Call Us 24/7: 800.575.1540
google plus facebook twitter youtube

Austin-Lehman Adventures Travelogue
Ideas to Itineraries: Designing the Perfect Adventure Vacation
 August 5, 2009

800.575.1540 | Email Us

It's a Tough Job, but Someone Has To Do It
What does it take to be recognized as the best of the best? Since being awarded the #1 Tour Operator in the World by the readers of Travel + Leisure, people want to know. The simple answer is: a LOT! There are of course the usual day-to-day efforts (sales, marketing, PR, accounting)…but the most interesting (and fun) part by far is developing the core of our business – our trips.

We’ve devoted this Travelogue to giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into designing the perfect Austin-Lehman Adventure. As Dan Austin says, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! From putting together brand new itineraries to resurrecting old ones, Dan’s spent over 20 years building adventure vacations around the world. We should warn you – his account may inspire you to drop everything and search for a job like his, where “globetrotting” and “adventure-seeking” are top priorities.
The Art of Trip Development
Owner, Dan Austin, on what it takes to design the perfect Austin-Lehman Adventure.

It seems I get asked all the time: “so what’s it like to own an adventure travel company…all you do is travel the world right?” Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. As it is with owning any business, keeping an adventure travel company afloat is work. There are weeks on end where I put in my 10-plus hours at my desk, not once seeing the light of day (or the beautiful Montana countryside we call home).

Now don’t start feeling sorry for me, because yes, there are a lot of benefits that come along with owning an adventure travel company – and traveling to great locations around the globe is definitely high on the list. While I may not be out in the field 52 weeks a year, the times I do get out of the office certainly make the hours logged at my desk well worth it.

Read more of Dan’s account on The Art of Trip Development
 We may be #1, But our Work has Just Begun!
Some have asked whether we’ll put our feet up now that the readers of Travel + Leisure have recognized us as Best in the World. Our answer is a resounding heck no! Our mission, now more than ever, is to continue to improve the ALA experience. We’ve set the bar and now our goal is to raise it!

At ALA, we monitor quality control with both personal experience and guest feedback. We rely on our guests for their honest opinions on everything from what’s working/what’s not, to what they loved about a trip and what they might do differently next time. It’s thanks to them, for example, that we’ve decided to offer a hiking-only trip in the Canadian Rockies, a biking-only trip in Utah’s Canyonlands, and an entire string of adventure vacations in Southern Africa.

Have a suggestion? A favorite destination you’d love to see in our 2011 catalog? Tell us! It’s your invaluable insights that have helped propel us to #1 – so keep them coming!
Request your FREE copy of the 2009 Adventures Catalog

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Travel + Leisure Award:
We are thrilled and honored to announce that Austin-Lehman Adventures has been recognized as the #1 Tour Operator and Safari Outfitter in the World by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.
Custom Adventure Vacations
 
 
We love planning custom adventures tailored just for you! You tell us what you want to do, how much you want to spend and how active you'd like to be, and we'll build it exactly your way!
 
Contact an Austin-Lehman Custom Trip Expert today and we'll put together and itinerary just for you: 800.575.1540 or via email at info@austinlehman.com
 
 
 

 
In the next Travelogue:
ALA gives a nod to some of our most seasoned adventurers.
Galápagos - Wildlife sanctuary

Get up close and personal with thestunning terrain and exotic creatures that make the Galápagos theirhome.
Black Hills Bike Adventure
The legendary Great Plains and Black Hills of South Dakota and are the perfect backdrop for your 6-day biking adventure.
Learn more here »
Glacier Multisport Adventure
Knife edged peaks provide an exceptional backdrop for mountain biking, hiking and whitewater rafting.
AUSTIN-LEHMAN ADVENTURES FEATURED RECIPE
There's a reason why our guests rave about our food. Whether served campfire-side or at a 5-star restaurant, our artfully prepared local eats are sinfully delicious!
Local Bites: Huckleberry Pie
Trip: Glacier Multisport Adventure
Method:
  1. Measure ingredients into a 2 quart mixing bowl and mix well.
  2. Pour mixed ingredients into unbaked pie shell.
  3. Cover with top crust and bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour, or until crust is nicely browned.
    4.  
    * Makes one 9-inch pie.
View all of our Local Bites recipes here!
 
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh huckleberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 double pie crust
- 1 cup grated apple
- 2 Tbsp flour
- Dash of salt
Inspiring Active Bodies and Minds Since 1985

2012 Travel + Leisure World's Best AwardsTravel + Leisure
World's Best
For the fourth year in a row, ALA was recognized as one of the top Tour Operators in the World by Travel + Leisure. Read the Press Release >

Outside Magazine 2012 Hall of Fame AwardsOutside Magazine
2012 Hall of Fame Travel Awards
ALA was inducted in Outside Magazine's 2012 Hall of Fame Travel Awards for our groundbreaking Cuba Tours. Read More...
50 tours of a lifetimeNational Geographic Traveler
50 Tours of a Lifetime
The editors of National Geographic Traveler single out ALA's Cuba tour as one of their top tours in 2012. See the complete list>