Adventure Travel Specialist

At the top of Machu Picchu

"I'm going on an adventure." This is one of my favorite quotes from The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins was so excited when he ran out his front door to catch up with the dwarves and wizard. I feel his joy every time I help a client (and myself) on an adventure.

There's so much to Adventure Travel, and nearly everyone can participate. Adventure Travel isn't just for people who want to rough it in the wilderness or hike up Mount Everest and every other mountain. Adventure Travel includes cultural immersions and softer activities that all ages can enjoy.

Some of my adventures have allowed me to trek through Peru and see Machu Picchu and visit the Uros People who live on reed islands on Lake Titicaca. I've been able to take a helicopter to a glacier in Alaska, where I hiked and drank pure freshly melted glacial water. I did a Safari in Kenya and was able to see the amazing landscape, meet the friendly people and see 4 of the Big 5 on a Safari. I've taken a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. And I've zip lined in Mexico. I was able to experience river rafting, archaeological sites, and horseback riding in Chiapas and Tabasco, Mexico and Guatemala. I went to Chile for the Adventure Travel World Summit in 2015 where I will experienced culinary delights, horseback riding and kayaking. And I spoke on a panel at this conference. I also went to Iceland where I saw the Northern Lights for the first time. In 2016 I went to Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and Colombia. In 2017 I went to Antarctica, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In 2018 I've already traveled to Norway (in the winter), and will be going to Nepal later in the year.

I am a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and I have completed my Travel Leaders Certified Active & Adventure Travel specialization. In-depth cultural immersion is a fantastic way to really connect with a new group of people. So often travelers trek across the globe, stay in an Americanized hotel, eat not local food, and the only interactions that many have with locals are at the hotel or a local tour guide. Cultural immersion is when you aren't just told the customs and history and stories of the locals, but you experience it with them.

This could be through a home stay where Grandma shows you how to prepare a traditional meal or you get to help work the farm. Perhaps it's staying with the Masai Mara in Kenya, and seeing the wilderness at night with them . Cultural immersion is where you make a connection that goes deep to your soul, where you won't be the same, because you experienced a new way of life and you created friends that you will never forget.

Then there's Soft Adventure Travel. This can be for people who are just starting to look for a new way of travel, or for people who still want the comfort of an upscale hotel, but want to go out and do interesting things during the day. These activities include white-water rafting, kayaking, zip-lining, horseback riding, hiking, cycling, and animal encounters. Just because you like to be active doesn't mean you don't want to be able to rest on your much needed vacation. You want a mix of activities in your itinerary.

And then there's Hard Adventure Travel. This is for the trekkers who are going to climb every mountain, ski the hardest slopes, and go into the wilderness and camp. These travelers are often very into being Eco-friendly and love being in nature.

Which traveler are you? I'd love to help you figure it out, and help you plan an adventure trip that you will never forget, and will give you stories to share for the rest of your life.