astronaut for the space tourism company Space Adventures; her calls would delightfully light up my caller ID.

 One of her calls this summer really took me by surprise when my Caller ID said “Skype”. It was Barbara, calling from a very remote location in the Amazon rainforest. “I’m surprised we were able to get an internet connection here and can use Skype,” she said.  Barbara and her husband Craig Barrett (the former Chairman and CEO of Intel) were in South America for business related to Barbara’s appointment to the 17- member Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute. The Barretts were taking some personal travel time and Craig was going fly fishing. From one already remote location they travelled 2 more hours on a small plane, another hour by canoe and then another hour by car down an unpaved road.  

(Barbara and Craig Barrett and Barbara Barrett with Yellowstone)

Prior to the Amazon trip, Barbara spent much of the summer in the quiet of the pine scented forests in the Montana Rockies , bonding with her personal horses. Specifically, her personal goal was to polish the performance and manners of a smart but undisciplined young palomino fox trotter named Yellowstone.   The Barrett’s breathtaking Triple Creek Ranch, in Darby, Montana, was the perfect setting to redirect his rambunctious energy while still retaining his spirit and willingness. They rode through rolling grasslands and rocky forest with cattle, bison and deer grazing near-by, covering about 100 backcountry miles, mostly on the challenging Continental Divide Trail with altitudes of 6000-8000 feet.  His final exam was a high mountain trail including occasional talus slopes, mud and water crossings and steep alpine meadows.  Yellowstone got high marks. “Working with a good horse is like developing a treasured friendship,“ said Barbara. 

So what’s next for Barbara and Craig, who are also steadfastly involved in the Barrett  Honors College at ASU? And for Dr. Art and Paige Mollen? Perhaps some dog sledding at Triple Creek Ranch where guests can experience mushing in the winter with Jesse Royer and her team of dogs who’s  training at the luxury resort for the 2014 Alaskan Iditarod Race. Stay tuned!

   Kathy Shayna Shocket is a freelance Writer, Photographer and TV-Field Producer based in Phoenix, AZ. She's a former TV Reporter who's written for publications such as TIME Magazine, Money Magazine, PEOPLE Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and The NEW YORK TIMES. You can reach her at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it